Side By Side » Theo Raeken

A Novel Approache

Edited.

"If 99.9% of our DNA sequence is the same as other humans, what could have count for the 0.1 percent of difference?" I looked at my book and frowned, trying to read in order to catch up with it. "Alice?"

I quickly looked up and gazed at the book. "Ah... Nucleotides."

"That's right." I sighed, wishing I could go to bed.

The night before was a wreck. With Lydia in the hospital Stiles stayed sleeping in my bedroom, moving around not being able to sleep, affecting me. We didn't talk much after those small words we exchanged when Theo left, but it wasn't necessary. I wasn't in Beacon Hills for long, and although my cousin hadn't told me yet, I knew they were now big friends who seemed to get along perfectly fine, probably knowing each other for a while, which made me understand why he was so worried.

This morning, on the other hand, I pushed myself up earlier to check on Lydia at the hospital, but we weren't allowed to visit her.

"...read the full Wikipedia page on your phone?" I looked up from my book and tried to pay attention to the class, as I slowly tried to keep myself awake, until the teacher decided to distribute drop forms, leaving one in front of the blonde girl next to me, making her frown. "The rest will be on my desk."

We all got up, I seeing Scott grab one of the forms, making me wonder why he would do it, wanting to be a veterinarian.

I walked silently with Theo by my side until my locker. I didn't know why he was so quiet but I quickly changed that.

"Why were you at Stiles house, last night?"

"He looked really nervous, Scott asked me to go with him."

I nodded. "But why were you at the house?" I asked, putting emphasis on the word 'at'.

The boy shrugged when I opened the locker. "What do you mean?" I instantly rolled my eyes.

"There's no way in hiding my cousin doesn't like you." He smirked. "Theo."

"You were having a nightmare."

I raised an eyebrow. "I was not."

"You were." I shook my head.

"How'd you even know that?"

Again, he shrugged. "I just do." I sighed and looked at him, leaning my head over the locker. "I worry about you. I know how to tell when you're not OK."

I shook my head and closed my eyes, exhausted. "You barely even know me, Theo." I said, even though that wasn't what it felt like. In fact, it seemed like he knew me, sometimes even better than I knew myself, which scared me, a lot.

"That's not true. And I know you worry about me too."

I looked at the opposite direction of him and saw Liam looking at us, with some books in his hands. He narrowed his eyes and then raised one eyebrow, looking at me. I mentally shrugged it away, returning my gaze to the boy next to me. His eyes were too watching Liam as he now walked away shaking his head.

I grinned, letting a small laugh come out. Theo looked back at me and raised both eyebrows, following me to the next class, where we both sat together.

History wasn't much fun, making me rethink if I should like Kira or not, since her father was the teacher of the subject.

In a second, just like someone had put that thought in my head, the words Theo has said to me came to my mind, making me shiver as I dumbly felt a weird feeling running through my body. He worries about you, how cute. He was in my mind, not knowing how to get him out, and it was not the first time it happened, which scared me. There was no way in hiding Theo Raeken was good looking, and he did have a smile that would make anyone fall for it. And I knew I was. Our date had been amazing even if it was a fiasco, and he had been a great friend helping me get through my aunt's death.