"So, are you going to tell me what that was or are we going to pretend it didn't happen?" Ella asks Liza, popping some noodles into her mouth. Ella stares intently at her Aunt Liza, who won't give her the time of day.

Liza smiles softly at her, "Nothing to worry about. I reacted a little too much to it, that's all. I was friend's with Aria's mother and I had to go share my sadness over her daughter's passing."

Ella nods, "That's a good reason for threatening your niece."

"I was having a tough day, kid, you weren't making it any easier."

"Sorry." Ella looks around, "Where's Ivan?"

"He's eating at a friend's house."

"How did you know this Aria chick?"

"Met her once when she was little. I didn't see her often. She was always running around, never quite in the same place."

Ella smirks, "Just like my Mom. Where is she right now, anyways? Rehab? Prison?"

"Don't speak so ill of your mother. She tried to do the best she could for you." Liza scolds, "She had some problems, Ella. You need to understand that. She was going through an incredibly rough patch and she couldn't take care of you."

"I can't help but hold a grudge. She was only there until I was five.. then.. gone. Just one day. Gone forever, not a note, not anything." Ella remembers that night, it stings every time she thinks about it.

The sound of the front door slamming, then howling, so much howling. The wolves had been so active that night and she could never figure out why. Why they felt the need to shout so frantically on that night.

Ella wakes up due to an incessant banging on her door.

"Ella, wake up, you have company!" Liza shouts through the locked door.

"It's your boyfriend!" Ivan cheerfully shouts.

Ella throws a pillow over her head, "Get rid of them!" Ella bolts up right when it connects. Boyfriend? So that meant it definitely was not Kira on a caffeine high. Ella gets out of her bed slowly, opening the door to glance down the staircase. That Stiles Stilinski kid was happily playing with Ivan. She shuts the door quickly. Hopping over her bed and into her bathroom. She quickly gets ready, showering, brushing her teeth, blow drying her hair, make up, cardigan, ready to go. She buttons up her shorts and musses her curly brown hair.

She grabs her school bag and hurries down the staircase. She pauses when they all look at her. "What are you doing here?"

Liza walks into the entryway, drying a plate, "Well, when I was over at his house talking to his dad, Stiles mentioned he met you and then his dad talked about a go green campaign the Sheriff's department was trying to implement. So, I figured since you two were already friends, might as well carpool."

Ella looks over at Stiles, "You really don't give up, do you?"

"Afraid not." He lazily swings an arm over Ella's shoulders, "So, we better get going."

Ivan runs up, hugging Ella's legs, "I love you!"

Ella reaches down, ruffling his blonde hair, "Love you too, kid. I'll see you later." She follows Stiles outside after he promptly holds open the front door for her. This kid really doesn't give up. She spots the blue jeep and can't help but smile a little bit. She quickly hides it and follows him to his jeep. "So what is this supposed to be? Insert yourself into my life so often that I have no choice but to fall in love with you?"

"Depends if it's working." He opens the passenger side door and then hurries to his side.

She hops in quickly, dropping her bag in the backseat. She quickly puts on her seatbelt. He starts the car and pulls out, putting his hand on the back of her seat.

"It's not going to work." Ella says, folding one leg over the other.

Stiles turns to her with a smirk, "That's exactly what girls say when it's working."

Ella's cheeks flame, "It actually isn't."

"Sure."

Her cheeks heat up more, then she's confused when they pass the high school, "Uh, do you know what school we go to? Hint, it's the one you just passed." She watches it disappear in the side mirror.

"Oh, we're not going to school."

"Are you telling me the Sheriff's kid skips school?"

"Only for pretty girls that hit on me."

"I do not hit on you!"

Stiles only laughs, "Sure. Sure you don't." Then he pulls into a small diner, hopping out of the car quickly and opening her door. He puts a hand on her waist to help her down.

"I could have gotten down myself." She insists once her feet touch the ground and his hand remains on her hip.

"I know." Then he takes her hand and leads her into the diner. The diner is small and has a retro vibe to it. The walls are a sky blue and the flooring is dominos that are light blue and white. He leads her into a booth.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"Taking you on a date."

"When did I agree to this?"

"When you didn't run away screaming." He turns to the waitress as she rolls up, "We'd love to try your delicious milkshakes."

The waitress offers him a smile, "On their way." She rips out the ticket and runs over to the counter.

Stiles leans forward on his elbows, a grin on his face, "So tell me your life story."

"You first."

Stiles leans back, "Well, I was a young lad when I got my first broken arm. Clumsy kid. Still pretty clumsy. My sister died, you already know about that, my mom kind of went crazy and died. So.. a lot of dying around me. So you should probably be careful. Pretty smart, I'd say. Though if you ask Lydia, that's a whole different story.."

"You made it sad."

"Did I?"

"Mhm." Ella answers as the milkshakes arrive. The waitress places one in front of each of them. Ella takes a grateful sip, "Tell me something happy."

"Well, I'm here with you."

Ella's cheeks burn bright red. "Stop."

"Tell me your life story then. Since you want me to stop so badly." Stiles takes a long drink of his milkshake while staring at her intently.

"Well, I had a pretty good life. My Dad died violently of cancer when I was five. Then my mom left me when I was five as a result of that. Then my Aunt Liza took me in, everything seemed to be good for a while, then my best friend got cancer, then he died. So that's good." Ella coughs a little bit, "I was a pretty sad kid."

"Look who made it sad now."

Ella smiles at him, stirring her milkshake with her straw, "Yeah, not that it's a competition."

"I like you already."

Ella tilts her head to the side, "You barely know me."

"Isn't that the point of dating?"

Ella rolls her eyes, smiling, she leans back in her chair, "You aren't going to give that up, are you?"

"Tell me, long walks on the beach or snuggling up on the couch watching movies?"

Ella can't stop smiling, "You're ridiculous."

"Am I?"

"Watching movies." Ella answers anyways.

"Good, then I'll pick you up at seven."

"What?!"

Stiles grins again, leaning forward in his seat, "Well, see, I'm already making our second date. I like you that much. You're welcome."

"You're just unreal. Two dates in one day."

"I thought saying midnight would be promiscuous." Stiles explains, "Come on, say yes, I dare you."

Ella bites her lip, just finding this kid to be completely surreal. "Fine." She gives in.

Stiles smile spreads from ear to ear, "Perfect."

Suddenly, the waitress walks up with a cake with sprinklers in it. "From the elderly couple at table seven. They find you two positively adorable."

Ella stares at the cake in amazement, "You planned this, there is no way-"

Stiles blows out the sprinklers, "Sometimes fate has a plan of it's own. Please give them our thanks."

Ella looks up at Stiles through her eyelashes, just completely blown away. Maybe this could be the start of something. The start of something new.