Do you remember when we were just kids
And cardboard boxes took us miles from what we would miss?

"So, Casey, do you think you're ready to go?" Casey looked at her little sister and smiled.

"Somewhat," she replied, throwing her arms around her sibling. "Lizzie, I'm gonna miss you so badly." Lizzie nodded in agreement.

"Will you promise me something?" Lizzie asked quite seriously.

"Yeah," Casey replied, awaiting the promise.

"Don't forget about me," she pleaded.

"Lizzie, I couldn't forget about you," Casey replied, giving her sister a playful smile. "Even if I wanted to."

"I know," Lizzie continued. "It's just that everything changed once we moved in with George." Casey nodded.

"But don't forget that there were better times," Casey reminded her. "Like when it was just us girls and we'd stay up on a Friday night watching Mom's old movies." Lizzie laughed at the memory.

"She would always say "It's such a classic"," Lizzie added. "Why can't everything be the way it was?"

"Because there's more important things in life than our happiness," Casey concluded. "Don't worry, we'll see each other soon. Plus, I'm not leaving till tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, but we've got school today."

Schoolyard conversations taken to heart
And laughter took the place of everything we knew we were not.

"I can't believe you're actually leaving," Emily said, taking in the shock. "We only have today to spend together before you leave."

"It's for the best," Casey assured her. Emily shook her head.

"I won't have my best friend anymore. It's not for the best."

"Em, we'll see each other. I'll come visit." Casey insisted.

"It won't be the same," Emily's eyes filled with tears. "Who else will I tell of my undying crush on Derek?" Casey burst out laughing.

"Now that is one big shoe to fill," Casey replied, continuing to laugh. Emily soon joined into this fest of falseness. Casey knew she would probably never see her again.

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again
We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives.

Casey took in those who surrounded her at the table that night. George, her mother, Lizzie, Marti, Edwin, even Derek. She knew she wouldn't see them again. At least, not very soon. She wanted things to be like this forever. Where things hadn't gotten so bad as to force her to leave.

Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now?

Wishing she'd reconsidered what she was doing earlier, she excused herself from the table. The last dinner she'd ever have with her family. She rushed to her room, taking out the letters she'd written for each of them. After rereading them, she took one letter out of the pile, and threw it in the garbage.

"Whose letter was that, Casey?"

I wanna be your last, first kiss
That you'll ever have
I wanna be your last, first kiss.

"Derek," Casey replied in surprise. "Um…letters? What letters?" She took the pile of papers, shoving them into a drawer.

"Come on Case, I'm not an idiot," Derek continued.

"It was your's." she admitted.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because I didn't like what I said to you in it," she answered.

"And what do you think of me now?" he inquired, getting closer to her. She stood up in surprise.

"You're a better guy then I thought you were. I was just too stubborn to see it." He was now face to face with her. She took a few steps back, coming up against the wall.

"Now that's my Casey." Before she could react, Derek was upon her, eyes drawing nearer. She couldn't take her eyes off of them. The deep brown coming closer. His arms wrapped around her waist. She wasn't sure what was happening, she was in a panic, unable to move. Then it hit her. A surge throughout her entire body, making her feel alive. A kiss. The feeling unlike any she'd ever known, she thought that she could give in. However, she pushed him away from her.

Amazing how life turns out the way that it does
We end up hurting the worst, the only ones we really love

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"Casey, I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to what, Derek? To put me in a position that could destroy our entire family? To make me think I might have feelings for you just before I leave? What did you want from me? To reconsider leaving? Well, this sure as heck made it certain that I'm leaving." Derek didn't need to leave the room, Casey stormed out without another word. She locked herself in the bathroom, trying to contain the floods that threatened to spill out. She smacked her face in shame.

"How could you, Casey?" she questioned herself, spiteful of her own wants. "How could you enjoy that? He's not a part of your life anymore. None of them are."

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again
We could stay in this moment (stay in this moment)
For the rest of our lives

"Things would've been so much simpler if you just hadn't made that mistake, Casey." She looked into the mirror and saw someone she'd never known. She hadn't looked into the mirror since the day he died.

"Dang it, Casey!" she shouted at her reflection. "You're supposed to be over this! You're supposed to be better! It wasn't your fault!" Her cynical side, however, wouldn't allow these thoughts. "Who are you kidding? It was your fault. And let's face it, kid, you'll never be over this."

I wanna be your last, first kiss
That you'll ever have
I wanna be your last, first kiss.

Coming out of the bathroom, Derek stopped Casey.

"We need to talk," he said, a commanding tone in his voice. Before Casey could object, Derek pulled Casey into his room and locked the door. "I'm sorry, what I did was really out of line." She nodded. "But, Casey, you need to know that I really do care about you."

"How could you do that to me?" she asked, a small tear rolling down her cheek. Derek reached to wipe it away, but Casey refused his hand.

"Case, I just…you were leaving and I wanted you to know how I feel," he insisted.

"I'm tired of feelings. All they do is cause people pain," she replied.

"Don't say that!" Derek shouted. "Just because Max committed suicide when the two of you broke up doesn't mean that all love does is cause pain!" Casey stood in shock. No one had dared to even whisper his name in her presence since the funeral.

Is it over now hey, hey, is it over now?
Is it over how hey, hey, it's not over now?

She walked to the door, unlocked it, and ran out. All Derek could hear was the slamming of her door. He cringed at the sound.

"I can't believe I did that." he said to himself. "Why couldn't I just let her go?" Wishing he could go back in time, he lay in his bed thinking of what he'd do when she actually did leave.

I wanna be your last, first kiss
That you'll ever have
I wanna be your last, first love
Till you're lying here beside me with arms and eyes open wide
I wanna be your last, first kiss for all time.

"You ready, Casey?" her father asked as he threw the last bag into the truck.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just one more minute." She walked to the front door where everyone was waiting for her, then embraced her mother and sister. "Keep rule over the house, ok?" Her mother and sister laughed sadly, nodding their heads in agreement. "George, Edwin, Marty," she hugged each as she said their name. "It was great living with you guys. Be nice to my mom and sister." They each agreed.

"I'll miss you, Casey," Marti was tugging at her jacket. "Will you come visit soon?"

"Yeah, Marti," Casey assured her. "I'll come visit soon."

"Where's Derek?" George questioned. Almost as if on queue, Derek ran out of the house and straight up to Casey.

"Casey, don't go." he pleaded.

"I have to, Derek." she replied bitterly.

"No," he commanded. "Stay here. With me."

"I can't." Casey began the long walk down the driveway, trying to block out the words that pierced her head.

"Think what you want, Casey, but we're meant to be together!" Derek shouted. Casey stopped in her place for a moment, then continued walking. "I know you think Max is your fault, and I know you miss him, but you have to move on!" She quickened her pace. "Casey," he begged. "Please." She reached the running car and turned back to see her loving family. Giving a dull way, she shouted goodbye to everyone, then got in and shut the door. Her father pulled off the curb and began driving down the street.

"Case, what's that?" her dad asked, motioning to something behind the car. She looked out her side window to see Derek running after them. "Want me to stop?"

"No," she replied. "Keep driving."

Song- Inevitable

Artist- Anberlin

Album- Cities

By the way, (this just came to my attention), if you don't like my story--please tell me why). Thank you.