Disclaimer: Don't own Life With Derek. 'Nuff said.
Author's Note: I apologize for taking nearly a year to update, but university kept me quite busy, and during that time I got back into anime and well… that's where my focus has been for the last little while. But as a birthday present to Erieaud, and also in light of the premiere of Vacation With Derek… here is chapter 4.
X
Wagering Love
Familiar Faces
X
Lizzie knew that simply locking her door wouldn't be enough to keep Edwin out, since he knew how to pick them - she blamed Derek for that. So she'd barricaded the entrance just to be on the safe side. She realized it was silly; ridiculous and paranoid, even, since Edwin was far from dangerous, and she was perfectly capable of taking him on should he ever try anything. Not that he would, but he was annoying, and after such an agonizingly long day at school, all Lizzie wanted was some alone time. Was that really too much to ask for?
Unfortunately, her door being blocked didn't stop Edwin from texting her. The incessant buzzing had actually made her consider snapping her cell-phone in half and tossing it out the window, but in the end she settled for turning it off before collapsing on her bed and falling asleep for a few hours.
She awoke to a commotion sounding from hallway, and after moving everything out of the way, she pulled open the door and was genuinely surprised to find Derek standing there. He was talking to Marti a few feet away, ruffling her pink hair and complimenting her on "living up to the Venturi name" by getting grounded… for the fifth time in two weeks.
The twelve-year-old's only response was to grin proudly.
"I learned from the best!"
"And don't you forget it, Smarti."
"Derek?" Lizzie finally found her voice. "What are you doing here?"
Derek's gaze fell on her, and he smirked. "What? I'm not allowed to visit anymore? Are you that eager to get rid of me?"
Before Lizzie could reply, another voice interjected.
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
Casey emerged from the attic, Edwin following closely behind much to Lizzie's displeasure, and came to a halt at the foot of the stairs to glance at Derek challengingly. He rolled his eyes and said nothing, but Lizzie knew the gears in his brain were already turning. It was only a matter of time before the house would be in chaos, and her sister would be shrieking "Der-ek!" at the top of her lungs for whatever prank he was to bestow upon her. It would be as if the two elder children had never left.
She felt a bit nostalgic.
"How long are you gonna be here?" asked Edwin.
Lizzie blinked, wondering how long he'd been standing next to her without her noticing.
"Only for dinner." Casey replied, clearly disheartened.
"What! Only dinner?" Marti cried.
"'fraid so, Smarti."
Her face fell, and Derek quickly added, "Hey, don't be sad! Listen, why don't I take you to get your nose pierced the next time I'm in London? How's that sound?"
The pink-haired girl's blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree almost instantly, and she grinned toothily at her favorite brother. But her excitement was cut short when Casey cried, "Derek!" and shot him a horrified look. Lizzie stifled a laugh.
"I have a serious case of déjà vu all of a sudden." Edwin whispered to her, "What about you, Liz?"
"Oh yeah," she snorted, then turned her head to glower at him, and hissed, "Edwin, get your hand off my ass before I break it."
"But it's just so… nice and taut! And squeezable!"
"Do you have a death wish or something?"
"Not quite, but there is a seventy-two percent chance that I might be a masochist. What do ya say, Liz? Wanna test that theory out?"
He jumped out of the way before she could hit him. She glared instead, hoping that the intensity of it would somehow make his head explode, but when that didn't happen she made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat. After glancing at her other three siblings to make sure none of them had seen or heard the exchange, she slipped past and made her way down to the kitchen.
George was hovering over the stove while her mother attended to Lex nearby.
"Chicken parmesan, George? What's the special occasion?"
"Derek and Casey are visiting." Nora answered for her husband, "We haven't seen them since August, and since it's the one food they can actually agree on, well…"
"I get it." Lizzie nodded in understanding, and waved at Lex when he spotted her and began squirming around in his highchair. "Hey Cutie! How's my favorite boy in the whole wide world?"
"Stubborn as always." Her mother replied, "He refused to take a nap at daycare, and then caused a ruckus after lunch."
"I wonder where he gets that from." Lizzie joked, sparing a glance at her step-father.
"Hey, don't look at me!" George cried defensively, causing both his wife and step-daughter to stifle their laughs.
With a defeated sigh, Nora turned to face Lex once more. "Why couldn't you be more like Casey and Lizzie? I swear, you Venturi men…"
"And women." Marti sang as she entered the kitchen and swiped an apple off the counter.
"Sorry kiddo, you've still got a long way to go. And shouldn't you be in your room? I thought I grounded you."
"But Dad! Heidi's having a party on Saturday and I have to be there!"
"Well, you should've thought about that before you dyed your hair pink."
Marti narrowed her eyes and planted her hands firmly on her hips.
"You guys let Lizzie dye her hair." She reminded them.
George groaned. "That was different."
"How?" Marti cried, exasperated.
"She was older."
"Only by a year!"
"Yes, well, when you're thirteen -"
"That's what you said last year!" The youngest Venturi girl snapped, and then whipped around and stormed up the stairs. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO UNFAIR?"
Seconds later, a door slammed loudly, causing the windows to rattle and more than a few picture frames to hit the floor. Lizzie winced, before shooting a sympathetic look at her mother and George, and quietly slipping out of their sight.
X
"That was some show…"
Lizzie lifted her head from her knees to glare at her unwanted guest. Edwin merely smiled weakly and flipped on the switch, casting light into their old "meeting place" - oh, how that brought back memories. After closing the door, he struggled to find a comfortable position on the floor across from her, and failed miserably, eventually settling for sitting cross-legged.
"Has the Games Closet always been this small?" He asked, in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. She was sure her sour demeanor was probably emanating off her in waves and causing a disturbance.
"Go away…" Lizzie muttered, "I'm not in the mood."
"Well, that makes two of us." Edwin said with a shrug, and when she raised a suspicious eyebrow at him, he elaborated. "Call it a temporary truce - emphasis on the temporary. As in it probably won't last for more than a few hours."
Lizzie snorted. "And I'm supposed to believe that because…?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" The dark-haired teen countered.
"Point." She conceded.
As if on cue, an awkward silence fell upon them. Fortunately, it didn't last long, and Edwin was quick to shatter it.
"Can you believe we used to fit in here? You, me, Marti… and Teddy, that one time."
She remembered, as clear as day, and fought back the smile that was tugging at her lips. "Yeah."
"Then puberty attacked."
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Ah, yes… puberty."
"Great memories, eh?" Edwin chuckled.
"For you, maybe."
"What are you talking about? You completely lucked out!"
"That may be true, but… girls are cruel." Lizzie told him.
"Not all girls."
"Most of them."
"You weren't."
"And yet I've been officially dubbed Thompson High's 'Ice Queen'. Funny, how that works."
Edwin made a face. "It's only a nickname… it'll pass eventually. Besides, I wasn't aware that it bothered you."
"It doesn't." Lizzie snapped, "I don't let stuff like that get to me. I was just saying."
"Hey, you brought it up."
"Whatever." She muttered.
She glanced away, and so did he. The Monopoly box beside her head suddenly became very interesting, at least for a while, before Lizzie spoke again.
"You know… I was the one who encouraged her to do it. Dye her hair, I mean." She confessed.
"Who? Marti?"
She scoffed. "Who else would it be?"
"Stop being a bitch, Lizzie. I was just confirming. You don't have to chew me out."
Lizzie narrowed her eyes. "Calling me a 'bitch' isn't gonna earn you points in my book, Ed."
"Uh, this is a 'temporary truce' Liz. I'm not trying to woo you right now." He snapped.
"'Woo'?"
Edwin let out an annoyed sigh and rose to his feet, hands raised in
defeat. "That's it, I give up. I try to comfort you, and get mocked instead.
I'm out."
"Good." She spat.
"Fine." He tossed a glare over his shoulder and grabbed the
doorknob. "I'll see you at dinner, sis."
"Looking forward to it." Lizzie deadpanned.
"I'm sure you are." He sneered, and there was something very
lecherous about his tone that made his step-sister's blood boil.
It took most of her willpower not to kick her foot out and trip him, but
she knew that it would only end badly. For her, and she didn't like the
thought of being at Edwin's beck-and-call during their bet. No good would
come from it, she was sure.
"I thought you were leaving." She said, instead.
"I'm trying!"
Those words made her stiffen. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Edwin tried to twist and jiggle the knob, but with no avail.
"Umm… I think the lock is jammed."
"WHAT!"
X
I am so unbelievably tired right now. I can barely keep my eyes
open.
This is the first chapter that I've typed in one sitting. I didn't
write it out beforehand or make drafts or anything, so I'm not entirely
sure whether I'm pleased or not. I shall see…
-Lady-Azura-