A/N: Hey readers! I'm giving you this chapter so quickly after the last one because I have a very busy weekend and won't actually be home TO post chapters. I plan on writing in my notebook when I get the chance, but I am sadly not going to be home until Sunday at this rate, and depending on weather, maybe not even then! If there is a delay, that is why, not because I forgot!
Also, this chapter is something a little different, so I hope that you still enjoy it!
"Where were you last night?" Scott asks when he sees Isaac at school the next day. "I covered for you with my mom, but dude. You have to touch base."
"Sorry." Isaac shifts. He never really sat down with Melissa and talked about the rules of living in her house. She's pretty well aware of how much growing up Scott and Isaac have had to do lately, and as long as they are as safe as they can be, and going to school, well, there's only so much helicopter parenting she can do in her situation.
"It's fine, man, you know that." Scott shrugs. "Just tell me where you were, and where you're going next time."
"I was with Danny."
"Like…with Danny?" Scott's eyes widen, and Isaac realizes that, yeah, Danny's gay, so the assumption might definitely be there, especially since Isaac, while definitely having admitted to liking girls, hasn't ever really laid down the law steadfast on his heterosexuality…largely because he's not yet willing to make that claim. He feels he's still too young and inexperienced to really know.
"No, no." Isaac shakes his head. "We were just studying and it got late. I just felt like it was time I made some actual friends outside of the werewolf thing," he keeps his voice low, and his head angled down towards Scott as he talks. "Danny has vacancies since Jackson's left, and besides, he's a nice guy."
"Yeah, he is." Scott nods, as though he has some sort of say in the approval process for who Isaac spends tie with. Isaac knows that Scott doesn't technically, but at the same time, if Scott told him he thought Danny was a bad guy, or the kind of person he shouldn't be hanging around with, Isaac would absolutely think twice about being friends with him.
Scott has been there for him in ways no one else ever have, and probably never will, and that means something to Isaac…not to mention the fact that Scott is his alpha.
"Sorry, I'll call or text next time so that you don't have to, you know, lie to your mom." He feels bad for not letting them know, but a part of him also feels good, because, well, they care.
"Okay." Scott smiles. "I'm glad you're making friends, Isaac. I think that's a good thing."
"Yeah." Isaac agrees. "Me too. It's been awhile since I was able to make a friend that didn't, you know, hate me first." He gestures awkwardly at Scott, but there's no hard feelings there. He knows that Scott didn't really hate him, but there was some definitely negative situation stuff going on that made it pretty rough for them to get along well.
"Well I'm gonna head to class, but just let me know what's up. We can hang later, or if you're busy." He winks at him.
"I told you!" Isaac rolls his eyes. "We're just friends."
"Uh huh." Scott nods, playfully shoving his friend. "Right, sure, whatever you say."
"Asshole," Isaac mutters, but it's clear that he's joking, just the way that it's clear that Scott's ribbing is meant to be brotherly, friendly, and not malicious, and Isaac likes that. It's been a long time since he's had people he can be like that with, and it just feels good.
"How's Maia?" Jackson shifts his laptop screen so that he can better see Danny.
It's been almost a week since they've spoken, and Jackson spent the first 10 minutes of their conversation apologizing for that, but he's been busy, and their internet went out.
"She's…she's alright." Danny sighs, sort of wishing that that topic had stayed away. It makes him sad, and stressed, but at the end of the day, it's also nice that Jackson still cares, that he's still trying to be there, not only for Danny, but for Danny's family, too. He may be far away, but he's a better friend now than he was a year ago…not that Danny's told him that.
"I booked a ticket," Jackson admits. "It's not for several months, but there's a break in school here in June, so I'm gonna come back, help out, see everybody…see you."
"Lydia's not going to like that," Danny says automatically.
"It's not about her," Jackson says, biting his lip. "Besides…maybe she won't find out."
"Still not over her?" Danny asks.
"I don't…I don't know how to get over a girl like Lydia Martin. And you know her, there's no convincing her that leaving wasn't my idea, my fault. My parents moved. I'm 17. I had to go with them, it's not a choice."
"Jackson," Danny shakes his head. "I know that, you know that, and one day, she'll understand it. We're in high school, the things that happen now don't have to be our forevers. If she's really the one, she'll still be the one in a few years when you're able to be in the same place again."
"I know." Jackson nods. "I just miss her."
"Yeah…she misses you too, this new guy…he's just a distraction."
"New guy?" Jackson feels anger rising inside of him, and for a split second, Danny swears his eyes flash blue, but just like the black lines on Isaac's arms, it's gone once he blinks, and just like those lines, he's sure he imagined it, though he did oddly sleep better with Isaac on an air mattress on the floor.
"He's nothing," Danny says quickly, realizing that yeah, Jackson probably hasn't heard about Aiden. How would he? Danny's pretty sure he's the only person who still talks to Jackson.
"Okay." Jackson calms down a little, but only because he knows that Danny has a lot on his plate right now, and that him freaking out over Lydia seeing someone isn't going to make anything fucking better. It's really not. "Anything new there? Replaced me as your best friend yet?"
"Psht, never." Danny shakes his head. "But I've been hanging out with Isaac Lahey a lot."
"Lahey?" Jackson frowns. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean isn't he sort of…an asshole?"
"Well," Danny sighs. "First he was just awkward and weird, and then he was an asshole for a few months, and now he's sort of…not anymore. I don't know – and besides, you're my best friend, Jackson. Clearly "not being an asshole" isn't a necessity for my friendship."
"Harsh," Jackson lets out a low whistle. "But fair. Seriously, though. How did that happen?"
"He uh…he volunteers at the children's hospital, so he knew Maia, and she really likes him, Jackson, he spends his free time making Maia smile." Danny can't hide a smile himself, and he doesn't even try, and it's then that Jackson's eyes narrow.
"Bow chika wow wow," Jackson winks, looking at Danny through the camera, because he sees the smile. Maybe he's not sure which of Danny's many smiles it is, but ripping on his best friend, especially right now, when everything's so hard, seems like the obvious, and only course of action."
"No, god." Danny laughs awkwardly, shaking his head. "It's not like that."
"So he's…just a friend?" Jackson raises an eyebrow, because he knows Danny, he was best friends with Danny, and Danny has game with guys the way that Jackson has game with, well, everyone.
"Yeah, he's just a friend." Danny nods.
"But…" Jackson leads.
"But I don't know. There's a lot going on, and he's there, and that's what I need. He's there." Danny instantly feels like he's insulted Jackson. "God, I'm sorry, that wasn't a dig at you. I wish you were here, I really, really do." He sighs.
"I understand." Jackson nods. "I wish I was there too, buddy. Look, if he's helping Maia, tell the guy I say hi." Jackson has a feeling that he knows what's going on, that he knows what Isaac is doing, and he likes that the other werewolf would help Danny in that way, because, well, he can't do it himself. He's too far away.
"I will." Danny doesn't even try not to smile at that because, well, Jackson's doing what he can from as far away as he is, and Danny? Danny doesn't know what Jackson is. Hell, he doesn't even know what it is that Isaac's doing, just that it's working, so he's chosen not to question it.
"You also tell Maia that I said hi," Jackson states. "And if she doesn't get better soon, she and I can't have that teddy bear wedding she was so set on us having last year."
"Oh my god, I'd totally forgotten about that." Danny actually laughs, and Jackson feels proud.
Last year, Maia asked Jackson if he would marry her, and Jackson, who was a tool only to people his own age and up, told her that he'd think about it when she was older, but right now, she had to make mistakes and deal with other boys who were less perfect than him first.
It was seriously one of Danny's favorite moments of his friendship with Jackson.
"I have to go, it's getting late, but Danny?" Jackson looks at him earnestly. "If what you feel for Isaac starts to change, just…be careful, okay? He's a good guy, but he's been through hell." That's the best warning that Jackson can give him, because, well, he knows Danny's dated a werewolf before, he know about Ethan…and he knows that Danny got hurt when Ethan pulled away. The exact same thing could happen easily with Isaac. It's hard, maintaining a relationship when one person is supernatural, and the other doesn't know.
That being said, Jackson's not sure it's any easier when everyone is in the know.
"Yeah." Danny nods. "I'll be careful, like I said…I'm just not sure of much right now."
"Okay. I'm just looking out for you," Jackson winks at him. "Talk to you soon."
"Bye."
Danny hangs up and closes the laptop, sighing. He'd be lying to himself if he said he'd never looked at Isaac in a sexual way, but they were shirtless in the locker room all the time. He'd looked at every guy in that way at least once, by accident. Isaac? Yeah, he is ridiculously attractive, and right now, his personality is matching his looks, but Danny doesn't think he can even think about going down that road right now. There's just too much else going on. At least now he has Jackson's visit to look forwards too.