Author's Note: ^_^ Hi guys.
Okay so yeah... here's the next chapter. I don't own the song, "Send the Pain Below" by Chevelle or any lyrics of it but it's super awesome so you should listen to it.
So I didn't get as far in this chapter as I said I would've but I think that's for the better.
Enjoy~
Avery
So this is it. The eyes, the teeth, the red vision, the freaky mood swings, everything. "Why? Why save me? What do you want?"
My head is light, my stomach is empty, and my throat is dry. He stares at me with his green eyes, a small smirk crossing his face as he says, "Lots of things."
I let out a breath of a laugh, my bottom lips quivers as I smile, "Oh, good." I let my face drop into my hands again and I take a couple deep breaths.
This can't be real. This can't be real.
I rub my forehead with my fingers, any second now this dream will be over. "I thought I was going crazy," I say with bitter humor as I lift my head and look back at him with a quivering smile, "turns out I'm just a werewolf."
I pull my lower lip between my teeth and hold it there to keep it from shaking. Derek just stares at me, and I will myself to not shake under his gaze. "You want proof?" he asks, as if he's trying to find a solution to an unasked question.
I shake my head, "No," I say quickly before taking a dry swallow. "I don't think I could handle it right now." I need a hot shower, dry clothes, warm soup, about a year's worth of sleep, but mostly, I just need this night to be over.
"The…the red..." I point to my eyes, Derek looks at me with a calm, patient stare that just seems to make me even more nervous.
Derek
"The…the red…" she points to her eyes with shaking hands.
I nod my head, "It helps us to see in the dark, like night vision." Her eyes drop to the floor and her body trembles slightly.
"And… and what do werewolves….do?" She asks, her eyes focused on the floor.
I lean back against the sofa, hoping she'll follow my lead and relax. "That depends." I say evenly, waiting for her to look up at me.
Another couple of seconds and she raises her eyes, "Can we please just skip this 'ominous answer' thing? I really don't think I can handle it right now." The side of my mouth pulls up at that.
"Let's start simple then," I say. Avery finally leans back and lets her shoulders drop from their rigid position, "like I said, the red vision is good for seeing in the dark, but it's also a good sign to tell that you're about to shift. When that happens, you need to get somewhere secluded and try to calm down." Avery stares at me with her knuckles under her nose and her palm pressed against her lips.
There's a mixture of fear and realization on her face. She knows I'm serious, and that what I'm saying is true, but there's still a part of her that doesn't want to accept it. I've seen the same look on Scott's face before.
"The shift starts when your heartbeat rises, especially when you get angry, like back in your house," her eyes become distant and faint, I try changing the direction to steer her back, "eventually controlling your temper won't be much of a problem, but it's going to take a lot of time." I think back to the house and how she managed her temper well enough to leave instead of shift. Her hand hides her mouth, forcing me to rely on her eyes for any sign of emotion. She just nods faintly, "And practice." I add, still trying to get anything out of her.
"How do I practice something like that?" she asks in a tiny whisper, her eyes still lost.
"I can teach you, Avery." her eyes snap back, her attention fully on me. "You're part of my pack now, I can show you." She stares back at me cautiously, "I can teach you how to not only control your abilities, but to use them to your advantage. You'll be able to do things humans can't; you'll have things they don't have- speed, strength, agility, heightened senses," nothing changes in her face. By now, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd were all practically drooling. But not her.
She just sits there, staring at me with those damn eyes.
"rapid healing-"
Her hand drops from her mouth and she sits forward with a wide eyed look, "Can you help me remember?" her heart pounds with anticipation.
There's nothing I can do for that.
"Can you?" she asks after I don't answer for a few moments.
No.
"If that's what you want." I say instead, trying to preserve the light in her eyes.
"I have to," she says honestly, "I think I'll go crazy if I don't."
Avery
Everything is a blur, and I feel dizzy. A steady hum makes the world around me feel dull. I look out the huge back window that leads out to the porch and watch as the lightning cracks, but I can't even hear the thunder. The humming stops and I look over to see Derek's eyebrows pushed together, and his lips in a firm line.
I stand up, my head still turning, and force myself to keep steady as I reach down to the couch, snatch up the sweatpants and oversized sweatshirt, I hold them loosely in my hands. "I'm sorry," I say through the blur, "I just, I need a couple minutes."
He gives a small nod and I draw away from the couch and towards the doorway.
I walk through the hall and into the bathroom I'd found only minutes before. I flip the light on, step inside and lean myself up against the door. I slowly lower myself to the cold tile floor and hold the sweatshirt and pants close to my chest.
I reach up to the sink and turn on the hot water, letting the steam fill the room. The pale blue walls seem to sway like the ocean as the steam floats up through the air. The room stops spinning, but the lightness of my head doesn't leave me.
I pull the sweat clothes away from my chest and begin pulling off my wet clothes, starting with my soaked shoes and socks. My anklet and toe ring glimmer under the lights and the deep blue nail polish on my toes only confirm that this isn't a dream. Dreams don't have those little details. The details you sometimes forget even when you're awake.
Resting my head against the door, I lift myself up and tug my shorts and underwear down my legs before reaching down and yanking the socks off as well. I pull the sweatpants along the floor and slip them up my legs. I paw and tear at the thin white tank top before throwing it at the wall, sending a satisfyingly loud whip as it strikes and slides down the pale blue surface, cutting through the thick, billowing steam in the air.
I reach behind my back and clench the bra hooks together, letting the bra straps fall from my shoulders. I pull the sweat shirt over my head and tug it into place. My hair is a wet, knotted mess, and I pull it into an ugly side bun before pulling myself off the floor and to the sink.
I turn the water to a medium heat and splash water in my face. I don't want to look in the mirror. I know I won't like what I'll see.
I look up into it anyway.
My hair is hair dried, half soaking, and fully raggedy. My eyebrows are unruly, the hairs pointing every which way. I run water over my fingers and soothe them back into a curved, tame line. What's left of my mascara is running down my cheeks, leaving ugly black lines on my face.
I grab my tank top from the floor and let the hot water run over it before using it to wipe away the stains on my face. I think about the hot, rugged, deep green eyed, leather jacket wearing-
Werewolf.
I sigh, and turn the water off. The sweatshirt makes me look like a twelve year old boy, and the sweatpants are too damn big to show I have any ass at all. But then, I guess it doesn't matter anyway.
I roll the pants up as much as I can so they aren't dragging on the floor so much, but there's not a real noticeable difference. I bundle my wet clothes up into a ball and grab my shoes before taking a deep breath and stepping back out.
I walk into the living room and see Derek standing by the long glass case, which now has a fire inside it. "So that's what that does." I say as his eyes look me up and down. I resist the urge to have another crying fit. There's just an extra cut of pain when really, really hot people see you looking your worst.
"Right," I say as his stare makes me feel nervous once again, "listen I don't know about you but I'm exhausted, so I'm just gonna go to bed." A flash of lightning cracks the room in half and for a second the lights dim, "you should probably stay," I say as I watch the rain hit the porch at a frantic pace, taking refuge in the storm outside so I won't have to think about how gorgeous he is and how hobo-ish I look, "it doesn't look like the storm's stopping anytime soon. There's a bunch of rooms upstairs if you want."
I turn back to see him watching the rain, nodding at my suggestion. "Alright." I say as I turn away and walk towards the hall. I stop suddenly and place my hand on the wall. I stare ahead into the empty hall as I ask, "If I told you I'm not always this much of a mess," I take a short breath, "would you believe me?"
God, I'm pathetic.
When he doesn't reply, I turn around and see him just staring at me. I mentally slap myself for asking such a stupid question. He opens his mouth partly, but I cut him off, "Never mind." I say, shaking my head as my cheeks turn hot and scratchy. I turn and begin walking away, "Don't answer that."
I open the laundry room door and toss my clothes into the dryer since I don't have anything to wash them with. After a few minutes of messing with the machine it rumbles unfamiliarly and begins to try my soaked clothing.
I turn off the laundry room light and walk on the dusty hardwood floor towards the stairs as the storm outside smashes rain against the windows and forces bursts of light inside. Once I make it up the stairs, I begin looking for my old room.
I open one door and find a room with baby pink walls, pure white carpet, a small twin bed with ballerinas on the bedding complete with a pink see through canopy overhead. I roll my eyes and turn the light back off and close the door.
I open a door down the hall and turn on the light. The walls are a warm yellow, and the room is divided into an upper and lower section. The upper section is white carpet, with a black dresser on the far wall with a matching armoire in the corner. A small black chandelier hangs above the upper half, and a few steps lead down into the lower section.
Wood flooring covers the lower half, where a very low sitting bed is set up against the wall with black sheets and bright yellow pillows. It's clean, simple, and modern, with just the right amount of light and darkness. I look up and see a large skylight overhead.
I step inside, the white fuzzy carpet warming my cold toes as I look all around the bare yellow walls. In the lower half, a door sits to the right of the bed, and I make my way across the cold wood floor and pull it open.
A walk-in shower sits in the corner and an old claw foot style bathtub sits on the other side. I smile a bit; this may not be so bad after all.
As far as guest bedrooms go, this one is probably the best one I've ever seen.
I walk to the door and close it fully before flipping off the light and letting the quick flashes of lightning that crash through the windows guide me to the bed.
I throw myself onto the low sitting bed and just lie there, watching the rain hit the skylight above as I wonder whether Derek decided to stay or not.
"Werewolf," I whisper to myself.
I shake my head and squeeze my eyes closed.
I'm not a werewolf.
Not tonight.
I'm not a reject, I'm not a cripple, I'm not a tragic 'drink and drive' story, and I'm certainly not a werewolf. Not tonight.
Tonight I'll just be a sleepy teenager.
And I'll deal with everything else tomorrow.
Derek
"Tomorrow?" Boyd asks on the other end. The reception is bad, and his voice is scratchy as the storm interrupts.
"Just make sure Erica's on her best behavior." I say as I lay back against the couch, the small lacrosse stick in my hand as I turn it between my fingers.
"If you say so," Boyd mumbles, "are you on your way back now?"
"No, I thought I'd hang around here for a while, make sure nothing happens."
"If she didn't rip her mom's throat out I'm pretty sure she can handle another night alone, Derek." I set the stick down and lean forward to brush my jacket off.
"Maybe you're right."
"Nah, I'm not trying to convince you either way, I'm just saying I don't think she's gonna change easy. At least it doesn't sound that way." I look back over at the wall of pictures, where several younger Averys stare back with wide smiles and shining eyes.
I stand and walk back to the wall of photos, "She still hasn't shifted fully. Only her eyes and claws have changed," in one of the pictures Avery stands alone in a light blue tutu, her hair up in a bun with a matching ribbon, her smile is small but seemingly genuine. But her eyes don't look as glimmering this time, they just look hollow.
"Maybe we can work on that tomorrow." Boyd says.
"Maybe." I say as I walk away from the photos and walk towards the hall. "If she wants to try." I make my way through the hall, into the foyer where the chandelier hangs from the high ceiling. To the left of the front door is another archway, leading into a wide, dark room.
"I'm not going to rush it." I say as I step into the room, my vision goes red and I see a long dining table, covered in a dusty white cloth. I walk to the back of the room and let my sight go back to normal as I look out a wall of French doors. "Remember, you three chose this, she didn't."
I turn the handle and step out into a glass enclosed room. An empty pool sits at the center, with a few reclining tanning chairs around it. The rain beats on the glass overhead, leaves stick to the sides as the wind blows, yet inside everything is calm. Light begins shining down, and I look up to see dark clouds rolling away from the moon.
"Derek, normally I'd agree," a tiny sliver of the moon is dark, "but the full moon is in three days. We need to get started."
"Even if we started now, I wouldn't be able to teach her that fast. Isaac only figured it out a little while ago and you and Erica still don't have it under control."
Boyd is quiet for a minute, "The cellar again?" he asks finally.
"The cellar." I confirm before hitting end and tucking my phone back in my jeans pocket. I take a final look at the moon before turning and walking out of the hollow glass room.
Avery
A light wakes me, burning my heavy eyes until I'm forced to admit that sleep time is over and I sit up in bed. For a short moment, I'm confused as I look at the bright yellow walls, but after a couple nightmarish realizations, I let out a sigh.
I throw back the black comforter and throw my legs over the side of the bed. I stand for a slight second before crashing to the floor, my right knee in blinding pain.
I clamp my jaw and eyes shut to keep a scream in.
Where the hell did I leave my brace?
"Shit," I hiss as I recall its resting place on the sofa downstairs. I sit up and roll my sweatpants up to see my knee. The ugly red scar is back. Again. "Why…?"I ask in a voice that sounds like a kid having a tantrum. I push myself off the ground and hop towards the stairs to the upper part of the room. From there, I walk cautiously, each light step sending a pain up my leg.
The way through the hall and down the stairs might as well be murder on my knee, but I keep any sound of pain inside, just in case Derek decided to stay. I make my way slowly through the foyer back into the living room to find my brace on the sofa along with my cracked phone and keys.
But no Derek.
I sit down on the couch and pull the brace on, strapping it tightly to my knee before taking a long breath.
The sweatpants fall around my brace and snag on it, and I remember that I threw my clothes into the dryer last night anyway. I get up and make my way into the laundry room. I close the door and open the dryer.
There's no way I'm re-wearing underwear, so I guess I'm going commando today. I think bitterly.
I slide the sweatpants off and pull up my red shorts, being careful not to tug on the brace. I toss the sweatshirt off, a chill running up my spine and making goosebumps spread across my skin. I quickly strap my bra on and slide my mascara stained tank top over my head and into place. I pull on my white mid-calf socks and let out a hiss when I put all my weight on my right leg as I pull the left sock on.
There has to be pain pills around here somewhere.
I get up and walk into the kitchen, and open mostly empty cupboards in search of pain medicine. I open one drawer and see only silverware. My eyes lock onto a knife.
"…rapid healing,"
Healing.
I look down at my leg for a brief second before reaching into the drawer and grasping the knife gently. He said I'll heal, but my leg…
I hold my arm out over the sink and bring the knife to my skin.
He said I'll heal, but why does my leg keep getting better, then worse? Every damn time.
I take a deep breath, there's only one way to find out. I begin pulling the blade across my arm, but a hand rips the knife from my hand, "-very, what the hell are you doing!?"
Derek stands to my right in a fresh white shirt, his leather jacket, and dark jeans. His green eyes are wide, either in anger or panic, maybe both. He holds the knife at his side in an outstretched arm, as if I'll try to grab it from him.
He doesn't think I was… oh shit.
I cover up my embarrassment by firing back; "You lied to me!" his eyebrows draw close together in confusion, "You said that I'd heal!" His expression doesn't change, "My leg isn't healing!" I point down at the brace.
His eyes glance down at it before looking back to me with narrowed eyes, "So you decide to take a knife to yourself?" he asks in a harsh, sarcastic tone.
I open my mouth to say something, but his eyes tear down anything I think of saying. "Just, just never mind." I shake my head and brush past him out of the kitchen. I walk to the couch and pick up my phone, wondering if there are any messages on it.
Wondering if my mom might've called to apologize or something.
I swipe the cracked screen and a low battery warning pops up. Derek follows me into the room, his eyebrows still pressed together in an unhappy line. "What were you doing just now?" He asks firmly.
One missed call from my dad and a new voicemail.
I call my voicemail and lift the phone to my ear, ignoring Derek's question. "Avery." He says in a demanding voice.
"You have one missed call from phone number-"
"Avery." I give him a glare and plug my other ear as I walk out of the room towards the foyer.
"Hey, honey," my dad's voice says, "you're probably asleep by now but, well there's a safe in the closet of my room, the combination is 2441. Inside there should be a credit card, I always kept it there just in case of an emergency. Go ahead and use it for whatever you need, call me when you get a chance. Bye sweetheart," he pauses, "I'm sorry about what happened, I wish I could be there."
I draw the phone away from my face, why would you be? You never were before. I think to myself before turning around and seeing Derek leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Something about his serious glare makes me feel like I have to explain, "I'm not suicidal, okay?" I say with spread arms. His eyes don't seem convinced, "I wanted to know if it was true; my leg isn't healing, so-"
"So you believe me saying you're a werewolf, but not about your ability to heal yourself?" I wince at the 'w' word and drop my arms.
"Can you please not say that?" I ask in after an intake of air through my mouth.
"Say what?" he asks, pushing himself off the wall and letting his hands fall to his sides, "Werewolf?" he takes a few steps towards me, an eyebrow quirking up for my answer.
I remember looking in the studio mirror, gold wild eyes looking back as I crushed the balance bar in my hands.
"Listen," I say, trying to change the subject, "I'm going to go back to my hou-" I close my eyes briefly and sigh as I trip over my words, "my mom's house to get my stuff," or to see if she's gotten over what happened last night, "so I'm not going to be here long, I just have to get some stuff upstairs."
Derek nods and slides a closed-mouth smirk across his lips as he walks towards me with his hands tucked inside his jacket pockets. Something in me wants to step back, to shrink away from him because something about his smirk fills me with dark warmth, and his eyes seem to possess me just from staring.
I refuse to step back and instead cross my arms, pop my hip slightly out, set my jaw, lift my head, and stiffen up my lips. A humored breath passes between a wide, toothy smile that spreads across his face. A shiver runs through me as I look at the elongated canines that gleam in the sunlight that comes through the window behind me.
As he comes to stand before me, only inches away, his wide smile slowly fades back into the wicked smirk, and his eyes shamelessly look me up and down. "You and I are gonna have fun." He says as he raises his head and brushes past me. As he passes I close my eyes and take a breath as a warm throb steadily grows.
"I'll be waiting outside; don't take too long." He says as he pulls the front door open and closes it behind him.
I stand there in the middle of the foyer for a minute, just biting my lip and taking deep breaths, trying to get the throbbing feeling to stop, but the look in his eyes….
That cliché 'standing in front of him naked' feeling doesn't even come close.
I shake my head and turn to walk upstairs and find my white Nike shoes right by the bed and slip them on quickly. I look on the yellow under sheets of the bed and see the white note from the hospital. I shake my head and walk back out of the room and walk to my dad's room.
His room is a cool grey, with black sheets and a cold empty chill. I open the door to his closet and push past his spare suits to find a safe sitting on the ground in the back. I squat down and punch in the code, the door unlocks and pops open.
I push it fully open and pick up the black credit card on the first shelf. A small medallion in the corner catches my eye but I hesitate when I see a pistol and a pack of bullets in the back. I reach in and pick up the medallion.
The silver medallion is in the shape of a shield divided into four quarters; the top left corner shows a wolf with bared teeth snarling at the right corner, which shows a pair of swords crossed over each other. The bottom left corner shows a flower of some sort, with petals drifting off into a breeze. The bottom right corner holds a strange pattern of three swirling circles in a triangular shape.
The cold of the metal practically stings my palm, so I carefully tuck it back into the corner of the safe and shut the door. I walk out of my dad's room and back downstairs into the foyer; I pause at the door and peek out of the small windows to the sides of the door.
The black Camaro is parked right in front of the sidewalk leading from the driveway to the porch. Derek sits on the hood, one foot crossed over the other, back towards the dashboard with arms crossed over his chest. He turns his head to look towards the road and my mind burns his image in my head.
There are moments that define people to you, mental pictures you remember when you think about a certain person. For my dad, I remember the time he handed me the lacrosse stick and spent forever trying to teach me to play. But mostly, I see the smile on his face as he pushed the stick in my hands.
For my mom, now I just see that cold, dead stare as she screamed at me to leave. For Tori, there's a huge scrapbook of memories, most of them too embarrassing to say.
But seeing Derek sitting on the hood of his Camaro, calm, cool, relaxed, but with that confidence that just hovers over him, I just know this is one of those moments.
He turns his head from looking at the road to the left, to looking straight ahead of him. He lets out a sigh and pushes his head back so he's looking up at the clear blue sky. His black hair is spiked perfectly, and the throb slowly begins again as I stare at his facial hair.
I've never really thought much of guys with beards or anything, mostly because teenage-high school boys just don't look good with it. The guys with beards at Beacon just look like they have some dirt on their faces, or just have scraggly little patches here and there.
But his is dark and thick and perfect. I bite my lips again as I wonder just how hairy a werewolf would be.
The throb turns to a hot burst when he suddenly turns his head to the side and looks in my direction. Whether he sees me through the window or not makes me pause, but I reach for the doorknob and step outside.
I lock the door and pull it closed behind me. Derek just watches as I walk towards the Camaro. I struggle to think rationally as I stare at my reflection in the glasses. "Look," I say as he pushes himself off the hood and walks calmly toward the driver side, "I really need to go get my stuff since I guess I'm staying here now so if you just want to come by later-"
Derek ignores me as he steps into the Camaro, puts the key into the ignition, and starts the engine with a roar. The engine sends a sudden breeze up my legs and shorts. The cool air brushes against my core and I reach out and grab the ledge where the window would be if it were rolled up. I mentally thank the fact that he drives a low sitting car because if he had anything taller he'd be able to see me bit my lip and crunch my eyebrows together as I hold back a small whine.
There are very, very good reasons why underwear was invented, that much is clear as I cross one leg over the other, finding my inner thighs sliding far too smoothly over each other. I compose myself and lean down to look inside. "Right," I say with a smile that masks my quivering lip as another burst of air snakes its way up my shorts, "so I'll meet you back here in a little while." I thumb my phone with my Vera Bradley wallet pouch and keys in my other hand.
Derek leans over slowly, his left hand draped over the steering wheel and lips slightly parted as if to say something. Instead, he just pops the door open and leans back behind the driving wheel. I straighten up and look to the sky.
Lord have mercy.
He revs the engine and another wave hits me. I open the door further and slowly lower myself down, trying to avoid any sudden pressure to make the throbbing worse. I buckle my seatbelt and lean back as he pulls out of the circle of my driveway. The windows allow a slow, cool breeze to cease the rising heat in my cheeks.
As we start down the long, steep driveway, Derek speeds up, sending my long hair flying between us and across my face. I hastily sit forward and lasso it all into a sidebun, "Where are we going anyway?" I ask, realizing he never said and I never asked.
I jerk back against the seat as he pulls off onto the road and speeds around the corner, I bite my lip harder as the engine sends vibrations through my seat, up my legs and right there.
Now I get why they call it a sex drive.
I grip the armrest tightly as he shifts into the next gear expertly, "Time for you to meet the pack." He says. His voice is a ghost in my mind though; I clench my inner thighs together, trying to keep it together.
He pushes a button on the steering wheel and the radio comes on, playing "Send the Pain Below" by Chevelle.
"I liked having hurt,
So send the pain below where I need it,
You used to beg me to take care of things,
And smile at the thought of me failing.
But long before, having hurt,
I'd send the pain below,
I'd send the pain below."
"Can we make a stop at my h-" I grit my teeth, "my mom's house first? I'd really like to just go get my stuff before she throws it in the trash." I say, realizing that that's actually a real possibility.
The wind whips against my face, sending the smell of summer into the car. "You sure you wanna do that?" He asks, the wind blowing his black hair back only slightly as he speeds through the back roads.
"It has to be done sometime," I call over the music, "why not just get it done?" I ask to myself as I turn to look out the open window at the passing forest.
"Much like suffocating,
Much like suffocating,
Much like suffocating,
I'd send the pain below...
Much like suffocating,
I'd send the pain below...
You used to run me away,
All while laughing.
Then cry about that fact,
'til I returned.
But long before, having hurt,
I'd send the pain below,
I'd send the pain below."
Erica
"Fuck!" Isaac says as he loses his grip on the couch, sending it flipping down the stairs of the station. Dark blue cushions go flying as the heavy couch hits each step before finally coming to a stop in the middle of the floor.
I twirl the cherry lollipop between my lips and stare down at it from the top of the train car. "Told ya," I hum, "you shoulda gotten Boyd to help." Isaac sits on the rail separating the stairs and slides down to the bottom.
"Yes, thank you, Erica." He says sarcastically, "It wasn't like you could've helped or anything." He pulls the couch upright and begins collecting the cushions from the floor.
"I thought it was a stupid idea anyway." I say, turning back to the Seventeen magazine in front of me. I swing my legs forward and back from my position lying on my stomach with my elbows propping me up. "Wait," I say, turning back to Isaac, "where are you putting that thing anyway?"
Isaac tosses the cushions back into place and dusts them off. "In that little ticket office down in the right tunnel we found. We're gonna turn it into a hangout." I roll my eyes and go back to looking at the picture of Jennifer Lawrence in a floor length white gown.
"You realize this entire place is a hangout, right?"
Isaac begins pushing the couch along the tile towards the direction of the ticket office, "Yeah, well I'm tired of these stiff benches."
"Wasn't that office locked up tight anyway?" I ask as he pushes the couch along at a quick pace.
"It was, I found a vent that led into it and opened it up. You should come see it, it's pretty cool, just needs a little dusting."
"Where's Boyd? I thought Derek told us to be here for when he brings the jock by?" Isaac stops pushing and turns back to me.
"Ya' know; I play lacrosse, too." He says, pointing to himself. He stands there looking at me for a few moments before turning around and returning to pushing the couch, "He's off getting the radio."
"You're putting a radio in there, too?" I call after him as he goes into the tunnel.
"Yup!" he calls back.
"Dumbass," I mumble under my breath.
"You're so not invited!" his voice echoes back to me.
Derek
I pull up to the side of the road in front of the house and put it in park. "Nobody's home." Avery says with the slightest bit of sadness as she stares at the house.
"You're disappointed about that?" she turns and shakes her head.
"It's best this way I guess." She gives a small polite smile before unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door. I follow her lead and we walk to the porch.
She unlocks the door and walks inside with no hesitation. I close the door behind me and slip my sunglasses off before hooking them on to the collar of my shirt. Avery walks upstairs and steps into a room at the top of them. She moves quickly, but with a weight I can't describe. I think about the cold look on her face as she held the knife to her arm, preparing to pull it across the skin.
It would have made a small cut, bled a little, then healed right up.
And yet I panicked, and grabbed it out of her hands. I'd like to brush it off as just keeping my investments together, like a business. Except that wasn't how a businessman acts. Cold, calculated, distant; that's how a businessman acts.
That was just blatant panic. I shake my head, trying to strengthen up a resistance to whatever those blue eyes are doing to me.
I follow her into a messy bedroom with purple walls and clothes strewn all over the floor and bed. Avery stands with her back to me, staring at a suitcase at the foot of the bed.
I hear her heart speed up, she looks down and then back to the suitcase before crossing the room, lifting it unto the bed and unzipping it.
She lays it open and turns to her dresser, pulling out a drawer and dumping the contents into the suitcase. She drops the drawer onto the bed, grabs another drawer from the dresser and empties it into the suitcase in a wild mess.
She drops the drawer on top of the other and begins snatching up clothes from the floor and tossing them towards the suitcase. Her lips are in a tight, thin line, as is the rest of her face.
She bundles more clothes up into her arms and walks to the suitcase and pushes them inside, pausing to smash them down into it. "Avery." I say in a sigh.
"Don't." she warns. "Please just, don't." She walks to the closet and pulls out another large travel bag. She places it on the bed and walks to the dresser and lifts another drawer and carries over to the bag. "I'm not going to have a repeat of last night. I'm not doing it."
She reaches back into the closet and pulls out a Beacon Hills lacrosse bag with a lacrosse stick tucked into the side of it. She walks to a row of shoes against the wall and grabs a pair of cleats and two pairs of running shoes. Stuffing them into the lacrosse bag, her heartbeat stays rushed and heavy.
I lean back against the desk on the wall behind me with my arms crossed over my chest, just watching her try to keep a straight face.
She snatches dresses out of the closet by their hangers and tosses them on top of the bag. "Can I have that shaft?" she asks, looking over at me.
"What?" I ask, my mind going blank and heart skipping a beat. There's no way she meant…
She nods her head in my direction, "That shaft." I don't move, and her eyebrows push together as she straightens herself and walks over to me. "The lacrosse shaft." She says as she reaches around me and picks up a lacrosse stick from the top of the desk. How many times is she going to say 'shaft'?
She holds it between us, "This part of the stick is called the shaft." She explains before turning away and tucking the shaft into her bag. "Alright, I'm almost done, I'm just gonna change real quick." She says, looking up at me.
I nod and walk out of the room, pulling the door closed behind me. I walk down the stairs and wait for Avery to get done. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out to check who texted me.
Erica:
Where r u?
Avery
I toss my toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, pack of razors, and tampons into my bag and zip it shut. I make room in the suitcase for the rest of my shoes and stuff them all in. I quickly change into the fresh white bra, blue athletic shirt, black running shorts, fresh underwear, and black mid-calf socks. I slip on my black Nike shoes and pull my hair out of the bun.
After several minutes of pulling the brush bristles through my brown hair, it falls over my shoulders softly. Surprisingly, it still has a clean shine to it, even after last night's pouring rain.
I take a final look around my room and grab my phone charger, and the picture frame with several different pictures of Tori and me. I slip both into my lacrosse bag and throw it over my left shoulder. I sling the heavier bag over my right shoulder and roll the suitcase behind me.
When I reach the stairs I lift the suitcase over my head. Derek looks up at me, "Do you-" I walk down the stairs with little trouble, despite the heavy ass suitcase over my head and bags on my shoulders. "…want some help?" he finishes as I reach the last step and set the suitcase down in front of him.
I lower my bags to the floor, "Yes actually," I say with a smile at the only slightly surprised look on his face, "if you could take these out to the car, I'm just gonna grab something to eat." I say as I hand him my lacrosse bag and turn away with a wink.
As I walk back to the kitchen I hear the front door open and close, I open up the pantry and grab a couple granola bars and a water bottle to tide me over for now. Later I'll drive into town and get some-
Oh, right. I can't drive.
I sigh and walk out of the kitchen and out of the front door. I turn to lock it, but shrug and turn away. Derek tosses one of my bags into the backseat of his Camaro and shuts the door. He walks around to the driver side and opens the door as I walk up.
"Derek," I say right before he steps into the car. He stops and stares at me with his dark eyebrows raised just a bit. I give him my best wide, sweet smile and lean over the top of the car far enough that my boobs are pressed up into view, I place my water bottle on the top of the car and wrap my fingers around it, with my thumb over the cap.
I see his eyes darken again, just as they had when he looked me over back at my house, "Do you think you could teach me to drive stick sometime?" I use my imitation of Tori's hushed, sweet voice she uses when she tries to convince guys to give her their homework so she can copy it. I finish the question by lifting my eyebrows and biting my lip.
His eyes hold mine for a moment before dropping to my lips and then looking back behind me towards the house. His tongue runs over his teeth, pressing against his cheeks and he sighs. He looks back to me and I smile hopefully.
Suddenly an object flies over the top of the car and I reflexively let go of the granola bars and catch it in my palm. I open my hand to see a set of keys with the Chevrolet emblem on them. I look up in horror to see Derek walking around to me. "Oh, no, I meant in my car."
"Your car is too damn big for a beginner," he says as he stands in front of me, "and my car is faster."
I narrow my eyes nervously, "I was thinking of starting slow…" his eyes don't change. "Oh God please tell me you're not one of those 'throw 'em in, they'll learn to swim' kind of people."
"Avery get in the car or I'm leaving you here."
"Fine." I turn and pick up my granola bars from the top of the car and walk around to the driver's side.
"Well, shit." I mumble as I slide into the seat and close the door. I slip the water bottle into the cup holder and put the granola bars next to it. Next I test the floor, looking for the peddles. I look down when I don't feel them and notice they're like a foot away.
I fumble around under the seat until I find the seat controls and push myself forward. I look to the rearview mirror and adjust it down so I can see out the back window. Out of the corner of my eye I see him staring at me with high eyebrows.
"What?" I ask, wondering if I already screwed up.
"Nothing," he says turning to look forward, "I was just wondering when you were going to start the car."
"Pushy," I say as I push the key into the ignition and the engine roars to life. I turn and reach for my seatbelt and pull it across my chest and buckle it.
"Push down the clutch and shift into first," I nod and reach over for the gear column while checking the left side mirror for any cars. I grab the column and push it forward to where the first gear would be.
"Avery,"
"What, what?" I ask, looking over to see him with his lower lip tucked under his upper lip and an irritated look on his face. I look down and realize that it was his leg I grabbed and pushed forward on, not the gear column.
I pull my hand away, "Oh crap, I'm sorry, the shaft in my car- I mean the gear shaft-" I sigh and place my hand on the gear column and shift into first gear. "The gear column is way further over in my car."
I pull out slowly, "We're going to the old train station, you know how to get there, right?"
"The one next to the abandoned grocery store on Eve street?" I ask as I get to the end of the street and check for an opening.
"That's the one." He says as I pull out onto the road. I drive slowly, just praying I won't crash in his car.
"Avery, you're going 25 in a 50."
I nod, "Yep." His eyes stare at me from the corner of my sight.
He sighs and shakes his head, "For me to teach you anything, you have to be going fast enough to get out of the first gear."
"Why did I do this?" I ask myself as a car pulls up behind us and honks. Derek sinks in his seat and cusses under his breath.
The car honks again and I reach back down to the gear column, but just end up grabbing his leg again. He snaps his head back to me, "Shit, sorry," I say as I grab the gear column, hit the clutch and shift to second gear as I push down on the gas and we jump forward.
The shift overall is smooth, but the car accelerated so fast it made us lurch forward. I smile widely, "Better?" I glance over at him.
"We're still under the limit." He says in an unimpressed tone. "Just make sure you aren't just tapping the clutch, you need to hold it down while the gears shift."
I hold down the clutch and shift into third as I steadily press the gas down more, before I realize it we're up to 60.
A smug smile crosses my face as we speed by cars left and right. I look over to Derek and giggle as I watch that dark look glaze over his eyes again. I turn back to the road and shift into fourth smoothly.
Stiles
"No, dude, I'm halfway to your house right now!" I argue as I slow down for a yellow light and come to a stop.
"Stiles, Alli-" Scott starts.
"No! You're not blowing me off for Allison again! C'mon, man I am literally about to call off our friendship if you do this!" I look in my rearview mirror as a loud ass muscle-car engine draws closer. I expect to see Jackson's stupid loud and expensive ass car.
"Damn it, and now the sour wolf himself is pulling up right next to me at a red light." I say as the black Camaro leaves my rearview mirror and moves into view of my side mirror. "I blame you for this."
"What? How is that my fault?" Scott asks.
The Camaro comes to a stop next to me, and I almost drop my phone when I see Avery behind the wheel. "Scott," I say bleakly as Avery looks over at Derek in the passenger seat and smiles widely, "we have a big problem."
"What? Is the sour wolf out to get you?" The light turns green, and the Camaro pulls off just as Derek catches sight of me staring.
"Not me, no."
Avery
"What? Is something wrong?" I ask as Derek suddenly sets his jaw and sits back in his seat.
"No, we're almost there." A wave of nerves hits me; I'm about to meet a pack. A pack of werewolves.
"So, um, what are they like?" I try to sound calm, but fail.
"You'll see soon enough." He says in that same ominous voice I hate. I nod and pull on to Eve Street. A couple years ago, Eve Street used to be the main shopping center but then all the stores moved into a mall in the middle of Beacon, so Eve Street just got left behind.
I shift into lower gears as we pull up to the old train station and come to a stop. I turn the car off and place the keys in his hand. Derek takes them and steps out of the car. I take a deep breath and follow him out.
He stands at the top of the entrance to the station, his hands in his pockets, his green eyes just watching me as I draw closer to the stairs. He motions down the stairs with a nod, and I take a deep breath before starting down them.
My palms are clammy and my breathing is hard to keep steady as I make my way down each step. My mind races with horrific possibilities of what might be at the bottom of the steps.
Voices argue and echo up the stairs, but I can't quite make out what the voices are saying. As I come to the end two pairs of jeans come into view, and the lower I sink, the more I see of them.
I let out a dry huff of a laugh, whatever I expected sure wasn't what I see.
"Isaac?" I say disbelievingly as I stare at the curly haired boy standing in front of another familiar face. Isaac turns and smiles widely back at me before walking quickly over.
"Hey, Avery!" he says as he pulls me into a hug. I never knew Isaac well, but he seems genuinely happy to see me and warm welcomes is something I seem to be lacking as of late. "How are you feeling?" he asks as he pulls away, but keeps his hands on my arms.
"Pretty good." I say with a smile and a nod.
"You still tearin' up the field?" he asks happily.
I shake my head, "Not for a while now, I missed summer league so I haven't played lately."
He lets go of my arms, "You should bring your stick with you sometime, we could pass." I nod as I look past him to where Boyd stands in the center of the room.
"You still working at the ice rink, Boyd?" I ask Isaac steps aside and walks toward a stereo on a metal bench.
Boyd shakes his head and steps closer, "Nah, not for a while now." I give a small pout.
"Aw, how am I supposed to get a free hot chocolate now?" Boyd laughs.
"It sucked anyway."
"Yeah, it really did." I admit.
A yellow blur above Boyd catches my attention and I look to see that on top of a train car sits none other than "Erica."
She looks down at me with an unamused stare. "So this is what happened to you." I say simply.
Erica cocks her head to the side, sending her dirty blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, and pushes her eyebrows together. She opens her red stained mouth, "And what is that supposed to mean?" she tries to make the question simple, calm.
But it comes out as an accusation.
"I think it's safe to say that everyone noticed you came to school one day…different." She nods and lets out a dark laugh, and for a second I swear I can hear a growl behind it.
Author's Note: Alright, so there's a lot of loose ends I think in this chapter, but do not fear, next chapter I'll clear those up. Also next chapter we'll see the first actual Averek moment, but don't get your hopes up cuz it's not sexy sexy time yet.
On that note, I'm kind of having trouble deciding when sexy sexy time should be, so I've opened a poll on my page. Please stop by and vote cuz I'm really bad at deciding what's too fast or too slow. If you guys leave it up to me it probably won't happen for another three chapters sooo...yeah...
To tie up a loose end right now...
-Avery seems to be changing moods pretty quickly, that's mostly because 1) the full moon is coming up and 2) she's just pretty unstable right now, what with getting kicked out and meeting the gorgeous Derek Hale ^_^
Also, I originally wrote part of this chapter a lot racier, but changed it cuz it was weird in my opinion. BUT if you wanna see what I had before, I'm going to be posting 'scraps' on my blog from now on when I change things, so make sure you check it out! the link is on my profile.
Make sure you follow, fav, or leave a review because you won't want to miss next chapter, now would you?
