Mistake 8
Nora was the first one to get up in the morning at 6:00. She sat in the living room and watched the TV with the volume down low, drinking a cup of coffee. I guess it's the only time she can really sit and enjoy the TV to herself since there are always five kids fighting over the remote during the daylight hours.
Next was Marti. She's the only Venture who will get up at 7:00. She went downstairs and sat quietly with Nora, holding the monkey stuffed animal that I got her for her last birthday. Dad went into the living shortly after that.
Guess who's next. That's right, Casey. She woke up around 8:30 and went directly to the shower. She was in there for about half an hour. A very torturous half hour where I tried not to think about too much.
Then Lizzie got up sometime after Casey went downstairs. I think it was around 9:15 or so.
And last was Edwin. I heard his footsteps padding down the stairs around 10:30.
Usually, I would get up sometime after noon, but that day I was going to bed at 12:27, which was the time I woke up the previous morning.
And I was counting down the seconds. I didn't think it was going to be so hard to stay up for twenty four hours, but I was so wrong. I had started getting sleepy shortly after I left Casey's room. I guess almost-humiliation will do that to a person.
I looked at the clock. It was 12:25. Close enough. I was going to sleep. I layed down on my pillows face down and closed my eyes. I was asleep in seconds.
There was a soft knock at my door. I opened my eyes a little, not wanting to fully wake up yet. The door opened a crack and Casey came in.
"Hey," she said, "You awake?"
I mumbled a little "Hm-mm," But didn't look up at her. I was still too tired to get up.
"Are you alright?" she asked, "I heard you moving around at nine and now you're sleeping. Are you getting sick? Do you need something to drink?" She kept rambling. I opened my eyes some more and looked at her. She was kneeling next to my bed, really close to me.
"Casey," I moaned, "Shut up."
She didn't. "Mom just got some apple juice."
"Casey, the reason I'm sleeping now is because I've been dreaming a lot lately," I explained, thinking it was the only way to get her to stop talking. I was so tired it felt like I couldn't move my tongue and was slurring my words, but I didn't care, "I heard that you dream when you don't sleep well. So I stayed up late, and now I'm gonna sleep well."
"Derek, you've got it mixed up. You dream when you do sleep well. Not when you don't sleep well."
You've got to be freaking kidding me.
The only thing I could think of to shut her up was to kiss her. So I leaned up and pressed my lips to hers. She shut up instantly, not moving at all.
I opened my eyes, expecting to be lying back in bed having woken up from my dream.
But when I opened my eyes I saw Casey.
She was really close.
And I was kissing her.
Shit.
I pulled away immediately. My stomach had dropped out and we both stared wide-eyed at each other.
"Casey," I whispered, but the second I said it she got up and practically ran out of my room. "Casey!" I called after her. She just slammed my door shut behind her. I hadn't really planned anything to say even if she had come back, but it was a nice thought, right?
And I couldn't run after her. My legs had fallen asleep.
Is it wrong to be jealous of your own legs?
(((((O)))))
A/n I know this is a really short chapter, and I'm sorry! But I wanted to get this part of the story out. For those of you who don't get it, what happened to Derek was like a sleepwalking type thing. You know how you can be sleeping and someone starts talking and it happens in your dreams? That's what this was supposed to be. Weird things happen to you and your mind when you're in that half awake, half asleep state. Ha ha.