Sunday was shaping up to be an uneventful day at the McDonald/Venturi household. Derek was up in his room listening to music and skimming a magazine when someone started pounding on his door. Before he even had a chance to go to the door, he heard a voice.
"DER-EK!!" Casey shouted, not surprising Derek at all. He walked over to the door.
"Yes, Princess, what can I do for you?" It didn't surprise him that since their conversation yesterday things were at least semi-normal. It'd been a day or two since Casey and Derek had argued, and Derek decided that, even though he was realizing how much he cared about Casey, their relationship wouldn't be the same if they didn't argue. Not to mention it would seem weird if he was suddenly nice to her all time, and pranks made life more interesting.
So he fixed it.
He just happened to do it by taking all of her make-up and writing "Morning Princess" on her mirror with her lipstick. And he may or may not have been the one to put the bucket of water over her door.
When Derek opened the door, he had to fight with every fiber of his being from laughing. Casey was standing there, soaked from head to toe, looking as angry as ever.
"You are so immature," She said, pushing past him into his room. "Where's my make-up? And you're buying me a new lipstick, got it?" He stood by his door, arms crossed, looking at her. Even though she was soaked, and even though she was beyond pissed off, he realized she was as pretty as ever. Her face was pink, and her hair, which was starting to dry, was down around her face and starting to curl on it's own. But his thoughts were cut short. "DER-EK!" Derek came back to reality.
"If you weren't completely soaked," He said, not being able to withhold his laughter an longer, "I wouldn't give this back, but since I can't have you leaving a big puddle in the middle of my room," He said as he went to his desk, opened one of the drawers and pulled out Casey's make-up bag. "Here." Derek tossed the bag to Casey. "Now, if you'd kindly leave." He moved back to his desk.
"You're such a jerk!" Casey yelled one final time before walking out and slamming his door. Derek simply smiled. Yup, things were back to normal.
--
A few hours later Derek decided to go downstairs and see what was going on. There was a game on that night that he refused to miss. He walked out of his room, but before he knew his foot touched something slippery and he was on the floor. He stayed that way for a few minutes before sitting up, rubbing his back, and looking to see what he'd slipped on. A plastic bag that someone had poured water on. Right in front of his door. Not exactly genius work, but not that bad. It had worked, anyway. Casey was slowly getting better at pranks; but she was learning from the best, so what else could be expected?
Suddenly, the door of the room next to his opened, and Casey stepped out. She had a big smile on her face.
"You okay there, Der?" She asked, laughing. "I'd be careful if I was you; you wouldn't want people to think you were the next klutzilla."
"Yeah, but if I did that what would you do?" Derek replied sarcastically, getting up slowly. "'Princess' isn't much of a occupation." Casey rolled her eyes and went back into her room. Derek picked up the plastic bag, which somehow still had water on it, and managed to spill it on himself.
--
That Monday things seemed to be completely back on track. Derek hadn't called Sally; he'd actually thought about it and decided a break was a good thing. Besides, he was still figuring out all things Casey. He had seriously started thinking that maybe Sally and Sam were right. Derek was at his locker when, speak of the devil, Sam came up to him.
"Hey, D, how's it going?" He asked, leaning on the locker next to Derek's. "Any progress with the whole Case--"
"Dude, keep it down." Derek interrupted. "That isn't exactly something I'd like to spread around, okay?" Sam didn't seem to get this concept.
"Alright, if you say so. But it's not like people haven't guessed--"
"Excuse me?" Derek slammed his locker closed. Sam shrugged. This was Friday night all over again.
"Nothing. Just that the way you two are, and not just with each other. How you both constantly talk about the other…sometimes people wonder." Sam replied.
"Do you think you could maybe, I don't know, tell me about this stuff, Sam?" Derek asked, wondering if Sam was hiding any other fun facts. This was Friday night all over again.
"Sorry, man. I figured you'd get all, well, how you are now. Going just a little crazy." Just as Derek was about to respond, they heard someone walking by.
"Yeah, so I try to ease her into the idea of having some real fun and she totally flips out on me. I figure it was cause we were in a crowd so I try to bring her upstairs, but still nothing. My friends get a laugh out of it, she gets mad and we fight, the guys lay the facts out for her and she freaked out and left. Probably ended up crying herself all the way home, but it doesn't matter. I got some anyway." Of course, it was Josh, talking to his friends. Derek pushed past Sam.
"Derek, don't start--" Sam started, but Derek kept going.
"Josh." Derek called out; Josh turned around and smiled.
"Derek, what's-"
"I heard what happened between you and Casey." Josh paused, the smile only gone for a second.
"Oh. Yeah, that. Rough stuff, you know? I just feel bad cause you have to live with her." He started laughing, but stopped at the look on Derek's face. "You alright man?" Derek straightened himself up.
"Fine." He said. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you, and your friends, to stay away from Casey." It looked at though Josh didn't understand what Derek had said; it took him a moment or so to respond.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. No one, especially no one she dates, is going treat her like that." Josh just stared at him for a moment.
"Do I need to say it slower for you, Josh?" Derek said. "Leave her alone."
"So, what, are you gonna start deciding who she dates?" Josh replied, giving a short, disbelieving laugh.
"No, but I am going to keep her away from creeps like you." He paused, not being able to help himself. "At least the entire football team. She deserves better." Josh had stopped laughing, and he took a step toward Derek.
"You got a problem with my team, Venturi?" Although he was truly tempted, and despite having numerous replies to that question ,they would probably end up having the entire football team kicking his ass. For once, Derek kept his remarks to himself.
"I don't want trouble." Derek stated. "Just to tell you--"
"To stay away from Casey. Yeah, I heard you the first time." Josh replied. "But, uh, what would happen if I was thinking of giving her a call and making up? Are you gonna beat me up or something?" Josh gave Derek a slight push. "Anyway, she'd come crawling back to me before I finished asking her." Derek did his best to kept himself from punching Josh.
"Just stay away from her, okay? There are plenty of other girls around." Derek moved to walk away.
"And if I don't?" Derek stopped and turned around.
"Then you'll deal with me." Josh crossed his arms.
"You know, I didn't think you were serious, but I guess I was wrong. I didn't think you cared that much about-" Josh stopped himself and comprehension spread across his face. "Oh. Oh, wait. I get it." He took a step back and spread his arms wide, as if controlling traffic, and yelled down the hallway. "Everyone stay away from Casey McDonald." Josh looked at Derek. "Cause she's Derek Venturi's girl, and you'll have to deal with him if you go near her." Her dropped his arms. "Isn't that right, Derek?"
"Shut up, Josh." Derek said, his cheeks now revealing a faint shade of pink.
"Why don't you make me." And before anyone knew it, Derek had Josh pushed up against a wall.
"Stay away from her before I consider taking you up on that offer. Got it?" Then, all of a sudden, Casey was there, walking down the hallway.
"What's going on? Derek? Josh?" She asked, half demanding and half unsure, eyes full of concern. Derek let go of Josh, who took a few steps back.
"Your bodyguard was making his rounds." Josh snarled. He looked at Derek. "See you around, Venturi." Derek heard nothing but a threat in his tone, and watched him walk off. Casey turned to Derek.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, just drop it." Derek replied, not looking at her.
"But--"
"Gotta go. See you later." Derek walked off, leaving Sam and a confused Casey standing there watching him go.
