Author's Note Dear Readers! I'm so so so-so sorry that I haven't been updating. My computer crashed and now the only way I can update is through a friends' computer. I have decided to finish this as fast as I can, considering I am almost done with it…I have one minor twist left for the end (It was planned from the beginning.). I have resolved to try and wait till my computer is fixed till I start a new story online, but I will be writing in the confines of my room…so when I do post a story it will be finished as fast as I can type it. I'm so incredibly sorry for the agonizing wait, I have made it a point to build a reputation as someone who posts quickly and well. I hope you remain a fan (if you were beforehand of course), despite this unfortunate incident. Thank you.

DisclaimerI don't own Life with Derek. But I do own this plot line. So XP

The last two weeks of school went agonizingly longer than usual for Derek. He wasn't only anxious for the end of the school year, but also for more time with Casey. Derek found it hard to keep his hands off of her during the day, and couldn't stop checking her out in the halls. She even made it a point to look provocative, or at least that's how it played out in his head.

At home they talked like friends, and fought on occasion. The house seemed so much less tense since Casey and Derek started this secret relationship. Derek felt uneasy, but blew it off every time he felt the urge to push her away. He knew that she was different, definitely not like the other girls.

She would come to him often to talk about her problems. He tried to get her to stop, but she talked to him anyway. It was a bit annoying, but he knew how to tune her out. After a while he realized that all she wanted was to say it. Derek didn't have to respond to make her happy.

Edwin and Lizzie had heard them confess to each other how they felt on the other side of the door. Lizzie let it slip to Casey that they were eavesdropping. Derek wasn't too pleased. He had already let it slip to Edwin, but he didn't want anyone to hear it except Casey, but he wasn't quite sure why. That's how he was with all girls.

A couple of days after the end of school, Derek's dad confronted him about something.

"Derek, I need to speak with you." Derek looked up thoughtfully at his dad and nodded.

"Umm, okay. What about?"

"Well, I've noticed that you haven't been chasing after girls like you usually do. In fact, this is the first year in a few years that you haven't had a date with a girl for the beginning of the summer."

"So." He wasn't sure what the problem was. Why was his dad butting in anyways?

"Well, I have also seen that you and Casey have been getting along. You haven't been picking on her like you usually do." Derek had a sudden thought. Oh, god, I hope he doesn't know…

"Oh I pick on her, and she teases me right back. We can both take it. It's not like she's miss innocent." His dad gave him a funny look. Derek felt like an idiot for an almost an absurd statement. He wouldn't have thought he would say something like that, but time with Casey must have left an imprint in him.

"I know that she can be mean to you, but I didn't think you cared. Anyways, I was wondering if something's been bothering you."

"Nothing bothers me, don't you know that?" He said listlessly. Derek's words floated between them and his dad made a small cough to break the small tension.

"Well, I took things into my own hands, and I got you a date!"

"What?" Derek was shocked at his Dad's forwardness. He knew that his Dad loved to help out, but he almost always helped the wrong way, and he hardly ever helped Derek. Derek didn't need it, and he thought that George knew that. Apparently not…but if I reject this, he will think I am depressed, but if I act excited about it, Casey might get upset…I'll go for it. I'd rather risk her being upset, than George and Nora finding out…"So…What does she look like?" George smiled, thinking he helped Derek get happy, as though he wasn't already happy. Maybe Derek should have pretended that he was with someone, but never introduced her, but he forgot the though one George started describing the girl.

"Her name is Rachel, and she has long brown hair and blue eyes. She dresses a bit out there, but I've seen the girls you have dated before and gathered this, quote-on-quote attraction factor, and this girl is definitely in your tastes." Derek thought of Casey. She had long brown hair and blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but his Dad cut in to add something more. "She also loves sports."

"Really?" Derek asked, thoroughly interested. "So when am I meeting her? And where?"

"Well, she's going to come over here this weekend."

"For the weekend?" George shook his head yes. Derek repeated this over and over in his head. Hopefully this wouldn't pose a problem with Casey, but more than most likely, it would.

"Sounds good to me. Thanks." He patted George on the shoulder and turned to leave when his Dad added one thing more.

"She'll be sleeping in the basement and me and Nora will be on an air mattress in the living room." Derek turned to him.

"Why?"

"So you guys can't sneak together. We'll be in the floor between you two."

"Oh how thoughtful of you Dad!" He said sarcastically, and then turned to go into the living room and watch some TV.

He didn't want to tell Casey when he had alone time with her, and in the back of his mind it loomed just like a forbidden fruit. Just like Casey. What if she was just like Casey? Would he leave Casey for Rachel for the pure fact that he could be seen in public with her? Derek didn't like PDA, but he didn't like his parents thinking he was depressed just because he wasn't with a girl, that they knew of at least. Derek shut off his thinking when he kissed Casey, because it felt so deliriously completing. Something he hadn't felt before.

Her constant thought had found its way into him and it was beginning to drive him mad. His kiss wasn't as passionate as usual and she broke from it with a fearful expression.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Derek raised one eyebrow.

"Nothings wrong Case."

"But, you're-"

"Shut up and kiss me okay?" Her shoulders fell, defeated, and she left the room. Derek sat there thinking he should tell her about Rachel, but he didn't know if he could. It's not like they did anything, they hadn't met, and it's not like he set up the date, it was his Dad's fault. Still, Derek felt guilt, and he utterly hated this feeling.

Quickly abandoning his thoughtfulness, he used his old brash tactics of confrontation and went to her room.

"Okay, you want to know what's on my mind?" He shut the door and she turned to look at him.

"Yeah." Her voice held obvious worry.

"My dad set me up with a girl because I haven't been with one for a couple of weeks." She snapped her eyes out of their wandering trance. They locked on him.

"You declined the date right?"

"No." Her face got red and she pushed him forward.

"Why not?!"

"Because!" He was getting frustrated. Part of him expected this, but he hoped that she would understand because she is a logical being.

"Cancel it!"

"No, I can't."

"Why not?" She crossed her arms angrily, her breath getting huffy. His male side of him was starting responding to her attitude, so he diverted his eyes so he could concentrate. Why must men be weak to the female body?

"Because he thought I was depressed." Derek said it in an exaggerate, sarcastic tone, signifying that he'd never been depressed in his life.

"Why?" Casey uncrossed her arms and sat down.

"Because I get with girls, all the time, especially over the summer. And I haven't been fighting with you like usual. Our fights used to be open and loud; now they are just small comments that make us laugh at each other. More personal." She looked down.

"Well. When do you have to meet her?"

"She's going to stay the weekend." Casey turned her head to the left and looked intently at the wall.

"You aren't going to kiss her right?"

"Not anymore than I have to." He was sure to enjoy it if she looked as good as she sounded, but he wasn't about to say that to Casey.

"What does that mean?"

"Oh you know, good night kiss, hello kiss, goodbye kiss, a kiss to convince my Dad he actually helped." Casey rolled her eyes at him.

"Please don't." Derek heaved an aggravated sigh.

"I'm with you Casey, stop getting jealous."

"I am not jealous." He smirked at her and she made an uneasy face. Derek turned and left the room, no longer wanting to think of the situation he was in.