The rest of the weekend had gone by before Casey could even blink, and before she knew it, she was going to her first day of school.
"Casey!" a voice from down the hall called. Casey turned to find Danni pushing her way towards her. "Hey, what's up?"
"Um…Lost." Casey knew that she should've known her way to her first class, but she's already found herself immersed in the crowd of students, unable to read signs. Danni grabbed Casey's wrist and began dragging her in the opposite direction.
"You'll get used to it," Danni assured Casey, even though Casey wasn't sure that she'd ever be used to such craziness. "Do you mind if we stop somewhere?" Without waiting for a reply, Danni pulled Casey down a sub hallway towards two guys with their backs towards them, two girls in front of them. Casey gave Danni a questioning glance, but Danni simply shrugged. "Didn't I tell you not to flirt with other girls where I can find you?" Danni's voice was sarcastic, yet serious at the same time. She had the guy closest to her within her grasp, his ear between her pointer finger and thumb.
"I give. I give," he surrendered, putting his hands up half-heartedly. Casey couldn't even believe this was happening, it seemed so much like a Derek and Kendra thing.
"Casey, meet Jack and his friend, Aaron." Casey turned her eyes towards the other guy to find the one and only.
"Aaron?" she questioned, surprised despite herself. They'd spent the weekend together, and she'd honestly thought that he was different, but he was still a dog. Born a dog, die a dog.
"Hey, Casey," he replied sheepishly, suddenly ashamed of his conduct.
"You two know each other?" Danni asked curiously.
"We go back," Aaron informed her.
"Too far back," Casey commented, leaving the group without another word. She didn't care if she got lost. She just couldn't believe…She let a sigh of frustration. She thought that he was different. Different, different. Obviously not.
"Casey!" Danni shouted, reaching for Casey's wrist. Once she finally got hold of it, she pulled Casey to a stop. "Casey, what's wrong?"
"I just…" Casey couldn't think of a good excuse. "I need to get to class now." Danni saw right through her.
"Look, if it's Aaron, it's fine. A lot of girls in this school have the same reaction. He's not exactly what we'd call Grade A meat. Not like Jack is either but…" Danni left the rest for Casey to figure out, knowing that she would. "So you wanna go to first period?" Casey nodded thankfully, glad that the topic was away from Aaron. As Danni led her down the hallways, Casey could feel people looking at her. She was new, she'd expected it. When they entered the classroom, Ms. Type greeted the girls with a warm smile.
"So where do I sit?" Casey asked quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She should've known better, she drew attention anyway. It was someone unfamiliar, someone they'd never met. Of course the whole student body would be watching her. Ms. Type pointed to a seat near the back corner. When Casey put her stuff down, she noticed a guy in the desk next to hers.
He was strikingly attractive, despite being what some people would consider a "nerd." His slightly shaggy blond hair fell just above his glasses, with his eyes intent upon a book. He hadn't even glanced up when Casey had taken her seat. She was certain that he would've said hello to her had she greeted him; but for some reason, she couldn't get herself to do it. He looked so at ease when reading the book, as though in a different world where nothing could touch him. She wanted that. That glazed over look like nothing in the world could pull the two apart. And, although she didn't want to admit to it, she wanted it because it would keep Max's memory farther from her. Aaron was saying that she should confront it, head on. Tell someone everything. But that's the last thing she wanted. Derek knew everything, and it wasn't helping her. It made things worse. Casey assured herself that she'd get the courage to say something to him by the end of the period, but knew that she wouldn't. She just continue to watch his eyes, waiting for a day when magically hers would become the same way. Glazed and unfeeling.