"So there I was in aisle six with the cutest knee-length dress after having searched for an hour when this girl ran right into me. I tried to get her to apologize, but she snickered and snatched the dress from my hands and walked away. It was so rude!

"Oh my God! I can't take it anymore! Don't you have any girl friends you could tell your lame shopping stories to?"

There was only so much gossip a guy could take, and Derek was starting to feel as if he were at a slumber party, and not the hot pillow fight kind.

"Emily is busy with school and her internship. I haven't exactly made many friends here, Derek. Well, okay, there is Gabbi. You know, the girl you tried to hook up with on my couch. I haven't talked to her much since."

"So? Call her up and see if she wants to do something with you." Derek flipped through one of Casey's Cosmo magazines and then tossed the boring read back onto the coffee table. Not even the funny faces he drew on all those women could make that magazine worth looking at.

Casey looked up at Derek, using her hand to wave dry the pink polish on her toenails.

"I don't know much about her or what she likes to do for fun."

"Casey, that's the whole point of hanging out. Do you really need me to explain this to you?" Derek sighed.

"You don't get it. Gabbi is the only possible friend I've made here. If I find out we have virtually nothing in common, that's it. I'll have no potential friends here, and I'll be lonely for four years."

"That's a bit dramatic," he said.

"Of course you wouldn't get it. You have the entire hockey team falling at your feet." Not to mention, the female fans, too.

"First off, I'm a freshman on the hockey team, so one cares all that much about me. Even if they did, that doesn't mean I have a connection with everyone and that I don't miss my friends back home."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In high school, I had Sam and Ralph and our band. Nothing happened on the weekends that I didn't know about, and now I have to weasel my way into every conversation just to get an invite," Derek explained. He couldn't believe he was being this honest. All of this girl talk was making him too comfortable with Casey.

"Ah, I wouldn't have guessed."

"That's because I'm not as dramatic as you, and I know it'll take time to find my footing here. Stop hyperventilating when everything will work itself out. If you get too lonely, get a deaf cat so I don't have to listen to your lame gossip anymore."

The last part was clearly a joke, but he made some good points.

She wasn't as lonely as she could be. Derek had kept her from many freakouts already this year, although she wouldn't admit it.

"You being the voice of reason? I never thought I'd see the day."

"We all have our moments," he smiled, dialing a number onto his phone and putting the phone to his ear.

"Who are you calling?" Casey interrogated, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Gabbi, who does it look like?"

"What?! Derek, hang up! Give me that phone!" Casey forgot about her manicures toes and lunged for the phone, the two of them pulling and tugging until a voice came onto the other line.

"Gabbi! Hey, my buddy and I are going out tonight with Casey. Do you want to join us?"

"Der-ek," Casey pleaded for Derek to hang up, but the damage was already done.

"Great, see you then." Derek clicked off the phone.

"Wait, she said yes?"

"Uh, duh. I'll text my friend, Greg, so we can all go out together. Maybe going out as a group will help you loosen the corset a little."

Turns out, going out as a group of four made it seem more like a double date than a regular hangout session.

As Greg and Derek stood at the concession stand, chugging their sodas while waiting for their popcorn, Greg spoke up.

"Thanks for inviting me, man. I'm just surprised you changed your mind," he said.

"Uh, sure, but what exactly did I change my mind about?" Derek had no idea what his friend was referring to.

"Me and Casey. Hell, I didn't even think she would agree to go on a date with me. You must have put in a good word. I owe you."

What?! This wasn't the plan! This was the opposite of the plan! Derek wanted to form a better friendship with Greg tonight, not wring his neck for trying to get with his stepsister!

Derek wanted to set the record straight, but he stopped when he felt a furious tap on his shoulder.

"Derek, may I speak to you? In private?"

Someone's angry.

Derek followed a furious Casey nearest the fountain drinks like an obedient child.

"What is it?" He asked, his mind distracted by a certain redheaded friend waiting to pounce on Casey.

"Gabbi is under the horrible impression you invited her on a date, which means I'm supposed to be on a date with Greg and the whole plan of forming a friendship with Gabbi is ruined and I don't like redheads and I am freaking out because my whole night is ruined! And I don't want to kiss Greg!" Casey was rambling on like she always does when she's nervous and has had enough.

If Casey told the truth that tonight was to get to know Gabbi more, she would feel mortified!

Derek calmly but cautiously placed both his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to remedy the situation.

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! I am calm!"

If that's the case, he would hate to see if she wasn't calm.

"You're not going to kiss Greg. I'm working on a plan."

"What is it?"

"Give a guy a second to think. Uh... okay," Derek snapped his fingers. "We set them up."

"What?" Casey chewed on her nails nervously, taking in Derek's plan.

"It's a classic game move. Gabbi doesn't like me anymore, it's obvious, so the only problem is Greg. He really likes you, but we need him to notice Gabbi."

"Gabbi is so nice; he will love her. We just have to get them closer together."

"Exactly, Case! We sit them beside each other. I'll go into the aisle first, you'll follow, and then Greg and Gabbi will be forced to sit by each other."

"But won't they suspect that we are - you and I - are on a date?" Casey worried.

Derek's heart started to pound.

"Gabbi will be happy she's sitting far away from me, so she won't care enough to think about that."

"Okay then."

The plan had surprisingly worked. Greg and Gabbi hit it off almost immediately. They giggled through the entire movie. Derek hated to be the third wheel, but tonight, he would make an exception, given the circumstances.

After the movie, Derek and Greg walked out into the parking lot together.

"Hey, uh, I know I was supposed to be out on a date with Casey, but I'm kinda feeling the vibes between me and Gabbi. I'm sorry, you probably think I'm a jerk after you went through so much trouble to set me up with your roommate."

"No, please, be a jerk. Gabbi's perfect for you."

Their plan had worked! Of course it did. Derek was the master of manipulation.

Greg was as relieved as Derek was.

"You sure? Okay, thanks, man. And, uh, hey, you and Casey seem to be hitting it off."

"You couldn't be more wrong," Derek laughed, wagging his finger in the air.

"Really? You could've fooled me."

"She's my stepsister, Greg." He wasn't sure why he unloaded on Greg... maybe in an attempt to form a deeper bond.

A deeper bond? Ugh, Casey was definitely getting into his head.

"Oh. Oh. Oh, damn. You have the hots for your stepsister?"

"Would you keep your voice down?! And no, I don't. But I do tend to get a little - protective over her sometimes. That's why I said she was off-limits at the party, and then well... everything sort of got complicated tonight," Derek took a deep breath.

"Yeah, you totally have the hots for her, but I won't tell a soul, I swear. Not that I have any friends here to tell, other than you."

Derek didn't bother to deny the accusation Greg made about his feelings, as he was afraid Casey might overhear the conversation.

Trailing behind Derek and Greg at a nice enough distance were Casey and Gabbi.

"Can I be honest, Casey? I really don't like Derek. I only agreed to come out because you were going to be here. I really enjoy hanging out with you."

"Really? That is so sweet! I enjoy hanging out with you, too! I was honestly worried you didn't feel the same way."

"Are you kidding? You're a great friend and so much fun to hang out with!" Gabbi smiled, looking over shyly at none other than Greg.

"You know, it's a shame Greg and I didn't work out. But you two seem to have a lot of chemistry," Casey pushed.

"You think?"

"I know. I'll make sure Derek gives me his number for you." If Casey couldn't find a partner for herself, the least she could do was bring other beautiful souls together.

"Aw, thank you! And speaking of Derek, is there something I'm missing? It's just that seeing you two together...I can't help but think..."

"He's my stepbrother," Casey reminded her.

"Yes, I know. And honestly, it could explain a lot... "

"Yeah, it could. Wait, what could that explain?" Casey asked.

"Your harbored feelings for Derek. Star-crossed stepsiblings fighting their feelings for the sake of the family. That's my kind of novel."

After dropping Greg and Gabbi back to their dorms, it was just Casey and Derek in the car. The radio was off, and the only noise came from the ticking of the signal light. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"So," Casey spoke all-too loudly. "How was your chat with Greg?"

"He's moved on from you, thank God. The last thing I need is another friend of mine dating you." Derek did not want to relive the popcorn fiasco with her and Greg. Absolutely not. Hell no.

"Well, Gabbi wasn't heartbroken at your disinterest in her either."

"Good. Did she say anything else?"

Casey wasn't about to tell Derek the accusation of the two of them Gabbi made.

"Nope. How about Greg?"

"Nope."

"So we both got what we wanted out of tonight?" Casey smiled.

Derek's hand squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles started to turn white.

"Yeah, we did. I guess you and I make a great team, after all," he admitted.

"Yeah, we're not so bad," she agreed.

Not so bad at all.