Author's Note: Hey guys! It's been a hectic week, but here I am with another update, just 'cause I love you all :P This week I found out that a TMI movie is officially being made! They're already writing the script and everything! *Jumps up and down and squeels* I can't wait! XD
I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. Even though I'm not demanding reviews for this story (yet…seriously guys, I only got 7 reviews last chapter, but I got 72 favourites/subscribed messages!), you guys still keep 'em coming! Thank you so much guys! A big shoutout goes out to burningimpossiblybright, fanpire4000, Jessika_XoXo, agony-fairy, freyaswrath and Sweet – you ladies make my day! Keep those random messages, long reviews and tweets rollin' in! To Sweet: I'm so sorry! Every time I write your name in with the shoutouts it just becomes this random little dot because fanfic's being evil. You still rock tho! :D
For those of you who still haven't but want to, add me on twitter! You'll get teasers every Wednesday for this story, plus advanced access to outtakes from The Finding! Sound good? If so, add me: sch _ 94 !
Speaking of teasers…Because of your responses to my song idea last chapter, I've decided to hold a bit of a contest! *CONTEST!* Here's how it'll work: you guys include a Chloe + Derek relationship (ONLY!) song in your reviews, and I'll pick the top 5. These top fivers will receive an exclusive teaser from one of the chapters in this story when Chloe and Derek are 16 and 17. (Awesome, right?) Then these 5 choices will be turned into a poll for you guys to vote on! By the end of next week, I'll contact the winner, who will receive either another teaser from an advanced chapter or a one-shot written by me, based on an idea they give me (it'll be their choice and yes, lemons are included, pervs :P). Sound good? If so, include your song choice in your review for this chapter, or PM it to me.
The Finding: Outtakes! I have a few written already and they will be posted on both my livejournal and on fanfic (most of you have put it on story alert already, so I assume you already found it). I will, however, be demanding reviews for these outtakes, to help get it going AND because I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately, compared to the number of times my stories are favourited and subscribed to… Twenty before the next one is posted please :)
That's it for now guys (promise!). Thanks for putting up with my long author's notes, and enjoy the chapter!
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Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are in the cafeteria eating lunch. Steph is very excited about something…
Steph: *Bouncing up and down in her seat*
So there's this guy in my science class and he's so Derek! He's a total tank! He's 6 ft 3, with dark brown hair, green eyes, and he looks exactly like how you would picture a werewolf to look!
Christina: *Rolls eyes*
Suuuuuuuuuure, Steph. Next you're going to tell me you own more than just the plot and new characters you made for this story!
Steph: But Tinaaaaaa! I'm completely serious! He could be Derek!
Christina: *Not paying attention*
Mhhmmmmm?
Steph: Yeah!
Christina: Riiiiiight. Just give it up sweetie, Derek doesn't exist!
Steph: *Grumbles and crosses arms*
A few minutes later…
Steph: OMG! LOOK! THERE HE IS! IT'S DEREK!
*Points to something behind Christina*
Christina: *Looks, turns back to Steph with wide eyes*
HOLY SHIT! I KNEW HE EXISTED!
*Gets up and beings chasing guy*
Derek! DEREEEEEK! DON'T YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME MISTER! WHERE 'S SIMON? WHERE! IS! SIMOOOON?!
*Continues to chase the poor guy through the cafeteria*
Steph: *Laughing hysterically*
This is sooooo my next disclaimer…
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Fury
Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming it is stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury.
-Francis Quarles
Thirteen Years Old
My mother didn't return until almost 4 months later.
I had been trying to contact her every day since the day she disappeared without any success, so when she actually materialized in front of me that day, I jumped.
"Mom! You gave me a friggin' heart attack!" I scolded, before coming to my senses. "MOM! You're back! Where the heck have you been for so long?!" I demanded. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when you just disappeared like that? How could you be so inconsiderate?!" I knew I was ranting, but dammit, I was angry!
"I told you before I left, Chloe – I had things to do."
"What kind of 'things' could possibly take you four months to complete?!"
"You know I can't tell you that," she said with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"Yeah, I know," I said, letting the acid seep into my voice while attempting to disguise the fact that I was about to cry. I turned around and tried to pull myself together. Why is she acting like this? I wondered. Why is this happening to us?
I turned around again. "Mom, I-"
She was already gone.
***
The next ten months followed the same uneventful pattern: sleep, school, and visits with Simon and Derek were what occupied most of my time, and I was comfortable knowing what to expect day after day.
I was about to become very uncomfortable.
One Friday night, early in the spring, Derek and I were waiting outside for Simon, who had forgotten about the fountain-sized drink he'd had at lunch before leaving the house. He had rushed into the bathroom upon arriving, leaving Derek and I alone for the first time in almost a year.
There was an awkward moment of silence that stretched on for what seemed like forever, until Derek finally spoke.
"So, uh… how was school?" he asked lamely, something Simon usually beat him to. Simon was fascinated by the prospect of going to school with so many people and liked to live vicariously through my stories, while Derek was perfectly content with learning at home. He asked because he knew how much I hated every moment I spent stuck in that industrialized, pitiful excuse for a 'healthy learning environment'.
"The same as always: lonely and boring," I said bluntly.
He ran his fingers through the patch of grass next to his leg. "You still haven't made friends?" he asked incredulously. "It's usually so easy for girls like you!"
I ignored that. "I don't want to make friends."
He looked confused by my confession. "Why not?"
I sighed. "I don't want to have to lead two separate lives, Derek! I can't pretend to be some perky , carefree girl who loves movies and music one minute and be "Chloe the Ghost Whisperer" the next! Not when I know about horrible things like demons and ghosts and poltergeists and…none of it matters to me!"
"So you distance yourself from everyone purposely? That's not right, Chloe. Everyone needs friends."
"I have you and Simon," I said simply. "What else could I need?"
He hung his head and sighed. "You don't want anything else, but you deserved more than this life of loneliness and fear… you could have had it if we hadn't barged into your life the way we did."
The silence returned after that. I didn't know how to respond to what he was saying; I should have denied it, told him he had it all wrong, but I couldn't find the words.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, so low I almost didn't hear it.
I felt a stab of guilt. I should have just kept my stupid mouth shut and stopped complaining! Now he's torturing himself because of me!
I did the only thing I could think to do at that moment – I leaned over and hugged him. "Don't say that!" I scolded. "You guys are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time! It's not your fault I'm a loner!"
He chuckled half-heartedly and hugged me back with one arm.
Simon always had the best timing…
There was a nervous laugh that came from behind me, and Derek yanked his arm back as if I was poisonous. "Hey!" Simon said nervously as he made his way over to us. "That's my job!" Simon hugged me tightly, cutting off my air supply. Behind him, Derek rolled his eyes and strode off.
***
The next day was a Sunday. Andrew, Lauren, and I had been forced to cancel our movie night on Saturday, so we were planning to go see a movie then instead.
After the movie we all went out for lunch. Throughout the movie Lauren had seemed tense, so when she put her menu down and looked at Andrew I mimicked her, knowing she probably had something important to say.
"Chloe, sweetie, Andrew and I have been talking this over, and-"
My heart sank. Her tone was grim and somber, and that usually only meant one thing to orphans… "You're sending me back?" I guessed. "Is it because of something I did? Because if it is, I'll-"
"No, sweetheart, don't be silly! We would never send you back there!" she assured me. "We just-"
"You're having a baby?!" I guessed hopefully.
Andrew choked on his drink and set it down. "What?!"
"No, no!" Lauren said impatiently, her voice adopting the somber tone again. "Listen Chloe… Andrew and I have been discussing this, and we feel it would be best if you talked to someone."
"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" I asked, confused about where she was going with this.
"I mean a professional, hun. We hear you sometimes, and…There are a lot of great doctors I know at the hospital who specialized in child psychology, and I think they could really help you get over-"
"You…want me to see a shrink?" I simplified.
She sighed defeatedly. "Yes."
I could feel my hands shaking. They know! They know about everything and they think I'm crazy!
I got up slowly, unsteady on my feet. "I'll b-be in t-the c-car," I said, running out the door of the restaurant before they could say anything else.
The drive home was tense. I bolted out of the car the moment the car stopped moving, determined to avoid seeing or speaking to Andrew and Lauren. I refuse to be examined by some pompous idiot with a psychology degree worth less than a can of SPAM!
I picked up my phone and dialed. "Simon, can you and Derek come over? I really need to talk to hi- you guys."
Simon hung up with a hurried "be right there!"
While I waited for Derek and Simon to arrive, I wrote in my journal and attempted to calm myself down. When that didn't work, I unlocked one of my drawers and pulled out a bag of licorice from my secret candy stash.
I had just managed to rip open the bag when I heard a light knock at the window. I stuffed a piece of licorice in my mouth before opening the balcony door and stepping outside. "I'm over here!" Simon called from near the pool. I made my way over, searching for Derek after receiving a quick hug from Simon.
"Where's Derek?" I asked.
"He told me to go on ahead – he's busy looking for something."
"Oh…okay." I shoved another piece of licorice in my mouth and held the bag out to Simon. "Want some?"
"I can't."
"Right, sorry. I forgot about the diabetes thing," I said, feeling guilty for eating candy like a pig in front of him.
"That's all right. So, what did you need to talk to us about? Did something happen?" he asked anxiously.
"I'd rather wait so I can tell you both at the same time, if you don't mind... What's taking Derek so long, Simon?"
"He's not coming," he said quietly.
"What?! Why not?!"
"He's… he's not feeling too great right now."
"Oh, well… can we go see him?"
"Um…no, Chloe, I don't think we should. He doesn't want anyone seeing him right now," Simon said anxiously.
"W-why not? What's going on, Simon?"
"Nothing!"
"There's definitely something! You're acting all suspicious! Just tell me what's going on!"
"I can't!"
"Simon, it's me! Chloe, your best friend! You can tell me anything, remember? Why are you being so secretive all of a sudden?!"
"I'm sorry Chloe, I just… can't, okay? Can we drop it please?"
"Fine." My anger towards Andrew and Lauren, my mother, and now my anger towards Simon and Derek was getting to be too much to bear; I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get away from everyone.
I got up and stormed back towards my room.
"Chloe, wait! Come back!" Simon was running after me, trying to catch up.
"Go home, Simon."
"Chloe, wait! I'll tell you, okay? Just please don't be mad at me!"
I spun around to face him. "Start talking."
***
"You've got to be kidding me! He's a werewolf?!"
"It's true!"
"A howling-at-the-moon, outta-my-way-or-you're-dog-chow, I-hate-all-things-vampire, werewolf?!"
Simon rolled his eyes. "He doesn't howl, and I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as vampires. Plus, he's not even a full werewolf yet!"
"Either way, it's not possible!"
"Chloe, I cast spells, and you talk to dead people. We're not possible!"
"But those things are…I don't know, conditions! Being a werewolf isn't even physically possible, Simon!"
"Apparently, it is."
"I don't know… I think I need him to tell me himself."
Simon looked hurt. "I don't know, Chloe…"
"Just send him over by himself one day when he's feeling better! I'll ask him about it and-"
"He would kill me if he found out I told you!"
"I won't tell him you told me! I'll just say I figured it out or something! Whaddaya say?"
"Um…"
"Please Simon?"
He sighed. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, but you owe me big time!"
I grinned. "Thanks Simon. I'm gunna go inside now. See ya next week?"
"You'll be seeing me at my funeral if Derek ever finds out I told you," he warned.
I stuck my tongue out at him and made a face. "Tell Derek I hope he feels better!"
"I will!" he called before disappearing into the trees. I went back inside and collapsed on my bed. I needed time to process everything that was going on… my adoptive parents think I'm was crazy and want to send me to see a therapist, my dead mother won't stop talking about the danger we're all in, and now this?
I rolled over so that I could stare at the ceiling through the hole in the canopy. Being a teenager sucks, I decided.
***
Derek showed up about two days later. "Hey!" I called through the open window. "I'll be right there, just gimme a few seconds!"
He nodded and went to wait by the trees. I put my journal away quickly and ran outside, eager to confront Derek with my newfound knowledge. I almost tripped down the balcony stairs in my haste.
I ran the rest of the distance from my balcony to the trees, coming to a screeching halt once I got a good look at Derek.
He was standing with his arms folded across his chest, and despite the chill in the air, he was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
That wasn't all though – he looked bigger somehow, as if he'd grown a foot in the past week, and his face… his face was the worst of all. His eyes were still the same, but it looked as if someone had taken a red magic marker and drawn polka-dots all over his face!
"What the hell happened to you?" I asked without thinking.
He blushed and turned away. "Puberty," he mumbled. I cocked an eyebrow at him but said nothing.
He cleared his throat. "So…what did you want to talk about the other day?" he asked, his tone business-like.
I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, too distracted by what he looked like to be able to think clearly. "Lauren and Andrew… they want to send me to see someone."
"Who?" he asked, sounding bored. Whoa now, tone it down there, Derek! Don't get too excited now!
I opened my eyes to be able to gauge his reaction. "A therapist."
His face turned white. "They know?!"
"Ya think?" I said sarcastically.
"But how?! It doesn't make sense! I thought you weren't talking to your mom as much as you used to!"
"We've been arguing a lot lately," I admitted. "I guess they heard me and thought I was getting worse or something."
He began pacing. "This is bad."
I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, captain obvious. You know, I hadn't figured that out yet!"
He stopped pacing and turned to face me. "How could you be so stupid?!" he demanded. "I told you what would happen, didn't I? How could you be so irresponsible?!"
My temper flared and I got defensive. "Well, excuse me for wanting to speak to someone other than Simon for a change!"
"What are you talking about? You talk to me and Andrew and Lauren, don't you?"
I snorted. "Yeah, 'cause Lauren and Andrew and I get along sooooo well, right? They only wanna have me committed, but you know, no big deal!"
"You talk to me."
"You?! You're always in your own little world, Derek!"
"What'd you mean? I'm always here listening!"
"Yeah, listening!" I emphasized. "But you never say anything; other than 'beware of parents' or 'go talk to Simon'! You never tell me anything about yourself! It's like talking to a wall!"
We sound like a couple in a horror movie, I realized. That one couple who argues in the beginning and then splits up and then gets back together after they almost die and realize they can't live without one another.
"I tell you everything you need to know," he said calmly.
"Oh, yeah," I spat. "You just neglected to mention the fact that you're a freakin' werewolf!"
He froze. "Simon told you," he guessed.
There was no point in denying it. "Yes." I let my voice soften. "But what I can't understand is, why didn't you tell me?"
He sat down on the grass and rubbed his eyes. "I didn't want you to hate me, to think I was a monster or something."
"I would never think that!"
"Maybe not, but you'd be afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you, Derek."
"Yes, you are. Everyone who knows is terrified of me, and they have good reason to be!"
"Well, I'm not!"
He stared at me, searching my eyes for some sort of indication that I was lying. "Really?"
"Yes, you idiot! I've known you since I was ten! I know you'd never hurt anyone! Remember that time I was going to kill a spider but you made me let it go because it was an 'invaluable part of the natural cycle of predatory evolution'?"
He smiled weakly. "That was two years ago!"
"It doesn't matter! Nothing's changed!"
"I have."
"Yeah, I know! When did you get so tall? You're a beast!"
He shrugged. "Unlike some people, I eat my vegetables."
"Riiiiiight. Simon told me you give him all of yours, don't even try to deny it!"
He shook his head and muttered something about 'big mouths'. "Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about before, but what are you gunna do about Andrew and Lauren? Did they say they're gunna force you to go see a therapist?"
I racked my brain for any memory of Lauren saying I had to go. "I don't think so… I think they were trying to convince me before, so they're probably not going to force me into it."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. You know, if you want them to get off your case, you're really gunna have to stop talking to your mom so much. I know it'll be hard, but-"
"I'll try…but I need some way to keep myself from giving in, you know? Some way to- wait, I have an idea!"
"What is it?"
"Well, I was thinking… maybe you could come visit me every day? That way I won't feel as lonely, and I won't have to bother my mom so much…"
Derek looked uncomfortable. "You want me to come over every day?" he repeated.
"It's totally okay if you don't want to!" I said hurriedly. "I was just thinking that it would help me get over my dependence on my mom, you know? Having someone there watching me would stop me from-"
"I'll do it," he said slowly.
"Really? That's amazing! Thank you so much!"
"Do you want me to tell Simon to come with me?" he asked hesitantly.
"Um…could we keep this just between us for now?" I asked, internally cringing at the thought of having to be cheerful enough to hang out with Simon every day. He was my best friend, but it was exhausting being around him sometimes… "If that's okay with you," I added as an afterthought.
"Sounds good to me."
We sat there for a while, talking about how I should approach Lauren and Andrew with my refusal of their suggestion. After that, I tried getting him to explain more about the werewolf thing.
"Hey, sorry about before…" I said, trying to sound as sincere as I felt. "I was just… really surprised."
"It's alright. Simon reacted the same way."
"I don't get it… why do you look so different?"
"It's a werewolf thing I guess. We grow really fast."
"Oh…so when do you turn into a wolf?"
"I have no idea. It usually happens at around 18, but everyone's different…"
"Oh…well, I bet you'll make a cool wolf."
He chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I'll bet."
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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to get it out as soon as possible, but it was kinda difficult when I can only use 1 arm to type (I got the swine flu vaccine yesterday and my arms positively KILLS!) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the long-ness, (32 pages of notebook paper! No joke!) the next one is gunna be chock-full of drama! :P Please review, and remember to include your contest entries in either your review or a PM! Thanks guys! :)