Casey
Casey popped her fifth piece of sugar free gum into her mouth and chewed until her
jaw hurt. She was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, rocking back and forth with
just a blue lava lamp illuminating the room.
She glanced at the green digital clock beside her bed.
12:26.
It was a fucking school night and Derek was out...with another girl.
When Emily had called Casey earlier in the evening, she was struck silent at what she
heard, not believing it. It still hadn't registering in her brain. How could he do this to
her?
Maybe Emily had been mistaken. Perhaps someone had trashed Smelly Nelly's and it
was taking hours to clean up, maybe he had a broken leg and needed to be rushed to
the hospital, or he could be dead...the boy better be dead.
Casey tried going to sleep but couldn't manage to drift off. He hadn't even bothered
calling, and to make matters worse, George had even mentioned another girl might
have caught his attention when he wasn't home at his usual time.
She rose to her feet, crossing her arms. Pacing back and forth, the time began to
move slower yet quicker all at once. She opened her bedroom door for the
eighth time and peeked out into the hallway.
Still no sign. If she didn't get to bed soon, her math test tomorrow would be an epic
failure.
Casey quietly clicked her door shut and went to her bed, pulling back the piles of
covers, and laid her head down. Shutting her eyes, she willed sleep to overtake her.
It was the only relief she was going to get from the pain in her heart.
If Derek wanted to cheat on her, that was just fine. He was the last thing she needed.
Against her will, she opened her eyes and once again glanced at the clock by her bed.
12:57.
A tear slipped from Casey's blue eyes. After months upon months of promising he
would never get the upper hand on her, here she was letting him treat her like she
was nothing. Sure they fought all the time, but it was their way of showing affection
for one another.
This was different. They were sleeping together. At this time last night, they were
just coming out of the bathroom; the memory still burned in her mind. She was no
different to him than any other girl he had been with.
They weren't even together as long as Kendra had been with him. It really made her
feel pathetic and worthless...except he was the worthless one. Casey was worth
more than this.
So many times before, a girl had let him cheat on her and she turned a blind eye.
Casey refused to be that girl.
1:46.
She closed her eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep...newly single...and newly
heartbroken.
Derek
3:48
Derek turned his key in the lock and let himself into the house. It was pitch black; he
couldn't see his hand infront of his face. Using the laser pointer on his key ring, he
used it as a guide to get him up the stairs all in one peice.
He should have been home a good five hours ago, but not one person bothered
calling his cell phone. It was a work and school night, so he usually came in with
everyone already asleep yet nobody noticed he never came home.
He wondered if Casey did.
He and Sally went nowhere. They sat inside Smelly Nelly's simply talking and eating
up the inventory. Talking about their family's, where they went to school, her future
college plans, and Derek's love of hockey. It was the longest he ever talked to anyone
in his entire life. It didn't seem to bother either of them that they weren't going to
get any sleep that night.
She had looked wonderful with her blond hair pulled from her ponytail, cascading
around her shoulders while she stuffed french fries in her mouth and drank three
cups of coke.
And when they left, she had kissed him. A quick soft kiss that left him weak in the
knees. The memory was going no where any time soon.
Reaching the landing ontop of the stairs, Derek shuffled to his room and went inside,
throwing his keys by his computer. Shedding his uniform, he put on a pair of sweat
pants and plopped down on his bed stomach first.
Derek closed his eyes, hoping to get atleast three hours of sleep. Three was better
than none. Yet something kept nagging at his mind. Regardless of the perfect night
he had, Casey still haunted his head. His guilt was strong, but not as strong as it had
been when he went into work that evening.
It was amazing how fickle he could be. After everything he promised Spacey, he was
thinking about dating someone else. Someone he wouldn't have to hide behind
closed doors with.
Lifting his body up by his biceps, Derek padded across the floor and made his way
next door. If he didn't see her, he was going to go crazy. Turning his light on and
leaving the door open, he went into Casey's room quietly. His light slightly cast a
glow upon her bed.
He sat down beside her and moved the long dark hair from her face. She looked so
beautiful. More beautiful than any one person had a right to be.
He half smiled as she turned her head fully tword him but didn't wake up. The smile
on his face disappeared when he noticed something alarming.
There were black streaks running down her cheeks. She had been crying, not
bothering to remove her makeup before going to bed. Fear gripped him tight.
Derek had been terrified that Emily got to her and told her what happened. He had
kept his fingers crossed that their neighbor would have seen him with so many girls
that one more wouldn't have been important enough to inform Casey.
He wiped away at her cheeks, trying to rid some of the black away. She stirred, then
opened her eyes. Thoughs blue eyes that he loved so much. Her brow furrowed and
then she stiffened. Casey jerked her face away from his hand and shot up, ignoring
her newly awoken state. It looked as if she had been awake all along.
"Get the hell away from me." Her teeth were clenched, her voice low.
"Case..."
"Get out!" Derek jumped from the bed and just stared at her dumbfounded. It was
confirmed that Emily had indeed told Casey what happened.
"It's not what you think," he tried calming her. Unfortuntely, it was exactly what she
thought.
"Get out, get out, get out!" She had leaped from the bed and began hitting him on
the chest until he was backed out of the door and it slammed in his face.
What had just happened? As much as he liked Sally, seeing Casey hurt this way was
not worth it. He put his forhead against the cool door and tried talking, as pointless
as it may be.
"I love you, Case," Derek said above a whisper, but not too loud. "I told you last
night that I always will and that will never change. I just need some time to think is
all." What else could he possibly say to make things better.
"I never meant to hurt you, you gotta believe me. Maybe, if we just take some time,
everything will work itself out and we can go from their, but..." what else could he
say? "But please don't shut me out."
He knew she was listening. He wasn't speaking in hushed tones like he should be but
directly at the girl her held his heart in a way that was pure confusion. He knew he
loved her but how much? If he loved her then why was Sally creeping her way in?
He turned to his left, seeking the refuge of his room when two pairs of eyes caught
his attention from the attic stairs. Edwin and Lizzie had heard everything, their silent
faces full of bewilderment. The cat was out of the bag.
He loved his step-sister and half of their family knew.