*So once again, I don't own any of the characters from Life with Derek. Thank you all for being such great readers. Lol. Anyways…

Chapter Seven: She loves him.

"Hey, Casey. How are you doing?" Casey looked up from her pillow to see Emily standing over her. She sat up slowly; trying to process everything that had happened. Emily sat down beside her. "Why weren't you at school yesterday?"

Casey shrugged. How could she explain to Emily that she couldn't handle being in the one place she saw him every day? All his other friends handled it just fine. "I skipped school. Derek thought it would be good for me."

Emily stared down at Casey. She was talking again. What had Derek done to get Casey to talk again? "Well are you going to school today?"

Casey rolled over on to her stomach and buried her face in her pillow, "I guess so." She supposed she'd have to face school again someday. But without Noel things were getting so hard. Why was it so much harder for her than anybody else? It was almost as if she…oh no! Casey sat up quickly and looked over at Emily. "Emily, I think I love him."

Emily shot her a confused look, "Who?"

Casey picked at her comforter, "Noel."

Emily gasped and pulled Casey into her arms. Casey cried for a bit while Emily held her. Neither of them knew that Derek was listening outside.

……………………………………………………………..

After school, Derek called Noel.

Noel leaned back on his bed, about to read a book, when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"This plan is never going to work, Noel." Noel rolled his eyes, it was Derek.

"Derek, it's still too soon to end all of this."

Derek grinned on the other side of the line, "You're right. I guess I'll just have to deal with it."

Noel closed his eyes, "I miss her, Derek."

Derek rolled his eyes, "I still say this is a stupid plan. But I'd better go. You know, in case somebody catches on to the fact that I'm talking to you."

"Derek?" Noel heard Casey's voice. He couldn't breathe. It had been so long since he heard her voice. He closed the phone and threw it across the room.

………………………………………………………………

Derek set his phone under his pillow, "What do you need, Case?"

Casey sat down next to him, "I need your help."

Derek crossed his arms and leaned back, "With what?"

Casey sat down on his bed beside him, "I need to forget about Noel."

Derek's eyes got wide. "Really? Why is that?"

Casey looked down at the floor, "I love him, Derek. But it doesn't matter now, because he's dead."

Derek tilted her chin towards him so that he could look into her eyes, "So you want to forget about him?" Casey nodded. Derek let go of her chin and sighed. Noel's plan was working way too well. How would this ever backfire on Noel, if Casey already realized she was in love with him? It hadn't even been that long yet! Noel could not know the plan was working. Derek hated seeing Casey miserable, but he had found ways around that. Derek Venturi had shown Casey how to be happy again, not Noel. He just had to find a way to… Casey waved her hand in front of his face, breaking his trance. "Earth to Derek."

Derek grinned, "Sorry. So you want me to help you forget Noel? Are you sure that's what you really want?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Do you want me to beg or something? Cuz I won't! If that's what you want."

Derek shook his head. "You're on the road to forgetting already, Case. I've been helping you through all along."

Casey suddenly realized how right he was. She was doing much better recently and it was all thanks to Derek. "Thank you, Derek." Man, she never thought she'd be able to say that. It was amazing to her how much he had changed.

*Oh no! Derek's not telling Noel everything. How long before Noel finds out? How far will Derek take this? Lol. I thought this would be fun. It totally got away from me. I saw it ending to soon and I had to stop it. From ending of course.