Professor Violet: I caved. I caved so hard to the Dasey! And now everyone will have to suffer along with me. So come in and enjoy my first ever LWD fanfic!
Uselessly In Love
Summary: From the moment Casey McDonald and Derek Venturi crossed paths, Casey has always hated Derek. He was rude, crass, and overly annoying and she has never hesitated to tell anyone this truth about herself. However, on her mission to get Derek in trouble after his latest prank, she finds herself seeing and hearing a different side of Derek that leaves her confused.
Who was the girl she was sinking about and why did it annoy her so much?
Pairings: Dasey, Lizwin, Trimberly, and background pairings
Rating: Teen and Up
Disclaimer: Do not own Life with Derek or any characters ever.
Uselessly In Love
Setting the Stage
"Hey, Derek. You going over to Kimberly's mansion for the party tonight?"
Casey, who had been conversing with Emily about how to deal with Truman stalking her, paused as she overheard Sam's question. "Hold on," Casey said to Emily as she listened as best as she could to hear the conversation from Derek's table, which was a lunch table behind them.
"Duh," Derek's annoyingly smooth voice answered. "It's not a party without me there, right? Besides, she wants D-Rock to play there. How could I say no?"
"But dude, aren't you still grounded from filling Casey's locker with applesauce a few days ago?" Ralph asked.
Casey struggled not to turn around to glare as Derek's laughter reached her ears. Her locker still smelled of the sweet substance after the janitor cleaned it three times.
How Derek even managed something like that still astounds her.
"He has a point," Sam agreed. "How is D-Rock supposed to play without the 'D?'"
"Meh," Derek answered. She could practically hear the accompanied shrug with that response. "Not the first time I've snuck out. Won't be the last. Besides, I'm too slick with it. I've never been caught once. Why would this time be any different?"
Oh, scandalous.
"Uh-oh, I see that smirk forming," Emily commented, snatching Casey's attention from Derek to her.
"What smirk?" Casey asked with a devious expression before she blinked.
When did she do that?
"You always make that face when you plan to get Derek in trouble," Emily explained with a grin. "It reminds me of a smug cat."
"I do not look like a smug cat," Casey denied, despite having heard that once before from Max back when they dated.
"Keep telling yourself that, girl," Emily laughed. "So, what's the plan?"
"Plan? Whatever do you mean?" Casey asked.
Emily's stare immediately broke her.
"Okay, remember that prank Derek caused a few days back?" Casey asked.
"You mean the one with the applesauce?" Emily asked. "Of course. People are still wondering how he broke into your locker, and how he obtained that much applesauce."
"Well, I've been trying to get him back for the last few days. But he's been slippery like an eel," Casey explained. "Even with Sherlock and Watson's help, I haven't been able to get anything on him."
"Sherlock and Watson?" Emily questioned.
"Lizzie and Edwin," Casey explained.
"Ah. Well, continue," Emily replied.
"Anyway, Derek got grounded for a week and he's talking about sneaking out tonight to go to Kimberly Hart's party," Casey continued. "I'm going to bust him in the act."
"Okay, okay," Emily stated as she nodded her head. "But, how are you going to do it?"
"Simple. I'm going to go there, take a picture of him, and then head back home," Casey answered.
"No, no. I mean, how are you going to go when it's a school night?" Emily asked, expanding on her previous question. "Nora and George aren't going to let you go to that party on a Thursday night."
Casey blinked for a moment, realizing that Emily had a point. However, Casey wasn't smart for nothing. She had a perfect response to that.
She smiled at Emily.
Emily blinked and immediately said, "Oh no. You aren't going to get me to help you with this."
"I cannot believe you got me to help you with this," Emily groaned as the two girls walked through the vast amount of people at the Hart Mansion. "If my parents find out, I'm going to be so grounded," Emily continued.
"Relax, we won't be here that long," Casey told her with Edwin's camera in her hand, being extra careful with it since she swore on her grave that nothing would happen to it. Casey noted with a nervous expression both Edwin and Lizzie had when Edwin gave her the camera.
Something she would properly investigate when she was done getting her proof.
"Okay, if I was a chauvinistic jerk with a leather jacket and oodles of popularity, where would I be in this place?" Casey asked as her eagle eyes scoured every inch of this large place.
"Did you just say oodles?" Emily asked.
"You're hearing things," Casey immediately answered with faint red cheeks. "But, help me search for that idiotic step-brother of mi—"
"Found him," Emily announced.
Casey whirled around to her friend and asked, "Really? That fast?"
"Hard to miss him when he's talking to the owner of the place," Emily answered as she motioned with a nod of her head.
Casey followed her gaze to see Derek talking to Kimberly Ann Hart, a tan-skinned with long dark brown hair that was tied in a ponytail, and dark brown eyes. And she wore a pink shirt with a leather jacket, blue jeans, and black boots.
What Casey also noticed was that Derek kind of matched what she was wearing, except his jeans were black and his shirt was blue with a white leaf in the middle, which by now Casey knew was a Toronto Maple Leaf shirt.
"Of course, he would be talking to her," Casey grumbled with a strange pang of annoyance. Kimberly Hart was one of the most popular girls at school, the Cheer Captain, and her….rival when it came to ballet.
It made sense that the two of them would be friends. They were both the captains of their respective teams and, well-liked for reasons Casey didn't understand. But why did it annoy her so much?
And why did it only make her want to bust him more?
"Let's follow him," Casey whispered to Emily with determination thick in her voice. Without waiting for Emily's answer, she trudged ahead through the group of teens, bound and determined to get her man.
Casey groaned as she finally made it outside into the backyard, where she hunched over and panted. "We made it out," Casey groaned once she caught her breath. "Now, let's ge—Emily?" Casey looked around and found herself completely alone.
Had she lost Emily?
"Oh, darn it," Casey grumbled.
Ah well, she'll just find her on the way out. Focusing on her mission, Casey turned around and faced the rather gorgeous backyard, filled with rose bushes and tree statues and everything. It was amazing.
As she looked around, she spotted Derek and Kimberly entering a small house that was adjacent to the mansion right beside a very large pool. Finally, she would get her proof. Casey darted across the backyard to the house and once she got there, she parked herself beside an open window, where she could hear Derek and Kimberly talking.
"Do we really have to work on this right now before D-Dock goes on stage?" Derek asked.
"Yeah. You owe me for supplying the applesauce for your prank, Venturi," Kimberly replied with a grin in her voice. "Besides, you also owe me for the letters I've heard about you talking about this girl before I moved back here."
Derek groaned. "But I am nowhere near ready to play it. The lyrics aren't all there a—"
"And nothing," Kimberly interrupted. "It's not like your crush is here to hear it, you know?"
"I guess you have a point," Derek muttered.
What?
Derek had a crush? And he made her a song?!
Well, well, well. This little mission was giving her more juicy details than she expected.
Casey fought back the urge to steeple her fingers together and chuckle like a villain. But she was absolutely giddy at the news. The things she could force him to do!
But she did wonder, how did Kimberly get such an ample opportunity into forcing THE Derek Venturi into doing something he didn't want to do?
That familiar pang of annoyance hit her chest at that question.
"I can't believe it. You're back in my life for ten minutes, and already you're using your power for evil," Derek stated in a tone that Casey could mistake for pouting.
Interesting. So he knew her from before?
Casey wondered how.
"What can I say, I'm an evil mastermind," Kimberly teased. "Now stop stalling and play the damn thing. I want to see what you have so far."
"Okay, okay. Did Angel Grove teach you to be so bossy?" Derek grumbled. It was then she heard a piano. Derek knew how to play the Piano? No freaking way.
Casey peeked into the window and to her utter astonishment, Derek was sitting at a piano on the far side of the room in a corner, with both of their backs turned to her. "Wow, you actually learned to play it better," Kimberly noted as she leaned on his shoulder. "When we were younger, you made my ears bleed, twice, with how shitty you played."
"Shuddap!" Derek exclaimed. "You can blame Abigail for me learning to play this torture."
Kimberly chuckled and grew silent as Derek continued to play the rather simple but gentle and pretty melody.
Casey was honestly stunned that someone like Derek could ever play something like this.
"Alright," Derek grumbled. "Here I go…."
Derek took a deep breath and sang:
"I don't know how to quench this flame
I'm uselessly in love with the light that she bore when she danced with me
A man so calloused he barely feels
Why can't he love the elixir of hope that heals?"
Casey bit back a gasp.
That was not what she was expecting.
"Oh, doesn't a sapphire shine brighter beside a flame?
I knew you were an angel when you told me your name.
These incessant memories inside my brain
Your chaos is what's keeping me sane."
Casey found herself being entranced by the melody and the way Derek sang what she assumed was the chorus and felt something wiggle its way into her heart, but what?
"But what can I give, but a broken past and awkward company
I'm not worthy, but they are
And both of them love you as I do…."
Casey shook her head for a moment as the unmistakable sound of melancholy filled Derek's voice. But that's not possible. He doesn't do feelings. He never did. And yet….He's clearly showing them here….
"So I'll lock my heart in amber
Knowing that I don't deserve to love her…."
Casey felt her tears prickling her eyes at how….resigned he sounded in the line.
Kimberly had said this was about his crush, right? So who was this special girl that he, the so-called "Hottest commodity in all of Canada" couldn't get?
And why did that pang of annoyance hit her so hard?
"Oh, but doesn't a sapphire shine brighter beside a flame?
I knew you were an angel when you told me your name.
These incessant memories inside my brain
Your chaos is what's keeping me sane."
Casey watched as Derek played the piano in silence for a moment and then finished, "Your chaos is what's keeping me…sane…." The melody ended and Casey quickly ducked back out of view, her heart thundering in her chest.
She was confused. So very, very confused. There was no way Derek could have thought of that song. He had the emotional intelligence of a llama, and yet he could play and sing that?!
And yet, it was….it was beautiful. At least, she thought so.
"So, what do you think?" Derek asked.
"Honestly? I think if she heard that, she would like it," Kimberly answered. "And if she's anything like her letters portray her, she might even cry a bit."
Derek snorted and hastily said, "Yeah, yeah. Now let's go. We wasted enough time with this and I wanna get my rock on."
"Awww, You embarrassed, Der?" Kimberly teased.
"No!" Derek quickly exclaimed. "I just….Let's just go!"
Casey waited until Derek and Kimberly walked out of the pool house before she followed after them, her feeling of having something over Derek waning as quickly as she ran.
When Casey found Emily, she was talking to a rather tall and handsome Asian teen with messy black hair and onyx eyes. He wore an open checkered black overshirt with a white shirt beneath it, black pants, and black and white sneakers.
Well, that certainly explained why Emily wasn't with her.
A part of her was annoyed, but another part of her was happy. Emily had been in a sad state since Sheldon moved away and she was happy to see her friend starting to talk to another guy again.
And judging by the blush on her face, Casey had a good feeling that she liked him. "Hey Em," Casey greeted with a smile. "Whose your friend."
"Oh! This is Zack Taylor," Emily introduced. "Zack, this is Casey. My best friend."
"Nice to meet you, Casey," Zack greeted with an easy-going grin.
"Same here," Casey answered.
For a moment, Casey wanted to pull Emily away and tell her the juicy news she had discovered, but then she stopped.
No.
Something like that, she couldn't tell her.
Not until she found out more information about this mystery girl.
"Attention everyone!" Kimberly's voice announced as the music stopped. "It's now time for our school's favorite band to rock out!"
The audience cheered as Casey turned her attention to the middle of the room, where Derek, Sam, and Ralph were setting up.
Casey's eyes immediately softened as she watched Derek pal around with Sam as the gentle piano melody floated through her mind.
"Hey Casey, this is your chance," Emily whispered as she nudged Casey's side, startling the blue-eyed girl.
"What?" Casey asked.
"The proof," Emily insisted. "The thing we came here for? The thing we are risking grounding for?"
"Oh!" Casey gasped. "Right!" Casey lifted her camera and snapped the picture. "Alright, I got it. We should jet."
Emily nodded before she turned to Zack and said, "Sorry to cut this short, but we have to go."
"That sucks. Can I at least have your number so we can talk later?" Zack asked.
Emily flushed and asked, "Sure. You have a pen?"
Zack pulled out a marker and asked, "Does this work?"
"Is it a permanent marker?" Emily asked.
"No," Zack answered.
"Good," Emily replied as she removed the top and wrote her number on his left forearm. "Don't wash up without taking it down."
Zack grinned and said, "I'll call you tomorrow."
"I look forward to it," Emily replied. She then turned to Casey and said, "Alright, now we can leave."
Casey nodded and the two girls started to walk off, but Casey turned around to see Derek one more time.
Who was the girl that he couldn't get?