Everybody Has Something to Hide (PART 4)
PART 4
Chapter 15: Play With Fire, Don't get Burned
Derek lay on his bed, his mind swimming with possibilities. He was determined to get Lizzie back for her little stunt at the dinner table the other night. Which was why he couldn't be happier that he had come up with this plan. Kill two birds with one stone, he thought savagely, a grin spreading across his face. Not only would he be getting his revenge, but he had the added bonus of forcing those crazy kids to confess that they had somehow taken the Prince. It didn't make a lot of sense for them to be the ones who had taken it, but if you put together all the clues that Truman had given them…well, he didn't see who else the culprits could be.
He scanned his room, trying to think of what his first move should be. Play it like a chess game, calculate carefully…His eye landed on his CD collection and he abruptly remembered that Lizzie had given him a CD the other night. He hadn't looked at what it was because he'd been desperate to get the hell out of there before she made him even more uncomfortable, but hmm where was it? He quickly stood up and rifled through his CDs, trying to find one that hadn't been there before.
Aha! He pulled out one in a clear case. There was nothing written on the CD, but it certainly hadn't been there before. He opened the case and pulled out the CD, intending to listen to it. Suddenly, a piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. Curious, he picked it up and recognized Lizzie's neat handwriting: A song for the one you truly love. Trust me.
What the fuck? Derek stared at the paper for a few seconds, as though trying to decipher some hidden message. FOR the one you truly love. At least it didn't say "from" the one you truly love. That would've definitely crossed the line into unwanted advances. And uncharted territory. Territory that he certainly didn't want to enter.
"Derek! Dinner!" Nora shouted. Derek threw the CD on to his table. Guess I'll have to listen to it afterwards. Time for Operation Castle. He snorted, Casey and her dumb ideas. The OC. He hadn't been a fan of the teen soap opera, but he knew from Casey that it was one of those shows that was just teeming with drama. And that description just about fit his life right now.
He bounded down the stairs, flashing a smile at Lizzie- who looked slightly surprised- and subtly winking at Casey. As soon as George sat down, Derek dug into the lasagna, desperate to avoid the dinner questioning. Unfortunately he heard George clear his throat. Here we go…
"So, Derek. How was detention today?"
"Just great, dad," Derek replied sarcastically.
"Did Lassiter tell you what your punishment for skipping that other detention was?"
"Yeah, we gotta stay after school an extra two days after next week."
"Did you think that was fair?" Nora asked, eyeing Derek pointedly.
Derek blinked, "Uh, yeah. It's fair I guess."
"You know, you don't seem awfully upset about all this detention, Derek."
"Neither do you, Casey," Nora said suddenly. "Normally, you'd be complaining about the extra time you're forced to spend with Derek…"
Derek choked on his food while he heard Casey give a very forced laugh. "Just getting more mature I guess," she said nervously.
"You certainly are," Edwin chimed in, earning a dirty look from Lizzie and a panicked look from Casey. Derek, who was sitting across from Casey, aimed a kick under the table. She jumped slightly and glared at him, What!? He raised his eyebrows subtly, Gonna let Edwin beat us at this game?
She clenched her jaw and twitched her shoulders. He could almost see her trying to get into the role required of her: this was simply a part to play. She was, after all, an actress. He licked his lips…maybe she just had to get in the right mood. Impulsively, he ran his foot up her leg under the table. Her eyes widened and he grinned when he saw her shiver. Pleased, he dropped his foot back to the floor and nodded at her. Go on.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled seductively, "And do you like mature women, Edwin?"
Edwin's jaw dropped in surprise. George laughed, "Don't we all!" Nora glared at him, and George hastily backtracked, "I mean, when I was younger- when people are younger…uh, boys- when they were younger-"
Derek coughed loudly, "Oh, I don't think it's just boys who can appreciate someone older."
"Why, what do you mean, Derek?" Casey asked sweetly. He fought to keep from grinning. She was playing her part perfectly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Edwin tapping his foot nervously.
"I'm just saying," he paused to shrug carelessly, "Girls often fall for an older guy, too."
"Well, that is true," Nora agreed. "When I was a girl…" She paused and blushed, "Well, that was a long time ago."
"N-not all girls like older guys," Lizzie blurted out.
"Oh, come on Liz," Casey laughed breezily. "It's perfectly normal to crush on an older guy when you're younger." She leaned forward, "You can admit it…"
Lizzie was blushing furiously and Derek took his chance. "Yeah, Lizzie, I swear I won't tell. What do you think of Sam? Or Ralph?"
She sat up straighter, "Ugh! I don't like them!"
"Oh?" Derek said interestedly. He leaned forward and smirked, "Who else then? What about m-" Edwin suddenly had a coughing fit and Derek glared at him. He pounded his back with unnecessary force. "You alright there, buddy?"
"Y-yeah, D." Edwin added in a few coughs for effect.
"Always chew before you swallow," George advised his son. Casey snorted into her water and Derek looked down at the floor to keep from laughing. This was too good.
"How about some ice cream?" Nora asked, getting up and collecting the dishes.
"Sounds good Nora," Derek said lazily.
"Need any help?" Casey said, starting to get up.
"No, I got it," George announced. "You kids just stay here. We'll bring the ice cream in a few minutes."
Casey nodded with a smile. Derek watched Nora and his dad carry the dishes back into the kitchen before turning his gaze onto Lizzie and Edwin. Both of them looked very nervous. Derek focused his attention on Lizzie and let his voice sharpen, "You'd be surprised at what I might let slip at the dinner table next time…"
Her eyes widened, "W-what are you talking about?"
Derek raised an eyebrow, "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"You w-wouldn't tell them!"
Derek leaned back and shrugged, "You never know."
"But-"
Derek leaned forward again, "That's the price you pay when you play with fire."
"What fire!?" Edwin interrupted, looking bewildered.
Casey raised an eyebrow, "As if you didn't know."
Edwin threw up his hands, "I really don't!"
"Don't act all innocent, Ed," Casey whispered. "We both know the truth, don't we?"
Lizzie looked wildly between them, "Wait, what are you talking about? Edwin?"
"I have no idea!" Edwin fairly shouted, looking angry.
Derek glanced worriedly into the kitchen, but neither Nora nor George appeared to have heard. "Drop the act, Ed," Derek hissed. "We all know the what's really going on here."
"No, we don't!" Lizzie said loudly. Her lip was trembling and she looked like she about to cry. Derek paused and stared at her in surprise. What was she so upset about? Feeling slightly guilty, Derek glanced at Casey, who looked confused at this turn of events.
"Three different kinds of ice cream!" George announced, walking into the dining room laden with a huge tray. Derek's mouth watered just looking at it…or maybe he was looking at Casey…
"I think I'll just go to my room," Lizzie said quietly, looking rather subdued. She got up and fairly sprinted toward the stairs.
Derek felt guilt bubble in his throat. Dammit. "I don't want any either," he muttered. He followed Lizzie up the stairs in what he hoped was a casual manner. She slammed her door just as he reached the top of the stairs. He strode over to her door and barged in without knocking.
"Hey!" She said angrily, "You can't just come in here uninvited-"
"Yes, I can," Derek said dismissively. He sat down next to her on her bed and waited.
"It's not fair."
"A lot of things aren't fair. Mostly life."
"Only to some people," she said, looking at the ground. "Other people don't even have to try…"
Derek frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"You," she finally said, looking at him briefly. "You just skate by without trying. Girls fall at your feet, you're a natural at hockey-"
Derek held up a hand, "Whoa, whoa. Not that I don't love a good compliment, but where is this coming from?"
Tears were forming in her eyes, "You and Casey! You guys don't have to try! The rest of us don't have it so easy…"
"Is this about…" Derek trailed off. He had no idea what she was talking about. It definitely didn't sound like she was talking about the Prince.
"I thought if I could just make him jealous…" she said tearfully.
Him? Who was 'him'? Derek frowned, trying to think. Suddenly he blinked, "Wait. Are you talking about…Edwin?" She didn't say anything, but met his gaze, a desperate look in her eyes.
"Oh, Liz," Derek muttered. He slid an arm around her and pulled her close to him, letting her tears soak his shirt. "It's okay, it'll be okay," he repeated mechanically, kissing the top of her head.
"I-I thought-"
"Shh, shush," Derek whispered. "You McDonald girls are smarter than I give you credit for."
At that moment, the door burst open and Edwin walked in. He stopped short when he saw Derek and Lizzie on the bed, cuddled close together. His face paled and Derek immediately jumped up. "It's not what it looks like, bro."
"YEAH!?" Edwin shouted, his face screwed up in anger.
"What is going on in here!?" Casey hissed as she came running into the room and shut the door behind her. "Mom and George are going to hear you-" She paused when she caught sight of the three people in the room. She crossed her arms, "Wait. What is going on?"
"THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW!" Edwin roared.
"Shut it, Edwin!" Derek said angrily. "It's not what it looks like."
"Like I haven't heard that one before," Edwin snapped.
"Okay, enough!" Casey shouted. "Everyone needs to calm down."
Edwin glared at everyone in the room before slumping into the computer chair. Casey nodded and slid down in front of the door. "Good. Now, how about some explanations?"
Casey sat on the floor, looking up at everyone expectantly. Unfortunately, it looked like no one was prepared to talk. Remembering her conversation with Truman earlier in the day, she gave a twisted smile and said calmly, "We need to clear the air, guys."
"I agree," Derek said sullenly. "Why don't we start with Edwin?"
"Me?" Edwin said indignantly. "I didn't do anything!"
"You've been flirting with Casey all week," Derek snapped. "Don't deny it, just tell us why."
Casey smiled encouragingly at Edwin, "He's right. We just want to know why."
"Wh-what about Lizzie!?"
"Lizzie should explain herself, too," Casey amended. "Unless you just want to tell the story yourself?"
"No."
"Stop acting like a child!" Derek shouted.
"It was a bet," Edwin said suddenly.
"Funnily enough, we've figured that part out," Derek answered sarcastically. "You got anything a little more specific?"
Edwin cleared his throat and said hesitantly, "Well, you know how me and Lizzie, uh, gather data in our binder?"
"You mean spy on people?" Casey retorted.
"Spying is such a harsh word," Edwin replied, a hint of a smile at his lips.
Derek nodded impatiently, "Yeah, yeah. Go on."
"Well, we, ah, noticed a few things about…well, you and Casey."
"Oh?" Derek asked, looking interested.
"Like what?" Casey asked at the same time.
Edwin turned to her, but answered Derek. "Like how you were always jealous when someone mentioned Truman's name, how you guys never fought anymore, how you seemed to be spending a lot of time in each other's rooms…"
"I see," Derek said slowly. "And what did you think of this information?"
Edwin seemed extremely relieved that Derek hadn't started yelling. "Well, it was going to just be a test to see what would happen…but then it sort of turned into a bet."
Casey rolled her eyes. These Venturis and their bets. "Go on," she urged. "What was the test? Or the bet?"
It was Lizzie who answered. "It was obvious that you guys were into each other," she said simply. "We wanted to test that."
"So what did you do?" Derek asked sharply.
Neither of them answered. Lizzie looked embarrassed, and Edwin was staring at the floor, a faint blush spreading across his face. Casey frowned to herself, piecing together the puzzle in her head. "Let me give this a try," she said, staring directly at Edwin.
"Okay," he replied hoarsely.
"You told Lizzie to flirt with Derek so that I would get jealous. And you flirted with me to make Derek jealous."
"Did it work?" Edwin asked hopefully.
"It worked," Derek answered shortly, looking disgusted.
"But," Casey continued, "You outsmarted yourselves…somewhere along the way, instead of trying to make me and Derek jealous, you started trying to make each other jealous." She paused, "Am I right?"
"Close enough," Edwin muttered.
"And that's why you were trying to make me and Casey admit our relationship," Derek said suddenly. "To see how everyone would react…to pave the road for the two of you."
Neither of them answered and Casey glanced between them. "Are you guys in a relationship? Lizzie?"
She mumbled something and Derek grinned, "I think it's safe to say that they're into each other. Maybe not as serious as…" he trailed off, but Casey knew what he was going to say. Maybe not as serious as our relationship.
Derek stood up and ruffled Edwin's hair affectionately, "Guess no one won that bet, huh, buddy?"
"Guess not," Edwin agreed, smiling slightly.
"But," Derek said, looking significantly at Lizzie, "Maybe everyone did win something else. What do you say?"
Lizzie nodded and smiled back, "Yeah, I guess we did. What about you and Casey?"
Casey glanced at Derek before answering carefully, "We appreciate what you were trying to do, but we're not quite ready to tell people about us, yet."
Edwin opened his mouth to say something, but Derek cut him off, "I know you want me and Casey to tell everyone so you can see how our parents would react, but she's right. We're not ready right now. There are some…issues…that we need to work out first.
Lizzie sighed, "I guess we can understand that."
Casey smiled, "I'm happy for you, Liz."
Lizzie grinned, looking genuinely happy. "Thanks, sis." She glanced up at Derek before turning back to Casey, "I'm happy for you, too. Derek is actually a nice guy…"
"That secret never leaves this room," Derek said immediately.
Casey laughed, "Sure thing, D. Oh and Edwin?"
"Yeah?"
"If you ever hurt my sister," Casey said warningly.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll have to deal with you," Edwin said hastily.
"And me," Derek added, shooting a grin at Lizzie, who returned the smile.
"And the same goes for if you ever hurt my sister," Lizzie said, raising her eyebrows at Derek.
Derek walked over to Casey and wrapped her in a hug, "I would never hurt the woman I lo-, um, my girlfriend."
Lizzie and Edwin exchanged glances and Derek flushed. "I guess we should be getting back to our rooms," he muttered. He held out a hand to Casey to help her up.
They were actually half way out of the door when Casey remembered. "The car!" she hissed to Derek.
"Oh shit, I forgot," Derek said, spinning around on the spot and barging back into the room.
"What's wrong, D?"
"Well, this is wonderful and all," Derek said in a clipped tone, "But it doesn't really explain why you stole my car, so if you could just hand that over..?"
"Stole your car!?" Edwin asked incredulously.
"Uh, yeah?"
Lizzie frowned and stood up, looking confused. "But…we didn't steal your car"
Chapter 16: Because It's Worth Fighting For
"And you actually believe Truman?" Edwin asked for the hundredth time.
"YES," Derek repeated, beginning to lose patience with Ed's lack of detective work. "Will you please stop harping on about that small, and I must say, insignificant detail?"
"Insignificant!?" Edwin squeaked incredulously.
"Truman has confirmed that he knows nothing. Can we please MOVE THE FUCK ON!?"
"Talking to Ed or talking to Casey?" Lizzie asked slyly.
Casey's eyebrow rose and she crossed her arms, "Well?"
Derek backed off hastily, shooting a mock glare in Lizzie's direction. "Call off the dogs McDonald! I was talking to Ed."
"Better be," Casey leveled a look at him. "Because if I haven't made it clear to you that Truman's out of my life for good-"
"You have, you have," Derek acknowledged quickly, not wanting to revisit that particular subject again.
Edwin was staring thoughtfully at his notepad, onto which Derek hadn't seen him actually write anything down. "It has occurred to you guys that Truman followed you to the mall that day?"
"Yeah, he already admitted that he was stalking Casey," Derek said, waving his hand dismissively. "Loser," he added under his breath.
"What, cuz I'm not worthy of being stalked?" Casey asked suddenly.
Derek stared at her in disbelief. What the fuck was her problem? She was acting so…childish. "What is up with you?" Derek snapped. "Quit acting like one of those insecure ditzy girls at school!"
"You mean like the ones you normally go out with?" Lizzie asked, her face quite expressionless.
Something in Lizzie's tone made Derek pay attention and his gaze landed on Casey, who flushed slightly. Without removing his eyes from her, he said firmly, "Ed, you and Liz try and figure this whole thing out. Me and Casey are gonna have a little talk in her room." With that, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the hallway.
"Stop man-handling me!" Casey snapped, shrugging out of his grip as he shoved her into her room and shut the door.
Derek took a deep breath, feeling his temper flare. "I can't believe you would think, even for a second, that I would want you to act like them!"
"Like who?" Casey asked coldly, not meeting his gaze.
"Those girls that I normally date," Derek hissed angrily. "Do you think that any of them ever meant anything to me!?"
"Oh no," Casey said sarcastically. "I know for a fact that they didn't mean anything to you…in the morning."
Derek felt the blood drain from his face. He couldn't remember what he had told Casey about his sex life…Hadn't he told her he was a virgin? He frowned, trying to remember.
"What, trying to figure out which lie you told me?"
Derek gulped. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten the impression that Casey could somehow read his mind. "Ah, no. What makes you say that?"
"Well, while you were talking to Lizzie-"
"We didn't do anything," Derek said immediately.
Casey paused, looking disgusted. "I wasn't implying that you did. Even you wouldn't stoop to hitting on a fourteen year old girl." Then her eyes narrowed, "At least, I would hope you wouldn't. Especially since that girl happens to be my sister."
Derek felt his mouth drop open. "What's wrong with you!? Why are you acting like this? Am I missing something here?"
Casey crossed her arms and turned resolutely away from him, "No."
Derek crossed the room so he was standing in front of her. In turn, she took a few steps back. He rolled his eyes, "Somehow, I don't believe that. What happened? Did something happen between dinner and now?"
She didn't say anything, but looked vaguely embarrassed about something. "Well, when you went upstairs to talk to Lizzie, I, uh…"
"Spit it out," Derek said, watching her expression carefully.
"I decided to, um, get your jacket."
"Get my jacket," Derek repeated, feeling utterly confused. "O-kay...?"
"I mean, I looked inside the pockets," Casey muttered, her face reddening.
Derek suddenly remembered what he kept in his jacket. "Fucking hell, Case!" he swore. "Ever hear of a little privacy!?"
"Ever hear of not being a sleazeball!?" Casey retaliated, her face darkening.
Derek felt his hand curl in anger, "It's not like that! I'm not sleeping with anyone!"
"Then explain this!" Casey shouted, tossing the condom from his jacket onto her bed.
"A guy doesn't have to be having sex to carry around condoms!" Derek snapped.
"No," Casey agreed, "but then why would he be carrying them around?"
Derek hesitated, wondering what the right answer here was. When he didn't speak, she continued, "Unless of course, he was expecting to have sex with someone…"
Derek bit his lip, knowing he was on shaky ground. "I meant what I said, Case. Just being with you is enough for me."
"And I believe that," Casey said slowly. "Which means there is another reason you were carrying a condom around." Derek swallowed nervously. Casey was smart, and she was going to arrive at the right conclusion in a mere matter of minutes. "Which means…you lied about being a virgin," Casey finished.
Derek looked up to meet her gaze, and was surprised to see that she was looking steadily at him. "Yes," Derek answered, deciding to tell the truth. "Though, I can't remember when I actually told you that..."
Casey frowned, "That night when I told you that I hadn't slept with anyone-"
"I said I wanted to be your first," Derek interrupted. "But I didn't say that you would be my first."
"Touché," Casey muttered.
"So what are you really angry about here?" Derek asked cautiously. "That you thought I was a virgin and I'm not? Or that I've slept with other girls?"
Casey stiffened, "Plural?"
"Huh?"
"Girls," Casey repeated. "Plural."
Derek could've kicked himself. "No, no. Just one girl," he amended hastily. "And that's the truth, Casey."
Casey smiled coldly, "Did you forget you were talking to me and not your hockey buddies?"
"Yes," Derek admitted. "They think that I'm-"
"A sex god, I know," Casey rolled her eyes. "That's what the whole school thinks," she hesitated, "because that's what you want them to think."
"No," Derek corrected. "That's what they want to think. And I don't have a problem with that."
"I'm sure it has its perks," Casey said idly. Derek shifted uncomfortably, knowing what she was implying. The girls, the partying…
"I would hope that you of all people didn't believe idle gossip, Case."
"I don't,' Casey said quickly. "I know you're not really like that."
"Good," Derek said slowly, watching Casey bite her lip nervously. There was something else she wanted to say, and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.
"Who was she?" Casey asked abruptly.
"What?"
"The girl you slept with," Casey clarified, still staring at the ground.
Derek groaned, "Why are we even discussing this!?"
"Sally?" Casey asked quietly.
Derek didn't reply. Of course it had been Sally. He knew it and Casey knew it. When he didn't speak, Casey said slowly, "Well you did love her."
"I was in love with her," Derek said carefully, "there's a difference."
"Same difference, D," Casey said, rolling her eyes.
"No," Derek insisted. He had to make her understand. "I never told her I loved her." He paused to let the full meaning of his sentence hit Casey. "I never told any girl that."
"Oh," Casey said in a small voice. "I see."
"Those three little words…they mean something to me," Derek said, not knowing if he was talking to her, or himself. "I know people throw them around like it means nothing, but to me it still does. I would never say it to someone unless I was sure-"
"Oh come on, D!" Casey scoffed. "There's no point in pretending if it's just gonna hurt both of us…"
"Pretending!? Who's pretending?"
Casey looked at him almost pityingly. "We are," she said quietly, "It was a nice fantasy, but can you ever picture us…together?"
Derek felt fury rush into his veins and clenched his jaw to keep from screaming at her. "Why is it that I'm the only one who's ever fighting for us to be together!? Do you even want this!?"
Casey didn't reply, but merely stared at him for a few seconds, the same pitying look on her face. Derek's eye landed on the collage next to her bookcase again, which did nothing to help his mood. "This!" Derek shouted, gesturing at it. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You have pictures of everyone here, even that scumbag! But-" he cut himself off, unable to say what he wanted to. What about me? I mean so little to you that there was no room for me on your dumb collage?
"There was no room for you there," Casey said, staring at it.
Derek's mouth dropped open. What the fuck? "And that's how you really feel!? Like there's no room for me in your life?"
Casey looked confused, "That's not what I said."
"But it's what you meant!" Derek shouted, teetering on the edge of his control. Damn her.
Casey took a deep breath, shaking her head. She sat down on her bed and gestured to the pictures. "Those people…they're just people in my life." She paused and then looked directly at him, But you-you are my life. Without you, it feels like-like there's something...missing." She stopped talking and then leaned over to open a drawer next to her bed. She pulled out an album and tossed it to Derek, who wordlessly caught it. "Look in it," Casey said simply.
Derek opened the album. It was short, only a few pages long. But he could tell that Casey had spent time on it. Each page was beautifully and artistically done. Each picture labeled with captions, dates, names. Just two names, actually. Him and Casey. Every picture. He stared at them carefully, looking at the events that had spanned four years of their lives. Birthdays, vacations, school trips, parties…
He snapped it shut, feeling sick. "You did all of this." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "For me?"
"For us," Casey corrected. "To show you that I was fighting a long time before I knew what exactly I was fighting for."
"Case," Derek said softly, not knowing what to say.
"There are some blank pages at the end," Casey went on, ignoring him.
"I noticed," Derek said hoarsely.
There was a tentative knock on the door. "It's me," Edwin whispered loudly. "I think we figured out who has your car!"
Casey jumped off her bed excitedly and threw open the door for Edwin. Lizzie was standing beside him and peered into her room. "Is it, ah, okay to come in?"
"Yeah, yeah," Casey said, waving them in. "We want to hear what you have to say."
"It's just, uh, we heard some yelling," Edwin said nervously.
Casey rolled her eyes, "We were working out some of our issues."
"Oh," Edwin said, glancing at Derek who shrugged back at him.
"What did you find out?" Casey asked impatiently.
"Okay, well first we have a few questions for you first."
"What is it?"
Edwin glanced at Lizzie -who nodded encouragingly-before turning to Casey. "How did dad and Nora know that you skipped school?"
"We confessed," Casey replied promptly.
"Ah, but they already knew, didn't they?" Edwin said pointedly.
"Yeah," Derek said, "Lassiter called them, remember?"
"And how do you know that?" Lizzie chimed in, staring at Derek significantly.
Derek frowned, "Uh, because they told us that they got phone calls at work…"
"Yes," Edwin agreed, "But did they say from whom?"
"What?"
Edwin leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Did they actually say that it was Lassiter that called them at work?"
"Well, no," Casey admitted slowly. "But who else could it have been?"
"Who else, indeed?" Edwin grinned, and leaned back, clearly waiting for them to figure it out.
Derek said loudly, "Seeing as how I hired you for this case, you should probably just tell us-"
"Okay, okay," Edwin said, holding up his hands. "Think about it! Who else knew you were skipping school? Who else knew that you had skipped detention?"
"Um, probably Emily, Sam, and Ralph noticed that we were missing from lunch and classes and stuff," Casey suggested.
"Okay," Edwin said, nodding. "Who else?"
"I don't see why anyone else would notice if we weren't there," Derek snapped. "Unless you mean it was a teacher, or something…"
Edwin grinned, "Come on, you guys have to be smarter than this!"
"Give us a hint," Casey demanded.
"Okay," Edwin agreed. "Who had the motive to get you in trouble?"
"Motive?" Derek repeated, looking bewildered.
"Who knew you were at the mall?" Edwin said finally, looking fed up.
"Well Nora was there," Derek said slowly, "but she didn't see us."
"And why was Nora there?"
"To…get a smoothie?" Casey tried.
"Uh, no."
"TRUMAN!" Derek bellowed suddenly.
Casey jumped, "What about him!?"
Derek's eyes had widened, "He knew! He knew we were skipping school, he followed us to the mall, he-"
"Good job, D," Edwin said approvingly.
"But-but I thought we agreed that he was telling the truth when he said that he didn't steal it?" Casey asked tentatively.
"Oh, yes. He was telling the truth," Edwin said, now watching Casey carefully, obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Casey could feel her stomach sinking. "It was him," she whispered. "He called my mom and George. He knew their numbers because they made us give him their numbers in case of an emergency from when we were going out…"
"He called them," Derek repeated almost wonderingly.
"He wanted me to get in trouble because he was mad at me that day. Because I wouldn't get back together with him," Casey continued sheepishly.
"So…that's how dad and Nora knew about everything," Derek replied tonelessly.
"And that's why mom was at the mall," Lizzie supplied.
"You mean-" Derek sputtered, looking incredulous.
"Yes," Edwin said, obviously trying not to laugh. "Dad and Nora took your car."
Derek slumped down in the nearest chair in complete disbelief. He couldn't believe his own father would do this to him.
"So, what's the plan?" Casey was asking.
Edwin shrugged, "That's up to you guys. If I were you, I'd confess a.s.a.p. I mean, they've known that the car is "missing." They're gonna be pissed that you didn't tell them about it."
"Especially after their little meeting about not keeping secrets in this house," Lizzie added, rolling her eyes.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Casey groaned. "No wonder they were dropping so many hints!"
"Yes, no wonder," George boomed, throwing open her door.
It was like a scene from a horror movie. Everyone stopped in mid-action and stood as through strangely suspended in time, almost like a photograph. Shaking his head, Derek leapt up in anger, "WERE YOU SPYING ON US?"
"My house," George reminded him. "Besides, we were eavesdropping. There is a difference."
"We?" Casey asked, sounded dismayed.
"Yes, we," Nora confirmed, walking into the room.
"I don't believe this," Casey cried. "This was a private discussion!"
"Privacy is a privilege, not a right," Nora said quietly. "Needless to say, you have both lost that privilege."
"Edwin, Lizzie, go to your rooms," George said, pointing at the door. "This isn't a family discussion."
Edwin and Lizzie quickly slipped out the door, looking grateful. Derek gave an exaggerated sigh, "Okay, what's the deal? Where's my car?"
"Oh, it won't be your car for a long time, Derek."
"I'm grounded?" Derek guessed sarcastically.
George eyed his son, "No car for two months. No going out on weekends. During the week, you will come directly home after detention and do your homework. No TV, no going over friend's houses…"
"Okay, okay, we get it!" Derek said loudly.
"Same goes for you, Casey," Nora added.
"Fine," Casey said shortly.
"We're not angry with you," George began.
"More like disappointed," Nora finished.
"I'm sorry," Casey said quietly, looking ashamed.
"So am I," Derek said reluctantly. "We shouldn't have skipped, and we shouldn't have tried to hide the 'missing' car from you."
"I hope you learned a lesson about keeping secrets, Derek," his father said sternly.
Derek nodded silently, feeling the burden of his relationship with Casey weigh heavily on his conscience.
"Well, good," George replied, sounding satisfied. "Have a good night, you two."
"Good night," Derek and Casey said together, staring after them.
"Derek-" Casey began.
"I know what you're going to say," Derek interrupted. "But they're not ready for our secret yet."
"We have to tell them sometime," Casey pointed out.
"But that time is not right now," Derek said firmly.
"What are you afraid of?" Casey asked softly. She walked toward him and laid a hand on his arm. He closed his eyes at her touch, but didn't say anything. What was he afraid of?
"You," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
She didn't remove her hand, but she looked surprised. "Me?"
"Afraid of the way you make me feel," Derek swallowed, not meeting her gaze. "I've never felt that way with any other girl."
Casey was silent for a few seconds before she said, "This scares me too, you know. I mean, it's us. How are we ever supposed to work? We fight constantly, we don't agree on anything, we're just so…different."
"But that's what makes us perfect," Derek breathed.
"We are perfect," Casey agreed, now running her hand up his arm and resting it on his neck. "We fit together. A perfect match."
"Not made in heaven," Derek smirked.
"No," Casey said slowly. "Can you even imagine us doing what other couples do…all their lovey-dovey bullshit?"
"We don't have to be like other couples," Derek said earnestly, staring directly into her eyes and drowning in their depth. "We can just…be. What we are."
"And what are we?" Casey asked softly, placing her other arm around his neck, so it looked like they were dancing.
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "We're Derek and Casey...We'll fight and argue and disagree on everything." He paused, and tightened his grip around her before moving his face toward hers. Against her lips, he murmured, "But we'll be happy."
THE END
Chapter 15: Play With Fire, Don't get Burned
Derek lay on his bed, his mind swimming with possibilities. He was determined to get Lizzie back for her little stunt at the dinner table the other night. Which was why he couldn't be happier that he had come up with this plan. Kill two birds with one stone, he thought savagely, a grin spreading across his face. Not only would he be getting his revenge, but he had the added bonus of forcing those crazy kids to confess that they had somehow taken the Prince. It didn't make a lot of sense for them to be the ones who had taken it, but if you put together all the clues that Truman had given them…well, he didn't see who else the culprits could be.
He scanned his room, trying to think of what his first move should be. Play it like a chess game, calculate carefully…His eye landed on his CD collection and he abruptly remembered that Lizzie had given him a CD the other night. He hadn't looked at what it was because he'd been desperate to get the hell out of there before she made him even more uncomfortable, but hmm where was it? He quickly stood up and rifled through his CDs, trying to find one that hadn't been there before.
Aha! He pulled out one in a clear case. There was nothing written on the CD, but it certainly hadn't been there before. He opened the case and pulled out the CD, intending to listen to it. Suddenly, a piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. Curious, he picked it up and recognized Lizzie's neat handwriting: A song for the one you truly love. Trust me.
What the fuck? Derek stared at the paper for a few seconds, as though trying to decipher some hidden message. FOR the one you truly love. At least it didn't say "from" the one you truly love. That would've definitely crossed the line into unwanted advances. And uncharted territory. Territory that he certainly didn't want to enter.
"Derek! Dinner!" Nora shouted. Derek threw the CD on to his table. Guess I'll have to listen to it afterwards. Time for Operation Castle. He snorted, Casey and her dumb ideas. The OC. He hadn't been a fan of the teen soap opera, but he knew from Casey that it was one of those shows that was just teeming with drama. And that description just about fit his life right now.
He bounded down the stairs, flashing a smile at Lizzie- who looked slightly surprised- and subtly winking at Casey. As soon as George sat down, Derek dug into the lasagna, desperate to avoid the dinner questioning. Unfortunately he heard George clear his throat. Here we go…
"So, Derek. How was detention today?"
"Just great, dad," Derek replied sarcastically.
"Did Lassiter tell you what your punishment for skipping that other detention was?"
"Yeah, we gotta stay after school an extra two days after next week."
"Did you think that was fair?" Nora asked, eyeing Derek pointedly.
Derek blinked, "Uh, yeah. It's fair I guess."
"You know, you don't seem awfully upset about all this detention, Derek."
"Neither do you, Casey," Nora said suddenly. "Normally, you'd be complaining about the extra time you're forced to spend with Derek…"
Derek choked on his food while he heard Casey give a very forced laugh. "Just getting more mature I guess," she said nervously.
"You certainly are," Edwin chimed in, earning a dirty look from Lizzie and a panicked look from Casey. Derek, who was sitting across from Casey, aimed a kick under the table. She jumped slightly and glared at him, What!? He raised his eyebrows subtly, Gonna let Edwin beat us at this game?
She clenched her jaw and twitched her shoulders. He could almost see her trying to get into the role required of her: this was simply a part to play. She was, after all, an actress. He licked his lips…maybe she just had to get in the right mood. Impulsively, he ran his foot up her leg under the table. Her eyes widened and he grinned when he saw her shiver. Pleased, he dropped his foot back to the floor and nodded at her. Go on.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled seductively, "And do you like mature women, Edwin?"
Edwin's jaw dropped in surprise. George laughed, "Don't we all!" Nora glared at him, and George hastily backtracked, "I mean, when I was younger- when people are younger…uh, boys- when they were younger-"
Derek coughed loudly, "Oh, I don't think it's just boys who can appreciate someone older."
"Why, what do you mean, Derek?" Casey asked sweetly. He fought to keep from grinning. She was playing her part perfectly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Edwin tapping his foot nervously.
"I'm just saying," he paused to shrug carelessly, "Girls often fall for an older guy, too."
"Well, that is true," Nora agreed. "When I was a girl…" She paused and blushed, "Well, that was a long time ago."
"N-not all girls like older guys," Lizzie blurted out.
"Oh, come on Liz," Casey laughed breezily. "It's perfectly normal to crush on an older guy when you're younger." She leaned forward, "You can admit it…"
Lizzie was blushing furiously and Derek took his chance. "Yeah, Lizzie, I swear I won't tell. What do you think of Sam? Or Ralph?"
She sat up straighter, "Ugh! I don't like them!"
"Oh?" Derek said interestedly. He leaned forward and smirked, "Who else then? What about m-" Edwin suddenly had a coughing fit and Derek glared at him. He pounded his back with unnecessary force. "You alright there, buddy?"
"Y-yeah, D." Edwin added in a few coughs for effect.
"Always chew before you swallow," George advised his son. Casey snorted into her water and Derek looked down at the floor to keep from laughing. This was too good.
"How about some ice cream?" Nora asked, getting up and collecting the dishes.
"Sounds good Nora," Derek said lazily.
"Need any help?" Casey said, starting to get up.
"No, I got it," George announced. "You kids just stay here. We'll bring the ice cream in a few minutes."
Casey nodded with a smile. Derek watched Nora and his dad carry the dishes back into the kitchen before turning his gaze onto Lizzie and Edwin. Both of them looked very nervous. Derek focused his attention on Lizzie and let his voice sharpen, "You'd be surprised at what I might let slip at the dinner table next time…"
Her eyes widened, "W-what are you talking about?"
Derek raised an eyebrow, "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"You w-wouldn't tell them!"
Derek leaned back and shrugged, "You never know."
"But-"
Derek leaned forward again, "That's the price you pay when you play with fire."
"What fire!?" Edwin interrupted, looking bewildered.
Casey raised an eyebrow, "As if you didn't know."
Edwin threw up his hands, "I really don't!"
"Don't act all innocent, Ed," Casey whispered. "We both know the truth, don't we?"
Lizzie looked wildly between them, "Wait, what are you talking about? Edwin?"
"I have no idea!" Edwin fairly shouted, looking angry.
Derek glanced worriedly into the kitchen, but neither Nora nor George appeared to have heard. "Drop the act, Ed," Derek hissed. "We all know the what's really going on here."
"No, we don't!" Lizzie said loudly. Her lip was trembling and she looked like she about to cry. Derek paused and stared at her in surprise. What was she so upset about? Feeling slightly guilty, Derek glanced at Casey, who looked confused at this turn of events.
"Three different kinds of ice cream!" George announced, walking into the dining room laden with a huge tray. Derek's mouth watered just looking at it…or maybe he was looking at Casey…
"I think I'll just go to my room," Lizzie said quietly, looking rather subdued. She got up and fairly sprinted toward the stairs.
Derek felt guilt bubble in his throat. Dammit. "I don't want any either," he muttered. He followed Lizzie up the stairs in what he hoped was a casual manner. She slammed her door just as he reached the top of the stairs. He strode over to her door and barged in without knocking.
"Hey!" She said angrily, "You can't just come in here uninvited-"
"Yes, I can," Derek said dismissively. He sat down next to her on her bed and waited.
"It's not fair."
"A lot of things aren't fair. Mostly life."
"Only to some people," she said, looking at the ground. "Other people don't even have to try…"
Derek frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"You," she finally said, looking at him briefly. "You just skate by without trying. Girls fall at your feet, you're a natural at hockey-"
Derek held up a hand, "Whoa, whoa. Not that I don't love a good compliment, but where is this coming from?"
Tears were forming in her eyes, "You and Casey! You guys don't have to try! The rest of us don't have it so easy…"
"Is this about…" Derek trailed off. He had no idea what she was talking about. It definitely didn't sound like she was talking about the Prince.
"I thought if I could just make him jealous…" she said tearfully.
Him? Who was 'him'? Derek frowned, trying to think. Suddenly he blinked, "Wait. Are you talking about…Edwin?" She didn't say anything, but met his gaze, a desperate look in her eyes.
"Oh, Liz," Derek muttered. He slid an arm around her and pulled her close to him, letting her tears soak his shirt. "It's okay, it'll be okay," he repeated mechanically, kissing the top of her head.
"I-I thought-"
"Shh, shush," Derek whispered. "You McDonald girls are smarter than I give you credit for."
At that moment, the door burst open and Edwin walked in. He stopped short when he saw Derek and Lizzie on the bed, cuddled close together. His face paled and Derek immediately jumped up. "It's not what it looks like, bro."
"YEAH!?" Edwin shouted, his face screwed up in anger.
"What is going on in here!?" Casey hissed as she came running into the room and shut the door behind her. "Mom and George are going to hear you-" She paused when she caught sight of the three people in the room. She crossed her arms, "Wait. What is going on?"
"THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW!" Edwin roared.
"Shut it, Edwin!" Derek said angrily. "It's not what it looks like."
"Like I haven't heard that one before," Edwin snapped.
"Okay, enough!" Casey shouted. "Everyone needs to calm down."
Edwin glared at everyone in the room before slumping into the computer chair. Casey nodded and slid down in front of the door. "Good. Now, how about some explanations?"
Casey sat on the floor, looking up at everyone expectantly. Unfortunately, it looked like no one was prepared to talk. Remembering her conversation with Truman earlier in the day, she gave a twisted smile and said calmly, "We need to clear the air, guys."
"I agree," Derek said sullenly. "Why don't we start with Edwin?"
"Me?" Edwin said indignantly. "I didn't do anything!"
"You've been flirting with Casey all week," Derek snapped. "Don't deny it, just tell us why."
Casey smiled encouragingly at Edwin, "He's right. We just want to know why."
"Wh-what about Lizzie!?"
"Lizzie should explain herself, too," Casey amended. "Unless you just want to tell the story yourself?"
"No."
"Stop acting like a child!" Derek shouted.
"It was a bet," Edwin said suddenly.
"Funnily enough, we've figured that part out," Derek answered sarcastically. "You got anything a little more specific?"
Edwin cleared his throat and said hesitantly, "Well, you know how me and Lizzie, uh, gather data in our binder?"
"You mean spy on people?" Casey retorted.
"Spying is such a harsh word," Edwin replied, a hint of a smile at his lips.
Derek nodded impatiently, "Yeah, yeah. Go on."
"Well, we, ah, noticed a few things about…well, you and Casey."
"Oh?" Derek asked, looking interested.
"Like what?" Casey asked at the same time.
Edwin turned to her, but answered Derek. "Like how you were always jealous when someone mentioned Truman's name, how you guys never fought anymore, how you seemed to be spending a lot of time in each other's rooms…"
"I see," Derek said slowly. "And what did you think of this information?"
Edwin seemed extremely relieved that Derek hadn't started yelling. "Well, it was going to just be a test to see what would happen…but then it sort of turned into a bet."
Casey rolled her eyes. These Venturis and their bets. "Go on," she urged. "What was the test? Or the bet?"
It was Lizzie who answered. "It was obvious that you guys were into each other," she said simply. "We wanted to test that."
"So what did you do?" Derek asked sharply.
Neither of them answered. Lizzie looked embarrassed, and Edwin was staring at the floor, a faint blush spreading across his face. Casey frowned to herself, piecing together the puzzle in her head. "Let me give this a try," she said, staring directly at Edwin.
"Okay," he replied hoarsely.
"You told Lizzie to flirt with Derek so that I would get jealous. And you flirted with me to make Derek jealous."
"Did it work?" Edwin asked hopefully.
"It worked," Derek answered shortly, looking disgusted.
"But," Casey continued, "You outsmarted yourselves…somewhere along the way, instead of trying to make me and Derek jealous, you started trying to make each other jealous." She paused, "Am I right?"
"Close enough," Edwin muttered.
"And that's why you were trying to make me and Casey admit our relationship," Derek said suddenly. "To see how everyone would react…to pave the road for the two of you."
Neither of them answered and Casey glanced between them. "Are you guys in a relationship? Lizzie?"
She mumbled something and Derek grinned, "I think it's safe to say that they're into each other. Maybe not as serious as…" he trailed off, but Casey knew what he was going to say. Maybe not as serious as our relationship.
Derek stood up and ruffled Edwin's hair affectionately, "Guess no one won that bet, huh, buddy?"
"Guess not," Edwin agreed, smiling slightly.
"But," Derek said, looking significantly at Lizzie, "Maybe everyone did win something else. What do you say?"
Lizzie nodded and smiled back, "Yeah, I guess we did. What about you and Casey?"
Casey glanced at Derek before answering carefully, "We appreciate what you were trying to do, but we're not quite ready to tell people about us, yet."
Edwin opened his mouth to say something, but Derek cut him off, "I know you want me and Casey to tell everyone so you can see how our parents would react, but she's right. We're not ready right now. There are some…issues…that we need to work out first.
Lizzie sighed, "I guess we can understand that."
Casey smiled, "I'm happy for you, Liz."
Lizzie grinned, looking genuinely happy. "Thanks, sis." She glanced up at Derek before turning back to Casey, "I'm happy for you, too. Derek is actually a nice guy…"
"That secret never leaves this room," Derek said immediately.
Casey laughed, "Sure thing, D. Oh and Edwin?"
"Yeah?"
"If you ever hurt my sister," Casey said warningly.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll have to deal with you," Edwin said hastily.
"And me," Derek added, shooting a grin at Lizzie, who returned the smile.
"And the same goes for if you ever hurt my sister," Lizzie said, raising her eyebrows at Derek.
Derek walked over to Casey and wrapped her in a hug, "I would never hurt the woman I lo-, um, my girlfriend."
Lizzie and Edwin exchanged glances and Derek flushed. "I guess we should be getting back to our rooms," he muttered. He held out a hand to Casey to help her up.
They were actually half way out of the door when Casey remembered. "The car!" she hissed to Derek.
"Oh shit, I forgot," Derek said, spinning around on the spot and barging back into the room.
"What's wrong, D?"
"Well, this is wonderful and all," Derek said in a clipped tone, "But it doesn't really explain why you stole my car, so if you could just hand that over..?"
"Stole your car!?" Edwin asked incredulously.
"Uh, yeah?"
Lizzie frowned and stood up, looking confused. "But…we didn't steal your car"
Chapter 16: Because It's Worth Fighting For
"And you actually believe Truman?" Edwin asked for the hundredth time.
"YES," Derek repeated, beginning to lose patience with Ed's lack of detective work. "Will you please stop harping on about that small, and I must say, insignificant detail?"
"Insignificant!?" Edwin squeaked incredulously.
"Truman has confirmed that he knows nothing. Can we please MOVE THE FUCK ON!?"
"Talking to Ed or talking to Casey?" Lizzie asked slyly.
Casey's eyebrow rose and she crossed her arms, "Well?"
Derek backed off hastily, shooting a mock glare in Lizzie's direction. "Call off the dogs McDonald! I was talking to Ed."
"Better be," Casey leveled a look at him. "Because if I haven't made it clear to you that Truman's out of my life for good-"
"You have, you have," Derek acknowledged quickly, not wanting to revisit that particular subject again.
Edwin was staring thoughtfully at his notepad, onto which Derek hadn't seen him actually write anything down. "It has occurred to you guys that Truman followed you to the mall that day?"
"Yeah, he already admitted that he was stalking Casey," Derek said, waving his hand dismissively. "Loser," he added under his breath.
"What, cuz I'm not worthy of being stalked?" Casey asked suddenly.
Derek stared at her in disbelief. What the fuck was her problem? She was acting so…childish. "What is up with you?" Derek snapped. "Quit acting like one of those insecure ditzy girls at school!"
"You mean like the ones you normally go out with?" Lizzie asked, her face quite expressionless.
Something in Lizzie's tone made Derek pay attention and his gaze landed on Casey, who flushed slightly. Without removing his eyes from her, he said firmly, "Ed, you and Liz try and figure this whole thing out. Me and Casey are gonna have a little talk in her room." With that, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the hallway.
"Stop man-handling me!" Casey snapped, shrugging out of his grip as he shoved her into her room and shut the door.
Derek took a deep breath, feeling his temper flare. "I can't believe you would think, even for a second, that I would want you to act like them!"
"Like who?" Casey asked coldly, not meeting his gaze.
"Those girls that I normally date," Derek hissed angrily. "Do you think that any of them ever meant anything to me!?"
"Oh no," Casey said sarcastically. "I know for a fact that they didn't mean anything to you…in the morning."
Derek felt the blood drain from his face. He couldn't remember what he had told Casey about his sex life…Hadn't he told her he was a virgin? He frowned, trying to remember.
"What, trying to figure out which lie you told me?"
Derek gulped. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten the impression that Casey could somehow read his mind. "Ah, no. What makes you say that?"
"Well, while you were talking to Lizzie-"
"We didn't do anything," Derek said immediately.
Casey paused, looking disgusted. "I wasn't implying that you did. Even you wouldn't stoop to hitting on a fourteen year old girl." Then her eyes narrowed, "At least, I would hope you wouldn't. Especially since that girl happens to be my sister."
Derek felt his mouth drop open. "What's wrong with you!? Why are you acting like this? Am I missing something here?"
Casey crossed her arms and turned resolutely away from him, "No."
Derek crossed the room so he was standing in front of her. In turn, she took a few steps back. He rolled his eyes, "Somehow, I don't believe that. What happened? Did something happen between dinner and now?"
She didn't say anything, but looked vaguely embarrassed about something. "Well, when you went upstairs to talk to Lizzie, I, uh…"
"Spit it out," Derek said, watching her expression carefully.
"I decided to, um, get your jacket."
"Get my jacket," Derek repeated, feeling utterly confused. "O-kay...?"
"I mean, I looked inside the pockets," Casey muttered, her face reddening.
Derek suddenly remembered what he kept in his jacket. "Fucking hell, Case!" he swore. "Ever hear of a little privacy!?"
"Ever hear of not being a sleazeball!?" Casey retaliated, her face darkening.
Derek felt his hand curl in anger, "It's not like that! I'm not sleeping with anyone!"
"Then explain this!" Casey shouted, tossing the condom from his jacket onto her bed.
"A guy doesn't have to be having sex to carry around condoms!" Derek snapped.
"No," Casey agreed, "but then why would he be carrying them around?"
Derek hesitated, wondering what the right answer here was. When he didn't speak, she continued, "Unless of course, he was expecting to have sex with someone…"
Derek bit his lip, knowing he was on shaky ground. "I meant what I said, Case. Just being with you is enough for me."
"And I believe that," Casey said slowly. "Which means there is another reason you were carrying a condom around." Derek swallowed nervously. Casey was smart, and she was going to arrive at the right conclusion in a mere matter of minutes. "Which means…you lied about being a virgin," Casey finished.
Derek looked up to meet her gaze, and was surprised to see that she was looking steadily at him. "Yes," Derek answered, deciding to tell the truth. "Though, I can't remember when I actually told you that..."
Casey frowned, "That night when I told you that I hadn't slept with anyone-"
"I said I wanted to be your first," Derek interrupted. "But I didn't say that you would be my first."
"Touché," Casey muttered.
"So what are you really angry about here?" Derek asked cautiously. "That you thought I was a virgin and I'm not? Or that I've slept with other girls?"
Casey stiffened, "Plural?"
"Huh?"
"Girls," Casey repeated. "Plural."
Derek could've kicked himself. "No, no. Just one girl," he amended hastily. "And that's the truth, Casey."
Casey smiled coldly, "Did you forget you were talking to me and not your hockey buddies?"
"Yes," Derek admitted. "They think that I'm-"
"A sex god, I know," Casey rolled her eyes. "That's what the whole school thinks," she hesitated, "because that's what you want them to think."
"No," Derek corrected. "That's what they want to think. And I don't have a problem with that."
"I'm sure it has its perks," Casey said idly. Derek shifted uncomfortably, knowing what she was implying. The girls, the partying…
"I would hope that you of all people didn't believe idle gossip, Case."
"I don't,' Casey said quickly. "I know you're not really like that."
"Good," Derek said slowly, watching Casey bite her lip nervously. There was something else she wanted to say, and he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.
"Who was she?" Casey asked abruptly.
"What?"
"The girl you slept with," Casey clarified, still staring at the ground.
Derek groaned, "Why are we even discussing this!?"
"Sally?" Casey asked quietly.
Derek didn't reply. Of course it had been Sally. He knew it and Casey knew it. When he didn't speak, Casey said slowly, "Well you did love her."
"I was in love with her," Derek said carefully, "there's a difference."
"Same difference, D," Casey said, rolling her eyes.
"No," Derek insisted. He had to make her understand. "I never told her I loved her." He paused to let the full meaning of his sentence hit Casey. "I never told any girl that."
"Oh," Casey said in a small voice. "I see."
"Those three little words…they mean something to me," Derek said, not knowing if he was talking to her, or himself. "I know people throw them around like it means nothing, but to me it still does. I would never say it to someone unless I was sure-"
"Oh come on, D!" Casey scoffed. "There's no point in pretending if it's just gonna hurt both of us…"
"Pretending!? Who's pretending?"
Casey looked at him almost pityingly. "We are," she said quietly, "It was a nice fantasy, but can you ever picture us…together?"
Derek felt fury rush into his veins and clenched his jaw to keep from screaming at her. "Why is it that I'm the only one who's ever fighting for us to be together!? Do you even want this!?"
Casey didn't reply, but merely stared at him for a few seconds, the same pitying look on her face. Derek's eye landed on the collage next to her bookcase again, which did nothing to help his mood. "This!" Derek shouted, gesturing at it. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You have pictures of everyone here, even that scumbag! But-" he cut himself off, unable to say what he wanted to. What about me? I mean so little to you that there was no room for me on your dumb collage?
"There was no room for you there," Casey said, staring at it.
Derek's mouth dropped open. What the fuck? "And that's how you really feel!? Like there's no room for me in your life?"
Casey looked confused, "That's not what I said."
"But it's what you meant!" Derek shouted, teetering on the edge of his control. Damn her.
Casey took a deep breath, shaking her head. She sat down on her bed and gestured to the pictures. "Those people…they're just people in my life." She paused and then looked directly at him, But you-you are my life. Without you, it feels like-like there's something...missing." She stopped talking and then leaned over to open a drawer next to her bed. She pulled out an album and tossed it to Derek, who wordlessly caught it. "Look in it," Casey said simply.
Derek opened the album. It was short, only a few pages long. But he could tell that Casey had spent time on it. Each page was beautifully and artistically done. Each picture labeled with captions, dates, names. Just two names, actually. Him and Casey. Every picture. He stared at them carefully, looking at the events that had spanned four years of their lives. Birthdays, vacations, school trips, parties…
He snapped it shut, feeling sick. "You did all of this." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "For me?"
"For us," Casey corrected. "To show you that I was fighting a long time before I knew what exactly I was fighting for."
"Case," Derek said softly, not knowing what to say.
"There are some blank pages at the end," Casey went on, ignoring him.
"I noticed," Derek said hoarsely.
There was a tentative knock on the door. "It's me," Edwin whispered loudly. "I think we figured out who has your car!"
Casey jumped off her bed excitedly and threw open the door for Edwin. Lizzie was standing beside him and peered into her room. "Is it, ah, okay to come in?"
"Yeah, yeah," Casey said, waving them in. "We want to hear what you have to say."
"It's just, uh, we heard some yelling," Edwin said nervously.
Casey rolled her eyes, "We were working out some of our issues."
"Oh," Edwin said, glancing at Derek who shrugged back at him.
"What did you find out?" Casey asked impatiently.
"Okay, well first we have a few questions for you first."
"What is it?"
Edwin glanced at Lizzie -who nodded encouragingly-before turning to Casey. "How did dad and Nora know that you skipped school?"
"We confessed," Casey replied promptly.
"Ah, but they already knew, didn't they?" Edwin said pointedly.
"Yeah," Derek said, "Lassiter called them, remember?"
"And how do you know that?" Lizzie chimed in, staring at Derek significantly.
Derek frowned, "Uh, because they told us that they got phone calls at work…"
"Yes," Edwin agreed, "But did they say from whom?"
"What?"
Edwin leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Did they actually say that it was Lassiter that called them at work?"
"Well, no," Casey admitted slowly. "But who else could it have been?"
"Who else, indeed?" Edwin grinned, and leaned back, clearly waiting for them to figure it out.
Derek said loudly, "Seeing as how I hired you for this case, you should probably just tell us-"
"Okay, okay," Edwin said, holding up his hands. "Think about it! Who else knew you were skipping school? Who else knew that you had skipped detention?"
"Um, probably Emily, Sam, and Ralph noticed that we were missing from lunch and classes and stuff," Casey suggested.
"Okay," Edwin said, nodding. "Who else?"
"I don't see why anyone else would notice if we weren't there," Derek snapped. "Unless you mean it was a teacher, or something…"
Edwin grinned, "Come on, you guys have to be smarter than this!"
"Give us a hint," Casey demanded.
"Okay," Edwin agreed. "Who had the motive to get you in trouble?"
"Motive?" Derek repeated, looking bewildered.
"Who knew you were at the mall?" Edwin said finally, looking fed up.
"Well Nora was there," Derek said slowly, "but she didn't see us."
"And why was Nora there?"
"To…get a smoothie?" Casey tried.
"Uh, no."
"TRUMAN!" Derek bellowed suddenly.
Casey jumped, "What about him!?"
Derek's eyes had widened, "He knew! He knew we were skipping school, he followed us to the mall, he-"
"Good job, D," Edwin said approvingly.
"But-but I thought we agreed that he was telling the truth when he said that he didn't steal it?" Casey asked tentatively.
"Oh, yes. He was telling the truth," Edwin said, now watching Casey carefully, obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Casey could feel her stomach sinking. "It was him," she whispered. "He called my mom and George. He knew their numbers because they made us give him their numbers in case of an emergency from when we were going out…"
"He called them," Derek repeated almost wonderingly.
"He wanted me to get in trouble because he was mad at me that day. Because I wouldn't get back together with him," Casey continued sheepishly.
"So…that's how dad and Nora knew about everything," Derek replied tonelessly.
"And that's why mom was at the mall," Lizzie supplied.
"You mean-" Derek sputtered, looking incredulous.
"Yes," Edwin said, obviously trying not to laugh. "Dad and Nora took your car."
Derek slumped down in the nearest chair in complete disbelief. He couldn't believe his own father would do this to him.
"So, what's the plan?" Casey was asking.
Edwin shrugged, "That's up to you guys. If I were you, I'd confess a.s.a.p. I mean, they've known that the car is "missing." They're gonna be pissed that you didn't tell them about it."
"Especially after their little meeting about not keeping secrets in this house," Lizzie added, rolling her eyes.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Casey groaned. "No wonder they were dropping so many hints!"
"Yes, no wonder," George boomed, throwing open her door.
It was like a scene from a horror movie. Everyone stopped in mid-action and stood as through strangely suspended in time, almost like a photograph. Shaking his head, Derek leapt up in anger, "WERE YOU SPYING ON US?"
"My house," George reminded him. "Besides, we were eavesdropping. There is a difference."
"We?" Casey asked, sounded dismayed.
"Yes, we," Nora confirmed, walking into the room.
"I don't believe this," Casey cried. "This was a private discussion!"
"Privacy is a privilege, not a right," Nora said quietly. "Needless to say, you have both lost that privilege."
"Edwin, Lizzie, go to your rooms," George said, pointing at the door. "This isn't a family discussion."
Edwin and Lizzie quickly slipped out the door, looking grateful. Derek gave an exaggerated sigh, "Okay, what's the deal? Where's my car?"
"Oh, it won't be your car for a long time, Derek."
"I'm grounded?" Derek guessed sarcastically.
George eyed his son, "No car for two months. No going out on weekends. During the week, you will come directly home after detention and do your homework. No TV, no going over friend's houses…"
"Okay, okay, we get it!" Derek said loudly.
"Same goes for you, Casey," Nora added.
"Fine," Casey said shortly.
"We're not angry with you," George began.
"More like disappointed," Nora finished.
"I'm sorry," Casey said quietly, looking ashamed.
"So am I," Derek said reluctantly. "We shouldn't have skipped, and we shouldn't have tried to hide the 'missing' car from you."
"I hope you learned a lesson about keeping secrets, Derek," his father said sternly.
Derek nodded silently, feeling the burden of his relationship with Casey weigh heavily on his conscience.
"Well, good," George replied, sounding satisfied. "Have a good night, you two."
"Good night," Derek and Casey said together, staring after them.
"Derek-" Casey began.
"I know what you're going to say," Derek interrupted. "But they're not ready for our secret yet."
"We have to tell them sometime," Casey pointed out.
"But that time is not right now," Derek said firmly.
"What are you afraid of?" Casey asked softly. She walked toward him and laid a hand on his arm. He closed his eyes at her touch, but didn't say anything. What was he afraid of?
"You," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
She didn't remove her hand, but she looked surprised. "Me?"
"Afraid of the way you make me feel," Derek swallowed, not meeting her gaze. "I've never felt that way with any other girl."
Casey was silent for a few seconds before she said, "This scares me too, you know. I mean, it's us. How are we ever supposed to work? We fight constantly, we don't agree on anything, we're just so…different."
"But that's what makes us perfect," Derek breathed.
"We are perfect," Casey agreed, now running her hand up his arm and resting it on his neck. "We fit together. A perfect match."
"Not made in heaven," Derek smirked.
"No," Casey said slowly. "Can you even imagine us doing what other couples do…all their lovey-dovey bullshit?"
"We don't have to be like other couples," Derek said earnestly, staring directly into her eyes and drowning in their depth. "We can just…be. What we are."
"And what are we?" Casey asked softly, placing her other arm around his neck, so it looked like they were dancing.
Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "We're Derek and Casey...We'll fight and argue and disagree on everything." He paused, and tightened his grip around her before moving his face toward hers. Against her lips, he murmured, "But we'll be happy."
THE END