Disclaimer- I own notihng not even Christmas
A/N- Hey Christmas gift for you guys and if you don't celebrate X-mas it's a holiday gift lol.
Chapter 10
Casey walked into Paul's office for their second meeting to see Paul looking at her smiling.
"Hey," she said sitting down.
"Hello so how have you been," he said.
"Good," she answered.
"Well I did some digging on you and I found out some interesting stuff," Paul said.
"Oh really what did you find out," she asked.
"Well I found out that you used to run. You ran cross country and track for I believe seventh, eighth, ninth, and half of tenth grade," he said and she frowned.
"Yeah I did," she said not understanding where he was going with this.
"Well why did you stop," he asked.
"I don't know I just didn't feel like it anymore," she answered.
"Well you quit after Patrick died so I am guessing it had to do with that," he told her as if she didn't know.
"Yeah well Patrick had nothing to do with my running. I didn't quit, I just didn't go out for track in the spring last year," she said.
"Your coach from your last high school said he asked you to run on the track team but you said you didn't want to," Paul said. She didn't say anything just shrugged.
"Your coach also told me that you were a great runner he was very disappointed to hear that you don't run anymore," he said and she frowned again.
"I thought about running again but I don't know, I haven't for a while," she said.
"You know, we have an excellent cross country team and I talked to Coach Williams he would be glad to let you on the team but you can think about that. For now let's move on to something else," he said.
"Well what do you want to talk about," she said.
"Well, I have nothing in particular in mind. How about your mother," he asked.
"My mom …what about her?" Casey said chewing her lip.
"Well, do you talk to her often," Paul asked.
"Every couple days she calls and I usually talk to her or if I'm busy,Derek talks to her," she answered.
"Derek talks to her, okay. How is that going, living with him I mean," he asked curious at her answer.
"Oh it's going great. He was really sweet when I had that nightmare last week which I totally blame on you by the way," she said and then paled realizing what she had said.
"What nightmare?" he asked very curious now watching as she looked down and back up.
"Well that day after we meet I feel asleep on the couch thinking about everything, "she said making sure he knew what she meant , "and in the dream I was in the bathroom but the door was locked and I couldn't get out. When I first looked at the mirror in the dream it was Patrick who was trapped in it but then it turned into Derek and I tried to free him but I couldn't and then he was waving goodbye and well it ended when I woke up," she said and he regarded her for a few moments while she tried to look away.
"Interesting, very, very interesting," he said and she couldn't help but blush under his gaze.
"Really it's not that interesting at all," Casey tried to reassure him.
"So you told Derek about this dream?" he asked.
"Well sort of," she said fidgeting.
"Hmmm so you and Derek are pretty close then," Paul asked.
"Yeah…I guess we are," she muttered.
"Can we talk about something else," she said.
"Yeah sure we can talk about running. You still want to start that new chapter in your life, right?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
"Well you could start today and run for the coach after school today," he said and she shook her head at him in amusement. They continued to talk and when the bell rang Casey left going to the rest of her classes and lunch. After school she couldn't help but go to where she saw a man standing watching as several people ran along an old path. She watched as they ran and she couldn't help but feel slightly wistful as she watched. She shrugged and went up to who she assumed the coach was.
"Umm, are you Coach Williams," she said.
"Yep," he said turning to look at her. He was a tall man with a ginger colored mustache and a serious look on his face.
"I'm Casey, Paul said I could talk to you about joining the cross country team," she said and he nodded curtly.
"Yep he did talk to me. Told me you were a good runner," he said studying her.
"I'm okay," she said.
"Hmm, can you stay for practice today so I can see what you can do," he said and she nodded.
"You got sneakers?," he said.
"Yeah," she answered quickly glad she had brought clothes for gym to leave at school.
"Okay, go change and come back here and I'll time you for a mile see what you can do," he said and she turned go to the girls changing rooms. She changed and went back to him, the crisp Canadian air hitting her arms. She went up to him and he told her the route for the mile. Since it was cross country it was a lot more long distance then track and they practiced on tough terrain but also on the track sometimes where they would race at meets.
"Ready, set, go," he said and he started the stop watch. She started to run pacing herself at first. She ran listening to the thud of her feet hitting the ground and got into a rhythm. She found herself loving it again the feeling of the wind in her hair, her heart beating faster with each step, her feet hitting the ground. She started to go faster running until she could feel her muscles starting to wake up. She ran getting into an even fast rhythm. Soon she was done and she stopped in front of the coach, she looked at him stretching her legs out as she did.
"Hmm impressive," he said looking at the stopwatch.
"So we have practices everyday after school except Thursdays. They last until usually 5 and you should report here after school at around 3:00. Our first meet is on the Saturday after this one so you better be ready," he said watching her sternly.
"Yes sir," she said smartly and he glanced at her.
"Go run some more need to get those legs into form," he said although she saw a smile under his mustache before she took off. She ran for a little while longer then he brought in all the other runners and he introduced them to her. Then he had them go off and jog a mile telling them to slow the pace down though and not go into a full run. She jogged for a while not talking to no one just getting into her pace but soon a girl with extremely long legs and long jet black hair she had pulled back into a long ponytail jogged over to her.
"I saw you running. You're pretty fast," the girl said.
"Thanks," Casey said.
"I'm Jill," the girl said and Casey nodded. The girl matched her jog with Casey's and they ran in silence for a few minutes. Casey loved running and jogging it was the only time she didn't feel extremely clumsy. It was also the only thing she had left that she and Patrick had shared. She had lied when she had told Paul that running had nothing to do with Patrick. In a way running for her had everything to do with Patrick. She had run in 7th and 8th grade before she met him but when she had moved freshman year and met him in track, it was then she learned the real meaning of it all. Patrick had been the fastest on the track team. The coach used to joke that Patrick wasn't running and that he was flying and that he had a pair of wings hidden where no one could see. Patrick had a dog tag with angel wings on it that hanged on a silver chain given to him by everyone on the team. Those were Patrick's wings and he wore them until the day he died when he exchanged those wings for real ones. He had given the chain to Casey to give to their coach. When she had asked what she was supposed to tell him, Patrick had simply said that the coach would know…that was also the day she told their coach that she wouldn't be running track in the spring.
"So you just transferred here," Jill said.
"Yep," Casey replied.
"How do you like it so far," Jill asked.
"Good I guess," she said.
"You joined any other clubs," Jill asked.
"I was thinking about joining drama club but I guess that is going to have to wait," Casey answered.
"Are you going to do track in the spring," Jill asked.
"I think so," Casey said.
"Cool, you could always do drama club in the winter they do the musical then," Jill said.
"Hmm maybe," Casey said and they continued to chat about little stuff. After the jog the coach sent them home and Casey walked home marveling in the feel of her muscles aching. She missed the feeling of a good run and even though she knew she would be really sore later she didn't mind it would be worth the feeling she had felt as she ran. She got up to the apartment building and ran up the stairs to the second floor. She started to use her key to open the door but it was yanked open almost as soon as she had turned the knob. She looked up surprised and saw Derek who looked very worried and upset. He immediately pulled her in the door and hugged her tightly against him. Then let go of her looking at her.
"Where were you," he said.
"At school," she said and she was surprised to see Kendra and Sam come into the kitchen both looking worried.
"At school until now?" he said getting even more upset.
"Yes what do you think I'm lying?" she said for some reason upset now, too.
"I called you," he said.
"I had my phone on vibrate in my bag in the locker room," she said and she brushed past him.
"What locker room," he demanded walking behind her down the hallway.
"The girls' locker room at school, like I just said," she answered angry.
"I don't know why your having such a hissy fit anyway, I can take care of myself I have been doing it for a while now and I certainly don't need you in my face telling me what to do and when to do it especially when what I do is to no concern to you at all," she said so angry and for what she had no idea. She turned and looked at him just in time to see the hurt spread across his face. She realized what she had said and felt bad.
"Derek I didn't mean it I'm sorry," she started before he interrupted her.
"Forget it Case just forget it," he said turning around and walking away from her. She saw Kendra and Sam both looking worried. Derek brushed past them both and Casey sighed leaning against her door. She heard the front door open then close and she went into her room. Derek was mad at her which was not what she needed right now. She sat in her desk chair spinning in it faster and faster until she felt like she was going to hurl. She stopped and walked dizzily throughout the apartment and wasn't surprised to find it empty. She had known that Kendra and Sam would go tend to Derek; he would be okay with them. She went back into her room and went into her suitcase and grabbed the bottle.
"Is this what you want," she said to herself examining the bottle in her hand. She had tried so hard today to go back to the way things used to be and now she was going to ruin it all. She thought back to what she had said to Derek and felt tears come to her eyes.
"I didn't mean it," she whispered to the bottle. It gleamed and the liquid sloshed around in the bottle. She felt the anger surge back in her again and she threw the glass bottle against the room. She watched as it hit her wall and exploded in a shower of liquid and glass. The liquid fell down her walls to the floor and she was glad she didn't have carpeting. She looked at it all in a little shock. She couldn't believe that she had just done that. But another part of her realized that the hold the alcohol had had on her was over, it was all gone. She got up and cleaned up the mess when she was done she sat in the living room where she eventually fell asleep. She woke up as Derek brought her to her bed.
"Derek," she said sleepily.
"Go back to sleep Case," he said.
"Sorry about the wall. The stain will go away though," she said.
"What are you talking about," he said as he let her down on the bed softly. She motioned with her hand in the dark to the wall and he went to the light switch flooding the room with light. She saw him look at the wall that she had motioned towards and surprise and confusion flooded his face.
"Casey what happened," he said and she shrugged.
"I threw a bottle of vodka against the wall," she said simply.
"Why in the world did you do that," he exclaimed.
"I was mad. I ruined it didn't I Derek," she said quietly looking at him as he looked at the wall.
"No, I think it will be fine," he said.
"No, I meant us," she said and he glanced at her. He sighed and walked over to her sitting on the far end of the bed away from her which she noticed.
"So I did huh," she said.
"Casey when I came home and you weren't here I was so worried. I mean you didn't call and I tried calling you and you didn't answer. You have no idea how worried I was. I couldn't call Emily or Trevor because I don't have their numbers. I was scared that something had happened to you. Then you came home and it was almost like you expected me not to worry about you. You mean so much to me Casey and the thought of losing you today just made me realize how much I need you in my life," he said with a serious look on his face.
"I stayed after today and joined the cross country team," she said hesitantly.
"I used to run all the time but after Patrick died I didn't want to anymore but today when I was running I don't know I just felt like I used to," she said trying to make him understand.
"I didn't mean what I said to you at all Derek, really. It's just I'm not used to having someone so worried about me like you were," she said quietly.
"Are," he corrected her. She looked up at him and he was studying her with a concerned look on his face.
"What were you doing with that vodka?" he asked almost afraid of the answer.
"I had it from before but I wasn't going to drink it please believe me," she said.
"Casey I believe you but I really wish you could talk to me about these things instead of throwing things against the wall," he said and she smiled at him.
"But it's so much fun," she said jokingly and he rolled his eyes at her. He got up and walked over to her pulling her against him in a tight hug.
"I was so worried about you," he whispered against her hair. She hugged him back.
"Well I'm right here now so you don't have to worry and I promise that I'll call the next time I'm going to be late." she said.
"You better, I almost called the police and got a search crew ready," Derek murmured.
"Don't you think that's a little over board," she said looking into his face now.
"Not really you are never late Casey I thought you got kidnapped or something," he exclaimed.
"Derek you are so dramatic. Who would want to kidnap me?" she said hitting him lightly on the chest.
"Hey I'd kidnap you," he said grinning as he lay back on her bed.
"I'm sure you would," she said. He pulled her down so her mouth was hovering centimeters above his then he smirked and pulled her down the rest of the way until their lips collided. He rolled over so he was laying on her slightly and kissed her hard. She responded immediately kissing him back. He pulled away for a moment and put his forehead against hers looking into her eyes.
"Don't ever make me worry like that again okay I don't think I can honestly take it," Derek whispered.
"I won't I promise," she said.
(A/N Truth be told i am not sure if i liked this chapter but hopefully you guys liked it. My sister told me not everything is going to be perfect so i gave it to you and i hope you liek it. Some of you already figured this out but as an extra gift i am giving you not one but two chapters today. Yes i am that nice but please review for both chapters not just one. The next chapter is alot better or at least i think so.)