First Kiss

Previously...

Casey opened her eyes as the memory ended and she raised her head not really seeing the room. Her breathing was shallow as she contemplated the similarities between her's and Derek's story.

Part 2

Derek sauntered out of Casey's dorm room and headed for the library, grinning unconsciously as he continued to think about his first kiss. It had been a great first kiss. He had never since experienced the electricity that ran through his body during those minutes, and his lips had tingled for hours afterward. He had been nervous, but he would never admit it, though he figured Casey knew him well enough to tell he lied.

It was the fragrance that always whisked him back to that moment. Every time he smelled vanilla it reminded him of that first kiss. In fact, the first month or so after the McDonald's had moved in, Casey's scent had almost sent him over the edge. He had already kissed several girls in the intervening months, but none of them had had the same effect on him as the mystery girl at the party.

As the months, and years, passed, Casey's perfume affected him less and less and the memory of his first kiss faded as well. Kissing Sally had been pretty close to perfection, but not quite. And now, Casey had him thinking of that first kiss again and the mystery girl that had sent lightening bolts through him.

Part 3

The next afternoon, Casey skittishly shifted from foot to foot outside Derek's dorm room door holding a piece of paper in her hand. She was trying to talk herself into knocking, when the door opened, and Derek almost walked into her on his way out.

"Casey," he said surprised to see her.

"Hi." She replied nervously.

Derek's brow creased as he answered slightly confused by the anxiety in her large blue eyes. "Hi."

Her eyes darted away from his and she held out the paper with a trembling hand. "I, um, thought you might want to, uh, read my paper. The, um, one about my first kiss, since, uh, I made you talk about yours yesterday." She was rambling, and Derek's confusion increased.

"'Kay." He said slowly taking the paper out of her hand.

"I've gotta go," she muttered quickly before dashing down the hall.

"Space-case," Derek breathed, but he turned and went back into his room to read the paper.

Derek's stomach churned and his heart lodged in his throat as he finished reading Casey's writing assignment. Either Casey had used Derek's experience for her own, or…or she was…No. No, the mystery girl could not have been Casey. That was absolutely impossible. This was Casey's idea of a prank. That had to be it. A prank. He had to admit it was good one, but…but how did she know his hands were clammy when he had told her he wasn't nervous? How had she known their hands had laced together when he hadn't mentioned it?

He didn't want to see it, but the puzzle pieces fit together too neatly. He grabbed his cell and texted Sam. What's Ruth's number?

Sam looked at his phone baffled by his friend's request. Why?

Derek was desperate and impatient. Please.

Still suspicious, Sam texted. Male code, D. You can't ask her out.

Derek was taken aback when he read Sam's reply. I don't want to ask her out you idiot. I just need to ask her a question.

Sam finally relented and figured his sister was on her own. 591-661-5555

Thanks

Derek took a deep breath and dialed Ruth's number frantic for the truth.

"Hello," Curiosity in Ruth's voice as she answered the unknown number.

"Hey Ruth. This is Derek Venturi, Sam's friend." He hoped his voice sounded casual as he paced his small dorm room.

Ruth laughed, "You didn't need the add the Venturi part. I'd know your voice anywhere. What's up?"

Derek wasted no time on small talk and rushed out the words. "Remember when I was fifteen and you asked Sam and I to go to a party with you? The girl was on your soccer team and had just moved to town. Sam ended up not going because he was sick, but you and I went. Do you remember?"

Ruth was silent for a few seconds as she sorted through her memories. "Yeah, I think I remember." She started to laught, "Is that the time I had to haul you out of the closet when Mom picked us up early?"

"Yes," Derek breathed in relief. "Do you remember the girl's name?"

Amused, Ruth ribbed, "The birthday girl or the one you were sucking face with in the closet?"

Derek stumbled for a moment, "Do you know who the girl in the closet was?"

Ruth popped her gum. "Just that she was a friend of Laura's from the girls school they attended in Toronto."

Derek's stomach dropped and he landed hard on the bed as his knees turned to jelly. "Thanks," he said and hung up not waiting for Ruth's reply.

"Hot, but weird." Ruth muttered into the dead phone.

Derek fell back onto his bed and felt like a truck had run over him. He had kissed Casey. He had kissed Casey. He had kissed Casey. It was Casey that had caused that electricity to surge through him when he was fifteen. Then another thought occurred to him. Casey must have realized it was him or she wouldn't have given him her paper to read. Why did she give him the paper? Surely, she had been grossed out when she had connected the dots. Why didn't she want to keep this information to herself?

He looked over her writing again. She certainly hadn't described the experience as disgusting. In fact, it appeared she felt the same way he did. Maybe the idea of kissing him didn't freak her out? Maybe…she…No. No, Casey did not want to kiss him. But as he looked at the paper again, he smiled a little at the thought of feeling that spark again. Did she want to feel that spark too?

Derek's smile vanished when he thought of the consequences of kissing Casey. The looks from their friends. The comments from their family. He started to feel sick before thinking, consequences? Since when did I start caring about the consequences?

Part 4

Two days had passed since Casey had handed Derek her writing assignment. She had submitted a entirely different paper to her teacher in the end because she just couldn't bare the thought of anyone else knowing something so personal. Casey's nerves were on edge because two days was the longest amount of time she had gone in the last five years without seeing or talking to Derek. Even when Derek had an away game, she was always the last person he saw before leaving and the first person he saw upon returning - not to mention all the phone calls and texting in between.

Casey was walking with her bubbly but oblivious roommate to class and looked like she was paying attention to the story Blair was telling her. But truthfully she had checked out after the first sentence and was worrying about her relationship with Derek. Surely by now he had figured out that their "first kiss" stories were eerily similar. Was he disgusted? Did he plan on avoiding her for the rest of their lives? Would they have to alternate holidays with the family? Casey was feeling her decision to let him read about her experience was possibly the stupidest thing she had ever done.

Casey jumped, bumping into Blair, and let out a strangled scream as a large, rough, warm hand grabbed hers. Even at the moment that she screamed, her brain was processing the familiarity of that hand. "Come with me, Princess." The deep voice spoke softly in her ear causing a shiver to run through her body. Blair turned and watched as Derek dragged Casey away.

Derek led Casey down the busy hall and then down another less populated hall. He peered around for onlookers before opening a door and pushing Casey inside. Casey didn't even notice the sign on the door because as soon as Derek grasped her hand she had been operating on autopilot. As Derek entered the room and closed the door, Casey noticed they were standing in a small dark space that smelled like bleach.

"Is this a closet?" asked Casey unable to mask her bewilderment.

"Um, hi." Derek said with just a hint of nervousness as he rubbed his hands on his pants.

"Hi." Casey replied still confused and unaware of the scene Derek was trying to recreate. Casey shifted her bag on her shoulder.

Derek however stuck to his plan and was hoping for the best. "So I guess I should…" Derek's voice trailed off.

Befuddled, Casey replied, "Yeah?"

The room was totally black so Casey was unprepared when Derek took her hands in his and brushed his lips against hers. Sparks exploded around them, and finally realization hit Casey. She dropped the bag off her shoulder and he released her hand just for a second to let the strap fall too.

"Oh." She said softly.

Since she didn't pull away or screech "Der-ek!," he decided to push forward. His lips captured hers and this time he deepened the kiss. Casey released Derek's hands and twisted her fingers through his hair. Warmth spread through her body and she was tingling all over. She felt heady from his smell and lost all coherent thought as she just lived in the moment.

His hands circled her waist and pulled her close. He was still reeling from the fact that she was so passionately accepting of his kiss and proximity. He was dizzy as Casey's vanilla body spray enveloped him. Electricity crackled through his body speeding up his heart and making his stomach twist. They continued to kiss, only stopping for a quick breath, and much more than seven minutes passed.

Derek felt, rather than heard, Casey's cell phone ring, as his hands had slipped below her waist. He extracted the phone from her back pocket and broke their kiss to read the text from her best friend Blair. Where are you?

Derek moved his other hand from around her waist, as Casey slipped her hands from his extra messy hair to his hard chest, to text back. In a dark closet kissing Derek. He hit send before she could stop him. "Der-ek!" She screeched making Derek chuckle.

"What?" he asked innocently and mischievously as the same time. He slid the phone back into her pocket and rested his hands on the sides of her waist.

"Are you sure?" Her voice was tentative, and she wished the darkness didn't prevent her from seeing his eyes.

His hand moved to cup her face. His voice was confident and he felt more sure of his answer than he had ever felt about anything before. "Yes."

Casey left out a breath and Derek wasn't sure if it was in relief or distress. He rested his forehead on hers. "Are you sure, Case?"

He could feel her nodding before she spoke, "Yes."

Derek felt the tension release from his shoulders and he kissed her again.

Part 5

Just a day later, Derek and Casey were laying on her dorm room bed making out when Derek's cell phone chirped. He reached for it, and Casey tried to distract Derek from reading the text he had just received.

When's my turn, D? Read the message from Ralph.

Completely confused Derek texted back. What R U talking about?

Ralph's reply was lengthy. U, me, & Sam R best friends right? We do everything 2gether. Sam's kissed her. UR kissing her. When do I get 2 kiss her? If Ralph had been there, Derek would have socked him with a pillow - hard. UR SOL. I'm the last guy she's kissing.

Ralph laughed at Derek's territorial response and texted back. U said she had nice shoes, didn't you, D?

But Ralph never received a reply because Derek found Casey to be a lot more interesting than Ralph.

THE END

AN: Soooo? Watcha think?