Okay, finally an update! I hope you guys like it! Remember to review!

Enjoy!

x—x

Casey jumped back, away from Derek when the door opened. Derek stood completely still, more afraid of what might happen if he didn't get to talk to Casey without getting interrupted, than who had opened the door to find the both of them together in a confined space in the dark. But though he wasn't looking at her, he could hear her audible sigh of relief when the door fully opened, and the small stature of Marti, looking at them curiously was found in the doorway.

"What are you guys doing in here?" she asked.

"We were just talking, Smarti." Derek said.

"Oh, sorry Smerek, I'll let you talk to Casey more." Marti said, about to close the door, but Casey stopped her.

"It's okay Marti. We were done. Weren't we Derek?" Casey said, looking at Derek.

"Actually-" Derek began, but Casey had already stepped passed him, walking through the door and past Marti.

Both Marti and Derek watched Casey leave. Marti looked back at Derek, whose eyes were still following where Casey had walked.

"What's wrong with Casey, Smerek?"

Derek tore his gaze from Casey's empty trail to look at his little sister.

"I have no idea, Smarti." he said. And he really didn't.

Casey's heart, which was beating wildly, slightly calmed when she closed the door to her bedroom, and was leaning against the door. She seriously contemplated slamming the back of her head against the door. Yeah, most people wouldn't contemplate this, they would either do it, or they wouldn't. But this was Casey, and she thought everything through way too much. Maybe that's my problem. Casey thought, as she peeled herself from the door and walked over to her bed and sitting down. She brought up her feet so that she could bring up her knees and clasp her arms around them, just so that she would have something to hold.

There's nothing going on, so what am I so afraid of? Casey thought to herself, tucking in closer so that she could rest her chin on one of the knees she was grasping. You're afraid to admit that there is something going on. That you might like Derek. More than you expected. Not only do you want to get a long with him, you like him as more... She involuntarily heard herself think. That's ridiculous. She thought, as if replying to herself. I could never like Derek. And it has barely been 24 hours since things have gotten strange. Feelings can't develop that quickly, and even if they could, they haven't!

Frustrated with Derek, and everything, and mostly herself, Casey lied back on her bed. I don't have feelings for Derek. I don't. I'm not like any of those girls who like him. I'm very different. I could never fall for such a jerk. I could never fall for anyone like him. Especially that quickly. This is all just absurd, and I need to move past it. She thought to herself, but deep down, she didn't believe a word of it.

Derek decided to stay downstairs. His first impulse was to go upstairs and try to talk to Casey again, but he knew it would probably prove useless. Especially with the interrupted try they had just had, and how she would probably be all over analytical, and frustrated, and wouldn't let him speak. So he decided to stay downstairs and wait. And maybe, formulate a plan. He was pretty good at that. At least, he used to think he was.

This is all just so weird. Thoughts crept in as he intently played Babe Raider. How could I like Casey? How could I like Casey after a freaking day? And how can I be the one to except these feelings, while Casey denies them? Aren't I supposed to be the guy here? He thought. But what if she isn't denying any feelings? What if she just doesn't have any? But Derek, being Derek, quickly shook his head at the thought. I can't believe that. Some thing's different. And not just with me. Something changed with her too. She just doesn't want to show it. Derek sighed, throwing the controller aside, because a big flashing Game Over had appeared on the screen. This really is weird.

As he sat there on the couch he willed himself to stay there, since the insensible need to run upstairs and talk to Casey was still sitting next to him, but he knew he shouldn't. He hoped he could make it a at least a day before trying to talk to her again. At least wait until tomorrow. Try and let her think some more. Maybe she'd be more open if she thought some more. He wanted to actually get through the conversation. But he was never good at waiting. He never had been. And when there was something he wanted to do, it would pull at him, driving him mad, even for the smallest amount of time that he waited. And right then, he was going insane, his foot tapping on the ground, while he twiddled his thumbs, hoping that some giant force of gravity would keep him glued to the seat. But of course, nothing kept him there, and he jumped up, and turned, ready to run up the stairs. But he couldn't.

Well, of course he could have, but he found Marti standing there in front of him. An obstacle. But probably good, because it momentarily kept him from his Casey impulse.

"What're you doing?" she asked innocently.

"Uh, nothing Marti."

"I don't believe you." she said, swaying where she stood.

"What? Why not?" Derek asked, curious to what she was getting at.

"Well, you've been sitting there, like you wanted to do something, then you popped up like you were about to burst like a big bubble. Like the bubble I made with that huge bubble maker at the park that one time, or that bubble I made out of the chewing gum I wasn't supposed to have, that exploded, and got in my hair, and Nora yelled at me, or that bubble that started to come out of my nose yesterday when I-"

"Marti, please get to whatever point you have in that little head of yours." Derek said.

"You want to see Casey, don't you?" she said.

Derek's mouth slightly opened. That was not what he had expected to come out of her mouth.

What, what are you talking about, Smarti? I don't want to see Casey."he said.

"Don't call me Smarti right now!" she said.

"Why not?" Derek asked.

"Because you're lying to me!" she pouted.

"I'm not lying to you!"

"You just did it again. Don't you remember that whole thing we had about lying. You shouldn't do it! It's a bad exaple!" she stressed,

"It's example, Marti-"

"That's not the point! You're lying, 'cuz you want to go see Casey. 'Cuz you want to finish talking about what you were talking about when you guys were in the laundry room, and she didn't want to talk." Marti said knowingly.

"Marti-"

"Smerek, just don't lie to me, okay?"

"Okay...am I aloud to call you Smarti now?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Smarti."

"Okay. Now you gotta answer me. And you promised not to lie to me anymore, remember." Marti said.

"Okay." Derek said warily. With this kid, anything could come out of her mouth at this point.

Marti took a deep breath and looked at Derek seriously.

"Are you in love with Casey?"

Casey had been in her room for about an hour, surprised, but mostly thankful that Derek had not come up to try and finish whatever conversation they had been having.

Thank God for Marti. She thought, but a little too soon, since she sat up at the sound of a light knocking on her door. Oh great.

She almost didn't get up. At first, she actually didn't. But when the knocking persisted, and she figured the knocking wouldn't stop until it was answered, she got up and opened the door. And no surprise to her, Derek was standing there.

What do you wan-"

But Derek pushed his way through the door, causing Casey to stumble back, as Derek closed the door.

"Derek!" Casey said.

"You know, things have been pretty wacky lately, most of it not making sense, therefore supporting the fact that I called it wacky." Derek said, pacing slightly.

"Derek I don't want to talk. Not now. Not at all." Casey said.

"I kind of feel like I'm going crazy, like I can't say anything I want to say, and like I'm not even sure what I want to say at all. And even when I think I know, it's like everything is stopping me from saying it, thus adding to my feeling of mounting insanity." Derek kept talking and pacing as if Casey said nothing.

"Derek!"

"And I really don't want to feel like I'm going crazy. I really don't want to feel how I've been feeling for the past 24 hours. But I still feel that way, and I know I can't change that, and that's why I want to talk about it."

"Derek, get out. Please."

"And out of all this sudden occurred madness we both have seemed to be sucked into, only one person has yet to make any sense. And who that was doesn't really make any sense at all, either."

"Derek, are you even listening to me? I don't want to talk!"

"Crazy enough, it was Marti. And she made sense by asking me a question. The craziest question in the world. A question I would have cried from laughing at if someone would have asked me yesterday, or the day before that, or before that."

"DEREK!!"

"And do you know what that question was?" Derek stopped pacing, and stood right in front of Casey. Casey remained silent then.

"You're supposed to say, 'No Derek, what was the question?'." Derek said.

Casey sighed. "No Derek, what was the question?" she asked, hoping it would bring her one step closer to getting him out of her room.

Derek took a deep breath. "The question Marti asked was if I was in love with you." Derek said quietly, but he looked intently into her eyes.

Casey breath caught, and she wanted to look away from him, but she couldn't.

"And what did you say?" she choked.

But no words were spoken, but an answer was given. Because Derek grabbed Casey by her shoulders, and covered her mouth with his.

x—x

Yup. A first kiss. And yup, at the very end of the chapter. I know, I'm mean. But I hope you'll all forgive me. Anyway, I hope you liked this! Hopefully more up soon! Please REVIEW!!!! Thanks!

Love!

-Tarryn