Chapter 5
The Game
"I hear that you are starting on Saturday's game," Riley said coming up behind Scott at his locker, "Congrats! Even, if you did nearly kill Jackson for it."
He shut his locker, "It was an accident," he said.
"Well, even if it was, good job. Some people do need to be taken down a few pegs," she said, "I'm actually going to go to the game tomorrow night, so don't screw it up or I'm going to regret going."
"Thanks," he called after her.
Riley sat with Allison at lunch that day.
"So are you going to the game?" Allison asked.
"Yep," Riley replied.
"Well, I'm glad. You're getting out more," Allison said. Riley gave her a look, "What? It worries me that you don't have any friends. I'm new here and I have more friends than you," she said.
"I went out the other night to Lydia's party," Riley said.
"Well, that's a start. Oh, that reminds me. Did you and Derek say anything before he dropped you off?" she asked.
"You were there," Riley said.
"He dropped me off first. You were alone with him for what, 10 minutes?"
"Does it matter?" Riley asked.
"Yes."
"Yeah, we talked," she said.
"And?" Allison asked.
"And about how much of a dick he really is," she said.
"Do you know him?" Allison asked.
"We used to be friends when we were kids and then he left…after the fire. I hadn't seen him for years until quite recently," Riley said.
"Wow, so you guys have history?" Allison asked.
"Allison, stop. We were kids and that's it," she said.
"But that was then and this is now," Allison said, "Did you put my jacket in my locker?"
"No," she replied as the bell rang, "See you later."
"Riley, you should come with us to celebrate after the same with me, Scott, Jackson, and Lydia," Allison said.
"And you had me at Lydia. I don't think so, have fun with that," she said.
After school, Riley headed to her car. She knew she had a busy shift at the vet because Scott doesn't work when he has practice, and with the game tomorrow night he had major practice that night.
When she got closer to her car to saw Derek leaning up against it, "What do you what?" she asked.
"You said we should talk," he said.
She came to stand in front of him, "You want to talk now? I have to be at work in 15 minutes," she said and noticed he was looking behind her. She turned to see Scott and his friend Stiles looking at the pair of them. She looked back at Derek who was staring at her, "What is up with you two?" she asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You tell me to stay away from him and Scott asks me questions about how I know you," she said.
"What do you tell him?" he asked.
"I told him he should stay away from you because you are bad news," she said.
"You said we should talk," he said again.
She rolled her eyes, "The famous words you said to me 'I don't want to talk'. Now if you don't move I'm going to scream 'rape'," she said.
He looked at her and moved after from the driver side door of her car and watched her drive off.
XXX
Riley sat alone on the bleachers at the lacrosse game until Allison came to sit down next to her, "Riley, this is my dad; dad this is Riley," Allison introduced them.
"Hello," her father said holding out his hand.
"Hi, Mr. Argent," she said as she took his hand.
"You in the same grade as Allison?" he asked Riley.
"No, I'm a senior."
"Exciting, do you have plans?" he asked.
"I'm waiting to hear from colleges," she said.
"I'm sure you will get in where ever you want," he said.
"Thanks."
"Did you hear about Derek Hale?" Allison asked once her father left to get some popcorn for them.
"Yeah," she said sadly.
"I can't believe just the other night he was giving us rides home. He could have hurt us," Allison said.
Riley looked at her, "You shouldn't believe everything you hear about a person," Riley said, "You didn't believe everything that was said about me, did you?"
"No, but you're different."
"Am I?" Riley asked.
"I didn't mean it like that," Allison said.
"Hello Allison, Riley," Lydia said as she came up to them. She sat down next to Riley, "I'm surprised to see you here," Lydia said to Riley.
"I'm here supporting Scott," she said.
"Oh, really, then you should have brought on of these," Lydia said holding up a sign that said, 'We Luv Jackson'."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Riley asked sarcastically.
"Maybe because you don't think a lot," Lydia said.
The game had begun. Scott wasn't doing so well because he hadn't got the ball or no one has passed it to him yet. Allison and Lydia would occasionally hold up the sign over her head. It was bugging the crap out of her.
The game had one minute and thirty seconds left and they were down by two. This was when Scott decided to actually play the game. He was tearing it up out on the field. He scored the next two points tying them with thirty-nine seconds left.
Riley even on her feet cheering, she knocked Lydia's sign out of her hands a few times.
Scott scored again winning the game. Riley was so excited she joined everyone done on the field to celebrate. She wanted to congratulate Scott on winning the game but like Allison, they couldn't find him anywhere.
When Riley was about to leave to go home she found Allison, "Did you find him?" she asked.
"Yeah, he's in the locker room," Allison said with a huge smile.
Riley gave her a look, "Am I going to find him fully clothed?" she asked.
"Riley! My dad could be anywhere," Allison said, "I only kissed him."
"Only?"
"If you're going to congratulate him you better go do it," Allison said spotting her dad.
Riley walked into the locker room and stopped at what she was hearing, "Medical examiner determines killer of girl an animal not human. Derek is human not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail," Stiles said.
"Are you kidding?" Scott asked.
"No here's a bigger kick in the ass. My dad ID the dead girl, both halves, her name was Laura Hale," Stiles said.
"Hale?" Scott asked.
"Derek's sister," Riley said coming out of the darkness, "She's the dead body?"
"Riley what are you doing here?" Scott asked stepping away from Stiles.
"I came to congratulate you for your win. Instead I hear about how Laura is dead," Riley said looking distant.
Stiles stepped forward, "You knew her?" he asked confused.
"I knew the whole Hale family," she said.
"Everything?" Stiles asked.
Riley looked at him confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Scott stopped him from saying anything more, "Riley, thank you, but you should go home. I'll see you at work tomorrow," he said.
Riley left and headed to her car. Once there she looked out onto the field and saw Derek and Jackson. Jackson was holding something but he was too far way to see what it was. Derek then turned away from Jackson and looked straight at Riley.
"Crap," she said.
Derek was heading over to her. It was too late for her to try to get away.
When he got close enough, "I heard you were released from custody for you know, not killing your sister," she said as he stopped in front of her.
"You believed that I would kill someone, my own sister?" Derek asked.
"No, I don't think you are capable of killing anyone. I only heard tonight that the girl was your sister," she said, "I'm sorry," she reached out to touch his arm.
He nodded his head but didn't say anything.
She smiled, "You know, Laura came to visit me when I was in the hospital after the fire."
"She did?" he asked.
"Yeah, she saw me everyday for awhile until she disappeared just like you," she said, "What happened to you, Derek?"
"A lot of things happened," he said.
Riley looked around, "Its cold, you should come over so we can have our long past due talk," she said.
He looked at her questioningly, "Not tonight, its getting late. I can come over tomorrow when you get off of work," he said.
"How did you know I have work?" she asked.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said and left.
XXX
It was around 3:00 when Riley got home from work. Her parents were out of town all weekend and they wouldn't be back until late. She didn't know if Derek would actually show, but she hoped that he would.
She laid down on the couch in the family room so she could keep an eye on her drive way. She ended up falling asleep.
She woke up to the sound of tapping on the window. She looked up at the window in the family room and saw Derek was tapping on the window to get her attention. She slowly rolled off the couch and looked up at the clock at saw that she had been asleep for two hours. She unlocked and opened the door to find Derek waiting for her. She yawned before saying, "Come in."
He opened the screen door and walked past her into the entrance hallway. He waited for her to close and lock the door again and then followed her into family room, "Can I get you something? Water? Food?" she asked.
"I'm fine," he said and sat down on one side of the couch. She sat down on the other side away from him.
They sat in silence until Riley spoke up first, "Why did you back to Beacon Hills after so many years?" she asked.
"I can't answer that yet. My reason for coming is not finished," he said.
"What reason?" she asked. He gave her a look, "Okay, you don't have to answer," she said, "Why did you leave in the first place?"
"My whole family had been killed in the fire," he said irritated.
It was her turn to look at him, "Not everyone," she said turning toward him, "You had your sister and still have your uncle…"
He stopped her, "He's not really there, so he doesn't count," he said.
"You had me," she said, "You were my best friend, I know there is three years between us, but you were my best friend."
He looked away, "I know."
"I understand why you left but why didn't you say goodbye to me?" she asked.
"I did," he said looking back at her, "I came to you in the hospital, you were still unconscious but I did say goodbye to you."
"You missed out on all the fun stuff," she said, "The months in the hospital and the six surgeries. I missed a whole year of school because of the fire."
He reached over to touch her hand, "Can I see?" he whispered.
"Why?"
"Because I blame myself for them. To know that you were hurt so badly because of me," he said.
"The fire wasn't you're fault," she defended.
"You shouldn't have been there," he whispered, "I should have been there."
She got up to close the blinds in the family room, "You can't change what happened," she said while facing him. She turned her back to him and began to remove her long sleeve shirt. She still had a tank top on underneath, "I don't blame you for these," she whispered.
The flames had left scars on her upper back and down her left arm. The scars were visible enough with the tank top on.
She didn't know Derek had moved from the couch until he touched her scars. She flinched because it surprised her but he steadied. He began to trace her scars gentle with a finger. The only sound you could hear was their breathing.
Derek turned Riley around until she was facing him. He bent down a little to kiss her on the forehead. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, "Can you stay for dinner?" she asked as she opened her eyes to look at him.
He nodded his head 'yes'.
She turned to put on her long sleeve shirt again, "I hope you like cold sandwiches and chips because that's all I know how to make," she said.
He smiled, "That's fine."
They ate in silence across from each other at the table. They also sneaked secrets glances at each other while the other wasn't looking. Riley got more caught than not.
Derek was getting ready to leave, "You can come over more, you know, if you want to," she said.
"That was the best non-cooked meal I have ever had," he teased.
She punched him in the arm as she was opening the front door for him, "I'll see you later?" she asked hopefully.
"Maybe," he said and then leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.
Derek was out the front door before she could say anything.