A/N: I know I suck for not updating for so long. I don't really have a good reason for not updating. I just kept putting it off.
Tired From Dancing
Chapter 6
Casey woke up in Derek's bed early Tuesday morning. So much had happened since Monday, it had almost seemed like a dream. She woke up at six and hoped to slink out of Derek's room before he woke up. She had slept with her back to him and although they were only a few inches apart, it felt as if they were seperated by a million miles. She had no idea what Derek might be thinking this morning and worse, she wasn't even sure what she was thinking or feeling. They didn't make manuals for losing your virginity to your stepbrother, but she wish they had.
She picked up her pajamas from the floor and quickly put them on and tiptoed to her bedroom. She jumped in the shower to get that Derek smell off of her and to wash away any sins she may have committed the night before. She quickly threw on a sweater and a pair of baggy jeans. When she went to the kitchen, the whole family was there minus Derek.
"Hey Casey, you feeling okay," asked Nora. "Yeah I'm alright why," Casey answered all in one breath.
"Lizzie told me you were moaning last night." This couldn't get any worse, thought Casey.
"Oh I had a little stomach ache, no biggie." Casey hoped this answer would suffice and this latest interrogation would end, but no such luck.
"She went to your room and said you werent there." "I must have been in the bathroom." Oh God when will this stop, she thought.
"Lizzie looked in there too and you weren't there either." "I don't know what to tell you. I didn't just become invisible last night," she yelled. She couldn't stand her mom not trusting her. They had never had a problem in that department before.
"Maybe we have ghosts, that's probably why you heard moaning," said Edwin. "We have ghosts," asked Marti scared. "Thanks alot Edwin," said George.
"I gotta go. I'm gonna be late," said Casey as she ran out of that disaster area known as the breakfast table.
Casey worried all the way to school that the kids were still going to taunt her. When Casey got to her locker, she saw Emily at hers. "Hey what's up," asked Emily, with an annoying grin on her face.
Casey opened her locker and shoved in her books. "Nothing, what do you mean?" she said impatiently.
"You're acting strange, whats goin on?" Casey didn't have the time nor the patience to tell her everything that was wrong with her.
"I didn't sleep at all last night." She slammed her locker and walked to her first class. Emily walked in and sat next to her.
"You can tell me, whatever it is." No I really don't think I can, thought Casey.
"Is it serious?" You have no idea, she thought. "Yeah, just a little," she answered.
"Come on how bad could it be?" "It's not bad, just weird," Casey said. She opened her notebook and scribbled something in it hoping Emily would take the hint that she was busy.
"Does it have to do with Derek?" Casey wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about him, so she snapped.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Can't we go one day without talking about him?"
"Did you and Derek kiss or something?" More like the or something, thought Casey.
The teacher walked in and handed out the test papers. Casey had planned to do a little cramming that morning, but she was a little preoccupied. She looked at the Chemistry test and didn't recognize half the formulas on it. She knew she was screwed, again.
When the bell rang, she passed her test up and walked briskly out of the room hoping to dodge any questions Emily might have for her. When luch time came, Casey went to the cafeteria hoping not to see Sam, but apparently this was not her lucky day. He was sitting alone when he looked up and saw her. He got up, grabbed his tray and walked past her. He threw his lunch into the garbage, put his tray down, and walked into the hall.
Casey ran after him. When she caught up to him, she grabbed his arm and turned him around.
"Sam, can we talk?" "About what?" Sam wasn't going to make this easy on Casey. He really didn't want to talk to her at that moment.
"I'm sorry about last night. I would really like to be friends." Casey noticed he wasn't looking at her, but past her shoulder and down the hall.
"I hope you and Derek will be very happy together." He turned and walked down the hall. For some reason his words cut throught her like a knife. She knew they probably wouldn't be happy together and she had blown a good thing with Sam. Casey couldn't believe he was being a bigger drama queen than she was. When Sam turned the corner, Casey walked back into the cafeteria and sat down across from Emily. It was nice to see a friendly face, nosy, but friendly face.
Emily wasted no time. "So about you and Derek." "Listem Em, I'd rather not talk about it." Emily was getting concerned and she feared the worst.
"What exactly happened between you two? Don't leave out any detail." All this nagging was wearing Casey down. She knew Emily wasn't going to let this go.
"Alright I'll tell you, but you have to swear you won't tell anyone."
"Cross my heart." "Derek and I were. Well, we were together last night," she said softly. She didn't need anyone to hear this.
"Together, like you made out?" "Do I have to spell it out for you?" Casey really didn't want to say it out loud. Putting it out there meant that it actually happened, and at that point Casey preferred to pretend it didn't.
"That's the most shocking thing I've heard, well ever. So what was it like?" Emily got right to the point.
"It was nice, but this morning was beyond awkward." "Yeah no kidding," Emily said.
"I haven't talked to him since. I have no idea what to say to him."
"How about thank you," Emily smiled. "Very funny, Em." She could always count on Emily to make light of a situation, kind of like Derek.
"Just tell him how you feel." Easier said than done, thought Casey. "I don't know what I'm feeling."
"Well do you want to do it again, or do you want to pretend it never happened?" "A little of both." Casey wanted him, but she didn't want the awkwardness that came with him.
"Well you better figure it out before you talk to him." Casey didn't know how to do that. "Yeah thanks." They finished their lunch in silence. Nobody bothered her the rest of the day. There was a new rumor going around school about an affair with a teacher and Casey and Derek suddenly weren't that big of a story anymore. She could still kill Derek though for twisting her into a pretzel. Casey's head and heart were in constant battle since she met Derek. She still didn't know which one to listen to.
While Casey walked home she thought of what she would say to Derek. Nothing she thought of sounded right or sounded like enough. When she got to the front door she still had no idea what to say. She was hoping he wasn't home even though he was grounded. She walked through the kitchen and upstairs to find his door was open. "He's not home," said Casey. Maybe it was her lucky day. Denial seemed to suit her.
Casey went to her room and fell face first on her bed. She was so tired and didn't even want to think about school. She didn't want to think anymore. She was so sick of thinking and never acting. She couldn't exactly act at that moment because Derek wasn't home yet from wherever he went. She took her math textbook out of her school bag and did a little homework. Under the cicumstances, she concentrated on her math homework pretty well.
Casey's concentration was blown when she heard Derek run up the stairs and close his door. She put her book on the floor and decided to confront Derek. She knew what she wanted to say to him. Her head had gotten her far, but her heart, well not so much.
She got up and went to Derek's room. She raised her fist and was just about to knock when she stopped herself. She went back to her room and sat on her bed, then got up and went to Derek's door again. She did this for about thirty minutes. Her trips to Derek's room were interrupted by serious pacing and mumbling in her usual pacing and mumbling spot in her room. When she was standing in front of Derek's door for the fifth time, she heard her mom yell that dinner was ready. Casey ran downstairs before Derek could see her in front of his door. It didn't matter because he knew what she was doing the whole time. He got a little jolt from this. He knew that her indecision meant that she was seriously considering going out with him.
Casey hated the dinner table. It was more like a war zone, kind of like the one that existed between her head and her heart. She sat down and when Derek finally decided to make his appearance, she refused to look at him. She wasn't going to make the mistake of looking at him again at the dinner table. Casey proceeded to shove the food around her plate. Nora noticed this and said something that would snap Casey out of her head and back to reality.
"Casey how would you like to baby sit on Saturday?" Nora knew this would make Casey forget about whatever was bugging her.
"Sure, whatever. Can I please be excused?" Nora was taken aback. She thought it was weird that Casey didn't put up a fight.
"Yeah sure," said Nora. Casey went to her room and picked up a magazine. Lizzie came in about fifteen minutes later and asked her if she was okay.
Casey was sick of everyone asking her that. "I'm okay."
"Problems with Derek?" Lizzie didn't know how right she was. "It's just normal teenage problems, kiddo." Casey hated to lie, especially to Lizzie. Derek was turning her into a liar and, today's math homework withstanding, a bad student.
"So I have a lot to look forward to," she said sarcastically. Casey laughed and cracked a smile for the first time since last night. "I'll leave you to think about your problems." That was the last thing Casey wanted. "You wanna play a game?"
"Sure, I'll get Monopoly from the games closet," answered Lizzie. She jumped from the bed and ran out of the room. Edwin noticed the closet door was open. He went in and saw Lizzie reaching for the Monopoly game, which was on the highest shelf.
"Can I play with you if I help you get it down," said Edwin. "How are you going to get it down. You're just as short as I am." He stepped up onto the lowest shelf and reached for the game with both hands. "It's a little known trick," said Edwin. Casey walked to the games closet to see what was taking Lizzie so long. "Is it alright if Edwin plays with us," asked Lizzie with her asking face on. "Yeah no problem." Lizzie and Edwin walked out of the closet and Casey closed the door. They were walking down the hall when Casey suggested they play at the dining room table. Edwin and Lizzie had no objections so they walked downstairs. Derek could hear Casey ask them if they wanted to play downstairs and decided to join the fun, the fun being taunting Casey and seeing her get all hot and bothered. He knew their fights were just an elaborate form of foreplay.
They were just about done setting up the board when Derek came downstairs. "You got room for one more?" He sat down before anyone answered. "Sure, why don't you sit down," said Casey. It was strange, but while they played, they forgot they were the dysfunctional family they were. They actually got along. There were no petty arguments or bickering.
Derek, Lizzie, Casey, and Edwin were actually having fun until Casey accused Derek of cheating. After Derek had five hotels on the board after only an hour of playing, Casey accused him of stealing money from the bank. "I'm the banker and I know you took some," said Casey.
"You just can't stand that I'm beating you." "What I can't stand is cheaters like you." "Admit it. I'm better than you at everything, except for maybe being in a pain in the ass." "At least I'm not a cheat and a liar." They fired back at each other until Lizzie interrupted them.
"Guys stop, look there's money under the table." They all looked under the table and sure enough there were pink and orange bills on the floor. "I told you I didn't cheat," said Derek. "Well can you blame me for accusing you of cheating?" "Uh yeah, how you feel about me is actually in your control." Edwin and Lizzie realized they weren't just talking about Monopoly anymore. "Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me," said Derek. As usual Caey and derek had forgotten their siblings were still there.
"So are we gonna play or what," said Edwin. "Yeah, let's play," said Derek. Neither Edwin or Lizzie noticed that he looked straight at Casey when he said this.
After Derek got another monopoly, Casey turned the board over. "You think you're so good at everything." Derek knew he was good at only two things, hockey and turning girls on.
She ran upstairs and waited for Derek. He ran after Casey while Lizzie and Edwin cleaned up the mess Casey made. When he reached the top of the stairs, Casey said, "What took you so long?" This time she kissed him first. She pushed him against the wall. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked to her room like that kissing the entire way. She jumped off of him and they both sat at the foot of her bed. They kissed again until she stopped him.
"Derek, we need to talk." He kissed her again. "Later." He got in one last kiss before Casey pushed him away.
"I think it would be best if we just pretended nothing happened." Derek stood up. "You what?"
"I wasn't prepared for any of this."
Derek sat on the bed and took her hand in his and said, "Like I was? So we'll figure it out together." Casey put her head on his shoulder.
"So you wanna babysit Marti with me on Saturday?"
"And then can we fool around," Derek said with his usual smirk on his face. "Derek," she said in her usual scolding tone.
"Kidding." He put his head against hers. They both laid down and fell asleep while Derek stroked Casey's hair. Little did they know someone had seen them asleep on Casey's bed.
Casey walked down to the kitchen. Her mom walked in and asked her to sit down. George said, "I'll get him."
"Casey we need to talk to you and Derek." Her mom did not sound happy. She was as far from happy as one could get.
Derek walked in after George and sat down next to Casey, without even a look. They felt like they were about five years old and they had just broke a family heirloom.
"We know what's been going on and we've decided Derek is going to move to the attic while Casey moves to the basement. We'll take Casey's room and Edwin will take Derek's," said Nora.
"Mom that's not fair, we didn't do anything."
"Dad, like I would ever do anything with Casey." Csaey was a little insulted at how fast that came out of his mouth.
"Then why did I see you and Casey in your bed," said Nora. "Busted," thought Derek.
"We were studying and we fell asleep," said Casey. She knew they weren't going to buy it.
"When was the last time Derek studied with you or with anyone for that matter," said George.
"The two of you will move out of your rooms tonight," he continued.
"So you don't believe us," said Derek. He wasn't too surprised by his dad's reaction.
"We're just taking all the precautions." Derek knew what that meant. They were taking all the precautions against him. They would probably would have let Sam sleep in Casey's room when they weren't home.
"This is insane," said Casey. George and mom were completely overreacting, she thought.
"I agree. We only thought we''d have to seperate you for fighting," said George.
"Get what you may need tonight and tomorrow morning and go to your new rooms," said Nora.
Casey walked out first and went to her soon-to-be old room. Derek stood up and started walking towards the dining room.
"Derek, stay here until Casey goes down to the basement," said George. He sat back down and waited. He can't even trust me for five minutes, thought Derek. Casey returned about five minutes later. She walked by without looking at Derek.
"Derek go to your room," said George. Derek stood up once more and said, "This is so unfair." He walked up the stairs stomping his feet.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing," said Nora. "I don't know, but we'll find out." They both sighed.
Derek took some stuff from his room and went to the attic and woke up Edwin by accident. "Derek what are you doing up here?" "We have to switch rooms for tonight," "Why?" Before Derek could lie to him, George walked in.
"Edwin you have to sleep in Derek's room tonight." "And why am I being kicked out of my room?"
"We'll talk about it tomorrow," said George. Edwin picked up his pillow and walked downstairs to Derek's room half asleep.
"We're going to move Edwin's things in to your room tomorrow. See you in the morning bright and early," said George. He walked down the stairs and slammed the door.
Casey was trying to fall asleep, but she just stared at the ceiling. She couldn't believe her parents had found out about her and Derek. She could hear someone walk down the stairs. She thought it was her mom until she turned on the light.
"Derek what are you doing here?"She sat up inher bed. "I couldn't sleep." Casey knew how that went. She couldn't fall asleep without him either.
"How did you get past my mom and George?" She knew it probably wasn't easy since they both decided to act like wardens.
"I climbed down the side of the house and came through the back door."
"Are you insane? You could have hurt yourself," A week ago, and she wouldn't have cared less if he hurt himself, but everything between them had changed.
"I did. I think I cut my leg." Derek rolled up his pant leg. "Let me see. Oh you're bleeding. Let me get a paper towel." Derek saw the genuine concern in her face and realized, just like Casey, he wasn't ready for this either.
Everything had changed so dramatically in such a short period of time. The fact that Derek was willing to get hurt to see her and the fact that she cared if he was hurt was all so new to the both of them. The biggest change was probably the fact that their parents didn't trust them to be around each other.
Casey was wetting a paper towel in the sink, when she heard her mom say, "Casey, what are you doing?" She jumped and turned.
"Um just getting a wet paper towel for a cut I got on my leg."
"Save it Casey. I know Derek's down there."
Nora went to the basement door and yelled downstairs, "Derek would you come up here now?"
"Hey how's it going," Derek said when he came upstairs as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Go back to your room, now." "Its not my room, it's Edwin's room and you can't tell me what to do, you're not my mother." Nora just stood there. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She had no idea Derek felt that way about her.
"You're not going to keep us apart, so stop trying." He grabbed the wet paper towel from Casey and trudged downstairs to the basement.
"Casey, what are you doing?" "We're not doing anything, why can't you believe us?"
"I wish I could." Casey hated that she coudn't be trusted. Now she knew how she made Derek feel earlier that night. Casey couldn't take her mom treating her like a criminal anymore. "Mom, all we did was kiss." She couldn't believe she just admitted that to her mom.
"Casey, you have to stay away from him. He's your brother."
"Stepbrother and I don't see him like that." She never really thought of Derek as a brother. At first he was a complete stranger, then he became a major pain, and then he became someone she was insanely attracted to. Casey had no idea what he would be to her in the future, which was part of the reason why she was so scared.
"You know as long as you live under this roof, we will not allow this." George walked in and stood by Nora.
"Is he down there?" He pointed to the basement. George already knew the answer to that. He went to the basement door and yelled down, "Derek what the hell are you doing?"
George went downstairs with Nora following close behind. When Casey got downstairs Nora and George were facing Derek. Casey grabbed Derek's hand so he wouldn't feel ganged up on. "You two can't do this," said George.
"We're not doing this, you are," said Casey. Derek never thought he'd see the day when Casey would side with him over her own mother. "Yeah, this is more your fault than ours.You two got married and stuck us together in this house. What did you think would happen," said Derek as he squeezed Casey's hand.
"Look at the bright side, at least we're not fighting anymore," said Casey. She and Derek started to laugh. George and Nora didn't find that last crack as funny as their children. "Yeah, isn't that what you wanted," seconded Derek.
"That's it, Derek. I'm sleeping down here with you and Casey can sleep with her mother in her room.
"I think you've officially lost it," quipped Derek. All four of them started yelling at once. They finally stopped bickering when Marti came downstairs. "Daddy, I'm scared about the ghosts." "Come here Marti," George said as he picked her up.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Thank you Smarti, thought Derek. Maybe she's not such a pain after all, thought Casey.
"Sure sweety." George turned his head towards Derek and Casey. "Derek, Casey can we trust you to sleep in your own rooms tonight?"
"Uh yeah, since we didn't do anyhting in the first place," said Derek. "I promise nothing will happen," Casey said to her mom as she gave her a hug. Derek and Casey walked up the two flights of stairs. They stopped in front of Casey's door when Derek broke the deafening silence.
"You think they bought that," he said. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When she didn't kiss back he knew there was something wrong.
"I really think we should sleep in our own beds tonight." Casey hoped he wouldn't get too mad.
"I can't believe you're letting them get to you."
"I'm just really tired. I think we should just stay away from each other for a few days,"
"You can't keep doing this. It's like I'm on one bad roller coaster that never ends." Casey didn't know what she could say that would make him feel better, but more importantly, she couldn't say anything that would refute it.
"You can't start this up and then stop it whenever you feel like it. It's not fair." Casey knew he was right, but whenever she started up with him again, the intensity seemed to paralyze her.
"So you wanna break up?" Casey wasn't even sure if they were going out. People who date usually aren't ashamed to admit they're dating.
"Yeah I guess we are. Come talk to me when you make up your mind." He opened his door and stepped into his room.
"Oh and Derek." He popped his head back out.
"You will apologize to my mom tomorrow." They slammed their doors at the same time.
A/N: Hoped you liked it. Review and tell me so. I think the next chapter will be the last. I'm still not sure how I want this to end, though. I'm open for suggestions.