Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Nine: The Letting Down of the Guard

Derek paced back and forth just inside the theatre, convinced she wasn't going to show. Sure, they had gotten together a few times, but Casey was still distant and hesitant with him. She was warming up a little, though – showing him her bright smile more and more.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Again his eyes darted outside and took in the quickly deteriorating weather. He should have insisted that he pick her up at her building. Knowing Casey, she was probably walking. Derek was suddenly assailed with images of her frozen in a snow bank. "That's it," he said to himself, preparing to get back in his car and scour the streets for her. He stopped short when he noticed a figure trudging down the street toward the theatre. They were so bundled up that from a distance it was hard to tell if it was a girl or a guy. The way the person walked, however, was familiar to him. He squinted his eyes and practically pressed his face against the glass. The person shuffled along slowly, their arms crossed in front of their body, their face hidden by the fur on the dark blue parka they were wearing. A pair of white fuzzy boots that went to his/her knees were on their feet. Derek shuffled his feet and tried to get a better look. It wasn't until she was about 20 feet away from the entrance of the theatre that he knew it was her. He could see tendrils of her hair flying around her face. The wind had picked up and was blowing the snow into mini-tornados.

As soon as she was close enough, Derek opened the door for her. "Hey, I'm glad you made it," he said as she flipped off her hood and shook out her hair.

Casey laughed. "Me too. It was touch and go there for a while."

"I could have picked you up, you know," Derek said softly.

She wiped some melting snowflakes off her cheeks. "It's no problem, really." She looked outside. "But I might hit you up for a ride home," she said smiling.

Derek chuckled. "Gladly," he said before they headed to the box office for their tickets.

Lizzie was extremely uncomfortable, to say the least. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to go to the mall with Melanie. They were barely even friends. Lizzie mentally kicked herself. I must be getting desperate to hang out with this prep, she thought sardonically. She turned her eyes to the girl next to her again, who was chattering about something-or-other. Her conversation was peppered with "like" and "awesome" and "whatever". Lizzie was in hell.

She was just about to be dragged into yet another prep store when she caught sight of some guys from school. They were lounging near the giant pretzel cart. "Uh, Mel? I'm gonna head to the ladies room. I'll be there in a minute."

"What? Oh, OK," Melanie said vapidly before wandering inside.

Lizzie rolled her eyes before turning and heading for the pretzels.

Casey took another sip of her soda and shifted in her seat. She knew she shouldn't have picked a romantic comedy. We should have gone bowling, she thought, trying not to look at the guy next to her. They were at the scene in the movie where the two main characters make love, and Casey was getting more and more uncomfortable. Add to that that they were the only two in the theatre, and Casey felt almost light-headed with nervousness. What the hell is wrong with me? she thought to herself. I'm an adult! No guy should affect me like this!

Beside her, Derek crunched on his popcorn and stared at the screen intently. I wonder if he really likes this or if he's just acting like he does. She took another sip and stuck a gummy bear into her mouth. I'm going to regret eating candy in the middle of the day later.

A laugh from Derek caused her to jump and he turned his head toward her. "You OK?"

Casey smiled. "Yes."

He smiled then turned his attention back to the screen. Discreetly, she studied him from her seat. Today he was dressed in dark jeans with a dark sweater over a white t-shirt. She noticed that he tended to favor the layered look. He had removed his winter jacket and laid it over the seat on the other side of him. She watched as he absently ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up in some places. Her hand twitched and she held back the urge to reach out her hand and smooth down the wayward pieces.

He felt her eyes on him and turned toward her again. She snapped her eyes away and looked forward, making him grin. He noticed her arm laying on the armrest and he debated whether or not to take her hand. She was so skittish about physical contact and he didn't want to scare her away. He really liked this smart, funny, beautiful girl and he loved spending time with her. He flexed his fingers on his thigh and took a deep breath. Maybe a little later, he thought to himself . . .

They saw her approaching and called out. "Hey Lizard! What's up?"

They know my name? she thought to herself. Wait a minute! Lizard? A slow smile appeared on her face as she neared them. "Sup?" she said trying to be cool.

"Nothin'. We're bored out of our skulls. Why else do you think we're here?" said Cody, a guy from her school who was two grades ahead of her.

"Dude, we're here to scope for chicks," stated Neill, who was also two years older than Lizzie and practically attached to Cody at the hip.

"Shut up," Cody said to him before turning a charming smile to her. "So, what brings you here?"

She shrugged. "I got roped into coming with Melanie Smith."

"Melanie Smith?" another guy whose name was Liam asked incredulously. "I didn't figure you for a prep," he added running his eyes over Lizzie.

She shrugged again. "We're not really friends."

Neill snorted. "Then why the hell are you here with her?"

Lizzie looked at them. That's a good question, she thought to herself. "Long story," she said casually. She was still amazed that they knew who she was. These guys were known at her school for being troublemakers and burnouts. Lizzie didn't know about that. What she did know was that they were cool and popular and she wanted to be seen with them. "So . . ." she said awkwardly. "Mind if I hang out with you?" she asked before thinking.

Cody arched his eyebrow and leaned forward. "What do you have in mind?" he asked in a low voice that made her nervous. She pushed the feeling away. She could hear Casey's voice in her head now: Liz! What are you doing? Are you insane? I thought you didn't care about the kids at school! You're the one who's always saying that you're your own person . . . why are you so eager to be accepted by them? Lizzie mentally shook her head. These guys weren't dangerous. They were just regular kids like her who were looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon. A nudge to her foot made her snap to attention. She looked up to find all three guys staring at her. "Oh, uh . . . I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas?"

Cody smiled slowly. "I think I can come up with something."

I guess this movie isn't so bad, thought Casey as she shifted yet again in her seat. A little long, though. Derek moved in his seat next to her and his leg brushed against hers. She snuck a glance at him and fought the urge to snuggle up to him. As usual he was being the consummate gentleman, never pushing her too far. It's like he automatically knew what her limits were. Which was funny because sometimes Casey didn't even know them herself. She had spent most of the movie half-paying attention and half-trying to figure out just who exactly Derek Venturi was. Her mind continued to go back to the night when they met, when he had appeared out of nowhere to rescue her from that scumbag. Her mind always stuck on one thing: the mild-mannered guy sitting next to her bore no resemblance to the lightning-quick violent man from that night. She had been looking too. That's one of the reasons she had been so cautious with him. She was just waiting for the gentleman act to fall away and for him to lose his temper or do something else to signify that he wasn't all he appeared to be. So far that had not happened, and she was slowly letting down her guard with him.

Casey sighed. It wasn't often that she had a day to just relax and go catch a movie and she was determined to make the most of it. The feeling of a hand over hers made her start. She glanced down and saw Derek's hand over hers. Her eyes trailed up his arm and stopped on his face, which was turned toward her and wearing a sheepish expression. He looked like a little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The thought made Casey smile and she flipped her hand over palm up to signify that it was OK. At that, Derek's lips curved into a smile and he laid his hand over hers again. Still looking at him, she threaded her fingers through his and clasped his hand tightly. He reciprocated and they spent the rest of the movie like that.

It wasn't easy getting away from Melanie. Lizzie had to do some quick thinking. Ultimately, she came up with the excuse that she ran into a relative and decided to get a ride home with them. She told Mel that she would call her later to let her know that she got home alright. Lizzie couldn't risk Melanie calling the apartment and Casey answering. The last thing she needed was another argument with her big sister.

She took in her current surroundings. She was in Neill's basement, which was a dismal room with a concrete floor and walls. There wasn't any furniture except for an old ratty couch in the corner (which she was currently perching on), an ancient TV with rabbit ears and a kitchen table that looked like it was from the 70s with four chairs scattered around it. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling above the table, where the three guys were currently sitting playing cards. Music from a portable radio was playing next to them.

Lizzie shifted on the couch and tried not to breathe too deeply. The air had a somewhat foul odor to it – a mixture of basement dampness, smoke, and something dead. She said nothing as she watched the guys play cards. What was she doing here? They were ignoring her and she was feeling more and more stupid by the moment. She was just getting up to leave when Cody turned toward her. "Hey Liz! Come sit by me," he said, patting the empty wooden chair next to him.

She hesitated for a second before getting up and moving toward him. She sat down and put her hands on her lap, trying not to appear too nervous. "What are you playing?" she asked.

"Poker," Cody said, dealing out another hand.

Lizzie nodded her head but said nothing. She watched as they played and stifled the urge to drum her fingers in boredom on the table. She glanced at her watch. She was hoping that Casey wasn't home yet, but she had no idea where she had gone and when she would be back. She was vague when Lizzie had asked her what her plans were and Lizzie just knew it involved a guy. She just hoped that her sister wasn't back with Sam. She didn't think that Casey was so stupid as to do that, but then again, she didn't think that Casey would take him back as many times as she did either.

"You want a beer?" Cody asked her.

"Um, well I really . . ." she started but was cut off by Neill.

"Oh, don't tell me. You're afraid that you'll get in trouble. Or better yet, you don't like beer and would rather have a sissy, fruity drink," he said in a taunting voice before taking a long drag off his cigarette.

Lizzie sat up straighter. They think I'm a baby! I'll show them who they're dealing with! "I would love a beer, thank you very much," she said to Cody but her eyes were on Neill, who only smirked at her response.

"Hey dickhead, get her a beer," Cody said, nodding at Neill, who scowled at him before getting up and heading upstairs. He returned a minute later and handed her a bottle.

"Thank you," she murmured before twisting off the top and taking a big sip. She almost gagged at the taste but held it back. After taking her first sip, she noticed that all three guys had stopped playing and were staring at her. "What?" she asked sharply.

Cody shrugged. "I guess we're just surprised, is all."

"Why?"

Liam spoke up for the first time in a while. "Because we thought you didn't party."

Lizzie squared her shoulders. "Why did you think that?"

Neill snickered and leaned forward. "Because you're a freshman, Lizard. We didn't think you had the balls."

She snorted. "Well, you don't know me very well, do you?"

"I guess not," Cody murmured before resuming the game.

"By the way," Lizzie said, directing her question to Neill. "Why do you keep calling me Lizard?"

The guys all laughed but the question was never answered.

An hour later, Casey and Derek were in the lobby of the theatre sitting in the oversize chairs they provided. Casey was drinking hot chocolate and Derek was finishing up his soda. "I didn't expect to like that movie, but it was better than I thought it would be," Derek said looking at her over his cup.

Casey nodded before taking a sip of her cocoa. "I agree. It was a bit long, though."

"Yeah," Derek said nodding. "Any longer and I would've hit my limit."

She laughed. "What's your limit and what do you do when you reach it?"

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "My limit is different for everything, but as far as movies go, anything longer than two-and-a-half hours is too long for me, then I walk out." At Casey's giggle, he added, "I mean it! I can't sit for that long. My legs start to lock up. Besides, how do they expect people to sit through movies that long when they sell you those mega-sized drinks? They should start selling adult diapers too, in that case."

That made Casey laugh even more, which caused a big smile on Derek's face. He stole a look outside. The weather didn't look any better than it was when they arrived. In fact, it looked downright miserable. The snow was coming down so hard and blowing around so much that he couldn't even see to the intersection, which wasn't even a quarter mile away. "Hey, Case. Do you want to go somewhere else?"

She stopped laughing and looked outside before glancing at her watch. It was almost 5:30 and she knew Lizzie would probably be home by now and needing dinner. "Well, I would, but I really should be getting home," she said before finishing her cocoa and getting up.

Derek was disappointed but not surprised. He nodded and stood up. "Can I give you a ride home?" he asked more out of politeness than anything else. He wasn't about to let her walk home but he felt like he had to at least give the appearance of giving her a choice.

"Yes, that would be great, thanks," she said gratefully while bundling herself back up.

Derek watched as she zipped up her heavy coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck and then pulled on her mittens. She looked so cute all bundled up with her parka and boots. He wanted to step forward and take her into his arms . . .

"Derek?" her voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

She smiled shyly. "I asked if you were ready to go."

He looked around to make sure he had his gloves. They were in his coat pockets. Duh. "Yep. Ready as I'm gonna be going out in this mess."

She nodded and waited while he got himself together before they walked side by side out the door and into the blizzard.

Lizzie was wasted. She was laughing hysterically at something stupid that Neill had said (which was basically everything that came out of his mouth), while sitting on Cody's lap. They were still gathered around the table, but the cards had long ago been abandoned in favor of drinking games. Lizzie seemed to be on the losing end every time.

"Drink, Lizard!" Neill's said in a booming voice, making Lizzie burst out laughing again.

"Wow, Neill, you finally found someone who thinks you're funny," Liam said in a deadpan voice while sipping a beer. He was the only one who seemed halfway sober. The others were intoxicated on beer and liquor, and the joint they had smoked just a few minutes ago.

Lizzie wasn't high – she had refused, remembering her sister's stern words – but she didn't think that having a few beers was a big deal. Everyone needed to cut loose every once in a while. Why couldn't she?

She took another big sip of her beer before slamming the empty bottle on the table in front of her. It made a clatter as it hit the wood.

"Damn, woman, take it easy on my furniture!" Neill said annoyed.

Cody snorted from his spot behind her. "This is yours? No wonder it's so shitty!" he said before laughing loudly.

Neill did a pretty good job of looking offended for being as drunk as he was. "Hey! I can't help it if I can't afford better stuff! At least I have my own furniture!"

Chad snickered. "I'd rather eat on the floor."

"Fuck you," Neill shot back before finishing the rest of his drink. Liam just looked on disinterested from his spot between them.

"Well, this is getting boring. Let's do something else," Cody said putting his beer down and wrapping his arms around Lizzie's waist. Involuntarily, she moved back against him, and he ran his hands down the front of her thighs.

"Like what?" Neill asked, his eyes on Cody's hands.

"I wasn't talking to you," Cody said snarkily to him. "I was talking to Liz."

Neill's eyes narrowed. "Whatever," he shoved his chair back and stood up. "Come on, Lee. Let's go upstairs for a while and leave these two to their business."

Liam looked at him for a moment before nodding his head and standing up. Together they went upstairs leaving Lizzie and Cody alone. Instantly, she felt anxious.

"What's the matter?" he asked, noticing how she stiffened on his lap.

"Nnnothing," she stuttered.

Cody shrugged and moved to stand up, causing Lizzie to almost fall off his lap. "Come here," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the couch. They both sat down (well, Lizzie more fell down). "Want another beer?" Cody asked looking at her.

Lizzie was feeling very dizzy and even through her alcohol-addled mind, she knew that wouldn't be a good idea. "Nuh uh. Some water would be great, though."

He studied her face. "Sure," he said, heading upstairs.

Lizzie sighed and closed her eyes, willing the dizziness to go away. She didn't want to appear like too much of a lightweight. And she really liked Cody. He seemed like a good guy, and not the thug that everyone thought he was. She opened her eyes when she felt a touch on her arm.

"Here," Cody said, holding out a glass.

"Thanks," Lizzie said gratefully before grabbing the glass and gulping it down greedily. The thing with drinking alcohol is it makes you more thirsty. The more you drink, the thirstier you are. It's a vicious circle.

"No problem," he said sitting back on the couch.

Lizzie finished the water and set the cup on the floor.

"So . . . I was surprised when you came over to us in the mall," Cody said idly looking at her through his long lashes.

Lizzie tried not to swoon. He really was a good-looking guy. Short dark blond hair with hazel eyes. He had the ability to look like a man but a change of expression could easily bring out the boyishness of his face. Lizzie continued to study him until she noticed he was staring at her waiting for her to speak. "Oh, uh . . . yeah, well, I saw you guys sitting there and I just . . . I don't know, wanted to come over," she knew she sounded stupid, but in her muddled state she didn't much care.

He looked at her a moment before sitting up and moving forward, his face nearing hers. "Well, I'm glad you did," he said softly before kissing her.

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