A/N- So I did a lot of research for this chapter to determine whether or not Casey and Derek's relationship is legal in Canada and as far as I can tell in Canada it is. Now I read a lot of stuff and it started giving me a headache. So I just read that 14 is the age of consent yet a 13 year old can have a relationship with a 15 year old while a 14 year old has one with a 16 year old it is a illegal so Canada to me the laws are really gray so guess what this is my Canada. From what I read as long as they don't have sex everything is cool, I think they are able to actually since she is 16 because age of consent is 14 but i don't plan for them to have sex for a while so don't worry. Hopefully you won't be to mad when you read what happens this chapter and why I went through all this research. I also did research on Counselor and student confidently and how far it reaches to see what I can do and I found out some interesting things. Hopefully you won't hate me too much cause this was a lot of work.
Disclaimer- I own nothing
Chapter 14
By then end of the day almost everyone in the school knew that Casey MacDonald was dating someone. The story varied from person to person. Some had heard she was dating someone who went to her old school, others heard she was dating someone from across town who didn't go to school at all, and some had even heard she was dating a guy in jail. The stories had gotten wilder and wilder as Friday came. Casey couldn't help but laugh when people came up to her and asked her about her boyfriend in jail. She always corrected them and told them she was dating someone who went to her old school. She walked into Paul's office on Friday a broad smile on her face.
"Well hello Casey," Paul said.
"Hello," she said sitting in her usual chair.
"Well yesterday was definitely interesting," Paul commented.
"I agree," she said still smiling.
"So I heard some interesting things about you today," Paul said and Casey's smile wavered.
"Oh really," Casey said.
"Yep would you like me to share what I heard," Paul asked.
"Sure why not," Casey answered trying to seem nonchalant.
"Well I have heard many stories. One story I heard was that you where dating someone where your old school. Another story is you are dating someone secretly from this school. Oh this one is funny, you are dating someone who actually works at this school but you are keeping it under wraps until you graduate. Oh one of my favorites is you are dating a convict," Paul said and Casey stared at him stunned. She hadn't thought Paul would hear about all the rumors. She had to admit her friends had done a pretty good job of telling everyone. She had not only recruited Emily, Trevor, and Jill but also Kat and Steph who knew about her relationship with Derek. She had a feeling that Kat was responsible for the far fetched stories. They had all agreed to stick to the basically same story but Kat always got carried away with stuff like this.
"Well those are some crazy stories," she said.
"Yes they are," Paul commented looking at her curiously.
"You know if there was something you wanted to tell me Casey you can trust me," Paul said and she looked at him thinking of what her friends had said yesterday about telling Paul the truth.
"Paul really it's nothing," she said firmly.
"Casey are you dating someone," Paul questioned bluntly.
"Umm I," Casey muttered frowning. She wasn't a good liar. She never had been and right now she was finding it very hard to lie.
"Okay the truth is I am dating someone," she said looking at Paul.
"Oh," Paul contemplated.
"But don't worry I have this completely under control," she reassured him.
"Oh really. Well who is this guy," Paul asked.
"Oh I can't tell you," she answered and Paul raised his eyebrows at her.
"Why," he said.
"Because I can't sorry," she said and he looked at her leaning back in his chair. They sat in silence then studying each other waiting for the other to talk or crack. He raised his eyebrow at her and she just shrugged. He sighed and she rolled her eyes looking away.
"Paul," she said softly looking at her hands.
"Yes," he said.
"I really don't think I should tell you this," she muttered.
"What?" he asked practically sitting on the edge of his chair.
"Well the truth is …you are annoying me so can we please move on," she exclaimed and he let out a breath.
"Oh come on Casey I am your counselor you are supposed to trust me and tell me things," he said almost whining. She looked at his surprised.
"I know what you're doing you are trying to make me feel bad but it won't work Derek does it all the time and I don't fall for it," she said and blushed when she realized she had mentioned Derek. Paul leaned back again frowning.
"Does Derek know about this guy?" Paul asked.
"Umm," Casey said stalling.
"Because I have the feeling that he wouldn't like it much. He seems very protective of you. Surprisingly protective actually," Paul said thinking back to yesterday and the things he had noted in his head.
"I….he is my ummm brother," she said her stomach churning as she said it.
"Really because I got the impression he didn't really think of you as a sister," Paul said gears in his head falling in place things finally clicking.
"I just mean his body language and the way he spoke of you didn't really point to this is my sister," Paul explained and Casey started to panic.
"I have to go to the bathroom," she said then standing up.
"Sit down Casey," Paul said and she sat down her head reeling.
"I think I'm going to barf," she muttered.
"You know technically speaking if there was something you wanted to tell me as long as it wasn't leading to you being physically or mentally harmed I can't tell anyone due to the whole student and counselor confidently thing," Paul offered throwing her a bone.
"What if I can't technically tell you because of a rule," Casey said.
"Well then how about I guess and you just nod your head if I'm right," he answered and she shrugged.
"That could work but I doubt you are going to guess," Casey said smiling.
"Oh I don't know I am a pretty good guesser," Paul said.
"Yeah well give it a shot," Casey grinned.
"Okay well it has to do with Derek I'm guessing," Paul said and she nodded. Paul had a feeling he knew what was going on but he wasn't sure.
"Well this is what I am working off. First of all Derek obviously doesn't think of you as a sister. He doesn't like Jeff who has shown some interest in you romantically. And right after Derek expresses concern about Jeff and you there is a rumor that you are dating someone. And there is you of course," Paul contemplated out loud.
"What about me," Casey asked.
"Well you talk about Derek a lot and the way you speak about him doesn't point to the usual brother sister relationship. It looks like you look up to him. He is obviously a role model to you. You guys don't fight like normal brothers and sisters," Paul said.
"We aren't brother and sister really," Casey argued.
"See you have mentioned that to me on several occasions and Derek made it quite clear yesterday that he feels the same way on that front," Paul said and Casey shrugged.
"That's because he's not my brother," Casey said.
"I've meet him like once before this at the wedding," she added.
"He didn't come down to visit a lot," Paul asked.
"No not that I know of," Casey answered frowning then as she thought of it.
"That is kinda weird though," she muttered under her breath.
"Have you two discussed Derek's relationship with his father," Paul asked curious.
"Not really we don't really talk about our parents unlike you who loves to talk about stuff like that," Casey said and Paul smiled at her.
"Well that's why you're here in part. You and your mother don't have as strong a relationship as you should. I am here to help you fix that," Paul told her.
"And pry into my private life," she mumbled.
"Hey when it comes to me you don't have a private life so let's get back to our guessing game," Paul said and Casey shrugged.
"I think that you are dating someone," Paul said.
"In fact I think I know exactly who it is," Paul told her.
"Oh really and tell me who is this guy that I am dating," Casey said part of her wishing he guessed right tired of the guessing game and another part of her hoping he was way off base.
"Derek," Paul said.
"Derek?" she said her voice wavering.
"Well yeah it makes since. And he is one of the most dependable people you have been around for while so it makes since that you would attach to him. He gives you stability," Paul explained.
"And maybe I like him that might be a factor," Casey added.
"Yes that too. What my concern is the major problems this could cause. Casey he's 23 years old you're 16," Paul said.
"I know Paul," she muttered.
"You know. So you realize that if you two were to have sexual intercourse Derek could be arrested and convicted for statuary rape," Paul said and Casey nodded.
"But we aren't going to have sex not for a while. We have thought this through. We have rules and everything," Casey argued trying to make him understand.
"Yeah well some people aren't going to care if you have rules like your parents," Paul said.
"You aren't going to tell them are you," she asked scared now and he sighed. He regarded her for a few moments before he spoke.
"I have no reason to believe that you are being mentally or physically harmed. Actually from what I can tell Derek is doing you a whole lot of good but still I am on the fence about this Casey," Paul explained to her.
"What is there to be on the fence about," Casey asked anxiously.
"Casey try to understand. You have developed an attachment to Derek. He has given you the most stability you have seen in a while and if that stability where to be taken away if you were to say be forced to move back home or if things between you and Derek didn't work out I am afraid that would put you right back where you started," he said and Casey frowned.
"So you think that if me and Derek where to break up I would go back to drinking? That's nuts. Derek has nothing to do with me not drinking anymore well maybe a little but I am fine. I didn't do this for Derek I did it for me. That's why I stopped drinking I don't want to be the way I was before I did it for me," she said determined and Paul smiled at her.
"Well that is very good to hear Casey. I have to say I am very proud of you. I am glad to hear that you are doing this for you and not anyone else because at the end what you think of yourself is what really matters. It's not what I think or Derek or your mom it's all about you," he said and she nodded. Paul looked at the clock quickly.
"Well I think our time is over in a few minutes," Paul said.
"Well at least we got all that squared away," she said.
"Yes we did and hey you have something to look forward to this weekend your mom and sister are coming that should be fun," Paul said cheerfully.
"You are joking right?" she asked.
"No," he said.
"Well I am not so optimistic about this weekend," she said.
"Well try to think good thoughts," Paul said as the ball rang. She stood up and walked towards the door turning around to look at him.
"Thanks Paul we had a good talk today," she said and he nodded.
"Yes I think we did," he said and she left. Once alone Paul leaned back in the chair and let out a long breath.
"I'm good," Paul said to himself.
That Night at Home
Derek walked into the apartment at 5:30 that night whistling. He threw his shoes off as he walked in. Throwing his bag on the kitchen table. He walked whistling into the living room and was surprised when he didn't see Casey in there. He stood there stumped for a few minutes until he heard noise down the hall. He walked down the hall quietly and looked in her room to see Casey in her room on her floor. Her radio was next to her and there was a large cork board in front of her. On another side of her were pictures and in her hand she had scissors. She was currently cutting a photo and he looked over her silently to see the pictures where a mixture of him and her and photos of Jill, Emily, Trevor, Kat, and Steph. He waited until she finished with the photo in her hand before he spoke.
"So what'cha doing," he said and she looked up at him surprised.
"Oh I didn't realize you where home," she said smiling. He bent down and kissed her then sat down next to her leaning against her bed.
"Yeah I just came in," he said looking at her. She picked up another photo. This time of her and Jill starting to cut around the edges of it.
"Where did all these photos come from," he asked.
"Oh we went snap happy the other day," she answered.
"I have something I have to tell you," she said still cutting carefully.
"Oh what is that," he said.
"Umm there was this rumor going around school about me that I kinda started and Paul heard about it and he kinda got a little worried," she said as she put the photo down on the board getting another one. This was a photo of Emily and Trevor both grinning at the camera.
"Why did you start a rumor about yourself," he asked.
"Well the rumor was that I have a boyfriend which isn't even technically a rumor because I do. I started it because Jeff was going to ask me out and Trevor thought it would solve a lot of problems to just make sure everyone knew," she said and Derek stood up.
"I told you oh my god I told you that guy liked you. I was right for once," he said laughing and Casey rolled her eyes.
"You are so annoying," she said and he sat down next to her putting his arm around her waist.
"I may be annoying but I am also right and not to mention incredibly cute, funny, smart," he said.
"And not at all modest you forgot that," she added and he laughed. He kissed her on her cheek and she turned and looked at him. He kissed her again this time on the lips and she pulled away. He frowned as she avoided his gaze.
"What's wrong Case," he asked worried.
"I had to tell Paul something and he guessed," she said and Derek looked at her confused for a few moments until it clicked.
"Oh no Casey no," he muttered.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Casey why," he said standing up.
"Derek I'm sorry but he said he wouldn't say anything," she explained. He looked at her and shook his head.
"What if he changes his mind," Derek asked her slightly mad at her.
"He won't okay," Casey said.
"How do you know that Casey, this is not good," Derek said. Casey stood up then looking at him curious.
"Derek umm Paul said something today that made me think. You never visited why not," she asked him. He looked at her confused.
"What are you talking about," he said.
"You never visited your dad, or Edwin or Marti," she said and a dark look passed over Derek's face so quickly she almost thought she had imagined it until he spoke his voice steely.
"That is really none of your business," he said and she looked at him surprised and hurt.
"Oh really," she said.
"Yeah and I appreciate if you and Paul wouldn't go around talking about my private life," he said hollowly and he walked out of the room away from her. Casey watched him and looked down wondering what had just happened. She went to her door and closed it. She wondered if she had ruined her and Derek's relationship and wondered what Derek was hiding from her. After a few mintues of sitting in silence she threw on a pair of decent jeans and a red shirt. She pulled on her black hoodie and slipped her feet into a pair of sneakers. She walked quietly down the ahll and slipped out the front door silently.
(A/N- So interesting chapter. Paul knows, Derek is hiding something and Casey is confused and has left the building. Hopefully you like it I have a feeling a few of you won't but that is the way the cookie crumbles sometimes you like stuff sometimes you don't. In the chapter 16 Nora and Lizzie are going to finally make their appearances and the original person I had plan on finding out will find out about Casey and Derek or what was Casey and Derek and we will find out about what Derek is hiding. Also Jeff will be a major part of the next chapter hint hint review because the next chapter is going to be crazy and you won't see it coming I think. Derek's secret I mean it ties into what is going to happen a couple chapters away.)