A/N: So here's the second chapter! Please review and tell me what you think :) please and thank you!

"...so now, thanks to Derek, my life is ruined. Once again!" Casey concluded, flipping irritably through the glossy pages of her biology textbook, her mind a million miles away from human reproductive organs. Silence followed suite of Casey's ranting. Casey frowned. "Em, are you even listening to me?"

From the other end of the line, Casey's best friend sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You argued with Derek. George punished you. It's all Derek's fault. Your life is ruined." Emily yawned. "So what's new?"

Casey pouted before remembering she was on the phone. "Em! You're supposed to be sympathetic and helpful, not apathetic and uncaring!"

"Case, I'm sorry, it's just...have you counted the number of times in one day you rattle off about how you hate Derek, how he's the bane of your existence, how you wish he would drop dead, how - "

"It's his fault!" Casey cried. "He's always finding ways to try to get under my skin, to torture me and mock me and - "

"Casey you have two options," Emily interrupted. "One, you could meet your parents' demands, or two, you could kiss New York goodbye. Which would suck because then I would be stuck in a strange city all on my own, without my best friend there as a college roommate, looking out for me and helping me out."

It was Casey's turn to sigh. "I suppose you're right," she admitted grudgingly. "It's just...this is going to be so hard! Can you imagine me and Derek getting along for even one second?!"

"Oh, come on, give yourselves some credit. You've gotten along before. Besides, Derek doesn't want to go to Alabama any more than you want to become a window...washer?"

"Designer," Casey corrected automatically. "You're right, Em," she continued, newfound determination overwhelming her. "You're right. I suppose I ought to talk to Derek about all this."

"Yes, you do that. I have to go, Casey, I'm sorry. It's dinnertime."

Casey smiled wryly. "Thanks for listening, Em."

Emily chuckled. "What are friends for?" she said before hanging up.

Casey threw her biology textbook aside and went to retrieve her diary from its hiding place: underneath her mattress. She flipped to a new page and took out her favorite purple pen. As a heading she wrote the date and then the title: WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH EVIL STEPBROTHER DEREK. She sighed. Now what? Emily was right; on various occasions she and Derek had, in fact, cooperated with each other. For instance, take last Christmas, when the two had gotten the younger kids together to perform a skit in front of Derek's aunt. Or take that dance competition when Derek and Casey had competed as partners and won against that stuck-up Sadia. They were capable of getting along, after all. All that needed to be eliminated included Derek's immature ridiculous ways, his tendency to be egocentric and self-conceited, and the fact that he was bored all the time - hence leading to him pranking her. 1) Find Derek hobby after hockey - perhaps make him more interested in his schoolwork? Casey scribbled.

What next? She could resort to threatening him a lot. He was keen upon getting that scholarship to go chase after a puck for the rest of his life. Maybe she could work from there and try to change his ways - make him behave in a more civilized fashion, like Max or Noel...

Casey sighed and let her journal drop to her bed. Max. Sam. Truman. Ugh. Max. Sigh. Sam. Damn. What is wrong with me?! Casey wondered desperately. Lately she was finding herself staring desolately after couples in the school hallways, trailing back in nostalgia as she recalled the various misfortunes that had developed as a result of her taking the longevity of relationships for granted.

So far since she had moved to live with the Venturis, she had had three boyfriends. That is if Truman could even be considered a boyfriend. Was she incapable of maintaining a relationship with a member of the opposite sex for more than three months? Maybe it was because of that all-girls private school she had attended before starting at Thompson High. Maybe she just didn't know how to commiserate with men. It was like they were programmed differently from women. It was like they were a completely separate species.

Casey's relationship with Sam had been quite pathetic. Casey knew they were better off as friends. Sam was like Derek, only he was nicer, which had first attracted her to him. He had hockey and food on the brain, and had only preferred to communicate with her via kissing or hugging. Conversation hadn't really been his thing, much to her dismay. She was glad that they were still friends. He was still nice to her, and they were finally able to have conversations with each other, and feel completely at ease in the other's presence.

Casey's situation with Max had been completely different. She had absolutely thrived upon his company, thirsting for more of his attention and his loving ways. He was a jock, too, but he wasn't just wired to kiss; Casey could talk to him about her feelings and he would help her with her problems. He hadn't been as romantic and poetic and chivalrous as Casey's dream knight-in-shining-armor, but he had still been amazing. Yet she had felt strange around him. She had felt as though her world revolved around him too much, as though everything she did had been for his benefit. She had lost her identity: the Casey MacDonad that wrote poetry and contemplated the meaning of life. She had become a cheerleading airhead. All she had wanted was a break and a chance to recover her neglected old self, but Max had interpreted her needs a different way. And so their relationship had ended. Max was moving on, Casey knew that. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't exactly enemies either. There were days when she really missed him but she knew there was no use pining after the past.

This spark of a relationship with Truman had been a complete infatuation. Truman had pretty much persuaded her into those pathetic dates, and Casey, being nice and sweet and sincere, had given him chance after miserable chance. Truman had been pure trouble - one of those "dangerous" guys who thought the world of themselves. The guy had gone so far as to ditch class, for God's sake! Even Derek would never do a thing like that. So it was good her situation with Truman had ended.

Sometimes, however, Casey found herself wishing she had given Noel a chance. He was sweet and poetic and he seemed a romantic. Plus he had an amazing singing voice. Casey shook her head and grabbed her diary again. From thinking about ways to ensure she moved to New York with Emily, her mind had side-tracked to her bad luck on the dating field. Maybe Derek was right, Casey thought, musing. Maybe she really needed to loosen up. How many times a day did he tell her to "chill out", anyway? Maybe she was too stuck-up, too demanding, to maintain a relationship with a man. Men were different from women. Plus not all women acted like Casey. Girls like Kendra and Emily and Sally were looser, more lenient and less obstinate when it came to the art of dating.

Ping!

Casey jumped and glanced at her computer screen. Someone had just sent her an IM. She sighed, sluggishly moved to her computer desk, and clicked to see who it was.

d-Vent: i hope ur happy

Casey gritted her teeth angrily. Figures, she thought with a huff.

Casey: Enlighten me - why in the world would I be happy?

d-Vent: thanx to u ma dad mite make me gut fish and milk cows fo da rest of ma life. dats wut u wanted rite???

Casey rolled her eyes. Unbelievable. This was all Derek's fault, and yet he was still finding ways to make it seem like she was to blame!

Casey: It's not my fault you might end up gutting fish and milking cows "fo da rest of yo" life. Derek, you started this. As per usual.

d-Vent: casey, have u noticed that wenever we get into trouble wid da parentals, its always because u yell: "DER-REEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

Casey: And have you thought about WHY I yell your name out like that?!

d-Vent: cuz ur a dream-squashing little idiot.

Casey: No, Derek, it's because you PROVOKE me! You prank me, mock me, find ways to ruin my life...

d-Vent: i frikken tease u - ur my step sis y cant i tease u deres no rule against dat u no

Casey: Derek, LEARN TO TYPE PROPERLY!!!!!

d-Vent: casey dis is IM not a frikken english term paper

Casey: I don't care. Maybe if you typed properly when IM-ing you'd actually PASS your English term papers because then you'd know how to spell.

d-Vent: and maybe if ur days weren't spent stressing over spelling u mite actually be able to keep a boyfriend

Casey froze in shock, the words penetrating her insides. It was as though Derek had known exactly what Casey had been stressing about before. She sighed. Once again she found herself wondering whether Derek was actually right.

Ping!

"Damn you, Derek," she muttered, her eyes riveting back to the computer screen.

d-Vent: ur suddenly quiet - wats da matter? did my insult finally hit home?

Casey: Derek you are an inconsiderate pig.

d-Vent: thanx ur pretty damn hot urself

Casey: I cannot WAIT to move to New York and move far away from you and never see you again.

d-Vent: new york isnt relli dat far - yeesh case for a know it all ur kinda lacking

Casey: Look, Derek, I want to straighten something out, all right? Do you or do you NOT want to move to Alabama?

d-Vent: r u drunk? of course i dont!

Casey: So if you want to move to Toronto, don't you think you should be focusing on the following? a) your school grades b) UFT's scholarship requirements and c) BEING NICE TO ME!!!!!!!!!! (oh and being my friend)

d-Vent: casey do u actually think we can be frends for like a microsecond?

d-Vent: as for being nice to you? believe me my utter hatred towards u for making my life a living hell makes it kinda hard for dat to hepen

Casey: Hark, look who's talking! Who's making WHOSE life a living hell?????!

d-Vent: hark? isnt dat a kind of bird?

Casey: That's a LARK you idiot.

d-Vent: so whats hark?a laffing lark??? u gitit???? deres lark and den ha-ha-HARK!!!

Casey: Ha. Ha. L. O. L.

d-Vent: u should go work in a morgue

Casey: Derek, look, I am not going to sit here all night and argue with you regarding whose fault this is - least of all explain to you what "hark" means. So just hear me out, okay? We are GOING to have to get along for the next few months until graduation which means YOU are going to have to stop pranking me every chance you get. George also wants you to treat me with respect and to stop mocking me. We are going to have to find you a hobby after your hockey practices so you can refrain from your childish imbecile ways.

d-Vent: hate to burst ur bubble but dat is NOT how dis is guna work

Casey: Derek, your father made himself pretty clear about your Alabama ramification if you don't abide his rules.

d-Vent: dont worry hun i heard him loud and clear. however i have a different plan to tackle our lil...situation.

Casey: Oh? Let's hear it.

Casey waited impatiently, tapping her pen against her desk, until she heard the irritating Ping! that alerted her back to her instant message conversation.

d-Vent: u and i both no dat us getting along - like ACTUALLY getting along - is out of da question. we cant do dat - dats totally against how the world works. dereks and caseys r total opposites like...like...ugh help me out here?

Casey: We are NOT doing that opposite thing again, Derek. We did enough of that when we first had dinner together - at Smelly Nelly's. I get what you mean. So what's your plan?

d-Vent: tell ya wat - ill tell u tomorrow...i g2g now...that hot new blonde exchange girl from france is online

Casey: DEREK! You are SO superficial!

d-Vent has left the conversation

Casey sighed. She exited her chat window with Derek and collapsed on her bed. If life with Derek so far had been hard, life with Derek for the next few months was going to be even harder.