Forget Me || Derek Hale.

four.

Charlie.

The rich aroma of coffee and sugary treats hit Charlie as she stepped into the local café. It was fairly quiet for a Friday afternoon, but the regulars that spotted her offered her a friendly smile and a polite 'good afternoon' as she made her way to the counter to order her drink. Lydia, Malia, and Kira were already sitting at their usual table, waiting for her to join them. She joined the queue, glancing up at the specials board while she waited. There were still two customers in front of her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced back to see her elderly neighbour, who lived on the opposite side of the street.

"Hi, Mrs. Callahan." Charlie smiled politely. "How are you?"

Mrs. Callahan had lived across the street for almost thirty years, but Charlie had only spoken to her a handful of times. She was nice, mostly kept to herself, but there was something about her that always made Charlie feel on edge. Derek often referred to her as the batty woman across the street, which annoyed Charlie. Sure, she was quirky, but Charlie wouldn't go as far as to say she was nuts.

"I'm very well, dear. Couldn't find my glasses this morning." Mrs. Callahan shook her head slowly. "I'm always losing the pesky things."

"Oh no. Well, I hope you find them soon." Charlie said as she turned to face the counter again.

But Mrs. Callahan apparently wasn't finished. "Oh, I found them. They were by the toaster."

"That's good."

"It is. Say, how's that boy of yours?"

"Eli? He's good. Typical teenage boy, hating his parents."

Mrs. Callahan waved a dismissive hand, like she was swatting away a fly, and shook her head. "Blame the full moon."

Charlie's eyes widened a fraction, but before she could ask the elderly woman what she meant by that, the young woman behind the counter called for the next customer.

"Ooh, that's you, dear." Mrs. Callahan pointed behind Charlie. "Nice talking to you."

"You too." Charlie said, slowly turning away.

She ordered her usual, latte and a blueberry muffin and stood to the side to wait. While she waited for her order, her mind flicked back to the conversation she shared with her elderly neighbour. Did Mrs. Callahan know that the Hales were supernatural creatures? Charlie and Derek had always gone to great lengths to hide their werewolf sides. And Eli hadn't even had his first transformation yet. In fact, Charlie was starting to believe that he wasn't a werewolf at all. Eli seemed adamant that he wasn't interested in embracing his supernatural side.

Then again, it wouldn't be the first time someone had discovered them. Jenna Highcroft had known just by smelling Derek's alpha scent. She had been a supernatural creature herself, but still. Then there was Glenn Hopemoore, the man Jenna had killed for figuring out that she was a harpy. He'd done extensive research and learnt all about Charlie, Derek, and their friends. To this day, Charlie didn't know how Glenn found out the information he had, but he had it. So Mrs. Callahan's comment about the full moon had Charlie's anxiety skyrocketing. Did she know something? Or was Derek right? Was she just an old woman who'd gone nuts after years of solitude? Charlie made a mental note to talk to Derek about it later.

Once her order was ready, she walked over to her friends, dropping down into the purple, leather armchair beside Lydia.

"Hey, you okay?" Lydia asked, watching her closely.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Charlie nodded.

"Who was that woman you were speaking to?" Kira asked from across the small coffee table.