Nah, I still don't own Life With Derek...

"Why couldn't you just tell them the truth? It would have been so much easier." Derek said as Casey carried herself lazily up the stairs.

"That is the truth." Casey said, making one last lie before she locked herself in her bed room for the rest of the night, and think of a guy who she could ask out.

"You and I both know that that isn't the truth." Derek said, following her into her room. She was too drained and upset to make him get out, so she just plopped down on the bed as he sat at her desk.

"Are you going to tell them?" Casey asked silently, giving up. She knew that Derek could see right through her lies, especially since he was the one who taught her how to.

"Even though this is an amazing thing to keep as blackmail. No." Derek said through a long, hard sigh.

She attempted to smile, but she just couldn't. She didn't have enough energy and she just wasn't happy, by any means.

She sat up, and looked him square in the eyes. For some reason, they both felt a 'vent' coming on. Casey just couldn't help herself. She had to spill to somebody other than her diary, who never really talks back.

"I don't know who or what I want. I'm Casey McDonald!? I'm supposed to be a happy, preppy, prefect teenage girl!?" Casey put her head in her hands, and took a deep breath. As she lifted her head back up, she went on. "Everybody expects the best from me!? I'm not supposed to like girls!... And I don't!? Only Kendra!? Shes the only one!" Casey yelled, but not loud enough for anybody outside of the room to hear.

"Well, maybe you're bi?" Derek said, stating the obvious, but Casey was refusing to believe that, too.

Its not like it hasn't crossed her mind, being 'bi'. It crossed her mind everyday, but still, she wasn't. And she wasn't a lesbian. She was a normal straight girl who fell for one member of the same sex. THAT'S IT!?

"No! I'm straight! Honestly!" Casey was begging him to believe her. He could see it in her eyes. The way she was looking at him almost broke his heart, but he would never admit that. He was supposed to be her worst enemy, he wasn't supposed to care about her feelings, but right now, it was the only thing he was caring about.

Derek sighed and rested his hands on the back of his head. "Okay, I really don't know how to help you?" Derek made a confused expression, and she couldn't blame him.

"There is one way..." Casey took a deep breath. "Find me a date for Friday." She said, trying her hardest to not sound too desperate, but failing horribly.

"Case? That's in two days?" Derek was not looking at her like she was crazy.

"I know, but I told mom and George that I had a date." Casey was trying so hard to fight back the tears. What was she supposed to do? Break down crying in front of Derek, an beg him to find her a date? No, not happening.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes while trying to think of what would get Casey out of trouble with her parents, and save her plan to prove to them that she isn't into girls.

"I got it!" Derek yelled, clapping his hands together and opening his eyes as wide as they will go.

"What?" Casey asked, curious to know what he was thinking.

"We will tell them that we are going out on a double date, and were meeting out dates there." Derek said, his smirk told her that he was proud of his idea.

"That wont work, they will know." Casey said.

"No they wont. Think about it, would we ever go out to hang out with each other?" Derek said, making a teasing face.

Casey shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not," She raised her eyebrow and sent him a look he couldn't quite make out. "But isn't that what were doing? So, it cant be completely unbelievable."

Derek sighed and made a small chuckle. "Case, calm down it will work. And please don't let it be like that time when we hit dads car." Derek warned.

Casey made a small smile thinking about the memory. She wondered if that party was actually worth all of that.

"See, we can have fun together... Sometimes." Derek said, hardly believing he just said that.

"You can be 'okay', part of the time... But only when you want to be." Casey said, pointing a finger at him.

They didn't say much after that. Derek stayed in her room, and made sure to check his Myspace before leaving. Casey wondered why he couldn't have just done it in his room, but the truth was, he didn't want to leave. Maybe it was 'Sensitive Derek' coming back to sneak up on him, or maybe he just felt like talking to her, and helping her when she was down, instead of kicking her, like usual.

The next day, Thursday, seemed to drag on and on longer than most days. It might have been the concerned looks from both Nora and George all day, or when ever the phone rang, Nora would make sure it wasn't Kendra, before letting anybody else answer it, causing Kendra to only be able to call Casey's cell phone. The family was pretty surprised at the shortage of fighting between Casey and Derek, but it was a nice surprise, one they didn't mind.

Edwin and Lizzie were sure something was going on, though, leading to extra meetings in the closet and bets on who would throw the first punch between the two.

Nora and George were pleased that there weren't as many fights, and even more happy when Derek offered Casey the remote during a hockey rerun that he would normally watch, just to make her mad. Although they were happy, they still had a lot on their minds, and were still worried about their confused daughter/step-daughter.

And whether she wanted it to or not, Friday eventually came around.