Chapter 5 The "New" Casey Goes to School
Normal POV
The next morning Derek woke up to Marti jumping on his stomach. "Wake up, Smerek!" she yelled.
He groaned. "Alright, Smarti, I'm awake." He rubbed his eyes as Marti stopped bouncing and looked at him. "What time is it?"
"Time for you to get up," said a voice from his door.
"Morning, Casey!" Marti jumped off of Derek and ran to the door to give Casey a hug before running down to breakfast.
Casey smiled from the doorway. She was already dressed in her punk clothes. "You're running late. We have to leave in about 30 minutes, and I'm not waiting." She turned and walked out of his room.
Slowly Derek got out of his bed and made his way to the bathroom. Thirty minutes later he ran down the stairs, barely remembering to grab his homework that he had actually done. Casey stood in front of the door tapping her foot and staring at her watch. She looked up as Derek came running down.
"Just let me..."
Casey cut him off by holding up a bagel. He ran to her and grabbed the bagel and they both went out to the car.
They arived at school a few minutes later than normal, which meant that all their classmates were inside the building. Derek looked at Casey nervously as they walked in. They separated to go to their respective lockers and Derek cringed as he heard all the guys gawking at Casey as she walked to her locker. He could also hear a lot of the girls growling.
When he got to his own locker Sam was leaning against it. "Dude, what is Casey up to. Do you guys have another bet going?"
He shook his head. "Nope, this is the real Casey. Those friends were dressed the way she did before they moved here. She seemed a lot happier since she got the new clothes." He shut his locker and looked at Sam watching her. "Don't even try anything."
Sam shook his head. "No worries. She's hot, no doubt, but I know you like her, and nobody likes to get on the wrong side of Derek Venturi."
He smirked and nodded. "That's right."
By lunch time the entire school was buzzing about Casey's new look. All the guys were trying to figure out how to ask her out and all the girls (minus Emily) were plotting her downfall. Derek had succesfully scared three guys out of any attempts to ask Casey out personally and they had been told to spread the word that he wasn't going to put up with it. The word had been dutifully spread and everyone who heard was slightly confused about why he was saying that, but no one questioned the king of the high school.
The threat also didn't keep a few brave souls from coming to talk to her at lunch. She ate with Emily as usual, but that day Derek and Sam joined them as well. Derek glared at each of the four guys who came over and scared them off after only a few words were exchanged.
After lunch was more difficult for Derek, because he was unable to keep track of Casey as easily and they weren't in the same area between classes. He settled for glaring at people everytime he heard them talking about Casey and trusting Sam to tell him if anyone even attempted to ask her out.
When the final bell rang, Derek practically ran to his locker and grabbed his things before heading to Casey's locker. When he got there Sam was standing next to her while she was pulling some of her books out and giving her ex a couple of weird looks. "Hey, Derek," she said when she noticed him.
Sam pushed himself off the locker beside her and started to walk away. "Well, I gotta get my stuff and meet my mom outside. I hate the dentist." He shook his head. "Oh, well. Hey, D, I'm still coming over later, right?"
Derek nodded. "Yeah, man, see you then." He turned back to Casey. "So, we going home together or do have something else to do?"
Casey gave him an amused frown. "I'm going to the mall with Emily later, but you knew that already because I have to take the car. We're still going home together."
"Well, I was just making sure, cause, you know, the way guys were watching you today...it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that one of the guys had asked you out by now." Derek shrugged, trying to make as little a deal of it as possible but knowing by Casey's amused look that he was failing horribly.
"You know, Derek, you used to be a good liar. Now you suck." She shut her locker and grabbed his sleeve starting to drag him to the door of the school.
He pulled himself from her grasp and they walked out to the car and went home.
Since the high school got out an hour before the elementry and junior high school, Casey and Derek were the only ones home. "So, what did Emily say about the new look?" He paused. "Or old look returned, as it were."
She laughed at him. "Honestly, she didn't like it. But I think it was mainly because I was getting more attention than her."
He nodded. "Sounds like Emily. Did she call you a slut?"
She shook her head. "Not to my face."
Derek looked at his feet. "Hey, why was Sam by your locker earlier?"
She was in the kitchen fixing a snack and offered him some before shrugging. "I don't know. We were just talking." She looked at his face. "Why, is there a reason he shouldn't be talking to me?"
He shook his head. "Nope. He's a big boy, he can talk to whoever he wants."
Casey stared at him for another minute, then shrugged. "Alright, well, I'm going upstairs to do some homework."
He nodded and waited for Sam to come.
Not long after Sam got there Casey came running down the stairs. "I'm going over to Emily's, I'll be spending the night. See you tomorrow."
"Wait! What about my paper, you were going to proof read it!" Derek paused the game he and Sam were playing and jumped up.
She looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but Em is really upset and I need to go. Sam could proof read for you, right, Sam?"
Sam nodded. "Sure, no problem."
"See?"
Derek still looked downcast.
"I'm really sorry Derek, but I promise I'll help you with the next assignment, ok?"
Derek just nodded and sat back down as Casey left. Before Derek could unpause the game Sam grabbed his controler. "Dude, are you trying to freak Casey out?"
"What are you talking about?"
"She is now worried about her because you looked so upset a minute ago."
"She'll think it's about my grades. No worries."
"D, you know as well as I do that Casey is a hell of a lot smarter than that. She knows that you don't care about your grades unless hockey is threatened. She also knows that there is no threat to hockey right now. She'll figure you out."
"By the way, why were you standing against the lockers next to Casey earlier?"
Sam smiled at him. "The same reason I was practically following her around the whole afternoon. You said I had to make sure no guys asked her out, so I dogged her all afternoon and glared at any guy's who tried."
"You were standing gaurd?"
Sam nodded. "Until you got there."
Derek smiled. "Thanks. And sorry, I should have known after you said that you wouldn't go after her, that you wouldn't go after her. I just can't control what I'm feeling when it comes to her."
Sam laughed at him. "No problem, man. But, hey, where is this paper for English that you're so worried about?"
"Up in my room. Let me get it." Derek jogged up to his room and retrieved the paper from his printer. He looked at the cover page for a moment and decided it was best that Casey hadn't read the paper because then she would know how he felt about her. At least Sam already knew.
He brought the paper down to the living room. Just as he was making it back over to the couch, Nora came in with the rest of the kids and George. "Hey, guys. Derek, could you get Casey for me?"
"Casey's at Emily's and she said she would be spending the night. Emily had some sort of emergency."
"Oh, ok, well, then could you do something for me?"
Derek nodded.
"Could you get Marti into bed now? She cought a cold at school and she's been refusing to go to bed since we got in the car."
Derek looked at his Smarti and saw that her nose was red and her eyes were watery. "Sure thing, Nora. Just a sec." He walked over to Sam and handed him the paper, but leaned down and whispered, "Could you read it in my room, please?"
Sam just nodded and got up to go to Derek's room as Derek picked Marti up by the waist and took her up the stairs. "I don't WANT to go to bed, Smerek!!!!" she yelled as he walked into her room.
"Smarti, I totally understand. You remember when I had the chicken pox and had to stay in my room all that time?"
She nodded.
"I hated it. I was restless and itchy and I wanted to go outside, but I couldn't because I was sick. But I'll tell you something, if you stay in bed tonight and don't fuss about it and eat the soup that I'm sure Nora will bring you soon, you'll get better a lot faster, so you won't feel as bad and you'll be able to get out of bed sooner."
She stared at him as if she was thinking about whether or not to believe him. Then she slowly nodded. "Ok, Smerek."
"Good girl, now, get your PJ's on and hop into bed."
She did as she was told then requested that Derek tuck her in and read her a story before he left.
When he finally got to his room Sam was sitting at his desk still reading the paper in from of him. "Dude, I know you're a slow reader, but I didn't think you were this slow."
Sam laughed and put the paper down, shaking his head. "This is actually the third time I've read it. The first time I couldn't believe you wrote it. It's really good, Derek. The second time I had to see just how obvious it was that the story is about your feelings for Casey, and this last time was all about enjoying it."
"It's really that obvious?"
Sam shrugged. "To your best friend who knows for a fact that you are head over heels in love with her? Yes. To anyone else? I don't think so. That's what I was looking for in the second reading, but beyond that fact that the character's names are Devon and Carrie, I don't think there is anything that would really tip anyone off." He paused. "Except maybe Casey, but I'm sure you already realized that."
Derek nodded. "Yeah, to be honest I was almost happy she wasn't able to proof read my paper." He fell back against the pillows on his bed. "I just hope it's good enough to get my English grade up a little."
Sam nodded. "I think what you need to worry about is convincing the teacher that you actually wrote it." He laughed as Derek threw a pillow at his head. "Seriously, man, this is A material, no doubt."
The next day Derek didn't see Casey until their English class. She looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. She sat in her normal seat near the front of the classroom and didn't say anything to anyone before class started.
When class let out, Derek caught up to her after he had turned in his paper. "Casey, is something wrong?"
She shook her head but still looked royally pissed.
"We both are free last period, you want to go home?"
She stopped and looked at him before nodding. "Just let me grab my books."
He nodded. "I'll meet you at the car."
When she got to the car they started home. Derek looked at Casey a couple of times before actually saying anything. "Case, are you sure you're ok?"
Casey sighed. "Emily's big emergency didn't actually come out until almost two in the morning, and you know what it was? Me! That's right Miss Emily said that her big emergency was all about me and you know what the big deal with me is? My look! My clothes are bothering her and she thinks that I should see a shrink. She's worried about me and thinks that I'm acting out in rebellion and trying to get attention." She paused for a moment but not long enough for Derek to say anything. "I mean, who does she think she is? She saw me one day, I didn't change how I acted."
"Casey?" She continued ranting. "Casey!" Still she ignored him. "CASEY!!" She stopped and looked at him. "Ok, I know that Emily is a bitch sometimes, but you and I both know that she is just jealous. You were getting more attention than her yesterday and she isn't used to that. Normally you do everything you can to not be noticed and suddenly you seem to be desiring attention, even if this is how you like to look. Give her a few days. In all honesty, she doesn't have enough friends and she likes me too much to quit being friends with you."
"But I don't know if I want to be friends with her anymore."
"Then think about that while she isn't talking to you."
Casey laughed at that. "So, what did Sam say about your paper last night?"
"He said it was A material, but I think he was being really nice."
"Well, I guess we'll see in couple of days."
"Yeah, I guess so."
THE END!!!!
of the chapter. Trust me I would never do anything like that to you guys. I don't care how out inspiration I am, I would never just leave you all hanging. I hate it when authors do that.
Anywho, the next chapter will have this kiss, I promise. Just a warning, it may be after Christmas before I can get the next chapter up, but it will be before New Years. Later!