Dream a Little Dream of Me

Chapter 10

Last Chapter:

Casey was sending Derek through a loop Hole without realizing what was ahead for the two of them. Like going in circles only for them it would feel like zigzags.

XOXO

As soon as Derek had fallen asleep in his sleep everything was spinning. Not a dizzy spin more like a spinny slide of bright colors. I know it sounded like an acid trip but it wasn't.

He landed with a soft thud on a bunch of pillows. Around him, he could hero echoes of someone calling his name.

"Derek…" they said softly getting closer and closer. He smelled the scent of strawberries in the air. Only one person in the house used that special scent of shampoo.

Casey.

"Derek." she called again. It would have normally freaked him out but it was warming.

He saw her in the distance, dancing and swaying lightly. She got closer and closer but coming in and out like you see from ghosts on television and movies. Like she couldn't stay in the signal so kept cutting out.

Then she was right down beside him. Confident and sexual.

"Derek." she whispered. "Derek."

"Yeah?" he answered shakily.

"Derek…I look but I don't see. I hear but I don't listen. I touch…but I don't feel." she whispered pushing him back on the pillows. "I don't feel." she said again louder this time. "Derek!" she almost yelled.

And that's when he jutted up in bed, breathing hard and glistening from the sweat.

"Oh, fuck." he said looking around before allowing himself to get out of bed. He went and turned on his light. "What am I doing? This is just gross." he said looking at himself in his mirror. "She's your sister. Technically step-sister." his mind chimed in. "This has to stop." he said shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

XOXO

"You look, like you didn't get any sleep last night." Casey said making a bowl of cereal in the kitchen, the next morning. Derek was just sitting on a stool, eyes half closed, hair messy, and bags under the eyes, still in his pajamas.

"Don't remind me." he said yawning and resting his arms on the island where his head then fell.

"Rough night?" asked George, who came in the kitchen with Marti.

Derek didn't answer him.

"I think, he's out George." Casey said analyzing Derek.

"Oh." Georg e shrugged.

"So, I'll be back later. I'm taking Marti to a birthday party." said George grabbing his car keys.

"Good morning all. Except Derek." Nora said looking around them. "Are you sick?" she asked,

"No, just…couldn't sleep…" he said not moving his head.

"Oh, well anyway, I'm taking Edwin and Lizzie to the mall. I'll be back shortly."

As everyone in the family left the house, Casey and Derek were still in the kitchen.

"Derek?" Casey asked, "Derek?" she asked again.

She could hear him softly snoring. So she just smiled and put her bowl quietly into the sink and left the kitchen.

Casey left though the front door and went and traveled over to Emily's house. She rang the doorbell and finally someone came and answered the door,.

"Emily." Casey said giving a warm smile.

"Casey." she said more coolly as she crossed her arms looking down.

"Listen Em, you're my best friend and I am so sorry for the way I acted yesterday. Every thing has just been a little surreal lately. I am very sorry and I'm just hoping you can forgive me." she said.

Emily smiled.

"Of course, you're my best friend too." They both hugged. "So what are you going to do today?"

"Um, I don't really know." Casey answered. Her cell phone started ringing and she looked at the incoming call.

"Hey, Noel." Casey greeted.

"Hey, what are you doing around 12?" he asked,

"Um, from the looks of it, nothing much."

"Can I take you somewhere?"

"I guess it depends where, Noel." Casey said laughing.

He laughed too.

"On a…um, just a…um…date, maybe."

"You want to go on a date?" she asked trying to clarify him on it.

"I would love to go on a date with you Casey, How generous. I'll pick you up at 12." he said laughing.

"Ha, ha, Noel. I see how you worked that." she said laughing. "Okay, so I'll see you at 12."

"Alright, bye."

"Ohhh la la. What did Mr. Butcher want?" asked Emily.

"Em." she said laughing. "Um. He asked me out well…technically I guess I asked him out."

"Casey! What are you still doing here? It's 11:33! Go get ready!"

"Oh!" Casey said. "I'll talk to you later, Em!"

Casey walked back into the house and up to her room, where she got ready till the very last minute.

"Going somewhere?" asked Derek who now relocated himself to his chair and was talking with his eyes closed.

"Yeah, um Noel's taking me out." Casey said.

"Uh, Casey? You do realize that you guys weren't really dating right? And technically you aren't pretending to date him now. We already established that I was going to take his spot."

"I know Derek, but I couldn't say now. Noel has given up so much for me, I think I can sacrifice one day for him." she sad grabbing her purse when she heard a honk outside. "Well, he's here. I'll be back later."

XOXO

"Where are we going, Noel?" Casey asked trying to get him to crack.

"I already told you, it's a surprise."

"Last time that you surprised me, we ended up at your family reunion." Casey said laughing. "Why should this time be any different?"

"Because this time, it's a date. Remember you asked me." he said smirking at her.

"Not as good as Derek's." she thought. "Ewe."

"Hey, you tricked me into asking you!" she pointed the finger at him.

He pulled over to the side of the road and Casey could see that they were at some time of park.

"Wow, it's so pretty." she said getting out of the truck.

"I got something." he said grabbing something out of the back of the truck.

"A picnic basket?" she asked looking at it. "Noel are we going to have a picnic?" she had a warm smile on her face.

"Do you want to have a picnic?" he asked unsure.

"Are you kidding? I love picnics!" as they started walking to find a place under the lime colored trees, Noel grabbed her left hand and they both walked.

"You've changed a lot since last year, Noel." she said glancing at him.

"In a good or bad way?" he asked.

"Definitely a good way." she laughed.

"Well, since High School is over, it's time to take charge and just finally stand up for myself and take responsibility because I know that nobody else is going to, and if they do there the ones telling themselves to get up and take responsibility since no one else is going to."

Casey laughed more.

"You're are absolutely right."

"So is this a good place?" he asked.

"It's wonderful. Absolutely, wonderful." Casey helped Noel put down the blanket and then they both sat down on it and talked.

"So, I got some pretty lame munch m material but I thought that it would do." he pulled out break, bologna, ham and turnkey. Cheese, mustard, and some chips along with lemonade.

Casey only wanted some chips because she was still full from breakfast.

After they were done eating, Noel wanted her to try the lemonade.

"Did you make it yourself?" she asked getting ready to take the first sip out of it.

"Yes, but I wanted you to be the first to try it."

She took a small sip out of the cup and her face went awry.

"Too sour? Too sweet?"

"Noel, I think you forgot a major part of the lemonade." she said getting her face to readjust.

"What part?"

"I don't know, maybe the sugar?" she asked.

"Ohhhh, I knew that I was forgetting something." They both laughed and that's when Noel made his way in. On the blanket he got closer to Casey until he couldn't get any closer.

"Casey, I know that we've been…"pretending" to be dating and all for the sake of Max and everything. But is there…any possible way hat you might…want to rethink that?" he asked.

Casey looked at him but instead found his lips pressed to hers. She was startled at first. Unsure of what to do. Noel's eyes were closed and she could see him getting a little discouraged of her not kissing back, so then she deepened in the kiss but kept her eyes open for a few seconds until thinking it through.

"The guy deserves a kiss, Casey. Just kiss him and then…tell him. Tell him that you've decided to go down another path." she thought.

Casey shut her eyes and leaned into the kiss with more force. He was a gentle kisser. This kiss was better than the one they had shared on stage. It was more confident and natural.

Max had always been more of a tongue down your throat kind of guy but Noel's were secure. Trying to be safe without crossing the line. It was very relaxing.

They pulled apart after about 30 seconds and Noel looked her right in the eye.

"Tell him! Tell him!" she yelled at herself.

"Was that wrong?" he asked insecurely.

Casey shook her head out of instinct.

"Not at all. It was very…nice."

"So…"

"So…"

"Does it change anything?"

"Um, the truth is…" "DO IT! DO IT!" "She yelled to herself. "I…um, am still thinking things through."

"Okay. That's understandable."

"Thanks, Noel."

"So, are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." she said getting up.

XOXO

The drive back to the house was a silent one.

"Come on, Casey." her mind wouldn't give up.

"Thanks for everything, Noel." she said.

"No problem." Casey turned to get out of the car and opened the door and then turned back to face him again.

"Noel."

"Yeah?"

This was it.

"Um…I…um…" "Too late." "Will…one day teach you how to make lemonade." "Hook line and sinker."

"It's a date." she slightly laughed at his reply.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright"

Casey got out of the car and walked into the house mentally kicking herself in the head because she knew that the Noel thing was still aloof and as soon as she would walk in the house she would have Derek to deal with.

A/N-Okay, two churros for one review! That's a great deal!!