Hey everyone!

This is another idea I came up with…

I started writing it because my friend is reading Darkest Powers, but she isn't finished yet, so she couldn't read my other story Safe? without getting to know any spoilers.

This is a story about Chloe trying to win Derek's heart. The first paragraph kind of explains it.

In this story Chloe never went to Lyle House, but meets everyone at a school for supernaturals. Well, I think it's best if you just read.

And don't forget to review!

BTW, I do not own Darkest Powers or any of the characters, they belong to Kelley Armstrong

You may think getting a werewolf's attention isn't that hard, with their bionic hearing and all. Well, it is… If his name is Derek Souza. He's a guy at my school. Most of the girls prefer his brother Simon, but I like Derek. I don't know what it is about him that got my attention. Maybe it was his attitude, like he doesn't care about anything or anyone. Maybe it's his beautiful emerald eyes, which you only get to see once in a while, because his hair is constantly in front of them. Maybe it's the way he dresses. It's certainly not the way he used to dress. The whole school only recently found out he isn't fat, but actually muscular. My guess is that Simon made him change his wardrobe. Maybe it's because he's completely out of my reach. Anyway, I'm Chloe Saunders and I'm going to tell you about my 7 failed attempts to win this werewolf's heart.

1: Study buddies

Wednesday

He was standing there, in the hallway, leaning against his locker, looking down. There was no way we were going to have eye-contact if I just walked by… Okay, time to come up with some excuses to spend time with him. Of course I'd already written out a dozen of different scenarios in my head, but I was too afraid to make any of them come true. One of them was asking him to tutor me. Of all the scenarios I got, that one was probably the closest to reality. I was actually pretty bad at maths, and he happened to be a maths-genius.

"Daydreaming again?" a voice asked me. I immediately got out of my dream-scenario-world, and back into the real world. The voice came from my sort-of-best-friend. I say sort of, because she's dead. Her name's Liz. She talks and talks and talks, but she's also a very good listener. You think it's weird I can talk to her? Yeah, I kinda forgot to tell you that, I'm a necromancer, which means I can see the dead, talk to them, and wake them up. Okay, back to my story.

"Hey Liz, I'm sorry. I just can't talk to him." I told her. If you're wondering why I'm talking to a ghost in the middle of a hallway; I go to Lupin High, a school only for supernatural teens. I'm not saying it's the most ordinary thing here to talk to ghosts, just that people know what I'm doing when they see me talking to myself.

"Why not?" Liz asked. "You can talk to me, I'm dead. Why can't you talk to a perfectly normal guy?"

I gave her a look, and she quickly said: "Well, perfectly normal…"

"Liz!"

"Just kidding. Why can't you talk to him?" she was serious again. Good.

"I don't know, he's so intimidating."

"Hmm… ask him if he can tutor you! You need some catching up on your maths, I hear he's good at maths. Your maths problem solved, and you get to spend time with him!"

"Yeah, I thought of-

"On the other hand, if you guys are making out, you'll only get further behind on your maths…"

I laughed. Like that would ever happen. "I thought about that, but I just can't talk to him. If I walk towards him I start shaking, and the worst of all, I start stuttering."

"Well, I would talk to him for you, but there's one big issue… he can't see me…"

"I know, it's not fair. You can just talk to a boy like it's your brother."

"Yeah... Not that I have many guys to talk to... Tommy's nice. Just that he's like… 28…"

"I'm sorry… You should get out of here! Explore the world, be free. Is Tommy the only male ghost here?"

"Well, there's this other guy," Liz said, and I swear I saw her cheeks get a little red, "but he's taken. By Jess." She made a sad face. Liz was never sad, she was always happy, this was just an act. I still felt bad for her though. She went to a doctor once, and never came back. She was only sixteen. She'd never been kissed. She'd had a couple of boyfriends, but had never let any of them close enough. Now all she could do was flirt a bit. And I was complaining because I can't talk to a guy. I had to talk to him.

"Okay, I'm going to talk to him…" I said, more to myself than to Liz. "Will you stay close to me?" I asked her.

"Sure, right behind you!" she said, and she smiled.

I took the few steps it took to reach Derek. He was leaning against his locker, reading a book.

"H-hi," I stuttered. He looked up from his book, but didn't say anything.

"Y-you're D-Derek, right?" I asked. Of course I knew he was Derek. Stupid…

"Right."

"I w-was w-w-wondering, if m-maybe y-you'd"

"If you'd just turn off that stuttering-machine…"

"Y-yeah.. right." I said. Just take a breath, Chloe, just take a breath. "I was wondering…"

"If you could tutor me." So, that was out.

"Which subject?" Okay, he was really… to the point…

"Eh.. maths, I'm not that-

"In which year are you?" he asked.

"I'm a sophomore."

He sighed. "What's the reason you need tutoring?"

"I just don't get all those numbers and variables and all."

"Well, you picked the right guy, then, 'cause I do. Fridays at lunch?"

Why would he want to meet at lunch? "Can't we do it at another time?" He gave me a look that was definitely a no.

"Fine, where?"

"I'll see if I can get us a class room. I'll let you know, Chloe, right?"

"Eh.. y-yeah," I stuttered. Wow, he knew my name… Smile…

Thursday

"Hey!" I heard someone call. Probably not for me, so I kept walking.

"Hey!" again, "Are you Chloe?" I turned around and bumped into Simon Bae.

"Hey," I said, "I-I am.."

"My brother, Derek, asked me to tell you to come to the library tomorrow, he couldn't get a room or something.."

"Oh, ok." I said, a little disappointed that we weren't going to be the only ones, "Thank you." I smiled.

"You know," he said, "I'm surprised Derek even agreed to help you. Normally it's not really his thing to…" he stopped for a while, "..communicate." He grinned. His smile made me laugh too. "No, really, it's a miracle he actually wants to explain something to anyone. Anyway, I've got to go to class. Good luck with Derek tomorrow, you'll need it!" Simon winked.

"Thanks," I said, and he left. I wondered what he meant. That I need good luck?

Friday

I don't think I've ever stood in front of a mirror as long as I did today. I'm not really a make-up girl. I do use some mascara, just not as much as some girls at my school do. I've never really had a role model to show me how to make up my eyes, my mother died when I was six. I should have practiced it more… I curled my lashes and put on three layers of mascara. It was alright, and it was a better than my usual one layer of mascara. Let's hope he likes it…

I put on my best pair of jeans and my nicest top and spent half an hour fixing my hair. When I looked into the mirror I was pleased with the result.

At school

I was nervous all day. First I was counting hours, then minutes until lunch. There were four options:

1: I would tell him I liked him, and he'd kiss me.

2: I would tell him I liked him, and he'd run away.

3: He would help me with my maths, pull me behind a bookshelf, and kiss me.

4, and I didn't like that one: He would just help me with my maths.

The first two weren't going to happen, since I wasn't going to tell him I liked him. Of course I was hoping for option number 3 to happen, but probably it would just be number 4.

When the final bell before lunch rang I was the first one to leave the classroom. I was so nervous I could throw up. I went to the bathroom one more time and sat there for I think almost five minutes before I walked to the library. I came into the room and he was sitting at a table. I walked towards him.

"You're late," he said.

"I-I'm s-sorry. I…"

"Please stop stuttering… Can we start?"

"Sure." I sat down next to him and took my book out of my bag.

"So, what are you discussing in class?" Derek asked me.

"Right now we're discussing formulas, and I don't understand a thing of it." I said.

"Okay, let's start with the basics…." He started explaining and I listened. He was a good teacher, but nothing had happened between the two of us yet.

So when he was done explaining, I ran my hand through my hair and continued playing dumb for a while longer, asking: "So, you and Simon.. You're brothers? How is that?"

"Step brothers, actually. I grew up with him and his father, but they're not my biological family," he explained without looking at me. I tried to make eye contact, but it was hopeless. He wasn't looking up from my book, so I threw in another question, trying to get to know him a little better, and trying to get him to talk to me.

"Must be hard, not knowing your family.." I said.

"Nah," he said, "Simon and Kit are my family."

"Ok, but I mean… never mind…" There was an incredibly awkward silence, until I broke it and said: "I've got to go, thank you."

I packed my stuff and left. On my way I sighed. Number 4 it is…

Kind of weak ending, I know… I'm sorry. If you've got any ideas for the next ones, please let me know! Maybe I'll use 'em.