ATTENTION: I know most of them didn't meet until they were AT LEAST 15, but please try to use your imagination? (:

I DO NOT OWN LIFE WITH DEREK!

It's alright, and I put myself in his hands,
But I hold on to your secrets in White Houses.

"I know this is probably a bad time to talk about this, but something needs to be said." Sally said, swinging open the bedroom door, and revealing Casey laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Whats wrong?" She asked. Her voice was weak and shaky, but she tried her best to have a normal conversation, without somebody asking her if she needs a hug.

"I can't do this white house thing..." Sally started, as she plopped down on the bed next to her, but Casey just slowly turned her head to her, and she could immediately tell that Casey had no clue what she was talking about.

"You know, how like, everything in the house is white??? I don't like it... It's boring." Sally said.

"It's elegant!" Casey called out, defensively.

"Yea, if you're 90." Sally said, rolling her eyes.

Apart of Casey wanted to scream at her... Didn't she know how bad Casey was feeling right now?

But the other part wanted to thank her... For being the only person to treat her the same, which she had been begging for.

"I'm sorry." Sally said through a sigh, and a half-hearted smile. "But seriously, will it hurt to just add a bit of color?" She asked, holding out her arms like a child.

Casey couldn't help it, her hurt and brokenness was beginning to come back, along with the tears. "Do you know why I liked the color white?" She asked in a small voice, turning her head back to the window.

"No?" Sally raised an eyebrow.

She didn't think Sally would take it seriously, but she kept going, just for the sake of making conversation, and getting it all out.

"Not just because it was elegant... Because it was pure, and innocent... You know, because were still young." Casey said, but apparently Sally cared a lot more than she thought.

"Casey, were not young... We just graduated for God's sakes." Sally said, but both were silent for a few minutes. "That toast, that Sam made the other day... That was a bunch of shit, Case. We pretend to be young so that we don't have to face the responsibly of being adults.... When you're a kid, you can blame your stupidity on your age, But when you're as old as we are... Were just... Stupid. There's no excuses this time around." She said. She waited for a reaction from Casey, but her facial expression never changed as she looked out of the window.

She watched the tree in the side yard blow in the summer wind, a sign that it was ending soon. Behind the thees, the daylight was falling into a mixture of evening, causing a purplish/pinkish texture.

As she looked down on the ground, she saw Derek's car pull up beside the bright green grass that Sam had cut this morning. She watched as he got out of the car, slamming the door, and running his finger's through his hair. As he began to walk towards the walk way, leading to the steps, that led to the door, he disapprovingly shook his head at the pieces of grass Sam didn't sweep up, and left on the sidewalk.

She heard his footsteps coming up the walkway, and even after he disappeared under the awning, she still heard them, right up until she heard his keys, and front door slam.

"You're right." She whispered, finally. She didn't bother holding back the tears. She just let them fall, she didn't care if she looked broken, if she looked hurt, or destroyed, she just didn't care. "You're so right." She forced out.

"But you know what, Case?" Sally asked, crawling off of her bed, and on to Casey's. "It's a whole new adventure, being grown up... This is what we dreamed about when we were little girls...Remember?... We would set up little play weddings... Sam and Derek would be the grooms, sometimes we would let Ralph play..." Sally said, as she watched the smile slowly came to Casey's face.

"Sometimes." Casey reminded her. "He used to try to kiss us." Casey said through a tiny chuckle.

"And you swore he was going to go to hell for it..." Sally laughed... and soon Casey joined into the laughter.

"And when Derek was sick... I made you be the groom..." Emily said as she walked into the room, causing Casey a full blown fit of laughter.

"You hated me for a month..." Emily said, starting to laugh harder.

"You made me wear a bow tie!" Casey yelled between laughs.

"Oh, it looked good." Emily joked, sitting down on her bed.

As the laughter died down, Casey couldn't believe that her sad tears were now tears from laughing so hard. "I hate you guys." She teased as she whipped the tears from her eyes.

"Awww! I love you too!" Emily said, throwing her arms around Casey.

"Casey... Stop taking this thing so serious... It will get better I promise." Emily said, once the laughter was gone.

"And if it doesn't?" Casey asked, almost regretting having to bring it up again, she wanted to continue laughing, and talking about the happy times.

"It will..." She heard a deep voice say from the doorway.

"Hi Sam." She whispered.

"Feeling better?" He asked, sitting on Emily's bed, which was next to the one all three girls were sitting on.

"Slightly." She said, running her fingers through her hair.

"Slightly!?... Sam, These tears are from laughing so hard!" Sally said to Sam, taking Casey's head and pointing at her eyes, which were wet, along with her cheeks.

"See. It gets better with time." He said.

"Emily! Phone!" They heard Derek call up the steps, Just the sound of his voice gave Casey goosebumps.

"Probably my mom." Emily said before hoping off of the bed, and skipping down the steps.

"I'm hungry, I'm gonna get something to eat. You guys alright?" Sally asked, getting off of the bed.

Casey and Sam just nodding their heads as Sally left the room. "Come sit with me." Casey whispered, patting the bed.

Sam slowly moved off of Emily's bed and laid next to Casey with his hands behind his head, and Casey's folding on her chest.

"I think you're the only normal one in this house." Casey said, looking over to him.

"How so?" He asked, through a chuckle.

"Well, I'm screwed up beyond repair, along with Derek. Sally hates me, but pretends to like me, and Emily is always all rainbows and butterflies, and too blind to see that the world is not a happy place." She whispered, her eyes never leaving Sam's.

"And what about me?" He asked.

"Well, you're just..." Casey started.

"Boring." Sam finished.

"No!" Casey immediately said, pointing a finger in his face. "You're an amazing guy, Sam. And your deserve somebody who is just as amazing." She whispered.

She slowly turned to her side, and placed an arm around Sam's waist, as he took a hand from behind his head, and put it around Casey's shoulder.

"Would it be totally wrong if I wanted to kiss you right now?" She whispered.

"No."

"Can you keep secret?" Casey asked through a smile.