Lone Wolf

Stiles was anxious to see Keegan the next day. He fidgeted his way through getting dressed and nervously tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove to school. Pulling the Jeep into the school parking lot, he searched for Keegan and any sign of Derek's Camaro but as he parked he sighed; he couldn't locate either of them. As he parked, he sighed again and could feel his stomach fluttering. Stiles took a deep breath to calm himself and flung open the door, hopping out in the process. He leaned over the driver's seat, grabbed his backpack from the passenger side, and glanced up at the rear view mirror, and as he did, he saw Keegan walking across the parking lot towards him.

His eyes widened and he felt his jaw drop.

Keegan strode across the parking lot, her long brunette hair flowing in the breeze. Her large tan bag, which hung on her shoulder, swung back and forth with every step. "Hey Stiles!" He stood abruptly, nearly hitting his head on the doorjamb of the car. Keegan couldn't help but smile at his clumsiness. Stiles couldn't speak, he barely managed to stutter out, "Hi Keegan." Keegan was dressed in a simple long-sleeve black sweater, a grey double buttoned pencil skirt, black stockings, tan knee high boots and to complete her outfit, a tan headband. She stood there awkwardly in front of him, as he looked her over. She gently cleared her throat, causing Stiles to snap out of his daze and smiled, "Sorry."

Keegan shook her head and turned, walking away towards the school. She couldn't help but laugh; Stiles was clumsy and she, surprisingly, found it to be an endearing quality. Stiles just stood there and watched her walk away. He shook his head at his stupidity and locked his Jeep as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.

Today was going to be a long day.

x x x x

Stiles marched into the school and met up with Scott. "Hey, how was last night?" Scott asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He turned away from Scott and sighed, throwing a few books into his locker and taking out a few notebooks. "Dude, I am an idiot. I tried to kiss her." He was somewhat surprised to hear Scott chuckle, but he immediately stopped when he saw the look on Stile's face. "I wouldn't worry about it too much man, Keegan is cool; I mean you have to be when you know people who can turn into werewolves..." Stiles shrugged and grabbed his backpack and entered their class.

He spotted Keegan, immediately. She was sitting in the back of the room next to Danny. Keegan smiled up at him and continued with her conversation. They walked towards the two and took the only remaining seats in the class, the two in front of them. The warning bell rang and Mrs. Thomas strode into the classroom, shutting the door behind her, she scribbled on the board and began her lecture. With his pen in hand, he tapped in on the notebook in front of him between taking notes. As he tapped, a note flew over his shoulder. He immediately stopped tapping, open the piece of paper and smiled.

"Tell me a secret"

He quickly scribbled on the paper, "You first!"

Quickly folding the paper Stiles glanced at the desks around him. He caught Danny's eye, which in turn, shook his head and turned back to the whiteboard. Stiles sat there and continued to stare at Danny, until he became uncomfortable. Danny sighed and rolled his eyes, motioning towards the person sitting behind him. Confident that was a reasonable answer; Stiles tossed the paper gently over his shoulder and grinned as he heard the paper hit the desk behind him, followed by a giggle. A few seconds later, the paper landed on his desk again. His fingers shook as he unfolded the note.

"That is such a cop-out! How is Scott reacting to the news? Has he spoken to Derek yet?"

As she sat behind him waiting for his reply, she could see him quickly scribbling away. Seconds later, the paper flew over his shoulder and she had to move to catch it before it disappeared over the side of her desk. Mrs. Thomas stopped talking, took a seat at her desk, pulled her planner from her bag, and began to assign the nights homework. As Stiles scribbled down the assignment, the note flopped over his shoulder. He unfolded the note just as the bell rang,

"Derek really can help him. Please explain this to him! Oh, and by the way, that shirt looks good on you. ;)"

He sat there staring at the piece of paper that lay on the desk in front of him. He felt the soft breeze of someone walking past and glanced up at Keegan and he could feel his face turn red when she patted him on the shoulder and winked at him. Scott, still seated next to him, shook his head at Stiles and ushered him from the class, "Are you ALWAYS going to be like this?" Stiles glared at him and Scott immediately held up his hands in surrender, "Dude, I'm joking."

x x x x

For the rest of the day, Stiles was a mess. Anytime he saw Keegan he lost his cool; or whatever "cool" he thought he managed to have. He had nearly run into a door when she smiled at him, and then when he saw her at lunch, he nearly dropped his tray. Both times, he swore his cheeks were redder then their lacrosse jerseys and hid himself in the library until the last period of the day.

He slowly drug his feet into the Chemistry lab, and deeply sighed when he saw that Keegan was already in class, waiting for him to show up. Today would be the day Mr. Harris would arrange the seating order to match the lab partner pairings. He shuffled his way over to the available table, gave Keegan a weak smile and slouched himself onto the table. He purposely avoided her gaze and faced out the window. Keegan frowned at the boy and after a moment of contemplation, she gently tapped Stiles on the shoulder, "Hey, are you alright? Stiles?"

He slowly turned towards her and felt his face flush red, "Hey, Keegan. I'm sorry; I have had a horrible day. I'm afraid that it's only going to get worse from here out; and of course we're in a class where things can blow up..." Keegan shrugged her shoulders and frowned at the boy, "I'm sorry to hear about that, Stiles," she stated patting his arm. Stiles shrugged in response. "Well, I will let you mix the chemicals, because these," she motioned to her clothes, "are new!" Stiles gave her a small smile and rolled his eyes.

Mr. Harris had stepped up to the board and instructed the students to take out their textbook and grab a piece of paper and a pencil, and begin taking notes, which he would only show the directions once, and after that; they were on their own. He turned on the projector and opened the lab directions for the day. Immediately, Keegan and Stiles began writing down the instructions and thankfully, they did because five minutes later, Mr. Harris turned off the computer screen. The class collectively groaned and Stiles looked over at Keegan and they slid their papers together. Mr. Harris gave them the okay, and a thirty-minute time limit, and the two quickly collected their items and began to heat the Bunsen burners.

As they worked, Stiles came out of his shell and animatedly explained the steps to her, and explained why they were important. Just as they completed their lab, Mr. Harris called for time and told the students to turn off their burners and let their labs cool. He began inspecting the students work stations and gave a few students approving nods, and a few sullen headshakes. He neared Keegan and Stiles station and the two expected him to shake his head but to their surprise and Mr. Harris', the lab was entirely correct. He nodded his approval and continued on to the next group. The bell rang moments later and everyone rushed to clean up and put the items away. With a heavy sigh, Mr. Harris announced that the students who managed to create the solution correctly would be exempt from the next quiz. They exited the room, smiling and high-fiving when Lydia called out her name. She caught up with the two and gently pulled Keegan away. Keegan glanced over her shoulder, quickly apologizing to Stiles, and followed Lydia to their lockers.

"What are your plans for the weekend? I was thinking we could get together and have a girl's night. Would you mind if I invited Allison? We haven't had a chance to talk... so, what's the scoop on Derek?" Lydia asked, placing her books into her locker. Keegan groaned and placed her hand over her eyes, "Yeah, that sounds good... and don't get me started on Derek, he is an asshole. That is the scoop. Something I could have told you since the day when we began to formulate words." Lydia frowned and shook her head, "Boys. They are so stupid sometimes." Keegan nodded in response and turned to her own locker. She shoved books into the tiny cubbyhole and groaned when she heard Lydia clear her throat, "What about Stilinski?"

She could feel her face turn red, "What about him?" Lydia peered around the locker door, "Oh, I don't know. You seem to be spending a lot of time with him lately..." Keegan shrugged and rolled her eyes, "And your point is?" Lydia cocked her head to the side and gave Keegan her "all knowing" look, "Are you saying that you do not find him attractive?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrows. Keegan's face turned red and Lydia smiled, "Nothing wrong at all with that." Keegan waved Lydia off and they gathered their things and made their way down the hallway. Lydia winked at Keegan as they neared Scott and Stiles locker, "I'll see you this weekend Keeg!" Keegan smiled and waved to Lydia as she disappeared out the main door. She stood in front of Stiles, patiently waiting until he had all his books from his locker until she spoke, "So, are we still on for tomorrow?" Stiles quickly shut his locker door and turned towards her, a big goofy grin on his face, "Of course!"

Keegan nodded, "Alright, sounds good. Well, I best get heading home." Stiles nodded and bent down to pick up his backpack, as he stood he let out a loud groan as Scott smacked him in the chest, he shut his eyes shortly and rubbed his chest, wheezing, "Let me walk you to your car." She found herself blushing and gathered her books closer to her chest. She waited for Stiles to send Scott a death glare as they passed and they walked down the hall to the door. Squinting in the sunlight, they crossed the parking lot and walked over to Keegan's car. As they came to her car, Stiles couldn't help but let his jaw drop, "Wow, this is your car?" Keegan nodded, proudly. He took a short trip around the black beauty and then found himself laughing. Keegan frowned, "What's so funny Mister Stilinski?"

He shook his head, still laughing, "No wonder you always hitch a ride somewhere. This thing has got to be horrible on gas!" Keegan defiantly crossed her arms, "Hey now! I love my car!" She pulled her keys from bag, inserted the key into the door and turned back to Stiles, "Thanks for walking me." Stiles nodded, and they stood there awkwardly for a moment until Stiles cleared his throat, "I better get going. Gotta get to practice! I will see you tomorrow." She watched as he awkwardly ambled away and yelled 'Bye!' as she slid onto the bench seat and put the key into the ignition. The car roared to life and many of the nearby students stopped, and turned their heads to watch as the Impala loudly drove past.

x x x x

Keegan was home for a few hours when she heard a car door shut somewhere outside. She glanced outside her window and was surprised when she saw the all too familiar black Camaro sitting in her driveway. She exited her room and as her foot hit the steps, the doorbell rang and she made her way to the front door. Derek stood on the porch, frowning. His hair was disheveled and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. Keegan took a deep breath and gently pulled the door open, "Can I help you?" He looked up at her through his eyelashes and without hesitation; he was putty in her hands, "Keegan. I am sorry for how I've been acting lately but I can honestly tell you that I had nothing to do with Scott being bitten."

Keegan closed her eyes and took another deep breath, "I know you didn't Derek. I'm sorry for accusing you." Derek shrugged not looking to argue. He let out a deep sigh and embraced her, "So how's Scott doing?" Keegan pulled away from him, shaking her head and shrugged, "He hasn't come to see you yet?" Derek glanced up at her, and shook his head, frowning. Keegan loudly groaned, "I told him to talk to you because you could help him. Maybe he's just nervous...?"

They sat on the porch quietly talking for a few minutes and as she was about to invite him inside, Derek stood so quickly he almost knocked over the chair he was sitting on, "Do you smell that?" Keegan slightly sniffed at the air and raised her eyebrow, "I don't smell anything. Are you okay?" As they sat there, a red SUV drove past the house and continued down the road. Derek watched as the car disappeared down the road with an angry glare, "I knew it!" Keegan looked up and Derek and slowly rose to her feet, "What are you talking about?" He turned to face her, his eyes abruptly turning red, "Hunters!" She felt her heart jump into her throat, "Who?" Derek shook his head, "I saw them the other night when I was out in the woods with Scott. He almost caught us; shot Scott in the arm with an arrow."

"Oh my god Derek! Why didn't anyone tell me!? I'm assuming he's already healed, but at least you guys got away... just please be careful! Call me if you need anything!" Derek nodded and quickly pulled her into a tight hug and lightly kissed her forehead, "Stay safe." He dug his keys from his pocket and got into his car. She watched him pull out of the driveway and drive in the opposite direction of the SUV. As she opened the front door, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She furrowed her brow as she glanced at the phone, seeing she had a text from an unknown number.

"Are you okay?"

She quickly read the message and furrowed her brow once more, "Who is this?"

It took a few moments for her message to send and once she heard the confirmation sound, she shook her head, entered her house and stepped into the kitchen. Placing the phone on the counter, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and opened the fridge. As she pulled the drink container from the door, the phone buzzed again. She quickly poured her drink, returned the jug to the fridge and grabbed her phone, heading up to her room. Pushing open the door, she turned on the light, and unlocked her phone to read her message.

"It's Stiles."

Keegan smiled and took a seat at her desk, "Hello. Yeah, I'm alright." She placed her phone on the desk next to her and quickly logged onto her computer. She pulled her notebook from her bag and began researching for her AP History exam. She opened her notebook and began to scribble notes when he phone buzzed again.

"Alright, I'm just checking. Saw you with Derek and you didn't look happy."

"No, we're okay. Thanks though. Now, Mr. Stilinski, I need to do my homework."

A few minutes passed by and Keegan thought she had gotten some quiet when her phone suddenly buzzed once more; "Need help?" She shook her head and glanced over her shoulder towards his house and picked up the phone, typing, "Unless you now a lot about the French Revolutionary War, then no." Again, the phone was quiet and she went back to her work. Keegan sat typing on her computer when the doorbell rang. Sighing she pushed her chair from the desk and made her way downstairs. Before she could reach the foyer, a sharp knock sounded on the door and the doorbell rang again. As she opened the door, she came face-to-face with Stiles who had a shocked expression on his face, which caused Keegan to sigh, "Are you always going to do this when you see me?" He stood there more awkwardly, his hands shoved into his pockets. She raised her eyebrows, took a step back into the house and glanced at herself in the mirror.

Rolling her eyes, she understood why he was acting this way. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, which rested on her shoulder, and she was dressed in a tight black tank top and a pair of white running shorts. Shaking her head, she turned back to the boy, "Close your mouth Stilinksi and come help me with my homework!" Leaning through the door, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house, "Do you want anything to drink?" Stiles declined and Keegan led the way upstairs. "You best actually know something about my homework." Stiles cocked his head back, as if in disbelieve that she was threatening him, "Or what?" She turned and glared at him, causing him to nod, "I understand." They entered the room and she took a seat at her desk and motioned for Stiles to take the extra chair. He pulled it towards the desk and grabbed her notebook, glancing over the assignment. "Keegan, I know you are a very intelligent girl, but these questions..," He said looking at her from the paper, "Don't take this the wrong way, but these questions are easy." Her cheeks flushed, and she frowned, "I hate AP History. I actually know a lot about history, but my weakness is I'm not good with dates." Stiles laughed, "I'll help. Do you have your book?"

She grabbed her bag from the floor and took out what she needed. They tackled each question and within half an hour, they were finished. They put everything away and Stiles' lounged on her bed, while Keegan set up her desk for her other homework. "You know Stiles; you are very intelligent as well." He sat up and looked at her, narrowing his eye, "Who said I wasn't?" She shrugged, "No one. I've just noticed you are mostly in another world during class... or talking. Mostly talking." He nodded, "ADHD. Always makes it hard for me to concentrate." Keegan frowned, watching the smile fade from his face.

"Hey, have you eaten dinner?" He looked up at her, "No, why?" Keegan smiled, "Well, you treated to dinner last time, so either I can order something... OR I can cook..?," She said, shrugging in the process. Stiles raised an eyebrow and stared at her, "Cook what?"

Keegan shrugged, "Spaghetti?" Stiles immediately sat up, "That sounds amazing!" She motioned for him to get up and Keegan led the way back downstairs to the kitchen.

x x x x

The two returned to Keegan's room after they ate and cleaned up after themselves, with Stiles' offering to help her with the dishes. "Hey, I have an idea, just want to make sure it's not too late." Stiles asked leaning over the bed to check the digital clock, "Hmm, it's 7.. would you be interested in going to see a movie?" Keegan leaned forward, "I would love to! As long as it's nothing too scary, I think that's a great idea!" Stiles groaned and placed his hand across his face, rolling his eyes as he slid his hand down, "How about something right in the middle, 'cause you are not dragging me to see a girlie movie." Keegan laughed and rolled her eyes in return, "Like you would object to that!" He mimed laughter and stood as she shooed him out of her room so she could change.

She emerged five minutes later in a light blue sweater, a pair of black leggings and completed her outfit with her black Converse sneakers. They descended the stairs, and Keegan grabbed her keys and wristlet from the table and wrote a quick note for her father.

"Went to the movies with Stiles, be home late! <3 K"

Stiles offered to drive and they crossed the lawn to the Jeep and took off for town. Keegan watched as Stiles fidgeted with the radio and couldn't settle on a station. They arrived at the theatre just as one of the stations started playing one of his favorite songs. Hopping out of the Jeep, they joined the small line for the ticket booth. As Keegan started to pull her debit card from her wristlet, Stiles cut her off and paid the booth operator. She blushed as Stiles turned to her and handed her the ticket, "You didn't have to pay!" Stiles waved her off, "You made dinner." She smiled sweetly at the boy and they set off into the building. Stiles stopped in front of the snack counter and asked her to go find them good seats and he would be right in. The theatre was nearly empty and Keegan found a great spot in the back, dead center. As she sat there waiting for Stiles to return, her phone gently buzzed in her wristlet, "Hello?"

"Hey girl! What are you doing?"

Lydia.

Keegan smiled, "I'm at the movies. What about you?"

Lydia sighed, "Oh, you know. I'm sitting here watching OLD lacrosse game videos, anything to please Jackson. Are you by yourself?" Keegan laughed, 'That poor girl!' "No, I'm with Stiles."

"Oh? Did he ask you on a date? What are you wearing? Did he pay!?" Keegan laughed, "Calm down Lydia! Ha ha, hey, I need to get going. I will talk to you later. I love you too!" She hung up the phone as she spotted Stiles, with his arms full of drinks, popcorn and a large assortment of candies. Keegan laughed when he approached, "Stilinski, what is all of this?" He shrugged and took a seat, "I didn't know what you liked." She shook her head and helped him with the situation. They sat there quietly discussing their favorite movies when the room began to darken and the previews started to roll.

x x x x

Keegan found herself buried in Stiles' chest more times than she would have liked to count. Turns out the movie that they agreed on wasn't a little bit of everything. Although, it seems that Keegan didn't know what she had gotten herself into and agreed on a movie that she wouldn't normally watch. Nearly two hours later, the credits began to roll and the lights returned to their normal brightness. Stiles stood and stretched his arms over his body, "So..." Keegan blinked in the light, "I think you purposely forgot to tell me there was a very minimal amount of humor in that movie. Were you trying to scare me, Stilinski?"

Stiles flirtatiously winked at her, "Not on purpose, but I did get to be closer to you, didn't I?" She bit her lip, and looked at him as they pushed open the outer doors and exited into the cool fall air. She hugged her sweater closer to her body, and began to shiver. Seeing this, Stiles wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's get to the car." He jumped into the Jeep, turned the engine and cranked the heat. The ride home was quiet; the sound of the tires on the pavement filled the emptiness. He pulled the Jeep into the Kennedy's driveway and turned off the engine. Glancing over at Keegan, he smiled when she caught him and smiled in return, "Let me walk you to the door."

Keegan could feel her cheeks turning red as she got out of the Jeep. He waited for her to join him and the two quietly walked up the front stairs. She found herself nervously biting her lip as Stiles stared at his shoes. "I had a good time tonight, Stiles. Thank you!" He waved her off, "It's not a big deal." Keegan couldn't help but smile at his politeness, "Well, my treat next time!"

Stiles nodded, "Sounds good." She dug into her pocket for her keys, "Well, I best get inside. I will see you tomorrow?" Stiles smiled and as he began turning away, Keegan grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned back to face her with an eyebrow raised. His jaw dropped the moment she planted a kiss on his cheek. She knew that her red cheeks were visible and she timidly smiled, "Goodnight Stilinski." He returned her smile with a dazed one of his own and nearly floated off the porch. She humorously watched as he nearly walked past his car, and giggled as he shook his head clear, and climbed into the driver's seat. She opened the door the moment the engine turned over and went inside, turning off the light in the process.

Next door, Stiles, still in a trance, parked his car and floated into his house. The Sheriff sat at the table; glasses sat low on his nose, police files in his hand when Stiles came through the dining room. He furrowed his brow. Angrily, he accused the boy of being drunk, which Stiles waved off, "She kissed me! On the cheek, no less, but she still kissed me and that, that still counts!" The Sheriff let out a loud burst of laughter and shook his head, "Go to bed Stiles. I'll see you in the morning... Goodnight!" Stiles nodded and waved to his Dad before slowly taking the stairs. He collapsed onto his bed and soon fell asleep without even bothering to change.