Ok, before I start this chapter I'd like to apologize to all those who didn't like the way I portrayed the pack in the last chapter. But I assure you that there's a reason why Derek acted the way he did. Oh, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been a little busy with family stuff. But here's the next chapter.

Chapter 6:

I sat crisscrossed on my bed. My hair was wet from the shower. There was not an inch of makeup on my face. Why do I look so natural today you may ask? Well, today's Sunday and I don't plan on doing anything so why should I get dressed up?

The radio was playing the song I'm Already There by Lonestar in the background as I played with the hem of my black tank top. After a while of just sitting there, I cracked and did exactly what I was trying to not do: I pulled out the old shoebox from under my bed and set it in front of me.

The old box smelt of my dad's old cologne as I opened the lid carefully. Inside the box were a bunch of old pictures of my dad, both my parents, or of all three of us. But the first thing I picked up was the old shark tooth necklace that he's had since he was 16. I cradled it with such gentleness and stared at it, remembering that he used to wear it every day.

After holding the old trinket for a while, I set it back into the box and picked up the first picture. It was of my mom and dad on their wedding day. They had such big smiles on their faces.

I set the picture back down and picked up the next one. It was of my dad holding me on my first day alive. A small smile crept onto my face as I set it back down.

The next picture I picked up was of me and my dad. I was on his back laughing while he laughed with me. A big toothy smile grew itself before I could stop myself. I still remember that it was taken right after I got my first award for a solo performance. He was so proud of me.

Just then, a warm tear glided down my right cheek. I didn't try to wipe it away. What was the point? It would only make me cry more.

There was a soft knock on my door. I drew my knees up to my chest before saying softly, "Come in." The door opened but I didn't look up. I just stared at the picture of my dad and me together. I felt the bed dip beside me and not long after a pair of arms wrapped around my torso, a head resting on my shoulder.

"What cha looking at?" Stiles. I looked down a little at him and said quietly, "Nothing." But of course, I was given away by another tear striding down my cheek. Stiles looked at the tear and one of his arms disappeared from my torso only to appear again to wipe the tear away.

Once the tear was gone though, he kept his hand on my cheek. I automatically leaned into the palm of his hand, closing my eyes softly. My eyelashes grazed his hand but he didn't move it.

After a while, I whispered, "What are you doing here?" It surprised me how close he was to me now as he whispered back, "I told you I'd check up on you, Maya." His warm breath hit my face and I couldn't help but notice it smelt of mint gum.

The song changed to I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz and I could help but smile. "I love this song", I accidentally said out loud, not opening my eyes. "Eh, it's not half bad", he whispered, his breath still hitting my face.

My eyes fluttered open only to look right into his hazel eyes. I felt my breath get caught in my throat. Stiles looked down at my lips then back up into my eyes, biting his lip. Then he began to lean in, his eyes shutting gently. I didn't realize that I was leaning in too until my eyes closed. And then I felt his soft lips on mine. I swear I could've melted right then and there.

Slowly, my arms wrapped themselves tightly around his neck, desperate for him to get closer. His hands began to travel from my face down my sides slowly to come rest firmly on my waist. Pulling me closer to him, his tongue gently slid itself along my bottom lip. Me, deciding to tease him, didn't let him in.

Since I didn't let him in, he started pulling us down until I was on my back and he was on top of me. Then he's hands left my waist and started moving up my back under my shirt. And when he reached my shoulders blades, his fingertips started lightly traveling down my spine. The chill that it gave me was enough for me to gasp. He took that opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth.

Our tongues started dancing passionately and hungrily. I felt my hands cup the back of his head, keeping him close to me. His hands stayed on the small of my back.

"Hey Maya, I'm off to- oh shit!" My eyes busted open as Stiles quickly climbed off of me and stood by my bed, rubbing the back of his neck. His body heat left me and all I wanted to do was to pull him back to me. I wanted his heat, I wanted his kiss, and I wanted him. But what am I thinking? I'm only a teenager!

I sat up straight and looked at my mom who had her hands over her eyes. I laughed a little at her, though it hurt since I was at lack of air, and said, "You can look now."

She peaked through the cracks of her fingers before lifting her whole hand off of her face. Smiling wide, she put her hands on her hips and said, "I think I should try to be a parent here but I just can't. After all, you two are so cute together!" I laughed at her words and started rubbing my hands together. Glancing over to Stiles, I saw him licking his lips and looking at the floor, clearly embarrassed.

Then I turned to my mom and said, "Is there something you wanted to talk about?" My mom nodded and said, "Yeah, just that I was heading off to work." I nodded and said, "Well, bye mom."

She completely ignored my distancing though and walked over to me, hugging me. I didn't protest. As I hugged her back, she whispered in her ear, "Sorry but I couldn't help myself. When I saw that cutie at the doorway asking for you, I wanted you to be surprised. But it turns out I'm the one that gets a surprise." I laughed lightly and patted her in between her shoulder blades.

When we separated she started walking to the door. But when she was in the doorway, she turned around and said, "You're not going to keep on making out, are you? Because I need to be the adult here and make sure." I laughed and shook my head. "No mom, you don't have to worry. I'll go back to being the innocent little angel you want me to be." She rolled her eyes and said, "Well when you put it that way…"

Then she looked between me and Stiles before winking and walking out. I rolled my eyes at her and looked down at the shoebox that was still out. I bit my lip and started putting the box's lid back on it but I didn't put it up. How could I? I kept this box under my bed for at least a full year. It deserves to be looked at again. He deserves to be remembered. I've been a bitch for years. Now it's time to stop all the excuses and get back on track.

A big toothy smile inched itself on my face. The bed dipped next to me again but I didn't look over. I just kept my eyes on the box, feeling the torn cardboard under my fingers. "What's that?" Stiles asked as he pointed to the box.

I bit my lip and looked over at Stiles. He gave me a cute little smile, looking as innocent as ever. Can I trust him? Well, yeah! He's the one that saved you from yourself. You would've died from your own hand if it hadn't been for him! And besides, who else can you trust? Erica?

I shook my head, trying to rid my head of any thoughts of Erica. Stiles, obviously not knowing what I was doing, quickly frowned. Then he grabbed my hand in both of his and said, "Maya, you can trust me. You know that, right?" Smiling, I nodded and said, "Yeah, I know."

Relief washed over his face as he sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand for dramatic effect. "Good. I thought for a minute there I would have to prove it to you", I scrunched my nose up at him but he just laughed at me. So I bumped his shoulder with mine and said softly, "Trust me, you have."

Laughing, he reached over my lap and pulled the box from my lap. I laughed at his childish behavior before I could stop myself and reached for the box, yelling his name playfully. He laughed and arched his back a little ways behind himself in a manner to keep me from reaching it.

I laughed again before sitting on my legs and reaching over. But him being his persistent self, held it farther away from my grasp. Yelling his name again, still playful, I reached farther. Stiles bent back so far and I leaned so far that he fell on his back, me collapsing on top of his chest.

We laughed at ourselves before I snatched the box back and sat back up. He followed my actions as we both giggled, trying to calm our laughter until it stopped.

Once we calmed, Stiles turned to me and said with a caring face, "But seriously, what's in there?" I looked over at him, keeping my smile securely on my face. Then I took in a deep breath before I gestured to the box, saying, "This is a shoebox that I filled with some pictures of my dad."

I watched his face carefully, waiting for a reaction. He nodded and said, "Ok, so why are you looking at them?" Immediately, I started biting my bottom lip and whispered, "I wanted to remember him."

Glancing up at him through my bangs, I saw him sitting there with an intense thinking face on. After a while, there was a sudden change in his facial features. He looked down at me, his mouth a little open. His eyes were wide as he whispered, "Is… is your dad… dead?"

Slowly, I nodded. Then I looked up into his eyes, tears filling my waterlines. Stiles smiled sympathetically at me. Holding his arms out, he asked, "Does someone need a hug?" I chuckled before shaking my head. He tilted his head in confusion so I sighed and said, "A hug will only provoke the tears more to come out."

He nodding while saying, "Oh, got cha." He was rubbing the back of his neck and had an expression of complete embarrassment. I laughed before poking him in his cheek. Smirking playfully, he poked my cheek back. A big smile grew itself with a blush to match. He just smirked a little bigger so I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Meanie", I muttered as my fingers rubbed the corners of the box. "Now I am not a meanie. If you want a meanie than I suggest you talk to Jackson." Wow, when will this guy stop making me smile?

"So", Stiles trailed off, looking down at the box in my lap. I rolled my eyes at his nosiness before opening the box and showing him a few of the pictures.

I pointed to the picture we were on and said, "That's me and my dad at my grandma's house when I was 5." He smiled and said, "Awe! Little Maya at age 5! You were so cute!" I rolled my eyes but felt some heat rise.

Then I pointed to the next one and said, "That's my dad in high school." He nodded as if studying it and said, "I see, I see."

I smiled and pointed to the next one, "and that's my mom, my dad, and I acting like goofballs at a Mets game when I was 4." His eyes widen as he looks over to me and practically yells, "You like the Mets!" Raising one eyebrow, I said slowly, "Yes." Stiles smiled at me while pointing to himself and saying, "I do too!" I laughed at his behavior and said, "Yeah, and so do a lot of other people in this country!"

He playfully glared at me before saying, "Yes but not all of their fans are my friends!" I smiled. We're friends? Well he thinks we are. Eh, I guess we are. Quickly, I rolled my eyes at him so he didn't figure out what I was thinking about.

Looking over at him, I looked into his eyes. They're kind of weird. I think their hazel but they could also be brown. "Your eyes are bothering me", I blurted out. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion so I rolled my eyes and dramatically sighed. Then I looked at him and asked, "Are your eyes hazel or brown? 'Cause they look hazel to me."

Instantly, his face lightened as he laughed a little. After he laughed, he looked up at the ceiling as if he was thinking and said, "I think they're brown." I just shrugged and looked away, saying, "Well I'm calling them hazel."

He laughed before slipping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me a little closer while saying, "Maya, Maya, Maya, aren't you special?" I rolled my eyes and pushed him playfully. His arm retreated as he crossed them and shook his head. "Tsk, tsk." I laughed as he smiled at me.

After that little fiasco, Stiles pulled the box from my lap onto his and lifted the next picture. "Ooh, what's this about?" I quickly looked at what he was talking about and laughed. There in his hands was a picture of me and my mom wearing different shirts of my dad's and posing like crazy people. "That would be me and my mom posing in my dad's old shirts."

He raised his eyebrows at me before looking back at the picture. A smirk grew on his face as he said, "Oh, so that's who you get your looks from!" I laughed at him before snatching the picture out of his hands and set in back in the box. "Actually, I get my hair from my mom, my skin tone from my dad, and my eye color from some great grandfather on my mother's side."

I looked up at him to see he was staring at me as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Shifting a little in my spot, I mutter, "Stop staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable." And just like that, he looked away.

Lifting up another picture, he asked, "Okay, what about this one?" I scooted a little closer and looked to see the picture in his hands. "That's a picture of my dad and mom a couple weeks after they started going out." He nodded and looked at me. I gave him a smile before looking back down at the picture.

"Do you miss him?" My head shot up as I stared at him. I searched his eyes. They were full of love, lose, and hurt. "Of course", I told him. He gave me a quick half-smile before it disappeared. Stiles looked down at his lap and mumbled, "I miss my mom too." I swear right then and there my eyes popped out of my head and rolled away.

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his torso and began to chant, "I'm sorry I made you think of her. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." Almost immediately, he wrapped his arms around me, his hands coming to rest on the small of my back.

"It's ok, you didn't know", I could feel his chin going up and down on my shoulder as he talked, seeing as his head was resting on my shoulder. "No, it's not ok. I'm going to make it up to you; somehow", I mumbled the second sentence a little. But obviously it was understandable because he started shaking his head a little and said, "No, no, I'm fine."

I rolled my eyes and pulled away. "You know it's me you're talking to, right?" He nodded his head so I put a hand on one of my hips and said, "Then you know you don't have to pretend it still doesn't hurt you. And you especially don't have to pretend that you don't secretly want someone to do something for you."

I tilted my head a little to the side, a sign my mother said meant that I do when I think of other peoples' love. Stiles looked at me with a little smile and said, "Ok, you're good." Smiling in triumph, I pretended to pop the collar on an invisible shirt and said in a cocky manner, "I know."

But just as he began laughing at my silliness, his phone began to ring. He quickly grabbed his phone out of his back pocket and flipped it open, saying loudly and a little excitedly, "Yeah?" As he listened to the other person talk though, his little smile dropped completely and his eyes widened. Then he said loudly, "I'm on my way!"

Stiles hung up and looked at me, his eyes drowning in sympathy. "I've gotta go", he pointed to my bedroom door. I nodded while studying his eyes. They looked mixed between two emotions, both of which I couldn't place a finger on.

He shot me a smile as he gave me a little wave and ran out my door. I waved back even though I knew he couldn't see me. And I sat there listening to my front door open and close. I didn't hear him leave since my radio was on but I knew he was gone.

For the next several hours, I did my homework, looking through the box at least 3 different times, and listened to music. And there's one word that describes it all: boring. It was so boring that I caught myself rewinding the whole day only to stop and replay that kiss. I wonder why he kissed me. Or the better question: why did I kiss back? Wait, he kissed me first, didn't he? Uhg, that boy makes my mind go fuzzy!

I groaned loudly and fell on my stomach onto my bed, burying my face into my pillow. Just then, I heard the front door open and close back. There was a strong sting in my gut, begging for me to hope it was Stiles. But I knew better. Especially after I heard my mother's voice yell up the stairs, "Maya, I'm home!" I didn't bother responding. Let's just say my mind was stuck in rewind. Then pause. And lastly, replay.

"Maya?" My mother's voice sounded over her light footsteps up the stairs. It actually surprised me that I actually heard her steps over the radio. But then again, the radio isn't loud so… I'm just gonna shut up.

There was a soft knock on my door but I didn't move. "Maya", my mom said again as she opened my door and walked right in. When she saw me, her reaction was to say accusingly, "Now Maya, why are you lying in bed? Wasn't there a cute guy here when I left?" I wish I could have seen what she was doing but knowing her, she probably had her hands on her hips.

When I didn't move, I heard her voice full of excitement yet curiosity ask, "Oh, my god! Did you two… you know…" "Mom!" I shot up on my bed and stared at her in horror. "You're my mom for Pete's sake! Why would you think something like that!"

She shot her hands up in surrender and said, "Ok, ok, I won't do it ever again!" A sigh of relief sounded from my mouth. But anyone would do that if they were in my situation, wouldn't they?

Slowly, my mom lowered herself onto the foot of my bed with a smile on her face. "So", she began as her eyes traveled around my rooms. Then she turned to me and looked me right in the eyes, saying, "Did you guys have sex?" My eyes widened as my mouth opened a little.

"MOM!" I yelled with a smile on my face as I grabbed my pillow and wacked her in the face. She laughed before grabbing the pillow I hit her with and wacked me back.

Ah, the perfect moment to trick her… I stuck out my bottom lip and gave her the puppy dog eyes. She just laughed at me and said, "You really think that's going to work? Do you remember who you got that talent from?" Then she pointed to herself and mouthed 'me'.

And with that, we fell into a laughing fit. Once we calmed down a little, I looked over at my mom while pushing a strand of hair out of my eyes and asked, "Ice cream?" She laughed at me and said, "Is that even a question?" I shrugged before standing up and bolting out of my room and down the stairs, yelling over my shoulder, "Slowpoke!"

Can I just say that mother-daughter days are not that boring? Well, not for me and my mom at least. First we had a contest to see who could make the most outlandish ice cream cone (which I totally won). Then we ate the ice cream 'cause there's no way it's going to waste. After that, we watched a few movies. And finally I took a shower because, well, I needed one.

As I slipped into my pajamas, I heard a faint knock on my door. "Coming in", my mom announced as she pranced into my room, plopping herself on my bed. I looked over at her and raised an eyebrow in a questionable look.

She just laughed and said, "What? I can't brush my little girl's hair like all the other moms?" I laughed as I walked over to her with my brush in hand. "Well most moms did that when their daughters were 6." A smirk played on her lips as I sat down with my back facing her, handing her my brush.

My mom began to brush through my hair to get all the tangles out. "So what do you want to talk about? Any interesting gossip at school?" I laughed softly at her and said, "You do know that gossip is just a bunch of lies, right?" She moved so I could see her face as she gave me a smug look and said, "Now why do you have to go and prove your mother wrong?" We looked at each other before laughing a little.

After that, she moved her face back to where it was and began brushing were she left off. "So, anything you want to talk about?" She repeated. "Not really", I said and bit my lip. She scoffed and said, "How about that cutie from before; Stiles?" I could feel my body tense up but I quickly tried to compose myself. "No… I don't want to talk about him", I croaked out as I blinked a few times. Wait; blinking, biting my lip… those are all signs of avoidance. Why am I avoiding a talk about Stiles?

"You know", my mom began as she brushed my already detangled hair. She paused a moment to make sure I was listening before she continued, "There's this guy in my office: Robert. He acts sort of like you do. He keeps silent; never talks about his feelings or love life. He acts all distant and everything and it makes everyone wonder if he's ok. But the truth is that he's single, bisexual, and his family disowned him. Now I know that you're straight and your family has not disowned you. What I don't know is what happened when I left or why you were in a bad mood when I got home. Would you mind enlightening me as to why you're acting like this?"

Wow, she sounds like a professional. Too bad I've studied the art of reading people longer than her. "And you're one to talk? All the late nights and not mentioning work related subjects?"

I paused for a minute, hoping she would say something, anything. But she didn't, so I continued, "What's so different about this job? Hmm? Is it the fact that it's a promotion? Or is it too great o-or too terrible to talk about? Or is it some completely different reason that you're not going to tell me because"- "Maya!"

I sunk a little in my clothes at her voice. Why? Why did she yell at me? Did I go too overboard? No, I was just asking questions, wasn't I?

My mom began to relax while I raked my brain, trying to answer my questions and find the reason why I didn't realize her physical tension before.

She began brushing my hair again and I finally noticed that she had stopped sometime in my rant. "Just… just stopping thinking so hard. You and your father have always been known to overanalyze things. So, just quiet down, Hun."

I bit my lip again. Why did she turn on me like that? Why is she avoiding my questions? It went from my avoidance announced to hers. Why can't she just tell me the answers?

"I'm going to sleep", I whispered more to myself than her. She stopped brushing my hair and paused before whispering, "Okay." And with that, she stood up and walked towards the door, blowing me a kiss at the door. I nodded at her in my way of saying 'night' and looked down in my lap. The light clicked off and I sat there for a minute to calm my nerves and thoughts. Then after a while, I laid down, wishing for some sleep.