Stutter

That Derek wasn't there when I was woken up by my dad was not something unexpected. The man had kicked Derek out once before, and I think it had more to do with him being charged without conviction than him sharing my bed. Because frankly my father had not asked into it and had seemed to forget about it afterwards. So I was not actually sure what he had been so pissed off about, but he had not said anything after he stopped knowing that Derek was still intruding my personal space. That meant my room. So I didn't say anything. There was no need to rip up something that had healed so nicely and not even left a mark. "You're going to be late if you keep lying around like that." My father commented as he opened the door. I could only chuck the pillow after him and did my best to hide under my covers but to no avail. "Forget it. Up and get your butt to school." He commented and the groan that left me was much more compliant than I liked, but I got up.

Whatever I had been dreaming I was not going to discuss - it was easier to say that it had definitely been the reason why I had been reluctant to get out of bed. Slipping back into dream world would not have been all that bad. In there I wasn't hunting a psycho werewolf who was uncle to another werewolf I had a love hate relationship to. So dreams were less complicated and preferable no doubt. But I got up and I got dressed. "That's the last time I sit in front of a hospital for more than ten seconds." I commented to myself as I shoved a text book into my bag. That it was not one I was going to use during the day was just tough luck. I grabbed slung my bag over my shoulder only then realizing what the time was. That I usually tumbled down the stairs was nothing unusual. This was more me falling down the stairs, that was how much recoil I had going. The steps disappeared from under my feet faster than I could react to it, thus my increased stumbling and my balance thrown off.

I got out of the front door, and for once I managed to lock it before I sat in my truck staring dumbfounded at it for a few seconds. What happened to my routines I had no idea, but it felt like I remembered too much right now. That feeling of having forgotten something was slightly unnerving, but I shook it off of me as I took off towards school. I was not going to get detention for being late. Not in a million years. Of all the things I could get detention for, that was not one of them that I was going to let happen. It was just awkward and trying to explain why I had been late was not something I fancied. Especially not if I was right about first class, then our chemistry teacher would do anything in his power to humiliate anyone who was late. Especially in the middle of the week. God I hated that idiot.

---

Back in my room, on my desk, my phone went off. The caller ID flashed across the scream, the tone of my phone calling for me. Begging me to answer the call. But I was not there to pick it up and save the battery from the abuse that it might be going through throughout the day while school was on. It lay there, slowly creating circles on the table as the vibrate caused it to turn a quarter of an inch with every ring. It was the only thing that made a sound in the house, making it sound a lot louder than it initially was. The phone stopped screaming for my attention and lay dead on the hard surface under it. However, it was only a few seconds, before it started up again. The same caller ID flashing over the screen. Someone needed to get in contact with me and I, stupid as I was, had left my phone there, on the desk in my room to get to class in time. It could only hope that I was not missing something important.

---

"Why do you smell like Derek?" Scott asked as soon as I sat down beside him in class. The small jump I made in realization and fight had Scott frown slightly at my odd behavior. I took a moment to calm down, having not expected Scott to say anything at all other than a 'good morning'. I didn't even get that. Nope. My best friend just wanted to know why i smelled like Derek Hale. Brilliant. I took a moment to compose myself before I snapped my head in hi direction with a pained look. "I spent hours in my truck with him yesterday, looking for that stupid... alpha. I said the lat word a little lower than the rest of the sentence. We did no need anyone to hear what was going on, thus we usually only talked these kind of things during break or in between classes when everyone else was distracted by either catching up with friends or getting to their next class in time.

But Scott had asked and I had answered. I could see how he took a moment to find out for himself if he believed me or not. Why he should have any reason not to I had no idea. I was not the part animal with a creepily good nose and scarily good ears. I far from had the strength. I only had the brains. But that was only because Scott tended to think a little too much about one person in a situation and Derek just didn't know how to see further than the tip of his nose, metaphorically. Thinking for two had never been a problem for me. Thinking for three was not all that easy, especially not when Scott always came to me with his little furry problems like I was the born werewolf.

Scott seemed to decide that I was telling the truth which I was. Half of it at least. "How long did he keep you out?" Scott pried on and I could only shrug, because, frankly, I did not ave a single clue. Time had not been my biggest concern. Especially not after Derek's uncle had tried to eat me. Well, maybe not literally, but it had felt that way with how murderous he had looked. "If I knew I would vow to never be out that late again." I commented and flipped a page in my notebook trying my damnest to just finish up this conversation and talk about something else. Apparently Scott didn't feel the same way and as soon as I tried to let the conversation slide with a little silence he got right back on track. "Did you find him then?" He asked. I was not sure if I was supposed to tell Scott if we had or not. I had been a little occupied back in my room to really think about that. So I handed him an answer he would kill me for later. "Ask Derek. I'm not the part dog here." I commented and gave him a small look that should tell it all. Scott shook his head, seeming to know that it was useless asking Derek and I was just beating around the bush for the time being. We had been friends for far too long.

I turned to my note book, attempting for a moment to get down to taking notes, but failed miserably as my excitement with the found the day before seemed to burst out of me. I needed to tell my best friend this. Because that's how our friendship worked. "Okay, fine. Yeah we found him and... just letting you know - whatever you're planning I'm not baiting again." I commented seriously. In the beginning it had not been too bad of a plan, looking out for the alpha. That Derek decided that I was the perfect bait was something I had not agreed to. Apparently I hadn't read the contract properly, because I didn't remember agreeing to Derek using me as wolf's chew-toy. Scott looked excited and slightly disturbed at what I had let slip by. "So you found him?!" He asked in an excited whisper and all I could do was nod. Of course we had found him. He was Derek's uncle for crying out loud! That was not something I had expected, but I had definitely not doubted that Derek would eventually find the beast. A wolf should be able to smell an unwelcome wolf in the area.

"Wait... I don't smell someone else on you..." Scott shot, and I suddenly realized that Derek's smell had to be covering me. Completely. I should have showered before I left home then screw getting to school late. I completely ignored that comment and did not say a single thing throughout the rest of the class. I was too occupied with keeping the blush from reaching the surface and keep any redness from showing on the tip of my ears. To say it simply - I was swallowing the embarrassment and I was empty for witty comments and excuses. Besides - Scott did not need to know what was going on between the two of us. Because nothing was going on. It was nothing at all. Derek was just bored and lonely and I was desperate from chasing Lydia all over the place.

Speaking of Lydia I had heard that her and Jackson were having more than a few troubles in paradise. I know that it should thrill me a lot more than it did, but something in me didn't give a damn and the gossip that had hit me did not phase me at all. I knew that I should care and try to get to Lydia while Jackson was being an idiot, but for some reason, the thought of going after Lydia was a lot less pleasing than it had been before I ran into Derek. Before I would have been all over her. I would have done anything to get her attention and get her to realize that I was the guy that she had always needed. That I was better than Jackson. Now I didn't seem to really care and could find things a lot more interesting than Lydia. It should have been nothing and I should have just ignored it, but it annoyed me. It annoyed me how I didn't seem to care that there was a growing chance with Lydia.

---

Lunch rolled around and I had done all I could to ignore the questions from Scott. He had not given up on wanting to know why Derek seemed to hang around in my air. In the end I had had to tell him to keep him little dog nose to himself or I was going to plant a fist in it. It had shut him up for a little while, but if there was something that Scott was good at it was getting someone's attention if he needed it. So ignoring him was more than a little difficult but I still did my best. There was just not much success with me. However, lunch I seemed to be able to escape him for now. But then again, I had run off as fast as I could because I wanted to get away.

I managed to find a corridor that was empty and not too far from the main corridor, but far enough for me to hide from my insane best friend who seemed to think that something was up. There was nothing up besides me seemingly being used as bait for a psychopathic killer of an alpha. Why was I the one that people found they could live without. I was not sure how to feel about that. I leaned against the wall, enjoying the sudden silence around me. That it didn't last too long was just my bad luck coming back to bite me. And it was the completely wrong luck that came to bite my ass. Or person.

"I'm not sure whether I should let you live and chase you down for the fun or if I should just rip out your guts now." The voice that reached me had me jump up in shock. There was no doubt in my mind who it was and that voice always meant trouble. Always. In one way or another. I looked up with large weary eyes. My eyes were a little weary and my voice was, as usual nervous and too cheery for it to be believable. "Hey, Derek. What's up?" I asked, a smile spreading on my lips. If I could get around it I was going to try to get around Derek's seemingly bad mood. "You should remember your phone." He just commented with eyes that could kill. "Does it boost your confidence that I feel a little more dead every time you look at me like that?" I asked in that sarcastic voice I always used when I was trying to get out of a situation and that comment just needed to get out.

The glare that I got told me that I should have just kept my mouth shut. But I had not been able to and there was no taking it back now. "Why'd you need me? The alpha after you, or did you just miss me?" I knew that I was teasing and the grin that spread on my lips only gave away further that I was not taking things serious at all. Apparently though I had been right about something because Derek didn't even answer me, but just slammed his lips against mine. As usual, it seemed with Derek, I was shocked and needed a moment to assess the situation. It took nothing but a moment for me to react back and the way my fingers curled into the back of Derek's neck.

That Scott had found me on the wrong moment was tough luck for all of us. And he would probably be scarred for life. Because Derek did not go easy on me even if we were in an abandoned hall only a few from the rest of the crowd. Even if it was just in between classes. Of course I didn't know until later. And I would get the scare of my life when Scott came to confront me about it.