Like I said, this is going way into the New Year. I hope you don't mind an after Christmas Christmas story! Hope you guys had great holidays!
x—x
Casey leaned with her elbows on the counter absentmindedly twirling a spoon in her mug of cider.
"This is stupid." Derek said, walking in with the script to the play.
"Hey." Casey said. "Remember that someone in this room contributed greatly to the script and plot."
Derek scoffed. "No wonder I hate it."
Casey sneered at him and then took a sip of her drink.
"Don't forget that we've got to get to the school in an hour for rehearsal." Casey said.
"Like I could forget. I mean, what kind of bull is that? Weekend rehearsal?" Derek rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Derek. It's only one performance, and we have a week to prepare." Casey said. "The musical won't even be an hour long. I know that you can memorize a couple lines and twelve songs."
"Doesn't mean I want to do it on the weekend." Derek said.
"You're so lazy." Casey said.
"Do you think it would be humanly possible to not stab at my character for a day?" Derek asked.
"You have character?" Casey mocked surprise. "You think you could not make fun of me or prank me for a day?"
"I'm sure I could." Derek said.
"Oh, really. Want to take me up on that?" Casey asked.
"You're on." Derek said, reaching out to shake her hand.
They nodded and went back to doing what they had been doing.
-Five minutes later-
Casey continued to stir her drink glancing over at Derek. She could see at least ten different things that she wanted to bug him about, from his hair, to his clothes, to the way his shoes were tied. She also wanted to point out that twitching his hand so much or someone might think he was on something.
Derek fidgeted in his seat trying to pretend that Casey wasn't glancing at him. He wanted to call her Spacey or say or do something to make her mad.
"You're so sloppy!" Casey finally cried.
"You're an unwanted freak!" Derek retaliated immediately.
"Yeah, that didn't work." Casey said.
"Nope." Derek said, getting up and leaving the room.
--
A little over an hour later Casey walked into the theatre room and Derek shuffled in after her.
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Ms. Harold hurried toward the two and clapped her hands together.
Derek looked a cross between startled and annoyed when she put her hand on both of their backs and pushed them forward, farther into the room.
"Okay, now that our leads are here," Ms. Harold spoke to the group of students in the room. "I feel the need to explain the musical a tad, although I hope that you've all taken a look at the script that Casey was kind enough to distribute."
"It starts off on a cold winter night. Jackie is walking through the streets from her apartment to the post office when she passes David. They don't speak, but manage to hold each other's gazes for a few moments. They know nothing of each other, and yet..."
-10 minutes later-
"And Jackie admits her true love for David, final song, cue romantic kiss, aaaaand curtain!" Ms Harold finished dramatically.
Someone in the group murmured something along the lines of 'And this is supposed to be less than an hour?'
Casey looked at Ms. Harold and then to Derek who looked blank and as though he were about to drool.
"Derek." Casey said, reaching out and shaking his shoulder.
Derek blinked several times and managed to close his mouth.
"You've got to be kidding me." Derek said. "This is worse than the hip-hop pirates. I mean, at least then I was more in character. But this David dude. I am nothing like him! I would never be that mushy! Ever!"
"Well, you be will next Friday." Ms. Harold smiled.
Derek groaned and let his head lean back and hit the wall. He began to repeat the motion of slamming his head into the wall, but Casey grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into standing position.
"You're such a baby." Casey murmured.
"What was that Casey?" Derek cried out loudly. "What? No, I will not father your baby!"
Heads began to turn in there direction and Casey glared at him before elbow dig into his side.
"Hey!" Derek said, rubbing his side. "What happened to the whole 'peace-maker' Casey?" Derek asked.
"What are you talking about?" Casey asked smiling sweetly at him. "I didn't do anything."
"Sure." Derek sneered. "Saint Casey-thou hast never done wrong." He rolled his eyes.
--
Derek dropped Casey off at home before zooming off to meet his friends somewhere. Casey rolled her eyes as she watched him go before walking toward the house.
She was immediately met by the sound of Lizzie and Edwin debating about something. Marti ran to the top of the stairs to declare to both of them that they were both wrong and that she was Queen. This caused Casey to refrain from removing her jacket and instead go find her mother. She was in the kitchen.
"Mom, I'm going to Emily's." Casey said.
"You just got home. Aren't you tired?" Nora asked.
"Yeah, and that's exactly why I'm going to Emily's." Casey chuckled.
Nora nodded, understanding. "Oh, okay, just be home for dinner. George is making a pot roast."
Casey nodded.
"Hey, where's Derek?" Nora asked.
"You really expect me to know?" Casey shook her head before walking out of the kitchen and back out the front door.
Casey walked the familiar path to her best friends house. She noticed that Emily's parents car wasn't there, but Emily's (the car her parents had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday) was there. Reaching the front door she pushed it open as she had become accustomed to.
"Em?" She called out and got no answer.
She sighed and began up the stairs figuring Emily was in her room. She reached the bedroom door and turned the handle.
"Hey, Em, I thought we could-"
Casey stopped talking when her eyes were met with the sight of two figures on the bed, quite without clothes, and quite in a position that Casey did not know possible.
"Oh. My. God. My eyes!" Casey cried.
She quickly spun around and exited the room, letting her back lean against the closed door as her hands covered her eyes.
A few moments later the door opened and Emily pulled Casey into the room and then closed the door again. Casey didn't remove her hands from her eyes.
"Jeez, Case. What did you think you were doing?" Emily asked.
"What was I doing? I was coming over to visit my best friend. What were you doing?" Casey asked, but then quickly added, "Wait, never mind. We all know what you two were doing."
"Hey, every since he moved we barely get to see each other. We've got to take advantage of these visits." Emily said waving her hand at Sheldon.
"Oh, gross." Casey murmured. "I didn't even know you were doing this kind of thing. I mean, it's Sheldon."
"Yeah, thanks, Case." Sheldon said.
"No offense, Schlep."
"Casey, it's okay. We're decent. Uncover your eyes." Emily said.
"It doesn't matter if I do or don't. I'm blind now, anyway." Casey said, but still lowered her hands from her eyes. Several seconds after that she actually opened her eyes.
"I am irrevocably scarred and damaged." Casey said.
"Oh, come on. Like you've never been curious and snagged one of Derek's adult videos." Emily said.
Both Casey and Sheldon looked at her strangely.
"Oh, really? Was that just me... Well, um, anyway." Emily said, crossing her arms and bringing a finger to scratch her head.
"I think Emily means to just say sorry." Sheldon said.
Casey pinched the bridge of her nose and grimaced.
--
An hour later Casey walked into her home and into the kitchen sitting on one of the stools. She didn't even notice that Derek was there looking through the cabinets.
Derek observed Casey warily as she stared off into space.
"What's with that look?" Derek asked.
"Huh? What look?" Casey asked, looking at him, a strange, far off look in her eyes.
"That, 'Oh my God, my eyes' look you have plastered on your face. You look like you just watched your puppy die or you like, walked in on Nora and dad doing it." Derek said.
When Casey didn't say anything and stared absentmindedly at a place on the counter top Derek shrieked slightly.
"You walked in on them?" Derek asked. "I was praying they didn't do that."
Casey lightly shook her head. "No. Well, I mean yes. But not, not mom and George." Thank God. She added silently to herself.
"Well, then who?" Derek said, his horrified look now replaced with interest.
Casey murmured something that Derek didn't catch.
"What?" Derek asked.
"Emily and Sheldon." Casey sighed.
"The Schlep's in town? Why didn't he-what? Him and Emily?" Derek cried in shock.
"Yep."
"Wow." Derek said. "I am so...proud of him!"
"What?" Casey cried.
"Schlep! He's actually getting some!" Derek chuckled. "Who'da thunk it?"
Casey stared at him with an open mouth.
"What?" Derek asked.
"You're disgusting." Casey said, shaking her head.
"What else is new?" Derek shrugged and exited the kitchen.
Casey dropped her head down against the counter and hit it several times.
x—x
Kind of a pointless chapter but fun to write! Hope you liked.
Review, loves.
-Tarryn