Casey POV

I wake up with a splitting headache. What happened to me? Then I remember the night before. Well, some of it at least. I got drunk. I, Casey McDonald, got drunk. I don't get drunk. I always follow the rules. I just really hope my mom doesn't find out about this. She would kill me. She always thinks of me as the responsible one, not like Derek. Ugh, Derek.

My thinking stops when I get a wave of nausea. I run out of my room and run into the bathroom. I lean over the toilet as I barf up anything that I did have in my stomach. Then I feel a pair of hands behind me holding my hair back. I don't look at who it is as I barf even more. Then I sit back and flush the toilet. I look up and see Derek.

"Hangover. Don't worry everyone went out for breakfast. They didn't want to wake you up and I told them I didn't want to go." He tells me. Then he looks down. "You OK? You done for now? Want to go back to bed?"

"I'm fine. I just want to go lay down and then I want something to eat. Not at the moment although I just got rid of everything in me." I say and then sigh. I try to get up, but start to fall back down. He catches me before I hit the ground. "Thanks." We walk into my room and I lie back down on my bed. I wait for him to walk out of the room, but he doesn't. "Something wrong, Derek?" I ask him. But my head hurts so bad, I just want to be left alone. I don't really remember what happened yesterday, but something must have.

"No, I just…I just wanted to know if you meant what you said to me yesterday night. At the party."

"What did I say?"

"You said that you never wanted to talk to me again. I took that as you wanted to break up. Did you mean it?"

"I don't know. I want to be with you Derek. But. But, it might be too much. Our parents are against us. They don't want this to happen. So, maybe we shouldn't. They didn't talk to us afterward yesterday. I don't think that they think this is best. So, maybe it isn't."

"Oh. OK. Well, um." He pauses. It even looks like he's having a hard time excepting it. It looks like he's sad. But, this is Derek we're talking about. "Casey, I want to be with you too. Why can't we just be together? It can be a secret. Or we can openly go with it and our parents will just have to deal. C'mon. Case, please just think about it." Now he looks like he's pleading with me. I have never seen Derek like this. He actually looks serious and like he cares. Maybe he does.

"Of course. I'll think about it, Derek. But for now, I just need Advil and I need some pancakes. But, I will think about it." I tell him. His expression doesn't change, though.

"Ok, how about I go and make you some pancakes and I'll get you some medicine." Why is he being nice? Is he trying to do this to be with me? I don't care. I need pancakes and medicine. I nod.

"OK, and I'll think about it, Derek" He nods and then leaves the room. I lay there for about 15 minutes while he makes me pancakes. I try to sleep, but that doesn't work. So, I keep thinking about me and Derek. Us. Do I want there to be an Us. Yeah. I do. But, how? He comes back and hands me the pancakes. He starts out the door, but I stop him. "Hey, Derek. You won't tell anyone about this, right?"

"Of course not Casey. It's just between me and you." There's silence. "Well, I'm going to go now. Hope you feel better." He says trying to sound upbeat, but I can tell he's something else. Hurt.

XXX

I know that it's kind of short. But, the next chapter will be longer I promise. And Thank You to everyone who has left me reviews so far.