AN: Sorry this took so long to get out. I was grounded from the internet. deep sigh

Lizzie and Edwin make an appearance. Along with someone else.

Or other gang people.

Whoops, did I say that outloud?

You are going to have to wait to see.

Listen to Passenger Seat by Death Cab For Cutie while you read this. Repeat the song multiple times.

Please. :

Onze:

Casey and Derek avoided each other like the plague. They, in fact, came up with a routine in order to avoid each other. It was pathetic and so fourth grade, but it worked for the time being.

That was, until Nora and George's anniversary.

All the children in the house knew it was coming. Nora and George would repeatedly slip off downstairs and giggle like little school children. It was like a honeymoon all over again.

George let it slip one night at dinner that he and Nora would be taking a vacation the night of Derek and Casey's Junior-Senior Prom. Forks dropped and mouths opened, but George reassured them that they would find coverage in the form of a babysitter so that they wouldn't have to stay in that night.

"Good thing to." Derek said, putting on his face. "Because I already bought a ticket and picked out my arm candy."

"But what about a tux Derek?" Nora asked, quite politely, as if to tell him to go with Casey.

"Oh no worries mom." Casey said, looking up at Derek. "He has the ability to do things oh so suddenly."

With that they both stood, awkwardly at first, and then walking out of the room.

Nora pushed her food around on her plate.

"Well, at least things are back to normal."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

It wasn't until a day before she left that Nora realized nothing was the same. Maybe it was how neither of the children were talking to each other.

Or maybe it was because she and George had to rent two limos.

"This is an outrage!" George yelled, right after Nora gathered both Casey and Derek from their hideouts. "I am not spending this much money so you guys can go separately. Its either together or no limo at all."

"But Dad!" Derek spoke first, before Casey could even form a brain-to-mouth correspondence. "We can't do that!"

"Too bad. Now go to your rooms."

Casey trotted up the stairs in disappointment. She had to talk to someone. That's when she saw Lizzie walking to her room.

"Lizzie!" Casey called out, and surprise filled her sister's face. "Wait up!"

They were in Lizzie's room before Casey could even say something else.

"This is a surprise." Lizzie said, sitting on her bed. "I haven't really talked to you much since…" Neither of them spoke. They both knew the pain of saying those words. Casey did it anyway though.

"Since the night I came home from the hospital after the accident." Lizzie nodded, head hung solemnly. "I want to apologize." Casey said, sitting next to her sister.

"There is no need." Lizzie said, after a silence of only three seconds. "I understand. I have no idea what I would do if I were in your shoes. It's bad enough that you dealt with Derek before, with his mean comebacks and flirty aspects."

"It wasn't that bad." Casey interjected. "I didn't mind his company all that much."

"Oh please." Lizzie said. "You used to hate him."

"I don't believe that." Casey replied, rubbing her hands together.

"Yeah you did. In fact, the only time I ever saw you nervous really around him was when you stole his binder for class and left your sticky notes in there."

"Really?" Casey said. "When was this?"

"The day before your accident." Lizzie looked up at Casey, anxious to change the topic. It was silence before she spoke again. "Hey Case." Lizzie said, now imitating Casey's hand gestures. "How do you know you are in love?"

"Casey was surprised and laughed at her little sister. "I wouldn't know. But I can assume that I was in love with Max. And that I was in love with Sam. I guess you would just have to know."

"Thanks Casey." Lizzie said, as Casey stood to exit. "Don't forget to talk every once in a while."

Casey nodded and left the room.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Prom was slow to arrive, but in time it did. None of the McDonald-Venturi household was prepared correctly, and in time they also noticed this. Casey scrambled around last minute, looking for everything, making sure she had everything. She took one last look in the mirror and finally calmed down.

She was wearing a light blue colored dress that brought out the color in her eyes, along with some gold shoes that were ready to come off the second she got in the door. She pulled off a sticky note from the mirror, left previously by the old Casey.

Make sure to call Max before dance in order to make sure he got the correct corsage.

"Well," Casey said quietly. "I don't need to worry about that anymore now do I?" There was a knock at the door and Casey turned as it opened.

"Hey! Don't you look stunning!" Sam said. He agreed to be her date last minute, which was much to Casey's happiness.

"Hey, not to shabby yourself!" Casey said, adjusting his bowtie. Sam looked down and saw the sticky note in her hand and snatched it before Casey could say anything. He read it, with sorrow in his eyes.

"Its okay Case. You don't need to worry about that anymore." He embraced her in a hug before pushing her out the door. "Before I make you cry that pretty makeup off lets hightail it out of here."

Casey laughed and followed him down the stairs.

Nora and George were waiting by the door, talking to the taxi driver that would escort them to the airport. They both gaped when they saw Sam and Casey come down the stairs.

"You guys are the most perfect couple!" Nora said first, then gathered some words to follow. "Just look at the way your outfits fit together. Let me get a picture!"

"Now Nora, if we grab pictures we will be late for our flight." George said, pushing his wife out the door."

"Alright, you kids have fun." Nora said, silently closing the door behind her.

"Well, now that we are alone…" Derek said, with a sly smile on his face, as he grabbed his brunette date in his arms.

"Shut up." Emily and Sam said together, and then looked down. It was awkward before the babysitter walked into the room.

"Alright, you kids have fun." She said, pushing a short streak of purple behind her ear.

"Didn't Nora just tell us that?" Derek asked, trying to be all macho in front of his date.

"Lets just go." Sam said, as he pushed Casey out the door.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Many people other than just Casey and Derek had long waited for the Junior-Senior Prom. In fact, even the football players came out of their funk in order to help out the planning committee.

So Casey and Derek were not surprised to find that there was a huge crowd at the door.

The surprising factor was that a good majority of these people were already drunk.

"What the hell." Sam said, running a hand through his hair. "Couldn't they wait just a few more hours?"

"No," Casey laughed, holding Sam's hand to get out of the car. "If they would have waited they may have had a good time."

This made Sam laugh and they walked together up to the door, but they never made it.

"Hey Casey." One of the footballers slurred. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Casey said, reaching to step over him. "Just ready to party."

"Oh yeah?" the guy said, stepping back in Casey's way. "Don't you think you've been partying a bit too much since Max died?"

"What?" Derek answered for Casey. "Why don't you just go and drink your booze on the other side of the yellow brick road?"

"Because," the guy said. "I have a few more questions to ask Casey."

"Like what?" Derek pushed Casey behind him. "Will you get me a cab? Because I can just as easily do that one."

"I'm not leaving." The football jerk got into Derek's face.

"What do you want?" Casey said, tying her arms together in hopes of warding the footballer off.

"What were Max's last words?" he asked. Casey couldn't answer, obviously infuriating the footballer. He spat more questions at her.

"Just leave her alone." Sam said, pulling Casey into his arms. She was crying by this point. She couldn't answer any of his questions.

"Why?" The footballer wasn't alone. There were at least fifteen others joining in his rally against Casey, one of which was Kendra. "She was the one that made us lose Max."

"I didn't do anything!" Casey said. She understood now, all the weird looks in the hallway. They resented her because Max died.

"That's what you say." Kendra said.

"Leave me alone." Casey said. "I just want to have fun."

They were swarming her now, and it was making her head spin. Three other girls in identical dresses to Kendra followed, pushing Casey up against a wall.

"You aren't wanted." They repeated, and Casey was wondering where this was coming from.

"Casey!" Sam and Derek's voices were far away now. Casey pushed Kendra, but she was way too close.

"Why do you resent me?" Casey whispered in Kendra's ear, trying to toughen her skin.

"You killed the one I loved," Kendra said. "I loved Max. He was planning on breaking up with you. We were together for almost as long as you were. I'll never forget that you killed him."

Casey pushed one last time and broke away from Kendra, and ran into the horizon, pushing the voices behind her.