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XXXXCasey OOOODerek

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"What is with her?"

I watch Casey gliding out of the room. Is she PMSing or something? First she avoids me, and now she's flirting with me?

"Shermeck hill you hake me hor a halk?" I hear Marti's muffled voice from behind me and I jump. I turn around to see she's painted a brown spot over one of her eyes and is holding a leash in her mouth.

"Marti where did you get that leash?" I pull it out of her mouth knowing her it's probably been dipped in the toilet once or twice.

"I found it on the neighbors front porch! Now will you take me for a walk? Pretty pleases smerek!" I laugh as I pull Marti up into the air to spin her around. Thank god Marti hasn't been influenced by the female presence in the house!

"Okay Smarti. But I'm not putting you on the leash"

"Then what am I suppose to do with it?"

"Just leave it in here, someone's bound to notice it sooner or later"

I put Marti on my shoulders and we begin to walk around the block. Why is Casey flirting with me when she has a boyfriend? Why is she flirting with me at all? Why do I even care? All these question are running though my head as I walk with Marti. I have to find the meaning of this. Tomorrow I will go straight to the source, or the next best thing anyway. Emily. I put Marti down as we get closer to our house and she begins to run around me barking.

"One more Smerk pleassseeee!!" She begs she is looking up at me with her big blue puppy dog eyes. Just like Casey's. Maybe there some influence going on it our house, from someone at least.

"No way Smarti, it's time for bed."

"But I don't want to go to bed!

"Then don't. Just go inside"

"Oh fine!" Marti storms inside and I follow her. I'm not nervous or confused anymore. Emily can't resist me, so naturally she'll tell me what's going on with everyone.

--

I walk into school and I get the feeling I'm being watched. I turn around and I think I see someone run behind a wall but I ignore it and try to find Emily. As I walk up the hall I still feel like someone's watching me but I ignore it because I see Emily at her locker.

"Hey Emily" I walk up to her and I open my mouth to ask how she's doing and she closes her locker and walks away.

"Where are going?" I yell after her.

"Away from you" she says calmly like it's an everyday thing for her.

"That's weird," I mumble myself

"What's weird?" I hear a voice behind me and I jump. That's two times in two days. But this time it's not someone I like seeing. Sheldon Schepler.

"Have you been following me Sheldon?"

"Yeah so?"

"Could you try not to make a habit out of it?" I pat him on the shoulder and begin to walk away.

"I guess, but I hardly think that's a way to treat your best friend." I stop mid-step. What? This is beginning to get out of control. First Casey is flirting with me, then Emily completely blows me off, now Sheldon is suppose to be my best friend?! What is going on?

"Since when are we best friends?"

"Since we were six! Remember?"

"Sheldon I think your mistaking yourself for Sam, he's been my best friend since we were six and he defiantly never followed me in the halls." This has to be some kind of joke.

"Sam? Yeah right. He's the coolest guy in school. No way would he'd ever talk to losers like us." Sheldon states matter-of-factly. Loser? Only one of us is a loser here and it's defiantly not me.

"Sheldon, I don't know what type of game you're playing but I don't want in. so leave me alone!" Sheldon tries to say something back but I make sure to get out of earshot before he can say anything. Maybe Sam will know what going on. I have to find him. I see him talking to some random girl in the hall.

"Hey Sam!" the girl gives me a dirty look and I give one back. What is wrong here? Normally I'd be hitting on that girl so fast it would make your head spin and I can guarantee she would be all over me. So what's with the dirty looks? Sam smiles and walks over to me.

"What is with everyone today?" I try to play it cool but even I can hear the nervousness in my voice.

"I don't know dude. Maybe they're just sick of you." Sam smirks a little as he says it. I scowl at him.

"Sick? Of me? Yeah okay very funny Sam."

"Whatever dude. Lets go to class."

"Fine." I have the feeling this is going to be a very bad day.

XXXX

I keep trying to apologize to Kendra for what I said yesterday but every time I get near her she runs away.

I'm running up the hallway looking for her when I see Sam talking to Derek.

Hold on.

Sam isn't supposed to be talking to Derek! He's supposed to be ignoring him! I want to go over and ask what going on but he won't leave Derek's side! I don't have time for this anyway. I have to find Kendra. I don't know why, but I hate people being mad at me. I always have, so I have to make this better, and having Kendra mad at me probably isn't the smartest place to be, I even cancelled my session with Paul just so I could chase her down.

I finally meet up with her at lunch. I go over to her table and sit down ignoring all the rest of her friends throwing me surprised and dirty looks.

"Kendra are you mad me?" I give her my puppy eyes, but Kendra doesn't look at me.

"Why would I be mad at you Hun? What you have possibly done to make me mad at you? Kendra looks like she's getting ready to explode on me, I have to fix this fast.

"Kendra I'm sorry for criticizing you yesterday. I really am. But I have good news, if you'll just listen to me I'd be glad to tell you."

Kendra looks up at me and I see she is smiling. Maybe Derek's not the only person she's playing pranks on.

"Of Course I forgive you sweetie! Now tell me this good news!" There's a hint of sarcasm in her voice and I can tell she hasn't completely forgiven me yet, but I tell what happened between Derek and me last night anyway (but I left out the fact that I enjoyed it. I'm still trying to process that one myself.) And she seemed utterly delighted.

Now off to the second thing on my list, I need to find Sam.

I see him and Derek walking up the hall. Great even when Sam is suppose to be ignoring him they're hardly away from each other. Derek is looking around nervously; he really can't seem to handle the fact people are pretending not to like him. I laugh a little to myself.

Thank god for Mr. Patterson because he suddenly stops Derek and tries to talk to him and I have a chance to pull Sam away. Why do I feel like I'm the only participating in this stupid prank?

"Yes?" Sam raises his eyebrow at me, but I know he knows what I'm going to ask because he answers before I can even ask what I was going to ask him.

"Casey we're trying to creep out Derek not gives him a heart attack. I have still have to be his best friend so he doesn't have a mental breakdown, and how else is he suppose to know you like him if I don't tell him? You know how clueless he is."

"Well that explains a lot." I'm still a little peeved, but relieved. I'm not the only one participating in this stupid prank. " But you know I don't actually like Derek? This thing is just a prank right?"

"Of course I do Casey." Sam says as he walks away to meet Derek who is running around the halls trying to find him.

"Something tells me someone he's convinced it is." Emily smiles behind me.

"Hey Em. Of course he is. This is just a prank remember?"

"Yes I know Casey but, I also know someone is going to get hurt." Why is Emily so pushy with this getting hurt thing? No one is going to get hurt.

"So, do you have a part in this prank?" I ask Emily, she knows she's a hypocrite and probably feels bad for it, but she can't say no to anyone popular so she obviously agreed to help.

"Well yea, but my part isn't nearly as hurtful as yours! All I have to do is ignore Derek and give him dirty looks like every other girl in the school!" Emily seems hurt that she doesn't have a bigger part in this.

"Lets go to class Em, and later me and you can go to the mall or something okay?" I try and throw her a bone but she refuses.

"Casey, it may not be a great thing but you still have a job to do and you better do it. But, thank you for asking I would love to come over to your house after school and watch you do your job." I laugh even if it's against her morals she can't resist watching people flirt.

"Okay Em. After school you can watch me work my magic." I flail my hands around hoping I look like a magician, but Emily just laughs at me.

As the day goes on I am actually getting excited knowing that eventually I'll be flirting with Derek again. God what wrong with me?

I know I didn't need the Marti thing but I think Derek and hers relationship is so cute! I couldn't resist making it! Oh and this Chapter is Tuesday in the last chapter the reason Derek said that it's a long time to wait is because it was Monday.