Big-hearted

ch3

She left early that morning. Derek still hadn’t apologized to her.

She fastened her scarf more securely around her neck and trudged up to the little shed where they were holding a preparatory meeting. She didn’t need to attend, since she wasn’t on the planning committee for that event, but she wanted to avoid any run in with Derek. She wasn’t ready for that just yet.

Mostly because he hadn’t been entirely wrong about her.

And because she was slightly ashamed. But the guy didn’t need to be so blunt and mean about it.

She opened the door slowly, hoping she’d go unnoticed, especially by Alexis who was sure to make fun of her for it. Luckily, they all seemed completely rapt into the meeting, so she quietly walked to the far-end benches along the cabin’s wall. It wasn’t long before the group dispersed and started bringing things outside. Once Alexis was out of sight, Casey quickly got up and greeted the others.

“Casey, honey! What are you doing here so early?” Jane, the volunteer coordinator, said to her. Casey liked Jane. She was glad to know that her superior also wasn’t too fond of Alexis.

“Wanted to get out of the house,” Casey admitted, watching the door for any sign of Alexis. She helped Jane pile some buckets as they conversed easily about the merits and trials of a large family. Thankfully, Alexis seemed to be busy outside.

Jane’s cell phone rang when Casey started ranting about Derek. After about two minutes of dramatic facial contortion, her coordinator finally hung up and sighed. “That’s problematic.”

“What is?” Casey entreated curiously.

“Josephine is sick.”

“Oh.” Casey tried to rack her brain to remember what Josephine was in charged of. Oh. “Oh, no.”

“Tell me about it.”

Josephine was in charge of the snow mountain. In other words, Josephine was in charge of the one thing kids actually came to the festival every year for: sliding on the snow mountain. They were four scheduled for the task, but Josephine was the one looking it over. Student volunteers weren’t always the most reliable.

“Oh, God, what am I going to do?” Jane moaned to herself while she paced the room. And then, much to Casey’s misfortune, abruptly stopped and looked back at her.

Absolutely not. “No.”

“Oh, please Casey? I know you’re not in the committee this time, but please? I’ll owe you forever and ever. Please, please, please?” Jane begged.

Casey moaned gruffly. “Jaaaneee.”

“You’d be saving me,” she persisted.

“Why can’t you get Alexis to do it?” Casey said grouchily.

“Ugh. Alexis wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Casey’s eyes bugged. “And you think I would?” Obviously, Jane was crazy.

“You were a camp counselor! I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” she reasoned, pleading with Casey.

“I was horrible, Jane. Derek had to come help me and everything. Please don’t make me do this,” Casey continued desperately. But she knew; she was going to cave in.

“Don’t make her do what?” someone said from behind her. Casey inwardly groaned. It was Alexis.

“Josephine is sick,” Jane answered shortly before looking back at Casey. “Please, please, please?”

“Come on, Case. I’m sure you could handle a bit of kids. It might be hard for you but I think you’ll survive,” Alexis quipped in a falsely cheery voice, having caught on to the dilemma. “You wouldn’t want to let the team down, would you?”

“Alexis,” Jane deadpanned. “I’d make you do it if I thought you were capable.”

Casey had to stifle the smile forming at the sight of Alexis’ appalled expression. “Well, clearly Casey has better things to do. And I’m sure I can handle it. I’ve taken care of kids plenty of times.”

“No,” the coordinator said simply. “Casey?”

At her pleading look, and probably because Casey knew it would piss Alexis off, she accepted.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll treat you to dinner, alright?” Jane said jovially, hugging her tightly.

Casey laughed at her mentor’s enthusiasm. “It’s okay, Jane. You don’t need to.”

“Oh, but I do!” Casey didn’t miss Alexis’ eye roll as she scurried away. “And perhaps you could ask that dashing young man that was here last time to help you.”

As Casey’s scowl, Jane’s expression peeked in interest. “Trouble in paradise?” she asked knowingly.

Casey could only groan. “It’s more like hell with Derek.”

“Derek?” she repeated curiously. “Derek, your step-brother, was the guy with you last time?”

Casey shuffled her feet a bit. “Yeah… why?”

“Well, you guys kinda looked chummy so I thought, you know, you were dating,” Jane divulged sheepishly. And then she laughed. “Must have read the signals all wrong, I guess.”

‘Not really,’ Casey thought truthfully. But she wasn’t quite ready to tell her that yet.

0

He woke up early that morning. He was hoping to catch Casey before the park got too crowded and she’d have an excuse not to talk to him.

The house was still quiet; everyone besides Nora and Marti was aasleep. Gently padding his way to Marty’s door, he opened it carefully and peered inside.

He smiled. “You’re all already.”

And she was. Jacket, boots, hat, everything.

“Surprise!” she cried out, running to hug him. “Now, let’s go make Casey happy again!”

“Yeah, we’ll see how that works. Did you brush your teeth?”

At her nod, he pushed her towards the stairs. “Go eat something. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“’Kay.” He watched her giddily bounce away and couldn’t help but laugh. Only Marti would wake up this early and actually be ready.

Kind of like Casey.

He groaned inwardly. It’s not like the fight was uncalled for. She was grating on his nerve; how was he supposed to react?

He flipped the shower on and tried to diffuse the guilt bubbling up.

That’s who she was, a high-strung, overachieving, determined, fiery, amazing girl. And he was an idiot.

He shut the water and proceeded out of the bathroom. Grabbing a quick change of clothes, he finished dressing and made his way downstairs. He just wanted to put an end to this stupid mess.

“Derek, honey, it’s very sweet of you to take Marti to the carnival,” Nora said, disbelief laced in her tone.

“It’s alright,” he brushed off easily, shoving two slices of bread in the toaster.

“You do know we’re going later today, right?” Nora added hesitantly.

Derek laughed. “Well you won’t need to. It’ll be me and Marty today.”

Marti nodded heartily. Nora smiled. “Okay. But we’ll still be passing by. Casey got stuck with a stand.” She sighed and brought down cups for them.

“What?”

She seemed surprised by his outburst and regarded him carefully before answering. “Well, someone got sick and Casey took her place.”

“Why?” he said angrily. Damn Casey and her do-good attitude. She never knew when to take break.

Nora recoiled by the fierceness in his tone. “She’s Casey.” She shrugged. It was probably the best way to explain it anyway.

“Where will she be?” Marti asked. Always one step ahead of him.

“The Snow Mountain or something,” she answered casually, but visibly panicked once she saw Marti’s eyes widen and Derek’s forlorn expression. “What? What’s wrong with the Snow Mountain?”

Derek groaned again, banging his head on the table. “She’s.” Another Bang. “So.” Another Bang. “Dead.”

He stopped when Marti reprimanded him. “Snap out of it,” she said sternly. She looked back at Nora, and reassured her. “It’s okay, Nora. Derek will help her.” She stood up, put her plate in the sink and grabbed Derek’s toast. “You’ll eat this later.”

Derek didn’t know whether to comply with Marti’s take-control attitude, or be amused by it. He chose something in between.

It wasn’t long before he was heating the car. He ate his flavorless toast hastily as he and Marti waited while the car took up. He wondered how Casey had gotten there. She probably took the bus. A fact that only made him feel worse.

She must have waited out in the cold.

He rubbed his palms over his face. She had probably left the car on purpose. Knowing Casey, it was either meant to be a reminder of her anger, or a sign telling him ‘come after me’. He was opting for the latter.

It made sense. Casey was all about chivalry and romance.

Yeah, she was asking him to come after her.

“Can we go now?” Marti asked, bouncing a little. He glanced at his watch and nodded. The car had to be ready.

They got there in a fairly short time. Luckily, it was still empty. He saw two people piling mats to the top and could barely recognize Casey. But he did. Pink coats like those weren’t very commonly worn.

They were about to pass the large shed when he knocked into someone.

Marti fell and made loud oomph. The perpetrator had suffered the brunt of the collision. The box Derek assumed she had been carrying had spewed all over the floor. “You okay, Marti?”

She nodded and swiftly got up. He turned his attention back to the little female figure. She had started picking up her stuff. “Hey, I’m really sorry,” he said, helping her pick up the rest.

Once everything was in the box, she struggled to lift it up and finally looked up at him. She momentarily froze before a flirty smile appeared on her face.

“Oh, it’s alright,” she said in an overly girly way. She was a young blonde, beaming up at him. “I could use a little help, though.” She sounded bashful but he noticed there was something off about her. Knowing his cue, he took the box from his hand. He had more important matters to tend to, but he knew that if Casey ever got hold of any ‘indecent’ behavior, she’d berate him for it.

“Thank you so much,” she said in an excessively cheery voice. “Guess I’m lucky to have collided with a strong handsome guy.” She smiled that big smile again and he had to make an effort not to look too dubious.

“Um, alright,” he said hesitantly, shooting Marti a skeptic look to which she shrugged. They followed her to a large wooden plate.

“I’m Alexis, by the way,” she said as she gestured to the floor beside the wooden plate. He almost froze in mid-process. He waited until the box was settled on the floor before reacting.

“Oh well, it was nice meeting you Alexis, but I’ll be going now,” he said hastily, grabbing Marti’s hand and practically running away.

Marti was the first to break the silence. “Is that the girl Casey always complains about?” she said offhandedly.

He sighed. “Yeah.”

Her face scrunched up in thought. “I don’t like her.”

Derek smiled. “Marti, we barely spoke to her.”

“Yeah, but she’s wearing gray.” Derek laughed.

“When you put it that way...”

“Nice people don’t wear gray.”

“Of course they don’t.”

They were nearing the mountain and he could perfectly see Casey’s outline. She was talking with another woman. He and Marti trudged quietly up and waited until the lady caught sight of them before they got closer.

“Oh, you’re Casey’s stepbrother, aren’t you?” she said jovially, looking back at Casey with a huge grin. Casey turned towards them and gasped faintly. “Well, then you can help Casey. She’s a ball of nerves. Oh who’s this?” She addressed towards Marti.

“I’m Marti, Casey’s stepsister.”

“Oh. I see, I see. Well, do you think Casey can take care of the Snow Mountain?” she said, obviously trying to goad Marti into saying yes.

But Marti wouldn’t be Marti if she answered what was expected. “Not without Derek.”

The woman eyes shot upwards but then her face cracked into a grin. “The he should stay, shouldn’t he?”

“Definitely he should.”

“I’m fully capable of doing this on my own, thank you very much,” Casey bit out. Derek’s attention turned to her and he frowned when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

“Probably, but I’m sure you’d like the company,” he said, sure Casey would like that answer. He just wanted to be in her good graces at that point.

She narrowed her eyes at him but looked away in defeat.

She must know she wasn’t capable of doing it on her own.

“If you wanna waste your time, I guess. ‘Cause I’m not talking to you,” she finally said stubbornly. He sighed but knew this was the best he was going to get for the moment. She took a seat on the wooden box placed in the middle and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Look, keep an eye on Marti. I forgot my gloves in the car. I’ll be back.” He fixed her with a pointed look at the last part. She huffed but didn’t say anything in response.

It was going to be a very long day, he thought dismally.

0

If she said she wasn’t glad Derek was there with her, she’d be lying.

These kids would have eaten her alive if she had been standing alone. The other volunteers were doing all right, but she was having trouble keeping control on top of the mountain.

“No, no, you can’t go yet,” Casey said hurriedly, clutching the sliding mats to her chest so as to prevent any theft, again. She had already lost one.

“Oh come on, he’s not going to hit the other kid. Go Timmy,” the mom said from behind the kid. Casey glared at her. And then Derek was there, stepping on the boy’s mat to prevent him from going forward.

“It’s just a few more seconds, really,” he said in that smooth and confident way he always uses.

The lady was about to retort when he pulled away and stood next to Casey. They watch the boy shriek in joy. That didn’t prevent the spiteful mother from commenting. “You guys are horrible volunteers.” Her tone was harsh and demeaning. She tried to stare them down, and though Casey recoiled just a bit, Derek stood tall and disbelieving.

“Since your son was so quick to disobey our rules, we’re going to have to forbid him from sliding on our mats. Sorry,” he added, not sounding sorry at all. The woman looked angry, but thankfully, she left without a word. Casey was about to thank him when she remembered she wasn’t speaking to him.

“Hey Casey,” an unwanted voice said from behind her. Casey turned around to Alexis’ bored face, holding out a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” Casey said tartly.

“Oh, it’s you!” Alexis suddenly said. Casey shifted to see who she was talking to when horror upon horror, she was smiling up at Derek.

She knew this because he looked completely struck.

“Um, yeah. Hey Alexis,” he said quietly, rubbing his neck nervously.

“I never caught your name,” Alexis said coyly, inducing Casey with a strong desire to puke.

Casey caught Derek’s gaze and she was surprised by his next words. “Well I didn’t really give it.”

Alexis also seemed surprised. “Oh. Right.”

Ha. Derek so deserved a kiss for that, but she wasn’t going to give in just yet.

“Well, it’s your break, so go eat or something,” Alexis said flippantly, sitting on the box Casey had given up an hour into the day.

“Wait, you’re staying here?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Alexis, I really don’t think you should be here alone,” Casey started to say when Jane popped up.

“Hey guys! Here’s your lunch, dears,” she said jovially as she handed both Casey and Derek a paper bag. Marty had left a while ago with her mom and George. “And you,” she said towards Alexis, a bit less enthusiastically. “You can finish handing out the water bottles. Did you give Derek one?”

Alexis’ face pinched, and Casey had to contain her laughter.

She pulled out a bottle and handed it to Derek. “There you go, Derek.”

Derek smirked. “Hey! Now you know my name.” Be snarky with Derek, and he’ll be snarky with you.

She huffed. “Well, yay me.”

“Aw, Alexis is just a bit sore from the destruction her stand suffered,” Jane put in a bit too casually. Alexis sighed irritatingly and waved to signal her departure. At least she knew when she wasn’t welcome.

“Her stand really fell apart?” Casey asked in awe. It’s not like she wanted bad things to happen to Alexis but if they did, it was always an added bonus.

“A bloodbath of wood, really. It was kinda sad. But that’s what happens when you’re too focused on the cute guy next to you,” Jane laughed. “Now vamoose. I gotta roll everyone’s break. It’s supposed to be twenty minutes but I’ll subtly ignore it if you took thirty.”

Casey smiled. “Thanks Jane.”

She nodded in welcome and shooed them away once again.

They heard her start to yell at some kids who figured a new person meant more freedom.

Yeah, right, she though wryly.

“So what do you think this is? Tuna or chicken?” Derek wondered curiously, following closely behind.

She had to give it to him. If it weren’t for him, those kids really would have eaten her. And despite her silent treatment, he still stuck around to help. He even gave her his gloves when he noticed she was rubbing them furiously to fend off the cold. They had a mini-argument about it, because Derek kept leaving them on the floor for her to take.

It was exasperating. But knowing Derek was as phenomenally stubborn as she was, she reluctantly took them, her hand comfortable and warm at the moment. She didn’t think Derek had fared so well. He had kept his hands in his pockets, but she doubted it did much.

They entered the rather crowded shed and opened a little door in the corner. There was a table in the middle with several snacks. Casey smiled when she realized Jane had probably sent her on break first so that she wouldn’t’ miss out on the snacks.

She bit her lip in guilt when Derek made to the heaters first. She saw with horror that his hands were red. She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his torso from behind.

“I’m so sorry,” she said into his back. “I shouldn’t have taken the gloves.”

Instead of forgiving her, he laughed. “I see. So I have to be hurting in some way for you to talk to me again?”

She groaned into his back.

0

He hoped the comment didn’t turn her off. It might not sound like it, but he was really glad she was talking to him again.

He heaved a sigh of relief when she apologized again. “I’m such a drama queen.”

She was, but he didn’t voice his thoughts.

“Just say it,” Casey said in despair, pulling unfortunately away.

“So you’ll stop talking to me? No, I don’t think so,” he shot back dubiously.

She pouted, and was practically asking to be kissed, but he wasn’t going to push it. She brought his hands together and started rubbing them with her petite hands. It also looked like she was expecting something from him.

He smiled. “I’m sorry too.”

She looked up at him with her big eyes and that was his cue.

He inched closer to her and kissed her soundly on the lips. She palmed his face and deepened the kiss as his hands fell to her waist. They came up for a breath a while after that.

“You didn’t give her your name,” she said happily, kissing him again.

He knew it was the right thing to say, even if he wasn’t really in the habit of being rude to girls. But Casey made him do things he didn’t normally do.

The rest of the afternoon went much smoother after that. It got a bit busier but Jane had come a few times to help them, and Emily and Sam passed by as well.

They knew about Derek and Casey’s relationship and kept trying to goad them into taking a ‘break’ but Casey would have none of it. It didn’t really matter to him, because at home, she was all his.

They got home at around six pm. And Nora and his dad had dinner plans so they were going to leave soon. On his way to the kitchen, Marti spotted him and ran after him.

“So what’s the 411 Smerek?” she said, hopping onto one of the stools.

“Well, Smarti, I was successful. Did you eat?” He opened the fridge and pulled out stuff for a sandwich.

“Yes, I did. Don’t lie to me Smerek!”

Derek mock-gasped. “Now, why would I lie to you?” Casey chose that moment to enter the kitchen.

“Lie about what?”

“Then prove it,” Marti said, crossing her arms over chest stubbornly and ignoring Casey’s questioning looks.

Derek smirked. In a moment of boldness, he grasped Casey’s hand before it reached the fridge handle and pulled her to him. And then he kissed her.

“Ewww,” Marty said, her face scrunching up in disgust.

Casey was immobile for the first second until her eyes widened and she pulled away.

“You asked for it,” he told his sister, grinning from ear to ear.

“Derek,” Casey hissed fiercely.

“Sorry. But Smarti thought I was lying. You don’t want me to be a bad role-model, do you?”

When Casey continued fixing him with a fierce glare, he turned back to Marti. “Hey, Marti, what’s that last word in that song Casey always sings?”

“Casey,” she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You told her?” Casey whispered frantically.

“Uh no, you did. You kept singing the song.”

She blushed at that and he couldn’t help but laugh. “You know… that pathetic song?”

Casey’s face fell. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

He shrugged, knowing she hadn’t really meant it in a bad way, but that not reassuring her would annoy her.

“Oh come on. I just meant it was corny. But it was sweet. And it was for me and perfect and please don’t hate me for it.”

Marti had stealthy left the room by then, so he kissed Casey again. It was quick and chaste. They were in the kitchen after all.

“You make me crazy, you know that, right?” he said quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. You don’t understand. You make me crazy crazy. As in, stay out in the cold all day crazy or write a stupid song crazy,” he said, a bit agitatedly.

She seemed to take pity on him and laughed. “Okay, well, I like this ‘crazy’ Derek. He makes me happy,” she said through her mirth. He relaxed visibly and nodded slowly. As they were just about to exit the kitchen, she grasped his arm and stepped closer behind him to whisper in his ear.

“I love you too, Derek.”

0

END.