A/N: 1 Review. Woooo! And I'm not being sarcastic, I'm really happy. lol. I apologize in advance for my hyperness and the lack of Lizzie and Marti and especially Edwin in this chapter but they'll be arriving soon. Promise!

Chapter 2: And so it begins…

Casey's POV

"NO!" I said fiercely slamming Derek's hands down against the counter, pinning them down with my own. "I am not spending another summer with my head in toilet!"

Derek looked thoughtful "Well then Case, what are we going to do?"

"Well i don't know, but there must be a simpler and less painful way, right?" I asked leaning back against the kitchen counter.

Derek glared at me looking awfully cynical "Good luck with that" he said backing out of the kitchen

Mum then walked into the room, phone in hand.

"Uh huh…yes…six…no wait, seven…I forgot Edwin" When Mum noticed me and Derek were staring she put her hand over the speaking bit of the phone, and added "Don't act like you haven't before!" in a harsh whisper. I could feel my eyebrows practically knitting together. What's up with her!?

"Sorry about that" Mum continued "So yeah, seven…really?...that's great, thank you so much" Mum hung up the phone. "There's been a cancellation; the cabin by the lake is ours from tomorrow!" Mum stated excitedly, practically jumping for joy.

"Tomorrow?!" I repeated astounded

"Yes Casey, tomorrow!" Mum replied, confused and looking rather annoyed that I wasn't also jumping for joy "I'm going to go and tell George!" Nora said happily skipping out of the kitchen.

"This all your fault" Derek said turning to me annoyed

"My fault!" I replied shocked as to how he'd come to this conclusion

"Yes. Your fault! If it wasn't for you we could've been sick by now!"

I rolled my eyes as Derek left the room. Idiot! I sighed deeply. Just a few more months, then I'll be out of here! With any luck I'll never see him again. I smiled at this thought…

"Everybody in?" George asked to no one in particular as he fastened his seatbelt.

Derek was closest to the window, he had it wide open allowing a gentle summer breeze to float in, cooling us all down. I was sitting next to him, with a book in hand. Marti was on my left colouring in a picture with several worn out crayons, and Lizzie was situated next to the other window listening to her Ipod. We were crammed in like sardines-Eww…sardines- we were sitting so close together we might as well have been sitting in each others laps! George protested on many occasions, but it was either…

a)Be packed in like sardines or

b)Rent a looser cruiser

You can see the solid foundation beneath or decision, can't you?

Mum turned around and counted us. " Lizzie, Marti, Derek and Casey…Yeah that's all of us!"

Since it was such a long drive Mum and George had each decided to drive half. I looked at my watch and rolled my eyes, it was 9:45. If we wanted to get there before 6:00 we should have left half an hour ago. Why is this family so dysfunctional? Once, just once and like to see our family get somewhere on time!

"Okay, let's go!" Mum said rubbing her hands together signifying her readiness. I was particularly dreading the trip there since mum didn't have a drivers licence and completely flunked her drivers Ed class. I remember that day really well. Mum was really happy. She said she'd got 98 out 100 and I was really proud of her… until I found out that was how many cones she knocked down!

"Mum you can't drive in those" I said steering my attention towards the ridiculously high heeled shoes my mum was wearing.

"Don't be silly sweetheart you can drive in any shoes" she said in reply

"Not in those" I muttered inaudibly

Mum put the key in ignition and smiled as she heard the purr of the engine. She was just about to accelerate when I said "Mum!"

"Yes Casey" She replied in a highly irritated tone

"Take the car out of reverse"

I could tell Mum was annoyed that I was pointing out all of her obvious driving faults, but I really wasn't doing it on purpose, it was for the safety of the family…honestly!

"Just push it up and to the left" George said, offering to help, kindly instructing her how to manouver the gear stick. Mum slapped his away physically and shunted him emotionally.

"I know how to put a car in gear George!" She hissed at George fiercely. Once again I felt my eyebrows knitting together again, and I could see Derek's attention was immediately grabbed by my Mum's behaviour towards George. He looked at me wanting me to explain, As if I knew! I looked at him sympathetically and shrugged my shoulders. I had noticed some tension between Mum and George over the last couple of weeks and Derek's reaction towards the situation verified that I wasn't imagining it. I had put it down to Derek and I graduating, and then having to plan this vacation, but now I thought otherwise.

After about 5 minutes of driving mum slammed on the brakes causing us all to jerk forward and snap back into our original positions with a thump.

"Oh my god…We forgot Edwin"

"We?" George quizzed in disbelief looking towards Mum.

After going back to pick up Edwin, two driver changes, three seat rearrangements, six toilet breaks and one pit stop we were finally there, the cabin by the lake.

"Casey…Casey we're here" Derek nudged me gently with his shoulder. I opened my eyes to Derek calling me. I sat up straight and rubbed my eyes. I scanned the car; there was no one else in it. I looked past Derek, and out of the window where I saw everybody moving noisily into the cabin. I shook my head. Our family was totally dysfunctional but I had to admit, they were growing on me. It was just as I remembered it.

I smiled; as I looked at Derek holding a sleeping Marti in his arms, randomly I couldn't help thinking how grown up he had become. And I don't mean mature, or some mature act, I mean…grown up. We actually got on now. Not 24/7, but much more than we used to. Derek smirked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You checking me out?"

...But yet, there was still something about him that really pissed me off! And so it begins…

A/N: Why do people keep on forgetting about Edwin? And what's going on between George and Nora? I know this chapter wasn't very eventful and if this was a movie this would be the bit you fast forward but please just hang in there, all the interesting stuff is coming! And while you wait, feel free to review!