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What if Derek really is selling drugs? Or buying?

The Promise

Casey stood by Derek's bedroom door as voices filtered through the thin piece of wood.

"How much?" he paused. "That much!" he paused again. "Yeah, yeah I'll pay." As he listened Casey's mind raced with all of the possibilities. "Just bring the pot over by two o'clock." The distinct sound of the phone being turned off rang out. Casey was quite shocked to hear those words come from Derek. I mean sure he was a party animal but she never suspected him to go as low as to do drugs. And frankly it scared her. She didn't want him to ruin his life this way.

Suddenly the door opened and there stood Derek mere inches from her.

"What do you want?" He said rather bitterly. All she could do was stare for a moment before saying anything.

"W-why?"

He gave her a weird look before she ran away from him. Casey didn't know where she was going only that she had to get there and fast. Not knowing why it hurt so much to here that he was doing something illegal Casey broke down in tears. She vaguely remembered running out the front door but after that everything just went black. The next conscious thought was of why Derek would do such a thing. Why would he want to destroy the great life he had for a little high? Why would he want to lose the only family that he knew? Why would he want to lose her? Wait lose her? He didn't have her to begin with. Or she didn't have him. That thought brought her out of her blind escape and she noticed she was in the small park about a mile from her house. How long had she run and when did she slow to a walk? Not caring those thoughts swiftly left her troubled mind.

As she made her way to a near by swing set her mind focused on only one thing: Derek. The name rang in her head over and over again. It bounced off of every corner of her mind. And only then did her realise how much she thought about him. Only then did she realize that she could not go a full hour with out thinking of him. Only then did she realise that the reason it hurt her so much to hear that he did drugs was because she really cared for him more than she ever let herself believe.

"Case!" the familiar voice ran though the air and traveled to her ears. The soft caring angelic sound raised her pulse and made her heart beat wildly. Yet it also calmed her. It relaxed her in a way that no one else in the world ever could. It put her mind at ease for a fleeting moment before jumping right back to topic. "Why did you run off? What's wrong?" Derek came jogging over to her and looked into her eyes with the same amount or more concern for her as she had for him.

"Why Derek?" she whispered softly. Casey barley heard her voice and wondered if he had heard it. Just when doubted that he did he responded.

"Why what?" Even as he asked what Casey could see that he was worried about what her answer would be.

"You know why what. Why are you doing drugs?" Casey asked vehemently. "Does it really do anything for you? Does it help in any way?"

"Case you don't under stand-"

"No I guess I don't! Why don t you explain it to me Derek Venturi. Explain to me why you need an illegal substance to be happy!"

"Because it helps me forget!" he said suddenly angry. "Okay? Are you happy now? The great sex god Derek is weak enough to use drugs because he is so fucking insecure."

Casey looked at him in shock. "What could possibly hurt you that much that you would stoop this low?" she asked him softly. By then he had looked away and was very interested in his shoe.

"Do you know what its like to have to watch the one person you ever truly loved kiss and have fun with your best friend? To watch then completely forget you even exist." Hearing Derek speak of a girl he fell in love with broke Case's heart and she didn't know why.

"Yes." She said softly the image of Emily kissing Derek playing vividly in her mind.

"Then you know that it is almost unbearable."

You could have come to me if you needed help. I could have done something." She tried desperately to suppress whatever emotion was threatening to come out.

"What would you have done? The only thing that would have helped is for you to say you loved me too."

Casey stood in shock and her mind completely seized. Only one thought went through her mind. 'He loves me?' Realizing what he said Derek turned to leave. But at the last second Casey grabbed his arm.

"I do." Her own voice shocked her. She does? She does what? Love him? Could she really have fallen for the one and only Derek Venturi? Certainly not. Right? Before she knew what was happening Derek's lips were on hers and she was replying with just as much passion. If you thought their fights were over the top you should have seen their kiss. Derek's hands roamed and Casey's knees almost buckled in the sensation. Suddenly she pulled back.

"Promise me Derek."

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that you will never do pot again and you will never stop loving me."

Derek smiled. "I promise."

Fin

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