Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Again, no.

The next few days went by rather smoothly in the MacDonald-Venturi household. So smoothly actually, that Nora and George had to wonder who replaced Derek and Casey with these imposters.

It was true, Derek and Casey were like two passing ships in the night. They hardly ever spoke to each other unless verbal communication was completely necessary. Otherwise the only way they fought were glares across the dinner table and dirty looks at school, mostly supplied by Casey.

George and Nora were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie on the television when Casey came downstairs to get a snack. Derek, who was coming out of the kitchen with a bag of chips, was listening to his headphones, clearly oblivious to his surroundings.

Just as he air guitared his way out of the kitchen, Casey went to make herself a snack. Derek, being in his own world bumped into her and spilled his soda all over her pink blouse.

George and Nora turned around, paused the movie, and prepared for World War 3. But, to their surprise and even Derek's surprise Casey didn't rant and rave. She barely did anything.

"Maybe we should call you Klutzilla from now on Derek." That was all she said before going tinto the kitchen and leaving the entire living room bewildered. Derek made his way back up to his room.

"George, I'm sick of this." Nora said.

"What do you mean?! They aren't arguing, it's great!"

Nora just sighed and shook her head.

"Or, not great?" George supplied.

"Something's up. Casey only ignores people when she is really upset with them."

"Do you want me to talk to her…"

"No!" Nora replied, almost too quickly. "I think I'll let it wait a little while."

xxxxxx

Casey was reading her latest school assigned book when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She said, in a bored tone.

"Hey Casey."

Casey turned around to see Lizzie sitting on her bed.

"Hey Liz, what's up?" She said as she put her book on the nightstand.

"Why have you been so quiet lately?"

Casey just sighed.

"Did Derek do something?"

"Well, yeah…I mean no…well…not really."

"Uh-huh…"

"He just lied to me again."

"A big lie."

"No so much a big lie as an important lie. Whatever, I'll just talk to Paul about it tomorrow. Don't worry about it Liz, I'm fine."

xxxxxx

At the same time Lizzie went to talk to Casey, Edwin went to talk to Derek. They had planned to find out what was going on.

"Heeey bro." Edwin said, wary of his big brother's ever changing moods.

"Hey Ed." Derek said from his computer.

"So what did you do to Casey this time?"

"I lied to her again. Nothing big even. She's probably just PMSing." Derek answered, not once looking up from the computer screen.

"Well she seems really upset lately…"

"Sort of like I'm gonna be if you don't leave Edwin."

Derek finally looked up and glared at his brother, who scurried out of the room and shut the door on his way.

XXXXXX

It was lunchtime on Wednesday and Casey was in Paul's office.

"And you know Paul, I know he always lies and manipulates and treats me like crap but I finally thought that for once I was getting to know a real person."

"Well maybe he was afra-"

"I mean, he could have been scared to tell me the truth so he covered it up with he usual obnoxious ways, but that's low, even for Derek."

"Like I said-"

"I really believed him and I felt so stupid afterward. Its like his only pleasure in life is to torment me and its really getting old."

"Maybe you could-"

"So I stopped giving him the opportunities, you know? Like if he did anything remotely annoying, I've ignored it. All of it. So eventually he's stopped. And I know I should be happy that we don't argue and that he's leaving me alone, but I can't help but think that something is missing. I want to at least be civil with him, if not his friend."

"Look, Casey, sit down and don't pace."

Casey obliged and Paul continued.

"Casey, maybe your relationship with Der-"

"RELATIONHIP? We argue and ignore each other's existence. How is that any kind of relationship? "

"Just listen. Maybe if you tried to talk to him, instead of ignoring him, you would get what you wanted."

"Fine Paul, but I won't enjoy it." Casey said as she got up and left.

"Famous last words." Paul said before she shut the door and tried to catch up on the last few minutes of her lunch period.