Derek's PoV
I saw a black convertible take a sharp turn into the driveway. Whoever the driver was liked speed and thrill, that much was pretty obvious. The driver was a young girl. She was wearing a sweat pants and a loose fitting tee. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. She popped the trunk and took out a luggage bag, closed the trunk, locked the car and made her way towards the door.
Derek knew those eyes and the face that they belonged to.
What's she doing back here?
Stella's PoV
I sighed as I walked to the door. I was tired from the long car ride. Reaching for the door I knocked on it, turned the handle and found the door opened. It was so like Stiles to do something like this.
"Stiles," I yelled, "where are you?"
I heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs following the "I'm coming" that Stiles shouted.
He ran into the living room and pulled me into a hug. I was kind of shocked to be honest. He finally let me go.
"What is wrong with you leaving the door open?" I asked him as I lightly punched him on the shoulder.
He sighed, walking to the door and locking it.
"Stiles, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," he quickly said.
I could immediately tell that he was lying.
"If nothing's wrong, why call me here?"
"So now I can't even call you and ask you to come over without you having to look at me as if I'm in some kind of trouble or I need help?" he shouted.
A bit surprised at his outburst, I replied,
"Yes you can, you can call me whenever you want and tell me to come over, I only asked what's wrong because you look worried, like you haven't had sleep in a few days." I saw him lick his lips at that and I quickly added,
"Oh and you're lying about calling me this time to just come over; you're in some kind of trouble or something."
I heard another sigh escape his lips.
"You're right. How do you always figure out I'm not telling the truth?" His hands flew at that.
I found myself smiling.
"I'm not gonna tell you that or else I won't have any fun catching you lie again."
"How did you get here so fast anyway?" he asked.
"Take a look outside," I replied. He went to the living room window and peeked out and gasped at what he saw.
"Is that a …" he began.
"A Roadster, yes it is," I answer before he could even finish the question.
"Oh my god, can I please take her for a ride?"
I held out my keys in response. He gave me another quick hug and bolted out the door. I smiled as I stood watching from the door at the look of pure awe that I saw radiating from his face. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He pulled out of the driveway and I had just shut the door when moments later it opened again and my uncle walked in.
"Stella," he said pulling me into one of those fatherly bear hugs, "what brings you here?"
"Oh nothing," I said as I pulled out of the hug. "I missed you guys and I finally took a well-deserved break from work." Technically that is only half a lie.
"But, you're home early, how come?" I inquired. He was usually at the police station well into the night. I remember that from when I was living here for a year.
"Decided to call it an early night," was his curt reply.
"Well, I just got here so I'm gonna go wash up and then we'll think about dinner."
I had started to turn around only to be stopped by a question.
"Stel, how did you get here?"
"I drove," I said turning back around to face him.
"And where's your car? I only saw Stiles' Jeep when I got here."
I couldn't help but grin.
"Stiles took it for a ride."
"You really shouldn't have allowed him to." He gave me a stern look but I turned back around to head up the stairs.
"Before you go, how does pizza sound? I'll order it and it should be here by the time you're out of the shower."
"Sounds good," I answered as I dragged my suitcase up the stairs.
Opening the door to the guest bedroom I was greeted by the cool wind blowing through a half open window.
Stiles PoV
Driving down the well-known road of Beacon Hill in Stella's car gave me a thrill. I pulled up to Scott's house and honked the horn. I saw him poke his head out of his bedroom window and his eyes open wide in surprise. Scott was running out the front door before I even had a chance to blink.
Stupid werewolf powers, I thought and then mentally kicked myself.
Scott was gushing on and on about how the car was such a beauty, he got into the passenger seat and questioned where I got it.
"It's Stella's."
Scott shifted in his seat, looking a bit taken aback.
"When did she get here? Why didn't you tell me that she was coming?"
"I didn't know she was coming," I lied.
"You're lying," he said, "your heartbeat rose when you said I didn't know."
"Right, I keep forgetting that I can't lie to you anymore without getting caught," I huffed in reply, pulling out of the driveway.
It seemed that I couldn't lie to anyone.
Derek's PoV
I heard and saw most of the exchange between Stella and Stiles. She was still the gorgeous brunette from high school that I knew. I think she's a year or two older than me.
Why do I care about how old she is?
I walked down the street to my parked Camaro. The engine roared to life as I hit the accelerator.
Stella's PoV
I walked down the stairs to the smell of pizza in the house. Sitting around a coffee table which was hidden under the pizza box, were my uncle, Stiles and Scott.
They saw me approaching the table and Scott got up to give me a welcome hug and a quick mumbled, "Good to see you Stel."
"Good to see you too Scott. How's school going? And lacrosse?"
"School's, you know, school," he said with a laugh. "And lacrosse is actually good to me this year. Hey Stiles, did you tell her how you're playing first line in the next game?"
Stiles looked up from the pizza box he was concentrating on.
"Uh, no, I totally forgot and then I saw her car …," came the reply.
I laughed.
"Do you still have the keys?" I asked. "You better not lose them."
Taking them out of his pocket he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean Happy Belated 16th Birthday and Happy Early 17th Birthday Stiles. It's yours." I folded his fingers over the keys to further indicate that it was his.
"Stella, I don't …" my uncle began.
I cut him off, "I'm not gonna listen if you say he can't have it. It's almost his 17th birthday and I'm making up for missing his 16th. Besides, it's not like he's gonna be getting anymore presents from me for a while. This present should last him for at least a good 10 years," I joked.
Stiles saw this one second pause as an invitation to start dinner.
"Who wants pizza?" he asked opening the cardboard box that held the cheesy goodness.
The rest of dinner passed quickly. Between eating and catching up with each other's lives, Stiles sat more quietly than usual.
Stiles' PoV
I can't believe that she gave me her car just because she missed my 16th birthday. I mean yeah I was mad at her at the time but I do understand she can't be here for me all the time, whenever I need her. She did call on my birthday, not like she forgot. Oh my god, her 23rd birthday is coming up. I haven't even thought about what to get her. I need to plan a party for her, if she's still here when her birthday comes. I highly doubt she's gonna stay more than a week, at the most –
"– to Stiles." I heard as I lost my thought and blinked to see three faces staring at me.
"Are you alright?" I heard Stella ask.
She paused to look at me when I didn't answer her right away.
"You're quiet," she said, "too quiet if you ask me. Are you sick or coming down with something?" she asked while feeling my forehead.
"I-I'm fine. Just tired, had a long week at school." I'm pretty sure Scott figured out I wasn't telling the truth but he didn't say anything. She took the sign and changed the subject.
"When's that lacrosse game, Scott?"
"It's tomorrow."
"That's great, I made it here just in time to see Stiles play then. I'm gonna need the keys to your Jeep Stiles if I wanna make it there on time."
We finished the pizza, then I used dropping Scott back home as an excuse to get out and clear my head.
Once I dropped Scott off, reassuring him that I was fine (but of course he didn't believe me being able to sense with his werewolf powers), I drove to a secluded parking lot and sat with my head in my hands.
How was I ever going to explain to Stella why I called her in such a panic that day? She dropped everything and came right away. What the hell was I thinking?
