AN: I really do apologize for being gone for so long. I recently lost someone very close to me, and every time I sat down to write this story I would get very emotional. I think it was that our story was very similar to this story. I believe there was a time when I just didn't care about this story, but I know now that they would want me to continue. So I'm continuing, and please review to let me know that you are still listening to the broken-hearted girl.
Huit-
Casey's eye flickered open. Was it really already morning? The light flickering through her closed windows reassured her thoughts. She sighed sitting up. She had a slight headache, which stood out even more as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. There was a knock on the door and Casey saw that Derek was standing there. Concerned smeared across his face like peanut butter on Marti's morning toast.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, lifting her up. She held the side of her head and nodded, feeling as though her entire head was going to explode.
"What is today?" she asked him. A slow smile crept its way to Derek's mouth.
"Monday." He said. Three days after their little adventure. The last couple days have been a blur besides that moment in time. He tried to help her remember things that obviously once meant something to her, yet she couldn't remember it.
"That's probably why I don't feel so well." She smiled and shooed him away. If she was ever going to get ready she wouldn't be able to do so while he was in the room.
Her closet was a mess. Apparently the old Casey used to keep it clean. At least, that is what Lizzy told her yesterday when Casey was trying to find a pair of shoes. It was meant to be a joke, but Casey found that it felt like a knife had been stabbed through her heart. Couldn't her own family see that she was trying very hard to be the old Casey? Or at least, remember who the old Casey was?
Speaking of Lizzy, Lizzy walked into the room holding two identical tee-shirts. She had a very contemplative look on her face. "Which one should I wear Casey?" Lizzy asked, stumped by her own question.
Casey laughed an uneasy laugh. What would the old Casey say? "Wear the one you want Lizzy." Casey found that to be a safe answer, and Lizzy looked at both shirts a bit closer then sat down on Casey's bed, finally after making her decision.
"Hey Case." She asked, slipping the shirt over her head. "I have a question."
"I doubt I have the answer." Casey said, finding an outfit for herself also. "But you can ask and I can pretend I know an answer."
"You've been hanging out with Derek way too long." Lizzy said, in-between full belly laughs. Casey stared at Lizzy like she had offended her, causing Lizzy to laugh harder. Casey had to be careful though; Lizzy's laughs made her head throb harder. "O.k. so basically," Lizzie started, twirling a shoelace in-between her fingers. "What do you do when you like someone but you don't know if they like you back?"
"Well, seeing as I have so much experience in this department," Casey started, sitting down on the bed next to Lizzy. Being stationary reminded Casey of all her aches. "I would just show him how you feel."
Lizzy looked uneasy about Casey's decision. Casey tried to remember something that she read in one of Emily's magazines the past Saturday night. "Well, Seventeen Magazine says that if you send your crush signals, then they will pick up on them. And if they like you, then they will return them."
"Since when do you read Seventeen Magazine?" Lizzy asked playfully, jabbing her elbow into Casey's ribs. It hurt so bad, but Casey stifled her scream and instead put a smile on her face.
"Since Saturday night I guess." She said, pushing Lizzy off her bed. It took all her might, and she was basically trying to hide her grinding teeth as she did so. "Now run along and get fully dressed before mom gets up here and scolds you."
Lizzy laughed and turned towards the door. "That sounds like the Casey I used to know."
Casey ran over this remark in her mind. She was a goody-two shoes in the past? What would have possessed her to be like that? Maybe that's why everyone was so surprised that bad boy Derek Venturi was hanging out with her. Oh well, at least she was enjoying her time trying to figure out who she was.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Derek stomped down the stairs like he was impersonating some animals in Africa. Emily noticed this, as she was waiting for Casey to come downstairs. "What the heck Derek?" She asked, setting her Jane Austen Complete and Unabridged Collection of all 7 Novels down.
"Something is wrong with Casey and she is not telling me." Derek said, running a cool hand through his damp hair.
"Maybe she doesn't want to worry you." Emily said, switching into Dr. Emily stage. "I know that if I was trying to figure myself out, I wouldn't want to worry the people that aren't worried by my condition."
"But I am worried!" Derek said, wringing his hands. "Can she not see that? Do I need to show her?!"
He was exasperated and Emily saw this. Instead of giving him support, she sighed. "Derek, whatever you are doing now, you are doing the right thing. She does trust you, I just don't think that she wants to worry you. Anyways, don't you have the SAT's today?" [AN: Sorry guys, if they don't take SAT's in Canada. I would assume they do though. . .
Derek nodded his head, sending some water droplets onto Emily's book. She was startled and grabbed her book. "My baby!" she cried out, making Derek laugh. It loosened him up until Casey came down the stairs. She came down very slowly, as though she was afraid to go any faster because she was going to break. She even winced at the last stair.
"Head still hurting?" Derek asked, and Casey nodded. He handed her some aspirin he pulled out when he was upstairs early. She took them gratefully.
"Well are we going to school?" Casey said, edging towards the door. Derek laughed and pulled open the door.
"Sure you want to go?" he asked her and she nodded. He got close to her and put a piece of hair behind her ear. She looked up and he noticed how bright her eyes were. And they looked like they were in pain. He knew that he had to respect her though, and let her get in the car. Passenger's seat, of course.
"Will I ever be able to ride Shotgun again?" Emily asked jokingly.
"No," Derek and Casey said in unison, causing a full belly laugh from everyone in the car. Derek saw that Casey was holding her head as she did so, as if laughing hurt her whole body.
Derek peeled out of the driveway, slowly and carefully, then speeding down the road. The school was so close, but Derek made the ride enjoyable. They played one song, some song from the latest Guitar Hero game, and right at the end of the song the school came into view.
Derek pulled into his spot and immediately was surrounded by several girls. Casey got out with the help of Emily, who was now also worried about Casey. Derek broke through his little crowd and flagged Emily down before she entered the building.
"Watch Casey today. Please? I have a feeling that this 'headache' of hers isn't a headache after all." Derek pleaded while Emily nodded. Then the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Lunch came before Casey was hungry, a rarity among all rarities. But she sat by Emily and picked at her lunch.
"Everything okay?" Emily said, with a full mouth.
"Yeah, I had a full breakfast." Casey lied. She just didn't feel like eating. Moving her mouth even hurt her body. Emily sent her an evil glare though, and so Casey got up to get some milk. Midway across the cafeteria, she met Derek's glance. He was sitting around a bunch of new girls and Sam. He raised his eyebrows at her. She just rolled her eyes and bought her milk. She spun around to walk back over to her seat when she noticed she moved to fast. Things began to get a little fuzzy and she reached for something, anything, to latch her hands onto. Derek saw this and jumped up, catching Casey as she fell. Her hands landed on his shoulders, head resting on his chest.
"Casey, whats wrong?" He asked with a stern tone.
"I…. think I'm…. okay." She said, but then she blacked out.