To Go or Not To Go, That is the Question

Disclaimer: I do not own life with Derek…blah blah blah…

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"Oh my god," Casey said as she walked up to Charlie on Tuesday morning. "I heard the most awful rumour from Cassidy DeLeo."

"Really," Charlie said. "What about?"

"That you were going to the Sophomore Dance with Derek," Casey said. "But you would never do that, right? You're the only girl in the school who sees him for who he really is. Besides me, of course. Right?"

"You're half right…" Charlie said, looking down at her feet.

"What do you mean?" Casey said, folding her arms.

"Well," Charlie said, fiddling with the zipper on her sweater, never making eye contact with Casey. "Derek might have…sort of…maybe…asked me to the dance…and I might have…maybe…kinda…said yes?"

"WHAT!?!?" Casey yelled, stopping dead on her tracks. "YOU SAID YES?!? I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!! I'M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!!"

"Casey, wait—" Charlie began, but it was too late. Casey had already vanished down the hall.

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"Hey Charlie," Derek said as he approached her locker at the end of that day. "So for next Friday, I was thinking—"

"Listen Derek," Charlie interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I can't go to the dance with you."

"What?" Derek said. "Why?"

"Cause Casey won't talk to me ever again if I do."

"Who cares about Casey?" Derek said.

"I do," Charlie said. "Casey's my best friend at this school…I can't lose her…I'm sorry…But you'll be okay right? You can find another girl to go with you…"

"Yeah…" Derek said sadly. "I'll be okay…yeah…"

"So you want a ride home?" Charlie asked.

"No…It's okay…I gotta go to the library…" Derek said as he walked away.

"Okay," Charlie yelled in his direction. "Bye, then. And Derek?"

"Yeah?" Derek yelled back.

"I really am sorry."

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"Do you enjoy ruining my life?" Casey asked Derek that evening at dinner.

"What?" Derek said.

"You asked Charlie to the dance just to make me mad, right? You knew it would get under my skin."

"You're going to the dance with Charlie?" Edwin asked. "Alright bro!" He raised his hand to high five Derek, but Derek didn't budge.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Derek said. "She doesn't want to go with me anymore. I'm not hungry. I'm gonna do some homework."

Derek didn't leave his room the whole night.

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That night, Charlie had trouble sleeping. She couldn't help thinking about Derek. She felt so bad about letting him down like that. But why? They were going as friends, right? She didn't think of him that way. He was so arrogant, thinking that he owned the school. At least that's what Casey said. Derek was always really sweet to her. But it could just be a façade… how could she know? But more importantly, why did she care?

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"Um," Charlie said the next afternoon, as the whole cast was gathered in the gym. "Hey guys. We're gonna start with the first scene. Everybody in the first 3 scenes go get into costume and makeup. Everybody else, you can stay in here and practice. "

The whole cast piled out of the gym; Charlie and Derek were the last ones.

"Hey," Charlie said, smiling. "How's it going? I haven't seen you all day."

"I'm good," Derek said. "Casey talking to you again?"

"Yeah," Charlie said.

"That's good."

"Yeah," Charlie said. "Well, I better go and…"

"Yeah," Derek said.

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"Hey Derek," Casey said after school that day. "Do you like Charlie?"

"I don't like girls, remember? Girls like me."

"Come on," Casey said, rolling her eyes. "You skipped super yesterday. To do homework."

"Fine," Derek said. "I do. You happy now?"

"No," Casey said. "I'm not being very fair. If you wanna go to the dance with her, then go."

"What?" Derek said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Cause I'm sorta going to the dance with Sam," Casey said.

"You are such a hypocrite," Derek said.

"I know," Casey said. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Derek said, going into his room. He picked up the phone and quickly dialled Charlie's number.

"Come on, pick up…" Derek said to himself.

"Hello?" Charlie said on the other line.

"Hey Charlie…" Derek said.

"Oh hey Derek. What's up?"

"Do you wanna go to the dance with me, again?" Derek said.

"Derek…I told you that Casey…"

"Casey said it was okay. Cause she's going with Sam, turns out. If you still want to…"

"Sure…I guess so…"