A/N: Sorry to be MIA and not update. Life has been crazy. Between working, family problems, planning a wedding-not my wedding my cousins-getting hit on at the bookstore and throwing my back out at AN AWESOME concert, you tend to just forget things. NOt to mention I lost the file that had the chapters to this story..tee hee.. so during my drug filled back healing time I have tracked down, re written, and fixed the chapters to this story. I'm going to update every day or two, cause I want reviews... Tonight or tomorrow you will get another chapter. Enjoy


Two aspirin and a twenty minute nap on one of the old smelly cots that practically every student has laid on with the flu was all the nurse offered. She took the aspirin but opted out of the nap, somehow laying down on something that had gathered other peoples skin cells for the last thirty years did not seem relaxing. She decided to just sit on the cot and think.

Casey thoughts battled between Derek and Ethan. Why had Ethan gone from interested to flee in ten seconds, and did Derek have something to do with it. And how was Derek doing all this? She hung her head down in defeat. Here she was back to Derek. It seemed that he was on her mind more then usual. Casey thought briefly about what Paul had said then quickly ignored it. She just had to let it go. That would be hard of course, Casey was Casey. She never let anything go.

It had only been five minutes but Casey was more then ready to leave the nurses office. She didn't like being in the nurses office. It reminded her of when she started her period while at private school. She had started bleeding so heavy that there was a trail of blood leading from the bathroom to the office. Her cousin Vicky and the rest of the students tortured her for the whole school year because of that.

As Casey walked down the hall from the Nurses Office to her next class, she made sure to pay attention to all the male students in the hall. They all were avoiding eye contact. Instead of leaving a trail of blood behind she was leaving a trail of frightened stares. She decided to ignore it, like she had apparently been doing for the last couple of weeks. If she hurried now she could make to her next class right before the teacher.

Casey managed to get to class before the teacher. She gave an inward cheer to herself. She took the available seat, which was the third chair down in the middle. All the male students looked away, which she expected. She leaned forward in her desk and stretched out her arms, from the corner of her eye she saw, Tinker Tomlin come in.

That's it! She thought to herself. Tinker could be my date to the prom.

For a brief second everything was looking better. Even though she wasn't into Tinker the same way that he was into her, going to prom with him was better then staying home alone watching a RomCom,"Romantic Comedy", while eating your weight in ice cream. Or worse, going alone.

Tinker sat down at the desk next Casey. She gave a smile to get his attention but he ignored her and started fidgeting with papers on his desk.

"Hey Tinker," she said, finally getting his attention.

"Hey Case," he said rushed, avoiding eye contact.

Mrs. Rose, the English teacher came walking in. She sat her desk and started looking over today's lesson. Casey figured that she had five minutes or so to get Tinker to agree with going to prom; which Casey really wouldn't need since he was in love with her.

"Hey Tinker I was wondering if maybe we could go to prom. Together. Me plus you. Be my prom date?"

Sweat started to form in the middle of Tinkers forehead and he looked nervous.

"No thank you," he said closing his eyes, almost as if her was afraid to look at her.

Casey was lost for words. This was, Tinker. Tinker Tomlin. The creepy nerd who would have sold his left arm to go on a date with her and now he was saying 'no thank you'? Had everyone on the planet started taking crazy pills.

Casey opened her mouth and said the only thing that came to mind. "What?" Tinker didn't respond.

"Tink I'm a little confused here, help me out. Why don't you want to go?"

"Please stop talking to me," He said in hushed tone, just loud enough for Casey to hear.

"But Tinker-"

"I said stop talking to me!" He said cutting her off.

Mrs. Rose got up from her desk and went over to the blackboard where she proceeded to write out the in class assignments.

Casey leaned back in her desk, not really caring about the assignments. Everything was becoming more confusing, and instead of getting answers she was getting more questions. She could possibly understand all the male students not liking her but Tinker. How was that even possible. She didn't care anymore if it was paranoia or jealousy. All the answers to these questions pointed to Derek.