NOTE – There truly is no need to re-read this chapter if you have already read it once. Only do so if you actually want to. Otherwise, move on to Chapter 1, Part 2 (a.k.a. Chapter 2).
Title: Things Can Only Get Better
Author: Destini Venturi
Summary: Alternate Universe: Our kids are dating…and so are we. We are going to be one big, "happy," blended family…we hope.
Pairings: Geora (George/Nora). It starts out Dasey, but is a Non-Dasey/Non-Edwiz.
Feedback: Read & Review, Please.
Warnings: None that I am aware of, yet.
Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek or any of its characters. Life with Derek, its characters, trademarks and logos belong to POPE Productions, Shaftesbury Kids, Daphne Ballon, and The Family Channel Canada/Disney Channel USA. This fanfiction is also based off a story in True Story magazine, issue January 2006 – titled "Our Kids Are Dating… And So Are We." I own nothing except the further formation of the plot (which I have changed slightly and elaborated quite a bit more into) from the plot taken from the aforementioned story. Please do not sue. I have no money.
Author's Note: This chapter was re-uploaded AGAIN –- it has been slightly edited, but mostly everything is still the same. If you would like to make sure or would just like to re-read through it before going to chapter two so that you can go back over what has happened then, by all means do so. There is nothing stopping you!
This is a Non-Dasey/Non-Edwiz. Do not be fooled. Although, I love the pairings, I have decided that the fanfiction section here needs a few more non-Dasey fics. I do not want to ruin anything, but I do have to say that it does start out sort of Dasey-ish. This fiction is written for a majority of the time in George's point of view (taking on my own challenge (refer to the Challenge forum under forums in the LwD section for more information)-) unless I change my mind later on and decide to do other point of views too and it is based on a true story (which may or may not really be true depending on the facts…how do they look into these things for that magazine anyway?) from True Story magazine, issue January 2006.
I have taken it upon myself to start it at a random time. Marti is 6, Edwin is 10, and Derek is 15. Marti has just started 1st grade, Edwin has just started 5th grade, and Derek has just begun 10th grade as of a week before where this story begins. Casey is 14 1/2, in the same grade as Derek and Lizzie is 10, and in the same grade as Edwin, but they go to different schools during this time. Different from the series because of the fact that the MacDonalds moved into the Venturi family's home the day before that school year started. Re-watch "The Room" if you did not catch it – when Marti asks to play a computer game, Casey mentions to her that the next day is the first day of school and that that is why she is seated at her desk in the hallway and getting her school stuff situated and in order for her first day.
Please forgive me if you think this has too much dialogue. I am more attuned with dialogue than anything else most of the time. Especially when I am incapable of getting myself into the character's head that the point of view is in. I will try harder to be descriptive, but in some cases that may become far too hard to accomplish.
Things to Know:
– This is somewhat of an Alternate Universe.
– It is in First Person Point of View.
– This chapter is in George's point of view.
– Thoughts are in italics.
"How were you going to make money with lobsters?" – Walter Nichols, curious
"Focus, Walter!" – Drake Parker, sarcastic
Episode: "Honor Society"
Show: Drake & Josh
Chapter 1, Part 1 --- A Not So Typical Morning with the Venturis
Venturi Household – One Month Before the Merge
Monday 5:00 AM – Kitchen
I placed a cup of orange juice in front of where Marti was sitting at the island in the kitchen and turned to oddly find my eldest son raiding the fridge for his breakfast surprisingly fully awake for the time of day that it was.
"I want grape juice!" Marti screamed when I had set the orange juice down in front of her. Her breakfast was a bowl of cheerios that had purple marshmallows thrown into it – apparently done so by Marti herself. I turned back to her. "It's purple day!" She remarked.
"Yeah, yeah, of course it is," I muttered with a sigh and turned back to Derek. "Derek, get the grape juice out of the fridge."
"Why do I have to?" He asked with his mouth full of something that he had gotten out of the fridge to eat. I never got to see what it was, aside from seeing it chewed up in his mouth.
"Because you are already at the fridge," I reasoned.
Turning back to look at Marti I realized that she had decided she wouldn't continue eating until she got her grape juice. She sat there with her arms crossed and a hard frown on her face.
"Fine, but I do have more important matters to attend to," he said, still with his mouth full. "I've got a phone call to make."
I turned to him expecting the plastic bottle of grape juice to be handed over to me. He swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Before 6:00 AM." I made a movement with my hand telling him to hurry it up and he grabbed the grape juice out of the fridge and handed it to me.
"Since when do you make phone calls this early in the morning or make phone calls at all? Usually people call you. Better yet, since when have you been this awake this early in the morning? And why does this call have to be made before 6:00 AM?" I asked my son curiously, while pouring Marti a new cup, and then placing the cup of grape juice in front of Marti, leaving the cup of orange juice there. She took a few sips from the grape juice then set it down and started eating again.
"Since I finally found a girl that I have decided I want to actually date for more than just a few days or a week. There's something different about this one, Dad… I just don't know what it is yet," he confessed. "Oh, and the reason it has to be before 6:00 AM is because she doesn't go to the same school as me, she goes to some private all-girls school that starts at 6:30 AM every day." Derek finished with his answer to my questions and shuddered when he said 'every day.'
He went over to sit by Marti. "Morning, Smarti," He said, and reached over and took the cup of orange juice from in front of her and downed about half the glass before setting it back down in front of him.
"Mornin', Smerek!" Marti exclaimed happily, grinning as Edwin walked in rubbing his eyes.
All the noise down here and Marti's yelling must have woken him up. I was planning on letting him sleep in at least until he really does need to be up for school, and for that matter, Derek too… but apparently Derek had other plans and had actually set his alarm clock. In addition, he had actually woken up to it…I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.
"What time is it?" Edwin muttered incoherently, causing us all to ignore him. He was almost asleep again as he stood there, his eyes starting to close all over again.
"Well, that's news to me," I said, referring back to Derek's last statement. Derek turned back to look at me when I spoke. "When were you planning on telling me about this new girl? Not that you ever really do tell me. I usually walk in on you making out on the couch with random girls on a daily basis."
"Today actually, since she's coming over this afternoon around 4:30," Derek smirked. "That is when you would have found out about her had I not just told you." He finished the rest of the orange juice after he finished speaking and placed it back down on the island.
"I see. So how long have you been with her so far?" I asked him.
Apparently, I have not been paying very much attention lately since I had not known about any of this; I only noticed his change in behavior this morning… hmmm. Not that I really know all that much about him anyway, with Derek…it is best not to know.
I watched Edwin sleepily fix himself a bowl of cereal – obviously still unaware of what un-godly hour it was and very oblivious to the current conversation and somewhat oblivious to what he was even doing.
"Three days. I met her through a friend of mine Friday evening. Got her number, called her and asked her out on Saturday and… yeah, it's been three days." Derek answered, almost rambled, which is not normal for him, it seems he realized this mid-ramble as he stood up and walked out of the kitchen apparently to use the phone 'before 6:00 AM.'
I shook my head in complete amazement at this change in him, a somewhat small change, but a change nonetheless.
Edwin had finished getting his cereal by this time and had taken Derek's place at the island right after Derek had left the room. "Edwin, son, are you aware of what time it is? I was going to let you sleep until the usual time that you get up for school seeing as only Marti and I needed to be up this early."
Suddenly Edwin was all-too aware of his surroundings and what he was doing. "Please, tell me what time it is! And please say that it is not as early as I now suddenly think it is!" He blurted. He was overly frantic, but I guess waking up at this time a day when he normally sleeps in until 8:00 AM on a school day is something that could cause a reaction like this.
"It's now 5:30 AM. Marti has a dentist appointment at 6:30. And since it is so far out of town and I have to be at work at 7:30 your mother is going to take her to the appointment, which means I have to have Marti ready to leave by the time Abby gets here to pick her up." Edwin was now fully awake and I could, metaphorically speaking, see the wheels turning in his head.
"Marti's dentist is 1 hour out of town, Dad. Mom will be here any minute now to pick her up, so that she gets there on time. You're running very, very late, and Marti is still eating breakfast, but either way Mom is going to have to go over the speed limit to get there in time to have 5 minutes to spare to find a parking spot and then sign her in for the appointment since she hasn't gotten here yet." He stated matter-of-factly, pointing at Marti, as he stated that she was still eating, and she was in fact still eating…slowly.
'This is what you have to deal with when you have a math genius for a son,' I thought.
"You know, Dad, I think you should start dating." Edwin suddenly, very randomly, I might add, told me. Apparently, his mind had changed gears from 'time' math to him getting a new 'in-home' mom. Must be a result of being up so early, he is not used to it yet.
"Right…," I said in a way that told him 'I don't care much for dating right now; I have my kids. That is enough for me.' "Come on, Marti. It's time to go brush your teeth." I motioned for her to take the lead, so that I could follow.
"NO!" She screamed, got down from her seat, and ran out of the room. I followed closely behind her. "Smerek! Smerek!!! Save me!!!!"
As I followed her, I found my eldest son in the living room sitting on the couch still on the phone with his newest girlfriend.
"Huh?" I heard him say into the phone; obviously he had been distracted by Marti calling for him. "Oh, that's Marti, my little sister. I told you about her, right?"
She must have answered him because he then moved the mouthpiece of the phone away from his mouth without any further explanation, but kept the earpiece to his ear and leaned forward to Marti who was now sitting on the floor in front of him grasping hold of his legs. "What am I saving you from, Smarti?"
"Brush-fink my teefths," the six-year-old said as if she were only three, looking desperately up at him for help. "Hide me?" She asked.
"Ah, I see. Well, between you and me – you don't really have to brush your teeth. But then you might lose 'em. Plus you wouldn't be able to kiss anybody if you have bad breath." Derek smirked as I shook my head.
"Eeeewwww!!!" She squealed loudly. "I's ain't kissin' nobody. That's gwoss!" She stated as she ran off to her room.
"You should have used the 'lose them' bit last, Derek." I told him as he chuckled.
"Hey, I put them in order of importance." Derek said, as he moved the mouthpiece of the phone closer to his mouth again. I heard a female giggle loudly through the phone.
"Really? I thought the kissing bit would have been your top priority." I smiled at him, thinking I had caught him in a mistake that he had made and felt it necessary to try to embarrass him while on the phone with a girl that he, shockingly, seems to care a lot about.
"Yeah, but they both are the same in my opinion. It's just that the no teeth thing is more important. I mean, who would even want to kiss someone who has no teeth?" Derek stated, and then with disgusted resolve said, "That would be like kissing someone's grandparent who isn't wearing their false teeth… on the lips." He shuddered. He seemed to be talking to both his girlfriend and me right then.
I am quite sure that I heard an "I sure wouldn't." come from the phone in a female voice after Derek had made the comment 'who would even want to kiss someone who has no teeth'.
"Well, I see you have made your point. Now, don't you think you should let the girl go so she can get to school on time? It is now 5:47, in case you were wondering. Your mother will be here any minute to pick up Marti to take her to the dentist and she still hasn't brushed her teeth and I have to leave soon too." Derek gave me a questioning look. "Don't want to get caught in traffic." I said in answer, as if any further explanation was not needed.
"You just don't want to be here when mom gets here." Derek said, and then to the girl on the phone he said, "I guess I'll let you go so you can get going. I'll see you later today, Case… Bye."
'One sided telephone conversations are weird…,' I suddenly thought.
He hung up the phone, as I got a sudden idea, "Oh, and I won't be back until around 5:00 PM today. So, sustain yourself while this girl is over, all right? I don't want to walk in and catch anything more than the usual make-out session." I stated, and winked at him, as the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Ha! Looks like you weren't so lucky, Dad. Mom's here," Derek said as he started towards the door. "Oh, and like I would go that far! Especially on such a family treasure as the couch!" he yelled over his shoulder, and then he opened the door to greet his mother.
'Who does he think I am? Someone he just met?' I thought, skeptically. 'I don't believe that remark for a second!'
Deciding to avoid Abby as much as I possibly could, I went upstairs to find Marti. Whether she brushes her teeth or not she is leaving for her dentist appointment, of that I was certain. The less time Abby has to be here the better.
Author's Note:
Totals: 9 pages, 3,485 words, 79 paragraphs, and 304 lines for chapter one including the Author's notes and other information. It is 6 pages, 2,108 words, 49 paragraphs, and 178 lines for just the story itself.
Pretty long and not too shabby if I do say so myself, even if I'm a little skeptical about all of my written works. So, tell me what you think so far and keep in mind that this is based partly off a story I found in True Story magazine. And that it is just my own version of what had happened before the merge of the two families and what will be happening after the merge making this somewhat of an alternate universe. Which is rather obvious, since you can already tell that I will have George meeting Casey as being Derek's girlfriend in an upcoming chapter (most likely the next unless someone thinks I should do what I have mentioned below)). Actual episodes of the series may not always work out well with this story so they will be given a twist, especially with the way that it will be progressing. Basically – I'm re-writing the entire story my own way. I hope that no one on the show's crew is offended by that! It is just an idea that I just had to write.
This will continue to be in George's point of view most of the time (except in cases where it would have to be Derek or Casey); unless someone thinks I should try Nora's for the next chapter. If so, just say so and maybe I will give it a try. Maybe the next chapter will be "A (Not So) Typical Morning with the MacDonalds" in accordance with this chapter if many people say that they think I should try Nora's point of view.
Truthfully, I tend to criticize my own work harshly. It is just that I read all of these others and they seem so different, but of course everyone's writing style is different and I know that and I realize it. I am not complaining. I just feel that I cannot live up to the other wonderfully written fanfictions out there, but oh well, I write more for my enjoyment for everyone to read it than anything else.
As for Marti's speech, I wrote it the same way she would say it using a writing term called dialect. Moreover, her appointment being so early is not really all that odd. Some dentists only have openings that early in the day. I should know I have had appointments scheduled that early because they had no other openings available.
Oh, and if my math was way off on Edwin's 'time' math deduction, please forgive me – I have Dyscalculia: Math Dyslexia, (although that was not very hard math, nor was it very mathematic to say the least). I have a problem being able to understand math correctly. I can't even count up anything in my head without making an error and having to re-count (which starts up my OCD), I have to write it down on paper and work it out that way or take the easy way out – use a calculator.
I plan on this being rather long, and it will also be the first fiction I post that is longer than one chapter. My plan was to have my Hey Arnold! Series project up before this, but inspiration for this one hit me and I got the first chapter of this one done in a way that I see fit for upload back in June. Why has it taken me so long to upload it? Because FFnet was acting all stubborn every time I tried. I have been trying to upload this for weeks now. Thankfully, it finally got through.
Someone please tell me what you think of my version of George. Do you feel that he is right/wrong/out of character?? I feel like it is right for some reason, but I also have this nagging feeling that some parts of him are a little off.
So, what do you lot think of it so far? Please, R&R! (Yes, my author's notes are long – please get used to it you will be seeing it a lot…even in my other fictions.)
– Destini V. –