Disclaimer: I don't own the song Learning How To Smile by Everclear. I do not own anything associated with LWD, I own the storyline.

Chapter 1

-Five miles outside of vegas when we broke down-

The engine was smoking in the cold night air. Casey MacDonald slept soundly in the backseat with a look of irritation and hurt on her face. Derek ran a hand through his hair for a moment, blowing out a breath before slamming the hood down. He opened the car door and woke Casey up.

"Case, Case baby you gotta wake up car's toast." He said to her. She mumbled something before sitting up, staring at the city lights of Las Vegas in front of her. She at the moment remembered where she was and what happened. She and Derek had runaway, left their family and disappeared without a trace. It'd been easy once Casey had detatched herself from her family, something she honestly never thought she'd do in her lifetime.

"Where we going?" She asked, picking up her purse and climbing out of the car. Clad in a pair of ripped jeans, a white tank top that showed her black bra, and her hair in a very messy bun with smeared make up Casey MacDonald was unrecognizable as the girl everyone had once known. Derek grabbed her hand and threw his keys into the car, grabbing the last bottle of vodka from the trunk and his wallet they left the car, broken down, empty, alone, and began walking.

-Threw my keys inside the window and we never looked back-

"Where we gonna go?" Casey asked, taking a ong drink from the bottle before switching Derek for the cigarette in his hand. He shrugged before taking a hardy swig of his own, they were sitting there alone, on the bus stop bench, trashed off their asses, unsure of their destination. Casey let out a laugh. "Woo, never thought I'd end up here." She said slowly, her arms on her knees, twirling the cigarette between her pointer and middle finger and flicking off a few ashes.

"Iono babe," He said, running a hand up and down her back. Their family hadn't been too approving of their life choices, even though they were two eighteen year olds. Sure they drank underage, they stole their liquor or paid someone to get it for them. They provided for themselves. They'd been doing odd jobs to pay for what they needed. They weren't stupid enough to beg, they worked. But at this moment both were trashed, had no one but each other, waiting for a bus.

-Got all drunk and sloppy on a greyhound bus-

As they sat on their seats of the bus they laughed. Laughed about how stupid things were, laughed at where they were and what they were doing. Laughed and laughed until they cried. Others on the bus simply stared at them. What the hell is wrong with those two? Seemed to be the community thought on the bus. The only ones who didn't think that were those who were laughing, laughing because Casey MacDonald had passed out on the ground. Her laughter gone, Derek was kneeling by her, moving her hair from her face slapping her gently.

"They're laughing," He laughed too. "Wake up sweetie," He whispered in her ear, kissing it gently. She stirred slowly but that was the last of her movement for much of the night. "Dont laught assholes," He said, standing up and whiping away some spit that had managed to get out of his mouth on the side of it instead, before he joined Casey as he passed out as well. The passengers laughing at the two teenagers. The bus driver simply shook his head and pulled up to the next stop. Where were they going? No one knew.

-We passed out, all them losers they were laughing at us, I will never let them break your heart. No I will never let them break me-

The bus pulled into Phoenix. Casey rubbed her eyes. The bus they'd been on for four days and she was sick of it. And she had voiced that to Derek.

"Let's get off here, there's gotta be somethin' in Phoenix." She said and hopped off the bus, the pill she had popped half an hour ago was kicking in, giving her the energy and high she'd wanted from it. Derek wobbled off the bus, buzzed off of some vodka they'd jacked out of a man's bag near them. They laughed and put their arms around each other. "Where we gonna go?" Casey asked, ripping out a cigarette and sticking it in her mouth and lighting up, "ahhh," She sighed before sitting on the curb. Derek ran a hand through his hair and scratched the nape of his neck before sitting next to her, taking a cigarette from the box she offered to him.

"Where are we?" Derek asked, lighting his own cigarette and standing back up. She stood as well and they began walking, not a clue as to where they were going.

-We got lost in Phoenix, seemed like such a long time, Seven months of livin swimmin on those thin white lines-

"Tito!" Casey yelled, slamming the screen door behind her, a bag of groceries in her hand. Month seven of Phoenix life, a smile visible on Casey's face as she tripped over feet, junk food and soda splaying on the floor.

"Dammit C what the fuck did you do?" Tito Anaries said as he stormed up the stairs. Tito was an athlectically built man with an extreme tan, with a name like Tito you'd think that he'd be mexican. He wasn't. A smile played across the drunk man's face when he saw the groceries, a bellowing laugh filled the house. "C, D's at work be back soon. Need help?"He asked laughing, stumbling over his feet. "You trippin?" Casey smiled and laughed.

"In more than one way bud, I brought you some." She said with a smile and held her hand out to him. Tito glanced at her hand and held it out to her, she dropped something in her hand and stood up. Staring at what she'd placed in it he looked at Casey. A gorgeous girl he knew had been through shit. She had that look in her eyes. But she'd been on drugs and alcohol for so long he wondered if she remembered who she'd been before. Sighing he dropped the acid she'd placed in his hand and reached his hand in his back pocket.

"Where'd you get it?" He asked, clasping his hand on the item in his pocket.

"Oh I went and saw Derek after I got off today." She said simply, right as Derek walked in the door, tripping himself with a stupid grin on his face as he and Casey shared a kiss. Tito shook his head. These two were so much better than this.

"You two are under arrest for possession." He said, holding up his badge, a saddened look in his eyes. They wouldn't run, he knew that. These two were submissive under this situation. Tito felt horrible for betraying the trust they'd placed in him, but he also was doing the job he was assigned. However close they had become they weren't going to ruin their lives anymore. He wouldn't allow it. The thoughts coming at that moment made him sober up quickly.

-Did some time for sellin acid to the wrong guy, life just keeps on gettin smaller and we never ask why-

The world was quiet as Casey MacDonald and Derek Venturi were walked out of the Phoenix prison where they'd been for two months on possession and selling. A small sentence for two people who had convinced the judge that they were going to go on the right path, start up a good business, nothing shady or illegal. Apparantly the judge couldn't have cared one way or the other about the "incestuous couple." He simply slammed his hammer down, let them go and returned to playing his hidden video game under the podium.

As they exited the prison, the guards shutting the gate behind them Casey turned to Derek and threw her arms around his neck. "Baby I love you," She whispered in his ear. He wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her, a deep passionate kiss that seemed last forever, and as he pulled away he repeated her words. And he meant it.

-Life just keeps on gettin' smaller and we never ask why, Why there is no perfect place, yes I know this is true. I'm just learning how to smile. That's not easy to do. I know there will come a day .When we can leave and just go runnin' away-