A/N:
The next morning at breakfast Casey wasn't looking at me. Part of me said to just ignore her. She was the least of my problems. But another part of me said I should feel bad.
"Casey why are you so quiet?" Nora asked.
"Yeah and why aren't you fighting with Derek?" chimed in Edwin.
"I don't have time to waste on immature children thank you very much." There was that child crap again. Thanks a lot Case. As if I wasn't already thinking about it 24/7.
"Well it's better than being a grub." I said out loud.
"Shut up Derek!" she cried, her composure gone. I gave her my classic smirk: the one that annoyed her so much.
"That's better." Said Ed as he pushed back his chair and put his empty cereal bowl in the sink.
Casey pulled herself back together somewhat and after following Ed's example in the kitchen she grabbed her backpack off the couch and headed for the door. She called goodbye to Nora just before she slipped out of the house.
"Derek would it killed you to be nice to Casey for one day." Her mother questioned me.
"My dear, dear Nora. I'm very sorry to say that yes it actually would kill me. Otherwise I would be the perfect gentleman."
Nora sighed but she also smiled a little. "Ok Derek, but you better get headed to school now."
I fought back the urge to gulp and played it cool. "Oh don't worry. They won't start without me." I gave her a smug smile and headed out the door sure that Nora suspected nothing. Now I had to keep up the act for the entire day at school. Not to mention that no doubt I would run into Kendra at some point and I didn't know how to act with her. I decided that today school was a bad idea. I called Sam and asked him if he wanted to ditch with me. He said he had a big history test or something. I probably had it too, but it seemed even less important now than it had before.
I spent the day cruising around town doing nothing inparticular. I knew I would have to go to school sooner or later but the later option sounded a whole lot better.
When I finally dragged myself home Casey, dad, and Ed were all sitting at on the couch watching tv.
"How was school Derek?" my dad asked.
Before I could answer Casey jumped in. "Yeah Derek how was school?" She said as she smiled darkly.
"It was just your average day." I answered coolly, while my insides cursed Casey.
"It was strange. I didn't see you in the halls. Like I usually do." I eyed her angrily. She was enjoying this.
"That reminds me Klutzilla. I need some help with my history homework." I said as I walked over to her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up the stairs behind me.
"Don't call me that! And how does that have anything to do-"
"Come on Casey! So little time so many programs of the New Deal to study." I cut her off before she could make my dad suspicious.
I didn't release her until we got to my room and closed the door behind us. "What the hell was that about?" I asked roughly.
"Why whatever do you mean Derek?"
"Don't play stupid with me. You were gonna rat me out to my dad! Don't you have any sense of loyalty?"
"Maybe I would if you ever treated me like I was a human being instead of constantly making fun of me even when I try to help you!"
"Casey that was none of your business!"
"I just thought you might want to talk about it! You didn't have to bite my head off!"
"You don't understand! I do wanna talk about it! But I can't! This isn't about some silly little school supply business this time! This is a big fucking deal!"
"Well I'll never understand unless you tell me!"
I stopped yelling. I sat down on my bed and put my head in my hands. The words were out of me before I even thought to speak them. "Kendra's pregnant."
I waited for her response: for her to yell at me, for her to stomp out of the room and slam the door, for her to run and tell my dad. But she didn't do any of those things. What she did surprised me to no end. She walked over to the bed, sat down beside me, took my head from my hands, put it on her lap, and began stroking my hair. I don't know why but I didn't pull away. Suddenly I let the tears I had been holding back since last night roll silently down my cheeks. I hated that I was being so weak in front of Casey, but at the same time I loved the comfort she provided. I fell asleep there, like a child would in it's mother's arms.