A/N: Thanks again to shyesplease and Balyndaba for reviews, and to thedarkemperor and tvd1992 for favoriting and following! My writing has slowed, but if anyone wants to beta for me (plot-wise; I'm usually good on the mechanics, just sometimes need to bounce ideas off of others) I'd appreciate a kick in the pants.
Without further ado, here's chapter four!

Chapter Four: I Believe it 'Cause I Feel it

Casey could totally be sexy. Totally. She was a fully capable, powerful, self-assured woman, full of womanly beauty.

So why was she finding it so hard to pick out something to wear?

She had her suspicions about the night's activity (8pm on a Friday night was prime time for social outings), and while usually she felt fine picking out something suitably attractive for a date or party (yes she had been to parties, jeez, she wasn't a hermit), thinking about something suitable for going out with Wesley Gable was an entirely different matter. Plus, sexy? She usually went more for 'I'm put together' than 'I put out.' Just the thought was squicky.

"Jesus, Casey, just pick something." Alicia was sitting in their living room, playing some video game on their TV, clad in PJs and her reading glasses. She wasn't usually the sort to party on a Friday night, unless it was a LAN party (not that Casey knew what that was supposed to mean). Casey had been holding up possible outfits for the last thirty minutes.

"I can't, 'Lisha, I need to make a perfect first impression."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she paused the game and set down her controller. "You see him twice a week in class. It's not a first impression," she pointed out. "Besides, you'll look good in whatever you wear. Just make sure you've got a good bra on and you're fine. That's my advice." She shrugged.

Casey shook her head. "That might work for you, but – in case you haven't noticed – I don't leave things up to chance. I want to know I look great."

Completely shifting her attention to her suitemate, Alicia narrowed her eyes. "Your red push up bra. And that fitted blouse you have, the black one that buttons up."

Casey almost protested, but realized that the blonde was offering her straightforward advice, and maybe it would be wise to just take it. "But that's long-sleeved, isn't 'sexy' supposed to be, y'know-"

"It's fall, Casey. It's okay to wear long sleeves. Besides, you can roll them up. It'll look laid back and cute- sorry, sexy." The girl only barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes again.

Casey nodded, Alicia's calm demeanor helping settle her nerves. "But what about pants? I don't think I should just wear jeans-"

"Don't you have some kind of miniskirt?"

Casey hesitated. Most of her skirts were of the pencil style. Or denim. Or skorts. Or floaty things she could twirl in – nothing of the 'sexy' variety.

Alicia shook her head at Casey's look of worry. "I'll let you borrow one of mine. You have nice legs, you should show them off."

Casey blushed, but nodded. Part of her wanted to point out that Alicia wasn't the most popular girl on campus either, but she remembered that Derek had called her suitemate hot, so that must've given the blonde some kind of credentials, right? Besides, Casey was proud of her body, and her legs were well-toned from years of dance, so maybe Alicia had a point. Either way, she wasn't in a state to argue.

Which was how she ended up, in a very Alicia-esque outfit of black on black on black (which, she rationalized to herself, was a color scientifically proven to make people look attractive, intelligent, and confident – something she needed, and was finally starting to feel). She'd agreed with the black blouse, and had to admit it did flatter her upper body spectacularly – nipping in at the waist and opening to show a tantalizing hint of skin at her collarbone – and had borrowed a short black pleated skirt from Alicia (removing the chains that usually adorned it: she'd already had her little punk phase in high school). Her suitemate had dubbed the floral Doc Marten boots 'very laidback chic,' so she was feeling good about that. She could be laidback. And chic. And cool. And sexy.

And also cold.

"He won't kill you for wearing a jacket, Case, it's fall." And with that Alicia returned to… some game with guns and grenades.

Why was her roommate having to remind her so frequently of the season? Either way, Casey nodded (nervously) and went into her closet to search for something appropriate.

While she was searching, however, she heard an insistent knocking on their suite door.

She popped her head out of her room, shooting her roommate a look of confusion. The blonde merely shrugged, then paused her game (again, this time with an audible sigh), and went for the door as Casey returned to the closet.

"Oh, you again." Alicia sounded bored, but not blatantly rude. "She's here, she's just getting dressed."

"Nice to see you too, doll."

Casey faltered as she heard Derek's voice. (Almost a full hour early.) And, of course, it was hitting on her suitemate. At least the blonde wasn't flirting back.

"Hey Keener-" His words were raised as she heard the sound of a jacket being tossed on the table and a body falling onto the couch. "-Sorry 'bout the change of plans," (he sounded anything but,) "I got invited to a thing later, thought you wouldn't mind bumping up the schedule."

"Yeah, whatever," she shot back, holding up one jacket after another against her outfit in her full-length mirror.

About a minute later, a voice piped up from the living room. "Do you mind?" The voice was Alicia's – not as snarky as Casey would've expected, given the words and to whom they were addressed – but she couldn't tell from here just what Alicia was referring to.

"Go right ahead, sweetheart." As always, Derek's smirk was audible. As was his confusion a moment later, "Whoa whoa whoa, wait-"

But Alicia had already taken the few steps it took to enter Casey's room, and she was holding Derek's leather jacket. She tossed it to the brunette before she could protest. "Wear this: it's perfect for that outfit."

Casey was pulling a face, holding the jacket at arm's length. She looked to Alicia, her face pleading.

"Do it." The blonde ordered.

Casey brought the jacket to her nose, hesitantly, sniffing. She screwed up her face at the very strong, very masculine scent (not as bad as she'd feared – at least it didn't smell like B.O. – but there were definitely overtones of spice and booze, and undertones of Derek's deodorant). Her voice held a distinct whine as she pouted at her suitemate, "But-"

Alicia cleared her throat and leveled her gaze at Casey, and the brunette sighed, pulling the jacket on. She would never admit it, but she agreed that the jacket worked perfectly. And it was comfortable. And still a little warm.

"Just what exactly are you-" Derek's words stopped as he entered Casey's bedroom. He'd been stopped by the uncharacteristic mess of clothes strewn all over the bed and floor. "Wow, Space Case, must take something special to-"

She'd started wringing her hands as his eyes had scanned over the mess of shirts and pants and – gulp – bras, and other clothes – but she felt a blush working its way up her neck as he finally caught sight of her in all her 'this is me being sexy' glory. She couldn't tell if his silence was a good or bad thing. The slack in his jaw must've been good… right?

"…You're not wearing my jacket." Derek's voice was flat, but it wasn't as arrogant as she'd expected.

Alicia elbowed him in the arm. "Yes, she is," she insisted, looking at Casey with a smirk that rivaled Derek's. "You look hot, Case," she assured, giving her suitemate a thumbs up.

Derek rubbed his arm, glaring at the blonde girl, but grumbled his acquiescence.

Casey barely had time to shoot her suitemate a tentative excited smile before she was yanked from the room by the sleeve of Derek's jacket.

"Now, as nice as it's been to chat with you Alicia, I've got to go teach Klutzilla here how to get a man."

Klutzilla was right – with Derek dragging her through the lounge she was having a hard time regaining her balance. In that moment she was glad she hadn't gone for heels. Because boots let her dig her feet in.

"Der-ek!" She yanked back against his grip, and they came to a stop. Derek seemed unsurprised.

"Well, obviously, your first lesson is to go with the flow, Case – and that flow is goin' outta here." He'd made his way to the door and pulled it open, leaning against it casually, rolling his eyes. "Now, are you gonna come willingly, or do I have to carry you kicking and screaming to your Prince Charming?"

With a huff, and an attitude more fitting for grade school than university, Casey crossed her arms over her chest and stomped out of the room.

Alicia, seemingly unfazed, caught the once-over Derek gave his stepsister as she passed. And the lingering on her skirt-clad ass. "Classy, Venturi."

Derek shot her a sarcastic smirk, eyes narrowed. "Every day of my life."

She had always called him a skirt-chasing cad, after all.

A/N: There it is: chapter four. A long one, too! This title is brought to you by Hedley's 'Anything,' although it was a hard choice to make. I'm liking using music for titles, but having a tough time picking things. Suggestions are always welcome – I have a vast music collection that I love expanding. So leave it in a review!

And fun fact: the thing about black making people "Appear More Attractive, Intelligent, and Confident" is right out of a recent study. I read it on Complex. Seriously. Google it.