It took some time but Casey eventually started to get over Izzie. For a while, all she could think about was her beautiful ex girlfriend and she took every opportunity to see her or get her attention and Casey could cringe at how badly she was stalking. And then she realised that obsessing over Izzie was not going to help her broken heart so she did her best to cut off all connections.

She avoided the route to school that she knew Izzie also took, if Izzie messaged her about something she wouldn't immediately reply and whenever Sam would ask her for relationship advice, it took everything within her to say, "I'm not in a relationship because being single is the best" instead of directing her mind to Izzie.

And it worked. She started to prioritise herself more, focussed on track training (while also avoiding Izzie's usual running route), hung out with her Newton friends and also Penelope and Quinn.

There was one thing that still bothered her- Nate didn't get a huge punishment. Izzie didn't even know Nate got punished and Casey was uneasy about the fact that they had let him get away so easily because that only meant he was capable of doing it again.

That was one harrowing thought that grappled her mind every morning when she woke up. And what was the other thought? Oh...

Izzie got a new boyfriend.

Casey wanted to be childish about it. She said things like "He's so ugly" and "She can do so much better" to Quinn and Penelope while they mocked his Instagram page together. But that was only to mask her true emotion- regret.

Regretful that she didn't fight harder. Regretful that she had fallen so in love with this girl only to have the world take her and give her to some other guy. How cruel and unfair could the world in question be?

Reality is that he wasn't ugly. He seemed to treat Izzie right. And Casey HATED IT because she wanted to be the one to treat her even better. He didn't go to Clayton. In fact, he was a year older and already in Denton. Seizing the opportunity of her own brother being in Denton, Casey had asked him multiple times to find out more information on this guy.

"Sam, do you know who's Arlo? Goes to your school," Casey asked him casually one day as he sat at the dining table, finishing up his latest drawing. "Arlo? No, I don't think I know him. Professor Shinerock says I need to draw something that captures the essence of a penguin. But I don't know what that is," He replied and Casey forced a smile at him.

"I wouldn't know what the essence of a penguin is either Sam," She replied and he threw his pencil on the table, frustrated.

"Well, why do you want to know who Arlo is?" He turned to ask and she got red.

"No reason."

...

It wasn't until the week before Christmas that Casey had finally bumped into Izzie at the grocery store.

"Casey! Hey!" She exclaimed and the familiar clarion voice sent her down an alley of nostalgia as she turned around to see Izzie, clad in a uniform.

"Izzie! You work here?" Casey asked, her eyes darting towards her name tag. "Yeah, I just got a part time job. Do you need help?"

Casey laughed nervously as she eyed the bags of Cheetos sitting majestically on the shelf in front of her. "I have exactly what I need here," She replied and Izzie giggled. She knew how much Casey loved Cheetos. She knew everything about Casey.

"So... have you been... avoiding me?" Izzie mumbled and the other girl's heart dropped. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Well, I see you almost every day and suddenly you're just not there. I nearly had to come over myself to make sure you weren't dead or something," Izzie chuckled and Casey felt a tiny bit guilty.

"I've just been really busy. I'm not trying to ignore you purposely."

Izzie nodded and the air once again became awkward. Casey doubts they'll ever come to a point where they wouldn't be awkward.

"So I heard you got a boyfriend. Quinn and Penelope were telling me," Casey started. If Sam wasn't going to give her any information, she reckoned she would ask the girl who knows Arlo the best.

"Oh yeah. Arlo. I went to Denton for a tour thing and we met there," She explained, careful to give as little detail as possible.

It's not that Izzie didn't want Casey to know about her new relationship. Of course, there was a tiny devilish voice at the back of her head telling her to flaunt her relationship just to see Casey get jealous. But Izzie didn't want to talk about Arlo because it would make it real.

Izzie still loves Casey. And it makes her guilty as fuck every time she sees her boyfriend. She shouldn't be thinking about Casey every time Arlo kissed her. She shouldn't be secretly wishing it was Casey whenever Arlo called.

She shouldn't even be here talking to Casey. But Casey is her everything and Izzie knew better than to torture herself by trying to forget her.

"Oh... that's nice," Casey mumbled. Thankfully, Izzie remembered something that could help change the subject.

"Oh I almost forgot! My family's having a Christmas party on the eve. You should come. Quinn and Penelope will be there too," Izzie said with a smile. Casey's not going to lie, this came as a shock to her. She never expected Izzie's mum to be the kind to go out of her way to organise a party.

Izzie answered her doubts. "My mum wasn't too enthusiastic about it. I don't think she's gonna be home anyways. But I wanted to give the kids a good Christmas. My grandma's cooking," She explained and Casey grinned.

"That sounds like fun. I'll be there. My mum will definitely bake pie," Casey smirked.

"Oh and... Arlo will be there. I just thought I should let you know..."

Casey knew this of course. There was just something about Izzie telling her that made her hopelessly melt. It meant Izzie hadn't actually forgotten. Izzie still thinks about Casey. Still knows that Casey would absolutely hate Arlo and vice versa.

It made her feel weirdly good.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you around Iz."

...

"So she works there now?" Sharice laughed, sitting down on Casey's bed as she flipped open her textbook. "Project: move on from Izzie Taylor isn't working out. She has me in a chokehold," Casey groaned, flopping down on the bed.

"Dude just go for the party and see what happens."

"I'm gonna beat Arlo up, that's what's gonna happen."

"We both know that won't happen. Just be mature! Everything will fall in place. I'm sure Quinn and Penelope will have their own ways of making his life difficult."

At this point, Casey was no longer listening to Sharice as she scrolled through the album she had in her phone of photos of Izzie. Casey loved to take photos of Izzie.

There was something so magical about being able to capture the moment, the essence of her and be able to look at it forever.

"What the hell is visual purple?" Sharice spoke, which got Casey's attention as she sat up.

"What?"

"Visual purple. It's on page 57-"

"It's a pigment in your eye. Bleaches with the action of light and reforms in the dark so that you can see," Casey immediately explained and Sharice looked at her, impressed.

"Very unlike you to start studying for a test two weeks before. What did you do with my best friend?" Sharice giggled as she continued to write her notes.

"How did you even know that?"

"I listen in class, duh."

"Okay then answer me this. What's the jelly substance in your cornea?"

"Uhh...."

"Yeah so you don't listen in class. How do you know what visual purple is?"

Casey felt her heart ache as she thought back to the first time she talked to Izzie properly, promising to be her visual purple.

So Casey told Sharice.

"That's so cheesy but so cute. I hate you. I want love too."

"Need I remind you we broke up?"

"Well did she break up with you because you're cheesy? No. She fell in love with you INSTANTLY."

...

Christmas eve came and Casey has to admit that she was looking forward to meeting this Arlo. She was bringing over Elsa's pie and the presents for Izzie's siblings and for her as well.

Casey always imagined she would be spending Christmas as Izzie's girlfriend, watching as her siblings excitedly opened their presents while they kissed under the mistletoe in pyjamas. But this would have to do.

Until the message came in.

Izzie: hey... i know this is really last minute but i think it's best you don't come today.

Casey: what?

Casey: izzie what happened?

Izzie: i'm sorry casey. please tell your family i wished them merry christmas

Casey: izzie... talk to me, please

Casey: is hurting me fun for you or something? why do you always do it

Casey: izzie what the fuck

Izzie: you're my ex. we shouldn't even be talking

Casey: we're friends first

Izzie: don't make this any harder. maybe we should stop seeing each other too

Casey: gosh, i know you have a boyfriend but that doesn't mean we have to stop being friends. don't you love me enough to even try?

Izzie: bye casey

A/N i'm so sorry for the late update and the short chapter. i broke my hand and my wrist unfortunately so i've been typing with one hand:( will try my best to get some stuff out for yall! hope you all had a good christmas