Chapter 5: The Start

Disclaimer: I don't own LWD.

AN: Two chapters in one day! :)

"You're in?" Casey repeated for the nth, obviously still trying to process what had just happened.

"Yes, I. AM. IN. " Derek slowly repeated, looking at her in confusion, "You alright, Space Case? I mean, you're not usually this dumb, are you?"

"Shut up!" she exclaimed, pausing from her pacing to throw a pencil at his head. Their homeroom teacher glared at them, and Casey just smiled sheepishly. Good thing no one in this class ever pays attention to each other. Everyone is just busy doing their own shit that they can talk freely.

"Hey! Watch the hair!"

"Oh, please! It still looks like a mess."

"Shut your trap. Show the hair some respect."

"The hair? You know what...whatever. But, seriously, are you sure?"

"Yes, for the 19th time, I am. Now, please use your brain and tell me what I need to do as your newest boy toy."

"Oh, right! I guess we should start slowly, you know. Be subtle about it. Maybe we can have our meals together, partner up in class, and flirt in public a bit."

"O-kay. No problemo." He saluted her before standing up and gathering his bag to leave the room.

"Derek," Casey called out after him.

"Yeah?" he asked, returning to the doorway.

"I'm sorry. You know, about what I said before. I was a total bitch, you didn't deserve it. Any chance we can blame it all on girly hormones?" she asked him with a slight smile.

He smiled, really smiled at her for the first time in their four years of schooling together, "You got it, Klutuzilla."

"Thanks… for everything."

"No problem, I'll get a lot of pleasure out of seeing Max's face after all this."

"Glad to hear it."

"See you around, Space Case."

"Bye, Derek." She told him as she also walked towards her next class.

The Next Day

"Good morning?" Casey greeted Derek, confusion evident in her face and tone when she saw that he was waiting for her the next morning.

"Morning. Ready to go?"

"Why were you waiting for me?"

"Well, we don't want people to think that all of a sudden we're flirting in class. By coming to school together, we're proving that we hung out before that and that people just didn't know it. It's all about making it believable, Space Case."

"How is it that everyone other then me knows how to do this when I am the one actually going through with this plan?"

"You're just not smart enough, Casey," He teased her, but for the first time it was good naturedly. Casey stuck her tongue out at him.

"Derek? What are you doing here?" Nora, Casey's mom suddenly asked. Looks like she was just about to throw their garbage when she saw the two of them.

"Good morning. Mrs. McDonald. I was just offering your daughter a ride to school."

"Really? I didn't know you two were talking again." She said, disbelief written all over her face.

"Mom, Derek and I are friends." Casey said, rolling her eyes.

"Really? Very well. Take care, then." She walked towards Casey, and kissed her goodbye. Casey walked towards the Prince when her mom called out, "Don't forget to eat your breakfast, Casey!"

"Don't worry, ma'am. We'll eat at a diner first." Derek answered for her, his notorious but charming smile painted in his face. Casey merely scoffed at him. And with that, they left.

"How much are you willing to bet that they'll end up together?" Nora asked her husband, who was by their window listening to the previous conversation.

Lunch

Casey paused right before the entrance of their cafeteria, and turned to Derek, "Hey, before we go in, can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure."

"I know I don't deserve your help or anything-"

"Just spit it out Space Case. We're going to have to start off on a clean slate if we want this to work. Better not to bring up the past if we want it to work out," Derek interrupted her.

"Fine. I just want you to promise to stop me from killing Emily when she comes over."

He laughed at how serious she was when telling him that, nodding in response, "Sure."

"Okay, good. Now we can go in."

"After you," he told her, opening the door for her.

"Are my eyes fucking with me? But are Derek and Casey actually talking... without strangling each other?" Sam dramatically exclaimed as the two walked towards the table, drawing attention from much of the student body that was so used to their backhanded comments directed towards one another.

"Very funny," Casey said sarcastically.

"Hey, Casey! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you," They heard a sudden voice exclaim from behind them.

"Emily, how are you?" Casey asked with a forced smile, trying to fight the urge to slap the girl when she suddenly felt a reassuring squeeze on her knee from Derek who was sitting next to her.

"Oh, you know, the usual," she said before leaning down to whisper to Casey. "What are you doing sitting with them? I thought you hated them?"

"Maybe I was wrong," Casey vaguely said.

"Really? Well, if you say so, " Emily said, obviously not very satisfied with the response. "Well, you should join Tina and me at the other table! We have some great gossip to tell you." Emily exclaimed, practically gushing.

"Really? Sorry but I already promised Derek I'd eat lunch with him."

"Oh. Okay. See you in class then," Emily said, slightly confused by the fact that she had just been rejected by Casey for Derek.

"Where are Hottie and Blondie?" Ralph suddenly asked.

"Hottie and Blondie?" Casey asked, looking at Derek.

"Oh, he meant Sally and Kendra."

"You call them that? Do you ever address anyone by their first name?" Casey asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah, Derek and Sam. Although I usually call them D-Man or Sammy G."

"He also usually uses some embarrassing nicknames for us," Derek told her.

"Like what?"

"I believe he calls Derek- Dereka, Der-bear, Der-poo and Dearder," Sam commented.

"And you put up with that?" Casey asked Derek.

Derek just shrugged, "As long as he's the only one calling me that."

"Sure… Der-bear."

He turned to her, gaping in shock, "Not you too! Please no," he groaned.

"I don't know. It's kind of cute," Casey laughed.

"Fine, then-"

"Hey, babe," Derek was interrupted by Max who hugged Casey from behind, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. He then looked at the group, his eyes finally settling on Derek, "Venturi, what are you doing here?"

"I was just talking to your lovely girlfriend," Derek told him with a pleasant smile, never taking his eyes off Casey, slightly winking at her when he said the word "lovely."

"I'll bet you were," Max said, glaring at him having noticed the emphasis he had put on the word lovely.

"Okay, I'm getting bored with this staring competition and grunt fest, so can we talk about something, oh I don't know, interesting?" Casey asked.

"There was no grunting," Derek whined.

"There was, but it's okay, we'll ignore it," Casey told him with a slight wink that she was sure that Max took notice of.

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