I do apologize if anything in this appears a little too...extreme. One character in particular haha. I needed something to push things to be more awkward and painful for Derek (sorryyyy) and it seemed like the easiest way to do it. I know not everyone might agree it's very realistic but well.. some people need more..attention than others. I'll leave it at that.

Seriously love you guys. Thank you for all of the feedback so far!

I do not own Life With Derek.


THE PARTY

Weekend days always went by too fast, especially in comparison to school days. But Derek found that this Saturday went by much faster than usual. He almost was a little disappointed when it was time for the family to sit down to dinner, knowing an hour or so afterwards would be time for his welcome back party at Jason's. He was looking forward to it, glad to be settling into the new normal and all, but he found himself nervous for the night ahead. How different everything would be. Not that he would ever admit that of course.

After dinner of potatoes and meatloaf (none ended up in the ficus!) Derek headed upstairs to change and fix his hair. Fixing his hair consisted of him running his hands through it and checking himself out in the mirror. Styled 'natural' hair was a skill. One he thankfully possessed. He threw on a new t-shirt and headed down the hall to see how long Casey would be.

He found her hair piled in a messy bun on top of her head, wearing far too fitting yoga pants and a spandex tank, studying out of her French textbook. She was lying on her stomach, ankles crossed in the air, as she copied notes in the booklet beside her.

"I really hope you're not wearing that to the party." Derek commented from the doorway, feeling a touch of nostalgia as he remembered all the times he made fun of her from that very spot, usually leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. Now he was sitting in his chair, still casual but missing the previous easy days once again.

Casey looked up. "I'm only driving you. I wasn't invited to the party."

Derek was silent for a moment, then proceeded to burst out laughing.

"Casey, Casey, Casey. It's high school. You don't have to be invited to the party. It's not a seven year old birthday party where you're only allowed to invite five friends. You just show up. No one's got a guest list at the door for crying out loud. Even if they did, just tell them you're my plus one. It's my party, and I'm inviting you." he told her, rolling his eyes at her innocence. He tried really hard not to find it adorable that she was so oblivious.

"You really want me to come?" she asked quietly, placing her pen down as she met his eyes shyly.

"Of course. Someone's got to be the DD. If you stay home you'll fall asleep at eight like the granny you secretly are." Derek said as he headed down the hall back to his room. She was a girl, and Casey, so she'd be a while getting ready.

"Der-ek! I am not!" was her whiney reply.

Derek just shook his head as he laughed.


The party was already in full swing by the time they arrived with Emily and Sam. Casey felt uneasy going but now it was more to do with the fact that the house was basically shaking from the volume and there were houses nearby. Jason lived in a rich neighbourhood, but there was quite a bit of space between houses, so they might be alright. But she was hoping to leave long before the noise complaints started.

It seemed like their entire high school showed up. The house was huge and very open inside, but was crammed with underage drunk teenagers from wall to wall. There was cheering going on in the kitchen where Casey could see some kind of upside down drinking going on from a beer keg. The dining room was filled with stumbling guys and their just as drunk girlfriends, a game of beer pong in full effect.

Jason was coming down the stairs when they entered, his girlfriend hanging off of his waist for support.

"Triple D has arrived everyone!" he shouted and everyone who could hear over the loud music cheered.

Derek grinned and clapped him on the back. "Some party! Thanks for the welcome back, man." he said casually, but really meant it.

"Can't have a team without a captain, dude. If nothing else it was an excuse for a fantastic party!" he shouted drunkenly, everyone cheering along to that statement too.

Derek laughed. "So… where's the liquor?" he asked with his mischievous smirk.

"I'll lead the way." Jason instructed, sloshing some of his own drink as he squeezed between people. Derek hesitated but people gradually got out of his way.

He glanced back to see Emily dragging Casey to the dance floor and Sam following Derek to the kitchen. He smiled gratefully at his best friend before loudly joining the others in the kitchen, all excited for his arrival.


A couple hours later, Derek sipped at his beer, laughing at the idiots who were playing some stupid game, which caused them to fall a lot. Derek hated to admit it, but he felt a flash of fear every time he saw someone lose their balance. Ever since the accident, he realized how fast things could change. How a simple thing could make everything complicated. He wouldn't want someone else to suffer the same or similar fate to him, or anything of the sort. He had grown more cautious. But he kept this to himself, knowing he would sound like Casey if he warned them to be careful.

Speaking of Casey he looked out through the arch that divided the kitchen and living room to see Casey dancing and laughing with Sam and Emily. She caught him looking and smiled and waved, turning back to their friends and swaying her hips expertly.

Derek started to head over to join them. They were on the outskirts of the dance floor enough that he could probably fit with them without being in the way, even though he could only dance from the waist up. But Jason clapped him on the shoulder before he could escape.

"D, Danielle's been undressing you with her eyes all night. Go talk to her. You're the guest of honour, so if you want a bedroom upstairs to yourself, go right ahead. Kick whatever horny animals are in there out on my orders and get your freak on."

Derek forced a laugh and thanked him, but felt uneasy. Not just at the last statement, but did Jason think that he could actually… do stuff? Did they forget why he was missing from school for so long?

He didn't have long to contemplate this since as he attempted to exit the kitchen, Danielle stepped in front of him.

"Hey D. Welcome back." she told him, sugary sweet, and delicately climbed on his lap to kiss his cheek in greeting.

"Thanks. You're looking beautiful as always." he flirted without thinking. She was Filipino, with dark hair and tanned skin. Her body was toned from surfing and rock climbing and adventurous sports like that, that still left her with a chest. She filled out a dress nicely, he'd say respectfully. Tonight she was only wearing a bandeau and see-through lacy tank top and a short black skirt.

"You know Derek, you've always been such a sweetheart. I was really hoping to run into you tonight. There's something I've been wanting to tell you." she admitted, biting her lip coyly.

"Oh yeah?" he replied. He hadn't spoken to Danielle much before, just flirted with her like the rest of the girls in high school, off and on. He couldn't imagine what she'd want to tell him.

She nodded then spontaneously threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.

Not expecting it, he lost his balance slightly but regained it quickly, grabbing her waist to steady them as her lips moved eagerly against his. His body responded, his lips trying to find a rhythm with her passionate ones.

She pulled back to gasp for air, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Wow." was all he could think to say, more from the surprise than pleasure.

She assumed it was the latter and grinned. "There's more where that came from, baby. Let's take this upstairs." she whispered, letting her hand slide seductively down his chest to land on his crotch.

"Umm I can't." Derek told her, brushing a strand of hair back behind her ear and kissing her once on the lips in apology.

"Why not?" she asked, sounding hurt.

"Jason doesn't have a lift on his stairs. I can't even get up there." he said honestly.

Her face lit up. "Oh! Well that's easily fixed, silly. I'll help you limp up the stairs. I'll be your crutch." she added, like that was sexy somehow.

Derek's face scrunched in confusion. "Danielle, I can't move my legs. I can't 'limp' anywhere."

She still looked lost. "Oh. But you can still have sex, can't you?"

He blushed. "Um, not really. I can't feel my legs. The doctors aren't sure if I can… do that. Physically I don't know if I can get aroused."

"Doesn't look like it. I've been giving you a hand job this whole time and you haven't even noticed." she said irritably.

Derek looked down in shock to see her hand was now in his pants.

"Danielle!" he hissed, looking around to see everyone else oblivious. Regardless, he really wished she wouldn't molest him in public.

"What if I gave you a blowjob? Would that change things?" she asked, getting off his lap probably to kneel in front of him.

Derek threw his arms over his crotch to protect it from the crazy girl in front of him. "I'm sorry, Danielle. You're gorgeous and sexy as hell, but I don't think I can physically do what you want me to."

"Well I guess there goes my plan for the night." she said with a shrug, and with that she walked away to flirt with the next hockey player to cross her path.

Derek sat there alone, not really sure what he was feeling. Shock. Frustration. Anxiety. A swirl of emotions began crawling up his throat.

It wasn't that he wanted random sex with a girl he hardly knew or anything. Even before the accident, he believed in waiting for the right person. He may have kissed plenty of girls, dated many, and gone past second base with a couple, but he still believed sex was reserved for someone really special. But right now, he felt upset at the fact that he waited all this time, he had had plenty of offers before tonight, and it was all for naught. He would never have sex with anyone, special or not.

He wheeled back to the main area, where all the dancing was going on, to see Casey being twirled by Sam, laughing and having a great time while Emily danced and flirted with someone from their Math class.

He passed the happy group and headed outside for some air.

There was some party goers getting high on the porch. One of them offered Derek a hit but he declined. He had never been one to do drugs. It wasn't Casey's influence or the parental lectures but Derek was smart enough to know better. He used to not want to mess up his game as hockey was his life. Now it was solely that he just had no interest; no interest in damaging his brain cells, relationships and life with something as unnecessary as getting high.

Derek found himself feeling more and more out of place at the party. He felt more… mature or something than these people now. He saw them as idiots to shake his head at, not laugh along with. Was this how Casey felt all the time?

Speak of the devil, a hand found his shoulder and he looked up to see her standing next to him in the dark night.

"Ready to head out?" she asked sympathetically.

He nodded. She wrapped an arm around him and squeezed, before releasing casually and heading back inside to grab Emily and Sam.

Derek looked up at the sky. Even the stars looked different tonight.

Everything was different now. He had to keep remembering that. He just didn't want to.