OMG I am so sorry about the long update! I feel so bad now:-(

I've been so busy with finishing the school year that I haven't had a lot of time to write…so I'm really sorry!

This chapter is shorter than others strictly because the ending of the chapter is a cliffhanger (you have been warned) and I figured that would be a good place to start up the next chapter, so this chapter is shorter! Sorry!

Anyways, sorry again for the long update.

Here's Chapter 8…hope you like!

R&R and please, no flames!

Lotsa love,

Degrassichick

-♥-

Chapter 8

-♥-

Idiot. Idiot. IDIOT!

Those are the first words that enter my mind as I step into my bedroom and close the door.

I'm such a wimp.

I hear his bedroom door opening.

If I would have just stayed at his door just ten seconds longer, he would have opened it and seen me.

Wait a second, his bedroom door isn't closing.

Why isn't it closing?

Maybe he's getting a snack or something…

But then he'd have to go downstairs, and I don't hear any footsteps echoing down the stairs.

I hear footsteps outside my bedroom door.

Unbelievable.

He actually went after me.

Aww.

-¤-

I am determined to figure out why she was at my bedroom door.

That is why I am now standing at her bedroom door.

Just as my fist reaches the door to knock, it swings open and I am face-to-face with my stepsister.

She's gorgeous.

She isn't wearing any makeup and she is wearing a simple pair of pajamas with her hair back in a ponytail, but she still looks flawless.

"Did you want something?" she asks with mock boredom.

I scoff, "You were the one at my door, did you want something?"

Casey sucks in a deep breath and shakes her head, "Whoever said that I was at your bedroom door? Did you see me at your bedroom door?"

"Someone was at my bedroom door and then as soon as I opened the door I heard your bedroom door shut…what am I supposed to think?"

Casey's face is illuminated by the moonlight as she shrugs, "I couldn't sleep…I was just seeing if you were awake…that's all."

Oh.

I shrug, "Yeah, I was awake."

Casey nods, "Okay then…" she said awkwardly.

I jerk my thumb back towards her door, "I'm just going to um…"

Casey nods her head, "Yeah."

I lift my hand in an awkward half-wave before turning and walking out of her bedroom, starting down the hallway.

Not even thirty seconds later, I hear Casey.

"Derek?" she asks softly.

I spin around to face her, my heart pounding against my chest, "Yeah, Case?"

Casey rubs her lips together and gulps, "Um…"

Kiss her. Just go over there and kiss her!

"What?"

Casey lets out a sigh and shakes her head, "Nothing. Never mind."

I nod slowly, "Okay…goodnight."

"Night." She says softly before turning and closing her bedroom door.

And off to my room for another restless night I go.

-♥-

You should have just grabbed him and kissed him.

Why didn't I just grab him and kiss him?

He looks so cute at night, with his frazzled hair and his tired face…I love it.

Oh my God, I am such a sap.

I come down the stairs the next morning at breakfast, I see Derek sitting at the table shoveling cereal into his mouth.

"Morning." I chip, plopping down beside him.

Derek glances over at me for a moment before retreating to his precious Fruit Loops.

"So, Case…getting more dates today?" Edwin asks, strolling in to the kitchen.

I smirk, "Planning on it."

"How about you, Derek?" Lizzie asks, following close behind Edwin.

He shrugs, "Same. I guess."

I roll my eyes and pour some cereal into my bowl.

"Did you have fun on your date last night, Casey?" Lizzie asks, grabbing a banana and taking a bite out of it.

I roll my eyes and stand up from the table, "Oh yeah, definitely. Until a certain someone, who's name I won't mention, completely trashed the entire night."

"Oh yeah, blame me." Derek groans, standing up from the table as well.

"Well it was your fault."

"Why are you snapping at me? We were actually getting along last night!"

Edwin's milk spits out and he coughs and chuckles, "Wait a minute, you guys actually got along last night?"

I narrow my eyes towards Derek, "Spur of the moment, what can I say?" I snap before stalking out of the dining room and grabbing my backpack from where it is sitting against the door, slinging it over my shoulder.
As soon as I get outside, I can hear Derek following me.

"Do you need a ride?" he asks.

I scoff, "From you…don't think so."

"Okay, what is your problem?" Derek asks annoyingly.

I honestly have no idea.

I think it's because I am gutless, and I am just now coming to terms with it.

I shrug, "Don't know."

"I actually had fun talking to you last night, Casey. And now you're just blowing me off and being a bitch, what is that all about?"

"Last night went not according to plan. That's all I can say."

Derek follows after me as I start off down the sidewalk, "So what? You expected your night to just be perfect? You expected it to just be you and Carter?"

No, I didn't expect to go to your room in the middle of the night for a make out session and chicken out as soon as my hand touched the doorknob!

I just roll my eyes, "Something like that." I mutter and stalk off in front of him.

-¤-

"I don't get what her problem is!" I exclaim towards Sam as I stand at my locker.
Sam eyes me confusingly, "Why are you so hung up on what Casey thinks anyway?"

I sigh, "I don't know. I think this whole bet thing is just going to my head."

"Oh yeah, how's that going?" he asks casually.

I shrug, "It's going, I'm just waiting for it to go away."

Sam chuckles, "Not interested in dating anymore?"

"It's not that. It's just…I don't know…I guess I don't like competing with her or something." I mumble.
Sam eyes me in shock.

I turn towards him, "Yeah, I know."

"I think this whole ordeal is stupid anyway." Sam throws in.

I shrug, "Well, now that I've started the game, I have to finish it, and I have to finish it by winning it."

"Well, there's your next candidate." Sam notes, pointing towards a girl named Alyson, who is standing at her locker.

Yeah, she's cute and nice, but she's a sophomore…and rich, filthy rich.

"Hey, Alyson!" Sam calls out.

"What are you doing?" I ask him cautiously as Alyson walks towards us.

"Hi Sam…hi Derek." She says, smiling towards me shyly.

Sam smiles at Alyson, "So…Derek was wondering if you wouldn't mind going out for pizza with him tonight."

Alyson flips a strand of her dark blonde hair over her shoulder before smiling towards me, "That sounds cool. Pick me up at seven, okay?" she asks with a smile before waving at us, flipping her hair over her tanned shoulder, and heading back towards her friends who are waiting for her at her locker.

"So, what did you do that for?" I ask, shutting my locker as the two of us head down the hallway.

Sam rolls his eyes, "To help you out, obviously.

"And here I thought you were on Casey's side." I mutter jokingly.

Sam laughs but doesn't reply as we enter history class.

Four dates down, eleven dates to go.

-♥-

He asked out Alyson Warner.

Alyson Warner!

She's is one of the most popular girls in the entire school, of course he would ask her out on a date, I mean…why wouldn't he?

I mean, she's got everything. She's a cheerleader, she's pretty, she's on the honor roll, she's nice to everyone, she's fun to be around, she's totally and one hundred percent easy.

All of the qualities that Derek likes in a girl.

Why am I obsessing over this?
Why am I starting to obsess over every single aspect of Derek's life?

Oh my gosh…

This can't be happening.

This can not be seriously happening.

Oh what the hell am I saying? Of course this is happening; I mean…that is why I showed up at his room last night, because I wanted to make out with him. I can't believe the one thought that ran through my mind last night when I approached his bedroom door was to kiss him.

How much more perverted and disgusting can you get?

I guess it just never completely registered in my mind until just now.

I, Casey McDonald, have a crush on Derek Venturi-my stepbrother.

How Jerry Springer is that?

-¤-

I am sitting on the couch, watching a hockey game and eating a bag of chips when the door swings open and I hear stomping.

Just as I begin to glance over my shoulder, I notice Casey stalk towards me and stand in front of me.

I turn back to face her, her hands are placed on her hips and she looks pissed.

"Can I help you?" I ask with a bored tone.

"Alyson Warner?" she asks.

"No…Derek Venturi. But thanks, it's nice to see how much time you've taken to learn my name in the past two-"

"You asked out Alyson Warner?" she cuts me off.

I eye her confusingly, "Is that a problem…?"

Casey scoffs and rolls her eyes like it is the most obvious question on the planet, "Yes, I have a…well…no…yeah…maybe…" she begins to mumble confusingly.

"Well sorry, but I had no idea how my date would ruin your life. Please, forgive me." I say sarcastically.

Casey narrows her eyes at me and groans angrily before stomping out of the living room.

I hear the door slam shut behind her.

Okay, Casey has major issues.

-♥-

"If he thinks that he can just ask out whatever girl he wants…fine. Then I can ask out whatever guy I want." I seethe to myself as I walk aimlessly around the mall, searching for any desperate person to go on a date with me.

Oh my gosh, I just burned myself.

Big time!

I discover a guy standing against the side of some electronic store, laughing and talking with some guy and tossing a hackey-sack back and forth between his hands.

It's Sam…perfect.

I grin to myself as I walk towards him, smiling sweetly, "Hey Sam." I say happily.

Sam turns to me and grins, "Casey…hey." He looks towards the guy and nudges his head, signaling him to leave.

The guy nods before smirking at me, waving at Sam, and walking off down the corridors, approaching two cheerleaders that are sitting on a bench.

"What's going on?" Sam asks with a smile.

I twist my fingers around each other and look up at him, "You've heard about my bet with Derek, right?"

Sam scoffs, "Heard about it? It'd be impossible not to hear about it, he talks about it all day long."

I rub my lips together, "Yeah, well…would you maybe mind-"

"Going on a date with you tonight?" he cuts me off.

My eyes widen and I glance up at him, smiling confusingly, "Um…yeah, how did you know I was going to ask that?"

Sam shrugs, "I figured it was just a matter of time. This'll be the best way to peeve him, you know, going out on a date with his best friend."

That's the plan.

I laugh, "Um yeah…hadn't thought of it that way but that does make sense."

Sam smiles and nods, "So I'll pick you up at your house around…seven?"

I nod, "Seven it is."

Well there you have it, Derek.

Who's laughing now?

-¤-

At six fifty-three, the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I call out and jog out of my room, hurrying down the stairs.

I can hear Casey following me.

Before I open the door, I turn to look at her.

God, she's hot.

For some reason, however, she looks dressed up.

"Why are you so dressed up?" I ask confusingly.

Casey smirks at me and twirls a strand of her brown hair around her finger, "You're not the only one with a date tonight, Derek."

My heart falls to the pit of my stomach.

"You have a date?" I confirm.

Casey nods, "Yep, I have a date."

The doorbell rings again.

Casey smirks at me and heads down the rest of the stairs, "Better answer that."

I swing open the door and the shock comes right at me.

Because standing at the door, is not Alyson.

It's Sam…

And he has flowers.

-¤-

So, what'd you think?

Once again, sorry it's so short!

R&R and please, no flames!

Lotsa love, degrassichick