Author's note:
This story is also available on Archive of our Own (Ao3)
Co-written role-play style
Derek: feed-fat-tommy
Casey: RollyPratt (profile on Ao3)
Chapter 1: Party Trick
Exhausted and sweaty, Derek stumbled into the house with his heavy hockey bag slung over his shoulder. He dropped it with a loud thud by the door. Coach pushed them extra hard at practice because of their upcoming game against their biggest rival, Northbridge. He was completely drained. All he wanted to do was shower, lock himself in his room, and listen to music. Now was not the time for anyone to bother him.
He dragged himself up the stairs and into the bathroom where - conveniently - there was already a towel folded neatly on the counter, and an unlit candle next to a set of matches.
How nice of Casey to leave this here for me. Derek thought mischievously as he closed the door with the full intent of inconveniencing her. He deserved to get the shower first anyway, he needed it more.
He flung off his stale shirt and turned on the hot water. Before he was able to completely unzip his pants, the bathroom door slammed open.
As soon as she came back to find the bathroom door closed, Casey knew exactly who the culprit was. Who else would notice that she had set up everything for a nice warm bath and so inconsiderately take it over. She really didn't need this right now. She'd had the worst day.
"Der-ek!" She yelled as the door smacked against the wall, finding her step-brother in a hazardous state of undress on the other side. He looked up ever so innocuously, with his fingers paused halfway down his fly. She gathered her jaw off the floor quickly, zeroing in on him as she got back to her objective: scold and consequently annoy Derek. "I was using the bathroom!"
Well, this was bound to happen. Luckily Derek knew how to handle Casey and her freak-outs. He mustered up all the energy he had left in his body and channeled it into becoming the most casual and cocky person on the planet, "Is that so?" He mocked, crossing his arms over his chest, his pants slinking down his hips. "Because I think I would have remembered walking in on that," He cocked his head and gestured to her, red-faced and fuming, "Like you're doing right now." Leaning against the counter, he looked down at his exposed chest, pointing out that she had caught him undressing "What if I had been... indecent."
"When are you ever decent?" Casey shot back at his shamelessly suggestive, yet typical comment. Now was not the time to be distracted by his quips and surprisingly muscular chest. Shaking herself, she moved menacingly into the room with the meanest glare she could muster. "I called dibs on the bathroom when I left my towel in here. Walk out now, and this won't get ugly."
The room was quickly filling with steam, soothing the aches in Derek's body and reminding him just how much he needed this. There was no way he was walking out now. "You lost dibs the minute I needed a shower and you weren't here." Derek asserted, furthering his point by unzipping his pants the rest of the way down. "The shower's mine." He hooked his fingers through his belt loops like a gunslinger, except instead of threatening gunfire, he threatened nudity. "In the next 30 seconds, I'm going to be in that shower and there's nothing you can do to stop me. So unless you're prepared to call my bluff and get blessed with a new mental image of me for life, I suggest you give me some privacy." He stared her down to drive home the fact he was not bluffing. His sore muscles were not going to wait through one of Casey's unreasonably long bubble baths.
Halfway between boiling mad and mortified, Casey set her jaw and quickly turned around, facing the shower, as Derek's jeans hung threateningly low on his hips. Even though he was generally somewhat modest, she could tell that the jerk wasn't kidding this time, and she wasn't keen on seeing more of him than she already had.
"You're such an ass, Derek!" She said, with gritted teeth and her hands wound tightly into fists while she held back frustrated tears. It wasn't so much losing the bathroom that affected her that way, but on top of everything that happened today, Derek's selfishness was just the last straw. "It wasn't enough to pull your stupid prank at lunch, now you'll use up all the hot water like you always do so I won't be ready for the party on time! That's just so like you! It always has to be about you! You don't have the slightest consideration for anyone else!"
Derek rolled his eyes. This wasn't even about her. He just needed a quick shower! She had plenty of time to get ready for the party. It would be faster for her to wait for him to shower, wait for hot water, and then shower. Her bath would take twice that long!
Not to mention, she was completely overreacting about the prank at lunch. It was totally minor. All he did was pull her chair out from under her as she sat down…
Like, he still caught her (and maybe threw in a 'Klutzilla' comment). So no big deal! A mild dose of their usual antics, really. She was the one who caused a scene in the cafeteria about it - screaming at him like a banshee. So, really she had herself to blame for that one.
"Ten seconds left, Case." He teased unwaveringly, grabbing the hem of his pants and underwear and pulling down lightly so that his hip was exposed. "What's it going to be?"
"UGH!" Casey groaned, stomping her foot in aggravation. "Can't you be a nice and thoughtful human being just ONCE in your life?!"
Derek pulled even lower, raising an eyebrow at her, "Five…" He warned, wondering if she was just going to stand there with her back turned forever, "Four…"
"FINE!" Casey growled, starting to feel her eyes fill with unshed tears. She didn't want to be in front of him when they started to spill anyway. "Enjoy your stupid shower!" she continued, making for the shower and pushing the lever towards icy cold water, before stomping out of the room.
Derek felt a flash of guilt at Casey's watery voice, like she was about to cry, but it left as quickly as it came. She was just being dramatic, it was only a bath for fuck sakes.
He quickly followed and poked his head out of the bathroom. "Casey wait." He called, with uncharacteristic sincerity.
She stopped by the threshold of her room, but didn't turn around or say anything, just waited to hear what he had to say. His tone of voice sounded genuine, but she couldn't help the tension in her shoulders as she braced herself for another blow.
He grinned impishly, "Happy birthday!" He said before closing and locking the bathroom door.
[...]
Despite her initial anxiety, Casey did get ready for the party on time. After Derek had left the bathroom, she'd found out that he'd left some hot water, and decided to shower quickly. Some of the stiffness from the day had been relieved, but there was still a knot at the pit of her stomach, keeping her from fully enjoying the moment. This year's birthday was already worse than last year's, and that was saying something considering she'd ended up at the hospital.
Sure, everyone who showed up was being nice and joyful, showering her with presents and birthday wishes (and beer - thank god George and Nora left for the movies with the kids), but not all of them showed up on time, particularly her boyfriend, who really had some nerve being late to her party after the scene he'd caused today. Part of her dreaded Truman's arrival, because they hadn't exactly made up after their argument at lunch, but surely he would show up, and he might even be remorseful for the ugly things he'd said.
Sensing Casey's distraction, and having witnessed the dispute earlier in the day, Emily attempted to take her mind off of things by pulling her around the party to talk to everyone. "Megan's here, she's doing that cool palm reading thing!" She exclaimed, projecting her voice over the loud music. "You should totally try it, Case!"
Chuckling, Casey let her best friend drag her to the kitchen, where people were lining up at the island to get their fortunes told by Megan. It was a neat party trick. Emily pushed through the crowd of people, announcing the birthday girl. "Alright everyone, step aside, it's Casey's turn!"
Megan's piercing eyes found Casey, through her dramatic black eyeshadow. A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of her dark purple lips, "Well if it isn't the guest of honor." Megan announced with a thick tone of mystery and theatricality, "Care to discover what the stars have in store for you?" She beckoned Casey forward with her slender arms, adorned with black mesh and clattering bracelets.
Impressed by Megan's act, Casey stepped up jovially, sitting on the stool in front of the mystic. "I do," she said courteously, as Emily clapped excitedly next to her.
"Oh my god, is she going to be famous?" Emily asked dreamily. "Is she going to marry a Prince and be like totally rich?"
"But where would that leave me?" Truman called suavely from behind them.
Turning around in surprise, Casey affected a happy smile to welcome her newly arrived boyfriend. "Truman!" she said through gritted teeth, "You're finally here!"
"Not one minute too late," Emily muttered, rolling her eyes.
"You know I always have to be fashionably late." Truman shrugged, sauntering up to her, "Besides, I was a little busy getting you this." He said, passing her a small neatly wrapped box.
Casey's smile softened as she took the box from him, appreciating the thoughtful gesture. She wondered if he wrapped it himself, and marvelled at how he'd applied himself if he did. Maybe their argument was behind them after all. "Thanks," she said gratefully.
"Of course, happy birthday." He smiled simply, "So you're getting a palm reading? That's fun. Do you believe in all that?" His slight judgemental tone was picked up by Megan, who subtly narrowed her eyes at him.
Holding back a frown, Casey turned to face Megan, putting down the box carefully next to her on the island. "I think I might," she said amicably. "I'd like to know what's in my future."
"Hopefully a new boyfriend," Emily said quietly so only Casey and Megan could hear.
Megan extended her hand covered in rings and henna to Casey. "Your palm holds the answers, my dear."
Presenting her hand, Casey took a shaky breath as the ball in her stomach suddenly seemed agitated, and a faint tingly feeling spread through her limbs.
The moment Megan's fingertips touched Casey's palm, she seemed to take pause, as if noting something unusual. "Hmm…" She considered thoughtfully, "You are on the precipice of change, your future holds much possibility…" The level of focus Megan put into the moment had everyone on edge.
"Uh oh, bad news Case?" Derek interrupted. He had been passing by and noticed the ridiculous performance going on. He was a skeptic, to say the least. Megan was cool and all, he even considered her a friend, but he didn't buy into the whole psychic schtick. More like a fashion statement than a superpower. And the fact that Casey did buy into it - based on how concerned she looked right now - was hilarious. "How many cats do you see in there, Megan? 10? 20?"
"Der-ek!" Casey cried, ignoring Truman's groan and muted grumbling next to her.
"SHUSH CHILDREN!" Megan bellowed, raising a silencing hand. She returned it softly to trace the lines on Casey's palm, "Divining truth out of the noise is no easy task." The small crowd watched intently as Megan continued, forehead creasing, lost in thought. "I sense you have a keen mind…"
Derek had to hold back from jumping on that easy target, sucking in his lips to prevent his outburst. He had to admit though, he was curious to see how this would play out, so he kept his mouth shut and watched the show.
"And are prone to sickening feelings of anxiety, you feel things very deeply, the emotions stirring in your core..."
Listening on intently, like she was being sucked into Megan's eerie presence, Casey let the words resonate through her whole being.
"Your compassion and imagination are prominent and will take you far in this life, as will your strength and tenacity. Though be wary of your stubborn heart and flammable temper. Amidst the softness and kindness there is fire, and burning in the embers is a strong yet hidden sensuality. There is no doubt your life will be filled with romance and passion."
Casey felt herself blush, the notion of sensuality generally evaded her, and part of her longed to discover that side of herself. But the mention of it in front of everyone left her feeling exposed and vulnerable, even as she felt Truman's touch against her back and heard his snicker that came with it.
Stroking the line splitting Casey's palm diagonally, Megan continued, "Your head line is broken into pieces, often symbolizing personal strife and lessons to be learned. Your life will not go according to plan and you will be forced to adapt, again and again. But I sense that you make it through with resounding success and make many personal breakthroughs."
Megan moved to the crease by Casey's thumb "Your life line shows that you will experience a depth of emotion, and live a rich and full life."
"I knew she would be rich!" Emily cut through in a loud whisper.
"It is interesting that this line is split into two, perhaps indicating that there are two paths ahead of you, or equally, perhaps there is a person who will have a significant impact on your journey." She stroked vertically over the heel of Casey's hand, "You will be heavily impacted by forces beyond your control, especially during this time of change. You must embrace it, it will not yield." Shifting slightly she hummed pleasantly, "You will achieve moderate success, in any path you choose."
"Moderate?" Casey said, scrunching her face up into a pout. She was fairly sure she would achieve more than moderate success in her life.
Megan chuckled thoughtfully, "You needn't fear of failure or poverty, and monumental success is within your grasp, if you work for it."
Casey nodded, satisfied with Megan's precision. She could work hard, she was basically born for it.
"This line here…" Megan droned fondly, tracing her fingertips over the highest crease, "Is most intriguing…" Her eyes snapped up to meet Casey's "Your heart line." Her pupils sparked enticingly, "Perhaps it's best not to know some things" She paused to amp up the drama, "Are you sure you want the answers?"
With her heart racing a mile a minute, Casey nodded frantically. "Yes," she said, "I want to know!"
"It's a prince! Is it a prince?" Emily pleaded on the side.
"It is the deepest I have ever seen. It practically vibrates with energy." Megan said with intensity, clearly fascinated with the discovery, "Though tumultuous and unconventional as this line may be, it signifies a transformative bond, one that is overflowing with passion and longing and leads to long term contentment…"
Derek swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched the scene unfold. Megan's performance was captivating, even if it was made up. It made him feel weird, like there was some strange energy or electricity gluing him there. He studied Casey's face as she listened to Megan, her expression of awe peppered with tiny twitches whenever a thought crossed her mind.
"With the way it intersects, it seems the bond in question will be very unexpected, perhaps even something you would never consider for yourself, but you will be powerless to it as it draws you in like a magnet."
Inexplicably, Casey's eyes drifted slowly towards Derek, catching his gaze. As he stared back with unreadable intensity, she felt her blush spread down her neck and broke eye contact quickly, hoping nobody noticed the way they had lingered.
As Derek held her gaze, not so much as blinking, the noise of the party drifted away into a muffled roar. They became the only two people in the room. When her eyes finally left, the volume of the party returned and Derek had to shake his head to get out of the trance.
"You can try to fight it - you likely will, but it will eventually consume you. As hopeless as that may sound, it is the most significant factor in your future. It is your destiny. Thankfully, the stars wish to grant you fulfillment - a life of following your heart with no regrets."
Megan's fingertips left Casey's palm and the spell was broken. Casey let out the breath she'd been holding and let her hand fall on the cold surface of the island. "Wow," she said almost dazedly, the experience shaking her to her core.
"Yeah," Emily agreed, mesmerized. "Wow."
Even Truman agreed, "That's...yeah, wow."
"Pfffffffftt!" Derek couldn't help himself, "I mean, cool performance and all but that's a load of crap. There's no way that lines on your skin can tell the future." He was able to hide the small waver in his voice, that odd sensation he had while watching still haunting him a little.
"Shut up, Derek!" Casey yelled, insulted beyond measure, and pushed herself up to glower at him. "Just because you don't have the emotional maturity to understand it doesn't mean it's crap!" She poked her finger into his chest. "I bet your future is all musty and stale and dark - like your soul!"
"Hm, that's interesting," Emily said, stroking her chin as she thought. "Why don't you get your fortune told, Derek? Then we'll see if you still don't believe it."
Derek deadpanned, "You can't be serious."
Scoffing, Casey crossed her arms over her chest, pinning him with a challenging glare. "You're probably too scared to even try!"
Glowering at her, Derek met her challenge. He let his hand fall on the island, palm up, "Can't be scared of something that isn't real."
Megan leveled him with a sly look, "Perhaps that's your fear talking."
"Ok then, Mistress of Darkness," Derek quipped, impressed (and a little intimidated) by her commitment to the bit, "Do your thing."
Wasting no time, Megan snatched his hand into her grasp. Her skin was warm and tingly against his own and he was tempted to rip his hand away.
The amused smirk on Megan's lips fell as she looked down at his palm. Her fingers jumped to run against one of the creases, startled by something.
Noticing Megan's concern, Casey leaned forward. "What is it?" she asked curiously, prompting Emily to lean in closer as well.
As Megan traced over the line delicately, Derek tried not to squirm. It seriously tickled.
"It's just…" Megan struggled to find the words. She looked around the crowd, wide eyed before returning her focus to his skin.
"Is he going to die a horrible death?" Casey asked joyfully, looking back at Megan with a huge grin.
"Your heart line." Megan said with poorly concealed disbelief, "It's…"
As much as he claimed to be above this, Derek was getting uneasy, "What?" he asked jokingly, "Are you going to tell me I don't have a heart? I already know that. Casey reminds me almost every day."
"Just to keep you humble," Casey said.
"Casey…" Megan said, a little nervously, "Bring your palm back over here, would you please?"
"Huh?" Casey uttered, fisting her hand against her chest protectively. What did Megan want with her hand while reading Derek's future?
Derek's eyes darted around the group. Megan's skin against his was so hot it almost burned, and he was seriously considering pulling away. But he couldn't do that and play it cool at the same time so he took a breath and tried another joke, a little strained this time, "Don't tell me. She murders me, doesn't she?"
Perking up, Casey let her palm fall flat beside his. "Do I?"
Megan retraced the line on Derek's skin that she had been fussing with, this time it felt like he had been zapped by a tiny bolt of lightning, "They're identical." She murmured before tracing the same line on Casey.
Casey snatched her hand back like she'd been burned. "W-what?!" she squeaked, turning her wide eyes to Emily, who simply shook her head, obviously as shocked as everyone else.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Derek demanded, finally taking his hand back and rubbing it to fix whatever Megan did to it.
Truman scoffed, deeply offended, "Casey and Derek. Really? You've got to be kidding me."
Facing Truman again, Casey put her hand on his shoulder, attempting a strained laugh. "That's not what she meant, Truman." Her head snapped back to Megan almost menacingly. "Right?!"
Megan seemed a little taken aback as everyone stared her down. But she quickly regained her composure, slipping back into her calm, enigmatic persona, "The stars work in mysterious ways," She provided simply, "Perhaps it's just a coincidence." She shrugged, as if she didn't really believe that but wasn't willing to say either way.
"Definitely a coincidence!" Casey jumped on the excuse like a lifeline, smiling at Truman hopefully, to appease him.
"Load of crap. Like I said. I'm out." Derek grumbled before storming off, needing to get away from this creepy bullshit immediately. The whole thing was insane. The implication alone that he and Casey -
Well, he just couldn't go there.
[...]
"You know it's just a party trick, right!" Casey said as she followed Truman into her room, closing the door behind her. She didn't know what Megan was playing at, but she didn't need her coming up with ridiculous ideas like that when the subject of Derek was already a sore subject since that afternoon.
"I know that." Truman groaned, rolling his head back with annoyance. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her squarely, "But it's more than just the palm reading thing. You know that. It's... it's constant."
Rolling her eyes, Casey huffed, and put Truman's present down on her side table before sitting on the side of her bed. This again? Like making a scene over Derek's prank at lunch hadn't been enough. "It's not my fault Derek keeps interfering with everything. Even when I do my best to get rid of him, he keeps sticking, like gum under my shoe."
"He's everywhere." Truman said, exasperated, "And I get that you can't control how much he involves himself, but you're not completely powerless against it either." He cast her a look of accusation, "You provoke him. Or, you overreact and it just spurs him on. He's looking to get a reaction out of you Casey! And you let him win every single time even when I beg you not to!"
"I do not provoke him!" Casey said, her arms flailing in agitation. "He provokes me! He knows what annoys me and does his best to just push at all the buttons!" she continued yelling, getting carried away. "I can't not react even if I try! He is so infuriating!"
"You provoke each other." Truman clarified, "I know because my sister and I are the same way - but we don't complain about it all the time. You and Derek are obsessed with each other! It's not normal, Casey! How can you claim to be better than him if you can't even choose to rise above it?"
Crossing her arms petulantly, Casey grumbled. "I am better. He just makes it so hard."
Truman sighed in defeat, "You know what? I don't want to talk about Derek anymore." His eyes softened over her, "It's your birthday and… we shouldn't let him get between us right now." He plopped down next to her on the bed, his hands placed sheepishly in his lap as his eyes pleaded with her for connection.
Casey smiled softly, bringing her hand up to cup the side of his face. "You're right," she said, closing her eyes as she leaned in to kiss his cheek.
His cheek stretched into a smile under her lips, "Do you want to open your present now?" He asked charmingly.
"Yes!" She brightened, remembering the present she'd just placed beside her bed. She picked it up and placed it in her lap, looking up fondly at Truman. "That is so nice of you."
Her fingers went to the wrapping paper, tracing the cute motif with her fingertips. This was the first present Truman had ever given her, it felt so special and romantic. She let herself contemplate what it could be; the box was pretty small, so it was probably jewelry. She imagined a silver band ring mounted with a heart shaped gem, or a bracelet with her name in delicate letters.
Now too excited to wait another second, she tore greedily through the paper, and opened the simple black box inside. "Truman…" she said as she pulled the silver chain out of the box, it was subtle and elegant, with a small pendant hanging from it, a letter in cursive. She observed it and discovered it was a "T". It was… it was nice... She liked it, really. "It's really…" she drifted off.
"Its uh…" He explained awkwardly, "T, for Truman. That way…" His tone shifted suggestively, "Everyone will know that you're my girl. And you can - you know... carry a piece of me with you wherever you go."
"Oh!" Casey looked at the pendant, tracing around the letter with the pad of her thumb. Truman's girl… Why didn't that sound right? She appreciated the thought, she did! It was… sweet, kind of. It just wasn't… quite right. "I love it," she said, smiling tightly as she went to put it on.
"Here." Truman said, holding out his hand, smirking flirtatiously, "Let me help you with that."
Biting her lip, she handed him the necklace gingerly and pushed her hair aside to let him fasten the chain around her neck. The moment should have been perfect, like that moment in the movies when the guy's fingers brush over the girl's skin and she shivers against the contact. Truman totally did it right, too, taking his time to slowly pull the chain around her neck and letting his hands linger. But she didn't shiver.
It was more like a shudder, really, when she felt his lips ghost over her skin. She quickly pulled away, jumping from the bed hurriedly. It wasn't that she didn't want him kissing her; he was her boyfriend - she liked him! She was just… distracted! Yes! Because of the whole palm reading thing. "I should go back," she said, "I don't want to be rude to my guests!"
Truman sighed deeply, dragging his hands over his face and letting them fall to slap on top of his thighs with frustration. He pushed himself up from the bed, and crossed his arms, sucking in his lips like he really wanted to say something. His eyes widened at her as if to say: What are you waiting for? Let's go.
[...]
Making his way through the crowd, Derek continued to rub his hand. He was really thrown off guard by that whole voodoo thing Megan did to him. He didn't feel totally present as he grumbled under his breath, "Identical… pah! Heart whatever… "
"Derek!" came Sally's voice from the living room. She waved him over to the couch where she was having a conversation with Sam and laughed at something he said.
Oh, right. Derek realized where he was and what was going on. It was a party, he should be hanging out with his girlfriend and having a good time, not thinking about whatever weird thing just -
He shoved it out of his mind, balling his tingly hand into a fist and then stretching his fingers out, plopping down on the couch next to Sally. He draped his arm around her as she talked excitedly to Sam.
"- was way better than their first album," Sally was saying. She was way too into Coldspray for her own good. Sam chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement. "That's why I've been trying to convince this guy here to go to their concert this summer," Sally continued, giving Derek a playful look as she squeezed his thigh.
Derek startled slightly "Hmm?" He asked, having a hard time focusing. What were they talking about? Right, Coldspray. "Oh! Uh, yeah," He cleared his throat, meeting Sally's sparkling eyes and giving her a soft smile, "I'm slowly coming around to the idea." He said sweetly with a subtle defiance.
"Uh huh," Sally said, her grin stretching into a knowing smirk, "I know exactly what it'll take to persuade you."
Sally's attention made Derek feel a little more grounded in reality as he smirked back at her, "Oh yeah?" He coaxed, "What's that?"
"I don't think I can say it in front of your friends," Sally said, shrugging coyly. "That might be breaking some of your PDA rules."
Considering his need for a distraction, Derek figured he wouldn't mind breaking his PDA rules just this once. He wanted to know exactly what Sally had in mind.
"Yeah," Sam agreed, pushing himself off the couch. "You know what, guys. I think I'm gonna go get a drink."
At Sam's rushed exit, Sally laughed and turned to Derek with a soft pout. "Hey, where's my drink? You took forever over there!"
Still a little foggy, it took Derek a second to realize that he had been on a mission to get Sally a drink before he got sucked into the madness, and he was now empty handed. "Ohhh…" He groaned awkwardly, looking back towards the kitchen. He sucked the air in through his teeth and cast her an apologetic look, "I uh...got distracted."
Her eyes growing rounder, she deepened her pout theatrically. "Did you get your fortune told without me?!" Sally complained. "I was looking forward to getting a palm reading later. I hear Megan's the real deal."
There was no way he was going back over there. Especially not since Megan could tell Sally all about his and Casey's matching heart lines - bet his girlfriend would get a real kick out of that!
So, he needed to steer Sally away from the topic of getting a palm reading together as subtly as possible, "She sure is, uh… committed." He said shakily.
It was annoying how much the whole thing was affecting him. It wasn't like he believed in it, so why was it bothering him so much? There was something foreboding to Megan's words, like there was something real about it.
To distract his concerning thoughts, he reached out to play with a strand of Sally's hair. He looked into her coy pout and forced a laugh, "Come on," He said, needing someone to prove he wasn't crazy, "You don't believe in all that psychic stuff, do you?"
Sighing, Sally inclined her head thoughtfully. "Well, not really," she said slowly, "but there's nothing wrong with playing along."
"Yeah! Right, of course," Derek shrugged transparently, brushing it off, "Cuz it's just an act."
That's all! Just an act.
"CASEY OH MY GOD!" Emily's shrieking broke over the din, startling them both, as she dashed towards her best friend coming down the stairs.
Derek and Sally watched the commotion, saving him from the topic at hand.
"Hey, Em," Casey said distractedly, watching Truman brush past them. She sighed, deciding that tonight was not the time to be addressing her boyfriend's pissy attitude. "What's up?"
Emily grabbed Casey's hands eagerly. "You'll never believe what Megan said! According to my heart line, I've been separated from the love of my life, but we will be reunited in the near future." She jumped up and down excitedly. "Do you know what that means?!"
"Awww, Em!" Casey squealed, her heart warming for her best friend.
Sally aww'ed quietly as she looked on at the scene. "That's so cute," she said, taking hold of Derek's hand and pulling him off the couch to drag him into the flock of cooing girls now gathered around the staircase. "Come on."
Reluctantly, Derek let himself be dragged towards the stairs. He really didn't want to be around Casey right now, at least until the weirdness wore off.
On the outside, Derek was laid back. But on the inside, was in full-on defense mode.
If they were going to talk about freaking palm reading, he was going to have to find a way to force the conversation onto a new trajectory. Saying something insulting to Casey was bound to do the trick.
"What else did she say?" Casey asked intently. Even though there had been some weirdness towards the end, Casey's experience had been something special, almost otherworldly, and it had felt real. She couldn't help but want the same thing for Emily, if that meant she would find her true love again.
The description of Casey's own future love life had been strange, but resonated with truth. It seemed fitting, in a way, that she would find something passionate, powerful, inevitable. Maybe it was just the intensity with which she wanted it. To love like that… it was like a fantasy right out of her wildest dreams.
Derekneeded an out - and quick. Desperate to take control of the situation, he scanned the room and then looked Casey up and down, trying to find anything he could point out that would cause a distraction. He noticed something glittering against her chest, a necklace. It was new, even he could see that, maybe a birthday present. What was it? A "T"? What could that possibly stand f -
Bingo.
"Nice necklace, Case," Derek quipped, "Does it zap you when you get too far away from Truman? He worried you're going to run away?" He smirked when three sets of shocked eyes zeroed in on him, "If lost, return to Truman."
Casey could barely contain the rage that consumed her at Derek's comment. Though she could hear Emily's gasp, and Sally's disappointed Der-ek, the rest of the room disappeared behind a cloud of red.
She shouldn't be surprised, Derek was nothing if not consistent; consistently immature, rude, disrespectful and heartless. But this - this was way too far, even for him.
Feeling her eyes brimming with tears, Casey balled her fists at her sides, and gritted her teeth. "What. The. HELL," She seethed, her voice rising with anger and body lunging into motion on its own to shove him hard in the chest. "IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Okay, maybe that worked a little too well. But Derek was committed so he played it off like a joke, or even a slight angle of being well-intentioned. "Hey, you gotta admit," He held his hands up in mock surrender at her sudden attack, a stupid grin plastered on his face, "It is a littlecreepy. I mean, when I put my name on something it means paws off my property."
That sent Casey reeling, hitting too close to home for comfort. She was a bit dubious about wearing the necklace, but she would never subdue herself like this, or put up with that kind of possessive, oppressive behaviour from her boyfriend. Derek was way out of line, and she couldn't take his distasteful jabs and sickening jokes any longer. Enough was enough.
"You are such a jerk! I can't believe you!" Casey yelled, pushing at him even as the tears falling from her eyes clogged her vision. "You are selfish, insensitive and cruel, Derek Venturi!" She continued, pulling away from Emily trying to hold her back from hitting Derek again. "You are the most despicable human being I have ever met, and you have no idea how much I wish that I didn't!"
The disturbance was drawing the attention of the entire party. Truman had made his way closer to the fight and was leaning against the railing with a sour look on his face; he shifted uneasily and looked around the room in embarrassment.
Casey's words stung more than Derek would ever admit. He wasn't a monster! It was just the way things were between them, it was their normal. Did she really need to flip out every single time and cause a scene when she could easily just dismiss him with a roll of her eyes? She helped to create their dynamic, so she should be used to it by now. She played the part as much as he did. There was no point in trying to change anything if she had already made up her mind about him.
So yeah, he insulted her. Did she really want him to start being nice to her? Where would that get them? She wouldn't have him to blame for every little thing anymore. He would bet anything that tomorrow Casey would be screaming at him for ruining her party, even though she was the one to turn it into an embarrassing spectacle. Sometimes he wished he'd never met her either.
"Likewise, Princess," He bit out. He secretly hated when their fights got this bad. Most of the time he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, but this time he seemed to have struck a real nerve.
Before Casey had the chance to respond, a compelling voice chimed from the crowd, "Such emotionality!" Megan made her way forward. Shocked into silence, Derek and Casey gawked at her for her audacity to interrupt something that was none of her business.
"With such divided, lone mentality
You must explore your shared humanity
A novel way to end the war
Submitting to unyielding gravity."
Megan's cryptic poem hung in the air before she suddenly dropped the facade, "Let's bring the party back guys! Come on!" She announced like a typical high school girl. A cheer erupted from the room and the party resumed, leaving Derek and Casey locked in a stare-down.
Breaking away from Casey's glare, Derek's eyes found Sally's, looking up at him with disappointment. He sighed and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I need a break from all of this."
Sally nodded and the two of them made their way up to Derek's room, side-stepping Casey.
Still seething, but irrevocably subdued by Megan's interruption, Casey let Derek go, smiling softly at Sally's apologetic expression as they passed her. She would never understand what a great girl like Sally saw in a guy like Derek.
She sighed, looking around at the now dispersing crowd, grateful that the spectacle hadn't lasted longer - she was so tired; these fights with Derek were exhausting. Her eyes met Truman's, and he returned her gaze with a scowl, like he thought she should be ashamed for what happened. She was definitely embarrassed, because Derek had led her to cause a scene like usual, but it really wasn't her who should be ashamed for the way things went down.
Casey brushed the tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hands, and turned back to Emily. "Let's get back to the party."
Emily leaned into her, knocking their shoulders together amicably. "I think Megan has vodka in her water bottle," she offered encouragingly.
Casey chuckled and let her best friend lead her back into the party, doing her best to forget about Derek's uncaring comments. That turned out involving a lot more vodka than intended, and in the end, she didn't feel any better. Later, she saw everyone out before the rest of the family came back, noting that Truman had already left before she could say goodbye, and finally made her wobbly way to her room.
She went through the motions of changing into her pjs, taking off her makeup, brushing her hair, and when she lay in bed, ready to drift off to sleep, she thought: worst birthday ever.
[...]
Once he was in his room, Derek threw himself on his bed with exasperation. He lay on his back with his head in his hands, feeling dizzy even though he didn't have much to drink. It was less about the fight with Casey and more about Megan's disturbing interruption. He sighed into his hands and felt Sally climb in next to him. He put his arm around her, welcoming her to lay her head on his chest.
They stayed like that for a while, until Derek felt at ease, the noise of the party droning in the background as he stroked Sally's back affectionately.
"Der?" Sally said gently.
"Mmm?"
Shifting, Sally turned on her side, holding her head into her hand, while she looked down at him with kind but serious eyes. "Why'd you have to do it?"
Even though he knew what she was asking, Derek sighed and played dumb, hoping she would give him an out, "Do what?"
"You know what," Sally insisted. "Why are you always so mean to Casey? I know for a fact that you can be the sweetest guy when you want to be."
"I don't know," Derek admitted honestly, "I can't be like that with Casey. When I'm nice to her… she…" He groaned softly, realizing for the first time how hard it was to put it into words, "I just can't."
"And you really couldn't make an effort for her Birthday?"
"Look, I know you're right. But…" He shut his eyes tightly, "It's like I can't help it. I know I shouldn't have said anything about her creepy necklace, but I couldn't not say something, you know? Like, it would go against nature."
"You know," Sally chuckled, shaking her head disbelievingly, "I think that in your own, dysfunctional way, you were just looking out for your sister."
"Ugh." Derek said, shuddering, "I might look out for her on occasion. But she's most definitely not my sister. Marti is my sister. Lizzie even. But Casey?" He shuddered again.
"Whatever it is, you care about her," she said, sitting up on the bed and dangling her feet on the side. "It wouldn't kill you to show it from time to time."
She didn't get it. He wasn't sure if he really got it either but maybe he could try to explain…
"Sally… I can't do that."
Sighing, she looked down at him, patting his thigh. "Well, you could at least try."
Derek sat up and leveled with Sally, "Okay. For argument's sake…" He began carefully, "Let's say I did care. Deep, deep, deepdeep down. And let's say I follow your advice and try to show it. First of all, she would be suspicious, she wouldn't even believe it. And if she did believe it, she would make a huge deal out of it and I'd never live it down. Casey and I are bound to fight, it's what we're used to, so I can't have her expecting me to be nice. It's not like I could ever get close to her, that's not even an option. So instead, we fight, it's just what we do. I don't see anything changing that."
"I know, I know. I had to at least give it a shot. For sisterhood," Sally said, leaning down to pat him on the cheek. "Plus, it's not like you were wrong anyway… about the necklace," she admitted, scrunching her face up in vague distaste. "Remember last year when he was hitting on me? It was kinda… icky."
"Believe me, I remember." Derek grumbled, "I have no idea what Casey sees in the guy, honestly."
"No clue," Sally agreed emphatically.
They continued to talk - about anything other than Casey or palm reading, for the rest of the party. Derek was having a much better time with Sally than he would at Casey's stupid party anyway, and he didn't want to so much as look at Megan until she dropped the whole mystic thing and returned back to being the cool goth chick from homeroom.
When the party cleared out, he tried to get Sally to stick around and sneak out when the family went to bed, but she insisted on respecting the family rules, and left with the rest of the guests.
Alone with his thoughts, Derek started imagining his hand tingling again and it was driving him crazy. To drown it out, he threw on his headphones and blasted some music until it lulled him to sleep.
[...]
Casey was startled into awareness by some atrocious, loud noise roaring in her ears. Sitting up straight, barely conscious and her eyes half shut, she pulled the unidentified torture device from her head, and sighed in relief when she was graced again with sweet silence.
Grumbling quietly, she plopped down into the pillows, marvelling at how incredibly comfortable her bed was this morning. It was possibly all that vodka she'd had last night warping her brain, but it smelled better too, like she'd woken up wrapped in a warm sweater laced with boy body spray.
As her brain slowly grew into alertness, her fingers clutched tightly onto the heavy object in her hand, and she recognized with curiosity that they were headphones. She frowned down at them. Derek's headphones. "Ugh," she uttered bitterly, the sound coming out deep and gruff, and threw them to the ground next to her bed. Waking up to one of his pranks was just what she needed to start her day wonderfully.
Casey coughed to clear her throat. Wow, she sounded like crap. This was her first and last time drinking.
Sitting up, she noticed something odd with her comforter. It wasn't her comforter. It was… What was she doing in Derek's bed? She was wide awake within seconds as she scoured the room, confirming that she had, indeed, woken up in Derek's room. Her hands went to her hair as she tried to remember details from last night. She definitely remembered going to sleep in her own room, in her own bed. When her fingers combed quickly through short locks, she paused, repeating the movement frantically until it was dead clear that there wasn't any more hair. He'd cut her hair.
The bastard had cut her hair! While she slept! Oh, he would pay for this - with his life.
She was all ready to jump off the bed and barge out of the room when she realized that it was damn cold in here, and she was barely dressed. It was when she looked down at her almost naked body that she knew - she had lost her mind. There was no other explanation, there couldn't be, because she was staring at a guy's chest, and lower down, covered by boxers, she could see the evidence of what could only be… morning wood.
"Oh my god!" She squealed, then clamped a hand over her mouth as the scratchy voice resounded to her ears. What, the…
No. No no no nonoononono no.
She made a mad dash for Derek's mirror at the back of his door, and stared right back at the dreaded reflection of her step-brother, wide eyed, breathing harshly like he'd just ran a marathon, and… wearing only boxers! She had to suppress a scream as she turned her head away, closing her eyes tightly and willed herself to wake up from this nightmare.
Wake up! She ordered her brain, then chanced a quick look in the mirror.
What the hell.
She looked closer, glaring at the stupid face gawking back at her. They were definitely his eyes; those sharp, deep brown eyes. And those were his teeth, biting anxiously down on his lip, and the light freckles peppered over his nose, and his shaggy, messy mop of hair.
This wasn't real. She was going to wake up any minute now. Because she did not wake up in Derek's body - that would be absurd.
Then she heard her alarm clock ringing in the room next door, and resolved to find out exactly what was going on - after getting dressed.
[...]
Groggily, Derek reached out to silence his annoying alarm, blindly pressing a button to get rid of the blaring sound. He could barely lift his head from the pillow, it was so heavy. What did he do to deserve this hangover? He hardly had anything to drink.
He rolled over to go back to sleep but when his eyes opened briefly, he noticed something was wrong.
Sitting up abruptly, he looked around. Why the hell was he in Casey's room?
Something was in his face, and in his mouth. He sputtered, pushing it out of the way. Hair.
Hair?!
He brushed his fingers through it, long and silky, and attached to his head. He ripped the blanket off to see an attractive pair of smooth slender legs, also attached to him, apparently. He swung those legs off the bed and stood up, mind grasping at straws.
This had to be a dream, Derek thought as he looked down, alarmed to find his own womanly figure. Some part of his subconscious must have had a fantasy about this. Instinctively, he cupped his chest and smirked. His smirk fell though as he realized that most dreams weren't nearly this tactile. He looked up and caught his reflection, or Casey's reflection as she stared at him, wide eyed, clutching her own boobs.
Derek raised his hands in the air like he had just been caught committing a crime and saw Casey do the same.
His stomach dropped as he stepped hesitantly towards the mirror. He waved his hand to double check. Yep, that confirmed it, he was having some kind of pervy dream about waking up in the body of his step-sister. He was going to have to have a stern talk with his subconscious over this, and probably some therapy.
He figured if this was a dream, he might as well enjoy it, and squeezed her breasts again, looking in the mirror thoughtfully. He wondered why his dream would ruin things by putting some kind of sports bra underneath her shirt. It was already full perv-city, why not spring for braless? Then he froze, because why would he want to touch his step-sister's boobs. There was something seriously wrong with him.
It felt nice though - not as nice as he had expected it to feel for girls when he touched them like that, but nice. Then he realized with dread that this felt too real to be a dream.
He heard the alarm go off again and it startled him into quickly dropping his hands. He ran over to it and looked for the off button, and ended up having to unplug it.
The door started to open and he jumped, his ears being met with a loud "Der-ek!" But the voice was wrong. It sounded like… him.