Author’s Pre-Note: Last chapter…

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Chapter 9
Chirpy Birds and Seven-Word Songs

Derek was pretty sure he was the first one to see Andrew emerge from behind the stage. Andrew eyed Casey and Amanda’s table, but approached some guy who Derek assumed was the other guitarist instead.

Derek couldn’t help but notice how Andrew’s attention kept diverting back to Casey. There was an odd expression playing on his face. Derek fidgeted nervously. Andrew wasn’t like Sam or Max, he was actually a good match for Casey. It made Derek nervous.

There were two people in the line before him. Not having anything better to look at, he watched Andrew walk back to where he came from, his friend close at his heels, and heaved a sigh of relief.

Derek was never able to successfully shake off his all too frequent jealousy. To his dismay, Andrew reappeared and actually joined the two girls this time. In a rare moment of insecurity, he decided he didn’t want to witness whatever was going to unfold. He made a dash to the door, but not without seeing Casey give Andrew a rather enthusiastic hug. The urge to punch Andrew had never been stronger.

Once he was safely outside, the crisp air nipped harshly at his skin. His large sweater was far from warm enough. A young guy was standing a few feet away, smoking a cigarette. Before Derek contemplated anything, he addressed him.

“Can you spare a smoke?” he asked politely. Derek wasn’t much of a smoker, but on a few occasions, he’d permit it. The guy handed him a cigarette and his lighter.

“Thanks,” Derek said as he lit it up.

He didn’t hear the door open when he took his first drag.

“Derek?” he heard Casey say from behind him. He turned his head to see her frowning up at him.

“You smoke?” she said incredulously.

“Occasionally,” he answered, inwardly questioning why she was there with him in the first place. Her nose scrunched up in distaste, but dropped the subject. She leaned against the wall next to him.

“Andrew is playing soon,” she declared. He took a few more drags before replying.

“I don’t think Andrew cares about my presence,” Derek said casually. He inhaled again. “But I think your presence matters.”

Casey sighed. “Come on Derek.”

He didn’t respond, not entirely sure what she was admonishing him for. They spent another minute or so without speaking. Derek was taking puffs and realized it wouldn’t be long before his cigarette finished.

He suddenly felt her tense up beside, as if she had just made a galling realization.

“What is your problem?” Casey entreated haughtily. She crossed her arms in defiance. Derek could still tell she was slightly unsure.

“Absolutely nothing,” he said nonchalantly. He laughed when she huffed loudly.

“Bullshit,” she retorted. He stared back at her.

“I don’t know if you recall recent events, princess, but you’re the one who’s been ignoring me,” he said in agitation. “After a move you initiated.” He wasn’t lying either. She had been the one avoiding whatever was happening with them.

“That isn’t the issue right now,” she muttered, fumbling a bit on her words.

“It’s not?” Derek droned sardonically.

“No.”

“Then what is, Casey? What’s my problem?” This was in no way his fault.

“I don’t know! You tell me!” she cried exasperatedly.

Derek took another drag. It was his turn to sigh. Casey obviously needed a bit more time to digest everything.

He flicked his cigarette away. “So, Andrew?”

Casey narrowed her eyes. “What about Andrew?”

“Are you interested in him?” He didn’t want to beat around the bush. She paused before answering.

“No,” she said in a quiet voice.

“All right, then.” Derek felt some of the tension in his body dissipate instantly. “I got a mocha and mint green tea to buy now.”

“Derek,” Casey hissed, her tone clearly indicating that the conversation wasn’t over.

He grinned impishly. “Meet you in a few minutes?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Derek hastily made his way back inside and walked to the counter. Andrew had already started. Derek placed his order and looked back in Casey’s direction as she softly took her seat. Feeling ten times lighter then he had been feeling an hour earlier, he followed her to the table, order in hand and smile in place.

At least he didn’t have to worry about competition.

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She was right. Derek was making things difficult, but it wasn’t really his fault. She had been the one compelled to follow him out. She could have easily stayed put in her chair and waited for him to come back. But on impulse, she stood up and meant him outside.

So now, as she was trying to enjoy her mocha and listen to Andrew lilting voice, Derek’s hand was proving to be a horribly delightful distraction. She had almost jumped in startle when he suddenly placed his hand on her lower-back. Thankfully, no one had noticed. She couldn’t bring himself to tell him to stop. His right hand was slowly and gently traveling up and down her back. His body was closely aligned to hers, making it hard to simply brush him off.

Casey had to fight to keep her eyes from closing.

It had been about twenty minutes into the show when Derek finally stopped. He stood up, looking absolutely unaffected, and headed to the bathroom. She rubbed her palms roughly over her face.

Amanda nudged her. “You okay?” she whispered.

Casey could only nod.

“Sure?” she persisted in a low voice.

“Yeah.” She wasn’t up to explaining the situation right away anyway. She was even surprised that Amanda hadn’t noticed. Andrew announced a short break a few minutes later. He hopped off the stage and walked up to them. Derek had retaken his seat by then and leaned back casually.

“So, what’d you think?” Andrew asked enthusiastically as he sat opposite Casey. He seemed to have eyes only for her.

“It was really good,” she said demurely, trying not to sound too generous in case she gave him and Derek the wrong idea. She felt a wave of guilt when Andrew’s grin faltered a bit.

To her surprise, Derek chipped in. “You were great, man.” Andrew’s attention turned to Derek.

“Casey’s step-brother, right?”

Derek’s face pinched but he recovered quickly. “Yeah. Derek.” He outstretched his hand politely to which Andrew took graciously.

“Derek is in a band,” Amanda added cheerily.

“Really?” Andrew looked curious. Casey was just happy his attention wasn’t solely on her anymore.

“Yeah, but we don’t really play anymore,” Derek clarified.

A small smile crept up on Casey’s lips. “Except in the garage.” And for the second time that day, she was privy to his all too adorable boyish smile.

“They any good?” Andrew’s attention was unfortunately back on her. She contended herself in remembering that he’d be going back on soon.

“Well, it’s a bit hard to tell. All that noise and all,” she teased. Derek shook his head.

“With such few words, right?” he added.

“Precisely,” she agreed. “But I guess it has its appeal…”

“Thanks, Case” he replied dryly. “I do remember you going along with it. So really, it can’t have been that bad.”

They shared a smile.

“Why do I feel like I just missed something?” Andrew interrupted.

“Casey was the lead singer of their band once,” Amanda explained. “It was for a contest, right?” She looked at Casey for confirmation.

“Battle of the Bands,” Derek said.

“You sing?” Andrew said in astonishment.

“Yeah, and she’s really good,” Amanda added happily. Casey’s looked down in embarrassment. She felt Derek’s hand once again trekking on her lower-back.

“Is she really?” he asked Derek in trepidation. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the presence of Derek’s hand on her back. Andrew leaned forward towards Derek and lowered his voice. “If she sounds like a screeching bird, you can tell me.”

“Hey!”

“Well, I wouldn’t say a screeching bird,” Derek started, feeling Casey shove him roughly. “More like an annoyingly chirpy bird.”

Andrew’s face scrunched up in mock-repulsion. “She’s one of those?”

Derek nodded sagely.

“Will you two stop laughing at my expense? I was fifteen,” Casey shot back in defense. “It’s not like I sing anymore.”

Before Derek had a chance to retort, they were interrupted.

“Andy,” someone called out. Andrew’s partner was gesturing for him to come back on.

“That’s my cue,” he said as he got up. “Don’t think I’m letting you off that easily, McDonald. I will hear you sing.”

Casey snorted. “Alright, Corrente. We’ll see.”

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“Remind me why we’re not on our way home?” Derek inquired as he got into the car.

“Because,” Casey said vaguely, starting the engine as Amanda and Andrew waited for them to follow.

When she didn’t say anything else, Derek scoffed. “That’s not a reason, genius.”

“Do you really need to be home right now?” she griped.

“Yes.” He honestly didn’t care, but it was fun to watch her get riled up.

“Well, too bad,” she retorted in defiance. “And I know you have nothing better to do at home so you can drop the I’m-too-cool-and-busy-for-you crap.”

Derek laughed. “Alright. Maybe I don’t have anything better to do, but that doesn’t mean I have to tolerate lover boy drooling over you.”

“Didn’t we settle this?” Casey groaned.

“On your part, yes, but someone isn’t getting a hint. Maybe I should nudge him a bit,” he mused out loud.

“You are not nudging anyone, Derek,” Casey said sternly. “I don’t see how what he feels matters.”

Derek chortled heartily. “That’s harsh.”

“Ah! You know what I mean, you ass.” They pulled into the parking lot of a diner, having closely followed Amanda’s car.

“Oh, so we’re back to name calling now?” Derek teased. “Seems like our truce is falling at the seams.”

“You started it,” she muttered. She was having a bit of difficulty parking.

“What did I say?”

“You called me princess before.”

“Princess is not insulting,” he said determinedly. He looked at the window cautiously.

“Well, you said it in a derogatory way.” She exhaled happily when she finally managed to park right.

“Derogatory? I was merely using a fitting term.”

She got out of the car. “Right.”

They were still at it when they meant Amanda and Andrew at the door.

“I’m not apologizing ‘til you apologize,” Casey finished stubbornly. He knew she wasn’t really angry or particularly peeved, but she wasn’t going to back down.

“Apologize for what?” Amanda asked curiously as they entered the restaurant.

“What’s worse, calling someone a princess, or an ass?” Derek asked the two siblings.

“Princess in a derogatory way,” Casey corrected obstinately.

“Fine then. Princess, in a derogatory way, or ass?” he repeated with the additional detail. “And don’t take sides.”

The waitress led them to a table and handed them menus. When she was gone, Amanda was the first to answer. It wasn’t the first time she was dragged into one of their arguments. She had learned that it was less amusing if she didn’t put her two cents in.

“Princess, definitely,” she said easily. “It’s more insulting because it’s more of a personal stab, whereas ‘ass’ is more of a generic term.”

“Thank you!” Casey exclaimed.

“But ass is more vulgar,” Andrew added off-handedly.

“Precisely,” Derek bounced slightly in his seat.

Andrew and Amanda argued about it for a little while longer but finally agreed that it depended on the context. They looked back at Casey and Derek.

Interestingly enough, the context in which the words were said was not really something they were ready to talk about.

“Don’t remember,” Derek said after a short pause. It was true, too, but most of their conversations have revolved more or less around their current rather unclear relationship.

“Me neither,” she said a moment later. Knowing Casey, she probably did remember, though.

She absently slipped Derek her menu. He nodded in understanding. When the waitress came back, Derek ordered for her. When she left, Andrew regarded them curiously.

“Did you just order for her?” he remarked.

Amanda giggled. “Casey takes so much time to choose something to eat. Trust me, it’s better this way.”

“She takes forever,” Derek added amusedly.

“And does she eat like a chirpy bird too?” Andrew joked.

“What is this? Gang up on Casey day?” Casey cried in disbelief. Derek’s body shook in laughter beside her. Amanda patted her sympathetically on the shoulder from across the table.

“Sorry,” Andrew apologized, a wolfish grin plastered on his face. “Can’t help it. It’s too easy.”

There was a note of fondness in his voice and Derek’s earlier feelings of irritation towards Andrew were slowly resurfacing.

And to think he was staring to like the guy.

Wanting to change the subjects, he launched into a conversation about Andrew’s band. It was successful. By the time they had finished eating, Derek knew all about Andrew’s past music career. He had to admit he was a bit awed. Andrew had played in California and New York. He was huge on the internet too.

He’s afraid he might have shed too much light on Andrew in front of Casey. He turned back to look at her and was relieved to see her immersed in a conversation with Amanda.

“You guys finished? The movie is in 5. We can still catch it,” Andrew said as he waved for the check. Amanda and Casey nodded absently, continuing their discussion.

Once they paid for their food, they quickly made it to their cars and drove to the movie theatre.

“So what were you and Amanda talking about?” Derek asked inquisitively.

“Oh, she was just talking about an old friend of Andrews who tried to commit suicide. Dark stuff, don’t wanna repeat it,” she said, a small frown on her face. “What did you and Andrew talk about?”

“What he’s done with his band and all,” he answered casually.

“Anything interesting?” she said, visibly distracted by the road. She was trying not to lose sight of her friend’s car.

“Here and there,” he mumbled, feeling a tad guilty for omitting some rather remarkable facts. Andrew would eventually tell her about all his accomplishments anyway; he was the cocky type.

“Mmmmm.”

Conversation was sparse after that. He did remember Casey telling Lizzie she didn’t like driving in the dark. He made a mental note to take the steering wheel on the way back home.

The movie was uneventful. He wasn’t surprised to see Casey falling asleep on Amanda’s shoulder. Casey wasn’t really a movie person. She tended to fall asleep through them if she was tired enough.

He hadn’t noticed before, but she had dark circles under eyes. Her make-up couldn’t mask the shadows revealed under the screen’s light. When it was over, Amanda and Derek stood outside waiting for the two others to come back from the bathroom.

“You know, she’s just scared,” Amanda said quietly, breaking the silence. “She’ll kill me for telling you this, but she’s afraid of getting hurt.”

Derek frowned. He wasn’t surprised Amanda was aware of the situation. She was Casey’s best friend after all. “She thinks I’d hurt her?”

“She doesn’t really know any better. You don’t have the best track record, Derek,” Amanda continued. She bit her lip guiltily. “Casey’s gonna kill me.”

He sighed heavily. “I won’t say anything. Don’t worry about it.”

As Casey and Andrew made their way back, Amanda managed to whisper before they came into earshot.

“I think she just needs reassurance.” She turned on her heels.

They exchanged goodbyes, and before leaving Andrew briefly explained to them how to get back on the highway. Derek would have listened attentively if Amanda’s words hadn’t stirred such an intense reaction from him.

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Casey had had about four hours of sleep the previous night. She hadn’t been able to fall asleep and hadn’t been able to sleep in because of a meeting she had in the morning at the community center.

The tiredness only kicked in after eating. She hoped to God that Derek had listened to Andrew’s directions because all she wanted to do was sleep.

“Derek,” she called out, but he seemed distracted. She repeated his name, louder this time.

“Yeah?” he said, jolting out of his daze.

She looked at him tiredly and flashing him a puppy dog expression. “You mind driving?”

He smiled slightly, outstretching his hand to take the keys.

She shivered, entering the warmth of the car. Derek easily drove away from the diner, following Casey’s instructions. They made it to the highway without difficulty. He was silent most of the way. Casey couldn’t help noticing the reflective expression playing on his face. She would have said something if she weren’t so tired.

“Why hadn’t she just forgone the movie trip altogether?” she thought morosely. A few moments later, Derek finally spoke up, albeit in a quiet voice.

“You wouldn’t be another Jessica Simpson.”

In her sleep induced state, Casey wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to say. “What?”

“You wouldn’t be just another girl,” he said after a short pause.

Oh. “I wouldn’t?” She kept her eyes fixed on the darkness outside.

“No,” he said with no hesitation. Without realizing, she turned her gaze to him. She was taken aback by the sincerity in his expression. “Far from it.”

She diverted her gaze back to the window, letting the statement mull in her head.

“Then what would I be?” she asked in a barely audible voice. They entered a lit roadway and she started to see familiar buildings around them. Casey vaguely noted that Derek must have been going relatively fast.

He seemed to be thinking about it for a moment, but his voice came out clear and sure when he answered.

“You’d be the one different girl I’d write my seven-word songs about.”

She let out a small breath of laughter. Leave it to Derek to lighten a situation with a joke. It was one of the things that made him so endearing.

“Does this mean you’ll be writing better songs?” she said lightly.

“I’d try,” he laughed quietly. She could practically feel some of the tension drain from his body. “Seven words is already an upgrade.”

“I know. Can’t you make it to eight, for my name and all,” she teased.

His face scrunched up in mock-disgust. “I’d consider it but I fear that it might come out too corny.”

She instantly felt herself swell at the easiness of the moment.

“I think I’ve reached my corny quota of the year,” he added. She laughed quietly. “And just so you know, you’re entirely to blame.”

She couldn’t stop the goofy smile from spreading across her face. When they hit a red light, she grasped his hand, the one casually resting on the board between them. He accepted it easily.

“And to think all I had to do was threaten to move out,” Casey muttered, looking out the window and recognizing a neighboring street to theirs.

It was quiet in the car. She was processing this turn of events when she suddenly got an idea.

“You have a week.”

“A week?” he repeated stupidly, looking at her with wide eyes.

“To write me a seven-word song,” she said as if it was the most obvious thing.

“I don’t think so, Case,” he dismissed. His deep chuckle was affecting her in the strangest way. When she kept a straight face, he gaped at her.

“You’re serious?”

He groaned when she nodded enthusiastically. They had reached their house by then and Derek was still shaking his head in disbelief.

“There is no backing out,” she said, starting to list a number of rules. “You have until next Saturday at midnight. It has to include my name too.” They entered the house quietly. He watched her, trapped between amusement and incredulity as they divested themselves of their coats.

All of a sudden, she reached on her tip toes and kissed him right on the corner of his lips. “Goodnight!” And with that, she left a bewildered looking Derek standing alone.

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He stood there for a few more moments and headed to his room. It was nearing midnight, but he knocked on his dad’s door to alert them of their return. He knew they’d be angry if he didn’t. They grunted a faint response of acknowledgement.

He made to his room, changed into his night clothes and brushed his teeth in a strange kind of haze. Still feeling unfulfilled, he jogged quietly down to Casey’s room. Her light was open.

She was all ready for bed when she answered the door. He heard the distinct sound of her computer shutting off as he tried to shake his surging swell of desire.

“I told you, you can’t back out. And the rules are firmly re–” she started to say but was abruptly cut off. He cupped her face and brought her lips to his. Thinking it would dissuade his urgency, he was surprised to see it had the opposite effect. Sliding his tongue against hers only served to fuel his desire tenfold.

He gently led her further into the room and kicked the door closed. The sound must have jolted her out of the moment.

“Someone will hear us!” she cried in panic.

“Case, we’re in the basement.” He laughed at her goldfish expression. She looked at a loss of word. Seeing an opportunity, Derek kissed her again.

“Derek,” she admonished in a breathy voice that made him want to do it all over again. He smirked guiltily instead.

“Couldn’t help myself,” he admitted. Her head rested on his chest as she tried to catch her breath. “Did you really think that kiss would be enough?”

He smiled when she blushed. “Granted, it was nice. But I’ve wanted to really kiss you for a while now.”

When she stayed quiet, he hunched his head down to capture her gaze. “What, have you lost your voice?” he teased. “Where’s spitfire Casey?”

A devious expression appeared on her face. She narrowed her eyes as her smirk grew. Casey shoved him towards the door and opened it for him.

“Come back when you’ve written that song,” she said self-importantly. As she moved to push him again, he grabbed her hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her soundly.

When they broke apart, Casey caught him off guard by finally managing to shove him out. He almost tripped on the first step. “The song, Venturi,” she reminded him in mock-arrogance. And then her door was closed.

He chuckled all the way up, thinking of ways he could include ‘chirpy bird’ and ‘Casey’ in the same seven-word sequence without sounding too trite.

And he knew she wouldn’t let him back in her room if he didn’t come up with it soon.

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THE END

So that’s it guys, the last chapter of the story! Hope you guys liked it
Thanks for everyone who read the story and for all those reviews :)

Edit: There is a companion piece to this story. It’s called ‘Bighearted’. It’s already up, and could be found on my profile page.