Her plan to completely obliterate the male species at her school was sabotaged by her own body. That Monday night brought her body down so hard, she could barely walk around with the throbbing in her head. Her parents' faces as she curled between her comforters was enough to break her own heart. They tried so hard to put up a false front, a positive smile, that she almost wished she had an Oscar to give to both of them. But with each conversation they hid behind their door, she was met with muted sobs every time. And every time they thought she couldn't hear.
She heard everything though. She heard her doctors every time they tried to tell her that she was strong. That she had fought so hard for so long but she just couldn't fight it anymore. Her own body was working against her. Her limbs had to work twice as hard to keep up with her daily activities. The headaches were becoming so frequent and painful, that she now wore sunglasses inside the house.
She tried to stay as normal as possible the entire week she was home. The blurry words on every page of her homework, was making the process incredibly difficult but she pushed through. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she even bothered doing the work. It wasn't like she was going to make it to the end of the year anyway.
Both Jake and Laura stopped by during the week. Both of them, unfortunately, bringing more work along for her to start on. They kept at their best; neither of them arguing while they were over. Although they had no idea what type of illness she had, they didn't comment too much on the sunglasses. Jake, on the other hand, did find it rather amusing that her mother kept bringing fudge pops in to make her feel better. By the end of the week, he had helped her consume about four boxes.
By the time Friday rolled around, her eyes had adjusted fairly well and she no longer had to wear the sunglasses. With her headaches diminishing, she was hoping she'd be back to school on Monday.
Both Jake and Laura said they wouldn't be able to make it over that evening after school. Jake was hoping to toss in a little extra lacrosse practice and Laura would naturally go to watch. Alex was seriously considering an intervention if those two didn't start telling each other how they felt. Jake was just too shy to say anything and Laura….well, she liked to play hard to get.
With her homework done for the week, Alex tried to keep herself entertained at home. Her head was still too sensitive to go work out in the garage. Her mother forbid her from any straining activities so absolutely NO dancing. Considering their large collection of movies, she was sufficiently making her way through all of them. There was only so many Fast and The Furious marathons she could have before she even got bored.
She had eventually migrated upstairs to her room after her mother had come home to start dinner. She was a regular Paula Deen in the kitchen, but she made way too much noise when she was creating a masterpiece. If she wasn't clinking pans together, she was singing malt shop song after malt shop song.
Seeing the gorgeous weather through her window, she had tired to get some sketching in. Her page still remained blank. The outdoors just weren't inspiring her today.
Tossing her sketchbook aside , she decided a good book might be in her favor. Running her finger along the spines, she could feel the creases of her well read classics. Grabbing a few, she carried them over to her bed and lined them up gently. Their genres certainly didn't line up together but she wasn't sure what she was in the mood to read. A good adventure or a tragic love story?
A gentle knock on her door signaled her mother wanted to see her, "Come in."
Her mother was a pleasantly plump woman; certainly years of her cooking had contributed to her figure. She knew one of the reasons her father had fallen for her mother was because of her brilliant chef abilities. When you could make a full grown college football player full on potatoes and meat, you were pretty much guaranteed a spot in his heart forever.
Her mothers sweet disposition won everyone else over. She refused to turn down anyone who needed help; even letting a random homeless man stay with them for three months to get him back on his feet. Thanks to her he was an intern at a law firm, currently earning his Masters Degree, married with his first child on the way, and now a permanent member on their Christmas card mailing list. Her father always said she was an angel. Alex could never argue with that.
"Oh honey there's a boy here to see you," her mother wiggled her eyebrows at her. She normally was quite excited when Jake and Laura came over. She couldn't help but enjoy the happiness she saw in her mothers eyes when she realized that she had friends. Wiggling eyebrows on the other hand? Now that was something new.
"What's with the eyebrows?"
"Oh you know," and there she did it again.
"Yeah I don't know what that means."
"It means there's a very attractive young man downstairs," and yet again she wiggled her eyebrows trying to emphasize her point.
"Oh gotcha….wiggly eyebrows equal hot guy," laughed Alex.
"Yes! You're a teenager, aren't you supposed to know these things?"
"Aren't you a mother and not supposed to know these things."
Giggling, her mother tucked her arm through hers, slowly escorting her down the stairs, "Well you know me dear. I try to keep up with the times."
An attractive young man downstairs? She didn't ask her mother what his name was but then again, she would have mentioned it in the room with all the eyebrow wiggling. It couldn't be Jake, not saying that he wasn't attractive, but her parents already knew him. He tended to walk straight through the door, kiss her mother on the cheek as he grabbed some food from the kitchen and then headed straight to her room….if her dad didn't intercept him first. Ever since he found out that Jake knew absolutely nothing about cars, he had been taking him into the garage to give him some lessons. Jake could spend six hours at her house and she would maybe see him for two of those (and that included sitting down for dinner).
Finally descending the stairs, her mother left her for the kitchen, while she took off towards the living room. He stood with his back towards her; he was examining some photos of the family along the fireplace. Her dog was already glued to his hip as he scratched her ears.
With fall slowly descending upon Beacon Hills, he was wearing an aged leather jacket to keep warm. "Derek."
Placing her baby photo back in its place, Derek turned around to greet her. In the five days she had been home, Derek had apparently decided to not shave his face. Dark stubble along his jaw gave him the 5 O' clock shadow needed to complete his bad boy image. Alex did favor the dark jeans he wore; they made his legs look even stronger. Pair those jeans with a white t-shirt, black leather jacket, blue eyes and black stubble…she was surprised she wasn't already a puddle on the floor. She was suddenly wishing her mom had known who was downstairs. The boxer shorts and tank top she was wearing, weren't exactly screaming sexy to the attractive man in her living room. "What are you doing here?"
Derek watched as Alex toyed with the bottom of her tank top. Her pulse had sped up dramatically once she had entered the room. The rush of hormones he was also picking up, was making it very hard for him to concentrate. He could tell from the red on her cheeks that she was blushing; probably slightly embarrassed of the attire she had greeted him in. The tiny boxer shorts and tight tank top were working the completely opposite affect she thought she was showing. Clearing his throat, he approached her slowly, "I came by to see how you doing."
"Oh…well, I'm doing better. I'm thinking I'll be back to school on Monday." Alex couldn't understand how Derek could stand so confidently in front of her all the time. Where she struggled to keep eye contact with him whenever they spoke, he seemed to never look away from hers. He was a dominant male, she could tell just by the way he stood in a room. His back was always straight, his legs slightly spread apart. Though the posture reminded her of new recruits fresh out of boot camp, his body screamed attention. She saw why the females couldn't look away but now she saw why the males seemed to flock to him as well. His entire presence demanded respect even before he earned it. She was beginning to understand why she always wanted to look at him but she still couldn't understand why he wanted to do the same to her.
Nodding his head in agreement, he suddenly felt the weight of his surprise in his jacket pocket. "Hey, I brought you something."
Curious, Alex watched as he reached inside his coat. Inside his breast pocket, a small rectangular object rested inside. It was encased in green wrapping paper; ready for her eager hands to tear apart. "You wrapped it too?"
His hands fumbled a bit as he slowly handed the gift over. He hadn't thought about wrapping it but at the time of purchase, the cashier had asked if he wanted it done since it was a gift. Considering he carried male blood and failed at any attempt at wrapping things, he agreed without thinking of the repercussions.
Why did he get it wrapped? It added a bit more fun to the situation…maybe. It looked better when he handed it over to her…true. But Derek did it for another reason entirely. He just wanted to see her smile.
That day when she refused to ride in his car, was the first day he had seen the phenomena. In fact, she laughed all the time around Jake and Laura but he hadn't actually seen a true smile on her face. It was absolutely beautiful and he wanted to see it all the time. Her sarcasm was a trait he rather enjoyed but to see those ghosts in her eyes disappear for just three seconds, was enough to make his heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, they just kind of did it."
Smiling, Alex slowly peeled the tape back; not really wanting to ruin the beautiful paper. "It's my favorite color."
Derek didn't respond to that. How was he supposed to tell her that he already knew. How he observed her so often that he noticed her green binder and her favorite green t-shirt she wore every Monday with her green converse. Or how he knew her favorite scent was anything mixed with coconut; her body wash, the perfume she always wore. They were both subtle until she walked by. The gentle breeze brought the tropical scents to him every time.
Pulling the paper away revealed a book. Slightly shocked that Derek could pick out a book she might enjoy, she turned it over to the front cover. The cardboard sleeves were encased in black thread; a symbol usually reserved for older books. Across the top, silver cursive swayed beautifully against it's black backdrop; Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe.
Alex's mouth hung open slightly as she took in the title, "How did you know?"
Brushing his hand through his short hair, he tried to not sound disappointed when he responded. Once she had seen the cover, her heart rate had dropped a bit. He wasn't completely positive what that signal meant, "Well, Laura told me you liked poetry so…."
Running her hands lovingly over the words, Alex wondered how he knew. How did Derek Hale know she liked Poe when Jake would never be able to figure that out, "Yeah, but how did you know that Poe is my favorite?"
Leaning back on both his legs, he thought about playing the nonchalant card; the same card he played with all the other girls at their school. He wasn't necessarily ready to admit that she had managed to completely ensnare him but he didn't need her to think that he felt nothing, "We share the same AP English teacher and your essay interpreting The Raven, was brilliant. She wanted to share it with our class and I saw your name at the top before she covered it up."
"Wow….Derek, thank you." She didn't give him enough credit. The fact he was able to connect those two, confused her. She had never encountered a boy in her life that wanted to figure her out. Once they realized she wasn't some standard high school slut, they moved on trying find another girl to trap. They didn't care that she loved poetry. They didn't understand why she loved green so much. But somehow, Derek knew that.
Slowly setting the book down on an end table, Alex did something she didn't realize she was actually brave enough to do. She hugged Derek. She stood on her toes, trying to be higher than her normal five foot frame, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Derek didn't mean to stiffen as soon as her arms were around him but it was unexpected. She seemed so unsure of his gift that he almost thought she might run anyway; frightened that he knew details about her she hadn't shared before. But instead, she had raised her tiny body up as high she could to give him a hug. A hug that wasn't just a few simple awkward pats on the back but a full encompassed emotion.
She clung to him until he wound his arms around her waist and even then she stayed for another thirty seconds. She longed to stay within the heat that engulfed his entire frame but she eventually, reluctantly let go.
Derek felt her slowly release pressure from around his neck. Her short stature began to lower but he kept his arms around her still; his hands slowly following the descent of her body to the floor. He could feel the lean muscles beneath her shirt and he wasn't sure he wanted to let her go. She was small but she seemed to fit against him; his body meant to shield her, protect her.
Reluctantly, Derek drew his arms away from her as well, "I'm just going to head home now. I'm glad you're feeling better."
She didn't have time to answer before he was out her door again. Concealing the shudder that wanted to run through her body from their brief contact, she picked up her book and went back upstairs. She now had something worth occupying her time.
Monday brought a new sense of life to Alex. She hadn't had to endure another headache since Friday. She was actually wearing her sunglasses to school because the sun was shining; not because fluorescents gave her a migraine. And she was driving to school.
The unfortunate reality that she only held a learner's permit, was overlooked by both her father and herself. She agreed to admit fault if she was caught by the police and he agreed to fake ground her so he didn't look like a horrible parent. The only thing they had to do was make sure her mother didn't find out; she would blow a head gasket.
The rumble of the V8 sent shivers through her body. Her heart thundered against her chest. Her palms sweaty against the leather steering wheel. Her pulse skyrocketed and it wasn't because she was afraid of getting caught. That actually added a sense danger to the equation and at 7 am, with Alex on an adrenaline high, life was suddenly looking really good.
Classes didn't start for another twenty minutes so the parking lot was considerably packed with students. The wannabe boys with the tuned-up imports, watched as she rolled along the pavement. The evil sneers plastered on their faces, let Alex know two things.
One: They had no idea what was under her hood. Any true gear head could hear the amount of horsepower she was pushing in this car. The idea of them finishing a race ahead of her, was a wet dream they would never get to experience.
Two: Those dumbasses had no idea what was under their own hood. They did dress to the nines in the latest Ecko garb, which just showed that they knew how to spend daddy's money. They probably wouldn't be able to point out where their coolant was stored.
Derek always parked in the front of the lot because he enjoyed showing off his baby. For four years, he had glorified in the light that was his worship. Every boy wanted to look like him, walk like him and drive the exact same car like him. Every girl on the other hand, just wanted to be with him at least one time. It could've been sex, a kiss or even a gentle brush of bodies, and they would've died one happy woman. Alex knew he enjoyed the rush, the power such control could bring.
Derek, Laura and Jake were already towards the front of the school, lounging against his car. A few cheerleaders occupied the parking space next to him. They flipped their hair over their shoulders so many times, trying to get his attention, Alex was sure some of it might actually fall out.
Shifting gears, she shot forward faster than she should have for parking but the squeals that erupted from the blondes was enough to make her day. Running as fast as their heels could carry them, the three girls clung to Derek like spider monkeys. They weren't used to be ignored. Their flirtations always got them what they wanted and for some unknown reason, Derek was immune to all of it.
Grabbing her bag from the passenger seat, Alex finally stepped out into the light.
"So that's why you wouldn't ride in my Camaro. You're a Mustang girl." To say that Derek was impressed would be an understatement. He hadn't gone to see her over the weekend but she already looked a hundred times better than before. Her skin had that glow back and she was smiling ear to ear. Well smiling might not have been the right term to use. Unlike the happy smile he had enjoyed and witnessed before, this one was dangerous. That was a look that belonged to a girl that liked power and knew how to use it. It certainly turned him on.
Shutting her door, she shouldered her bag and walked up to Derek like a tiger on the prowl. Derek suddenly realized that she wasn't just walking. Seducing him was probably a better way to describe what she was doing.
She watched as the girls desperately tried to grab his attention; mumbling something about how scared they were. But Derek was watching every step she took with the stare of a predator. Those blue eyes skimmed over her combat boots, traveled up her jean clad legs, savored her red tank top, lingered on her leather jacket and finally he landed on those dark eyes. She was a girl that could run with the boys.
"You see Derek…there are two types of people in this world. The people that drive Camaros and the people that drive Mustangs….that beat the Camaros ass."
Alex had gathered a crowd. Once that smartass comment left her mouth, she was greeted with claps along her shoulder and snickers from the back. The students around here didn't seem to hold to loyalty very well.
She thought she had seen Derek smirk before but his entire posture was changing as she challenged him. His eyes gleamed dangerously; promising things her body wished he'd promise on. Shoving the females off his arm, he slowly approached her. His body towered over her and he and no problem using that to his advantage.
His face stopped just short of brushing hers. His eyes lingering briefly over her cleavage before his long legs carried him around her. He circled her body slowly, his hand dragging along her lower back in the process. His hot breath touched her ear suddenly, "Do you even know what's under your hood?"
The crowd suddenly turned and they were on Derek's side once again. The prospect of a challenge hung heavy in the air.
Catcalls echoed behind her as Derek continued to circle her. She hadn't missed the double meaning behind his question but he didn't need to know what was going on under her clothes. She should've felt on display, perhaps victimized, but this new Derek was thrilling her to no end. He was answering her challenge with an equal vigor. His body heat jumped ten degrees just by watching her body language.
"Every good driver knows what's in their car."
The bell for class could've rung but the tension in the air blocked out every dimension. Their bodies continued to crowd the pavement as Derek stared her down. He was definitely sizing her up and not just for the display she was showing now. Over the past month, she had avoided showing any sign of her attraction towards him. At that moment, she was showing him exactly who she was.
She was the sweet girl that let Jake rant on and on about lacrosse. She was the warrior who's loyalty ran so deep, she would set her life down on line. She was the clumsy ass that managed to burn herself every time she entered a kitchen. She was the beautiful girl that loved to wear wolverine boxers to bed. She was the intelligent girl that challenged his brain every single day. And she was the badass that loved the rush of a V8 between her legs.
She stared at Derek with every bit of passion she felt when she was around him and she knew he could see it. His eyes went from a burning fire to an uncontrollable furnace. She could see his fists clenching within his jacket sleeves. To everyone around them, he was a male being showed up by a girl. But Alex knew what he truly wanted. He wanted her. He wanted her to stop playing around, to break down walls so he could actually find her inside. Derek was willing to see the real Alex.
"What's under my hood?"
Alex blinked a few times so she could absorb what Derek just asked. He was turning into a cocky bastard that wanted to play. This was his gambit and she was about to put him into checkmate.
"Fine," shrugging her shoulders, she started to approach his car when his hand upon her stomach stopped her.
His heated palm scorched through her tank top and she was suddenly having a hard time thinking again. Turning his head, he smiled at her, "Without looking."
Her teeth ground against each other as the crowd erupted once again. They were enjoying every aspect of her humiliation, "Fine."
She wouldn't go down without a fight.
Pushing Derek's hand from her body, she walked towards the front of his car. But instead of defying his command, she turned and plopped down right on the hood of his car. She could only try to add some fire to his blood.
"To all those who don't know. Derek drives a 1967 Chevy Camaro. It's definitely a classic and a beauty amongst its fans," the crowd sneered even further as Derek crossed his arms, "but it's predictable."
That grabbed their attention, "It's got a four speed manual transmission," she slowly ran her finger down the hood; Derek's eyes burning into her , "no overdrive."
"Everyone knows that!" Alex could tell that was an import boy.
"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Her outburst encouraged the mob and they laughed in his face.
"As I was saying," hopping off the hood, Alex began to circle like a vulture. Her eyes traveling every dip and curve the body had, "Its stock engine isn't very impressive and we all know how much Derek enjoys power."
Some of the boys had gathered around Derek; prompting an emergency entourage. They clapped his shoulder as they acknowledged his need for control.
"So you probably changed out the engine. Most likely you popped in a 350 block. It certainly raises you up to nearly 300 horsepower," Alex glared directly back at Derek, "but that's still not enough to beat my Mustang."
"What?!" That outburst was definitely from Jake. Laura and him stood like statues by the Camaro. They were both very confused by the display their two friends were exhibited. Never had he seen Derek concentrate so much on a girl like he did her. Every step Alex made, he watched with an excited energy.
Smirking back at Jake, Alex tossed in her last stone, "I'm sure you added some extra parts like a cool air intake. Maybe you even tossed a chip into the engine…but that'll still only bring you up to maybe 400 horsepower."
Brushing past Derek's body, Alex bent down to retrieve her backpack. The entire student body was still watching her, waiting for the final blow as she walked up the stairs towards the school.
Turning around, she finally gave Derek one of her true smiles, "And my baby's pushing over 550."
The bell for school finally rang.
That was definitely a long chapter and I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought about the Derek and Alex interaction. I wanted you guys to see a couple different sides of them.
Please Read and Review!