a risk worth taking.

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah walked into school with her head held high and ready for the day ahead of her. She knew she was going to have to deal with Stiles more than once today seeing as she was in three of his classes. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Stiles. She couldn't stand him. But she was friends with Scott and so she was also around Stiles more because of that. Though it killed her to be around him. She didn't know what it was about their relationship but they both hated each other. It was how it had always been. Rebeckah had a grudge against Stiles because in elementary school he used to pick on her. She tried to be friends with him and Scott but could never be friends with the both of them because Stiles always picked on her. To this day Scott swears it was because when young kids have crushes on each other they pick on each other but Rebeckah refuses to listen.

---

Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, walking up the front porch steps of what was left of his home. Memories came flooding back to him of when he was a child, living in the house. He also thought about the fire and then his thoughts drifted to Laura. He sighed and looked around the broken and burnt down home. Derek thought about Kat. He hadn't seen her since before the fire. He smiled slightly at the thought of her before he frowned. It had been too long since he last saw her. She was one of the only people that knew the Hale family secret. They trusted her with that secret. Derek trusted her with his life. He always had and always would.

It felt strange. Being back in Beacon Hills after all this time had past felt strange to Kat. That was something that she honestly never saw happening. The small town had been her home for so long, and now she felt like a complete stranger to it. Another thing she hadn't seen coming was losing contact with Derek. Her family had always been close with the Hales, and she never understood how moving away meant years worth of friendship would end up being lost. It just didn't make any sense to her at all. She hadn't been around when the fire happened. She was only a few months older than Derek, though she was always a year ahead of him in school, and had been away at school when everything happened. It was around the time of finals week, and her parents hadn't wanted her to worry, so they'd waited until afterwards to tell her what had happened. They knew that, if they had told her, she wouldn't have thought twice about leaving school to go be there for both Derek and Laura.

That was several years ago now, and even though she hadn't spoken to Derek in those years, here she was. She'd heard about Laura. She knew that Derek had kept to himself since the fire, that he wasn't the same person anymore, but she was going to try to be there for him anyway. She knew that she probably shouldn't just show up unannounced, and seeing what used to be a beautiful house in such a state made her sick to her stomach. She didn't understand how or why anyone would do something like this to an entire family, it was horrible. Getting out of her car, she noticed a black Camaro parked there as well. She assumed that it was Derek's and that he'd have heard her pull up, so maybe she wasn't so unannounced after all.

---

"Dude, did you see that? She totally acknowledged my existence for a whole five seconds back there." Stiles said as he walked to his locker, which happened to not be very far off from Scott's. Of course, he was talking about Lydia Martin, his long-time crush, and the locker situation wasn't by chance at all, he'd deliberately switched with another kid so that he could have his locker closer to his best friend's. Of course, there was a downside to that. McCall and Montgomery weren't very far off from each other, so his locker was, unfortunately, also near hers. Rebeckah Montgomery. If there was one person he hated more than Jackson, it was probably her. It had been that way for as long as he could remember, and he didn't see it as something that would likely change anytime soon.

"Yeah, maybe because you tripped when we were walking up the front steps." Scott said jokingly, earning a punch in the arm from Stiles. "I didn't trip, I lost my footing. There's a huge difference there, Scott. And quit raining on my parade, okay? She acknowledged my existence for a whole five seconds, that's a major accomplishment for me, ya know."

[I'll post on ATL when I get home from work ]

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah rolled her eyes when she heard Stiles talking about Lydia. She grabbed her books for first period out of her locker, "Oh whoopdy freaking do." She said, shutting her locker and looking over at the two, "You don't stand a chance with Lydia. She never has and never will know your name. I would save yourself the trouble and just give up." Rebeckah said and fake smiled at him before she looked over at Scott, "Oh hey Scott." She said and grinned before looking back at Stiles.

She didn't know what it was about his obsession with Lydia but it really just got on her nerves and it irritated her passed the normal level that it should. Rebeckah shook it off though because she knew that letting it get to her meant that she felt anything for Stiles other than hatred. That definitely wasn't the case. Rebeckah stood with the two and looked over at Scott, "So Scott. First day back. How was your summer? I'm sure you probably spent most of it with lover boy over here and for that I'm truly sorry. Your summer must have been terrible." She said and looked over at Stiles, glaring lightly.

---

Derek stopped looking around when he heard someone pull up in front of the house. He moved cautiously over towards a gap to where he could see outside. His eyes widened when he saw Kat walking out of her car and towards the house. Derek didn't know what she was doing there but he knew that she knew that was his car parked next to hers. He sighed and walked down the stairs towards the front door. He opened it slowly and looked over at Kat.

"What are you doing here Kat?" He asked. He wouldn't deny the small excitement that he felt in his chest when he looked at her. But he wouldn't say anything about it. He was different now since the fire. Since Laura. He was supposed to be tougher, harder. He didn't know if he should be cold towards her or not. That was how he was with everyone else. But this wasn't just anyone else. It was Kat. He was always different around Kat.

@ pietro maximoff.
[Ugh sorry double post. Ignore]

Kat wasn't at all surprised when Derek appeared on the porch moments after she got out of her car and started towards the house. He'd changed over the years, grown up, though that was to be expected seeing as the last time she'd seen him, they were both about sixteen. It was before the fire, but after Paige. She'd stayed with the Hale family during the summer before she went off to college. Derek was already dating Kate at the time. The thought of her put a sour taste in Kat's mouth. She hadn't liked her, though she'd put on a smile for Derek and let him believe that she had. She was just being a good friend.

"I heard about Laura." She said, stopping a little bit away from the steps. "And it's nice to see you too." There was sarcasm dripping from her later words. Derek's appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed since the fire, and now Laura. His demeanor had changed as well. He seemed colder, harsher even. Closed off. She supposed that was to be expected after everything that had happened, it was just strange seeing him like this.

---

"I don't think I was talking to you, Montgomery." Stiles shot back, sending a glare her way. She absolutely infuriated him sometimes. He didn't understand how or why Scott was friends with her. It made no sense to him whatsoever, though he did try his best to be civil towards her for his friend's sake. That usually didn't work out though. She just got under his skin so easily, and he knew that she knew it too. He wasn't about to ignore her, though he supposed shooting biting comments back her way just gave her what she was looking for: to get a rise out of him.

"Though, I must say, you do sound pretty jealous. Why? Wishing that I liked you instead of Lydia?" He smirked slightly. It might be the first day back at school, but that didn't mean that either of them were turning a new leaf and putting their pasts behind them. That was something that Stiles would be extremely surprised to ever see happen.

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah rolled her eyes at Stiles before they walked towards first period, that they all had together. Rebeckah laughed out loud at Stiles' following words, "As if. I would rather scratch my eyes with forks then to ever have the slightest bit of feeling for you other than hatred. I would go after Lydia myself before I would go after you. And I'm straight." She replied back.

Scott rolled his eyes at the pair of them, "You two seriously need to like release the sexual tension that's going on between the both of you. I just don't get it." He groaned. Rebeckah gagged at his words, "There is no sexual tension between us. I find it offensive that you would even think that." She replied back and looked over at Stiles, glaring at him. It was a typical thing for Rebeckah to glare at Stiles. It was her usual face around him.

---

Derek sighed at her words, "Still doesn't explain why you're here." He said, ignoring her sarcastic following reply. He walked down the steps of the house and stood in front of her. He was fighting every nerve in his body to hug her so tightly he could break her. He had missed her so much. He never really got to have the chance with her and he had always regretted it.

When the whole thing happened with Paige he had been changed so much he didn't even think about anything with Kat other than just being best friends with her. Then she stayed with them before she went to college but he had been dating Kate. He could clearly remember how many times Kat told him that she didn't like Kate. He did like it that she was never rude to her and he always remembered the fake smile she put on when around Kate. It was so much different than her actual smile. He had always loved her smile. He loved many things about her but would never say anything to her about it.

Kat frowned. "If that's not explanation enough, I don't know what is." She said, crossing her arms. She didn't feel like she was talking to Derek. She knew that he'd been through a lot over the years, and that sometimes people change because of what they've been through, but she felt like she was talking to a complete stranger right now. It was honestly one of the worst feelings in the world, especially being that Derek had been one of her closest friends once upon a time.

She wanted to ask him how he was doing, if he was alright, and so many other different questions, but she had a feeling that she wasn't going to get much out of him. She knew that he'd trusted her with his life and his family's secret, but she didn't know if he trusted her anymore. Not after this was the first time she was seeing him, let alone speaking to him, in years. Of course, she'd tried reaching out to him over the years, but he'd never gotten back to her. "You never returned my calls."

---

"Oh could you? Maybe rip out your vocal chords while your at it and do us all a favor." Stiles said, returning the glare that she sent his way. The girl infuriated him. She knew exactly what to say to antagonize him and get under his skin. He wished that he couldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing what her words did to him, but he couldn't. Not when she was constantly sending snarky comment after snarky comment his way. She made it much more difficult than he would have liked her to.

He scoffed in response to Scott's words, shaking his head with a look of disgust on his face. "Sexual tension, Scott? Seriously? I think I'm more sexually attracted to guys than I am her, and we both know that I'm straight." He said. There was no way that he was even remotely attracted to Rebeckah. The only person he was attracted to was Lydia, and it had been that way for years now. He despised Rebeckah with every single fiber in his being. There was no sexual attraction or tension. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah nearly punched Stiles in the face at his words before they entered first period. She sat down in her seat that was near Scott and Stiles and she looked over at Stiles, "Go play in traffic Stilinski." she said harshly. She didn't want to lead in how much his words got under her skin.

Rebeckah smiled when Danny walked in and sat down next to her. Danny was probably her best friend in the whole school. She instantly left the conversation with Stiles and started to talk to Danny. "You two clearly have a lot of sexual tension you need to address." Danny whispered over to her. She rolled her eyes before playfully hitting his arm, "No Danny. Just no."

----

Derek raised his eyebrows at her words. At everything she could've said that's what she went with, "I've been a little busy..." he said and looked down at his shoes. He felt guilty for leaving her hanging like that. He never wanted to do that to her.

"I wanted to, Kat. I just couldn't bring myself to do it." he said, finally breaking down his tough guy wall. He could never be cold to Kat. He didn't want to be cold to Kat. She was and always would be his best friend. No matter what happened that would never change with him.

(sorry if this is short.. I'm on my phone)

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah nearly punched Stiles in the face at his words before they entered first period. She sat down in her seat that was near Scott and Stiles and she looked over at Stiles, "Go play in traffic Stilinski." she said harshly. She didn't want to lead in how much his words got under her skin.

Rebeckah smiled when Danny walked in and sat down next to her. Danny was probably her best friend in the whole school. She instantly left the conversation with Stiles and started to talk to Danny. "You two clearly have a lot of sexual tension you need to address." Danny whispered over to her. She rolled her eyes before playfully hitting his arm, "No Danny. Just no."

----

Derek raised his eyebrows at her words. At everything she could've said that's what she went with, "I've been a little busy..." he said and looked down at his shoes. He felt guilty for leaving her hanging like that. He never wanted to do that to her.

"I wanted to, Kat. I just couldn't bring myself to do it." he said, finally breaking down his tough guy wall. He could never be cold to Kat. He didn't want to be cold to Kat. She was and always would be his best friend. No matter what happened that would never change with him.

(sorry if this is short.. I'm on my phone)

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah nearly punched Stiles in the face at his words before they entered first period. She sat down in her seat that was near Scott and Stiles and she looked over at Stiles, "Go play in traffic Stilinski." she said harshly. She didn't want to lead in how much his words got under her skin.

Rebeckah smiled when Danny walked in and sat down next to her. Danny was probably her best friend in the whole school. She instantly left the conversation with Stiles and started to talk to Danny. "You two clearly have a lot of sexual tension you need to address." Danny whispered over to her. She rolled her eyes before playfully hitting his arm, "No Danny. Just no."

----

Derek raised his eyebrows at her words. At everything she could've said that's what she went with, "I've been a little busy..." he said and looked down at his shoes. He felt guilty for leaving her hanging like that. He never wanted to do that to her.

"I wanted to, Kat. I just couldn't bring myself to do it." he said, finally breaking down his tough guy wall. He could never be cold to Kat. He didn't want to be cold to Kat. She was and always would be his best friend. No matter what happened that would never change with him.

(sorry if this is short.. I'm on my phone)

I apologize for how many posts there are

It was Kat's turn to raise her eyebrows. "You were busy?" She repeated slowly, letting out a quiet, almost bitter, laugh in response. "You've always been a shit liar." She could see the guilty look on his face, it was practically radiating off of him. He could have made time to return her calls, they both knew that much was true. Instead, he'd simply decided not to. It honestly kind of hurt, and, although she hadn't come here to have this conversation, she couldn't help being angry with him.

"You shouldn't have shut me out like that." She was quieter now, the anger she was feeling dissipating slightly as she noticed his demeanor change slightly. The walls he'd built up were still there, but she seemed to have gotten through to him slightly. "I wanted to be there for you. I know that I wasn't when the fire happened, my parents didn't tell me about it until I came home at the end of the semester...they knew I would have dropped everything to come here." Thinking about that still sort of upset her. She'd felt like a terrible friend for not being there for Derek and Laura, especially Derek though. Some best friend she'd been, right?

---

"Nice comeback, Montgomery. Real original." Stiles smirked slightly, walking to his seat next to Scott. He liked to think that he was a pretty decent person, understanding even, but there was something about Rebeckah Montgomery that he just couldn't stand. It had been that way since day one, and he highly doubted that it was something that was ever going to change. He'd always hate her and she'd always hate him, it was just how things were.

"You know, you should really try being nicer to her." Scott said quietly, causing Stiles to scoff. Because that was totally something that was going to happen. The hatred was mutual, so why would he try being nicer to her when she couldn't be nice to him? "Yeah, okay. Why don't you tell her to quit being a bitch and maybe I'll be nice to her then, no promises though."

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah sighed and looked at Danny, "Stiles isn't really that bad of a guy. You should try being friends with him." Danny suggested, causing Rebeckah to laugh, "Isn't that bad of a guy?! Danny he tormented me for years! All he ever did was pick on me in elementary school and to middle school. Why would I want to be friends with him?" She practically yelled. She took a breath and calmed down before she looked around to see if anyone had heard her.

Rebeckah tried to maintain the image that nothing Stiles did phased her but she couldn't help it when people talked about how Stiles was okay and how she should be friends with him. It irritated her. Nobody knew the hell that he put her through when she was younger and all she wanted was to be friends with him and Scott.

---

Derek sighed at her words, knowing the harshness of them was deserved. He nodded at her next words. He listened as she talked, his eyes widening when she said her parents didn't tell her about the fire until the end of her semester. Derek had always resented her a little because she never came back after the fire.

Now it all made sense and he felt horrible for not contacting her, "I'm sorry, Kat. If I would've know that's how it went down I wouldn't have shut you out. You're my best friend and I never wanted to shut you out. But when you didn't come back I just kind of thought that you didn't care. I know that's stupid of me to thing but I always think the worst." He explained.

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah sighed and looked at Danny, "Stiles isn't really that bad of a guy. You should try being friends with him." Danny suggested, causing Rebeckah to laugh, "Isn't that bad of a guy?! Danny he tormented me for years! All he ever did was pick on me in elementary school and to middle school. Why would I want to be friends with him?" She practically yelled. She took a breath and calmed down before she looked around to see if anyone had heard her.

Rebeckah tried to maintain the image that nothing Stiles did phased her but she couldn't help it when people talked about how Stiles was okay and how she should be friends with him. It irritated her. Nobody knew the hell that he put her through when she was younger and all she wanted was to be friends with him and Scott.

---

Derek sighed at her words, knowing the harshness of them was deserved. He nodded at her next words. He listened as she talked, his eyes widening when she said her parents didn't tell her about the fire until the end of her semester. Derek had always resented her a little because she never came back after the fire.

Now it all made sense and he felt horrible for not contacting her, "I'm sorry, Kat. If I would've know that's how it went down I wouldn't have shut you out. You're my best friend and I never wanted to shut you out. But when you didn't come back I just kind of thought that you didn't care. I know that's stupid of me to thing but I always think the worst." He explained.

[I'm really starting to get those pre-trip jitters...]

Kat could tell right away that he hadn't know that her parents had waited to tell her about the fire. The shock was written all over his face. He could be stone cold with some people, and put on a poker face, but not with her. Or so it seemed anyway. If she'd known that he hadn't known, and that was his reasoning for not contacting her, she would have flown out to Beacon Hills sooner. She just assumed that, with the lack of contact, that he didn't want to talk to or see her. She assumed that he knew the truth, but clearly that wasn't the case.

"Of course I care." She said quietly, a small frown tugging at the corners of her lips. "I've always cared, that's why my parents didn't tell me what happened straight away." Her parents wanted her to focus on her studies, and they knew that, if they did tell her what had happened, she would have dropped everything, no matter what point in the semester it was or how important the exams and projects were, and she would have gotten to Beacon Hills the second that she could. "I might be able to forgive you...I haven't decided just yet." She smirked slightly.

---

Stiles, and pretty much everyone in the class, turned to see what Rebeckah was talking about. It was kind of hard not to, especially being that she was pretty much shouting. She wasn't exactly being quiet about the opinion she was voicing. Not in the slightest bit actually. Anyone who knew about the feud between Stiles and her knew exactly what she was talking about. It wasn't that hard to figure out though, it didn't take rocket science.

Stiles opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Harris beat him to it. "Ms. Montgomery, I'm going to ask you once to keep your voice down. The rest of the class and I would rather not listen to your little therapy session with Mr. Mahealani." Stiles somehow managed to stifle his laughter, an amused smirk on his face. At least he wasn't on the receiving end of the chemistry teacher's ridicule for that day.

@ pietro maximoff.
(You're going to have so much fun I just know it!!)

Rebeckah closed her eyes and resisted to groan out loud when Harris called her out and everyone in the class was looking at her because of her outburst, "Sorry Mr. Harris." Rebeckah mumbled before she looked at Danny, who was trying not to laugh. She turned towards Scott and Stiles. She could tell Stiles was trying to hold back his laughter while Scott was giving her a sympathetic look.

She lowered her head to put her forehead against her desk. She wanted to throw something for letting Stiles get so far under her skin but she resisted and she just took a breath and let it out slowly. She let the redness fade from her face before looking up when a new girl walked in. Rebeckah raised her eyebrows at her before the girl was introduced to the class and she took a seat behind Scott.

---

Derek let himself actually smile at her words. He took a long breath before he pulled her in for a hug, "Kat I've missed you." He said as he hugged her. Derek knew that he couldn't keep up the poker face forever. Not around Kat. He pulled back and looked at her, "You haven't changed at all." He said and grinned at her. He couldn't believe that she was actually here but nonetheless he was happy about it.

Derek remembered all the times when they were younger and how close they were. Derek hadn't ever really been as close to anyone else as her. Not even Paige. Kat was Derek's best friend and he trusted her with his life. Hell his whole family trusted her with their best kept secret.

@ pietro maximoff.
(You're going to have so much fun I just know it!!)

Rebeckah closed her eyes and resisted to groan out loud when Harris called her out and everyone in the class was looking at her because of her outburst, "Sorry Mr. Harris." Rebeckah mumbled before she looked at Danny, who was trying not to laugh. She turned towards Scott and Stiles. She could tell Stiles was trying to hold back his laughter while Scott was giving her a sympathetic look.

She lowered her head to put her forehead against her desk. She wanted to throw something for letting Stiles get so far under her skin but she resisted and she just took a breath and let it out slowly. She let the redness fade from her face before looking up when a new girl walked in. Rebeckah raised her eyebrows at her before the girl was introduced to the class and she took a seat behind Scott.

---

Derek let himself actually smile at her words. He took a long breath before he pulled her in for a hug, "Kat I've missed you." He said as he hugged her. Derek knew that he couldn't keep up the poker face forever. Not around Kat. He pulled back and looked at her, "You haven't changed at all." He said and grinned at her. He couldn't believe that she was actually here but nonetheless he was happy about it.

Derek remembered all the times when they were younger and how close they were. Derek hadn't ever really been as close to anyone else as her. Not even Paige. Kat was Derek's best friend and he trusted her with his life. Hell his whole family trusted her with their best kept secret.

[I know, I'm just starting to overthink things I guess...I've never traveled without my parents before, let alone to Europe, so this is like a big thing for me...and I'm starting to get super nervous ]

Kat couldn't help smiling when she saw the smile form on his face. It was a small one, but it was noticeable nonetheless, and she was suddenly reminded of the sixteen year old boy he used to be. He'd changed a lot after Paige's death, but she still got to see that smile every once and a while. She had a feeling that it was even less common now than it had been then, and she was glad that she got to see it. She hugged him back tightly, resting her cheek against his chest.

"I've missed you too, Derek." She said quietly. She'd missed him so much, and she was glad that the lack in contact was all kind of a misunderstanding. She hoped that he wouldn't shut her out like he had ever again. She wanted to be there for him whenever she could, starting with right now. "Hey, I would like to think that I've at least changed a little since you last saw me!" She let out a quiet laugh.

---

Stiles hoped that this meant that Harris wouldn't focus all of his hatred and loathing for teenagers on him that day. He felt like he was always the chemistry teacher's target, and he'd grown used to it, though it was honestly kind of nice not having to deal with it for once. And it also gave him a sense of satisfaction knowing that his target was Rebeckah. If there was one person he'd wish the teacher's ridicule on it was her, and no one else.

He watched as a new girl entered the classroom, noticing how Scott's attention was suddenly on her. He raised an eyebrow in question when his friend instantly turned to hand her a pen. That was strange. How could he have possibly known that she would need one? Stiles would be sure to ask his friend about that later on.

@ pietro maximoff.
Rebeckah doodled in her notebook as Harris rambled on about science. Rebeckah didn't care about science. She hated this class and she, like most students, hated Harris. The fact that now she had made herself a target to him made her hate him even more. Rebeckah just wanted to get her day over with. Now that she had shown that Stiles gets under her skin she didn't want to be around him anymore. She didn't want to be around anyone anymore. She just wanted to go home and watch TV.

Rebeckah sighed and stared at the clock, counting down the minutes until class was over. She had the next three classes with Stiles and Scott and thankfully she had her last class of the day without Stiles. She couldn't wait until her last class. It wasn't even a real class. It was study hall. Which made it even better.

---

Derek grinned at her words before shaking his head, "Not one bit. You might have grown an inch." He teased before he looked down at her, "You're still short though." Still beautiful. He wanted to say to her but he would never let those words slip from his mouth. Last time he let himself feel like that he ended up getting hurt. By Kate. He knew that he wouldn't get hurt by Kat but she might get hurt by him and he could never let that happen.

"So how have you been?" Derek asked, wanted to focus more of the attention on her instead of the fact that his sister was dead and as was most of his family. He didn't want to acknowledge the fact that was the main reason she was back.