Chapter 2: The Brawl

"So, what do you want to do Friday?" asked Casey, sitting at her mirror, applying the lipgloss carefully.

Paulie was on her bed, tossing one of her stuffed animals up in the air to occupy herself. Casey didn't like it when she stared at her while she was doing her makeup. Apparently she looked at her like those tigers looked at the baby zebras on the nature channel, and Casey was not too fond of being ripped apart.

"I dunno. Movie?" Paulie murmured lazily. As she spoke, she saw Casey stiffen and the look in her eyes.

Paulie lifted a brow, sitting up. "What? Sorry, I didn't know the movies was such a bad idea…"

Casey sighed, forcing a smile on her face. Paulie knew that smile. That was the smile Casey used when she was trying not to get mad and smooth things over. This smile was often times used in either her or Derek's presence. Needless to say, she had seen it many times.

"Did you forget?"

"Forget what?" Paulie asked, that familiar little ball rolling up in her stomach. She was going to get yelled at again, and there was no way in hell she could make it better.

Then it hit her.

"Oh, you mean our monthiversary, right? I'm sorry, I thought you were joking, I mean, who really makes up a word like…"

Casey's glare shut her up quickly, and Paulie realized that perhaps she hadn't said the right thing.

"That lipgloss looks really good on you?" Paulie said experimentally, wincing as Casey's lips turned into a frown.

"Get out," Casey yelled, standing up and literally shoving her out, "and don't bother coming by on Friday!"

The door slammed. And Paulie sighed. Shit. Her bag was in there.

"Casey—"

The door opened, and her messenger bag hit her squarely in the face. Okay, maybe I deserved that, she thought.

"Trouble in paradise?" The familiar smirk infuriated her.

Paulie scowled. Of course he had to come around when Casey was mad.

"Shut up," she sniped, taking the stairs. Derek followed her. in his mind, what greater joy was there to torture the girl who took the girl you liked from right under your nose—and kept rubbing it in your face? Exactly.

Nothing.

Paulie paused at the fridge, grabbing a Drumstick from the freezer and then finally stopping at the back steps, plopping down and sighing.

"Stupid Casey and her stupid 'monthiversaries'," muttered Paulie, "How the hell was I—"

Derek plopped right down next to her, a smug smile on his face.

"Please," he said, unwrapping his ice cream, "Continue."

"Don't you have girls to fuck and leave, or porn to jack off to?"

"Paulie, Paulie, Paulie. I am not simply a man—" Paulie snorted cutting him off, and he glared at her, continuing, "Like I was saying, I am not simply a man in which enjoys the company the female gender can provide—I also have other amazing traits."

"I think you've been paying attention in your English class, mister," mocked Paulie, waggling her finger at him, "Because that's the first vague twelfth-grade-level sentence I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

"Why, I'm glad I can even impress you, the flaming lesbo. You so want me."

Paulie snorted again. "Don't flatter yourself." She took a bite, shoving the rest of the cone in her mouth.

Derek wrinkled his nose. "Oh, I won't. You're way too masculine for me."

There was a long silence on Paulie's end—she could only nod and merely hope she wouldn't choke and be at his mercy—mainly because he wasn't entirely sure he had any sometimes.

Wiping her lips with her sleeve, and said, in a whisper—she had yet to recover from the mammoth bite she had taken—"You like her, don't you."

"Who is this her that you speak of?" Derek answered, avoiding the question.

"Casey, you idiot. You know, my girlfriend? You've only had it out for me since we started dating."

"Well, judging by your last conversation," he said, maliciousness in his eyes, "I'm not so sure you are still dating her, Pauls."

"How was I supposed to know she took something so stupid like a monthiversary seriously?!"

"She's Casey," Derek said, "She takes everything seriously. You should have just let her go on about it and been just as serious."

"Oh, please," Paulie interjected, disbelief on her face, "You would have done the exact same thing if you were in my position."

Derek looked at her darkly, scowling. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

"So you do like her," Stated the girl.

"Don't fool yourself," Derek muttered, "It's not going to last long between you two, anyway,"

"Says the guy who's only been in one serious commitment."

"I have one more than you."

"So, what, you're gonna fight me for her now?"

Derek's eyes narrowed, and he saw her lips recoil. Her eyes fired up, and she rose to her feet.

"You're her stepbrother," Paulie whispered venomously, "Most people are going to cry incest, even if it isn't."

"You're a girl," Derek answered, "It's only a matter of time before Casey wakes up and realizes youre wrong for her,"

They were inches apart now, tension heavy in the air.

"I'm not wrong for her," Paulie snarled, "You know why? 'Cause I'm just like you, and that's what kills you. When you see me with her, you see what could have been."

"Fuck you."

One feminine hand dug something out of her jean pocket. The roll of pennies sat neatly in her fist.

And Paulie swung, her fist connecting solidly with his temple. The brawl was on.

Paulie was lighter, so Derek was able to push her around more. Derek knew little about dirty fighting, though—and Paulie knew too much.

The hard contact of bone against bone drew the younger siblings out, who, upon inspection of the situation, screamed for Casey.

"Paulie!"

"Derek!"

Both teens froze, fists held up in midair, bruises growing, hair askew.

Ten minutes later, as Paulie and Derek sat on the couch, glaring at each other, Casey paced in front of them hysterically.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Paulie and Derek exchanged looks.

"Whoa," Paulie said amusedly.

"She said fuck." Derek finished, an equal sense of pride growing in his chest.

But Demon Casey glared at them once, and all senses of humor and amusement were annihilated.

"She started it!" Whined Derek.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Asshole."

"Bitch."

"Both of you just shut up!"

Clearly, some sucking up was in order. And Paulie and Derek thought of this at the same exact time.

"Paulie thinks your monthiversaries are stupid," Derek said quickly.

Paulie opened her mouth, about to spew Derek's secret desire for his stepsister. And she closed it. She couldn't tell.

If he'd acted on his attraction just moments before she had…

She'd be in his position.

Of course, Casey could not commend her on this sudden, seemingly random bout of compassion, since Casey couldn't know.

So she accepted Casey's wearied expression, her sigh, her obvious annoyance with her.

"Paulie, just go. I'm…going to Em's." The taller girl slammed the door behind her.

Paulie got up, and exited out the back door, where just minutes earlier, Derek and her had been fighting to the death.

As she waited at the bus stop, Derek pulled up against the sidewalk in the Prince. "Hey. Lemme give you a ride."

Paulie scowled.

"Come on, it's the least I can do. I mean, I hit a girl."

That was true; he did hit a girl, and not even in a gentle way; her jaw hurt like a bitch. Paulie sighed, opened the door. Pulling on her seatbelt, she took a look at his face.

"How's your head?"

"Throbbing. How's your jaw?"

"About the same."

When he dropped her at her place, he finally spoke up again.

"Thanks for not telling Casey."

Paulie shrugged. "You would have done the same," she said quietly. She shut the car door behind her, and he watched as she got into her house.

They didn't wave goodbye.

He knew she'd be back with Casey by the next day.

That was why they were so perfect.

Even if he thought him and Casey would be better.