Surprisingly the hand cuffing of the brats went surprisingly smoothly. Casey did it and when she got back to her room she found Derek lounging on her bed. As soon as she closed her door giggles started bursting out of her. He gave her a quizzical look…which only made her laugh harder. She put her hands up and tried to stop laughing.
"You'll see in the morning." She managed before sinking down on the bed beside him.
"What have you done?"
She closed her eyes and shook her head. He rolled his eyes.
"You cuffed them together, right?"
"I did," Pause. Laugh. "And I went one better!" Casey leant towards him and whispered in his ear what she had done. He guffawed.
Pulling her closer he kissed her on the forehead and she snuggled into him, still emitting little giggles now and then.
In the morning Edwin awoke to find something in the bed next to him. Who the hell? Oh yes, now he remembered. Lizzie had got scared and crawled into bed with him for comfort. Parents were out and she was too scared to go to Casey and Derek on account of they had locked them in Derek's bedroom earlier that week.
He raised his left arm to rub some of the sleep from his eyes. Another hand came with it, Lizzie's. Around their wrists was a set of steel handcuffs. He swore loudly and this woke Lizzie up. She screamed when she saw the manacles binding them together. Her left hand was tied to his left. This made it way more difficult.
"You know who did this don't you?" he said trying not to cry at their predicament.
She looked up and she had tears glistening on her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumb.
"It'll be alright. You'll see."
"No it won't!" she cried. "It won't be alright. How are we going to do anything? What are we going to do?"
"Beg for mercy and suck up to them. We can only hope they will let us out soon. Or maybe find a way of stealing the key from them. But that'll be plan B. Come on we'd better get up."
"How are we going to get dressed? Or showered? Or go to the bathroom?"
Edwin shrugged and they got out of bed and headed downstairs, Lizzie's left arm behind her so they could both walk forwards.
When they entered the kitchen everyone else was already there. Immediately they all cracked up laughing, except Marti who didn't get it.
"That'll teach you to mess with us." Derek said squeezing Casey's hand. She returned his grin and smiled sweetly and innocently.
"You should have known better. You might have known we would get back at you for locking us in the room." She said sweetly.
"Yes, and we've learnt our lesson. Can you let us out now?" Edwin pleaded.
"Yeah, we're really sorry. We'll never do it again." Lizzie added.
For a moment Casey's hand went to her neck, where the little silver key hung on a chain, but Derek stopped her hand before it reached it. She sent him a questioning look and then it clicked.
"No," she said the smile fixing itself back onto her features. "You can stay like that for a while. You're lucky its Saturday. No one else will see you."
"Yes they will, remember? Sam and Emily are coming over today." Derek reminded her handing her a kiwi he had been kind enough to slice open for her.
"We'll be in our rooms then."
"How? You're tied together, remember." Nora asked curiously, over the top of her coffee.
Casey and Derek stared hard at each other and then they nodded.
"Hey, Marti, don't you want to show Edwin your new dress? Derek hasn't seen it either. Why don't you go put it on and show it to us?" Casey said coaxingly.
"We haven't seen it either, Marti. Casey stole you all for herself yesterday after school. She said the dress was really pretty." Nora said looking kindly at her stepdaughter.
Marti smiled and said "Okay!" chirpily, hopping up and rushing upstairs.
"Emily and Sam should be here soon. The four of us were going to hang out and play video games before we go to watch the boys at their game this afternoon." Casey said innocently, refilling Derek's orange juice.
"We'll just go upstairs then." Edwin said as the doorbell rang.
"Oh no you don't!" George said catching his youngest son by the back of his PJ's and therefore pulling Lizzie over. She fell heavily and Edwin yanked her to her feet and Casey opened the door and Sam and Emily stood there observing the pair in shock and surprise. What a family!
"Marti want to show all of us her dress. You wouldn't be that mean to your sister would you? Only Casey's seen the dress on her." George continued, waving at Emily and Sam.
"I'll explain later." Casey hissed to their guests ushering them over the threshold.
Marti then came down the stairs in a very pretty blue dress with white flowers on it. She was very proud of it and as Casey paused at the stairs, Marti gave her a kiss on the cheek in thanks for buying her a new dress. Marti did a couple of twirls for everyone and they applauded and then Nora whisked her up and out of it again before she had a chance of getting it dirty.
Lizzie and Edwin tried to be discreet as they rushed out of the room and up the stairs under the pregnant stares of the newcomers who were quick to note the handcuffs.
"Care to explain?" Emily said breaking the silence as Derek came up to them.
