Aria taps her pencil repeatedly against her desk, glancing around, then returning her eyes back to the board. The bell finally rings to release them for the day and she's so happy to leave. Unfortunately, the twins stop her before she can make it out the doors.

"Wow, can we not do this today?" Aria asks, raising her eyebrows at them, letting her arms droop to the side, "I've really had a hard day. Can I please just go home and take a nap?"

Aiden glances over at Ethan, then back to Aria, "We're waiting on your decision."

"Uh, your leader or whatever - already has my answer. So, now, if you'll scoot out of the damn way-"

"The right decision." Ethan revises, "Or someone will make it for you."

Aria scratches the back of her head, glancing around to see the hallway is suspiciously empty, "Okay, is this a threat? See, you're in a high school, threats are pretty catty, especially for werewolves. Plus, trust me in this, you are sorely mistaken if you guys think I am the slightest bit frightened by you." Aria pokes Ethan's muscular arm, "Oh look all muscle-ly. I'm petrified." She mocks, letting her hand fall back to the side.

Scott walks up to them then, putting a hand in the middle of Aria's back, "Hey, do we have a problem here?"

Aiden and Ethan look at each other, obviously trying to wage the fight they might be having. Ethan speaks up first, "Nah man, no we don't. We just wanted to remind Aria of a few things. We'll be going now."

"Best you do." Scott affirms.

Aiden and Ethan leave through the doors. One pushing open one of the doors, the other pushing the other. Both of them leaving angrily. Aria sighs loudly, running a hand through her hair, frustrated.

Scott turns to her, "Hey, have you been okay lately?"

Aria looks at him, confused, "Uh, why? Has there been something, or rather, someone, who's been saying otherwise? Because contrary to the popular belief, aka, my brother, I am perfectly fine, and I thank you for your worry." Aria shoves past him to go out the doors, but he grabs her arm.

"You're worried, aren't you? That we can't keep you safe?"

"Well, lets just say, Derek asking me to join your exclusive werewolf club doesn't put me at ease at the end of the night." Aria says softly, taking her arm out of Scott's hand, letting it rest at her side.

"Derek did that?"

"Uh, yes."

"I can't believe him. I'll talk to him, I'll set him straight - Aria, I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was going to do that." Scott's cheeks flame, "And all along Stiles was worried about.." He breaks off suddenly, shaking his head.

Aria raises an eyebrow at Scott, "Uh, worried about what?"

"That you liked Derek."

Aria throws back her head, letting out a guffaw that hopefully didn't sound nervous. "Me? Like Derek? That'd be crazy - stupid even. No, definitely no liking over here, nothing at all. Eheheh.. heh." Aria bolts out the doors then.

Scott stares after her, then he says quietly to himself, "Her heart jumped."

Aria drives and drives until she's at the edge of town. She sits on her car outside of the 'LEAVING BEACON HILLS' sign, pulling her knees up to her chest. She sighs, thinking about Paris. She thinks about Rome, she thinks about all the places she'd travelled to. She wants to leave again and she can't help it.

"Aria?"

Aria turns around to see Issac emerging from the woods, shirtless. Aria raises an eyebrow at him, "Uh? It's not swimsuit season, is it?" She asks.

Issac shakes his head, smiling shyly, "Uh, no, it isn't." He walks over to her, sitting on top of her car as well, "I was just doing some training. Gotta keep the damsel safe, you know?"

Aria rolls her eyes, looking away from him, "So that's what I am now. A damsel in distress."

"It's not an insult."

"It's not a compliment." She quickly snaps back.

Issac stays silent for a second, "I just don't want you to get hurt and all. That's all. I think you're fully capable of protecting yourself.. it's just.. if you got hurt.. and you were all alone-"

"It would be my fault then, not yours." Aria says softly, turning to look at him, "Just, don't worry about me, okay? I've got it all under control."

"Is that why you're sitting out here? Outside of the 'LEAVING BEACON HILLS' sign? Because you have it all under control?" Issac chuckles, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Don't worry, they won't get to you."

Aria rolls her eyes, "I'm just sick of it, okay? I'm not some.. trophy! It shouldn't be a 'who gets to bite her first' game. I wish it was the 'lets respect her fucking decision' game but it's not..so." She pulls her knees tighter against her chest, "I'm sorry, I'm ranting, which is terribly unattractive."

"I think you're hot when you're mad."

Aria feels guilt in the pit of her stomach, she turns to look at him, "You should probably stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Liking me, it's bad for everyone involved." Aria quickly says, her cheeks heating. "I mean, I'm just a self-destructive, Alpha-attractin', neurotic, cocky, sarcastic mess 99% of the time, which is totally bad for you."

"I like that."

Aria makes a slight noise, "Welllll, you probably shouldn't."

Issac looks at her for a second too long, "This is about something else, isn't it?" He presses.

"No."

"Your heart jumped."

"It's practicing jump rope, leave me alone." Her cheeks are heating faster and faster and she can feel her heart throbbing against her ribs. Her breathing is shallow and she can't seem to figure out how to breathe.

Issac looks at her longer, then turns away from her, "I see."

"You do?" Aria clears her throat, "I mean, you do? Because you shouldn't, because there isn't anything in here that you should be able to see, get it? Uh. Yeah that sounded better in my head.."

Issac jumps off of her car, "I'll see you around."

Aria jumps off of her car as well, grabbing Issac's arm, "Wait! Issac! Come on!" He stands still and she holds him there, "Can we please not turn this into a cheap Twilight rip off?"

Issac takes his arm out of her hands that are light like feathers, "I get it, you chose him. What else is there to say?" He pauses for a moment, waiting for her to respond. She stares at her for a few moments.

She wets her lips, willing herself to speak, "I don't like anyone, Issac."

Issac's blue eyes touch her green eyes, his lips dry, "Your heart jumped." He says quietly, turning around and fleeing into the forest.

"DAMN IT!" Aria shouts, kicking her car tire. Then she shrieks in pain because she overestimated how soft the car tire was.

"That Derek, he's interesting." Her Father notes as they sit down and eat Chinese takeout for the third night in a row. Aria looks up from her chicken fried rice, happily stuffed to the brim.

"I guess you could say that." Aria treads cautiously, "Why?"

Her Father shrugs, digging his chopsticks around in his egg rolls, "I was thinking, maybe you should invite him over for dinner again sometime."

"Why? So you can verbally massacre him again? embarrass me horribly? Need more ideas for your 101 ways to kill Derek Hale book?" Aria says sarcastically, eating some more of her rice, "I can offer you a few on that last one."

Her Dad shrugs once more, "I just thought, if you were going with this whole.. dating an older guy thing.. that I should be involved."

Aria chokes on her rice and Stiles offers a good slap on the back, "I'm getting really sick of this whole liking Derek thing."

"Whoever said it was you liking Derek?" Stiles asks, eating his white rice, "It could just be Derek liking you. Now that's what I call, a plot twist. Derek Hale actually has feelings, I'm so proud." Stiles pretends to wipe a tear off of his cheek, "My little boy is growing up."

Aria rolls her eyes, then looks back at her dad, "I don't know how I feel about Derek." She admits honestly for the first time today. "I just really don't know." She says again, softer this time.

"You've got your entire life to think about that. Want an egg roll?" Her Dad asks.

Aria glances down, then looks back at her Dad.

She decides in that moment, it was time to talk to Derek. About whatever the hell was going on between them.