Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews! You rock!

So, here's Chapter 2…hope you like!

R&R and please, no flames!

Lotsa love, degrassichick

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Out of the Blue—Chapter 2

-¤-

Okay, my shoebox full of numbers is about as helpful as a fork is when you're eating soup.

A fourth of the girl's numbers in my excellent shoebox have moved, another fourth have boyfriends (and in some cases, girlfriends), another fourth have refused to go out with me due to what other girls have said about me (damn Edwin for being right), and the other fourth…well, the other fourth I'm scared to even call.

I tear through my box until I get to the very bottom, where five slips of paper lay.

I lift up the first one, her name is Ronnie…she dots her i's with skulls…NEXT.

I pick up the pink slip of paper beside Ronnie's number, her name is Sue.

She seems decent!

I pick up my cell phone and punch in her numbers, listening to the ringing.

"Hello?" a female voice answers as soon as she picks up the phone.

"Hi…is this Sue?" I ask cautiously.

"Yeah, who is this?"

I grin, she sounds hot.

"This is Derek Venturi. So hey, if you're not busy tonight, I was just-"

Click.

I stare at the phone in shock.

A girl hung up on me.

Well aren't we rude?

Just then, a shadowy figure appears at my door frame.

I glance up and see Casey standing against the door, smirking at me.

"Can I help you?" I ask boredly.

Casey rolls her eyes, "Just wondering when your first date is going to get here, I'd really hate to miss her."

I roll my eyes right back at her, "You can't miss her anyway," I mumble, "we have to meet each other's dates."

Casey smiles, "That's right. Well, I'll be looking forward to meeting her." She says and then lets out a small laugh and walks out of my room.

She's on to me. I know she is. She's just waiting for the moment to point out that she is faster at getting a date then I am.

No sweat, I'll just go to the mall.

I'm sure there are two desperate girls there just waiting for a date with the master.

-♥-

I can't even imagine what Derek's dates will look like.

They'll probably be as thin as a rail, have way too much makeup on, and be completely empty headed.

Can't he ever get at least a decent girl? I mean, come on. Who would even find those types of girls interesting? All they would talk about would be makeup and shoe shopping and what the hottest color of nail polish is and if Orlando Bloom should stick with his British accent or his English accent.

I honestly would not be able to take it.

At least Brian, my date, is remotely interesting. He's interning at an art gallery, I mean that's remotely interesting at least!

"Where are you going, Smerek?" I hear Marti calling from outside the hallway.

"The mall." I hear Derek's muffled reply; I can tell that he's at the front door.

I hear Edwin laughing, "Couldn't get a date, could you?"

My jaw drops.

I knew he was lying!

"Don't rub it in." Derek snaps back before I hear the door slam shut.

I let out a scoff as I return to my laptop, typing up an email to Emily.

Can Derek just not handle losing to me? I mean, come on. He can't be the best at everything, now can he?

I think not.

-¤-

I glance around the main corridors of the mall, glancing around at any girls that look available.

Of course, they're all either with their family or with their boyfriends.

After glancing around for what feels like hours (although it was only, I dunno, ten minutes), I see a girl with red hair sitting by the fountain.

Haha, I've got you now.

I pop up my collar and put on a grin, striding towards her.

She looks up from the magazine she's reading as I approach her, she grins, "Hi."

"Hey, I'm Derek." I say with a smirk.

She drops her magazine and holds out her hand, "I'm Claire."

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Sixteen, you?"

"Just turned seventeen."

She smiles goofily and I sit down beside her, having a "casual conversation" to lead up to the big question.

"So listen…" I say coolly, after fifteen minutes of conversation (mostly just her talking--alot), "do you have any plans tonight?"

She giggles and shakes her head, "No! I don't! Why? Do you want to have plans, because I am totally up for having plans! I love plans, do you want to go ice skating? To the movies, pizza, coffee, rock climbing? Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

What is wrong with her?

I eye her confusingly, "Bowling?" I suggest.

She claps her hands. Seriously, she claps, "I love, love, love bowling! Can we go right now?"

I grin, "Sure…just have to stop by my house real quick."

In your face, Casey.

-♥-

I'm sitting in the kitchen, eating a cherry yogurt whip when I hear the front door open and a female giggle.

Oh my God, he seriously got a date.

That cheater.

"Anybody home?" his vexatious voice sings out.

I roll my eyes, of course he knows somebody's home.

I sit down my yogurt cup and my spoon before making my way towards our living room, where Derek stands with a petite girl with red hair.

"Hey Case, just thought I would let you meet my date, Claire. Claire, this is Casey, my-"

Claire's jaw suddenly drops and she smacks Derek's arm.

Smacks him! I think I might like this girl.

"What was that for!" Derek exclaims.

"You're already cheating on me? I'm not into cheaters, Derek!"

Derek laughs, "Oh my God, no. This is my stepsister, Casey."

"Oh my God, no?"What kind of an answer is that?

Claire narrows her eyes at me, "Don't get any ideas. Dare Bear, where's the bathroom?"

Derek jerks his head towards the stairs, "Upstairs."

She grins and pecks his cheek before giving me a rude glare and flouncing up the stairs.

I scoff, "Wow, Dare-Bear. You truly picked a winner. Can't wait to see your next date."

Derek's face suddenly paled.

Ha! He didn't remember that he needed two dates.

I have this bet in the bag.

-¤-

How could I forget that I need two dates tonight? I'm such a moron.

Hopefully I can just pick up some chick at the bowling alley. Claire's dumb, she won't notice.

I can't believe she thought Casey was my girlfriend, that's disgusting. And then she smacked me for it. Smacked me! And Casey smirked.

I look over towards Casey; she's already dressed for her date.

I have to admit, she looks nice.

She's wearing a black, lacy tunic that falls to her thighs with a pair of jeans, black flats, and a red shrug on over her top. Her hair is cascading down to her chest bone and she's actually wearing make-up.

Casey hardly ever wears make-up.

It actually doesn't look to bad on her, though.

Okay, what am I saying?

Just then, the doorbell rings.

Casey smirks, "That must be Brian." She says and brushes past me, making her way towards the door.

"Hey Brian!" she says happily as she lets him inside.

I look at the guy.

He's tall with blonde hair, he looks like he just got imported from California, I wouldn't be shocked if he said words like 'tubular' and 'dude'.

Okay, I think it's safe to say that I've watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High too many times.

Casey gives me a snide look, "Derek, this is Brian. Brian, this is my stepbrother, Derek."

Brian nods at me, "Sup?"

Sup?

I give him a tight smirk.

Casey couldn't have picked a bigger loser.

"Okay, Derek! I'm ready to go!" Claire sings out, hurrying down the stairs and clinging her arm to me.

She turns to Casey and Brian and her jaw drops.

"What's wrong?" I ask confusingly.

"Brian? What are you doing here?" she asks with excitement in her voice.

Oh my God, they know each other.

Brian's eyes widen, "Claire?" a smile widens on his face.

She claps her hands together, "It's sogood to see you! I'm about to go on a date with Derek, we're going bowling, and like O.M.G. it's going to be like so fun!"

I've never heard somebody actually use the abbreviation for 'oh my God' in a sentence, even worse, I can't believe they actually know each other.

Brian grins, "That sounds great! Casey, do you want to go bowling?"

Casey's smile falters, "What?"

Claire nods, "It'll be so much fun! C'mon Cassie, you have to come!"

I stifle a laugh, Cassie.

Casey eyes her stupidly, "Um, first, my name is Casey not Cassie, and second, I'm not really into bowling."

Brian nudges her, "C'mon Case, it'll be fun."

Should he really be calling her Case? He hardly even knows her!

Claire turns to me, "What do you think, Derek? Want to go bowling with Casey and Brian?"

That's when it actually hits me.

She wants us to double date with Casey and Brian.

No way.

If I have to bowl with Casey, there is no way I'll get off the hook and be able to get another date.

I shake my head, "Nah, probably shouldn't. I mean, you know, Casey and Brian have their own-"

"I don't mind." Brian cuts me off.

Of course he doesn't. Why would he? That'd just be far too easy.

Casey rolls her eyes, "I do."

Claire scoffs, "Well I don't."

"It'll be fun, c'mon Case Face." Brian mumbles towards her.

Okay, what is it with these people and stupid nicknames? Claire calls me Dare Bear, Brian calls her Case Face. Could they get anymore unoriginal?

Casey's lips turn in disgust as she looks from Claire, to me, to Brian.

She agrees to go bowling.

Crap.

-♥-

Why did I agree to do this?

The four of us get situated in our seats in the bowling alley, slipping on our shoes.

"Let's play teams!" Claire squeals.

Brian grins, "Awesome idea, Claire!" he gives her a high five.

I glance over at Derek, who is shaking his head and resting his forehead in his palm.

"I'll bowl with my Dairy Farm and you can bowl with Casey!" Claire squeals.

I hold back a laugh, dairy farm?

I grimace towards her, "Tell me, Claire, where do you get your original nickname ideas?"

She narrows her eyes at me, "None of your business."

Something is seriously wrong with her.

"Case, you're up." Brian tells me.

"Same with you, Derek!" Claire calls out.

I get up and pick up the bowling ball, making my way towards the lane and glancing over at Derek, "My, you and Claire have great chemistry."I say sarcastically.

Derek scoffs, "At least she actually shows interest in me. All your date seems to care about is my date."

I narrow my eyes and launch my ball down the alley.

It makes it to mid-lane when it sinks to the gutter.

Claire's cackling in the background.

How can Derek even put up with her?

Derek launches his ball right after mine and gets a perfect strike.

Of course he does. Why wouldn't he?

Brian shrugs towards me, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my cheek, "Good try."

Could he be any sweeter?

-¤-

Could Brian be any more sickening?

He will not get his hands off of her.

I lean back against my seat and watch as Claire and Brian pair off against each other while bowling.

I look over at Casey and smirk, "So how are you enjoying your date?"

Casey grins, "Perfectly. How are you and Claire?" she smirks.

"Great…just great." I say tightly and sarcastically.

Horrible, beyond horrible. Never, have I been on a first date with somebody as overprotective as her, and we barely even know each other!

Casey laughs, "I can see that. You really picked a winner."

I clench my teeth into a grin as I give Claire a thumbs up for knocking one pin down, "I know…didn't I?"

Shut up, I already know I didn't.

-¤-

So what'd you think?

R&R and please, no flames!

Lotsa love, degrassichick