Disclaimer: Don't own LWD, just the original characters. We all wish for Derek though, don't we?
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys; it does tell me that I should clear up some stuff, which I will do in review replies, at the end of this chapter. This chapter has a lot going on (some serious Lizwin). Man, these chapters are getting longer and longer, sorry about that. Loving the feedback, so please, keep em' coming! Glad you guys like this.
Closing the door behind her, Casey sighed. She felt the weight lift from her shoulders, the guilt leave her body and the satisfaction of her fixing things fill her. This was good. This was really good. Derek finally had a girl to whip him into shape, and Casey was sure that Jordyn knew the difference between right and wrong. Dare she say it, but maybe, one day Derek Venturi could finally be a good guy all in all, instead of just doing the right thing sometimes.
Closing the door in her own room, Casey plopped down on her bed, knowing she had to make a new plan. She had to apologize to all she's held back, and hurt these past few days, from weird looks to crazy outbursts. Four names: Shane, Jordyn, Emily, and Sam. She could fix this right away. All in one day, before Derek found out about the plan and before Emily and Sam would go crazy from holding their feelings back. She could finally give Shane the attention he deserved instead of zoning him out sometimes. This would all be fine tomorrow.
…Well, wouldn't it?
- - - - - - - - - -
Casey walked down the stairs, the whole family already there. She smiled at her siblings, at her mom, and George. She took the milk carton from the fridge, as Derek handed her a bowl. No yells, no screams, no insults. Casey set her bowl down, poured her milk and cereal in, as George and Nora looked at each other, and Marti stared. Edwin and Lizzie kept their heads down, as they've been doing that past week. It became normal for them to be uncomfortable around each other. The whole family just wanted to know why.
"You two okay?" Nora asked, hesitantly to Derek and Casey.
The two looked at each other, and nodded. "Yeah, mom, we're fine. Why?" Casey asked, putting the spoon in her mouth.
"You two just aren't…"George looked at Nora, who finished his sentence, "Bickering."
Derek shrugged, "So? We're just getting along." He smirked knowing it would freak the parents out. "Case, would you like a ride to school today since Nora is using your car?"
Casey smirked, playing along, "Why yes, Derek; that would be lovely." The two put their bowls in the sink, and smiled walking away.
Eyes wide, Nora and George just shook their heads, trying not to worry about what was going on with them.
"Casey!" Lizzie stood up, running. "Wait, I have to talk to you!" Lizzie ran out, and Edwin's eye grew wide.
"Oh, no," Edwin mumbled, continually bashing his forehead lightly against the counter.
Marti scrunched her nose, "You are all so weird!"
"Agreed," George and Nora said simultaneously as the only sound in the kitchen was Edwin's contact with the counter.
- - - - - - -
"Casey, wait," Lizzie said, grabbing Casey's arm. Casey turned around, concerned, while Derek grabbed his jacket, an eyebrow raised to why Lizzie was freaking.
"Sure, what's up, Liz?" Casey asked, and Derek put on his leather jacket, looking at Lizzie.
Lizzie stared at Derek, "Privacy, please?"
Casey looked at Derek, who rolled his eyes, "Girls. I'm going to my room; call me when we're leaving."
Lizzie took Casey's hand, and ran up the stairs. Casey, struggling to keep up, practically got pushed onto her bed. "Lizzie, what's wrong? You seem so-"
"I think I like Edwin!" Lizzie burst, putting a hand over her mouth.
Casey stood up, eyes wide, "What?! Oh my God!"
"I know, I know!" Lizzie sat down, closing her eyes because she was starting to get dizzy.
"Oh my- You, and Edwin- and then me and Derek used to-"
"Used to?" Lizzie asked, standing up again. "Used to what?"
"It doesn't matter," Casey shook her hand, and began to pace. "Does Edwin know this?"
Lizzie opened her mouth, "Is that why you two have been so weird these past few days?" Lizzie opened her mouth again. "He likes you too, doesn't he?"
Before Casey could ask another question, Lizzie yelled, "Yes, yes, yes. Casey! What do I do?"
Casey's blue eyes just kept getting wider, "Lizzie, I don't know. I really don't." Casey titled her head to the side, leaning on her right leg, her hand on the left side of her hip. "You and Edwin did always have this certain thing about you guys, and you guys are just so cute together."
Lizzie held out her hands in an 'I don't know' position, "Casey! I still don't know what to do."
Casey took a breath, "I don't know what to do either, Liz. This is so complicated, the whole step-siblings thing." Casey shook her head, "Okay, we'll talk about this when I get home from school, okay?"
Lizzie nodded, "Okay."
"Now you're just going to have to get it together," Casey said, holding Lizzie's shoulders, and kissed her forehead, leading them both out of the room. "Hey!" Casey knocked on Derek's door, and he opened it. "Let's go."
"What was all the yelling about?" Derek asked, closing the door behind him.
"Uh," Casey looked around. "Uh, puberty?"
Derek made a disgusted face, "Gross."
"Tell me about it," Casey mumbled, following Derek down the stairs.
- - - - - - - -
Casey was at the edge of her seat, waiting for Shane to walk in with his beautiful face. She was ready to go for Shane, and only Shane. But she was waiting more for the petite girl, sharing the twin gene with Shane, Jordyn. Shane walked in, as Casey's smile fell.
"Where's Jordyn?" Casey immediately asked, before saying hi, and Derek leaned in to hear the answer.
"She caught a cold, that's why she was so tired last night," Shane explained. "So she took a ditch day and just stayed in bed."
Derek nodded, "Gross. I might be sick, too."
"Sucks for you," Sam mumbled, and Derek stared at him.
"Thanks for the sensitivity, man," Derek said, and Sam smiled replying with a nod and a no problem.
"Oh no," Casey said, jaw slightly dropped, and eyes wide again. "Oh no, no."
"What's wrong?" Shane asked, leaning forward, getting closer to Casey.
"I just really had to talk to Jordyn," Casey said, facing forward. "Not good at all." Casey said to herself, as their teacher quieted them down.
- - - - - - -
Casey smiled at Shane, not really listening to what he was saying. She just heard a few words like, San Diego, water, surfing, and octopus. Her mind was too clouded to connect the words into a sentence that made sense.
Casey shook her leg, trying to get rid of her jitters. It was bugging her all day, when she got home she was definitely going to call up Jordyn. It was killing her knowing Derek could tell her how he feels at any moment, and Jordyn would still be holding back on account of Casey.
"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later to work on the project?" Casey smiled at Shane.
"Sure, and no problem," He said back, as Casey opened the door. Casey looked back when he heard Shane slap his knee, "Oh! Derek said to tell your parents that he's going to check up on Jordyn right after school. He'll be back by dinner."
"What?!" Casey asked, popping her head back in. "Oh no, no." Casey shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Shane asked. He'd been worried about Casey the past few days. He liked the Casey he met the first day of school more than the bi-polar Crazy Casey that he was frequently getting more freaked out by.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. See you later!" Casey said, closing the door, and frantically walking to Emily's house. Casey rang the doorbell three times, hoping Emily would get the picture. "C'mon Em- Emily!" Casey yelled, while Emily opened it, looking worried.
"Is everything okay?" Emily asked, and Casey shook her head. "What happened?"
"Okay, don't hate me."
Emily looked confused, "A nice way to start, but go on."
"So remember how I told you Derek said that we meant nothing to him?" Emily nodded, "Well after that I made up this plan. It includes Jordyn not liking Derek. I made her abide to my plan that no matter what, she couldn't like Derek. I wanted Derek to feel heartbroken, you know? For you and me, and for all the other poor girls. But then-"
"Derek likes Jordyn?" Casey nodded. "Well Jordyn likes Derek, but she's in this serious denial state."
Casey's jaw dropped slightly, "Really? Oh no, no. Em, what do I do? Derek's on his way there right now! Last night I told him to go for it! He's gonna tell her and she's going to be sticking with the plan."
"Oh man," Emily said, standing there, looking down, trying to think. "Come on, we'll try calling her." Casey walked in, and Emily closed the door after she did.
- - - -
Jordyn ran down the stairs, trying to get to the door, since it was already the third ring. "Uh," Jordyn mumbled, standing right in between the phone that was ringing, and the figure of someone at the door. "Hm," She started to walk towards the phone, but the doorbell rang once more. "Ah," She walked away from the phone, figuring normal people to talk to would be better than electronically talking to someone, even if she still had her cold.
Opening the door, she saw a smiling Derek, as she stood there with her red nose, from blowing into a tissue, and she was in basketball shorts with a band t-shirt. "Hey," She said, smiling at him. A cute boy in a leather jacket as the first real person you see in a day? Not bad at all. "Sorry I wasn't at school. But I did get to sleep in, which I like, I like a lot."
"It's okay. Missed you though," Jordyn blushed. "You feel better?"
Jordyn nodded, "A little, got the whole snot thing going on still."
Derek smiled, "Informative."
"I figured you wanted the details so," Jordyn joked and Derek nodded. She looked at him. He was shifting awkwardly and something seemed wrong with him. "You okay?"
"Kinda."
"Kinda?" Jordyn asked, and Derek took a breath. "Derek-"
"I like you." Derek said, flat out, and Jordyn's eyes got wide. "I do, I really do, and it's never been so hard for me to tell a girl that, but it's been hard for me. I just thought I should tell you." Derek watched as Jordyn looked down, trying not to make eye contact with him. Derek looked around, waiting for her to say something. "This would be a good time to say something, Jordyn."
"Uh," Jordyn still looked down, as she closed her eyes, and bit her lip. "Derek, I-" She finally looked up, already seeing that she was crushing him. But hoes over bros, right? Right? Pick the girl friend over a boyfriend, right? Right? "I don't like you like that." There it was, the crushed face, and Jordyn wanted to grab his face and kiss him just to take it back. "You're such a great friend, and I don't think I can lose you as one. But I just don't- um- feel like that about you." Jordyn looked down and to the right. She bit her lip so hard to keep herself from getting upset in front of him. She couldn't look at him. It would break her down.
"Oh," Derek nodded. "Well-" He sighed, "Okay, then."
"I'm sorry if-"
"No, its fiiine," Derek said, trying to play it off. "Totally fine, but I do have to go. I'll see you tomorrow in school?" Jordyn looked up, and gave a nod. "Okay, cool. See you then. Feel better." Derek stuck out a hand as a bye, turned around, and walked to his car, driving off.
Jordyn closed her eyes, feeling her heart get the squeeze that made you want to cry, and gave you trouble breathing. Turning away, Jordyn closed the door behind her.
Catdogg: so happy you liked this chapter! and yes, I know there has been A LOT of Derek and Jordyn (I blame my extreme liking for Derek, that it's so easy to keep writing on about him) compared to Shane and Casey, but towards the later chapters, there's just as much as Shane and Casey as much as Jordyn and Derek.
Missmiamya: Thanks for the review. I'm really glad you like this story.
Sparrows Dragonfly: Mkaay, I should clear up some stuff for you, because you asked me some questions in your review for the previous chapter. Okaay, here we go, lol. In the chapters in the beginning, the flashback showed that Derek and Casey did like each other. But since they decided nothing could happen anyway, Derek just told Casey it probably didn't mean something to him. Oops on Derek's part. Well feelings get hurt for Casey, which springs her revenge plan. So yes, he did like her, he just moved on faster than Casey did. Casey wasn't exactly obsessed with Derek, but getting back at Derek was something that she was kinda obsessing over. She likes Shane, just so pre-occupied at getting back at Derek. Yeah, but they didn't date. I hope some stuff was cleared up for you in that, and I'm so sorry if it did confuse you. And yes, Marti is one of my favorites in this story. She always makes the chapter better. If you have more questions that I should clear up, please ask.
RAWR-IKICKBUTT: ah yes, I already review replied to you through email.