Forget Us Not

Forget Us Not

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The song is 'Silence, Aly & AJ'.

A/N: I needed another distraction so this is just something that I won't take too seriously and is mostly to help me get over my current writer's block. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it!

Warning: This is VERY AU until I get to a certain point in the story. You'll understand the circumstances once you start reading. Also, they may seem slightly OOC in the beginning. Sorry. Enjoy!!

Part I: Meeting Venturi

I'll bet two years I'll bet one year
I'll bet those years you won't be here
I guess I'll keep, I guess you'll keep
Every memory
Sadly we may never be
I'll bet my tears I'll bet your tears
I'll bet those tears over time could disappear

It's been a while since I last saw my father, but I hadn't expected that the surprise he told me was waiting in his condo to be a woman wearing a rock on her finger the size of my head. I've heard people say that New York is the city that doesn't sleep; if New York City doesn't sleep, then it must be dead right now. Either dead, or in a coma.

I've been walking around in the park across the street from my dad's building for a few hours at least. So far, I've seen no sign of life. Then again, it wasn't officially summer break until another week, and it was a Monday night. I guess having a father living on the Upper East Side isn't always the best thing. Maybe I can travel out to Williamsburg and meet a boy and have my own romance-y summer.

It could be like a Dan and Serena thing. Except, I'd eventually have to go back to Toronto; and I'm almost positive Gossip Girl doesn't travel that far off. It would be Lonely Girl w/ Rich Daddy and Lonely Boy, then said Lonely Girl would leave and Lonely Boy would be, well…lonely. But I'm not Serena. I have no Dan. And there is no Gossip Girl. It's just me, an outsider with a rich father living on the Upper East Side, a girl with no clue to where she's going.

I'm sure this woman—if I recall correctly, her name was Lily-Anne. That's right, not Lillian, Lily-Anne—is nice and respectable. It isn't like she's ten years younger than my father—

"Whoa!" I shouted as I landed on the floor with a thud. My head spun and throbbed as I looked up to find two very contorted images of a teenage boy. He was looking down at me in shock.

"Sorry about that." He said lowly, his voice seemed hoarse and rough, like he had been crying, or something was stuck in his throat. He extended a hand to me and I rolled my eyes and stood up on my own.

"Maybe you shoulder realize that this path isn't for your comfort before you go apologizing. People walk by, you know. Maybe next time it'll be an eighty-year-old woman with a cane, and when she trips and sprains her ankle, she'll whack you with her cane and over-sized purse. That'll learn you, won't it?" I said as I wiped off tiny stones and pebbles from my hands. He cocked an eyebrow at me, and it was then when I realized just how handsome he really was.

Wow.

Now his image was no longer distorted, and I could see the small traces of what seemed to be red eyes and a red nose, despite the fact it was over twenty degrees Celsius outside.

He had been crying.

"Well, the fall wasn't that bad, but I'm sorry anyways. Next time I'll be more careful to not trip on old lady." He said gruffly. Under different circumstances, and with anyone else, I'm sure that would've been a joke. But he just sounded sarcastic.

"Well, excuse me for being concerned for the elderly." I spat out. I'm not really sure why I had been snapping at him, probably because I acted so sugary-sweet with Lily-Anne, and was now peeved beyond words and needed to take it out on someone. He looked up at me from his place on the park bench with his golden-brown, tired eyes.

"Do you need anything, or can you leave now?" He asked, his voice passive and unemotional. I scowled and picked up my fallen purse before stalking down the trail. Once I turned a corner I stopped cold, my scowl and annoyance depleted completely. I looked back at the nameless boy from behind a large tree. He didn't look like he was crying…just…sitting. And looking. At the star ridden sky and glittering pond.

I couldn't help but feel like I'd be coming back to this park, just to see him again. He seemed…different.

Wait a minute I have more to say
and I care if you're listening to me
I need you more than you'll ever know
I still do, willing to let it show

Okay, so Lily-Anne either hates me, doesn't care about a single thing I do, or really wants me to like her. I basically told her I was going for a walk around the park at ten o'clock at night…and she said 'have fun'. 'Have fun'! What kind of responsible adult says that to a teenage girl about to walk around some park she doesn't even know anything about?

What if the nameless guy I'm trying to 'accidentally bump into' happens to rape me by 'accident'? Or shoots me?—by accident, of course. I'm a cute teenage girl, damn it! I should be protected at all times! Then again…if she questioned me then I probably wouldn't be getting my chance to see Nameless again. I'm starting to like this Lily-Anne character.

There he is. Still…sitting on the same bench…in the same way…how boring!

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, you've got to be more interesting than this! I can't confess to God that I watched you from behind a tree…and then say you weren't doing anything interesting!

…I do believe I'm losing my mind. No need to contact mental institutions…yet.

Maybe if I just sit beside him…and tell him I have a sinister twin who snapped at him yesterday –

"Ah!" I shrieked as I tumbled over something. Two words: déjà vu. Okay, so I'm waiting for the impact with the concrete to come…and I'm still waiting…and there's still nothing. I opened my tightly shut eyes to find myself looking up into the same eyes of yesterday, minus the blurriness. This time he hadn't looked like he had been crying…he was…smiling?

Well, if that could be called a smile. It looked like one side of his mouth had been ripped from its hinges as though it were a door. No matter, it just appealed to me more. If at all possible, it made him look better. Not better than yesterday, when I had realized he'd been crying, because he was raw yesterday, with only emotion across his features, but just better in general.

The weird smile enlarged. "I know being wrapped up in my arms is probably comfortable, but how about you use those things called legs and…stand." He said slowly. I rolled my eyes inwardly. I'm not mentally retarded, no offence meant, I just didn't need him to talk to me slowly.

"Why do you do that?" I asked, my voice much softer than I'd have liked it to be. He furrowed his brows and his slack-smile faltered.

"Do what?" He asked, completely disregarding the fact I was still depending on solely him to keep my balance. I poked my index finger on the corner of his mouth and pushed it upward until I was happy with it.

"That." I said as I removed my finger. He chuckled quietly and brought me flat onto my feet.

"That is the one and only Derek Venturi smirk." He said, giving me a small bow. I giggled. In just minutes this guy had me giggling like an air-headed, bobble-head ditz.

"Ah…so that's your name. Derek Venturi, huh?" I asked coyly, my own smirk playing at my lips. He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I won't confirm that until I know your name." He said and I narrowed my eyes slightly as I took a step towards him. His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped at the proximity between us.

"Casey McDonald." I whispered and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're a fast food restaurant?" He asked and I laughed. It seemed to bring him out of his reverie and he smirked at me. "Well, Casey McDonald, I am Derek Venturi, at your service." He said as he extended a hand.

"You know, I don't think I can get you an exclusive meeting with Ronald McDonald, sorry." I say and he gave me a weird look.

"Oh…then you can leave now." He said as he sat back down onto the bench. I gaped at him, and when he didn't say anything my jaw dropped even further and I made a noise of disbelief.

"You can't be serious. I came out here to apologize to you…and your…your…telling me to go away?!" I asked, rather loudly. He looked at me in amusement and I shrank down beside him as my cheeks burned in embarrassment. "You were joking, weren't you?" She asked sheepishly and he nodded largely and slowly. I bit my lip and shrugged. "You're a good actor." I said and he chuckled again.

"That…and you're naïve." He said and I bumped his shoulder with mine.

"Shut up." I said quietly as I sat and watched anything with him. It was mostly silence, but I felt that I knew him, even if I had just found out his name moments before. There was this comfortable silence between us until one of us had to leave; which was me, and Derek being…well, whoever Derek was, walked me across the street to the condominium and waved before walking away.

I grinned at his retreating form and waved at the door-man as I practically skipped into the lobby. I have no idea why, but I felt…giddy.

I need a minute just to get to you
I feel like I might be getting through
Come over and say nothing
Silence is everything (oh)

I am not ludicrous. Though Lily-Anne seems to think I am, I bet it has something to do with the fact that she caught me dancing to YMCA this morning at six. It isn't like I could help it, ever since the night before I was feeling…well, I don't know how to explain it. But I felt as though Derek was…special. And I had met him. Given that I know nothing about him, but I feel like I do. He's special, and just a moment with him makes me feel special.

Oh God, I sound like an obsessive, love-struck dork. And we aren't even dating! We haven't even gone out on a date! Oh my God, I don't even know if he likes me! "Eep!"

"You know if you keep bumping into me like this, the next time we meet may just be in a hospital." I looked up to see Derek's laughing eyes and smirk. I bit my lip and grinned.

"Don't laugh at me." I said, even though there was laughter in my own words. His shoulders shook slightly as he bit back his own laughter. I hit his shoulder and he laughed out loud. He set me down flat but his hands were still on my arms. I tried to ignore the weird feeling that shot through me from the warmth in his palms. "Um…" I glanced down at his large and rough hands.

He followed my gaze and removed his hands swiftly. "My bad." He said softly, almost seemingly embarrassed about it. I tilted my head and looked at him…he really is different.

"It's…okay." I said, still looking at him intently. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So…I was wondering, since you seem to always find me here, how about we go somewhere else?" He asked. I furrowed my brows slightly.

"Like…a date?" I asked, somewhat hopefully. Gosh, I hope he didn't hear it in my voice. Maybe it's a little weird for me to be thinking about going out on a date with this guy I just met…but if you were in my position, you'd know why. This incredibly cute guy who is confident, and yes, maybe even a little over confident at times, seems to know what he wants and actually acknowledges that he has emotions is being…bashful. Around me!

Oh, crap, he's talking. "Sorry, what?" I asked. He shot up an amused eyebrow and smirked.

"Do you want it to be a date?" He asked. He began to walk past me, and for a moment I just stood there, dumbstruck. I blinked and spun to find him walking away. He was walking slowly, obviously knowing that I would follow. And let me tell you, that alone was so infuriating. In fact, it was overly so…I followed him to give him a piece of my mind.

"I'm sorry, I realize you just repeated the question, but did my ears deceive me? Did you just ask me to go out somewhere with you, and then ask me if I wanted it to be a date?" I asked sceptically. He smirked and looked down at me.

"Yes." He said simply. I gaped at him then crossed my arms in front of me defiantly.

"Why on earth would I want to go out with you? I barely know you. In fact, the only thing I know about you is that your name is Derek Venturi." I said. He just looked at me and continued to smirk. Creep.

"You followed me, did you not?" He asked. My cheeks reddened dramatically, no doubt. I opened and closed my mouth as I thought of something I could say. But, alas, the best I could come up with was:

"So? That doesn't mean I want to go out on a date with you." I said and he shot me the 'yeah right' look that I had already seen so frequently. "Oh…shut up." I said and he chuckled as he pushed my shoulder lightly.

"You have the best comebacks ever. And for that, it's a date. Even though it was at the very beginning." He said and I hit his arm.

"So you mean to tell me I just made a fool out of myself for a date that was always a date?!" I asked and he nodded. I hit him again.

"Jeez, woman. I don't even know you and you're already beating me up." He said. I looked down.

"Oh…sorry." I said sheepishly. I felt his rough hand on my short-sleeve clad upper-arm. I looked at him in surprise.

"You are seriously lacking humour. Either that, or you're extremely innocent." He said, his smirk wasn't there but I could tell he was concerned in a rather sarcastic—yet strangely sweet—way. "You know I was just pulling your leg, right?" I looked at him sceptically.

"No…" I said honestly, "but it was invasion of personal space. You should be angry with me!" I said and he shook his head.

"I don't get you. You yell at me when I'm a complete stranger, and now that I'm not…you want me to be angry with you." He paused and shrugged. "You're insane." He stated factually and I huffed and looked up at him. Maybe I'm just noticing this…but he is tall. And I'm not exactly short. And he's always wearing that leather jacket…even though it's summer.

Hello, Hottie.

"Me and you both, Buddy." I mumbled and he chuckled softly.

"No, I believe my sanity is still intact. To a certain extent…of course." I could totally imagine him saying that in a British accent. It sounds so…sophisticated. I could never really imagine him saying that on my own. He seems like…a bad boy.

Ooh, cheesy reference; but... –

"Wait a minute; how old are you?" I asked suddenly. This guy could be, like, eighteen! I'm only sixteen! I'm not ready! Not ready, I tell you, not ready!

"Sixteen." He answered. Oh…thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! "You?" He asked.

"W-what?" I asked. "Oh, sixteen." Why was I so surprised he asked that? It's not like he's telepathic…or is he…? "Promise me something?" I asked and he shrugged.

"I thinks it's a bit early in the relationship for commitment," he smirked at me and I rolled my eyes, "but shoot." He said.

"Chill, I'm not going to make you elope with me; nor is this even a relationship." I smirked at him and he smiled a half-smile. Geez, what does it take to get this guy to smile? "Just promise that you'll take me a mental institution if I ask you if you're telepathic." I said and he raised his eyebrows at me.

"This 'mental institution' isn't code for the Ostroff Centre, is it?" He asked and I hit him.

"No!" I said sternly. He grinned at me and held his hands up in defence.

"Just making sure." He said and I rolled my eyes, even though there was a smile playing at my lips. We walked through Central Park East until we got to the streets bustling with taxi-cabs. He looked at me hesitantly. "How about we go to the Upper West Side?" He suggested and I nodded. Sounds better than being up here with these uptight people. No offence, but everyone I've met so far, other than Derek, has been a rich snob.

Such as my father's neighbour. Mrs. Kwan; occupation: being an all around priss. No joke.

"I'd actually rather go there than stay here." I said and he gave me the cute half-smile from earlier. He stared at me for a moment or so—which made me slightly self-conscious for some reason; I'm usually very confident in my appearance—before shaking his head and sticking out his hand to halt a taxi. The blur of yellow flew right by us; as did five others.

Derek threw hand back down by his side and groaned then looked at me. "Plug your ears." I complied and placed my palms over my ears. He stuck his middle finger and thumb in between his lips and made an ear shatteringly high whistle. Even with my ears plugged, I had to wince. A taxi stopped right in front of him and he smirked at me before he took my wrist gently and lead me into the cab.

I know, I know (I know, I know)
Feelings can show
If you let go-oh-oh-oh
It must be told (it must be told)
I've got a hold
On what we used to have

"Do you know where we're going?" I asked as I tried to pin his thumb down with my own.

"67th St. West." He answered as he held my much-smaller-than-his thumb down. I grunted as I tried to move my thumb from under his. Once I couldn't he smirked in victory. I stuck my tongue out at him and he shook his head slightly. He seems to do that a lot. It's kind of like he doesn't believe that I'm actually right in front of him so he keeps trying to wake himself up from a dream…or something. But if anything, I should be the one doing that.

The cab stopped and Derek leaned forward to pay the driver. I saw him slip an extra bill into the driver's hand. This confused me, because I calculated the price it would've been, and I even added a ridiculously large tip…but it wasn't that much. I looked at him in confusion but he practically pushed me out of the cab and ignored the look. He was guiding me into a restaurant that had a sign that read: 'Café des Artistes'. I stopped though and looked at him again.

He turned back to me. "What?" He asked and I glanced at the restaurant behind him.

"Why'd you pay the cab driver so much extra?" I asked and he looked away before kicking at the ground subtly and shrugging.

"Gas prices are through the roof?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I'm serious, Derek." I said and he shrugged again.

"Does it really matter?" He asked, desperately trying to get away from the topic. I contemplated it for a minute before nodding my head. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He looked past me and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I…may have told him to…take a bit of a…I could…-ger." He mumbled and I squinted at him.

"Excuse me?" I asked and he began to mumble again. I took a step closer to him and put my finger under his chin to get his gaze averted to me. He swallowed and looked me dead in the eyes.

"I may have told him to take a bit of a detour so I could be with you longer." He whispered, his cheeks reddening as I continue to watch him. I smiled and removed my finger from under his chin. I desperately wanted to kiss him after the confession…but I didn't want to rush into this…whatever it is.

Why rush a good thing?

I will forgive if you forget
All the things we said
Let's accept it
I need you, more than you'll ever know
I still do, willing to let it show

I feel so comfortable with him, we talked about, well, everything. I learned he's here for the summer; he came from London, Ontario. He's got a little brother and sister, Edwin and Marti. He even told me that his sister calls him 'Smerek' and he calls her 'Smarti'. Then he went all red and shy when I kept commenting on it. I even called him Smerek a few times, but I don't think he really minded.

"So, big shot hockey player, huh?" I asked mockingly and he smirked as he shook his head.

"You know, usually when I tell someone I'm the prized player on my hockey team, I don't regret it. This just proves how insanely and ridiculously challenging you are." He said and I shrugged.

"Doesn't affect me." I said and he sighed.

"And I was so hoping it would." He said sarcastically and I grinned. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back slightly. "What was that for?" He asked; faint shock in his words. I grinned sheepishly up at him.

"You were walking too fast." I admitted quietly and he laughed. "So…why are you in New York?" I asked and he shrugged.

"My best friend sort of needed a wing-man, I guess. I was all for a free trip to NYC from his mother, who'd do anything to get him to say more than two words to her. Which…has yet to happen. He kind of begged me to come." He explained and I nodded then smiled up at him.

"You're a good friend." I said softly and he looked down at me, a half-smile on his lips.

"Well, you're a good daughter." He said, I had briefed him about the situation with Lily-Anne. "Must be hard." He said, his voice sounded far off. I shrugged.

"I don't really know her. I actually haven't really spoken to her." I said and he nodded.

"I don't know what I would do if my dad told me he was engaged to a woman I didn't know." He said. I looked at his dazed eyes and let my hand wrap loosely around his wrist before sliding it into his palm. I let my fingers lace with his calloused ones. I looked off in front of us when he looked down at me from the sudden gesture.

He faced forward and I felt his hand tighten around mine. I smiled to myself.

We ended back at Central Park East, back on the bench. Our hands were still entangled, and I had allowed my head to fall onto his surprisingly comfortable shoulder. A group of girls, either older or about our age, walked passed us and one of them glanced our way and smiled.

"I would love to have what that girl has." She said and the group glanced our way before sighing and nodding. "They look so happy." One commented. "They're really cute together." Another added. "Did you see the way he looked at her?" A tall girl asked. I glanced up at Derek who snapped his head in another direction. I smiled and poked his side.

"You were looking at me?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Maybe." He said and I smiled.

I poked his side again. "Don't lie to me." I said and he smirked.

"Yes." He said and I grinned. "You know, I've never let a girl hold my hand before." He said. I felt my swell and flutter.

"Really?" I asked, my voice breathy. He nodded.

"It's getting pretty late." He said. I sighed and nodded. I really didn't want the night to be over. "I'll walk you to the condo." He said and I nodded again, standing up. My fingers played with his subtly as we walked the trail to the street.

I need a minute just to get to you
I feel like I might be getting through
Come over and say nothing
Silence is everything

I really hadn't wanted to rush this. But I felt like I would burst if I didn't kiss him, or if he didn't kiss me.

"I'm not telepathic." He said as we waited at a light. I looked up at him.

"What?" I asked he smirked and pressed the back of my palm against his lips and kissed it softly. My hand tingled and sent shivers through my spine.

"I'm not telepathic." He repeated and I smiled as I remembered what I had thought earlier. The light changed and we ran across the street, dodging passers-by and laughing until we got to the steps of my father's building. I looked at the double doors and revolving doors hesitantly. He grinned softly at me and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, he looked nervous about something.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Derek." I said and he nodded.

"Me too." He admitted quietly. A moment or so passed by before he spoke again. "How about I pick you up here at four tomorrow?" He asked. I grinned and nodded without hesitation.

"I'd love that." I said happily. He looked down at me and smiled. An actual smile…and it took my breath away. The smirk was gorgeous, the grin was cute as hell, the half-smile was simply adorable…but the smile…wow.

I bit my lip. Should I kiss him? "I'll…see you tomorrow, Casey." He said before he leaned down and kissed my cheek. I smiled at him and nodded before running up the steps and into the elevator, leaving behind a:

"Bye!" I ran into the condo and spun until I couldn't walk. I fell onto the modern leather sofa and grinned to myself before touching my hand to my cheek. His lips were so perfectly soft, and his hands were perfectly rough. He was rugged…yet smooth.

He was… "Derek Venturi." I whispered to myself before giggling quietly and heading to the guest room where I was staying.

(shh, silence)

A/N: Did you like it?! I LOVED writing it. Tell me what you like or didn't like about it please! Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome!!