A/N: There's been a couple of you showing interest in this, so thanks! Let's get back to Queens and see how adolescent Derek and Casey are faring. ;)

It had been three weeks since Nora and George left their oldest children at Queens University and Casey was really starting to feel in her element. She was taking a full course load and had finagled her way into working a few weekly shifts at the campus bookstore, a right usually reserved to upper classmen or extremely driven underclassmen. The calendar above her desk was filled with different colored post it notes reminding her exactly where and when to be.

Purple: English 120

Pink: Math 140

Green: History 134

Blue: Economics 101

Yellow: Dance Practice

White: Work Bookstore

Nora was worried Casey was taking it too seriously. She didn't want Casey to wear herself too thin, there just weren't enough hours in the day for her to do everything she wanted to do! Casey nearly had to swear on the Bible that she was still eating, not living on coffee, and was sleeping an adequate amount. The last thing anyone wanted was Casey back in the hospital for two days from exhaustion and dehydration, just like over the winter break of Senior Year.

"Alright in 1834 what did the councilman rule in favor of..." It was 6pm and Casey was mumbling to herself.

"Casey, knock it off. I'm trying to watch a movie." Jade hushed her roommate from her bed.

"Oh, sorry, Jade. Didn't know I was doing it again." Casey bit down hard on her lip and tried to focus her brain on the neon-notecards she had made for history. C'mon Casey...the quiz is only a week away...focus! She blinked hard and then looked up from her desk and out the window. She and Jade had a magnificent view of the Quad. It was a gorgeous September evening and there were several groups of students lounging on the soft well-cared for grass. I need to go for a run. Casey changed into running clothes and left the room without mentioning anything to Jade. She had already planned out the perfect route around campus. Tall oak trees. Peaceful paths. Great for thinking. She got to the path and started up, her playlist running from her phone to her ears. A beautiful mix of quick paced classical really fueled the brain. Casey hit her stride and got lost in her head.

She made it into the woods and there were a few benches along the way, you could sit and stare at nature. Sometimes she would come out here and was so peaceful and beautiful. That was until she saw her benches being abused. There was a couple sucking face in a disgusting display usually reserved for animals. The bottle blonde girl was sitting on the boy's lap and her mate was wrapped around her and nibbling on her neck. Casey slowed her pace as she got closer to the bench. She noticed the girl right away, it was Matilda Jackson, the captain of the Queen's Dance Squad. At this imperfect moment Casey's shoe decided to untie itself. Casey took one wrong step on a lace and went flying, landing face down on the pavement. Earbuds ripped from her head and her phone landed on the ground beside her. Right in front of her dancing superior, who already wasn't too keen on the over exuberant and too talented freshman.

"Oof..." Casey groaned. She honestly contemplated just lying there and letting the ground absorb her.

"Casey?" Matilda's voice was high and light, much like Barbie on too much helium. Idiotic. "Like, oh my god! Casey, are you okay?" Matilda parted from her male and hurried over to Casey. Sure, she didn't like her much...but she was one of the best dancers...

"Oh, um. Yeah, I'm fine." She scrambled to retrieve her phone. She looked up at Matilda and then directly behind her, where none other than Derek Venturi was sitting casually. Legs spread far apart and long arms resting on the back of the bench. A smirk resting comfortably on his face. "Sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt." Casey explained as she got to her feet.

"Oh, my god. Casey, um...I know what this looks like..." Matilda's face was bright red. Was she about to apologize for making out with her step-brother? How idiotic. Did she really think Casey cared? "Can you not tell anyone about this? I mean...I'm a junior who is volunteering in Haiti for a week and he is a freshman who still thinks sneaking into the girls dorm is risky and funny. But can you blame me...he's so yummy. Not for a boyfriend...but maybe a few late nights."

She winked playfully at Casey.

"Uh, sure." Casey muttered. She didn't say anything about Derek and Casey's unique relationship. Not what she expected. But far more disgusting.

"Tilly, leave the klutz alone. Come back here." Derek's voice grated on every last nerve Casey had. He hadn't talked to her in fourteen days. It was getting frustrating and that he was acting better than her. They got to Queen's and suddenly he was too good to talk to her. She hadn't seen him anywhere, like he was purposefully avoiding her. He was being an infuriating tool. Casey hated the fighting...but it was kind of lonely without his constant pestering.

"Hold on DerDer." Matilda flirted. "So, yeah. Just don't let it be known I'm slumming it in the freshman dorms.'Kay, bye! See you at practice!" she flounced back to DerDer. Casey began walking away and could have sworn Derek was looking right at her with what looked like a perplexed expression.

Casey made her way back to the populated campus and walked into the bookstore where her friend was working that night. Daisy Pope was also a member on the dance squad and nearly as talented as Casey. But she was far more outgoing, hence her approaching Casey and asking for tips on perfecting the more complex transitions. They've been a pair since the first practice three days into their college experience. That night Daisy was folding university sweaters for the display when Casey approached.

"What's up, Buttercup?" Daisy asked, looking up at her friend. "Whoa, man. You look like you just saw your parents having sex."

"Little worse. And Daisy, that is quite crude." But Casey was smiling in spite of the disgusting image. "Derek was making out with Matilda."

"I'm-Better-Than-Everyone Matilda was looking for fresh meat?"

"I think you're missing the part that the fresh meat has potential to make my dance career hell."

"What's your brother really going to do?"

"Step-brother, and don't let that get too far. He could tell her that I throw up after doing too many turns. That I'm too weak to do any lifts or jumps...he could tell her I have syphilis and can't do the homecoming game!" Casey was spiraling quickly into no-man's-land. Daisy put down the sweaters and firmly grasped her panicky friends shoulders.

"Okay, Casey. My lovely ball of anxiety. You are honestly over-estimating the length of their relationship...or whatever little devil's fling they have going on. And seeing as I'm nearly the only human on campus you speak to, Matilda would have to be a whole lot dumber than she already is to believe that you have an STD. So, take a breath and help me color organize the sweaters. Color coding always soothes you."

"Yeah, and you're awful at it."

"I'm color blind. Don't mock my people." Daisy laughed and pushed her friend gently. "So Matilda likes young blood...who would have figured."

Across campus in the cafe, Derek was sitting with Sam and Robin, going to town on sloppy joes and mostly warm waffle fries. Sam and Robin were listlessly discussing hockey practice that night. Robin went to nationals three times during his high school. Derek was watching people move around the cafe. Keeners were nibbling on chips and pouring over textbooks. Dancers and others were taking up the biggest tables, laughing too loudly and talking about nothing. Small groups like his trio were scattered around having quiet discussions about little things and not so little things.

Derek's eyes landed on Matilda, whose lipstick was still smeared on his jaw. What did she use, hella-never-wash-off-permanent-marker-lipstick? Her hair fell to her waist and was flat ironed. Her eyes were coated with purple eye shadow and lips were a fake ruby red. She was an amazing kisser with a mouth blessed by god. Her body was a ten out of ten, would recommend to a friend. They had screwed twice so far, but always by cover of darkness when her roommate was out and per agreement they never spoke in public. And they never talked about more than the weather, classes, and her dance practice. Matilda was vapid. Shallow. And genuinely uninteresting. She had no passion and no fire. She was bland...and every time she touched him it did nothing compared to the way he sparked when Casey glared at him in the woods only an hour ago.

He was trying to give her space. It had only been two weeks and already he was cracking at the foundation without her shrill, bossy, whiny voice ringing in his brain. They shared a history class but he sat in back and kept his head down. Whenever he saw her, he turned the other way. He was trying to push her out of his life and brain. But in the middle of the night, when Matilda was on top of him trying to suck his brains out of his mouth, the image of a certain brunette with deep ocean eyes and the sweetest pink pouty lips burned his thoughts. He didn't know how much longer he could go without speaking to his Princess. Derek shoved a waffle fry in his mouth.

"D-Man, where the hell are you?" Robin tossed a mushy grape at his roommate.

"Fuck, I don't know." Derek shook back to reality, realizing how creepy it was that he was staring at the dancers. "Giant quiz coming up in my history class."

"Our history class." Robin laughed. "Just take my notes and study."

"Dude, I don't study and you don't take notes."

"Alright, you caught me. I borrowed them from that smokin' brunette who sits in front of me. I photocopied her notes. Super cute handwriting. Dots her i's with hearts. Margins are littered with girly doodles. But I digress, she has an A in the class, so I figured she's a safe bet."

"Alright, I'll glance at those when we get back." Derek muttered as Matilda left the cafe. She looked at him. He winked at her. She lifted her nose in the air and walked past. "Bitch."

"Who you callin', a bitch, ass face?" Sam asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"If the shoe fits." Derek laughed and shoved Sam. "Want to go shoot hoops in the gym?" he stood up and took his tray to the deposit conveyor belt.

"Hell yes." Robin was easily enthused. He too dropped his tray. "But I have to drop by the bookstore first. I need poster board for my biology course."

"Sure, sure." Sam dumped his tray and the trio went to the campus store. As it was a Sunday evening the place was nearly deserted. There was a bored looking man behind the register. A hipster looking student was shelving books. A cute girl with short strawberry blonde hair was standing beside a girl in yoga pants and a fine ass. They were tossing little teddy bears wearing little Queen's hoodies on top of a display.

"Oh, man. That's the sexy little thing whose notes I borrowed." Robin said quietly."Watch me operate." Sam and Derek nodded boredly and fiddled with novelty pencils. Robin was an overly confident but kind hearted jock, he could have nearly any chick he wanted. Derek and Sam weren't impressed.

"Hey," Robin's voice was lowered as he approached the girls. "Can you show me where the poster board is?"

"Um, sure." Daisy piped up ready to direct the customer, whom she just didn't find attractive. Casey however began twirling the end of her ponytail, an anxious habit she didn't know she had. Her cheeks were tinted pink and her mouth was dry.

"Oh, hey Casey!" Robin said happily. "I didn't know you worked here."

"I do. I mean not tonight. But most nights. Well, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes Saturdays. But yeah, I am here tonight. Just helping Daisy."

"Hey, Casey. Can you show him where poster board is?" Daisy chimed in, stopping her friend's puddle of word vomit from spreading. "I need to finish this display."

"Oh, yeah. Of course. Right this way. Robin, right?"

"Yupp. We have history with Professor Faulkner together. You loaned me your notes."

"Oh, I hope you could read my handwriting. My...a person I used to know said I had the penmanship of a dunk primate." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and thought briefly about Derek critiquing her loopy script.

"Well, I think it's adorable." Robin paused for a beat. "Kind of like you."

"Um, well, that's so kind. Thank you, Robin. Uh, here is the poster board. We have your basic white...green...pink...tri-fold."

"What a variety. What do you think would be best for a project about the biology of tree frogs?" Robin laughed. "Green? Frogs are green."

"Well, they can also be blue and red and purple and many amazing colors." Casey rambled getting a little lost in the way he was looking at her. His eyes were an amazing shade of green with gold flecks. His ginger ringlets fell to his shoulders. He had strong arms and was so very tall. His skin was a constellation of beautiful endless freckles.

"As fascinating as tree frogs are...I was wondering something." Robin ran a hand through his hair. "Would you like to go out to coffee sometime?"

"Oh, my gosh. Well, then." Casey hesitated, thinking of her schedule that week. "I'm free Wednesday at three. After english but before dance practice."

"A girl with a plan. I like it." he picked out a piece of white poster board. "Can you meet at my dorm room? 112B in Omar House. My class gets out at 2:45 so I'll be there as quick as I can. If not my loser roommate can let you in."

"Of course!" She was giddy. "I'll be there!"

"Awesome, can't wait. See you around, Cay." Robin departed and paid for the poster board. He rejoined the boys who were now battling with humorously large pencils and had no idea who Robin had just spent the last ten minutes talking to.. "I have a coffee date Wednesday at three with the hottest chick with two majors. Derek if I'm not back from bio by then can you let her in. And not hook up with her."

"I'll do what I can. Knowing you it's probably an uggo."

"Lazy eye." Sam laughed.

"Snaggletooth." Derek chimed in.

"Humpback."

"Bad lisp."

"I'm not going out with Terri the Cafe Lady!" Robin shouted once outside.

"Could have fooled me." Derek was laughing too hard. "Sure, whatever man. I'll let her in."

Back inside the store Casey was so giddy she could nearly have fainted. Wednesday couldn't have come soon enough. Nothing could bring her down.

A/N: Well? How about it? Please favorite, follow, review, or send smoke signals to let me know you appreciate my updates! And don't worry, next chapter you're going to have some Dasey contact! (I haven't said this yet because it seems fairly obvious but I only own Robin, Matilda, and Daisy. LWD was not created by me)