Chapter 3: Remember Me?

"What is a romantic Poet? A romantic poet believes that all emotional experiences are universal. A poem about imagined love is as real as a poem written for a true love."

"You know you're going to ace the exam grade grubber," Derek chortled as he walked into the kitchen, "Besides the test isn't until like… hmm… I don't know next week?" He tried to stifle a yawn.

It didn't work to well because he looked like he had a large piece of food in his mouth that he was trying to keep in.

He smirked at me as he sat down on one of the stools holding up his head by leaning on his left arm. His red puffy eyes were tired from lack of sleep. He must have had a long night.

I pulled a few stray hairs from my face when I noticed his brows furrowed together, "What are you staring at me for you freak?"

I looked away quickly, "Oh nothing it's just that I thought you couldn't get any uglier only to be contradicted by your face this morning."

He hopped off the stool and grabbed a cereal box emptying its contents into a bowl. As he reached into the fridge for the milk it slipped from his hand and spilled over the floor.

He picked up a kitchen towel and wiped the floor stopping abruptly, turning to face me, seemingly remembering that I had insulted him, "Yeah your face isn't much of a treat either step sis."

I was about to make a comeback when a milk soaked kitchen towel hit my face.

"Ugh! Der--ek!" I yelled throwing off the wet sticky towel and launching it into the kitchen sink. "You're so immature."

I grabbed my book leaving the room hearing him laughing in the kitchen while he poured milk onto his Corn Puffs.

'Derek can be such an immature jerk sometimes. Even though his father practically verbally disowned him a few weeks ago, Derek still hasn't changed. I don't think he ever will grow up.' I closed the door to the bathroom loudly and set my book down on the shelf. My face was sticky and I felt gross to think that the milk wasn't all that there was on the towel. The water splashed against my face refreshingly. I had not put on any make up today because Emily and I hadn't made any plans. Besides I needed to study.

Looking in the mirror I noticed something odd about the reflection. She had changed somehow. I can't explain the feeling, where one day you wake up to find you look unlike you. I felt around my face, tracing the small shadows in my eyes and a permanent smirk trying to escape my mouth. I splashed water into my eyes rubbing them furiously. Everything was back to normal. I looked like me. My hair was in a loose ponytail. I had big blue eyes staring back at me and a slight look of relief on my face.

"Derek's taking a toll on me," I explained to myself as I left the bathroom with my book in hand. I almost fell as I ran into the thought on my mind, "Derek, watch where you're going."

He smirked down at me as I bent down to pick up my book, "Klutz!"

I looked up at him, and he had a look of mischief in his eyes. I couldn't help but smile, "God Derek, from all of the times I've fallen it seems like it's always your fault." I stood holding tightly to my history book.

"Hey, it's not my fault you were too distracted talking to yourself, Klutzilla."

I rolled my eyes.

The smirk wiped off his face and he took on a sly expression, "George and Nora took Lizzie and Edwin out to have breakfast with Marti right?"

I shrugged and nodded, "Yeah, they said they were going to go to the zoo after."

Derek paused, smiled and clapped his hands together in triumph, "Cool then, I'm inviting Sam over."

I rolled my eyes at him. I didn't have a problem with Sam it's just that since we stopped dating it's been a bit odd between us and I didn't really feel like seeing him again.

"Case, you know I'm Sam's best friend you're going to have used to seeing him." He nudged my shoulder for emphasis, "Get used to it kiddo."

God why did he have to be right? I couldn't let him know that though. I'd suffer a million nights, alone with Sam in awkward silence than let Derek win.

"I have no problem with Sam." 'Believe me Derek. Just drop it.'

"Sure you don't." I sighed and brushed past him.

He was right but I was too proud.

I saw her back disappear as she closed the door to her room behind her. 'Yes.'

I ran down the stairs and flung myself to the phone. I picked it up and dialed Sam's house. Ring…

"Derek. Hang up the phone I'm waiting for a call."

Ring…

"Derek! The phone! Hang it up! Eric's calling today."

Ring…

"Okay mom, but I'm going to call Sam to go over there to play while you work with Eric okay?"

Ring…

"The receiver on the other line picked up and a small voice answered, "Hello? This is Sam."

"Sam? Can I come over?"

The receiver on the other line picked up and a youth answered, "Sup? This is Sam."

I pushed the memories away, "Sam come over here, George and Nora are out."

It was quite on the other line.

"Sam you still there?" 'Sam must have been thinking about Case, ugh Sam is such a sap.'

He never got over her completely, but there are many more fish in the sea right so why settle?

"Sam come on man this is a once in a lifetime opportunity." Sam scoffed on the other line. "Okay maybe not once in a life time, but hey come on Sam I'm bored."

Sam sighed, "Okay man I'll go, but…"

I exhaled, "Come on Sam, she's just a girl." 'Sam is such a sap. It's something I have had to live with though. Sam's been a good fiend since we moved into this house. He was always there for me, even during the divorce.'

"Dude I'm cool with Case, ok? I'm coming Derek. I'll be there in a sec."

I hung up the phone, "Sap." I flung onto the couch and turned on Babe Raider.

I looked at my watch. 5 minutes!!! God Sam where are you? "Level 2 failed." Ugh! I threw the remote at the door. Sam caught it. I rolled off the couch just far enough to reach my goal.

"Man you took for—e—v---err." I sigh and picked up the second controller. Sam plopped onto the couch next to me.

"So man what's been up?"

I rolled my eyes and smacked him upside the head, "Dude, you speak not during the Babe Raiding."

My eyes stayed focused on the screen but I could feel him roll his eyes. I didn't think I could handle the Sam that seems to have suddenly popped up. Usually he kept things to himself, and that's the way it was supposed to be.

Lately though, things have been changing around me. First the dad incident, then the way Casey and I are arguing twice as much. I had about enough.

I'll deal with the Sam thing now, "Okay Sam, do you want to know what's been up?" I said dodging a river of lava. "Nothing we have a frigging calm house no one does nothing that's why I bring you man. So we can chiiiiiiillllll."

I said pounding the A button into the controller several times. Sam fell into the river.

He pushed pause.

"Dude! I was so beating your ass!"

Sam got up, "I'm going to your bathroom."

I shrugged, "Go then man. I'll be here waiting." I gave Sam a sarcastic thumbs-up and continued the game.

Sam walked up the stairs but I knew where he was going. "He still loves her." I ground the B button into the controller.

Thirsty!!!

I reluctantly stood up and headed for the kitchen. The fridge was empty except for the half empty milk carton and a bunch of rabbit food.

The floor was still sticky but I knew Casey would clean it up later today. Still this issue of hunger had yet to be resolved.

I closed the fridge and scanned the kitchen. The Island… The cabinets… The stool ... Oh the cabinets! I walked over and opened. Jackpot! I grabbed the bags of chips and headed back to my Babe Raider. Sam was already there. He was playing but I noticed his thoughts were elsewhere.

I never, however, will ask him about them. I will not become a guy with fee—fee—fee---feel--- shudder I can't even say it in my head.

"Derek you want to hand over the chips man?" I had been standing there with a very odd look on my face like when Sam starts to talk about Casey, just grimacing though.

Sam looked confused and amused I shot him a look and plowed myself down in the couch, and handed the bag to Sam. Sam took it still giving me a funny look.

"What's with you lately?" Sam looked back at the TV screen. He shrugged, "We going to play or not Derek?"

I smirked, "Yeah, and I am gonna kick your ass Sam." And kick his ass I did.

I heard them downstairs. They were playing Babe Raider. Sam had come up to talk. When I saw him I got a bit disputatious, but in the end we decided to let the past stay in the past. We agreed that it didn't work out and yeah there were good times but we were better off as friends. I was glad to hear him say that if I ever needed any thing he'd help me out. I decided to take advantage of the situation and try to understand the event that occurred a few weeks ago.

"Sam. There is one thing I was you know… wondering about."

Sam looked at me a bit caught off guard but he smiled, "What can I do for you?"

I held my stance and stared him down, "What do you know about Abby?" I could see by his immediate reaction that I had hit a nail somewhere.

"Abby? As in Derek's mom, Abby?" I nodded. "Why would you ask about her Casey?"

"Yeah I was just wondering." Sam looked at me curiously.

I could tell he was choosing his words wisely, "What would you like to know?"

"Well you see…" There was this oddity between us.

Sam said, "Casey, what brought this on? Did something happen?" I knew keeping it form him would just make it harder for me to get the info I wanted.

"Look Sam there was this thing that happened with Derek a few weeks ago and well it was about Marti and George and well there was yelling and well I just wanted to know."

Sam looked at me his eyes held a secret but his face held a look of hidden sympathy and caution, "Casey I think it's something you should ask Derek about, not me."

And that was it. With that he hugged me, turned around, and walked down the stairs. I would have given a lot to hear what was going through his mind.

Now he was down there with Derek and I was up here on the landing watching them. Derek had been standing under the door frame to the kitchen. He looked so stupid standing there with a look on his face like he was smelling something with the aroma close to Edwin's lucky shirt. Then he walked over to Sam and since then they had been playing.

Derek was kicking Sam's butt, but I knew it was just because Sam wasn't thinking about the game. They both looked happy playing, but Sam seemed a forced kind of happy as though to humor Derek; stupid Derek, with his mysterious past and snobby, slackadaisical, ways.

Ugh! Even the thought of him was annoying. I turned to go back to my room. There was no reason for me to be sitting there. I sighed at the thought of sitting in my room by myself again.

Maybe if I stopped by Emily's? Yeah she wouldn't mind would she? I turned back and headed down the stairs.

She popped out of nowhere. Ugh! She was going to distract him again and we were doing so well with the anti fee---fee---fell—well you get the point, "Casey go away!"

She put on her coat and walked out without an eye roll or a scoff. I had a questioning look on my face. Then the door opened again.

"Ass!" she yelled before closing the door. I smirked. I always got her worked up.

Sam just played harder, "Dude you're gonna break the controller if you keep pushing that hard man." Sam ignored me and I was completely annihilated. Stupid Casey.

I was on my way to my neighbor's house which coincidently was also my best friend's house. Emily knows Derek since forever right? Maybe I can ask her. I stopped halfway up the side walk and saw the window into Marti's room. There was something odd written on the window. I looked at Emily's door then back at the seven year olds window.

I decided against my curiosity and walked the rest of the way to Emily's. The door opened before I could knock on it. Emily stood before her in pajamas as though she had barely woken up. I looked at my watch. 1:27 pm.

"Emily were you asleep," I asked walking into her house. There was a comforter on her couch sitting in front of the TV.

"Sleep in. See you…window." She pointed weakly at the glass panels behind her television set. I held in a giggle as she plopped onto the couch and squirmed her way over to give me room.

"Emily," I said sitting down on the couch.

"Hmm?" Emily is such a funny girl. She's stood by me though in the worst of times. Even during the week where the Klutzilla and the Grade-Grubber incident interconnected. Now I was sitting at her feet. The question was tugging at my mouth and I wanted to ask.

"Look Em," I started to ask, but when I saw her face all scrunched up and tired, I started laughing and the question slipped my mind.

We ordered some pizza around 3:00 because both she and I were hungry. We watched old movies and talked about celebrities and school. It was around 7:00 when I thought I should be heading home. George and Nora must have been home by now and I hadn't spent much time with Lizzie for the past few weeks. I hugged Emily and departed leaving her on the couch with the Labyrinth on.

I skipped merrily across the lawn and landed on our door steps. Derek and Edwin were yelling at the seemingly deaf Hockey team. I entered the house of cavemen and went in search of estrogen and tried to get as far away from the testosterone as seemingly possible. I found myself at Marti's door and I decided to walk in.

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