LWD
I do not own Life With Derek.
Chapter 10--
Casey groaned. She wasn't a swearing woman, but the headache she was experiencing made her want to mutter obscenities that no one had ever heard her utter. But she didn't. Instead, she groaned again. Getting up gingerly from the bed, she thought that she was pretty lucky. This hangover wasn't as bad as the last. At least the room wasn't spinning. She opened the door and stepped outside, determined to somehow pop some aspirin before the pain ruined her day. As she past the first door to her right, she stopped as she registered that it was wide open. Her headache seemed worse as memories of the previous night flooded her mind. Derek was up. She looked at the stairs in dread, her mind weighing the merits of two pills against a possible confrontation in this state. Deciding that fear should not be in her vocabulary, Casey started down the stairs. As she spotted the folded piece of paper on the wooden banister, she sent out a silent prayer of thanks. She had momentarily forgotten that today was the first Saturday of the month. In order to appease Nora's need to have 'family time', George encouraged a breakfast outing to celebrate the first weekend of every month. It was not mandatory. Derek usually slept in while they brought back food for him. She picked up the note to read the words she expected. Hopefully, Derek went with them.
Sighing, Casey moved to the kitchen and poured herself some cereal. After she swallowed the aspirin, she sat down, prepared for a silent breakfast by herself. But like most days in the McDonald-Venturi household, peace and quiet was never a possibility. The doorbell rang causing Casey to groan out loud. Was she never going to have alone time? Fighting the fatigue, she opened the front door.
"Sam!" She stated surprised. "Derek's not here."
"Good morning to you too." He chuckled. "Yeah I know he's not here. He wanted me to pick him up to go to the rink. I know I'm a bit early. Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all." Casey moved to make room for him. "Sorry, I guess I'm a bit spaced out today." She said as she closed the door.
"Yeah, I kinda guessed that." He said with a knowing look.
Casey blushed. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Nah, you weren't as bad as some of the guys."
"That's good news. By the way, why isn't Derek taking the Prince?"
Sam shrugged. "We figured it made more sense for me to pick him up since I pass this way. No point taking two cars."
Casey beamed at him. "Lizzie will be so proud." She turned towards the kitchen. "You want juice or anything?"
"Yeah.. thanks." He said following her.
Casey began pouring the orange drink into two glasses as Sam sat at the counter. "So, you remember everything from last night?"
Her cheeks reddened. "Of course I do." Sam threw her a disbelieving look. "Okay, maybe not everything. There are some fuzzy parts in my memory."
"Do you remember 'zwing'?" He asked holding back laughter.
"Zwing?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah. You somehow thought that my shirt was, and I quote, 'very zwing'."
Casey gasped. "I didn't."
Sam laughed. "You did."
"So I make up words then?"
"Yup. I forgot how much fun drunk Casey was."
"I was not drunk." He shot her another disbelieving look. "Okay, maybe I was a little." She laughed. "At least I'm a sleepy drunk." She suddenly turned serious as she remembered one of the conversations she had the night before. "Can I ask you something?"
Sam shrugged. "Shoot."
"I was talking to Jason last night, and he mentioned something about Derek's temper and how that was related to me." Sam suddenly looked really interested in his drink. "He asked me to ask you about it."
"It's nothing." Sam replied, but Casey could see that he was holding out on her.
"Sam." Casey pleaded.
Sam sighed. "I guess what Jason meant was that whenever you guys fight, Derek becomes unbearable."
"But we fight all the time."
"I don't mean the pranking fights. I mean the real fights. Which have been happening a lot recently." Sam added as an after thought.
"Oh." Casey looked down at her cereal, unable to guess the value of this piece of information.
"How are things? With the two of you, I mean."
"I don't know. We've never really fought like his before."
"I know." Sam nodded. "He practically killed Matt out on the ice because of it."
Casey looked at him surprised. "Matt? The guy he fought with?"
Sam looked uncomfortable. "Yeah."
"Why did they fight?" She asked curiously.
"Er.. Maybe you should ask him that."
"But.."
"Case, I cant.."
"I know, I know. Best friend's rule or whatever. But cant you just tell me this one little thing? Please?"
Sam chuckled. "Ask him yourself." Casey was about to continue the pleading when Sam's phone rang. "Hello?" He looked at her, and she knew that it was Derek who was on the other side. "Yeah.. I'm here..Uh huh.. Alright.. See you there." He snapped his cell shut. "That was Derek." He said unnecessarily. "Turns out that your parents are dropping him at the rink, he's going to meet me there." He stood up. "Thanks for the juice."
Casey smiled at him as she started walking him to the door. "No problem. This was nice wasn't it? Just sitting and talking, just like old times."
"Yeah it was. See ya Case." And he walked out with a final wave.
"Bye." Casey closed the door and walked back to the kitchen to finish her breakfast. She couldn't help but go over their conversation in her mind.
--
"Sammy! Finally! What took you so long?" Derek yelled as Sam came on to the ice, hockey stick in hand.
"I was waiting for a certain someone who told me to come to his place to pick him up." Sam replied, skating to a stop.
"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." Derek mumbled as he pulled out a hockey puck out of his pocket. "You ready?"
Sam nodded. "First fifteen goals win. I'll take the right. You okay with left?"
"Yup, and don't forget we switch after the first seven."
"And you don't forget that no violence is allowed."
Derek smirked. "Have I ever been violent?"
Sam smirked back. "Is that a trick question?"
They moved to the middle of the ice and took up their stance. Both huddled close to where they expected the puck would fall once Derek tossed it. "Three.. Two.. ONE." Derek yelled as he tossed the puck, and the game began. It was invigorating and exactly what Derek needed. Sufficient distraction. He could always count on Sam to do whatever he needed him to do, and today was no exception.
The game ended as it always did, as a tie, since both Derek nor Sam never let the other leave the rink if they were one point behind. It was so far a perfect day for Derek. At least it was until they got into Sam's car.
"What's up with you and Casey?" Sam asked cautiously. He wanted to discuss his friend's behaviour, but didn't want to face his anger.
Derek's head snapped up at the question. But within seconds, he had masked his panic with a shrug. "What makes you think that anything is up?"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Dude! You have been even more impossible than normal."
"And you think that it's because of Casey?" Derek scoffed. "Please, she doesn't affect me at all."
Sam sighed. It was always a fight to get Derek to admit anything, especially if it's something that's bothering him. "Look, we can discuss it now, or I can keep harping on it 'till we discuss it."
"You sound like her."
"Yeah well, sometimes, Casey knows what she's doing." He quickly glanced at Derek before turning his attention back on the road. "You're mad at her. That much I know. Why?"
Derek's jaw clenched. "The woman doesn't know what she wants. And apparently I'm supposed to be her little puppy who sits when she says sit." He said frustrated.
"And what's wrong with that?" Derek glared at him, causing Sam to laugh in good humour. "She's of the female species. And a wise Derocrates once said, that that is what made women, women. Confusion."
"I doubt she wants what I want." Derek muttered more to himself as he looked outside at the passing scenery.
Sam kept his eyes on the road, unable to think of a suitable response. Should he or shouldn't he? But deciding that Derek was too stubborn and ignorant for his own good, he finally spoke, breaking the silence. "I'm guessing that she wants what you want."
Derek stiffened in the seat next to him, as if he had temporarily forgotten that Sam was there. "What are you talking about?"
"Casey said some things last night, just before I left to find you." Sam saw Derek watch him intently from the corner of his eye. "She was worried that you were mad at her."
"I'm always mad at her." Derek said impulsively.
"And.." Sam continued ignoring him. "She asked me why you didn't care about her. Why you kissed her, and then ignored her. And also, why you're such an idiot." He glanced at Derek. "I didn't have an answer to the last question." He smirked.
Derek stayed silent for a while contemplating his next move. "So you know." He didn't need to apologise, did he?
"Yeah. Seriously man! You and Casey? I can't even picture it."
Derek groaned. "Neither can I. She's just so.. Casey."
"And you're so you." Sam stated. The disbelief still hadn't left his voice.
"Gee, thanks man. Great to know what you really think of me." Derek said bitterly.
"I just want to know one thing." Sam asked seriously. "Is she a Meagan or a Tina?"
Derek knew what Sam wanted him to say, but he didn't think that she was either. When they were freshman, a senior, Eric had simultaneously dated two girls and when that was exposed, he stopped it from blowing up in his face, and for that he was Derek's hero. Meagan was his steady girlfriend, while Tina was the blond bombshell who was a practical one night stand.
"Neither." Derek said slowly. "She's a Casey." After all she was on a league of her own.
"Dude! You do realize that I'll have to kick your ass if you hurt her. Right?"
"Dude! She would kick my ass if I hurt her."
Sam shook his head. "I can't believe this is happening."
"You, me, both." Derek mumbled.
They sat there silently for a few minutes until Sam spoke. "So then..this is.. serious?" He almost sounded as if he was afraid of the answer. Derek had never been boyfriend material, eventhough he is loyal when he is one. What bugged Sam about his best friend was the fact that he had hooked up with girls more often than he changed his clothes. And Casey was the other extreme. She needed commitment. He remembered their relationship and part of him doubted if Derek would have that much patience to put up with it. Derek and Casey together? How is that even possible?
"What is this? Oprah? First it's Emily, then Casey, now you. Does everyone want me to talk about this?" Derek asked frustrated.
"Emily knows?" Sam asked.
"Yup. And she thinks that I need to talk to her."
"You do need to talk to her." Sam saw Derek roll his eyes. "Weren't you in two relationships before? Didn't you talk? Because that's what women do. They talk."
"I know. But Casey's different."
"How?"
"With Kendra, it was easy. She would cry, I would nod, she would think that I'm a great listener, and then we would make up. With Sally, she would tell me what I should do, I would do it, and then we would make up. With Casey.. It's different."
Sam nodded. "You're right. Everything you say and do will be under a microscope. She will analyze everything you say and wonder what your real intentions were in saying whatever you said in the first place."
"See? That is exactly what I mean. She is completely paranoid. Completely.." He sighed. "..paranoid."
"But?" Sam encouraged.
"But.." Derek looked unhappy that he was going to admit it. "I can't stop thinking about her. And for some unknown, God forsaken reason, I actually find some of the most stupidest things that she does cute. Can you believe that? I actually think it's cute. I mean, these things used to annoy me."
"What things?" Sam asked curious. Maybe Derek was serious about Casey.
"I don't know." Derek shrugged. "Like her rituals. Did you know that she takes her toothbrush with her whenever she leaves the house?"
Sam chuckled. "Yeah. So she could brush after every meal."
"Seriously, who does that? And don't forget her need to make sure that everything is in the right place. She would go crazy if she saw a frame shift. And not to mention shopping with her is always fun." He said sarcastically.
"Why?"
"Space Case doesn't believe in frozen foods. She needs to make things from scratch, like the stone age. Plus, she rolls her eyes practically for every sentence.. "
"She does that only when you're around." Sam smirked.
Derek scowled. "Still, it hurts my eyes to watch her. And I still don't get how she could find studying fun. I thought she needed to be in a mental institution for that one."
Sam shook his head, unable to believe that he was going to encourage this. "Dude! You should tell her these things. Then maybe..maybe..she would forgive you."
"Are you crazy? She would hold it over my head for life! No way man."
Sam sighed, frustrated. "Are you two seriously competing to see who could be a bigger ass?" Derek stayed silent. "You are, aren't you? I should have known that this would turn into a competition, everything else does. Look man, just tell her you like her and get it over with."
"Aren't you supposed to be her ex-boyfriend or something? The one who is not supposed to set her up?"
"Yeah well, I'm her ex, as well as her friend as well as your best friend. So I think I can set her up with whoever I want."
"And you think that I'm the best choice?"
"No." Derek glared at him. "But I don't see the point in you and Casey fighting over who can care less, when it's so clear that you two like each other." Sam said stopping the car in front of Derek's house.
Derek pushed open the door harshly determined to leave in anger in response to his best friend having such a low opinion of him, when Sam stopped him. "Yo D! I might have told Emily about Watson."
Derek snuck his head back in. "What? Why the hell did you do that?"
"I wasn't thinking man. She asked why you didn't like him and I told her. It didn't help that I had a few drinks by then. Just hope that Casey thinks that what you did was romantic or whatever."
"With my luck.." Derek said bitterly. "That's not going to happen."
--
Derek tried to concentrate on the comic he was reading, but felt distracted. So far, nothing. He knew she was at Emily's, which meant that Emily was filling her in on all things he didn't want her to know. Why did Sam have to open his big mouth? Serves him right for choosing friends who didn't know the sacred rule of friendship. Never tell the school's gossip anything.
He suddenly heard the front door slam shut and groaned aloud when he heard quick footsteps heading towards his door. She was back. And it sounded like she was on a mission of vengeance. The door was suddenly thrown open as she walked in and angrily glared at him.
"What is your problem?"
"Good evening to you too Case." He muttered, not daring to look up from the comic he was pretending to read.
"Seriously, is it that you just don't care or are you simply idiotic?"
He looked up thoughtfully. "I don't know. Remind me the merits of the first option again?"
"Ugh! You are so frustrating!"
"So people tell me. Now if you're done, feel free to leave." He turned back to his reading material. Casey started walking towards the door, and for a glorious second, he thought that she actually listened to him, at least until she closed the door and turned towards him. "Casey, when people say 'feel free to leave' what they really mean is 'get out, you're bugging me'. So in the interest of not confusing you.. " He glared at her. "Get out, you're bugging me." He turned to the comic.
Casey shook her head in disbelief. "I cant believe you. First you're the jerk of the century, then you turn around and do something so completely stupid."
Derek gave up pretending to read. "You know what? This ranting would make great sense if I knew what you were talking about."
"Emily told me everything."
"That's great." Derek plastered a fake smile on his face. "Now that you know all the fashion trends, leave."
"Not until you tell me what you were thinking."
Derek sighed as he rose from the bed to stand in front of her. "What are you talking about?"
She crossed her arms. "You got into a fight with Matt Watson."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Over me!"
Derek chuckled. "And why would I do that?"
Casey's eyes softened slightly. "Because, in your own idiotic way, you were sticking up for me."
"Let me get this straight. Even if I did get into a fight for the reason you said, and I'm not saying that I did, you're mad at me why?"
"Because, you're an idiot."
"That makes perfect sense." Derek mumbled sarcastically.
"I don't need saving. I can stick up for myself. I don't need you to get yourself beaten up because of me."
"Woah! Hold it. I beat him up."
Casey snorted. "Oh sure, like he didn't hit you back."
Derek crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her smugly. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think that you actually cared about me."
"Don't be silly." She said unconvincingly. "I don't. I just think that you shouldn't be so stupid to punch someone just because they say stuff about me."
"Yeah well, you didn't hear him." Derek muttered to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"What?" Casey asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." He looked at her. "Anything else?"
Casey looked down, as if she was thrown by the question. "Um.. thanks.. by the way. What you did was kind of sweet, even though completely unnecessary." She said softly.
Derek looked at her as he wondered whether to reply back with a cocky remark, but decided against it. "No problem." He said sincerely.
Casey looked up at him, aware that he had just admitted to sticking up for her. Her glance fell on the cut on his lip, still healing as if a constant reminder of how chivalrous he was for her. As if by it's own volition, her finger lightly ran over the cut on his bottom lip. "You don't need to hurt yourself because of me, you know." She whispered, unaware of how this movement was affecting him.
Derek seemed rooted to the spot, unable to think, as he watched her intently. She moved closer to him, and her eyes met his. He stared at her mouth, the need to kiss her overwhelming every part of his being. "I know." He said softly as he leaned forward.
"Derek! Dinner's ready!" George said as he opened his son's bedroom door, but stilled when he noticed the company. "Casey?" He looked at the two older teenagers who seemed to have guilty expressions on their faces. He really hoped they weren't planning a coup.
"George!" Casey exclaimed surprised. "We were just heading down."
George stood to the side to let them both through, but couldn't help throw them a suspicious look. "Why was the door closed?"
"Dad, dad, dad!" Derek shook his head in a disappointed fashion as he clapped his father on the back. "Do you really not trust your own children?"
"Trust you?" George asked perplexed. "Not a chance." He turned towards Casey. "Where are the other three?"
"I didn't see them."
George stifled a groan. "Great! Let the hunt begin. You two go down and help Nora set the table. Tell her I'll be down as soon as I get the three younger ones." And with a sigh, he headed towards Lizzie's room.
Ignoring her step-brother's searching look, Casey started walking down the stairs with Derek at her heels. She was determined to avoid him, at least until she figured out what she had been thinking back there. After all, had she not made herself a promise that she would not be one of Derek's Venturi's girls? Had she not thought of every opportunity to ensure that she hated him? And had she not decided that whatever happens, that she would not, under any circumstances, like him? Why was this so difficult?
--
"Case, calm down."
"I am calm." Casey said into the phone, although, admittedly, she didn't really sound that calm. "It's not like what nearly happened was a sign or anything, right?"
"A sign?" Emily sounded tired. "Of course it's a sign. It's a sign that he likes you."
"He does not like me."
"Well, I doubt that Derek Venturi goes around making out with girls he doesn't like."
"But that's the thing! I don't want to be one of his girls."
"You want to be his only girl?"
"Yes! I mean no! I mean.. I doubt it would ever work between us."
"Why not?"
"Because he's Derek!"
"Casey." Emily sounded stern. "Stop trying to psych yourself out. You and I both know that Derek is only a playboy when he is not in a relationship."
"You think that Derek wants to be in a relationship with me?" Casey asked hopefully.
"Yeah, I really do. Now can you please put the phone down and go talk to him? Jump him if you have to."
"Emily!" Casey protested, feeling herself blush. She did not need any memories of their make-out sessions to come to mind right now.
Emily laughed lightly. "Stop over thinking it. Do you want to go out with him?"
Casey stayed silent. "I don't know."
"Well, do you like him?"
"I can't believe I'm about to say this but, I think I do."
"Then you want to go out with him." Emily said knowingly.
"Em! What if we go out, then break up and ruin our family in the process?" Casey asked softly, as if the very thought scared her.
There was silence on the other end for sometime. "Do you think the risk is worth it?" Emily asked her gently.
"I don't know."Casey said truthfully. Was it worth the risk?
--
Casey looked up from her book when her bedroom door was thrown open and an agitated Derek walked in. He quickly closed the door and faced her, his demeanor one of complete nervousness.
"Okay, here's the deal. I know, that I'm generally the guy who plays games when it comes to girls. I mean, I practically invented them right? But there has to be a time when the games must stop. And while I have stopped playing the game, I have a feeling that you are still playing. And as much as I admire you trying to meet me on my level, I don't think you need to do it since I'm obviously making an effort to meet you on yours. I don't know what we have been doing the past few days. All I know is that I've never been so frustrated in my life the way I have been when it comes to you. Sam, my so called best friend, seems to think that the idea of the two of us could work. I tried to tell him that it was a lost cause. We both know what would happen. I would end up pissing you off, and you would irritate me to no end. We have nothing in common, and this is definitely not a match made in heaven. So, we should not do this right?" He finished breathlessly.
Casey slowly moved to the edge of her bed as her mind processed what exactly her step-brother had told her. "In other words.." She started slowly before looking up at him. "What do you want?" She asked confused.
"I don't know!" Derek said, a note of frustration in his voice. "That's what I have been telling you, weren't you listening?" He sat on the bed next to her. "This is such a mess." He said tiredly.
"Derek, maybe we are making a big deal out of something that's not." Casey said, keeping in mind Emily's prep talk.
"What?" He asked incredulously. "Woah! Woah! Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You, Casey Mcdonald, the ultimate freak-out queen is not freaking out about this? Would you like to explain to me why you don't think that this whole situation is a big deal?"
Casey looked down, suddenly feeling embarrassed. She was trying to follow her best friend's advice, she had no idea that she had to have a reason not to freak out. "Well. if you think about it, it's not a big deal. We are teenagers with hormones, and it's natural to become attracted to someone who is of the opposite sex. And like all attractions, it has to be replaced by something more deep and meaningful at some point. So, all we have to do is ignore this whole thing until that point comes up, and when there's nothing to replace it with, the attraction will die down, and then, we'll go back to hating each other." She hoped that Derek wouldn't notice how she tried to convince herself.
"In other words." Derek imitated her. "You're pretty much freaking out too."
Casey let out an embarrassed laugh. "I'm not a very good liar, am I?"
"Nope. You're pretty much the worst I've met."
"It's not like I need to lie anyway. Unlike someone I know, I don't need to lie to make excuses for not doing my work."
"Hey! I would do my work if it was remotely interesting. Face it Case, our subjects are so boring!"
"It would be interesting if you paid attention."
"Aren't we going off topic?" Derek added quickly, not feeling up to discussing his academic behaviour.
Casey gave him a suspicious look as if she knew what he was trying to do, but took the bait anyway. "Fine. Shall we start from the beginning then?"
"There's a beginning?"
Casey ignored his remark. "Why did you kiss me?"
Derek groaned. "Are you seriously bringing this up again?"
"Yes, I am. Well?"
"Well what?"
"Derek!" She said sternly.
"Fine! The reason I kissed you was because I felt like it. Happy now?" Derek said focusing on everything but her.
Casey hoped her cheeks weren't reddening. "Okay. So then, where do we go from here?"
Derek shrugged. "Aren't you supposed to be the thinker?"
"This is not easy, you know."
He scoffed. "No kidding."
"Derek!" Casey reprimanded.
"You know what? Screw this!" Derek breathed out before pushing his lips against hers for a short, forceful kiss. Before she could respond, he pulled back and looked right into her eyes. "I like you, you like me. We might as well go out on a date. By the end of the night, if we don't kill each other, I think it'll be safe to go out on another one. And if that goes well, we'll go on another. You okay with that?"
Casey nodded, unable to say anything to counteract his forcefulness. "Finally! She's speechless!" He said before kissing her again, this time his arms brought her closer by circling her waist.
Casey responded for a few seconds before pushing him away from her slightly. "I don't talk that much." She protested.
Derek rolled his eyes. "Of course you do." He tried to capture her mouth with his, but she adequately dodged him.
"I do not! You talk way more than I do."
"Casey!"
"I hardly ever speak! If I do speak it's only because I absolutely have to."
"Casey!"
"And usually I have to, when I have to say anything important."
"Casey!"
"So, I don't think it's fair that you make an assumption that I.."
"CASEY!" Derek practically yelled forcefully.
"What?"
"Shut Up." He said, affection evident in his tone before he pulled her closer to bring her lips against his. Casey gave in. After all, she could always yell at him later.
A/N - I'm not really sure if I would want to end it here. There are still some loose ends that I need to tie up, so there just might be one more chapter. Tell me what you think. Please review :)