Casey woke up to the sound of knocking on her door.

She and Derek had come home for the week for spring break, and was surprised her and Derek made it out alive together in his car for so long without strangling one another.

Derek of course was annoying, but only because he turned up the heat saying, "What Spacey, I'm little cool, not shocking though since I'm in a car with the freakin' Ice princess."

She tried to be the bigger person by not saying anything, and rolling down her window.

He had glared at her, than turned on the radio to the station he knew she hated, turning up the loud hard rock metal music. She had cringed, "Der-erk!" Casey growled, changing the channel. Or at least tried, and failed one she realized the radio knob was gone, she quickly shifted her gaze to her evil step brother, "What did you do?!" Casey practically yelled, hitting his arm.

"Whoa! Hey, no hitting while driving the prince! Got it! I don't want the person I die with to be you!"

"Yeah, well same here jerk!" She growls, seeing his smirk show up on that bratty little face of his! Ugh, sometimes I could just kill Derek!

"You know it's your disadvantage that the knob is off right, you'll never get to change it again!"

He snorted, looking over at her, "Casey, Casey, Casey. You should know this is my car, you don't think a man knows his own car?! And besides I like this station, loser!"

She scoff, "A man? Phu-lease! You are no man Ventuir, you are just a little boy who thinks throwing pranks are what life is about! Believe me, you are not capable of being said "Man"!"

Derek's grin soon fades, and he could very well have killed her with his look, if looks could kill, "Yeah, well, a lot of girls would disagree with you, Princess." he said, turning his gaze to look out the window.

"Ha, that's cause they are all girls, not woman, Derek." she says, gritting her teeth.

She could not let him win this one.

He smirked, tossing his head back her way, "Yeah, and what would you know anything about being a woman, you have gone out with 'Boys' and they never really make the grade Case, because, let's not kid ourselves here, you are still a 'girl' who drools over the bad 'boy'! I should know, right, heh, I am the one who made the grade for it in high school!" he mocked out the last part. "All the girls I-"

She glared over at him, and cut him off. "Shut up, Derek! I have been in many a serious relationships. At least I take them serious, unlike you!" Casey spat, trying hard not to let him see her upset.

"Yeah, right. Oh, mm, let me see. Truman, Sam,. . .Waiter at our grand mothers lodge. . .who all happen to have a little nice personality, till they dump your sorry butt for their own things, mostly woman. If that is a 'man', than I must be more of one than all those losers combined, sis." he hissed the last part out to annoy her. A smug look on his face and all, but she could tell he was getting annoyed as well, and decided to push his buttons a bit. "Yeah, I guess your right,. . .they are boys." She sighs, glancing over at him, making sure not to look to convincing, than back on the road with a little frown.

He chuckled, "But of course I am right." he said, stretching his arms out to lay back in his passenger seat.

"But than I guess that just means you are a boy as well, since you are a lot like them, and dumped a lot of girls who really liked you, broke their hearts, and they did not deserve it." she said, starting to think of her exes who had hurt her like that before.

He rolled his eyes, "Case, come on! You totally let yourself fall for my type. It's not our fault you girls go for bad boy material."

"Okay Smerek." She replied, a sly smile showing up on her face.

He glared at her, "Don't call me that. Only Marti can. And that is different. Okay! She's my baby sister, of course I'm soft around her, women love that in a guy." He says smoothly. But knowing him for such a long time, she started to pick up hints that he was lying. He loved his Smarti even when the 'Ladies' weren't around to swoon.

"Anyways, sis-"

She cut him off. "Step-"

"Same difference." He teased, cutting her off in a girly voice, giving Casey a wink.

"Der-ek! I do not sound like that!" Casey shouts, punching him in the arm, but can't help but grin.

Stupid step brother.

Living life with Derek is not any easy thing!

But he did make her smile.

Dereks P.O.V.

He woke up to Casey putting her hands through his pockets. "Yahh! What are you doing?!" Derek yelled, jumping back, and trying to push his evil step sister hands away from him.

"What do you think, Derek, I'm trying to get the radio knob from you! I cannot listen to anymore of this monstrosity!" She responded just as loudly, eyes bugged out.

"Get off of me!" he hisses, jerking her hands away, "I don't have it anyways."

"What? What does that mean?"

He gave her a leering look , "Means I don't have it, Princess. That's what. So why don't you ya just keep driving, or it's just going to annoy you longer if you don't. And we both don't want that."

He sees her glare, "Give it to me, Derek. . ." she says slowly, with a look to kill.

"No." He says smugly back, trying to get a reaction out of her like always.

And like always, she gave one.

"DE-REK!" She yelled, leaping onto him, trying to find all his pockets, and practically feeling him up!

"Whoa, whoa, get off of me, Casey!" He didn't want this to lead to an awkward place for both of them.

He kept trying to push her off, till finally she just snapped back, arms crossed, and flushed! "Just stop and drive you crazy woman!" He yelled, getting a little mad, and a lot nervous.

She was really getting angry.

"UGH! FINE!" Than with that she reassembled her seatbelt, and then looks over at Derek, one eye brow raised.

He smiled, eyes half closed, "Why don't you just shut your look up, and drive." He sneers, pointing to the road.

She shook her head, and started the car, "Fine, not like I didn't want you dead already."

He smiled. "Aw, not like I didn't want to die with you being a drama queen all the time anyways." Derek mocked back.

She glared, and turned onto the road.

"So. . .did you throw the knob out the window?" a she asked him as he was starting to lay back.

He smiled, "I'll never tell."

"Derek, just tell me, what did you do to it?" she said, "Or I'll . . .I'll."

"You'll what? Search the car?" He asks with sarcasm dripping through his voice.

"I already did that. . ." She said looking troubled.

"Ha, really, what do you think I was born yesterday?!" he says, hands underneath head.

"Well. . ." she says, looking over at him with her answer in her eyes.

"Oh wow, come on. I'm alpha when it comes to strategy!"

"Yeah, in how to ruin lives. Not how to make things better! Now fork over that knob!" She yells.

"No!" He barks back.

"Fine Derek. Be that way. I knew I could never rely on someone like you. You barely even know how to take care of yourself, let alone others. And all you have ever cared about is you, you're such a jerk, and I wish my mom had never married your dad so I'd never have to be stuck with you!"

"Wow! I can't believe Casey, miss goodie two shoes would ever say something like that. Back to blaming our parents, is that really the way to behave, Miss Casey?" He joked, giving her a fake horrified look.

"Oh, just stuff it already, Derek! You know if we had never met like this we wouldn't have even hated each other at least this much!"

"Oh, maybe not as fast, misses high and mighty. But really it would have developed after time. And I highly doubt we'd have even spent time together let alone be in the same room as each other" He seethed, getting tired of being in the same car as her already, she was really starting to piss him off, which reminded him . . .

"Ha, true." She said, "At least there's something we agree on."

"I have to take a leak." He says, groaning. Her mouth hangs open in shock. "Eww!"

"I can't help what my body can't help, Case!" He squirms.

"Well, you can just hold it!" She gasps, "We are almost home, I'm sure you can make it a little while longer."

"Four hours longer?! Are you insane! PULL OVER!" He says getting ahold of the wheel, and they swerve a little bit.

"Fine, fine I will!" She shouted, finally sounding defeated, he let go, relieved-ish.

"As long as you hand over that knob, put it back in, and turn this awful music off." She finishes with a sly smile.

He looks over at her,
"Very well-played, MacDonald, very well-played!" He groans through squinting eyes, biting his lip as he grabs the hidden compartment door handle from the floor, which wouldn't be seen at all unless you installed it yourself, in which he had, and pulled out the handle.

She reaches to grab it, but he pulls his hand away before she can, "First, gas station, than I'll put it on for you!"

She glared at him, "Fine." than he hears clicks.

Derek looks down at the locked door, smirking, "Really? That's all you've got?"

"Yeah, well, remember when that door gets locked, it's practically impossible to open again?" She smiles, "Ooh, and I thought a man was supposed to know everything about his car." She said with a mocking pout.

He groaned, can't believing she got him, "Just get me to the closest urinal, or I will have to pee in this car!"

"DE-REK! Gross!"

Once she'd gotten him to the gas station, and she got the knob back on from him flinging it at her, and telling her if she didn't let him out of this car he was going to explode.

Once back inside the car, Derek could hear Kelly Clarkson singing about crying, and feelings, *shivers*!

He was about to push the knob to turn it off, but it was gone.

He looked frantically around his seat, than paused, slowly rising his head towards Casey's big smiling face, as they were heading down the road.

"What did you do?!" He yelled.

Casey just giggled, and sighed, "Oh, so, how does it feel to lose?" she asked.

But she didn't realize Derek reaching down towards his secret compartment, and pull out a second radio knob that he'd hidden also, just in case. "Who said I've lost?"

He quickly put it in, and changed it to metal.

Casey looked surprised, and tried grabbing it, but she was too late as he threw it out the window, they watched and saw a car drive under it and crush it.

"Heh, heh. Sucker." He laughed evilly giving her a wink.

And he swore he saw steam coming out of her ears. "DE-REK!"

"CA-SEY!" He mocked, chuckling.

~ Present day~

And now she was sitting up in her bed at the second knock, "Come in." she said.

The door opened to her mother.

"Hey sweetie, it's so good to have you back! Now George can stop asking me to call and check up on you guys every couple of minutes!" She sighed, rubbing her neck, and holding her baby as she walked towards Casey.

"Aw, hello sweetie!" Casey said holding out her arms to take her brother, Simon. "So, George was the worried one, huh? Would have figured it would have been you?" She said, making funny face at the baby, and to try to make him laugh by talking to him in baby talk.

And got him to at least smile.

"Yeah, I wish that's how it happened." Her mother chuckled, smiling at the sweet moment.

"Wow, don't try scaring my poor lil baby brother, Case! Face like yours could kill someone!" Derek said, his own in a mocking cringe as he heads over for his best baby brother in the world! "Hey buddy! Just remember when you start having bad dreams that involve Casey's face, that your big bro is always here to protect you from the evil, big, bad, sister!" he cooed towards him, making the baby laugh even more, his big brown eyes lighting up just like his older brothers. A huge grin shows up on Derek's face.

Casey almost wanted to say something, but it was such a cute moment. "I'll let that one slide since he doesn't understand a lie you are saying to him." She said, standing next to him, and looking down at their brother, smiling, "And believe me it is a lie! Which, Derek, might I add, is very good at! And your sister, the angle-" She got a snort from Derek out of that one, she gives him a look, and he shrugs. "And your sister, me, the and angle, is not! Derek's actually the troll. Big, loud, and smelly troll. So if anyone was to protect you, it would be me, the angle." she smiled, giving some more of her goo goo faces towards the baby. Derek cringed again.

"Ha, but a least my face doesn't look like one, unlike some angles we know." he winked at Simon.

The poor baby, not understanding what was going on, just started to giggle some more. "DE-REK! You Jerk! I do not-" her mother interrupted

"You guys! Stop! Now! Simon can sense these things, and may grow up to think that this behaviour is normal."

"What behaviour?" They both asked, looking over at her. She sighed, "The whole bickering, and insulting each other, that's what behaviour " She cried, taking her baby son back in her arms. "Now, at least in front of Simon, I want you two to be nice to one another, got it?"

They both groaned. "Fine."

Than once she left, Casey glared at him.

"Only when the baby is around, got it?"

He smirked, "Oh yeah, I got it. Can't wait to watch you try to act nice, and non-dramatic whatsoever. That will be a shocking story to tell the grand kids!" He laughed, walking out her door.

"Yeah, just as much an it will be to tell them that you weren't a messy, arrogant, slob brother for once!" She hissed.

He turned his face to look at her, annoyed, "Step-brother. Sis"

She rolled her eyes, and slammed the door in his face. "You just said Sis, meaning you can't make such statements, than say sis you idiot!" she yelled through her door at him.

"Yeah, well, remember that 'Step' part, because I would never be related to such an uptight, snobbish 'girl' troll!" he hollered back, turning away, and bumping into his step mother, and baby brother. He chuckled , "Hey . . . Nora. . . and baby bro. . .Just going to get ready for, huh, bed!" he said with a nervous smile, running the other direction to his room.

Nora just rubbed her forehead. "What a headache I've begun to have ever since these two have come home, ugh!" but she just smiled while rocking Simon to sleep in her arms.

He smiled softly like he somehow knew what she was talking about.

The next hour.

"DER-EK!" came the troll faced, angles voice, that Derek thought he had managed to block out by his music, but somehow she had managed to be heard over his ear buds tightly in both ears playing their loudest.

He pulled them off, getting up and walking towards his door"What?" he asked moodily, opening the door with her just standing there, staring wide-eyed, and angry.

"How could you do this to me?!" she asked sternly, pointing at her purple hair.

He swallowed his laugh, "Heh, I didn't do that to you sis, I'm a bit more clever than that, I wouldn't leave a trail that was so obviously pointing at myself behind like that." he smiled, knowing who probably did.

She looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, "You know what Derek, I thought you'd have grown up by now, but I guess you can never take the boy out of the . . .well, . . .boy!" she snapped bitterly at him.

He blinked, "Wow, you are so not good at comebacks, trollface." he mumbled, going to shut his door.

She stopped him, "Y-you!"

"I- I?" he teased smiling down at her blue eyes, "I what, keener? I what?"

She peered at him, "I will do-. . .nothing! Because mom wants me to get along with you, and even if you dyed my hair, I think it actually looks pretty good this way, purple might just be my lucky color anyway " she smiled stiffly, turning away and looked back at him, "At least I can say that I was the adult in this situation, unlike yourself."

He snickered, "And why in the world would something like that matter to me?"

She grumbled, "Exactly, little boy."

"Oh wow, I'm not a little boy, okay, I'm a man."

"Yeah, ha, sure you are. Let me tell you one thing, Der-ek, a man is someone who wouldn't have to prank someone to get their attention, even if he hated that person."

He chuckled, "Well, this man doesn't hate anyone, there are just some people in life this man has decided he can't stand."

"Wow, and maybe this man will realize that the way he treats people is the reason he is still single, but yet can get a lot of 'girls'!"

"Well, if being a snobby, dictator, judgemental trollface is what a woman is, than I'd rather not be with someone like that." he smirked, but the darkness of his pupils showed he was getting frustrated.

She was barely through though. "Yeah, mm, okay, we should both be happy of that, since woman like that wouldn't want your hands anywhere near them, because they'd be disgusted of you by the time your little date would be over, and all your unimpressive, little romantic boy gestures turn them off."

"So it turns them off, huh?" he laughed, arms crossed, and you could tell it was driving him nuts holding and not winning as he leaned towards her. "What about when they dance." he whispered, his eyes beaming into hers, "I'd say she is way more into it than he is."

"That's because that is one of her biggest dreams is to be a dancer!" she growled, feeling her defenses rise, and her cheeks flame as she backed away a little.

"Yeah, right, that's why she doesn't have as much passion as when she dancing with him." he said, almost sounding cool, and looking bold, except for the little crack at the end in his voice.

This was getting weird. What was happening between them right now?

"Please, she is just laughing at him, because he is the worst dancer she has ever danced with, and she loved showing him up!"

"Yeah, whatever! But the whole fancy dancing stuff she tries sucks, and she should just stick with her day job since she pretty much blows at it!" he said, going into his room, and slamming his door.

"Derek! You are such a jerk!" she muttered, pulling her strand of hair behind her ear, her heart speeding up a little.

Derek's back was against his door, his features showed he was confused, "What the heck was that?!" than he scratched his head, went over and laid down on his bed. "That was really. . . weird!" he said eyes squinting up at the ceiling, and he groaned, covering them.

"Why would I want Casey to like dancing with me? That has to be the most weirdest thing I've ever thought about her!" he felt something like his gut clench at another thought. "Why would my stupid gut clench at the thought of Casey and waiter guy dancing?" Derek had known his name, and just never felt like saying it, let alone get to know him, and ever since he and Casey broke up, she and Derek had spent more time together lately since she decided to stay with school after all.

He felt he knew why he'd be upset, but he kept telling himself, "No, no, I don't like Casey, that is ridiculous!" he sputtered, laughing at himself, "Why would I like Trollface Case? No possible way, no!"

Later that night, after getting all the purple out of her hair as much as she could, Casey sat in her room, looking out the window, and up at the stars.

They twinkled brightly. She smiled, she always loved looking out at the stars, and imagined when she was little, till. . .well, now, that her prince charming was looking at the same stars, and she would look at him looking at the same stars somehow, and he would than gaze into her eyes and smile softly, telling her how much he loved her. But than again, she had always wanted a pony, and she knew that day was never happening!

She sighed, feeling the breeze, it felt good with the sweetness in the air.

She heard a dog barking out the distance, and the crickets chirping, and a cat jumping into the next door window where her owner greeted the grayish tabby. She looked out over the neighborhood.

Than she froze. Right there, in the yard, standing by the fence in his casual cool way, was Derek.

He was looking up at the night sky,. . .at the stars. Her heart pounded, as his gaze fell on hers, and then he smiled softly. She gasped, her heart speeding up, but then quickly died down when he stuck his tongue out at her.

She rolled her eyes, and smiled back, "I should have known the weirdo could never be a prince."

she said, hearing the frogs croak.

"Wow, Derek, it sounds like your people are calling." Casey said, loud enough so he could hear.

He looked at her confused, "What? You mean the studly, and kick butt people? And very handsome people might I add?! Those people who I've been crowned king by for being the very best of all those things?" he laughed.

"No," She beamed "I meant the frogs your sliminess." she said, faking a bow.

"Haha, real funny, Case. But honestly I am a prince." He smiled, "And you are the-" She felt a little flushed at his pause as he gazed into her eyes, Than he smirked. "The little troll witch who made me into a frog wanting me to never find true love, wow, you are one heartless troll witch." he teased.

She glared at him, "DER-EK!" She yelled, than realizing what she'd done, looked around quickly, clamping her hands down on her mouth.

Derek shakes his head, as some people, including Nora, and his dad, come out too.

"Casey, Casey, Casey, it is the middle of the night, stop disturbing these poor people's beauty sleep. Not that you would need it, Mrs. Warren and Nora, two of whom are quite lovely."

Mrs. Warren, who was very mad a few seconds ago, smiled, "Aw, why thank you Derek. You sweetheart." than she glared up at Casey, "You, Miss MacDonald's, could learn a few well minded manners from your brother!" She said, shaking her finger at Casey.

"Step brother." The both said quickly.

But unlike Casey, Derek gave her a smile for it.

"Oh, well, yes, but that still doesn't excuse your behaviour missy, especially at your age! You are an adult, please act like one!"

Casey heard some of the other neighbours agree, including Derek, who was just agreeing to be a wise guy. "Yes Mrs. Warren! I'm so sorry for ruining everyone's sleep, I'm so sorry everybody!" she said, looking guilty.

Derek felt a little bad, "Well, if you must know, I did provoke her. . ." he said, trying to act casual as he looked over at them nervously with a grin.

Most everyone outside didn't care, or more like that's what they had figured. Only Mrs. Warren looked surprised, "Derek Venturi! I cannot believe you would do such and awful thing to your sister!"

"Step sister!" they both stated dryly.

"Same-"

"Please don't say 'difference.'" He mumbled, and gave her a small smile from the look she gave him, "We just hear that a lot. Heh heh."

Mrs. Warren just shook her head, "Lord have mercy on me! These children will be the death of me."

"Technically not a child anymore." He smiled at her, hoping she'd smile back.

She just gave him a look, and walked away back to her house.

"Lord have mercy on us all." He muttered mockingly, as he turned around to face Nora, his dad, and Simon, who was in their dads arms, Edwian, Marti and Lizzie.

Derek gave a weak smile, and shrugged his shoulders.

They all just sighed, except the baby of course, and went back into the house.

He paused and looked up at Casey's window, and he saw her looking back down at him.

"Um, thanks." she said, looking confused.

He scoffed, "Like I did it for you." than he went inside and shook his head.

"Well, duh Derek! Who else would you have done it for you idiot!" he moaned, hitting himself in the head.

What was happening with him?

And upstairs in her old bed, Casey wondered the same thing.

"Weird." They both said.

And they were right. It was defiantly weird. . .to them.