AN: Another filler chapter + a sorta fluff scene at the end. Enjoy!

AN2: I'll soon establish the fact why Casey acts the way she does. Have patience. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own LWD.

Chapter 7: Realizations and More Realizations

Saturday

"Where should we have the party?" Casey asked.

"How about your house, Casey?" Sally suggested.

"Ugh. Why there? It would be such a waste. Why can't we just have it in a strip club? The hoe belongs there." Kendra quipped.

"Very funny," Casey sarcastically said.

"Fine, fine. How about the school's roof top? That place is awesome."

"Are you kidding me? The principal would suspend us."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Kendra laughed. "Oh, fuck! I just realized that we'll have to bring all of those little tables in for the brunch. Ugh! I hate all the little details we're going to have to go through for this little party."

"Now you know why I hate these parties. Oh! I know! How about the multi-function hall in my neighborhood? You know? That big room where the last debutante ball was held?" Casey said.

"OMG! Yes! That place is perfect and boring." Sally enthusiastically nodded. Kendra simply nodded and Casey just laughed. The evil plan commences.

"Good day, ladies! Any chance any of you fancy a little pick me up?" Ralph winked as he, Derek, and Ralph entered the diner.

"Aw, Ralphie! You know that you don't stand a chance," Casey laughed. Ralph pouted and Sally just giggled.

"OMG! I think I may have found the perfect solution to our little 'problem'," Kendra said, turning to the Casey and Sally with a slightly devious smile.

"Given the timing of that announcement, I highly doubt that we're going to enjoy whatever it is that you have in mind," Sam commented.

"It's nothing much-" Sally told them, trying to ease their minds.

"Just a bit of lifting-" Kendra tried to put it lightly, while purposefully avoiding their eyes.

"But you boys are strong so I know you can handle it, right?" Casey challenged them, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course we can!" Ralph immediately argued.

"I would say I can, but I don't think that I want to... oh, just about now," Derek contemplated.

"Oh, hush! We just need some help bringing some stuff into the function hall slash entertainment room for Emily's birthday party," Kendra told them.

"Why are you throwing a party for her?" Ralph asked, ultimately having deciding that he would never understand a woman's logic.

"Not just any party!" Sally told him as though he had just asked the stupidest question on earth.

"A boring party," Casey told them with a proud smile.

"Am I the only one that doesn't understand what's going on?" asked a thoroughly confused Sam.

"Girl logic. Don't even try to understand it. It'll just make your head hurt. Trust me," Derek told him.

"Hey!" all three girls cried out, Kendra even going so far as to throw a fry at him.

"Hey! Watch the hair," Derek told her.

"Yeah, Kendra! After all, he does spend so much time on it," Sally teased him.

"And you forgot about all of the hair products," Casey reminded her.

"Hey! Don't act like you aren't secretly in love with it," Derek told them with a smirk.

"Oh! Whatever. Come on, we really need your help. Please?" Casey begged.

"On one condition," Derek told her.

"No!" Ralph and Sam simultaneously yelled at him.

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"We get to help you plan it. I love screwing up parties," He told them with a slightly deranged smile. "You know, we could even spike her drink causing her to fart uncontrollably for two hours or something embarrassing like that."

"If you can make it a bit more realistic and less suspicious, deal," Casey said slightly smiling at the thought of an embarrassed Emily, stretching out her hand to shake on it.

"Wait—that's all we get out of it?" Derek complained.

"Oh, shush you! That's life. Suck it up, "Casey waved him off.

"Fine," Derek conceded with a defeated sigh.

"Traitor," Sam muttered.

"Don't act like that. You know you'd give in, sooner or later. And I prefer not to waste anymore time on it."

Ralph nodded. "Anyways, what's the plan?" He asked excitedly.

"Brunch… tea, crackers, boring," Casey listed.

"That does kind of make me want to fall asleep," Sam admitted.

"I have to make it seem like I tried though. It has to look nice. Just be boring in the process."

"Well, you know you could always-"

"That's it. I'm not going to plan. Nor listen to you guys plan. I already have to lift as it is, I'm not going to do this as well. Casey, we have to go back home anyways. Are you ready, Klutzilla?" Derek asked her.

"And so the fun ends here. I'll see you guys tomorrow," She told them as she followed Derek out of the room.

"Kendra, when you asked them to do this, did you ever anticipate the fact that they might fall in love?" Sam quietly asked the girl beside him. Sally and Ralph were arguing about the merits of a tattoo and were not paying attention.

"Never. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Just curious." Sam said, shrugging. This is gonna get complicated.

"So," Derek said as the two aimlessly walked towards their neighborhood. "What are we supposed to talk about now that we are actually not trying to kill each other?"

"I don't really know. I'm still sort of getting used to the whole you not being a total insufferable ass."

"Total? Does that mean I still am one?"

"Well you're as much of an asshole as I always thought you were," she told him simply, with a slight smile.

"Gee, thanks."

"I was joking," she told him. "Honestly though, you can be kind of nice when you want to."

"You can be okay, too? I mean, you're actually not as an annoying prude as I thought you would be. But don't tell anyone I said that."

Casey just laughed at him. Derek just realized how much he likes her laughs.

"Oh, Derek! About what happened yesterday… I'm sorry. It's just that what you said really pissed me off and I guess, my temper got the best of me. I really am sorry about it, though."

"It's okay. I wasn't particularly sympathetic towards your feelings. There wasn't much tact in the way that I said it. Hell, I was a step away from saying that he just wants to bone you. And I guess, I should have expected that you would react like that. So, yeah."

"So, semi-friends?" she asked him, stretching out her hand to him.

"Semi-friends? How gay is that?"

"Oh, shut up! I still think you're an ass and well, you still think I'm a bitch. I really don't think we can be labeled as friends just yet. So, semi-friends."

"Only you would rationalize that and come up with a word as gay as that."

"De—rek!"

"Fine, fine. 'Semi-friends' it is, then." He said, shaking her hand.

The pair continued walking. A semi-awkward silence filling the air. Casey laughed. "Man, this is awkward."

"Damn, right. I am controlling my urges to prank or tease you." Derek grumbled.

"Oh, hush you big baby. Just enjoy this quite night." Casey advised as they were passing through a particular dance studio's parking lot. Suddenly a rather loud moan was heard from the nearby parked car. "I guess I spoke too soon."

"Wanna prank them?" Derek asked, a mischievous smile on his face. Casey just laughed. He looks like a kid. Cute.

"Don't be such a pervert, Derek."

"What? Come on. It's their fault. I mean, they could've find a motel nearby or something. They are asking to be pranked."

"You know what? You have a point. So, Mister Prankster, whatever shall we do?"

Derek simply grinned a, a rather wicked grin, at her. "Do you have your iPhone?"

"Yes, why?" She asked, while digging through her bag.

"When I give the signal, play the emergency alarm. That will freak them out."

"I think that everyone would be freak-"

She was interrupted by Derek giving her a sign to quiet down so that the couple wouldn't hear them. Suddenly, he peered at the car window, but what confused Casey was that as soon as he did, he turned to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let's go."

"Derek, what is it?"

He stopped in his tracks, turning to her. "It was Max-hole and the slut," He told her in a quiet voice. "Come on," he took her hand again, not giving her time to react as he led her towards the nearby park. They walked in silence that was only interrupted once they arrived. They seated themselves near the slides, "I'm really sorry, Case."

"I don't-why- why isn't the plan working?" She stuttered, desperately trying to make sense of it all as the tears beginning to roll down her face.

"Don't make me answer that, Casey."

"Oh my God," comprehension dawned upon her. "You were right weren't you? You were right all along. I'm just a fucking little trophy to him. I'm a fucking prize. God, I'm fucking unlovable, aren't I?"

"Case, that's stupid," he told her pulling her to him in a tight hug. "You're not unlovable. He's just an asshole."

"But, still… He's my asshole, Derek! I love him. I need him to love me no matter how pathetic that may sound."

"He doesn't deserve you," he told her, in an attempt to dissuade her, even if he knew it wasn't likely to work given her stubbornness. "You're so much better than that, Casey."

She moved out of his arms to get a better look at him, making sure to hold onto his hands for support. "Derek… just help me. Please? I need him."

Derek sighed, silently nodding against his better judgment, knowing that he'd later regret the decision, "Fine."

"You will?"

"Yeah."

"So, what do we do now?"

"Um, I think that the jealousy thing may be the best way to go. Just…Casey don't screw him-"

"What the hell do you think I am? Some whore?"

"No, I don't you are. I think that you're a girl that's in love with him and might not be thinking properly," Those words shut Casey up. "Just ignore him. He loves the chase," He told her quietly, hating himself for helping her with this when the asshole obviously didn't deserve her.

"Okay."

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked her, wiping away her tears.

"Yeah," she told him with a smile. "We should probably go back. My parents are not home so I'll probably drown my sorrows in B&J and some chick flick."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"Really? THE Great Derek Venturi watching chick flicks with a girl he's not banging?" Casey fake gasped. "The world must be coming to an end."

"Very funny, Klutzilla. Forget I asked."

"I was just joking. Come with me, please?" Casey asked, her big blue eyes looking directly at Derek. It was at that moment that Derek realized that her eyes will soon be the death of him.

"You know what? Fine. But no chick flicks."

"Whatever you say, Venturi. I still vote for 'The Notebook'." Casey said, laughing. "Oh, and Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"How about we upgrade from semi-friends to friends?"

He smirked at her, "I think we can handle it."

Casey and Derek were sprawled on the couch in Casey's living room with a bowl of popcorn between them. Casey had her eyes closed with her hands covering her face. "Oh, God! I can't believe you like this movie. It's horrible." They are watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

"Oh, you big sissy. How can you be scared? You're not even watching?"

"Shut up. I told you I didn't want to watch it. I hate these types of movies."

Derek turned toward Casey and grabbed her hands, trying the peel them away from her face. "Oh, come on. You know you want to watch."

"Derek, stop it!" Casey pushed his hands back and tried unsuccessfully not to giggle as he started to tickle her. "That tickles!"

"That's the point!" Derek said as he moved his hands all over her body. "Ouch!" He screamed in pain when Casey kneed him in the groin.

"That's what you get, sicko!" Casey grinned up at him, stopping short when she realized exactly how close the two of them were. "I—can you stand up, please? "

Derek's eyes widened and he jumped up. "Whoa, Sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to get rid of the attraction he was feeling all of a sudden. "Uh, do you want to watch one of your movies now?"

"Yeah, I think so. I can't take anymore of that crap of yours."

"Shut up. Which one are we gonna watch?"

Casey smiled thoughtfully. "We are going to watch The Philadelphia Story."

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a classic. It's a very beautiful movie featuring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant."

"Oh God. It's a love story?"

"Yep," Casey said, her mouth popping with the letter 'p'.

Derek made a face. "It sounds horrifying."

"Shut up! It is not! It's my favorite movie."

"Man, I pity Miller all of a sudden if these are the types of movies you forces him to watch."

"We never had a movie night." Casey quietly said.

"You know what? Fine. Since you watched my crappy movies so I'm gonna endure your crappy movies without covering my eyes."

"Really, huh? We'll see,"

Casey sneaked a glanced at Derek while they were watching the movie. Surprisingly, he isn't flinching like he said he would. That was the moment she realized that she likes doing this with him.

"Well, what'd you think?" Casey glanced at Derek as the movie ended.

Derek was about to lie and say that it was full of crap, but he guess that tonight, Casey needed him, his honesty. "It was all right, I think. Not as horrifying as I thought it would be. Just don't feed me those lovey-dovey shit ever again."

"Really? I would have thought you'd burn your eyes after."

"Yeah, yeah. Tonight was a miracle." He glimpsed around the room, looking at the mess they'd made. "Man, you'd better get this trash out of the way before your parents get home."

"You won't help me?"

"Why should I? My presence is already a big help." Derek smirked.

"Gee, thanks a lot." Casey glared at him as she bent down to pick up their popcorn bowl. "How about you handle the trash and I'll put these things in the dishwasher?"

"You're too good to pick up trash?"

"DE—REK!"

"Geez, woman. Okay, okay." Derek secretly smiled as he bent down to pick up some soda cans. She was really beautiful. It was strange. He'd forgotten how beautiful she was. He'd become so blinded by her bitchy attitude that he forgot that she used to be his biggest crush when they were freshmen. But, of course, she's taken. Despite what some might say, he really is not that kind of guy. And besides, she'd probably never have any interest in him. She probably thought-

"Derek! You don't seem to be making much progress with the trash." Casey came back into the room. "I guess you need me to help you."

"You're going to lower yourself to do that, princess?"

"Shut up!" The two of them threw away the rest of the trash.

"Thanks for tonight, Derek."

"It was no problem. I told you I'm not a total ass. Well, sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess you are."

"I guess I'd better get going."

"Oh, yeah. It's getting kind of late. Thank you for staying over, Derek. I had a lot of fun."

"Why wouldn't you? I'm charming."

Casey hit him in the head. Derek simply smirked. "But anyway, I need to get going."

"I really had fun tonight. Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Derek smirked.

"In your dreams, Venturi. And besides, we're only friends, remember? You'll help me get Max back."

"Yeah, yeah. Blah blah. See you, Space Case." Derek walked towards his house.

"Derek!" Casey shouted. She ran towards him. "I- I- meant what I said. I'm glad you came over. Thanks for... everything." And then she hugged him.

Well, what do you think? Please review. :)