Casey had a headache. An aching headache that was killing her.

And it was all because of the stupid little boy across the street. He and his stupid little friends had been pranks calling ALL MORNING. It was driving her up the wall!

.

She headed downstairs, rubbing her throbbing temples. "Ugh!" She shouted, holding a pillow over her face.

"I HATE those stupid little kids!" She yelled into the pillow.

Derek walked downstairs a few minutes later.

"Hey Spacey. You wanna go to Smelly Nelly's? I can't put up with that freaking phone anymore. I'll kill myself if they call one more time."

She looked up at him. "Absolutely. Let me grab my coat." She rushed upstairs, heart racing.

Stop it, Casey. Why are you feeling this way? He's Derek! But in the back of her mind, locked away in that girly, lovey-dovey part of her mind, a voice was saying, He's so cute! And he was so nice last night!

"Casey! Come on, I'm starving!" Derek's voice called upstairs, and Casey snatched her coat from the closet, rolling her eyes. Would it kill him to be a little more patient?

She deliberately took her time going downstairs, and she saw Derek, who was visibly annoyed, flicking through channels.

"Finally! Jeez, why do chicks take so long to get ready? We're only going down the street!" Derek complained, switching off the TV.

"Sorry everyone isn't as punctual as you, Oh Great Derek. Let's go." Casey said, heading out the door.

Derek rolled his eyes and mocked Casey silently behind her back, which she saw. "Mature."

He hopped into the drivers side, and the drove silently to Smelly Nelly's.

As soon as they arrived, Casey saw Derek's jaw visibly clench. He'd spotted Sally.

She was clearly on break, and she was flirting with some guy in front of the counter. Casey watched her take the guys hand, and write something with her pen, presumably her number.

She had no idea what made her do it, but Casey grabbed Derek's hand for a split second, squeezing it gently.

Derek whipped to face her, and the almighty cool, calm, and collected Derek turned a light shade of pink, the corners of his mouth turning up.

Casey, on the other hand, turned crimson, and quickly let go. Why did I just do that? She wondered in her mind, her heart pounding from his touch. But it was actually kind of...nice. NO! Casey, stop! She ordered herself, and followed Derek to a booth.

Sally quickly popped up to take their order. Derek averted his eyes.

"Hi Casey, hi Derek." Sally grinned. "How's everything?"

Casey forced a smile, for the first time, feeling bad for Derek.

"It's good, Sally." Casey said coolly.

Sally didn't notice her tone. "How's, oh what was his name...right! How's Max, Casey?"

Casey glanced at Derek, who for some reason had stiffened at the mention of Max. "Um, I actually broke up with him."

Sally smiled sympathetically, "Things not working out how you planned?" Casey saw Sally's eye flick to

Derek for a fraction of a second.

Casey nodded and tentatively said, "So, who did you just give your number?"

Sally's face split into a wide grin, and Derek coughed a little. "His name's Jake. He's so sweet! Turns out that he's having a party this weekend, and he wanted me to be his date. Isn't that cute? He came here to give me flowers and ask me." You could tell Sally had been bursting to tell someone the news.

Casey forced another smile. "That's great Sally. So...could we order now, or are you still on break?"

Sally's smiled faded. "Oh...sure. What do you want?"

Casey glanced at Derek, and saw that he was completely spaced out, so she decided to order for him. "One Veggie Burger with a small Sprite, and one Double Cheeseburger with a large Coke, and a side of fries. Please."

Sally raised her eyebrows at Casey's ordering for Derek, and she leaned close to Casey.

"Are youandDerek goingout now?" She whispered in Casey's ear.

Casey choked on her complimentary water.

"N-no! Absolutely not! What made you think that?" Casey managed through coughs, Derek looked up, at last.

"Casey, are you alright?" He asked, referring to her non-stop coughs.

She nodded, and had another sip of water.

Sally smirked. "That's what made me think it." And walked away.

Casey furrowed her brow. What was that supposed to mean?

Derek tore up a napkin absentmindedly.

Casey stared at him. "Are you okay?" She asked, watching him tear up the napkin.

"Why would I not be okay?" Derek said, clearly forcing himself to look her in the eye. Casey noticed that his voice just barely cracked a little.

"Well...you didn't exactly talk when Sally came over." Casey explained, as if telling something to a two-year-old.

"That's because me and Sally don't exactly talk to each other. Too bad I can't say the same thing about you and I."

Sally and I. Casey mentally corrected him, but she didn't think it was the time to correct him out loud, seeing as he was in such a nasty mood.

She didn't blame him, though. Things with Sally hadn't exactly gone well.

"Anyway, it's none of your business who I talk to." He finished. Casey's head snapped up.

"Then why is it any of your business who I talk to?" She countered, immediately firing up.

Derek's expression was confused. "What're you talking about? I don't care who you associate with! Go party it up with the Math Club for all I care!"

Casey's eyes flashed. "Oh, really, Derek? You don't care? Then why did you make me promise to tell you everything my secret admirer says to me?"

She stared unblinking at Derek, watching him turn that shade of pink again. "That's different."

"How so?" She argued.

"Cause you don't actually know this dude!"

Casey sat back. He had her there, and he knew it, because the pink faded, his signature smirk took over his face, and he crossed his arms across his chest.

And idea popped into her head. "Why do you care?"

Derek's head snapped up to look at her, and his smug look slid off his face. "I--"

"Food's here!" Sally had returned with their orders. She slid their dishes in front of them, and Casey thanked her, forgetting instantly the conversation, as she looked from Derek to Sally.

Sally was staring at Derek.

Casey kicked him under the table.

"Ow! Yeah...thanks Sally." He muttered, avoiding her eyes.

She smiled warmly. "Anytime. Enjoy, guys." And she departed.

Derek glared at Casey. "Why'd you kick me?" He whined, digging into his burger.

Casey spared him a disgusted look. "Because you were being rude." She stated simply, spreading a napkin over her lap.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Princess."

Half an hour later, they were on their way home, bickering about who-knows-what.

Suddenly, three fire trucks, two police cars, and an ambulance rushed by, sirens blaring.

Derek's brow furrowed. "That's weird. They're heading down our street. Casey? You didn't leave the stove or something on, right?" He said, looking at her panicked. She looked equally panicked.

"No. Of course not! It can't be our house. Hopefully it's not the Davis's!"

Derek sped up, anxious to see what the commotion was.

Casey's jaw dropped. "Oh, my..." She breathed.

Derek's eye widened, and he pulled into the driveway. "Holy shit..."

They leapt out of the car, unable to take their eyes of the sight that met them across the street.

The Fisher's house, across the street was burning to a crisp. It was black and falling to pieces, burning chunks of splintering, blackened wood falling onto the singed, brown lawn.

Neighbors from all over were peering out of their houses, shocked by the sight that met their eyes.

Derek grabbed Casey's arm suddenly, pulling her away from the house, which the firefighters were currently spraying down with heavy jets of water.

Casey let Derek lead her into the house. She started up the stairs when he called her back. Casey turned around.

"Are you..." He started. He rubbed his neck, obviously feeling awkward.

"Are you gunna...you know...be okay? Up in your room? Do you wanna, I don't know...Stay down here? In the living room?"

Casey managed a smile, but shook her head. "I'm okay...thanks Derek."

She pushed open her bedroom door, and perched on the edge of her bed, dropping her coat carelessly to the carpet.

She flopped backwards onto the covers, when she felt something wet, right beneath her ear. Frowning, she sat up, and yanked back the blanket.

At that moment, Casey let loose a scream so terrible, Derek was up the stairs in three seconds flat.

"Casey! What the hell? What--What the fuck!" He stared open-mouthed at the bed. Casey covered her mouth. She was stunned, horrified.

There, on Casey's pale pink sheets lay an arm. An ARM! A little boys arm...Oh God.

Tears flowed openly down Casey's pale cheeks, and Derek couldn't stop gawking at the single arm.

"There's a note..." He whispered, and Casey noticed through blurred vision that his hand trembled slightly as he reached to retrieve it from Casey's dry pillow.

It read:

Casey-

I doubt he'll be able to dial you again.

-Your Admirer

It was typed neatly in Courier font, and Derek could tell that this freakshow hadn't touched it, so even if they were crazy enough to go to the cops, they wouldn't find any fingerprints.

"I--" Casey started, then her eyes went wide, and she blacked out, falling onto the floor with a soft thud.

Derek rushed to her side and hoisted her up bridal-style.

He hesitated, then brought Casey to his room, making her comfortable under the messy covers.

He ran a hand through his messy hair, and breathed slowly. "Venturi, what are you getting yourself into?"

He said to himself, smiling softly at the angel lying before him.

Now for that body part...