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Chapter 14
It was an easy decision to ignore them Monday. In all reality, it hadn't been a hard decision. He walked into school holding Casey's hand but they had to part at her locker. Olivia came up to them and Derek couldn't look her in the eyes. He was starting to realize that everything he was going through, she had gone through and he had been one of the people to cause that pain. He went to his locker and as he opened it, someone walked up to him. He knew it wasn't Casey. She had taken up the annoying but cute habit of fixing something when she first saw him. This morning she had attempted to fix his hair. The feeling of her running her fingers through his hair had felt incredible though, so he forgave her easily for messing up his hair.
"Derek, I'm sorry," Emily softly said. He took out his math book and closed his locker. When he looked at her, he could see that she had been crying, yet no pang of sympathy followed. He could see Casey with Olivia a few feet away, looking at him worriedly. She didn't know the whole story but she understood that something big had happened. She had tried to get him to talk about it the night before when he had snuck into her room at two AM after being unable to sleep but he had asked her to stop asking about it. It was nothing she needed to worry about.
"Don't be. You know that whole incident really taught me a lot. So thanks," Derek said. He was trying to sound upbeat but there was a cold edge to his words.
"We didn't know what to do," she whispered.
"You were so supposed to let me be. No interfering with her," Derek told her.
"But we weren't interfering with her," she said. Her eyes widened then and he realized that they had never meant for Casey to get the box.
"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who put the box there. Kendra probably told you to but you did it. You waited till she left so George and Nora would get it," he whispered. He had missed it. He had thought Casey was supposed to get it but now he understood. Kendra was trying not to break the rules because if she did, they could kick her out.
"I didn't want to Derek but Sally was there and she said we had to," Emily told him.
"I have to go," he told her. He brushed past her but she grabbed his arm. He looked at her with an annoyed look across his face.
"Let go Emily," he demanded.
"You can't do this Derek. It hasn't even been thirty days. You said you would wait until the thirty days would be up to decide," she said.
"You guys are making up my mind for me," he told her softly. He shook her arm off and walked over to Casey and Olivia.
"Are you okay?" were the first words out of Casey's mouth.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," he answered her, reaching for her hand. When she squeezed his hand lightly, he felt strange. It was a feeling he often got when he was with her and it was driving him crazy. Whenever his hand was in hers or he kissed her. Even the lightest touch from her or a glance made this feeling take charge. Ignoring it was getting harder and harder. He looked over at Olivia, who was watching him with a strange look on her face. He smiled at her and she smiled back, a glint in her eye letting him know that she was up to something. He didn't have to wait long for her to spring her surprise on them. During lunch she sprung her idea on them.
"So I was talking to Max yesterday about something interesting that is happening on Wednesday," Olivia said. Derek immediately grew suspicious at the return of the look in her eyes.
"What's happening on Wednesday?" Casey asked. Max was grinning and shaking his head.
"Well, All Time Low is going to be in town," Olivia said.
"It's a school night, no way are our parents going to let us go," Derek said, almost immediately.
"Since when do you care about what our parents say?" Casey asked then, frowning.
"I don't think it is a good idea. The last thing we need right now is for them to get angry with us, don't you think?" Derek said.
"What time does the concert start?" Casey asked, turning from Derek to Olivia.
"Eleven," she answered with a smile.
"Our curfew is ten," Derek pointed out.
"So it most likely ends around one," Casey said, ignoring Derek.
"Yeah," Olivia said.
"We can pick you two up a block away, then drop you off," Max said.
"That would work," Casey said.
"No it won't because we aren't going," Derek stated firmly.
"Maybe you aren't going but I am," Casey retorted.
"You wouldn't go without me," Derek stated. Casey looked at him and rolled her blue eyes.
"Yes I would," she retorted. He stared at her with a cocky grin that was cute, yet irritating at the same time.
"I would," she repeated.
"Sure you would," he said, looking away.
"You are going to come right," she asked and he sighed, although a genuine smile grew on his face.
"Of course but if we get caught, I am so blaming you," he told her.
"You know what? I think I really do like you," Casey said, causing Olivia to laugh.
"Well, I am glad it took me being a total doormat for you to realize that," Derek sarcastically said.
"You need to build a back bone. Stand up for yourself," Max told him.
"Oh honey, what would you know about a back bone," Olivia said, smiling.
"Hey! I have a back bone," Max exclaimed indignantly.
"Sure you do. Can you go get me an ice cream cup?" Olivia said.
"Of course," he said, standing up immediately.
"Ooh, I am going to get one," Casey said, starting to stand up before Derek stopped her.
"I'll get it," he told her. As they walked away together, Max sighed.
"Don't worry about it. I think the whipped thing goes away," Derek told him.
"Or it gets worse," Max pointed out.
"Why would you say that?" Derek asked. Meanwhile, across the café a very smug looking Kendra was sitting down at the table her friends were already at. Emily was noticeably upset while Sam just seemed out of it. Ralph had a fake smile plastered on his face while Sally seemed to be ignoring all the people around her as she watched Derek walk across the grass with Max.
"Guess who's in town?" Kendra said.
"Who?" Ralph asked brightly.
"All Time Low," she told them with a smirk on her face.
"Cool," Sam said, bored.
"I think we should go. You look like you could all use a pick me up," Kendra told them.
"Don't you think we should do something about Derek? He's really upset with us and I mean, we need to get his box back," Emily said her voice soft and worried.
"Don't worry about Derek. He's just being an idiot. Once he realizes that he is being impossible, he will come crawling back," Kendra answered.
"That's what you said about Olivia and Max," Sam pointed out. Kendra looked at Sam and saw that there was an odd look in his eyes. It was almost as if he was challenging her.
"You made us give him back his box and now he might never talk to any of us again. Because of you we might have all lost him. Just because you can't get over the fact that maybe this isn't the way it's supposed to be," Sam stated.
"I wasn't holding a gun to Emily's head when she left that box on his doorstep," Kendra said, a hint of a smile on her face.
"But you knew she was afraid of what you would do if she didn't leave it there. It's getting old Kendra. All of this and you know what? Maybe Max, Olivia, and Derek aren't the only ones who want to change and be normal for once but you know what? I am starting to realize this is not normal," Sam exclaimed as he stood up. He walked away, not looking back.
"Are you just going to let him go," Emily cried, looking at Kendra, who had a hard look on her face. Even Sally looked worried now, while Ralph's fake smile was starting to sag.
"He'll be back, don't worry," Kendra said. He would be back too. Unlike Derek, Olivia, and Max he didn't have something on the other side so he would be come back…at least this time.
(A/N-Hope you liked it!! Sorry for the wait but school is back so yeah lots of homework. Please review!!)