It's been one week, six hours and thirty minutes since Stiles last saw Ariel. He was confused, conflicted and worried at the same time. There was no way for him to call and check up on her because he didn't have her cell number. He cursed at his own negligence for not asking the girl for her number when they had hung out three days in a row.

Hang out… is that what we were doing? Stiles recalled once telling his best friend that guys don't hang out with hot girls unless they are the gay best friend and Ariel was indeed attractive.

With those mesmerising blue eyes, full lips, alabaster skin, tall lean figure and long flowing dark red hair. He lay on his bed thinking about her, like he had been the past few days. His eyes would immediately dart to the window every morning and night to see if she was sitting there watching him in that way he found creepy at first but now he missed it.

He knew he needed a distraction. So he reached for his phone that he had thrown on the mattress beside him and immediately began dialling Scott's number.

"Hey dude."

"Sup." The Beta replied vaguely, Stiles rolled his eyes.

"You are clearly distracted, what are you doing?"

"Sorry give me a second." There was the distinct sound of rustling papers from the other end of the line followed by a heavy thud "Done."

"Reading?" Stiles asked, recognising the sound.

"Yeah I am done with White Fang."

"What's next?"

"The sequel, Call of The Wild." Scott replied with a tired sigh. Stiles shook his head at his friend's distress.

"You know I could just tell you what happens or you could just go through the Sparknotes, make your life a little easier." He suggested.

"Nah…I was thinking about that, but then the book got interesting now I want to find out what happens next."

"Sounds like you are on a roll, shall I just leave you to it then."

"Bored?" Scott asked. Stiles could picture the pitying smile on his best friend's lips.

"Yeah, I need to find something to do." He said while toying with the alarm clock on his bedside table.

"You can come over if you want, I might need help with Algebra later." Scott offered. Stiles frowned he really wasn't looking forward to the idea of staring at a book full of equations a month before school, but he had no other way of spending his time.

"Sounds good, see you in a bit man."

"Later."

Stiles got in to his jeep and shut the door. Just when he leaned over to put the key into the ignition the passenger door opened. He looked up, startled to find Ariel climbing into the seat beside him and get comfortable.

"Uh hey." He greeted still trying to process her presence in his vehicle. She regarded him with those intense eyes and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hello, are you busy?" She asked.

"Yes—no I was just...what's up?" He stumbled. His thoughts were instantly on Scott but at the same time he felt the need to seem available to her. A slow lazy smile curved her lips and she raised her dark brows secretively.

"Up for a little adventure?" He found himself utterly intrigued.

After texting Scott—with one hand on the steering wheel and occasionally glancing at the stretch of road he drove on— letting his best friend know he couldn't make it to his place. Stiles tucked his phone away and looked to Ariel. She sat staring out the window seemingly fascinated by the trees on either side of the road.

"So... Didn't think I'll see you again." He said watching her for a reaction. She looked to him a cool calculating look in her eyes. She was contemplating what to say.

"Sorry, I got a little caught up with a few things." She was being vague and he was annoyed.

Missing for a week and that was her answer. Stiles didn't know why he was so bothered by it, he hardly knew the girl. Maybe it was because she was at ease with leaving and coming whenever she felt like it, but part of him was relieved she had returned.

"You know there are no people out here to spy—"

"Observe." She corrected, he rolled his eyes.

"Fine observe— you are not going to chop me in half and leave my body on a pile of dried up leaves to rot are you?" He asked jokingly with mock fear. She looked to him her eyes wide and unblinking.

"Kill you? Of course not don't be so dramatic..." She retorted averting her gaze back to the road "Besides that's not a good way to dispose of a body, after I kill you I would burn your clothes and then dissolve your body in acid leaving no trace."

Stiles was staring at her in shock, feeling his unwavering gaze she glanced at him and smiled artlessly.

"Hypothetically speaking of course." She added his eyes narrowed out of suspicion.

"I am not sure if you are joking or not."

"Ah, that's for you to construe and me to never say." There was something different about her, as if the week that she was missing had somehow lightened her melancholic nature and made her more open, more human. Her alluring eyes darted to his radio, picking up the quick tone that resonated through the speakers.

"What is this song?" She asked he liked that she was interested.

"Snow by the Red Hot Chill-Peppers," He answered.

"It's nice, do you play an instrument?" Stiles was startled by her abrupt question.

"Yeah why does that—"

"Is it the drums?" He was struggling to focus his attention on the road from her hounding, random yet precise questions.

"How did you—alright how did you guess that?" He demanded. She smiled pleased with herself and leaned back against the leather of the seat.

"You tap your foot repeatedly and you make these small noises in rhythm to the drum beat which means you pay more attention to that particular instrument in the song. Your elbows spasm slightly with the urge to reach for a cymbal or high-hat probably, considering the cue –and then there are your hands."

"My hands..?" Stiles echoed glancing down at the bumps of his knuckles while listening intently.

"Hmm." She hummed. He froze when she felt her warm hand wrap around his wrist and gently pull his arm towards her body. Stiles was too surprised to resist and awed to speak, glancing furiously from the road to her. He looked to her from the corner of his eye as her face loomed over his palm, stretching out his fingers and trailing her finger tips delicately over the lines like a palm reader. He resisted the urge to fidget.

"Your skin is soft so it bruises easily "She stated, her touch moving to his fingers, pressing at them. He stared completely entranced, her dark hair rained down the sides of her face. He could feel the prickle of the ends of her tresses against his flesh.

"There are calluses in the center areas of your index, middle and ring finger on both hands I reckon, the left side is more prominent because you were holding them tighter because it isn't your dominant hand." Her touch left and Stiles shakily brought his hand back onto the steering wheel. The plastic covering felt cold and unwelcoming, not at all like her warm exploratory caress.

"How the heck did you know about my hands?" He posed staring dead a head so she wouldn't see his reddening face.

"I didn't, thank you for proving it to me." She turned shifted in her seat to face him, resting her elbow on the arm rest and staring at him "So when will I get to hear you play?"

"You want to hear me play, you know it's pretty loud and ear piercing up close. There is a reason why I play in the basement."

"You are not being bashful are you?" She wondered teasingly.

Bashful? Yes, but he didn't want to admit that girls had never taken an interest in his hobby. Not like she did, it was new and bizarre.

"No, fine you can hear me later." He replied with a slight upturn of his lips. Trying to seem nonchalant when he was actually giddy on the inside. She smiled and averted her gaze back to the road.

"Did you Google about drums last night?" He guessed considering her use of accurate terms. She glanced at him from the corner of her large eyes and shrugged.

"Drum terminology, I like to know what I am referring to. Did you know that you can burn up to three hundred calories by just drumming for thirty minutes?"

"Pfft yeah, how else do you think I get this killer bod." He said with a smug upturn of his chin and gesturing to his form. Ariel was staring at him incredulously and his pompous expression fell flat.

"Yeah well it's a work in progress, no need to look so in disbelief." She grinned.

"I just did that to tease you. You have a very agile physique." He wasn't expecting those words to leave her lips. He sensed no deceit or wit.

Does this mean she finds me attractive?

"Can't say the same about your stamina though judging from your irregular breathing when you over exert yourself." He dead-panned and then narrowed his eyes into slits. Pricked by her words like a sharp pin to a balloon.

"Five seconds, five seconds of basking in that compliment then you go and say that." He pouted. Unaware of the fond look she directed his way.

'''''''''''''''''''''''

"Park right there under that tree," Ariel ordered calmly. Stiles tucked his head slightly to get a better look. She was leading them down a gravel bumpy road in the direction of a tall oak tree.

"Okay I am just going to go ahead and say this is slowly but surely turning into a very convenient kill sight." He mused carefully serving the car under the shade of the tree and then pressing down on the brake and then pulling up the handbrake. He looked out his side of the window, his admiring gaze trailing up the thick trunk of the tree and to the green leaves above.

"There now I shall feebly attempt to fight back as you plunge your knife repeatedly—"Mid sentence he turned to find Ariel's long legs shimmy and disappear up and out the window.

"Hey what are you doing?" He cried out in worry immediately popping half his body out his window and directing his attention to the roof of his jeep. Ariel was standing with her arms stretched out to one of the thick branches of the tree above her. She acknowledged his distressed expression.

"This is a faster way." She stated simply, he gaped.

"To your doom?!"

"Are you coming?" She asked, brushing aside his skepticism. Stiles deadpanned. Clearly the girl didn't know how to deduce basic human reactions to situations. Grunting he heaved his body onto the frame of the window, sitting there and watching her.

"Uh no thanks, I am not the kind of person to climb thirteen feet to die, not to mention I'll end up denting my jeep." He retorted with much disdain intended. She gazed at him for a few moments before shrugging and kicking off her sandals and began to climb up the tree.

"Bring the binoculars with you and take off your shoes if you are so afraid of falling." She called out mid ascending as he stared in trepidation.

"Didn't you hear me I said—ah forget it"

She had already disappeared into a cluster of leaves. Stiles was nibbling at the inside of his mouth apprehensively, staring at the space she vanished into, leaving leaves shuddering in her wake. Between his slight fear of heights and panic for her safety. He was battling an internal struggle to follow her or remain closer to the earth.

Groaning in aggravation and regretting the decision he took. Stiles grabbed his binoculars that were in the glove compartment and then returned to the window and heaved his body up and on to the roof of his car. On shaky limbs he stood on the top and began to nudge off his shoes from the ankle.

"She wants me to take off my shoes fine I'll take off my shoes and climb a freaking tree. I knew I should have 'write will' as top priority for the spring break." He muttered shrugging the strap of the binoculars over his neck hastily.

After he managed to remove his foot wear he searched for a strong branch before grabbing it and beginning to hoist himself up. The moment he took his first step he saw Ariel seated comfortably swinging one leg back and forth waiting for him. Shaking away his surprise he glared up at her, she smiled in reaction.

"This is your plan isn't it?' He grunted hugging the bough, keeping a steady grip he reached for another one "Push me off the tree and make it look like an accident well it won't work because my dad is the sheriff and he knows that I have never climbed a tree in my life, ever."

"Well not ever, you are climbing one right now." He didn't appreciate her obvious statement. Sweat beads formed on his high forehead as he struggled to climb up to her.

"Why am I doing this?" He panted, she reached down to help and he eagerly grasped her hand and she helped him up on to the branch she sat on. The large huddles of leaves above them dispersed the sunlight. There was enough illumination for them to see, the shade kept the air around them cool.

"That is a good question Stiles, you should reflect on it when you get home." She said getting to her feet again, ducking to avoid bumping her head on to a branch above them.

"Or you can deduce it out of me." He suggested, throwing himself against the body of the tree to gain balance as he shakily got to his feet again. He looked down and guessed they were around eight feet off the earth, he gulped.

"That would hinder the entire teaching process, give me your hand." Stiles looked up again to find that in his momentary distraction Ariel had already climbed two feet up. Using her instruction to where he should brace his feet he mounted up the tree, grasping her hand for support.

As he ascended Ariel began climbing again and he paused to watch her. His stare lingered on her shapely derriere, a little longer than deemed appropriate.

When is it ever appropriate? A voice chanted in his head, averting his gaze he resumed to clamber up the tree.

"How many times have you climbed this tree?" He demanded as they continued to wind up. He had bumped his head a few times mainly because he was paying more attention to her movements than his own. She was a like a jungle cat, stepping from one broad limb to the other with such ease and precision. She paused and looked down at him, her hair tumbling around her.

"How do you know it's this tree that I've been climbing?"

"The fact that you knew its location, you knew where I should put my feet and the marks on the branches—" He stopped tracing his fingers over the skin of the tree and looked to her. She was clearly impressed by the gleam in her blue eyes.

"Is this some sort of test?" He asked blinking away from the slight stupor her look at caused him, she grinned.

"You have done splendidly." She commended enthusiastically making his heart race more from the praise than the exertions of the climb.

"Way more than I initially expected." She added clearly. He decided to ignore the last part and increased his pace to meet her faster.

"We should insert some Yoda quote eh? Like a 'no more training do you require. Already know you, that which you need.'" Stiles smiled. Amused by his own clever remark and looked to Ariel for a reaction.

"What's a Yoda?" She inquired candidly he crescent fell.

"Let's head back to my place as soon as possible, it's depressing that you haven't experienced the awesomeness that is StarWars." He replied loudly so she could hear.

"The speed of this depends entirely on you but with your lack of stamina—"

"Hey I have stamina!" A sudden chiming laughter escaped her lips and he didn't appreciate the sinister intent behind the sound. She was seated on a branch once again with a Cheshire-esque smile curving her lips.

"Prove it." She challenged. He was struggling to breathe so the best he could muster as a retort was a half glare.

"You are trying to kill me, slow and painfully." He panted. Her expression softened and she shook her head at him before turning and continuing to climb.

"We are nearly there and it's only been ten minutes, would have taken us less time if you hadn't stopped to catch your breath." She said. Stiles gaped clearly insulted.

"Hey! I have low stamina you should have been sensitive to that." He shot back not even aware of how the light around them was slowly intensifying until his head popped up from a cluster of leaves to stare up at the blue sky.

"Whoa." He breathed awed by the sight. They hadn't climbed that far up into the tree, looking at it now Stiles guessed it was physically impossible unless they were ants or something. He could clearly see the misty grey hill tops of the Beacon Hills reserve area. They were facing the setting sun, and the sky was a dimming radiant lilac hue with pink sun- kissed clouds.

"How many times have you come up here?" He asked looking to Ariel. Her stare was focused on the heavens. He stared mesmerized by her eyes. The colours of the sky reflected in her blue eyes like still water but combined with the lightening white lines in her blue eyes, it was like indirectly staring into the Milky Way.

"I lost count. I come up here when I feel…"

"Philosophical?" He wondered.

"Conflicted." She corrected "Sometimes the feeling is so intense it's hard to run from but when climb I mull over it and then when I see this, the solution becomes clear." Her expression was devoid of emotion but there was this look in her eyes, a swirling deep uncertainty.

Stiles knew that feeling more than anyone.

"Like when you have five hundred thoughts in your head screaming at the same time and any chance of peace is lost somewhere in all the noise that is in your cranium but when you take a step back and lose yourself in something beautiful, everything just clears up." His understanding didn't seem to astonish her but there was clear relief in the way her smile brightened her face.

"Yes, something like that." She shifted and ducked under the leaves and Stiles followed her movements. They were under the shade of the leaves once again, Ariel was settling herself against the tree, seating herself down on the wood. Her long legs heaved over one side. He wondered how she could sit so fearlessly.

He searched the winding branches and found a seemingly stable one closest to her. He sat down beside her and grasped the trunk next to him for support, considering the lack of sitting room for his rear.

"I like coming up here because there is no one around for miles, no one to analyze and get distracted by, just green and blue." Stiles liked how her entire being had relaxed. The way she swung her legs back and forth was almost child-like as she spoke, he smiled.

"So this is like a no deductions zone." He mused. She looked to him from the corners of her eyes and grinned.

"I suppose."

"So I can ask you whatever I want and you will give me a clear answer?" Her blue eyes were twinkling in reaction to his eager questioning.

"I bet you have been dying for the opportunity." She noted seeing the intent "Fine I'll consent, ask me whatever you wish." She leaned back comfortable awaiting his queries.

This was his chance. Stiles could realize he could find out anything he wanted to know and there were questions...so many questions. But then he thought, why was she allowing this? Did she want him to know everything? Was this another test like everything else seems to be with her? Will she ever want to see me again once I know everything there is to know about her?

The thought made him feel queasy and he didn't know why. It terrified him that she had managed to make him feel this way in such a short time.

"What are the digits to your phone number?" She blinked and started at him in sheer mystification. He was already pulling his phone out of his pocket, awaiting her reply.

"My phone number, that's what you want?" She asked more to convince herself she had heard him right. Stiles nodded smiling.

"Yeah I mean we've hung out like four times in total, I think we came to that point where we can exchange contact details—at least that's what I think." He replied casually and she stared as if trying to read through him. He held her gaze bravely, if she was perfectly comfortable with surprising him at every chance she got then Stiles thought he should keep things interesting.

He could be puzzling too but his bigger intention was that he wanted her to tell him everything there was to know because she wanted to, not because he asked her.

They made eye contact for the longest time before she fished out her phone from her pocket.

"I don't know my number but here." She outstretched her arm to him with small plastic device in hand "Cell phones are such tedious devices."

He grinned and took the phone stealthily dialing his number and giving himself a miss call through her phone.

"Is this like your first phone?" He asked handing the gadget back to her, she took it graciously.

"I never had a reason to own one before. Everyone I knew was within range." His dark brows rose up in astonishment.

"Okay... I am starting to think you were Amish or something." She scoffed at his words and smiled, shaking her head at him.

"No, I have no religious beliefs."

"Really—"this fascinated him "so what do you believe in?" He asked shifting uncomfortably on the tree to face her.

"I am still working on that," She said regarding him with her gorgeous eyes "What about you?"

"Karma seems pretty logical at this point."

"At this point, what point is that?" She inquired with an amused smirk pinching her lips.

"Well a lot had happened last year that made me realize that there are consequences to every action and it can come in any form, cause and effect right." She was listening intently to his words, mulling over the statement with her dark brows furrowed in thought.

"What if you are that karma?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Stiles didn't comprehend her question. She fell silent for a moment, contemplating whether or not to tell him.

"I mean what if someone did something terrible to you and you took matters into your own hands?" There was a melancholy look in her eyes and Stiles felt a sudden protective instinct, wanting to know who had hurt her.

"That's more on the line of vengeance. I am talking about waiting for the universe to do your dirty work." He replied softly. She tilted her head to the side in wonder.

"I am not sure how I feel about allowing the universe to right my wrongs, seems to be putting too much faith into something that isn't tangible, I rely more on my senses." Her logic made sense but he knew there was more reasoning behind her words. Someone had done something to make her think the way she does, and he wanted to know who.

"Trust issues, I guessed as much." She grinned not insulted in the slightest by his blunt observation, he liked that about her.

"Don't we all?" She murmured back, intimate warmth in her eyes that made his cheeks warm. They sat in silence admiring the sunset together, though he was glancing at her most of the time. The way the light touched her hair and made the red highlights of her dark locks, the gentle breeze left her tresses in charming couldn't look away.

"I've read that Beacon Hills is famous for its cyclone weather." His eyes darted back to the tree tops.

"Gone through our brochures have you?" He teased trying to seem relaxed and not like a hormonal teenager caught ogling a girl.

"I like to be aware of the surroundings I take temporary residence in." She replied. He tensed and craned his neck to look at her.

"Temporary? What—why aren't you staying here for long?" He tried to seem indifferent to her statement, but her words affected him more than he let on.

"I haven't decided yet." She murmured softly more to herself than him.

"My point was there is a likely chance it will rain tonight, quite heavily too." She added.

"So we should probably get going yes?"

"That is a good idea."

"Don't rush this part, wouldn't want to dent your jeep."

Stiles was hugging a tree for life and he looked up to glare at her little comment.

"Ha-ha, she has a sense of humor." He muttered sarcastically. She grinned but then her smile fell the moment an upbeat ringtone pierced the silence around them.

"What is that?" She demanded staring at his pants where the sound was emitting from.

"It's my cell," Stiles groaned scared to pull out his phone while trying to balance on top of the tree.

He looked to her out of desperation"can you reach it?"

She nodded and easily winded her way down the tree and came face to face with him. Steadying her on the trunk with one arm, she used the other to pull out his cell phone and bring it to her face.

"It's a message, who is it from?" He asked when the catchy beat ceased. He had used it as his alert tone for message. Ariel's eyebrows were furrowed while gently tapping on the screen on his phone and then began inspecting the device.

"I don't know how to operate this device, there are no buttons—"

"Just press and slide." He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at her lack of experience with smart phones. Finally getting to the homepage, her frustrated expression softened and she began to read the text.

"It's a message from Scott, it says 'L...O...L, I'll see you later then...' and then there is this small yellow smiley face added for good measure I reckon." Stiles shook his head at her, even they way she read simple text messages amused him. She raised her gaze to meet his.

"You had plans with him?"

"Well it was decided on whim. " He answered openly.

"So was this." She reminded his phone still in her hand. He rested the side of his face against the tree.

"Yeah but I was going to be bored there anyway, Scott has school work to catch up on and I didn't want to distract him."

Ariel watched him with her keen eyes unsure of what to think of statement. He actually wanted to spend time with her to the point where he chose her over his best friend. The reasoning seems effortless enough yet she couldn't help but feel extremely cherished, it frightened and thrilled her.

"I see," She hated that was all she could manage to say but then again, Ariel wondered why—despite her vast vocabulary—she never seemed to know what to say in such a situation.

She took a step to him, his eyes widened on impulse from their sudden closeness. She loved his reactions. He was so openly expressive it fascinated her. The way those glimmering honey eyes would watch her so attentively. She liked the way his face would redden at each look she gave him. At first she thought it was from fear, Many people found it challenging to make eye contact with her but not Stiles. He looked her dead in the eyes.

Holding his gaze she slowly slide the phone back into his pocket. She felt him tense from the gesture, she could hear her his heart racing like a rabbit in a trap. She smiled cheekily and swiftly dropped down to the branch below them.

Her sudden movements ignited a chase in him because he had slowly found the courage to leave the safety of the tree and trail after her. Using a branch for support she swung towards the roof of his jeep, landing stealthily. She turned her to find Stiles, he was carefully inching he way towards her. She stood patiently for him with her hands tucked in the pockets of her jeans.

Stiles eventually joined her on the roof of his vehicle, panting with sheen of sweat over his skin and dark hair slightly tousled. Ariel watched him trying to decide what it was about him that she found so attractive. Was it the slight upturn of his button nose? His shapely eyebrows, his square jaw line or his bright intelligent eyes?

He ran his slender fingers through his hair. Combing back the damp strands and sending an awkward toothy grin in her direction. She felt her heart flutter, a smile immediately forming in reaction.

His smile, definitely his smile.

They were back inside his jeep and he revved the engine back to life before reversing out from under the tree and back on to the gravel road which lead to the main road.

"So what are you doing later?" He drawled out. She reached forward and twisted the volume knob of the radio to hear the song better. She shrugged and relaxed against the leather seat.

"Starwars was it?" she pondered, Stiles grinned.