Lena

It was late May when I first met Derek. He was standing on the curb right outside the school, next to me. He looked familiar to me, but I really couldn't put his name to his ruggedly handsome face. I was facing the drop off/pick up circle waiting for Bella Luca, my older sister, to pick me up, while he was facing the school building, obviously waiting for someone. I kept making glances over at him and he just stood there, looking at the building without moving a muscle, or even blinking. I finally mustered the courage to say something to him.

"Who are you waiting for?" I asked.

He looked at me, a little startled that I had said anything at all since it he was perfectly content without there being a conversation between us. "Scott McCall," he replied. "I have been trying to reach him all day and I figured, this was probably the best way to get him now." He paused for a bit and I nodded at him. "Do you know where he might be? You look to be about his age."

"He was in my physics class just before, I think he and Stiles went out to the field to practice."

"Thanks," he said avoiding looking at me.

"My name is Carolena," I yelled after him.

"What?"

"I said, my name is Carolena, Carolena Perrini. M people just call me Lena for short though."

I held out my hand for a handshake with him, he grabbed it saying, "I'm Derek Hale." Derek Hale, that's how I know him, his family was burned in a house fire years back. He was just a year or two younger than Bella Luca. As we shook hands, there was something obviously there on my side, but I didn't know if he felt the same. We stand there for a while, just holding hands now, not noticing that it looks odd to the people around us and we are finally interrupted when BellaLuca honks her horn at me. I look over at her car as she is waving for me to get in her car, then I glance back towards Derek and he's gone, just like that.

I get into Bella Luca's car and she, of course, starts questioning about why I was just talking to Derek Hale. She told me he was an odd kid in high school and not to get tangled up with him. I just nod and stare out the window, because what neither of us knew at that point was that I was already tangled up with him.

Bella Luca raised me after both of my parents had died, leaving me an orphan, since I was under eighteen. Luckily, the day my mother died was just a few weeks before Bella Luca's eighteenth birthday, so we didn't have to go into foster care, we just went to live with our aunt for a little while. I never really got to know my parents very well since I was only seven when my mother died and three when my father died. She tells me that they used to speak in Italian to each other and sing an old Italian family lullaby to us each night before bed. She speaks of how handsome our dad was and how beautiful our mom was. She always told me that I am a mini version of our mother, but I wouldn't know.

"Lena, we're here. I'll be back to pick you up at 5:30, okay?"

"Fine," I say closing the car door. I hate when she says she'll pick me up because I have had my license for over a year and she her only argument that I can't drive is because she has to go to work to provide for us, while I just go to school and dance.

I open the doors to the health center and smell the oh so familiar smell of athletic wear, sports drinks, and sweat. I headed downstairs to where the dance studio was located. I loved where it was, right next to the gym, where fit men with their shirts off worked out for hours. The wall between the dance studio and gym are glass, so we are able to see them, and they are able to see us. It's nice to be getting checked out by hot guys while you look like an ugly beast.

I walk into the studio and everyone is pinning their hair up in big sock buns so hair doesn't fall in their faces. I set my bag down and gather all my hair into a messy bun instead. All the girls are excited to put the finishing touches on our latest ballet piece and for the dress rehearsal the next week. I got a major solo in the dance with many complicated steps and involves having a limber body, and my body has never been or ever will be flexible. There was a lot of pressure being put on me at this time, finals were coming up for my sophomore year and Bella Luca wanted me to do above and beyond average in school, the dance solo, and it always seemed like there was a competition between Lydia, Allison, and me to see who can get a hot boyfriend first.

Dance normally took my mind off of all of that, but today with the pressure for me to perfect every step in the dance, it wasn't enjoyable at all. I was glad to get out of the room with all the girls in their leotards and tutus. I ran out of the class, and while doing that, I ran into someone. Someone hard. Someone who I was quite sure I broke the left side of my face on their chest. I look up to see Derek Hale looking down at me.

"So, we meet again, Lena." He smiles at me, and I get a feeling he doesn't smile often. I start to forget how to breathe.