Derek spent a week reciting a speech in front of the mirror, attempting to make it easier to confess his feelings to Casey. No such luck. The more he practiced, the worse he sounded. What was he thinking? He wasn't a planner! And every oral presentation he's ever given has ended in a big fat F. (Although, his planned eulogy for Casey's fake dog, Bob, had to be worthy of an A.)
Regardless of preparation, Derek's confession would have to wait thanks to Kendra and Ralph's wedding throwing a wrench in their weekend plans. Not only did Casey and Derek have to attend the wedding, but they were asked to serve in the wedding. What was originally supposed to be a small gathering turned into a huge shindig Kendra's father offered to pay for.
So there they were, on a five hour drive together once again. Casey was noticeably irritable in the passenger seat, but Derek managed to keep his eyes on the road.
Casey wasn't a professional liar by any means, but kissing Derek would be a secret she would have to lock away and bury as far away from her family as possible. It was clear Derek already forgot about their multiple kissing sessions, so she should do the same as well. Block it out and pretend it never happened for the sake of herself and the family.
When Derek decided to put his hand on the rattling coke can in the cup holder, the car became eerily silent. To escape the awkwardness, Derek started to talk about the wedding, attempting to find a way out of going.
"Chicken pox?" He threw out as an option.
"We've had it," Casey reminded Derek.
"Yellow fever?" Was he serious?
"This is the twenty-first century."
"Marco Polo?"
"It's polio, and it's not believable. Face it; we're screwed."
Derek started to notice something was wrong with the car, so immediately, his eyes flickered toward the fuel gauge and got a very unpleasant surprise.
"Uh, speaking of screwed, Case... I think we ran out of gas... " The Princess trotted to a stop, just barely that they were able to pull to the side of the road. Casey, in disbelief, checked the gauge for herself.
"What?! Derek, you didn't fill up?"
Going on this long of a road trip, Derek should've filled up until the darn tank was full!
How do you run out of gas ten minutes from home?!
"No. Didn't you?" Derek asked her.
"Are you serious? You said you wanted to drive! I assumed that meant you would fill up, too. This is all your fault!" Casey placed the blame all on Derek, refusing to take half the responsibility.
"My fault? This is your vehicle, and you're the prepared one, not me." Derek angrily punched the steering wheel, letting all of his frustration out.
"You're given an ounce of responsibility, and you manage to lose the little bit of trust you've earned," Casey scolded.
Angry at Casey and at himself for failing her, Derek popped off his seat belt and opened the door in a huff.
"Where are you going?" Casey called out, getting out of the car to follow Derek.
"Where does it look like? I'm going home on foot. Sitting another minute in that car with you will drive me crazy."
"Oh, yeah? Well, at least we'd be driving!" She yelled back, trailing behind Derek, as his footsteps were too big.
"Great comeback. Did you get that from my dad?" Derek fought, never turning to look at Casey.
"Speaking of George, we should call him. There's no way we can walk all the way home," Casey said, catching up to Derek so they were walking side-by-side.
Derek switched sides with Casey so that he was closest to the road. He might have been mad at her, but he didn't want her clumsy self to get hit by an oncoming vehicle.
"Speak for yourself."
"Well, I'm not walking all the way home. I'll catch a ride with a stranger."
Derek didn't believe her one bit, but it still made him furious to think of Casey in the back of some guy's pickup.
Derek stopped walking, arms folded.
"I'm not calling my dad. He already thinks I'm irresponsible."
"There's not exactly taxis on the outskirts, Derek, and I don't see a private jet to fly us home or a vehicle to siphon gas from. So what's your big plan?" Casey was all ears.
Siphoning gas? Who was she? The female MacGyver?
"I'll call Edwin."
"Edwin? There are several reasons why that is the worst idea you've ever had, one being Edwin is at Lizzie's soccer game three hours away with my mom. Of course, you would know that if you thought about something other than yourself."
"Trust me, you don't want to know what's been on my mind - especially right now." Derek glared at Casey, testing her with his eyes.
"Oh, and you don't want to know what's on mine!"
As the two challenged each other with defensive stances and wicked glares, the sound of a horn switched off their callous energy.
"Did someone call for a ride?"
Casey squinted her eyes to see who was calling them from afar.
It was Kendra and Ralph. In a... limo? Was this a mirage? It couldn't be real! This was as great as a private jet!
"Kendra, I've never been so happy to see you! Why are you in a limo?" Casey asked.
"My dad booked the limo for twenty-four hours, so we've been driving around. We'll be happy to give you guys a lift home to get ready for the co-bach party."
"Co-bach?" Derek questioned.
"Yes, Der-Bear. Ralph and I are combining our bachelor and bachelorette parties. It's the new modern trend."
"You mean moronic trend?"
Casey elbowed Derek in the ribs and then helped herself into the limo.
This modern party meant Casey had to spend more time with Derek than she intended on, so naturally, she was upset as much as Derek was, but she had to remind herself that this was Kendra's day, not hers.
Ralph made a few calls, and the two men took care of the vehicle while the girls left in the limo. It was the first time all day Casey felt at ease.
"Let's get this party started!" Ralph was the first to pop open the champagne in the limo that evening, pouring everyone a glass.
It was a full house with Derek, Sam, and Sheldon sitting parallel to Casey, Kendra's cousin, Kelley, and Emily. Siting together in their own little world was obviously the happy couple.
"So how did Sheldon get an invite to this party?" Derek was blunt as usual.
"Ralph and I are best buds, Derek," Sheldon answered, as if speaking for Ralph.
"We needed someone to walk with Emily down the aisle," Ralph corrected Sheldon.
Now that Kendra wasn't jealous of Emily, those two formed quite the bond after graduation. It felt natural to include her in the wedding.
As the drinks flowed in the limo, so did the dancing. Consequently, the organized seating arrangement put forth was ruined, and Derek and Casey were somehow situated together.
Sam, remembering the conversation he shared with Derek, passes a glance at the two stepsiblings together. Derek pleaded with his eyes for Sam's help, but no help came.
Casey, trying to be the responsible one of the group, reached over to buckle Derek's seatbelt. He jumped at her hands so close to his nether region.
"Careful!" Derek grabbed her hand, holding on for a second too long. If they were alone, he might have tried to lace their fingers together, but the sounds of squealing girls next to him reminded him there was an audience.
"I'm trying to be safe," she assured him. Unlike her friends, Casey hadn't danced around or made a fool out of herself, and she didn't care if they labeled her a prude for it. It was better to be safe than sorry on the road.
"Trust me, what you were doing was not safe."
Between the champagne and Derek's words, a warming sensation tickled Casey's fair cheeks. If only she knew what Derek wouldn't do to caress her again. She quickly turned away from him as he was quietly left to scold himself for thinking that way.
Casey's attention was soon occupied by the sound of an eighties tear-jerker on the radio. It just so happened to be Nora's favorite song while cleaning the house, and Casey listened to it on repeat in their apartment to remind her of her family back home. Tears were forming in her eyes, and instead of ridiculing her on her hormonal tendencies, Derek offered her a shoulder. He didn't know when or how it happened, but she accepted, curling up beside him as the song played. Their friends were too buzzed to seem to notice or care.
Sometimes Casey's needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to her, and because Derek was the only one at college with her, he usually felt an obligation to be there for her. But not tonight. No, tonight it was an honor, not an obligation, to let her settle against him. Whether or not she admitted it, Derek knew by the calmness of her body next to him, she trusted him completely. Their fight about the gas tank was out of her mind, at least for a moment.
"Are we almost at the bowling alley?" Emily asked the group, forcing Casey into an upright position away from Derek.
God, could Emily have worse timing? All Derek wanted to do was relish in Casey's company, and Emily sent a dagger straight to his heart with just her voice. When her question wasn't answered, she continued to yap on about it, almost out of spite.
It was Ralph's plan to go bowling, but Derek had a different idea that he discussed with the driver.
"Define bowling alley," Derek grinned.
All eyes shot to Derek, but no one said anything. When Derek was in charge of a party, they knew they were in for a good time.
Five minutes later, the limo stopped in their high school parking lot.
"Why are we here? If I wanted to go to school, I wouldn't have dropped out of college, Derry," Kendra, sounding less than thrilled, exited the vehicle anyway. As usual, Derek ignored Kendra, opening the other door so they could all quickly file out.
Derek led them to the football field, hardly trying to sneak his way in there. There was a literal limousine in the parking lot, so if someone wanted to catch them, they were out of luck. No use hiding.
While on the field, the group noticed there were several lounge chairs set up and a huge screen in front.
"What's this?" Ralph smiled in wonder, putting an arm around his fianceƩ.
"Didn't you and Kendra first meet right here at the Lions game? I thought you two could relive the moment where it all began, with the exception of Ralph stepping on Kendra's shoe."
"Derek, that's actually pretty sweet," Emily gave a half-hearted smile.
"I'm impressed, D. Doing something sweet for someone else? Who new?" Sam agreed.
"Thanks, man. Watching our story unfold again? How awesome is that?" Ralph tapped Derek on the shoulder before sitting down to enjoy the show.
Casey, whose approval mattered the most to Derek, remained quiet, taking her seat on an available lounge chair.
She may have been a prom queen, but she was an ice queen, too, when she wanted to be. After their moment in the limo, she was back to giving Derek the cold shoulder. He couldn't win with her! She hated him when he was mean, and she hated him when he was nice.
"We could get into so much trouble for this." Not so surprisingly, Sheldon was more uptight than Casey, fidgeting in his seat as if they would actually receive jail time if they were caught.
"Relax, Schlepper. No one is going to catch us. I had Edwin's friend, Jason, from the AV club hook us up and make sure no one would be here tonight." This wouldn't be the first time Sheldom put himself in a compromising position because of Derek and his friends, so eventually, he calmed down and decided to take the night in stride.
As the football game started on the big screen, Derek stirred nervously in his chair next to Casey, unable to sit still or watch the film.
"You know why I like this game?" Derek broke their silence, leaning in so Casey could hear him better.
"Why?" There was a smidgen of hostility on the tip of her tongue.
"Because the lions beat the shit out of our home team, and Max cried like a baby on the sidelines." Derek laughed so hard that he was wheezing. Casey didn't find it as funny as he thought she would.
"I'm glad you find another guy's tears funny."
"No, I find Max's tears hilarious."
"Max was under a lot of pressure from his parents to perform well. I wouldn't expect you to understand, seeing as how the only emotion you know how to show is insensitivity."
How could she defend this guy? Max treated her like army candy for the better part of their relationship. This loser had her cheering for him over the phone, writing his notes for him and ignoring her family. He added nothing to this so-called relationship. He was a jerk in a letterman and deserved no respect. Now that she wasn't dating that loser, he was fair game for ridicule.
"Me? Insensitive? Look around you, Princess. I don't think throwing this party is very insensitive. Everyone but you seems to be having a great time," Derek tried to defend himself, but Casey continued her tyrannical blows, hurting him worse than any puck ever had.
"You threw this party for your own benefit, Derek, as per usual. You didn't want to go bowling, so this was your easy fix."
Casey gripped the arm of her chair, fighting between the urge to leave and staying for the sake of Kendra's party.
"You do know it's possible to do something nice for others, but also benefit from it? I'm sorry that I'm not sorry for throwing the best parties ever."
"Whatever, Derek. Your lack of a heart will be the only thing that never ceases to surprise me." If he didn't have a heart, her words wouldn't hurt so deeply. He wished he truly didn't have one.
Casey quietly left her chair so that the others wouldn't notice her absence. As she started to walk toward the dark end of the field, Derek followed her. Didn't he understand she wanted to get away from him?
"You're right. So don't let my heartlessness surprise you the next time you need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to your stupid complaining because I won't be there. I have plenty of better ways to spend my time."
"You can start now! I'm leaving."
Casey started to walk away.
"Don't be such a drama queen. Kendra will be upset."
Derek reached for her wrist, but Casey snatched her hand back instantly, pushing Derek hard at his chest. The instant blow sent him spiraling onto the wet grass.
"Oof!" Lying on the ground, Derek winced in discomfort, trying to shake off the pain in his back that thankfully proved to be fleeting.
Okay, that hurt, he thought.
Derek slowly started to move into a sitting position, examining his person for any further damage to his body. He was cleared, other than a bruised ego to go along with a mildly sore back and chest.
Although he was the one thrown onto the rough terrain, Derek knew he took their fight way too far. He was fully ready to suck it up and apologize when, at the very corner of his eye, he spotted Casey smiling smugly at his demise with her arms crossed over her chest; it was a look that said, ha-ha, I got you. And yet, he was the heartless one?
Derek, reverting to the sixteen year old mischievous kid he once was, decided to give Casey a lesson. Instead of walking off his temporary injury, he chose to sit on the grass for longer than what was necessary.
"Casey, you're going to be in so much trouble!" He yelped, pretending as if he was having trouble breathing.
"Get up before you make a scene." She rolled her eyes.
"Ow!" Derek dialed it up, placing his hand over his chest, panting uncontrollably. He wanted to see her squirm, as her contorted face had always been the highlight of their fights.
"You can't pull one over on me," Casey assured him.
She was smart, but not that smart. He knew Casey was gullible enough to believe him if he tried hard enough. If it were possible, Derek would have started the water works but he wasn't an easy crier. No, he needed a different strategy. Hmm, he might not be able to fake cry, but he could hold his breath long enough to make his face turn red. Just enough to scare her into thinking he was badly hurt.
His technique, adolescent in thought, seemed to do the trick. As soon as his face started to turn red, her smile faded.
Casey rushed to his side as if the argument before never existed. She sat on her knees next to him, unbothered by the flecks of grass on her pretty dress. She examined his face, concerned he was actually hurt badly.
"Where does it hurt?"
Derek had every intention of laughing at Casey for being so naive, but the way she cradled his face with so much concern inflicted only shame instead of laughter. He suddenly felt extremely guilty for playing a dirty trick on her. No matter what's been said between them, Casey's actions proved that she cared about him.
She pressed herself so close against him that their body heat caused his cheeks to redden slightly more. He was enjoying this too much, being doted on and given attention.
"It's my chest, but it's starting to ease up a bit." Derek lifted his spirits and acted as if he was miraculously healed. He needed to remedy the situation without telling her this was another one of his pranks. Not only would she be embarrassed, but she would never forgive him for betraying her.
"I hope you didn't crack a rib. Can you breathe normally?" Without permission, Casey placed an ear against the fabric of Derek's shirt. The mere thought of her being so close to his chest frightened Derek. His heart hammered against her ear like a marching band at Mardi Gras, revealing the heart he desperately wished he didn't have. And oh, the way it beat for her and only her.
"It's safe to say you're breathing."
"I told you I was okay."
"And what do ya know? There's a heart in there, after all," Casey said, getting a bit of a chuckle out of him as she peeled herself away from his chest.
When she finally mustered enough courage to look up at him, her face was less concerned and more soft and sincere - her best look of all. Derek could have melted right into her softness if she'd let him. Her hand took the place of her ear against his chest as a precaution to make sure he was safe, causing a shiver to run the length of his torso.
"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to push you so hard," she said.
"I know. Don't worry; these pecs are indestructible."
Casey rolled her eyes and stifled a smile that tempted her lips. She was happy he was back to being his old self again.
Their friends remained fixated on the screen, either not noticing what happened or not caring. It wasn't as if Derek and Casey having a fight was big news, after all.
"I guess I may have been on edge this week for reasons I know you don't want to hear about. You'll think I'm too emotional."
Boy, was she an expert at making him feel guilty. Driven by an intense exhaustion from fighting Casey, not only physically but mentally, he was ready to talk - without a speech prepared or some silly little list.
"As much as it pains me to say this, I think it's time we talk."
"You... want to talk?" There he goes, stunning her into silence.
"No, I'd rather you take my belt off and beat me with it, but I'm afraid talking is the only way we're going to resolve our issues."
Communication is key, Paul once said. Maybe he wasn't such a bad shrink - counselor - after all.
"After the party?" Casey offered.
"After the party." Derek repeated, nodding in agreement.
