A/N: Thanks to shyesplease, KnowPein, Balyndaba and Crystale for the reviews, KnowPein for the favorite, and Cassandraishere, MrsMichelle, Ravenclaw Dalek, kimkimduh, and xXCourageousXx for the follows!
My whole living situation is still kinda up in the air, but I did a little bit of writing so I figured I could post another chapter. All of the notifications I've been getting have been like little sparklers to light up the gloom that is my life lately. (Ooh look at me all emo.) But really, I appreciate it a lot. And – fun fact – the 25th is by birthday. And also the last day for all but three people at my school/living situation. So I'm not expecting to have a very good birthday. Luckily, getting excited reviews, or follows or favorites, make me feel just a little more happy every time. =)
Chapter Nine: You Think I'm in Control
"Flirt with me, Case."
This entire meeting had not been going the way Casey had expected. "I- I can't do that."
"You can't flirt? You know nothing about flirting?" Derek raised an eyebrow, tutting sarcastically, "This is worse than I thought."
"No, I mean - I can't- not wi-" She shut her eyes tight, bringing her hands up to her temples. Ugh, why was he doing this? Casey wasn't stupid, she wasn't blind, she knew that there was always… something between them. Not like they liked each other. Or that they found each other attractive, 'cause that wasn't possible. Or that they even considered each other remotely interesting, or mildly intriguing, or even the slightest bit not awful… okay, maybe she could handle this. She was reading too much into it. Reading way too much into it. Just because she'd been pulling all the classic Klutzilla moves, and her face had gone through several days of sunset-like blush-cycles, didn't mean anything. Just that she was uncomfortable. And that discomfort was, of course, because she hated getting help from Derek. And that was it.
When she opened her eyes again, he was giving her that same smug smirk.
"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was small and tight, trying not to let on about just how much he was messing with her head right now.
His brow furrowed, smile faltering. "I told you. I owe you for the whole – you know, the jail thing."
He must know that wasn't what she meant. He had to know. Somehow this was all an elaborate tactic to humiliate her. It must be.
Derek just watched her, a tinge of curiosity coloring his features as he let her stew. And stew she did. The longer she was silent, the heavier the air in the room seemed to get.
"Do I need to go get a knife to cut this tension, or do you want to take a break?" If she didn't know better, she might've classified his tone as apologetic. Which only confused her more.
"Give me a second, okay?" She held up a finger. "I need to think."
He held up her forgotten bottle. "You think too much already."
She glanced between the bottle and his face. For the first time that night, he didn't look like the domineering jerk she knew from London. He looked the way he looked when he was doing the right thing. The brotherly thing.
The brotherly thing.
Casey did not use foul language lightly, but… Fuck everything, thinking was not going well for her.
She took the bottle and sat with a humph, crossing her legs and staring out the window as she took a long gulp. She needed to reset. Get rid of all of this internal crap and restart. And most definitely deny anything she may or may not be feeling right now. So she put her not-so-great lying skills to the test.
"Look…" she started, fingers knotting around the bottle in her hands, "…you know how I get when I try to flirt." She hoped the blush creeping up her neck would be attributed to embarrassment over the 'Klutzilla' issue, not the anxiety of trying to undo what had almost happened in their conversation.
He seemed willing to go with it, as he smirked, "Oh yes. Yes I do."
She felt a surge of annoyance – accompanied with something akin to relief – wash over her as she shot a glare at him. "Well I'd prefer to avoid that, if at all possible." She felt her resolve strengthening with every word. Each second another brick in the wall between her and Derek was being stubbornly reinforced.
He seemed to be noticing it too, as he dropped the nice guy act to return to his pointed jibing. "I think we'd all prefer to avoid Klutzilla." He stood, taking his (now empty – she must've missed him drinking more) bottle into the kitchen. As he rinsed it out (what) and dropped it into the recycling bin (double what), he added, "And, honestly, I expect your flirting game to be a complete train wreck."
She turned back around to face the couch, and heard him leaving the kitchen.
"But I do have to wonder:-"
Casey stiffened, hearing him approaching.
"-You've been a bit clumsy this whole time-"
She stilled as she felt him less than a foot away.
He put his hand on the back of her chair, leaning just slightly closer to her. "-And don't you usually only get all Klutzilla around guys you actually like?"
Her stomach jolted, angrily. She grit her teeth, even as goosebumps rose on the back of her neck. "Don't flatter yourself, Venturi," her voice was icy.
Derek's fingers just barely brushed her shoulder as he walked around her to sit back on the couch – at the touch, she clutched her beer bottle so tightly she worried she might break it. He put on a look of mock hurt. "What, you're telling me you don't like me?" He held a hand to his chest, "But I'm your brother."
Her eyes narrowed. She had a feeling he would've found a way to ridicule her no matter how she'd answered his jibes. And either way would probably have brought up the sibling thing. "Stepbrother."
The smirk was back. And he didn't even need to say anything to accompany it.
Luckily, she had plenty of anger building inside her to overwhelm any other confusing thoughts.
"Der-ek! I thought you said you'd be setting me up with Wes!" She stood, stomping her foot angrily. "If I'm just here for you to torment me-" She'd huffed her way over to the door, but he'd cut just in front of her to block it. Casey didn't back down, just folding her arms and glaring. Admittedly, she had folded her arms in that way he'd shown her. And, admittedly, he seemed a bit distracted, to the point that his eyes were now firmly focused over her shoulder after darting away from her cleavage. Maybe he'd actually had a point.
"I will!" He sounded a bit put out, but after a second or two met her eyes again, voice even once more. "I will, okay? I just didn't want you to go on a date until I knew you wouldn't fuck it up."
She glared. "I w-"
"Don't even try to tell me you won't, Princess, 'cause you will." He was slowly regaining the upper hand, but his position there seemed tenuous. He was cautious. And, surprisingly, bit his tongue for a moment, taking a breath. "…Look." He seemed resigned to his next words. "Go do your homework. Send me the contact info once you've got it. Then… I'll give you Gable's number."
Her heart leapt, and the surprise showed on her face. "Really?" All confusing thoughts about Derek were rushing out of her head.
He sighed. "Really."
She squealed.
"Christ, Spacey, go easy on my eardrums." He shot her a joking glare as he rubbed an ear, but he was cracking a smile, too.
Forgetting herself for a second, she threw her arms around Derek. "You're such a jerk, Derek." She pulled back and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "But thanks."
A/N: What a rollercoaster! …teeheehee. XD I may branch into some Derek-based narrative in the next chapter. Because, well… spoilers. You'll see.
In the meantime, this chapter's title is from the song 'Oh My God' by Ida Maria. I thought the kind of frantic heart pounding bass at the beginning fits well for the massive tension this chapter opens with. I imagine Casey quite wants to find a cure for what's ailing her, as well. And all of the lyrics, actually (there aren't many, it's a lot of repetition). Go check it out.
Sorry if I disappointed anyone by cutting out before the flirting test (no worries, it will return!).
Please review! I love to hear what people think of what's happened, and what they guess might happen in the future. And who knows, if it's good I might just steal it (I'll be sure to give credit where credit is due). Thanks!
P.S: I made a youtube playlist of the songs/vids for the first 10 chapters, viewable here: bit. ly (slash) 1Js2Osw
