And the Winner Is...
by TheBucketWoman
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Life With Derek, YouTube, Little Shop of Horrors, or anything else I reference herein.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Part One: Lizzie.
"What do you mean?" Lizzie said. "He'd have to show the footage to Derek before he sends it. Doesn't he have to get his approval, or something?"
"Derek'll say no," Casey said.
"But," Lizzie said.
"What, do you think Derek would sue Edwin?" Casey asked. "Hire George, perhaps?"
"I'm not worried about Derek suing Edwin," Lizzie said. "I'm worried about Derek causing Edwin bodily harm."
Casey laughed. "Nah," she said. "He'll just chase Edwin around the block a couple times until he's tired, and maybe yell, but then he'll realize what a brilliant idea it was and cool off."
"I just hope you're right," Lizzie said. "Otherwise we'll be visiting Edwin in traction and all we'll be able to think about is how it was all our fault."
Part Two: Casey.
That night, at rehearsal, Susan, Jankowski-Stevens, a reporter from the local news channel, came to visit. She shot some footage of the group doing "Skid Row (Downtown)" and "Suddenly Seymour," and then she spoke to Jack.
Derek, ever the wiseass, came up to the reporter as she was setting up, pointed his camera at them, and asked her and her cameraman some questions. After thirty seconds with Derek, the reporter regressed to the age of thirteen. This supposedly poised, professional journalist giggled like a tween in the presence of a Jonas Brother. This type of thing never ceased to amaze and amuse Casey herself. Until he reminded Casey that he could still do it to her, that was.
"So," he asked. "Is it a slow news day?"
"As usual," Susan said. "But this is going to be a short segment on what's going on this weekend, and, frankly, you guys are it. Unless you count the antique fair and craft show at the convention center."
"Ooooh," Derek says. "Antiques? Craft fair, you say? Hear that, Case?" He turned to Casey, who was sitting nearby, and winked. He knew the effect the words "craft fair" had on her. She smirked at him.
"So," Derek said. "Can we put you down for some tickets then?"
"Of course," she said. "I actually love this type of thing."
"Do you now?" he said.
"I really do," she giggled. "Seems like you're interested enough, yourself."
"Well, ya know," he said. "When you have several friends and especially a girlfriend in a show, you become interested."
"Ahem," Casey said.
"I mean," Derek corrected. "I have a great passion for the theater?" He turned to Casey and she nodded.
"And why aren't you in it yourself?" Susan asked.
"Because what I really want to do is direct," he said.
Susan loved that. She threw her head back and laughed. Derek cocked an eyebrow at her, then looked at Casey like "what is wrong with her?" Because there was no way a line that old could get such a response. Casey shrugged.
"But it seems like you'd be a natural, Derek," Susan said.
"I'm not a musical kind of guy," he said. He pointedly didn't look at Casey. She could've disclosed the whole Pirate Pete debacle at any time. And Derek knew it. She was going to have so much fun holding that over his head later.
"But you're an actor," Susan said.
"Nope," Derek said.
Casey loved where this was going. She was even willing to forgive this woman with her bad highlights and her visible lipliner for flirting with her boyfriend.
"Where do you go to school?" Susan asked.
"Thompson," he said.
"You went to Thompson, didn't you, Ray?" Susan said to the cameraman, who nodded.
"He films sports there sometimes, too," Susan said.
Derek nodded.
Ray cocked his head and looked more closely at Derek. "What's your last name again?"
"Venturi," Derek said.
"You on a team?" Ray said. "Basketball?"
"Hockey," Derek said.
"That's it," Ray said. "Did we ever interview you?"
"Once," Derek said. "Like two years ago, for the playoffs, for about a second."
"Thought you looked familiar," Ray said. "You were the one who didn't get tongue tied."
Casey looked at Derek in shock. He'd never told her anything about this.
"See?" Susan said. "This is what I mean; you should at least look into majoring in communications. Maybe even a possible career in broadcasting, hmmmm?"
Derek gave a completely non-committal nod and a shrug.
"No seriously," Susan said. "You're well-spoken. You have a certain amount of presence, and can I tell you that your voice is very distinctive?"
There goes the eyebrow again, Casey thought. This woman is no good at reading body language. Casey wondered if she should interrupt before any poise Derek still had went completely out the window.
Derek grinned, and laughed unconvincingly, but before he got a chance to formulate a diplomatic answer, Jack popped up.
"Hey!" Jack said. "I'm so glad you guys could come! I'm sorry to keep you waiting but I see that Derek has been kind enough to keep you entertained, yes?"
Jack, Casey was reminded, was excellentat reading body language and had spotted Derek stiffening up from across the room. Casey figured that Jack had planned to leave Derek with the reporter in the first place and had only put a stop to it because he'd sensed that there was a need.
"If you could call it that," Derek said.
"Very entertained, actually," Susan said. "I've been trying to recruit him into the broadcasting biz, but he doesn't seem to be biting."
"No, huh?" Jack asked. "Tried to get him into acting myself, but no soap. He does show a lot of talent on the directing end, though. He's contributed a great deal to this production."
Derek became interested in something on the back of his camera.
"I was actually wondering," Jack said. "If Derek wouldn't mind joining us for the interview."
Derek looked up, finally seeming to realize that he'd been ambushed. Took him long enough, Casey thought.
"Sounds good to me," Susan said. "Are you game, Derek?"
Derek glanced over at Casey, who nodded her head at him, willing him to say yes.
"We'll also need," Susan began, checking her notes. "Casey McDonald and Christopher Kostic,"
Jack corrected her pronunciation automatically: "Kos-tich," he said.
"Okay," Susan said. "I'll remember that."
Jack waved Casey over, so she got up, and he looked around for Chris and finding him, beckoned him over, too. Derek tried to inch away.
"So, what do you say, Derek?" Jack asked.
"Um," Derek said.
Casey came up behind him and put an arm around him. He turned toward her, a "for the love of God, rescue me"look on his face. She grinned.
"I think he'd love to," Casey said. She kept eye contact with him for a long moment, and it steadied him. Usually, he did that to her; she was really happy to discover that she could do it, too.
"'Um," Derek said. "Kay."
Part Three: Nora.
"Nor-aaa," Derek said for probably the fifth time. "Please don't play that again."
"I must," Nora said. "The two of you are just too cute."
Thank God for DVR, Nora thought. Neither of them had told her about it, she'd just happened to catch the local news that morning.
"And don't even think about erasing it, because I've already made copies," Nora said. "I have to learn how to post things on YouTube."
"I love how you say that knowing full well that I have that Karaoke footage from your anniversary," Derek said.
"Doesn't bother me," Nora said.
"You're not embarrassed knowing that there is proof that you know the words to "Because You Loved Me?" Derek asked. Nora shook her head.
"Well," Derek said. "You probably should be."
She hit him with a pillow.
"What is it with you McDonalds and your corporal punishment?" Derek said.
"I heard that," Casey said coming downstairs. She was pulling her wet hair into a ponytail and trailing the scent of fresh cut oranges behind her. She grabbed the pillow out of Nora's hands and gave Derek another whack for good measure.
"So why are we beating Derek up this time?" Casey asked.
"A couple reasons," Nora said. "Let's see...he made fun of me for Karaoke-ing Celine Dion at our anniversary dinner. He doesn't want me to replay the segment of the morning news that you guys were on, which reminds me..." She took the pillow from Casey and hit her with it.
"Ow?" Casey said. "Why are you hitting me?"
"For not telling me that you guys were going to be on the morning news!" Nora said, taking a second to whack both of them again. "This is something you inform your mother about."
"So it actually aired?" Casey asked. "Lemme see!"
Derek groaned and got up from the couch.
"You have editing to do anyway," Casey said. "And you need to make sure we don't need to make a tape run for tonight. And make sure you charge the batteries."
"Yes, Mommy," Derek said, making his escape. Casey always got a little naggy on the day of a performance, and this was opening night already. Nora couldn't believe it, herself.
She hit play for the tenth time, and showed the news segment to Casey.
"Ooh, look at Jack," Casey said. "Didn't I tell you he was cute? You should see him with his wife. Oh my gosh, and here's Derek!"
"He looks great, doesn't he?" Nora said.
"Did they use the whole thing?" Casey asked. "How long is it?"
"About six, seven minutes?" Nora guessed.
Casey became transfixed, listening to Derek talk about the cast and how much fun it's been taping them. He admitted that he wouldn't have looked twice at the play had his girlfriend not tried out.
"So it's Casey's fault if I get into drama now," Derek said to the reporter. He gestured at Casey and the camera turned to her and Chris for the rest of the segment.
"Ugh, look at my big shiny forehead," Casey said, turning away from the screen. "Chris looks all GQ of course. So how great did Derek come off?"
"Amazing," Nora agreed. "He sat right where you're sitting, in the fetal position, his eyes covered like this." She demonstrated. "His face turned a shade of red I've never seen on another human being."
"Awww," Casey said. "What'd he think of his voice?"
"Nobody likes their voice on tape," Nora said. "He might've cringed a little less than usual. I think he's getting used to it."
"And his voice is finally evening out," Casey said. "The reporter complimented him on it. She thought it was cute. He totally took it the wrong way, though."
"He would," Nora said. "But this is someone outside of his family and friends telling him for once. It'll sink in, I think."
"Eventually," Casey sighed.
They watched it twice more before they were interrupted by the phone. Casey picked it up.
"Dad!" she squealed. "Not much. Yeah, keeping busy. Quit it! You know you like Derek!" She giggled.
"Okay," Casey said. "Okay, know what? Here's Mom." She handed the phone over to Nora who tried to wave it away, but eventually took it.
"Dennis!" Nora said. "What a surprise."
"Yes, I am full of surprises," Dennis said. "And before you say that that's not all I'm full of..."
"I wasn't gonna say anything of the kind," Nora said, grinning.
"No, not you," Dennis said. "So listen, don't tell Casey, but I'm in London."
"Yeah, I hear it does get really muggy in New York this time of year," Nora said. "Lots of humidity."
"Good cover," Dennis said. "Derek told me about the show. Casey did not, I might add. But I told him to save some tickets. And I have sense enough to sit where she can't see me from the stage; no worries there."
"Yankees are losing, huh," Nora said. "Since when do you root for them? I thought you liked the Blue Jays, you traitor!"
"So do you think she'd like daisies, or sunflowers?" Dennis asked. "I worry if those are too weedy, but it's weird if you get roses from your Dad, so..."
"Yeah," Nora said. "I'd go with my gut on that one. But you should stay away from mayonnaise if you're gonna be outside."
"What the hell does that mean?" Dennis asked. "This conversation is really getting surreal."
"It is," Nora agreed. "But I wouldn't worry. Just don't get too much sun."
"Okay," Dennis said. "Daisies it is."
"Yeah," Nora said. "I'm sure Lizzie'll be sorry she missed you too. She and Edwin went swimming, but I can have her give you a call tonight? After the game?"
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Dennis asked.
"You know it," Nora said. "Talk to you soon?"
"Yep," Dennis said. "Love you."
"You too," Nora said. "Bye."
"Buh-bye," Dennis said as they hung up. Casey was going to freak. Now all Nora had to do was keep a straight face. Easier said than done. She broke into a grin.
"What?" Casey asked.
Nora hit play again.
"Lemme go see if Derek's up there actually working," Casey said, inching away from the couch, finally sick of the sight of herself onscreen.
A few hours later, when Edwin and Lizzie came home from the public pool, Nora renewed her interest in the footage, sitting them down as soon as they came in. She played it twice for them, enjoying their reactions. Lizzie bounced on the couch like Nora had the first time she'd seen it. Edwin, too cool for that, nevertheless looked like he wanted to bounce, too. She smoothed his wet hair down.
"Stop it," he said, ruffling it up again.
"Did you forget the sunblock?" Nora asked. He was getting so dark, obviously enjoying his status as the only one in the family who didn't burn like a lobster.
"No, we brought it," Edwin said.
"I made sure he put it on," Lizzie said. "This time, anyway."
"So?" Nora asked. "What do you think of this?" She gestured at the T.V."
"Confirms something for me," Edwin said.
"What's that?" Nora asked.
"That he had the best idea ever," Lizzie said.
"I don't follow," Nora said.
"I'll explain later," Edwin said. "But it has to be when Derek and Casey are at the cast party."