AN: Thank youu to those that reviewed. I greatly appreciate it. I tried to make this one a bit more longer. As long as I could now that I'm actually into the story without wanting to give so much away. Even if there's a long ways to go still.

And as always, I don't, and probably never will, own Life with Derek or the characters. Only the sweet looks of love.

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Casey stood motionless as she watched Derek walk away and heard his door close softly. Had he really just apologized?? Angry and confused, Casey wasn't going to let him have the last word. It goes against everything they've always done. Stomping to his bedroom door, she threw it open without knocking.

"Why do you do--" Casey stopped abruptly as she looked at Derek. He sat there on his bed. Shirtless. With his head down looking toward the ground. But slowly, he looked up at her, startled.

"What?"

"Uh..wh-why do you do that," Casey stuttered, still shocked to see him like this, "Why do you start joking around and then go all.. quiet on me! And why are you shirtless? That's disgusting. Put a shirt on." Casey lied. It wasn't disgusting. Ew. What? Ugh.

"A, Casey haven't you ever heard of knocking? Shouldn't you follow by your own rules. B, I'm shirtless because I was trying to get ready for a graduation ceremony that I have to be at in 20 minutes and with Sam picking me up in 10. C, I don't go all quiet. I don't even know what you mean by that." Derek knew exactly what she meant. But lying was so much easier.

"Derek, you know what I meant. You tease me about being a klutz and then you went apologetic."

"Listen, listen. I don't care what you think I did. I was only simply apologizing for being so out of it--"

"And BEFORE that you ask me to what, go to a park with you? Why don't you take one of your bimbos you saw so feverishly these past few months? And what would be there to do at a park, anyways? Unless of course this is just some end-of -the-year joke you're trying to play on me in which case.. I'm not going!"

Derek continued to get ready quietly, letting Casey vent and ramble all she wanted. He wasn't going to interrupt her as tried to buy time to think of some excuse as to why he did invite her. Tieing his left shoe, he got up and went to the door, right beside where she was standing just as she finished her rant.

Leaning over he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Because none of those bimbos are you."

And he was saved from answering all other questions by the sound of Sam's car honking outside. He walked swiftly out of the room trying to contain the nerves he had shaking through his body.

"Bye Dad, bye Nora! I'll see you all after the ceremony."

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He just.. He just..Oh god! Only 10 minutes left! I don't have time to think about stupid Derek. Casey rushed back to her room trying to suppress the giddiness she felt tremoring throughout her body. She threw the rest of the items she would need for this afternoon into a bag. Saying goodbye to her mom and George and her siblings, she bounded out the door to Emily's house hoping to clear her mind of what just happened in Derek's room.

Of course, she recieved no such luck as she listened to Emily prattle on about how 'cute' Derek would look in his gown. Rolling her eyes as they made their way to the center of their graduation. Time to face the music she thought to herself.
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As soon as the ceremony was over, Casey ran to find her her family. She gratefully noticed that Derek had yet to join them.

"So Case, what are you gonna do tonight as one of your last nights here at home?"

"I was thinking--"

"About joining me tonight at the park. Remember, Case?" Derek so fondly butted into their conversation, smirking at Casey who shot him a glare.

"Actually, Dere, I was thinking about going to Emily's tonight." Casey angrily shot back. But faltered after seeing Derek's smirk fall from his face, only for a slight moment before recovering with a broad smile.

"Fine. But, if you change your mind, you know where I'll be. Anyways, sorry to cut the family time short and all but I was hoping to run home for a while. Start the packing process, or really just start Edwin on my packing process." Derek threw over his shoulder as he was turning away.

"Wait, Derek! Nora and I would like to get a picture of you and Casey in your gowns still." George halted Derek's movements and turned him around, pushing him gently towards Casey. Casey, suddenly losing her breath being so close to him, awkwardly put her arm around his waist as he threw his arm over her shoulder. Both smiling brightly with a look only they knew about shining back at the camera, they got the picture over with and Derek ran off to meet Sam before heading home.

"Hey, Case. Are we still on for tonight?" Emily walked over to Casey and her family.

"Actually, Em, I'm really sorry but Derek wanted me to do this really lame thing with him tonight but, maybe we could do it tomorrow afternoon?" Casey stumbled over her words hoping none of her younger siblings, or parents for that matter, would mention anything about the arguement she and Derek had just had in front of them about the night's plans.

"Oh, it's alright. Tomorrow afternoon should be fine." Emily cheerfully replied as she went to rejoin her parents and younger brother.

Casey turned back to her family smiling lightly and rolling her eyes at the knowing looks they threw her way. "I'm going home. I have plans tonight with Derek. Where does he get off even guilt tripping me into doing these things! God. I'll see y'all later."

Edwin, looking at Lizzie with a worried look on his face, ran to catch up with Casey. "Hey, about yours and Derek's thing tonight. I just.. I think you should be nice about it. I know the park he's taking you to and I'm sure it's going to really mean a lot to him that you're going. Don't shoot everything he says down with the banter y'all always do." And with that, Edwin turned back around and ran back to Marti and Lizzie and his parents, leaving a shocked and confused Casey.

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Derek still planned for her to come. As he entered the house, he gathered a few things he was wanting to take to the park with him and changed out of his nice clothes. Knowing that even if she were to go to Emily's instead, she would still run by the house. And so he waited on the couch for her, in all her blue-eyed brown-haired beauty, to walk through the door. And it was only 5 minutes later when she did.

"Derek! Where are--" She stopped yelling for him when she noticed him staring at the blank TV screen.

"I was waiting for you. Are you going to Emily's?" Derek asked, trying to keep the hope from his voice that she would say no. But he failed. He was hopeful and he knew that she would know it.

"No. Actually, I decided catching up and making mends before leaving would be better. I'm going to go over to her house tomorrow afternoon instead. When did you want to go to the park?" She asked cautiously, trying to listen to Edwin's warning and still calculate the expressions running through Derek's face as she spoke.

He beamed up at her. "I'm ready to go when you are. But you should really change and grab a jacket. It's supposed to be cold tonight. Like every other night." Derek was thrilled that she actually gave up her plans for Emily to be with him.

"Whatever, I'll go change then." She smiled cautiously before heading up the stairs to her bedroom. Tonight she was going to try and have fun. Even if she was worried about what was going to happen. She had to have fun. For Derek.

AN: review pleasse? The next chapter should be done in moment's time.