Working on it – LWD

Summary: Set after the movie.

Disclaimer: I don't own LWD. It would have never gone on the Disney channel- I don't own that either.

A/N: Thanks to those who have left me comments! I like to know what you're thinking. Keep in touch. Glad those of you who have ventured to read it are enjoying it.

Chapter 7

Monday

"I'm going to the mall with Matt after school. Rebecca and Caleb are meeting us there, then we're going to a movie", Lizzie said to her Mom after breakfast before school Monday morning.

"Okay, honey", Nora nodded. "You can invite him to dinner if you want."

Lizzie shrugged. "I'll see. They're leaving Tuesday after school for Montreal to visit with his mom's sister's family over the holiday. He may have to pack and stuff. But I'll ask and let you know."

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"Oh my god!" Rebecca squealed excitedly.

Lizzie, Matt, and Caleb all groaned. "What now?" Lizzie ventured wearily.

"Look at those shoes!" Rebecca insisted as she ran across the store.

"Who agreed to come in here?" Caleb muttered.

"That would be you, genius", Lizzie answered sarcastically. "Can you rein in your girlfriend?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Your friend", he retorted. "If you actually like girly shit like shopping, me and my buddy Matt here could be at the gamer store by ourselves."

"Hey, leave me out of it", Matt protested.

Lizzie grinned. "If I like the whole shopping thing, Bec and I would still make you come with us out of spite."

"Girl's got a point", Matt laughed, winding an arm around her waist. He gestured in the direction Rebecca had gone. "Go get her, Caleb. Tell her we're going to the music store now, if she doesn't move her ass we'll leave without her."

"Yeah, like that would work", Caleb muttered sarcastically, treading off after his wayward shopping girlfriend.

"Those silly kids", Matt chuckled, pulling her with him towards the exit.

Lizzie snorted, turning when she heard their friends' voices approaching, playfully arguing about Rebecca's shopping problem.

"Didn't your dad give you a spending limit?" Lizzie asked pointedly. "He almost murdered you last month over the credit card bill."

"That jacket was worth it", she sighed thoughtfully.

"Let's head to the music store", Matt said. "Liz wants the latest David Matthews Band CD."

"Dude, what's wrong with iTunes", Caleb frowned.

Lizzie grimaced. "Yeah, don't ask."

Matt rolled his eyes. "She's feuding with Derek."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration", she muttered, "Even if he did lock me out of my iTunes."

"He did what?" Rebecca laughed. "When'd he come home?"

"Friday night", Lizzie shook her head. "It's been a long weekend."

"Harassed by your hot step-brother, poor you", Rebecca teased.

"Hot?" Caleb repeated pointedly.

"He knows it too", Lizzie made a face.

"Uh, boyfriends standing right here", Matt reminded, siding with his friend.

Lizzie laughed. "I'm his step-sister, not blind."

"Oh, really?" Matt laughed. "That might be debatable since it took you how long to notice how hot I am?"

"Too many soccer balls to the head", Rebecca muttered.

Lizzie tripped her. "You're a jerk. Come on. I think Ralph is working today."

The two pairs wound through the crowded mall until they got to the music store. The heavy rock music made Lizzie roll her eyes. She grinned though and pointed towards the blaring speaker. "Ralph's working."

Matt dragged Caleb - a bit forcefully - towards a large screen playing a music video.
Rebecca followed Lizzie with a frown. "How can you stand the music so loud?" she complained.

Lizzie smirked. "Step-brothers", she reminded. "You'd understand if you had siblings."

"Your house is really loud." Rebecca's eyebrows rose suddenly. "Speaking of hot step-brothers..."

"I didn't say-" she looked in the direction her friend had gestured and saw Ralph at the counter - talking to Derek. "Oh, you've got to be joking", Lizzie grumbled. "I swear he's following me."

Rebecca grinned. "Let's go say hi!"

"Geez, you're worse than Emily", she shook her head, but was grabbed around the wrist and dragged towards the back wall.

Ralph saw her first and grinned, calling over the music. "Hey, Lizzie! Lizzie's friend!"

Rebecca snorted, and Lizzie laughed. "Hi, Ralphie." Then she glanced at her step-brother. "Derek, why do I get the feeling that you're following me?"

He smirked. "Hi, Liz, nice to see you too"

"Dude, I saw you this morning", her eyes rolled.

"Hi, Derek."

He grinned. "Hey, Becca."

Lizzie kicked his shin pointedly. "Don't flirt with my friend."

"Don't kick me with those pointy little witch shoes!" he groused, rubbing his shin.

"Derek totally wasn't spying on you", Ralph said out of the blue. "He said so when he came in and said you were shopping with your boyfriend."

Derek groaned. "Ralph, seriously."

Lizzie glared. "Derek, I don't need a babysitter."

"Dude! Lizzie's boyfriend and boyfriend's friend!"

"Hey, man, what's up?" Caleb laughed.

"Music and band shirts", he pointed towards the walls.

"Hey, Ralphie, do you have the CD I want back there?"

He held up a finger and bent down behind the counter to rummage the shelves. A few more seconds later, and he popped up with a CD in hand.

Lizzie grinned, "Awesome lookin' out, Ralph."

He held out his fist and they did some kind of elaborate handshake before she handed him a twenty dollar bill Ralph went to scan her CD at the register.

Matt frowned down at her. "Why don't we have a cool handshake?"

Lizzie raised her eyebrow. "Well", she tilted her head thoughtfully, "Let me put it to you this way… Would you rather we had a handshake to say hi, or do you like kissing me?"

Rebecca snorted behind her.

Matt opened his mouth to speak when he noticed Derek glaring at him, and he took a pointed step back instead. "I think we should leave more room between us for the Holy Ghost", he answered finally, with a surprising amount of conviction.

Her lips trembled with laughter, and she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth and the fluffed his hair. Lizzie leaned against Matt's chest, smirking at her step-brother. "Quit scaring my boyfriend, Derek."

He relaxed slightly, forcing a shrug. "It's my job."

Ralph came back with her purchase in a small bag and her change. He winked at her conspiratorially, "Employee discount."

She grinned. Lizzie felt her phone buzz in her pocket and tugged it out curiously. Who else texted her? Oh, right-

She read the text from Jaime, jaw dropping, and then read it again. "Holy shit-"

Edwin snatched her phone out of her hand and stared at the screen incredulously.

Derek rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

Edwin shook his head. "Jaime says that Teddy got picked up in Vancouver for tagging."

"Teddy?" Derek repeated, "Evil Teddy?"

"Yeah", Lizzie nodded. "He got really messed up when his parents got divorced over the summer. His dad's in Vancouver now. He must be visiting."

"Who has an evil teddy bear?"

Derek groaned, "Never mind, Ralphie."

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Matt did come over for dinner and Derek managed to only glare at him a few times – and kicked his shin 'accidentally' under the table just once. Lizzie threw a carrot at him.

Afterwards, Lizzie got Marti on her side and insisted they watch Labyrinth.

Edwin and Derek complained loudly through the entire movie, except for Marti shushing them for her favorite songs. Nora and George had opted to go upstairs with Simon, knowing full-well, Derek wouldn't leave Lizzie alone with her boyfriend unsupervised.

"Liz, come on", Edwin grumbled. "Your David Bowie fetish has gotten way out of hand. I'm about to stage an intervention. And Matt- you just… you're an enabler! She has a problem", he said stressfully.

Matt grinned. "I'll look into some rehab clinics."

Marti furrowed her eyebrows. "What's a fetish?"

Derek reached over and smacked the back of Edwin's head, "Good job, ya moron. You can ask Dad tomorrow", Derek answered her. "Remember to tell him Edwin said it."

"Okay, Smerek!" she turned back to watch only to make a face as the characters crossed the Bog of Eternal Stench. "Eww!" she hid her face behind a pillow.

"Thanks a lot, Derek", Edwin muttered. "Next time I pass gas in the car, I'm locking the windows."

"Try it and I'll make you walk home", Lizzie said seriously, still looking at the TV.

"Liz, I'm starting to think you have the hots for guys wearing tight pants and eyeliner", Derek muttered.

"Shut up", she complained.

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After the movie ended, Marti was sent upstairs to get ready for bed because they still had one more day of school before vacation, and Edwin went upstairs to his bedroom.

Derek went into the kitchen because Lizzie wouldn't stop glaring at him, but stayed within hearing distance. It only took fifteen minutes or so before there was a knock on the door.

He heard Lizzie open the door and another male voice entered the living room. Derek groaned and then decided to check the situation when he heard minor scuffling Lizzie started cursing.

"Son of a bitch! Brandon, put me down!" she hissed.

"Geez, Liz, do you have a freaking fan club or something?" Derek asked dryly before raising his eyebrows at the guy responsible for the insanity – and holding Lizzie across both of his shoulders. "Who the hell are you, and why are you wearing my sister like a winter scarf?"

The guy just grinned. "Hey! Derek Venturi!" he said in amusement.

Derek rolled his eyes. "I already know my name, dude. What's yours?"

Lizzie glared before licking her finger and sticking it Brandon's ear. "Put me down", she repeated.

He leaned over and set her on the floor gently before rubbing at his ear with a disgusted look on his face. "That's so gross!"

"Shoulda put me down", she muttered unrepentantly. "Derek, this is Matt's older brother Brandon. He's a senior this year – and the football captain since Max graduated."

Derek tilted his head thoughtfully. "Your last name's Wexler?" he asked.

"You didn't mention my last name", Matt said wryly in her ear.

Lizzie flashed a smirk. "I was making it harder for him to track you down and kick your ass. There goes that idea", she shrugged.

"I can run really fast", he pointed out.

"Oh, I know."

"Hey, Baby Blonde", Brandon called to her, finishing his conversation with Derek, "You sure you don't want to come on vacation with us?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What happened last time I fell asleep on your couch?"

"I didn't have anything to do with that!" he protested.

"You're insane if you think I actually would believe the story about hair elves", she scowled.

"Initiation, kiddo", he chuckled. "And you fell asleep first."

Lizzie sighed exaggeratedly. "Come on, I'll walk you out." She would rather hear the ribbing and catcalls from Brandon while she kissed her boyfriend than be glared at by Derek.

When she walked back into the house five minutes later, locking the door behind her, she found him leaning against the back of the couch.

"Spying?" she rolled her eyes.

"You didn't want to spend a week of vacation with your boyfriend?" he raised an eyebrow. "I bet you didn't even ask Nora."

"I wanted to see Casey", Lizzie sighed exasperatedly. "Not that I need to explain myself to you. You know what, Derek? You're on break from college. Why don't you take a break from monitoring my love life too? I'm going to bed." She went upstairs and locked the door to her bedroom before he even thought about following.

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A/N: Well, here's chapter 7. Let me know what you think!