I Can't Afford to Care – Chapter 6

~A Teen Wolf fan-fiction collaboration between Miss E Charlotte and Sage Londyn~

Avery pulled up to the gas station on her way to school. After filling up the tank, she headed inside to buy a pack of gum and a bottle of water.

As she walked back out she saw Derek Hale, pumping the gas for his car and looking at her car.

"It's a 65 Mustang." Avery said proudly as she confidently walked up to him.

"I know." He said nodding.

Avery flashed him a wider smile as she opened the door and put her bag inside.

"It's yours?" He asked, a little surprised.

"It's my baby." Avery replied.

Derek nodded and looked back to the gas pump.

"You're Derek Hale, right?" She asked as she walked over to him and leaned against his car.

"Do I know you?" He asked, looking over at her with raised eyebrows.

"I'm Avery Dukate. You probably don't remember me; you're a few years older…" She said her voice trailing off.

He didn't respond as he pulled the gasoline nozzle from his car and placed it back on the pump.

"You want to get breakfast?" She asked with a flirtatious smile.

"Don't you have school or something?" He asked her, knowing she was younger than him.

But even knowing that, he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over her short jean skirt and tight black tank top with a brown leather cropped vest over it.

"Yeah, but I'd blow it off for you." She said as she leaned in and lowered her voice some.

She smiled to herself when she saw his eyes drift over her body again.

He opened his mouth to say something when he saw another car pull into the station.

"Rain check." He said quickly before he got in his car and sped off.

Avery sighed and turned around to see Allison in the passenger seat of the car.

At seeing her friend Allison got out of the car and waved.

"Hey!" Allison called.

"Morning." Avery waved back.

"Dad, this is Avery… one of my friends from school." Allison introduced them as Avery walked up to them.

"It's nice to meet you." Mr. Argent said extending a hand as he watched her closely, wondering why she had been talking to Derek.

"Like wise." Avery responded.

"Hey, I'm heading to school if you want a ride." She offered her friend.

"Sounds great. Thank you." Allison said as she grabbed her books from inside the car.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Her dad said.

"It's just a ride to school." Allison said looking at him confused.

"Don't worry; I've never been in an accident." Avery said before getting in her car with Allison and leaving.

Mr. Argent looked around the gas station, not happy about the fact that his daughter was friends with someone who knew Derek Hale.

"Are you friends with Scott's friend?" Allison asked.

Derek lied and said he was Scott's friend when he took her home form the party.

"Not really… but I'm hoping to be more than just friends soon." Avery said as she checked her mirrors and switched lanes.

"Wow." Allison said with a laugh.

"What? He's hot." Avery said.

"I mean… wow, you got over Stiles quick." Allison corrected her earlier statement.

"I wasn't really into Stiles that much, and anyways he ditched me." She reminded her.

"Scott called me the next day and apologized, I guess he got sick." Allison said.

"You really like him already, don't you?" Avery asked as she pulled into the parking lot at school.

"I think so, I hadn't planned on liking anyone when I moved here… but he's different." Allison said as the girls walked into the school.

"Yeah, I kind of thought Stiles might have been too." Avery said quietly as she waved bye to her friend and headed to her first class.

"Hey." Stiles greeted as Avery took her seat beside him at the lab table.

She ignored him.

"Avery." Stiles said looking at her.

"Class is about to start." She said.

"In like 5 minutes, are you really not going to talk to me?" He asked her.

"You up and ditched me. You said you'd be right back and then you left." She reminded him.

"I know and I have a good explanation." He said.

"I'm not really interested in your explanation, it doesn't matter." She said finally looking at him.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Things we're great." He said, as he remembered back to their dance.

"Yeah, things were going great. In fact, I was like seconds away from kissing you. But you blew your shot, so save the excuses." She said, her voice calm as she spoke.

His eyes widened as he thought of how close he had come to kissing her.

"Let me make this up to you." He pleaded.

"How?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as she leaned in closer to him.

His breathing grew a little shallow as he looked at her.

"However you want." He quickly stuttered out.

Sighing at his vague response, Avery leaned back to her own seat.

"What's wrong?" He asked seeing her shift in attitude.

"You, you're wrong for thinking you get another shot." She breathed out, wishing he'd just be more confident and forward with her.

"But you just…" He started to say but she hushed him as the teacher began their lessons for the day.

~()~

After school, Teagan made her way out to the parking lot and got behind the wheel of her new car that her dad had bought her over the weekend.

He figured it was time for her to have her own car so she wouldn't have to keep getting rides from her friends.

Now was a great time for her to have her own car since all of her friends were either at lacrosse practice or were staying at school to watch practice which was the last place she wanted to be today.

After what happened between her and Jackson at the party it was best to keep her distance from him from now on, which was probably for the best anyway since being around him and not being with him was becoming way too hard.

She didn't know how to be just friends with him, sure they had started out as friends but then she went and fell in love with him; which was great up until they had to break up because she and her parents were moving.

Telling him good-bye was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. She still remembered the day she told him she was moving.
- Flashback -
Teagan was sitting at the head of her bed, with her back against the headboard. She had her knees pulled up to her chest as tears fell from her eyes.

She had not moved in the last ten minutes or so since her parents came into her room to break the bad news to her. They were moving.

In a few short weeks they were moving to the east coast because of her dad's 'incredible job opportunity', her parent's words, not hers. Now she had to pack up her life and leave everything behind; her home of fourteen years, her home town, her friends and her boyfriend of two years, Jackson.

As he crossed her mind she felt a fresh set of tears falling from her eyes. She didn't know how she was going to tell him bye, just the thought of never being able to see him again made her feel like her heart was breaking into a million of pieces.

To some people it might seem stupid to be this heartbroken over a relationship. She was sure that some people would probably say she was too young to really be in love, that what they have was just puppy love, but those people were wrong.

Sure she knew most people didn't grow up and marry their first love like her parents had, but she knew what she and Jackson had was more than just a crush. It was something real and she knew that from the moment he kissed her during Avery's boy/girl birthday party and now she was going to have to experience her first heartbreak.

With Jackson heavily on her mind, she heard a soft knock at her bedroom window and knew it was him. She had never been as happy to see him as she was now. She needed him now more than ever.

She heard the bedroom window open and knew he was climbing in, which is what he did just about every night after her dad went to work and her mom went to bed.

She wasn't allowed to have boys in her bedroom, so she would call him when the coast was clear then he would come over and they would watch TV or make out for a couple of hours before he would go back home. Thankfully he only lived a few streets over from her.

"Hey, what's going on? You never called and.."

Teagan didn't let him finish his sentence as she quickly jumped up from the bed and rushed over to him, throwing herself into his arms as she began to cry again.

He held her tight, unsure of what was going on, but as he felt her trembling in his arms he became concerned. He had never seen her this upset before.

"Hey, hey, hey. Baby, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Jackson asked, as he pushed her away a little so he could see her tear stained face.

She nodded her head as she tearfully said, "We-we're moving."

"What? What do you mean moving?" Jackson asked confused.

"We're mo-moving to the east coast." Teagan cried.

"When? Why?" Jackson asked, feeling his heart break at her words.

"In a few weeks." Teagan said as she took a step back from him to wipe the tears off of her face, "This man that dad went to college with lives there and he's going to start his own law firm and he said if we came out there that dad can be his partner. Mom and dad think it's a 'great' opportunity. They said with the money he will be making that we won't ever have to worry about money ever again and mom can stay home which is what she had always wanted to do. It's their dream come true but my nightmare."

"Damn, this sucks." Jackson mumbled as he walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it.

Teagan nodded her head in agreement as she sat down beside him. She reached out to grab one of his hands on held it tightly in hers, wishing that she never had to let him go.

He looked over at her and tried to think of a way to keep from losing her. He didn't want her to leave, she was his best friend, his first love and he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

"What if you stayed with Avery? I'm sure her dad won't care. Or maybe you can stay at my house." Jackson suggested.

She shook her head and said, "I already suggested that. They're not going to let me stay behind. I have to go with them."

"Oh." Jackson said sadly as he looked down at their joined hands.

"Y-you know what this means right?" She asked quietly. She didn't want to say it, but she knew it had to be said.

Jackson sighed as he nodded his head. He didn't want to say the words either, but he knew exactly what it meant. They had to break up.

"B-but I'll be here for a few weeks longer. We don't have to say bye tonight." Teagan said softly, as she turned to face him.

"We won't say it tonight then." Jackson said, as he reached forward to wipe the tears from her face.

She leaned against his hand with a small smile on her face as she felt a tingle down her spine from his touch. She knew no one would ever make her feel the way he did with one simple touch. She was going to miss that feeling and she wanted more. She needed more.

She opened her eyes to look at him and knew in that moment what she wanted, she wanted him. She leaned forward and softly pressed her lips against his for a gentle kiss.

She took him by surprise when she stood up for a moment to straddle him as she deepened the kiss. She reached down to grab the bottom of his t-shirt then pulled it over his head and tossed it on the bed.

Jackson pulled back for a moment in shock. They had had some heated make out sessions in the past, but this was something new, this was something that could get out of hand very quickly.

He reached up to grab her hands which were intertwined in his hair, stopping her from going a step further. It's not that he didn't want her, he just didn't want her to do something she would regret later when she wasn't as upset.

"What are you doing?" Jackson asked her.

"I love you." Teagan breathed out.

"I love you too but..."

"No, you don't understand." Teagan said interrupting him. When he shot her a confused look she said, "I love you and I-I want you Jackson. Tonight."

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked nervously. He had been dreaming of this moment for a while, but was still very nervous about losing his virginity.

Instead of answering him, she smiled before leaning forward to kiss him again, which was the only reassurance he needed.

- End Flashback –

That was the one and only time she had -had sex. To this day, no one but Jackson knew about that night. She never even told Avery about it. It's not that she regretted it or anything; it was just a sweet moment that she wanted to keep to herself.

She almost told her mom one time because she knew she would understand, but she never got around to it. She kept telling herself she would tell her mom one day then the next thing she knew, her mom was gone.

Now more than ever she wished her mom was here. She could really use her advice right now.

With that thought in mind, she pulled her car into the empty parking lot beside the cemetery then as if in a daze walked over to the newest grave where her mom's ashes were. She looked down at the tombstone and felt her eyes water as she read her mother's name.

"Hi Mom." Teagan whispered.

With a sigh, she kneeled down in front of the tombstone and said, "God, I miss you so much. As much as I love being back home it is just weird being here without you. Everything I see reminds me of you."

"It's not fair, mom. You shouldn't have gone on that run in the woods alone. You should have taken me or Aspen with you. You shouldn't be gone. You should be here with us. You were taken way too soon from me and Dad and we need you."

She cried, then added softly, "I really need you right now mom. I-I did a bad thing recently."

She took a deep breath before continuing quietly, "I kissed Jackson and I know that was wrong cause he's with Lydia now. I'm ashamed to admit it but I-I liked it. God, mom, I still love him. I never stopped but I can't be with him. He has moved on and-and it hurts. It hurts like hell and I don't know how to do this. I need you to help me get over this. I need you to tell me how to get over him and just be a friend. I didn't know I needed to ask you this. What else do I need to know that I never got to ask you?"

Even though she knew her mom couldn't answer, she still paused for a moment, wishing she could hear her voice one last time. As the silence continued she leaned forward and folded her arms across the top of the tombstone then laid her head down as she began to cry.

"I don't know what to do mom. I don't know what to do." She cried, "I told Avery I was done with guys and love. She of course laughed because she doesn't understand but I know you would and I already know what you would say. You would say to keep my heart open and love will find me, but I'm not sure if I can do that cause it hurts just too damn much. I wish you could give me some kind of sign. I need you to tell me what to do, mom please, please tell me what to do."

Suddenly she heard her cellphone ringing and quickly sat back on her heels to slip it out of her pocket. She looked down at the caller id and felt guilt over take her when she saw it was Lydia calling.

She hated to ignore her, she was already a crappy friend for kissing Jackson behind her back, but she just couldn't bring herself to talk to Lydia right now. But she promised herself she would call her back later.

She slipped the phone back in her pocket then looked back at the tombstone and said, "I'll be back to talk to you soon, I promise. I love you, mom."

Teagan kissed the tips of her fingers then touched the top of the tombstone before standing up. She turned around, planning on leaving, but froze when she saw Isaac across the cemetery working.

She glanced over her shoulder at the tombstone with a small smile on her face as she whispered, "Thanks mom."

She turned her head back to look at Isaac, who didn't notice anyone watching him, then after taking a deep breath she made her way over to him. Isaac was squatted down as he pulled weeds away from a tombstone.

When he heard someone walking up to him, he glanced up and was surprised to see Teagan standing before him with a smile on her face. He had seen her earlier at her mom's grave site, but was surprised she took the time to approach him.

He could only assume she needed help with something. He couldn't think of another reason why she would want to talk to him.

"Do you uh, do you need help with something?" Isaac asked, as he nodded toward where her mom was buried.

"What?" Teagan asked confused then when she realized what he was asking she added, "Oh no, everything is good over there. You're doing a great job. I was just visiting mom and saw you over here so I thought I would come over and, you know, say hey. So, hey."

"Hey." Isaac said back with a surprised smile, "Yeah, I saw you over there but I didn't want to interrupt or anything."

"Thanks." Teagan said, "I'm sure it probably seems stupid talking to a tombstone."

"No it's not. I see people doing it all the time. Besides I still talk to Camden too." Isaac admitted shyly as he nodded his head towards the tombstone he had been cleaning around.

She glanced down and looked at his brother's grave then looked back up at him with watery eyes as she asked, "Does it help?"

"I like to think it does. I mean it's not the same as having him here, of course." Isaac answered, then softly chuckled, "But then again when he was here he never shut up long enough for me to talk so now I get to do all the talking."

Teagan giggled at his comment then said, "I actually kind of remember your brother."

"Really?" Isaac asked surprised since Camden was a few years older than them.

"Avery had a crush on him briefly and would drag me to the swim meets just so she could stalk him." Teagan said with a laugh.

"I never knew that." Isaac said as he laughed, "Sometimes dad would let me tag along and go to the meets, but I didn't get to go to all of them."

"We probably saw each other there and don't remember." Teagan pointed out.

"I would have remembered seeing you." Isaac admitted shyly.

She smiled at his words and felt a fluttering in her stomach at the look he was giving her; she recognized that look and knew exactly what it meant. She bit her bottom lip and glanced down at the ground as she felt her cheeks heat up and knew she was blushing.

Isaac silently cursed himself when he saw her glance down, assuming he had freaked her out by his comment. He cleared his throat then said, "I should uh, I should get back to work."

"Oh ok." Teagan said feeling a little disappointed. She was actually enjoying her talk with him and wouldn't have minded talking a little longer, but if he had to work then he had to work and she didn't want to get him in any trouble.

She gave him a small wave good-bye then turned around and made her way towards her car in the parking lot with a smile on her face. Maybe talking to her mom helped out more then she thought.

~(After lacrosse practice)~

Avery's black high-heels clicked on the floor of the hallway as she walked towards the boy's locker room.

Stiles had asked her to meet him there after practice so they could figure out when they were going to work on their project for class.

As she neared the locker room she slowed her movement as she heard metal crashing and a low growling sound.

Looking around the hallway, she frowned when she didn't see anyone else.

As she reached the door she heard Stiles yell "Stop it!" followed by another loud metal crash as if the rows of lockers were being thrown across the room.

Against her better judgment she pulled open the door as her light brown eyes widened in terror as she saw Scott leap off the top of a row of freestanding lockers.

"Get back!" Stiles yelled to her as he grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall and sprayed Scott as he quickly backed out of the room pushing her with him.

Her heart raced inside of her chest, it was Scott that she had seen; but it didn't look like him at all.

"What happened?" Scott asked as his face turned back to normal and he looked at them confused.

Stiles was still breathing hard as he looked over to Avery who was still in a state of shock.

"What the hell; what just happened? What the hell are you?" She yelled franticly as she looked at Scott and then to Stiles.

A/N- I really hope you guys all liked the chapter! ^_^ We're still having a blast working together and writing this!

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