Chapter 4: Hockey and Wrestling

The last time I walked into Marti's room it was all pink. Now, walking in, I realized that our little Marti went through phases of color liking. The wall was white, as it always had been, but now on this particular occasion it was covered in purple drawings of Derek, Edwin, and a small assortment of odd looking animals.

There were some pictures of the family on the dresser and the windows had glue pictures on them. This is where you take a bottle of liquid glue and draw pictures on glass and let it dry. The ones that Marti had made of course were all purple. The room was screaming Marti. I walked over the piles of clean clothes she had thrown out of her drawers, no doubt, trying to find an outfit to wear to the zoo this morning. Once I reached her bed I sat down and stared scanning the area. The comforter was soft beneath my fingertips.

There was a better view of the drawings from here. I looked around and saw some stick figured Derek's complete with the signature smirk and a few of Marti and him playing together at the park.

Then there was a small portion of the wall dedicated to us three. Marti seemed to have done a better job on these because we all had clothes and we looked a lot more like people and not disarranged sticks. I was glad that Marti had taken a liking to me. Finally.

Falling back onto the bed, I felt the softness surround me as the mattress conformed to my every curve. I was soft and warm, but not suffocatingly so.

'Marti and Derek love each other so much. Hmm. Derek treats her like a caring father. Thing is that he doesn't treat Edwin like that. Maybe it's a guy thing. I mean Edwin seems to like being acknowledged by his big brother even if it is in such a brutal way. I guess that between them though there is this understanding. Edwin must know Derek loves him.'

Slowly I started to drift off to sleep. 'Just like Lizzie knows I love her.'

"Casey? What are you doing here?" I opened my eyes and saw a lawn figure standing underneath the door frame bouncing a soccer ball on her knee.

"Hey Liz, oh umm, I was just looking at Marti's room."

Lizzie looked confused and giggled as she caught the ball in her hands and tucked it under her arm, "Then why are you falling asleep on her bed?"

I sat up prying myself up on my elbows, "Gosh Lizzie, you're such a cloud buster." I didn't know where the words were coming from, and then I realized what I had been doing. It was very unlike me to be nosy and to pry in on other people's privacy.

I scared myself into jumping off bed and standing back at my imprint. "What's gotten into me lately," I asked myself more than my little sister.

"That's what I was thinking," Lizzie looked around the room just about as amused as I had been, "Marti sure has funny taste, huh Casey?"

I nodded in recognition and started to walk back to my room.

'That's the millionth time this month. There was that bathroom thing, then me wandering off topic when I'm talking to Em. Now this? Thank goodness it's not affecting my schoolwork. I'm becoming too much like Derek. Brushing off other people and not really listening to what they're saying is not like me. It's like I'm always in my own little…'

"Casey?"

'Huh?'

I turned as saw Lizzie eyeing curiously, "Sorry Lizzie I didn't hear you. What did you say?" 'I've got to come off this thing.'

Lizzie shook she head and focused her eyes on the ball bouncing once more on her knee, "I just wanted to know if you wanted to go out, you know spend some Casey/Lizzie time together?" 'Was it just me or was Lizzie getting taller?'

"Oh, umm, yeah," 'God, brain focus,' "I would love to spend time with you Lizzie, but would you mind if we brought Marti along. I know it's a bit unorthodox it's just that…"

I debated telling Lizzie about the strange vibes I was getting from Marti.

"…I know what you mean Casey, I noticed it too. She's been quiet and well different since Nora took the business trip to Toronto three weeks ago. She's been acting reserved and she's in Marti land most of the time she's around the family."

I grinned. 'That's my Lizzie. So observant… yeah I know that Edwin helped her along a bit but I can take some of the credit right?'

"So do you want to go after dinner?" Lizzie tried to stifle a laugh behind her hand as she watched my expression of pride fall into one of embarrassment.

I cursed Derek under my breath, "Yeah then you Marti and I can go out to the malt shop for ice cream." Lizzie agreed and we headed down the stairs. 'Stupid Derek.'

Marti wasn't talking to me lately. I wondered why. She hadn't been making jokes or even bothering to laugh at mine. I tried to get her to tell me what was wrong but she only smiled, a rather forced smile, and bounced off. I guess she was a bunny that day.

When Casey got home earlier I saw Marti pop up from under the table. She poked her head out, saw Casey, and went back into hiding. I watched Casey go back up the stairs and went back to yelling at the bad plays on the hockey packed television set with Edwin egging me on. Sam left earlier to help his mom pack up his sister's things because she was going to college or something. I didn't care much for it and told him to stay.

He said he had to go and left; Ten minuets later Edwin, Lizzie, Marti, and the parentals got home. Ed sat to watch TV with me while Nora went to cook dinner and Dad disappeared into the basement to work. Lizzie invited Marti out to play soccer, but Marti declined and hid under the table.

Casey popped up halfway through the game and one of the players had gotten side swiped and slammed into the wall. The ref didn't do anything even though it was a definite penalty. Ed and I were screaming madly as she made her way up the stairs. Lizzie waltzed in through the back door and asked for Casey.

"How should I know where she is?" The words were a bit strong and rude but it was Lizzie she could take it unlike some people.

"I think she went upstairs," Edwin sounded apologetic and Lizzie smile as she took the stairs two at a time. 'What is up with the house lately? Marti goes on self-alienation mode. Edwin's been more sensitive than usual to Lizzie and of course the whole dad thing was out of whack.'

I pondered this momentarily then was distracted by the sound of a buzzer and my teams name blasting from the TV. Edwin jumped off the couch and followed shortly after shouting and grunting in manly ecstasy.

"You guys are such freaks," Casey stood on the landing; her arms were crossed across her chest. She looked slightly put out.

Lizzie walked over to Edwin and leaned on the back of the couch, "What's the bit party about Ed?"

Edwin stopped jumping around the room and looked at her with pride in his voice, "OUR TEAM WON!" No sooner had he said it he started to cavort around the room again.

"Yeah Casey, Our team won. But it's not like you'd get it. Well maybe if it was in logarithese and English notes," I smirked at her.

"It's pronounced logarithms and why would I ever want to watch hockey. It's not even a sport. It's down right macho world, brutal with bodies crushing up against each other and sharp blades whizzing up and down the ice. It has no point."

Edwin new what was coming and stopped dead in his tracks, ran at me, and pulled my arms behind me trying to hold me back.

"Don't do it Derek."

"Let go of me," I howled at Edwin and Lizzie, as it seems she had joined in the struggle to hold me back. Casey stepped a few feet closer and leaned in, then she made the biggest mistake ever, she stuck her tongue out at me. 'Wrong move Casey MacDonald'

I launched forward at her, sending Lizzie and Edwin stumbling back.

She fought back hard. We rolled around on the floor. Casey swung at my chest and I struggled to hold back her arms. Hovering over her I almost had her pinned. She knew she was in danger and she swung a hard left and hit my arm. 'I must admit she has muscle, but not enough.'

I smirked and let her roll me over so she was on top and I was pinned underneath her. She smiled thinking she had the upper hand, but her face fell as I pushed up with my legs and arms. I laughed as I watched her flip over my head. Casey got on her hands and knees and looked determinedly at me. I was in the same position.

"Stupid Derek."

I smirked and launched onto her again. We rolled around and somehow ended up by the dinning room table. She pushed my head into the leg. I knew it was an accident because a look of worry filled her face momentarily until she saw I was okay and she started to struggle once again.

I pushed her back and pinned her arm 'finally', "Say Uncle! Say it Casey or I swear!!!" Casey looked at me with a look of pure determination, "Or what jerk?" She smirked knowingly and kneed me.

I let go and she scuttled out from underneath me. 'Man that hurt.' I sat trying to catch my breath. She reached over to where the remote was and flipped through the channels. The hockey game was over, but I couldn't let her win the fight.

Nora walked in just then and announced dinner was ready. When she noticed I wasn't on the couch she looked around for me only to find me huddled on the floor. I was glaring at Casey, 'She's such a priss and then she has the nerve to insult hockey. Hockey!' I flung my arms up in disbelief.

"Hey watch it Derek." Nora was squatting next to me looking a bit worried.

"Oh sorry Nora, I didn't see you there. Don't worry I'm fine," I said standing up. Casey sat smugly on the arm rest flipping channels indecisively.

"Well dinner's ready," Nora announced a second time. 'Stupid Casey.'

"Hey Derek?" I looked up at Nora who was scanning the room, "Have you seen Marti?"

It seemed I had lost track of her during the fight, "Well last time I saw her she was under the table." Marti appeared at the top of the stairs and ran down all the way to her spot under the dinning room table. I smiled at my little Marti and took my seat. The rest of my family soon followed.

Then there came Casey.

All during dinner Derek shot me evil looks.

There was an air of tension between us. I mean there was always and air but it seemed to have gotten thicker and umm more suffocating.

Ever since that day Nora went out on her business trip. Lizzie had noticed it and that meant Edwin saw it too. The only three people that seemed oblivious to it were the parentals and Derek.

'Then again Derek doesn't do much thinking now does he?' I smirked at my clad remark and took another forkful of salmon and rice.

My family sat silently eating dinner. It was odd, as though Derek and I were controlling the family mood. I decided to interject and broke the silence, "So everyone? How was your day at the zoo?"

George and Nora smiled and silently thanked me with their eyes. Lizzie and Edwin began with a story about a most interesting man in a pink hat, "He was wearing it smack on his head, but it was too small for him huh Ed?"

"Yeah and he was wearing this Hawaiian shirt that was all bright and funny." I smiled at the thought of the amusing man with his fat bald head and on top of it a small pink hat and a brightly colored shirt with random assortments of tropical flowers.

Derek on the other hand did not seem to find this amusing. His eyes were fixated on me. 'He must still be mad about the wrestling match. Hmm, I hope I didn't bruise his ego to much though, because he might just want revenge and then I'm going to be the one to get it bad.'

I frowned and looked up from my plate at Derek.

He was still staring at me, "Derek, what's your problem?" Derek just stared back at me. No retort. I think that's what scared me the most. I looked at my plate and continued to eat in silence.

The rest of the family had seemingly not heard my comment and continued to revolve the conversation around the funny people at the zoo.

I tried to enjoy dinner, but I felt a miniscule amount of guilt every time I saw Derek. He did not speak and neither did I. When dinner ended I volunteered to wash the dishes. Derek surprisingly offered as well.

George choked on his last spoonful of rice. "What?"

Derek rose and collected the plates on his side of the table. I watched in awe.

"Well that's very nice of you Derek to offer to help Casey wash the dishes." He smiled at my mother and walked into the kitchen. Lizzie looked at me quizzically.

"After I'm done I'll come get you," I walked into the kitchen and set the dishes down by Derek's pile. He had started washing so I began to rinse and stood on his right. 'Why did he offer to help?' Derek scrubbed the dishes lifting them in and out of the water scrubbing again and then handing them to me.

We were almost done when I heard him whisper to me as he handed me the second to last dish, "Casey, I want a rematch."

"Oh, alright."

Derek nodded, "2:30am, on the couch downstairs." He put the last dish in my hands and walked away.

'He wanted a rematch. No doubt we were going to play Babe Raider. It just so happens though that I rock at Babe Raider and even beat Sam once while we were dating.' I smiled and finished drying the dishes.

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