Learning to Love
By, awesometastic9
Standard Disclaimer
Chapter Three
Ice Cream Social
Chelsea and Lauren grabbed Casey and towed her over to their car, and they sped out of campus.
"Where're we going?" Casey asked, looking out the window.
"To White Mountain Ice Cream. It's the best." Chelsea said from the passenger seat.
"I'll trust you on that," Casey said with a small laugh.
They were silent the rest of the ride until they arrived at White Mountain Ice Cream. It was a good sized place and it was pretty packed; a few people were standing out the door. Casey eyes widened.
"How are we supposed to get in?" she asked.
"Don't worry. I have connections," Lauren said with a wink. Again, she grabbed Casey and Chelsea's arms and pulled them into the store, pushing people out of the way. "Excuse me, coming through! Employee here, needs to work!"
Casey grinned and whispered to Chelsea once they got inside to the front of the line, "Does she work here?"
She laughed. "Oh, hell no. Her boyfriend, Marshall, does though. He's a shift manager and gives us free ice cream all the time. She's got him whipped." Chelsea laughed again, and continued, saying, "She got him to give us passkeys to the backroom where we wait for him to bring our free ice cream back." She giggled. "It's so rebellious."
Casey was getting uncomfortable. She doesn't do rebellious. Well, that is. But, she didn't want to seem like a total wuss, so she followed Lauren and Chelsea through the crowd and into the back room.
Lauren immediately flopped down on the chair by the computer and began lazily leafing through a magazine. Chelsea and I settle down in two folding chairs
A few minutes later a cute guy with dark hair walked in carrying a tray with two ice cream sundaes on it; one strawberry and one chocolate, both topped with chopped peanuts.
"Ooo!" cried Lauren happily, jumping up and abandoning her magazine to run over to the guy – who Casey assumed was Marshall – and grabbing the chocolate one and immediately digging in, flopping back down in her chair. "Mmmm…"
Marshall held out the other one to Chelsea who looked at him pointedly then at Casey, before taking it.
"Oh!" was his response. "I'm sorry… uhhh?"
"Casey," she said.
"Yeah, go get her a sundae, Marshall," said Lauren sloppily, shoving more ice cream down her throat.
"What do you want?" Marshall asked.
"Uhhh, banana split? If – if that's not too much trouble!"
Marshall smiled. "Of course not. Not for one of Lauren's friends," he winked and left the room.
Casey sat awkwardly next to Chelsea as she waited and more quickly than she thought, Marshall appeared, carrying her banana split. Casey smiled.
"Thanks," she said warmly, taking it from him. But, suddenly, Casey didn't feel all in the mood for ice cream. But, not wanting to seem rude, Casey ate most of it anyways, but felt sick afterwards.
They chatted about home – Casey's mostly since Lauren and Chelsea were curious – but Casey failed to mention the one most important part of home: Derek. She just didn't want to bring him into the conversation since they were having such a good time. Casey talked a bit about Emily and her sister, Lizzie and a tiny bit about Nora. Lauren and Chelsea in turn told Casey about their home in the East Side of Toronto.
Lauren chatted with Marshall before they left – about a campus bash on Saturday – and invited Casey to join her and Chelsea to it. Casey, happy she was making friends – even though it was a bit awkward between her and them – agreed.
When they left White Mountain, it was late afternoon – almost dinner – and Casey was dead tired. As she followed them to the car, she dragged her feet and yawned a few times. This did not go unnoticed by Chelsea.
"Tired?" she asked.
"Yeah…" Casey said with another yawn. "Sorry."
"It's alright, you must've had a long drive by yourself from London all the way to Queen's." Lauren said.
Casey fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. Crap. I'm a horrible liar. I can't just exclude the ever present Derek in my life. They'll meet him sooner or later. Ugh!
"I didn't come alone. My stepbrother, Derek, drove. He's going to Queen's, too; on a hockey scholarship."
"Oooo!" Chelsea squealed, "Is he cute?"
Casey made a disgusted face. "No," she said simply, and then sighed. "I mean, to others he is… I guess…. But he's annoying and childish and a jerk and a player and - "
"Okay!" Lauren said, a bit exasperated. "It's quite clear you don't get along. Sorry we asked."
"Lauren, Chelsea, it's fine! I just hold way too many grudges on that boy. Sorry to damper the elated mood." She laughed nervously.
"Hey, it's alright, Casey. Come on, let's head back to campus."
They had now reached the car and they all got in, driving in a peaceful quiet back to Queen's. Within minutes, they were past the gate guard and stopped in front of the girl's dorm. When Casey got out, she immediately noticed that guy that asked her out earlier that morning. James Rupert? Casey thought, trying to remember his name. Something about him just gave Casey the creeps, but she was slightly attracted to him. She mentally slapped herself.
You cannot like another guy, Casey! You have Truman! Wonderful, handsome, loyal Truman. She tried to ground those thoughts into her brain, but it wasn't working; she was still thinking about James Rupert.
"Uh, Casey?" came a sudden voice to Casey's left.
Casey jumped and pressed a hand over her pounding heart, gasping.
"Oh, Chelsea, you scared me! Oh, gosh!"
Chelsea chuckled. "Hey, sorry. But, why are you staring at James Rupert?"
Casey's face flushed a deep red and realized what she must look like, standing in the middle of the walkway, staring at a guy… who wasn't her boyfriend. But, they didn't know that…
Lauren walked over to them, having heard to beginning of the conversation. She stopped in front of Casey and stared at her for a moment.
"Yup," she finally concluded. "He asked you out."
Casey's eye went wide. "How – how did you know?"
"I can read people sweetie, and you weren't all that hard." Lauren replied with a lazy wave-off of her hand. "And - " Lauren continued, "You said no. Because?"
"I have a boyfriend, back in London, Truman French."
Chelsea shook her head. "Long distance won't work sweetie. It's very valorous of you to try, but the facts show - "
"Okay!" Casey exploded. "Can we talk about this not here?"
Lauren and Chelsea looked at each other – briefly – then followed Casey into the dorm. Once inside, Casey broke down, letting all her aggravation and worry spill over.
"I know it won't work! I know! But I'm still so sick with Futuritis that - "
"Wait! Futuritis?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah, Derek said I have it. I know it's like a made up word, but it accurately describes what's wrong with me!"
"And what is wrong with you?"
"I'm afraid of change!" Casey cried, "I made this last minute decision to come here – because I actually wanted to do something for me for once – but I'm afraid of being away from my family. I was going to stay there and go to U of T, instead. But, something changed, and… I'm here! I mean, Derek –" she spat this name, "Is here, too. And Truman already cheated on me once in high school… I just don't want my university experience to suck, you know?"
Chelsea got up and put an arm around Casey. "We're all afraid of that. And, don't let Derek or Truman keep you from enjoying yourself. I can tell you're going to love your classes and all the friends you're going to make. It's going to be great Casey."
"I'll take your word for it."
Lauren flopped down on Chelsea's bed.
"So, what classes are you taking, Casey?"
"Let me see…" Casey said, pulling out a folder from her bag where she put her schedule from this morning at the office… with Derek's. Ugh. Now I'm going to have to bring it to him, and his hockey practice schedule.
Casey pulled out all three sheets of paper. "This one's mine:" and she read it out loud.
"Professional MPA (Smithton) --- 9-11am [Monday, Wednesday, Friday] --- {Policy Studies Building}; Drama (DiLeo) --- 10am-1pm [Tuesday] --- {Miller Hall}; Fine Art (Hellington) --- 2:30-5pm [Tuesday] --- { Miller Hall}; French Studies (Devereux) --- 10am-12pm [Monday, Wednesday] --- {Victorie Hall}; Italian (Mortimer)--- 1-4pm [Monday, Wednesday] --- {Carruthers Hall}; Mediaeval Studies (Letizel) ---1-4pm [Thursday, Friday] --- {Fleming Hall}; Women's Studies (Marigold) --- 5-7pm [Thursday, Friday] --- {Etherington Hall}"
"Oh cool! We're taking Fine Art together!" Chelsea exclaimed happily.
"Cool!"
Then Casey flipped over to Derek's schedule, which was considerably smaller than hers. She scans it, and scoffs at his first class on the list: Women's Studies (Marigold) --- 5-7pm [Thursday, Friday] --- {Etherington Hall}
"Ugh! I told him not to take Women's Studies! And of course he's in my class…"
But she continues reading, curious as to what other classes he's signed up for. And, she's surprised.
Stage and Screen Studies (Campton) --- 10am-1pm [Monday, Wednesday] --- {Gordon-Brockington Hall}; Film and Media (Ponteya) --- 10am-1pm [Tuesday] --- {Gordon-Brockington Hall}.
Lauren reads over her shoulder,
"Stage and Screen? Film and Media?" she asks. "He sounds… artistic," she looks at Casey for confirmation.
Casey scoffs. "No way. He never expressed anything remotely in the form of 'interested' in film. I'm remotely surprised to tell you the truth."
"So, hockey… and film?" Lauren says for clarification.
"I… guess?" Casey says, then decides something, spur of the moment, which is very unlike her. "I think I'm going to go see him. I got to bring him his hockey practice schedule most of all. He'd kill me for not bringing it to him." She laughs shakily. "I'll see you guys later?"
"Duh, Casey. We live here." Chelsea chuckles. "Have fun?" she says it like a question.
"I doubt it." Casey mutters and walks out the door.
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A/N: so, I think this one sucks. Not much went on, because I'm still developing the plot (which I'm not quite sure of, really...) I might be MIA for a few days because of the impending doom my Finals bring. ugh. But, I hope YOU all like this one. NExt shall be filled with Dasey banter, I think, in which Alec - wait. don't wanna ruin it! So, review is LOVE!!! please? I'll probably update faster if you do!
-awetast9