Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way shape or form - thank you soooo much for all the support, I'm getting addicted to this re write and your support means the world I'm so happy you're all enjoying it so far :) and a massive shoutout to all the new favs and follows and go those who reviewed,including CarleighAlpha (ahh you're too sweet thank you), guest, Wikked (yeah there's going to be much more of a focus on Kayla and Derek's relationship when he forms his pack, and Linda96 it means the world thank you xxx
She left her cousin shortly after, taking time to process the news without Derek's prying eyes and keen werewolf senses.
With her family it was just one thing after another. They couldn't catch a break. Just a continuous string of bad luck that seemed to follow them around. First the fire, then hunters murdering her dad and brother in cold blood and now Laura? Was this some kind of sick joke? What had they done to deserve this?
Honestly, she was sick of the discrimination her family got just because they were werewolves. It was repulsive. People's hatred of them rooted in fear of the unknown, which led to violence. What was wrong with just coexisting?
She hated it. She hated this. This war between humans and supernatural... it was beyond exhausting and ridiculous. She didn't understand it one bit. To her, it was futile. There was always going to be the supernatural and there was always going to be humans, it was just the way the world worked, so why such a narrow minded hatred for one another?
Maybe she had a unique perspective on this. Here she was, brought up and surrounded by werewolves, included in everything supernatural but yet not really belonging with them. Not completely. For some unknown reason her body had rejected the inherited werewolf genes that, by all accounts, she should have got. Her dad, a full and true werewolf by blood, belonging to one of the most prominent and respected werewolf families on this side of the ocean - the Hale family. The entire Hale lineage descended from the very first pack of werewolves to walk the western world.
He had passed those genes to his first born son, her older brother Dylan, but then she came along two years later and, for some reason, wasn't worthy of them. It didn't stop the pain every full moon though. A rare and basically unheard of occurrence she had to go through every full moon ever since puberty.
She had remembered her dad had been baffled by it, taking her to every emissionary, Druid and witch doctor along the entire gulf coast, even travelling as far as Mexico to find out what was happening with her body.
No one could figure it out.
It was an anomaly.
The best and most probable answers they got were the werewolf genes inside her were trying to turn, but the human genes were somehow winning that fight and, thus, no werewolf. Just a human girl fighting the crippling pains through her body every month.
Luckily, she had gotten better at managing it but it didn't make it any less painful. The only thing that took the edge off and made it bearable so she could function like a normal human was alcohol. Or drugs. Or both. But now she didn't have that crutch. Which meant most full moons she was curled up in bed, shaking and sweating from the excruciating pain that tore her up from the inside out, not even allowed a simple pain killer to try and help.
Mom's orders.
She resisted a scoff at that. Her mom and her had always had a difficult relationship. It had been better when her dad was alive to keep them in check but, since he died, they always seemed to disagree. Two strong personalities clashing.
She didn't know why, but she never had that connection with her mom that she had with her dad. A small part of her feeling unwanted, like her presence was a nuisance. Of course, her mom had never said that to her face, it was just a feeling she got whenever she spent time with her. A gut feeling.
She remembered the mess her mom had been in when her dad and brother died. She was, understandably, distraught. Kayla wasn't going to minimise that, but she still had a barely turned fifteen year old to care for and didn't. Leaving Kayla to grieve alone.
She had no support system, no one to turn to and talk to. For the first month after it had happened, her mom shut herself away in her bedroom, leaving Kayla to handle the funerals, the bills, the housework all whilst coming to terms with what she had lost. Kayla became the parent, the one trying to get her mom to eat, to drink, to take care of herself, all her efforts which got thrown back in her face with harsh words and blame.
It all just got too much, the pain and pressure making her fall headfirst into everything bad. It was a fast descent into hell, one she had welcomed at the time.
Anything was better than the agony she had felt every single second of every single day, crushing her very soul into smithereens.
The drugs, the alcohol, the parties, the boys. Well, one boy in particular. One boy that ruined her life even more.
He was older than her, not by much, but enough. His own broken heart making him act out in violence. Yet, at the same time, he was addictive to her. He didn't judge, didn't expect anything, just enjoyed her company and her, his. Enjoyed it, until they were ripping each other to shreds.
It went on for too long, both bad influences on each other. Their habits of drinking and drug taking, always so extreme, landing her in the hospital several times. The third time, of which, her mom had shown up and warned her to 'snap out of it' and 'quit acting like an intolerant child'.
The words caused so much hurt to her at the time, the fresh wounds bleeding out so much anguish because, yes - she was a child. Just a child that had been forced to grow up far too soon, experiencing pain she should never have to feel. So she just disappeared. The lack of love and care from her own mother was the final nail in the coffin so she went off with Aiden on the back of his motorcycle and didn't return for months.
So yeah, she acted out.
She went through hell and back and no one cared. Not one single person. Not even her own mother.
When she eventually pulled herself from those depths, her mom had many 'terms and conditions' for her to abide by. A strict system of rules that, dare she break, she would probably end up homeless. And one of them was no pills, not even pain relief, hence the unnecessary agony she went through every month since coming back.
Her mom said it was for the best, that it was better to have no temptation, but it was a callous and uneducated approach. Yet she abided by it none the less, purely out of spite, not wanting to prove her mom right that she was a failure.
So yeah, they had their issues, but it wasn't all bad. It was sometimes alright. They could laugh and joke about things but still, she just had this feeling in her gut, that her mom was resentful of her very being.
Well, Kayla thought bitterly, should've had an abortion then.
She was so lost in her own mind, reliving each painful and bitter moment since losing her family, she didn't realise she had arrived back until she was turning into her driveway, tyres crunching over gravel as she drove up the small incline and parked outside the double garage.
It still didn't feel like home. She doubted it ever would really, but she had no connection to this house at all. It was beautiful, yes. A classy and elegant house situated in a very middle class community. A plain but well maintained garden spanning the front all the way down to the sidewalk split by a wide driveway, a typical white picket fence surrounding the property, a red post box down by the edge of the garden and a 'SOLD' sign still hammered into the grass.
Now the property itself was maybe one of the most dominating houses on this side of town. Her mom had always had a flare for the finer things in life, enjoying showing she had money - and lots of it - and didn't care who knew it. So it was only fitting the house she bought showed that too.
It stood alone, surrounded by garden. The sandstone brick exterior, which apparently was quite unusual for this part of California, swept up over large arching windows and small balconies, three story's high - excluding the attic and basement. The roof made from dark brown tiles cut unusual shapes, hosting two large chimneys on either sides. The double garage, incorporated into the left side of the house, covered by a white electric door.
She stepped from her car, grabbing her school stuff and made her way across the cobbled entrance, making her way up the stone steps to the porch to push open the large oak front door, split down the middle with frosted glass.
It opened up into a large foyer, beautiful, but void of any sentiment. Just to the left, a large staircase leading up to the second story. To the right, an open plan living room, hosting not much more than two sofas and a television.
She dropped her keys into a small dish on top of a unit, slipping her shoes off and padding her way down the black and white tiles of the hallway into the kitchen. Again, another large room, dominated by the black marble breakfast bar in the middle of the room.
"You're late"
She resisted an eye roll, turning around to see her mom hovering by the cooker, the smell of spices tickling her nostrils.
"I went to see Derek" she shrugged, pulling a stool out from the breakfast bar and sitting down as her mom, dressed in all black, her hair, dark, but lightened with Caramel strands twisted into an elegant bun turned back to the dinner she was cooking, "he's back in town"
Her mom let out a rather bland sound of acknowledgement, "whatever is the mess he's in now?"
She bit her lip, resisting saying a scathing comment, "Laura's dead"
Her mom made the exact same noise as before, not even turning around from the cooker, continuing to stir the contents of the pot, "sorry to hear that"
'No you're not' almost slipped out but she resisted, rolling her eyes from behind her moms back.
"I told you Beacon Hills wasn't a good idea"
Her mom sighed heavily, the strong features on her face morphed into displeasement, "Kayla, let's not start this again"
"I'm not starting anything" she huffed, "just trying to understand why we had to come here of all places"
Her mom tapped the sauce from the wooden spoon, placing it over the pot and turning the heat down on the cooker before facing her, her expression bordering on annoyed.
"You know why Kayla. Your father had investments here, money in properties and-"
"Right, yeah, for the money" she interrupted scathingly, placing her elbow on the breakfast bar and placing her chin in it, "of course it's about money"
Her mom's expression tightened, "don't use that tone with me. It's your fathers money that paid for that brand new car out there that you're driving about in, the roof over your head, your college fund and let's not forget the very high allowance you get every month"
None of that mattered to Kayla, it really didn't, but clearly to her mom it did and she was dragging Kayla into it.
"You could've sold the investments, the shares-"
"No" her mom interrupted, "I'm not getting rid of anything of your fathers. And he was wanting to move back here for a while... I couldn't not after... after..."
She saw a flash of vulnerability seize her mom's face, the slice of innocence she rarely showed.
Kayla chose just to accept that because there was no point in arguing. Her mom never let her win an argument anyway.
Kayla sighed, reaching for a banana from the wooden fruit bowl placed in the centre of the breakfast bar, "this place is just so... so..."
"You loved it when you were younger" her mom reminded her, smacking the banana from her hand as she frowned pointedly and nodded to the dinner currently being made, a strict order to not ruin her upcoming meal, "and you can love it again"
"It's Beacon Hills" she scoffed, "what is there to love?"
"Find something" her mom said, her tone lacking any form of sympathy, "because we are staying here from now on and you're just going to have to get used to it"
Of course she was, because, clearly, her opinion didn't matter.
Her mom broke the rising tension with a change of conversation, almost trying too hard to act like the perfect parent.
"How was school?"
"It was fine" Kayla replied glumly, "I even stayed till the end" she added sarcastically.
Her mom shot her a pointed look, "Kayla, you know what I said about no skiving school-"
"I know, I know-"
"You're lucky you even got to stay in school after last year. Do you know how hard I had work to not get you dropped down a year? Don't let that go to waste"
"I won't" Kayla exclaimed, "my god mother, a little faith please?"
Her mom simply cocked a perfectly manicured brow at her, "earn it"
Jeez, was her mother's approval even worth this much of a headache? Probably not.
She rolled her eyes, "if that's even possible"
Her mom, fed up with this never ending argument that always got brought up, turned back to the cooker and dismissed her with a wave of the wooden spoon.
"Go and finish unpacking, dinner will be ready in an hour"
Without even bidding farewell, Kayla slipped off the stool and left the kitchen, deliberately stomping just that little bit harder up the stone staircase and down the corridor to her room at the very end.
Her room, the one she had picked, was front facing onto the street, large arching windows spread across the whole side of one wall. The ceilings, unusually high, made the room feel more empty and cold and bare but she had come to terms with the fact that nothing would feel like home again. Her dad now, never again, changing a bland, dull canvas of a house into a loving energetic family home.
Her queen bed was propped adajecent to the full windows against a plain white wall, surrounded by many unopened brown boxes.
Her entire life packed into cardboard squares.
She shut the door behind her, heading straight to her bed and sitting on it cross legged as she looked around the empty room, hating it already.
Trapped into appearing like the perfect, modern American family, a facade for everyone to buy into.
And Kayla, quite frankly, was sick of it.
But what choice did she have?
Apparently, she was here to stay. Forced into a new start she didn't want with a mother that was more dictator than parent.
This was just fucking fantastic.
Sleep hardly came that night, taunted with restlessness and bouts of anxiety that made her gut tight with tension.
Laura played on her mind a lot.
She hadn't been as close to Laura as Derek, maybe because - even when growing up - she wasn't around as much, but it didn't mean her untimely death hurt her any less.
Laura was still a strong, unapologetic female figure she admired and had looked up to. Teaching her it was okay to be brave and headstrong and different.
A strength burning bright, even in the darkness of days.
By the time her alarm started screaming at her, she had maybe managed an hours sleep at best - if that.
Resisting flinging the clock across the room, knowing her mom would probably come barging in and bite her head off and she was way too tired for that, she slapped it off and groaned as she forced herself up out of bed.
Her morning routine was relatively simple.
She had a shower in her en suite wet room, shampooing and conditioning her hair, shaving her under arms and scraping the razor over her legs, catching any wild hairs she may have missed with waxing.
Once done, she apppied aloe Vera gel to her skin, dried herself, sprayed deodorant and walked naked around her room trying to find clothes with a towel turban wrapped around her long hair.
She studied her double wardrobe, her keen gaze sweeping over everything that was hung up.
She wanted to feel confident and unfazed, a headstrong new girl that hopefully no one would approach unnecessarily.
So she settled for a pair of tight leather black pants, a white long sleeved bodysuit and a cropped red leather jacket, leaving the former off as she sat down at her vanity table and dried her hair before straightening it, taming the unruly kinks and curls in her hair.
"Kayla, come on, you're going to be late"
She rolled her eyes at her moms persistent voice from down the hallway in her own room, shouting back a disinterested "yeah yeah" and focused back on the mirror, gazing at her tired reflection.
She knew today she would have to try and sniff about, find out more about the Stiles kid and his cute, maybe-werewolf best friend like Derek had asked.
So, to look at least semi approachable, she added concealer to her heavy under eyes, layering a small coat of foundation against her skin, brushing through her eyebrows and applying some mascara and a small flick of black eyeliner across her top lid.
She glanced at her small make up collection, honing in on the stick of red lipstick.
Too much?
Probably, but fuck it.
She was on a mission, and sometimes missions required lipstick. Especially if said mission involved horny teenage boys.
She applied a light layer, already regretting it as she moved her mouth around, trying to get used to the tightness around her lips.
Bleh.
Definitely should've ate her morning bagel before this fiasco.
"Kayla" her mom's annoyed voice pierced through her ear drums, "hurry up"
She grabbed her bag, slipping on a pair of black boots and made her way down the stairs at her own pace, ignoring her mom's folded armed stance by the front door.
"What?" Kayla bit out, "It's like, half seven, calm down"
"I told you, I want you to-"
"-do good in school, yes, I know" she finished her mom's sentence with an audible sigh, "and I will"
Her mom cocked an arched brow, giving her a thorough look over, "you look as if you're going to start a riot"
"Huh" she mumbled, opening her messenger bag and pulling out her academic diary, frowning as she flicked through the pages and remarked in a very remorseless sarcastic tone, "that's strange, I could've sworn that was tomorrow"
Her mom, clearly slightly aggravated by her attitude, reached forward and snatched the diary from her hands, "I'm being serious Kayla"
"I know" she remarked, grabbing the diary back, "jeez, lighten up"
"You should go and change"
"Why?"
"It's not exactly appropriate now, is it?"
"I'm not going to church" she rolled her eyes, "now can you please move so I can go to school?"
Her mom just pursed her lips, clearly hating her behaviour but choosing - for once - not to say anything about it.
"Just stay away from the bad crowd" her mom warned, finally side stepping away from guarding the front door.
"Oh relax" she rolled her eyes, "I'm simply doing Derek a favour and following around a potential new werewolf. Not smoking pot behind the bike shed"
She managed to escape her moms wrath at her off hand comment, feeling like she was wrestling her way through god damn airport security just to get to her car and away from her mom's beady, suspicious stare.
That was another thing about her mom... always so god damn untrusting. Always thinking - and expecting - the worst of Kayla, never once giving her the benefit of the doubt.
She made it to school quite quickly, the bonus she supposed of living in a classy, family orientated neighbourhood. Less than a five minute drive, even with traffic, to the school.
She parked up, coincidentally choosing the space next to an old clapped out blue jeep and turned to look at it through the drivers side window and saw buzzcut boy - no, sorry, Stiles - too, turning to meet her stare.
Even through the tinted window she was sure he blushed a little, his mole splattered cheeks darkening to pink as he awkwardly, but immediately, waved at her. Playing it way too eager.
She snorted at his lack of composure but, at the same time, admired his gusto, smirking back at him.
Now, she wasn't stupid - she knew her good looks privileged her in a lot of ways. Whether it be flirting her way out of a speeding ticket or getting to the front of a queue, and she also knew she could use them to find out things.
A lot of things.
Stiles reacted the exact same way as yesterday, completely surprised by her willing interaction and glanced around almost self consciously, as if double checking she wasn't interacting with someone else.
It was cute... but she knew cute was also something she should stay away from.
She grabbed her stuff, slipping out from her car as she saw Stiles, from the side of her eye, do the same only he fell completely from the jeep onto the tarmac, letting out a loud yelp before scrambling back up, scratching the back of his neck and trying to play it cool.
She cocked a brow, completely unfazed, "you good?"
"So good" he gasped, his face twisting into pain as he stretched out his back, "no complaints here"
She bit her lip, holding back an amused smirk as she leaned back against the exterior of her car, "do you always act like this around pretty girls?"
Her confidence and complete lack of filter made Stiles do a double take, completely dumbfounded into silence as he gaped at her.
"Oh... u-uh, um..."
"I'll take that as a yes"
He swallowed thickly, "p-pretty girls don't usually talk to me so uh, yeah?"
She couldn't help but look him up and down, admiring his somewhat nerdy but still outspoken demeanour. She hadn't fully noticed before but he was more than just cute. He was attractive. Features surprisingly striking for a white boy.
"Well, you can now score that off your bucket list"
He snorted out a laugh, "already done"
She dropped her gaze, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as she reached into it to find her schedule.
"I don't suppose you could help me find art class, can you?"
He, again, looked around self consciously, pointing an index finger at his tee covered chest.
"M-Me?"
"Who else?" She retorted back, enjoying the way he reacted around her. It had been a long time since someone was genuinely taken aback and nervous in her presence and he, clearly, was crushing on her - hard.
He swallowed nervously, a new pink flush spreading across his neck.
"Sure... o-of course. Anything you want. I mean-" he coughed sheepishly, "-anything to help. You I mean. Anything to help you"
Her eyes, despite being heavy and tired, dazzled with new found pleasure, finding this strange new boy delightfully amusing.
She could wrap him around her little finger if she wanted, that much was very obvious.
She started off in a slow walk towards the school, Stiles - still in shock - not following straight away before hurrying after her, clumsily crashing into her shoulder.
"Oh, uh, sorry"
"Maybe you should get 'L' plates" she suggested cheekily, readjusting her bag.
"Yeah, stick them on my forehead. Could act as 'loser' too"
A laugh bubbled from the back of her throat, "oh, he has jokes I see"
"It's all I've got going for me, of course I have jokes"
"I wouldn't say all" she playfully claimed, watching his eyes go bug eyed, "anyway-" changing the subject, leaving him hanging, like bait ready to reel in, "- what is there to do in this god forsaken town?"
"Um... not much" he finally said, keeping in pace with him, his steps a lot more bouncy and jittery, "there's an arcade, a bowling alley, a cinema, lots of fast food outlets, a mall and uh... that's about it. Oh wait, a couple clubs too"
"Great" she drawled out sarcastically, "I can add 'dying of boredom' to my schedule too"
He snorted, "sorry it's not some hot shot Louisiana town"
She cocked a brow at him, "how did you know I was from Louisiana? I never mentioned that"
He shone a berry red, his face lighting up like a god damn Christmas tree, "oh, uh... Um... the g-guys were talking about it in the locker room. You're new. They're disgustingly intrigued"
"I know about locker room talk" she chuckled, easing his nerves a little, "and my town back home was not what you would call 'hot shot', but it wasn't the place my family burned to death in either"
Her bluntness made him gape at her, completely thrown off by her unfiltered and shamesss personality.
"What?" She chuckled, "I know it's what everyone is talking about. No need to be coy"
"... I wouldn't say everyone" he added, "I mean, some people have tact"
"Unlikely"
He held open the door for her, a show of chivalry and attentiveness which she chose not to argue with it, walking through into the busy hallway.
"I'm sorry about that. The fire, I mean"
"It's fine, it's not like you started it"
He let out an uncomfortable grunt, "uh... obviously"
He led her down one corridor, turning left at the intersection of the next corridors.
"So... Stiles..." she deliberately drawled out his name, playing with it on her tongue to watch him basically fall apart by the sound of his name leaving her red lips in such a seductive and curious way, "-anything I should know about you?"
His expression turned blank, his jaw slackening slightly as he led them up a small flight of stairs.
"L-Like what?"
"Anything"
She was giving him free rein here, free rein to do or say anything he wanted, giving him the oppertunity to impress her but she watched as he went completely blank. All thought leaving his brain as he tried to come to terms with the fact someone like her was speaking to someone like him.
And, what he finally said, would haunt him for the rest of time.
His nerves, completely shot, were buzzing on high alert and he said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm in love with Lydia Martin"
She looked at him, surprised and a little taken aback, watching as his face screwed up into complete mortification, slapping a hand to cover his mouth.
She couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.
"Good luck with that one" she playfully remarked, finding his expression of horror absolutely hilarious, "I'm rooting for you"
He was speechless, kicking himself and his stupid brain for saying that in front of her.
"Uh... I-"
"Allison likes Scott y'know" she changed the subject, "is he a good guy?" Secretly fishing for some info.
"W-Who, Scott? Y-Yeah, of course, best of the best. Total nerd, but yeah. Sound guy"
"No... dirty secrets?" She smirked, "y'know, like a crazy ex? An alcohol problem? Turns into a werewolf every month?"
He whipped his head around to stare at her, completely taken a back by her statement but she merely kept a smile on her face, putting across she was joking.
But his reaction told her a lot - that Stiles, the perceptive and equally nerdy best friend - was maybe thinking that too.
His expression turned a little suspicious, looking at her, wondering if she knew something he didn't. But, surprisingly, she was unreadable. A closed book.
"He can't grow facial hair as it is, he would be a pretty disappointing werewolf" Stiles said, injecting a little humour into the conversation before suddenly stopping, locating the art class she had wanted him to find, "oh, uh, we're here" he said, a little disappointed their time together had come to an end.
"Thanks" she purred, one side of her mouth pulling into half a smile, "I owe you one" and with that she swept into the classroom, a flurry of thick hair sweeping out and hitting Stiles in the face as he watched her leave, standing there like a god damn love sick puppy, his palm coming to rest on his cheek where her uncontrollable hair had hit him, savouring the feel.
'I'm going to marry this girl' he thought to himself, not feeling quite this mesmerised or intrigued in, well, ever.
A breath of fresh air that he oh so desperately needed.
A/N) eeeeek, her prepared for slow burn stayla haha won't be as rushed as the first book, so lots of buildup after the friendship yayyy so hope you all liked and please please review and I shall see you all very soon :)