After the barbeque, class sign up started at school. So Emma, Ash, Derek and I slept at the Hale's for the night, making it easier to drive together. We had slept in different rooms, obeying by Talia's rules, but this time she let us sleep together. Emma and Ash had the guest room, while I slept in Derek's room. I had changed out of my clothes and into some of his, which quite fortunately was really comfortable. A large red long sleeve shirt, with gray sweat pants.
"You ready for our junior year?" He asked. I was already awake, so I just layed there until he woke up. "Yeah, I just can't believe I made it through sophomore year without failing." He had his arm under my head for support, "This is going to be a memorable year, we promised. Now you have to go forward with that." I tighten his arm around me, bring me on top of his chest. "We better go if we want to get there on time, you know how Ash gets when he doesn't have time to get ready." I joke, throwing the cover off of me.
I walk over to my clothes, that hanged on his computer chair. "No don't wear that, we're just signing up, then we'll be back here anyways. My parents are going out of town for something with Laura. So I have the house to myself." He said, slowly but surely getting out of bed. I look down on what I was wearing, I mean it wasn't bad I just didn't want anyone to see me in the clothes that I slept in, much rather than my boyfriends clothes? But than again, I really didn't want to dress back up.
I grabbed some of Laura's shoes from her room, and wore them. Derek, and the other two were already waiting for me. "What time did Laura, and your parents leave Derek?" He was checking the phone calls that haven't been answered. "I think like 4am? I just heard they were leaving bright and early." After he checked the calls, we drove over to the diner and ate a quickly breakfast before heading to school.
Not that many cars were parked around the school, but students walked their way inside. "Hope the classes aren't long this year." Emma said.
We walk inside the school, and see a few students wandering around the halls looking for their classes. "I'm guessing they're the new freshman this year?" I ask, as I saw this one girl struggling to open her locker. "I got it." I told her. When she turned to look at me, her face went white, and the books in her hands barely hanged on. "Thank..you." She said. "No problem, the bad lockers are always given to freshman, it's just rules. I'm Sa-" "Savannah McCall. Captain of the girls Varsity Soccer and Swim team. In my last school you were talked about in the locker rooms, good things, everyone admired you. And when they heard I was moving to the same school, they wanted me to meet you for them." She held onto her books for dear life, when telling me about myself.
"I bet they told you I'm pretty scary huh?" She narrowed her eyes, watching me confusedly. "I'm intimidating to people, it comes off to them as a bad thing, but it keeps them in check to respect me. You're trying out right? For Soccer?" She nods her head, a lot calmer than 3 seconds ago. "Good, I'll be watching you during our period. Be sure to impress me." I winked at her before I rejoined Derek, Emma, and Ash.
"Aww look at you being welcoming to our new freshman." Derek whisper to me, "Shut up? I'm just recruiting for next year, I still want this school to have a girls soccer team? Even if I'm gone." The lady sitting in the table in front of us calls me up. "McCall, Savannah." I give her a faint smile, handing me my schedule, she also gives me a list of classes I could choose from if I don't want the ones that I already have.
"What classes do you have?" Emma came to me, "Um, Off Period, first. English 5 AP second, Trigonometry third, APES for fourth, Piano 5 for fifth & sixth, then Soccer for my last two periods." Wide eyes, she looks down at her list then back at me, "You know sometimes you make me feel like I'm an inadequate person." We wait and watch was Ash, and Derek walk to us. "Well, I have all my classes." Derek compared ours, and found out that we all have English classes same period, and Sports at the end of the day.
"Wait I also have Trig too, with Mr.Mathews?" Derek said. "I didn't know you even took an extra math class to be in here?" I replied. "Yeah I didn't know either?"
After the sign up, we took a walk in the woods for a while to waste a few hours. "We'll meet up at my house later." Derek said to Ash, who was being dragged by Emma opposite from us.
We walked for what seemed like a few miles, but was just a few blocks away from the school's fields.
"Why did Laura have to go with your parents out of town?" I asked. Walking hand in hand, we stopped to enjoy the view of the cliff. "They wanted her to meet some people, said it would help her keep her enemies closer. I didn't pay much attention to it, why do you ask?" I hesitated to talk to him, but I needed too. "The people from my pack have been acting really weird? They just don't like the fact that I'm close to your family, in which I don't get because your families no threat to anyone." He doesn't answer my question, which makes me want to explode, but I keep myself calm.
"It's none of my business Savannah. I don't interfere with that, I never have and never will. Now just please drop it and move on." His voice had a sense of worryness. I looked down at the cliff, but I didn't notice he had walked away from me. And for the walk back to his house, we didn't let out one word to each other.
Ash and Emma had already gotten to the house, they bought something for all of us to eat. Chinese. "You know me so well." I say to Emma, I grab one of the take out boxes, and eat the most delicious meal ever. "I'll get it.." I say, "But the pho-" My phone rings from Derek's room.
I had to scramble through all of the clothes on the chair, "Hello?" "Savannah it's Laura, are you alone?" Her voice was very quite, I look around the room curiously. "Yeah? Why." "Don't be alone, get down stairs, and stay close to Emma and the rest of them. My mom will tell you everything when we get back." She hangs up the phone before I could even ask what was happening. I head back down stairs to finish my food.
"Who was that?" Derek asks me, "Oh my mom, she wanted to know if I signed up for my classes yet." They all watched me as I ate my food in silence, "Okay." Emma added. After I threw away my food, I had to call Laura back, but Emma or Derek wouldn't leave me alone. "Come on we need to hang some more before you go all Captain on us again, we need a friend too?" Emma give me her puppy dog eyes, which rarely work, only if it's Scott. "Okay. Then let's get a tattoo." Ash looks at me with the most widest eyes, "You're joking right?" Shaking my head, I grab Derek's keys, and head out the door.
"Savannah! You're not going to get a tattoo." Derek yelled, running towards the car, "You can't stop me remember? What did you say...oh yeah, 'Just Let it go.' And this is me letting it go." Starting the car, I drive off to the nearest tattoo parlor.
'Pete's Tattoo's' was the closet and cleanest parlor to go too, and luckily it was open. The door rang, "I'll be right with you, you look for what you want.." He says.
Posters, upon posters of drawings are hanged on the wall. Each having a different style, some were quotes, sleeves, animal, and line tattoos. "How may..I help you." I turn around, facing the counter. He immediately recognizes my face, but doesn't say anything. "Yeah, I'm here to get a tattoo of the moon phases on my inner arm." He opens the gate door leading to back, and let's me through. "Take a seat I'll be right with you." His office was exactly the same as the front room, the leather chair was placed near the window, giving the moonlight a perfect view for my eyes.
I waited 5 minutes for him to sketch my tattoo. "Okay, here you go. You like it?" He started with the oldest crescent, and ending with the new cresent's. He transferred the drawing into my inner arm, and started the machine. "So, what's the reason for this tattoo?" The pain of the needle made my arm numb, "I heard this story about the man who fell in love with the moon a few years back. He protected the city that was once his, while this moon lit his pathway through life.." He stopped mid way, cleaning the ink. "Who was the moon?"
Looking out the window, the light hits my face. "His wife." I whisper. He asked more about the story, he asked how they fell in love, how he protected their city, and how she died. Telling him the story, distracted me from thinking about the Hale's and the conversation that I will be having with Laura and Talia when they get back home.
1 hour later, he was already finished with the tattoo. I got up from the chair, and looked at the tattoo through the mirror, "Wow, it looks really good." He covered the drawing with a gel like cream, and clear wrapping to protect the ink. "Thank you, how much?" He shook his head, "It's on the house. You're the best soccer player in the state, you don't need to pay for the things you want for anymore." He shows me out of the parlor, "Have a good night, come back when you want another tattoo, I'd love to hear the story about the next one." I smiled at him as he closed the door.
As I was driving back home, I felt a burn on my arm. I stopped by Deaton's office, somehow everyone was staying late tonight? "Deaton? I need your help." I walked past the counter, and sat on the metal chair. He came from the back and looked at the bandage. "You're healing..I'll be right back." He took a couple of minutes finding something, throwing things on the floor. "Here, this might help." I scruntch my eyebrows, "You're crazy right!" He pushed me down with all his strength, "No. Now hold still." I grab onto the metal table, and pray for dear life.
He turns on the blowtorch, pointing it to the tattoo on my arm. "Ah!!" I yell to the top of my lungs. "Hold. Still." He says. I bite my bottom lip, tasting the blood oozing out. "Done." I let out a huge gulp of air, relaxing my arms as I tried to get my head together. "Why the tattoo?" I pull up my arm, "You heard the story about the man who fell in love with the moon right?" He nods his head, crossing his arms. "Good choice for your first tattoo." My phone vibrates, 'It's been 2 hours..where are you!' -Derek.
"Go, he's worried about where you are. He's called about 3 times in the past 10 minutes." I say goodbye to Deaton, before I leave out the front door.
"Where the hell could she be?" Derek's voices echoed inside the house, turning off the car, I slowly make my way to the porch. The front lights go off, and Ash opens the door. "You're here." I walk in consciously, looking around for Derek or Emma. "Living room." They were both sitting down on the sofa, before getting up to give me an ear full. "It doesn't take 2 hours to get a tattoo Savannah. Where is it?" Emma looked madder than I've ever seen her. I raised my left arm, revealing the phases of the moon towards her. She let out a gasp of air, Derek not saying or doing anything, didn't have any reaction what so ever.
"I hope you like it." Were the only words he said, before heading up to his room. Emma and Ash follow him go up the stairs and into their rooms. "Great.." I look around the room, before heading up stairs.
I turn the knob on Derek's room, and it's locked. "C'Mon Derek open the door." Leaning against it, he still doesn't open it. "You're all acting childish for some tattoo? It's a new year, I needed something different, you can't control my life forever." He yanks the door wide open, pulling me inside. "You were the one acting childish, trying to set a point. I don't want to talk about your pack in Portland for a reason, don't you get it?" His eyes were blazing a reddish color, "Of course you don't, you don't care about anything unless it has to do with your family or pack right?" I stood there watching him pace around the room.
When he faces back to me, he looks straight up. "What." I looked at this person standing before me like a complete stranger, his anger towards me is unnecessary. "Fine, I get it. I'll just hear it from your mom when she gets here, because she's the only person I thought, I can trust. If you're going to fight over my pack and some stupid meaningless tattoo then fine, be my guest, but I'm not going to be the meat of this lions den." I grab my jacket, and speed down the stairs.
It was just about to be 11 at night, and I was walking my way home through the woods. The moon shined my pathway, and for some reason it felt like it was following me. But even as a child, everyone though it followed them. I took the short cut behind my house, and managed to get inside without freaking out Scott, Stiles, and Stilinski. "Hey guys." They were watching a movie in the loving room, the boys on the small couch, and Stilinki in the sofa chair. "I didn't even hear you come in?" He said, "I had the key for the backdoor. What's for dinner," he pointed to the homemade lasagna sitting in the stove. "Wow, this smells better than-" "Better than What?" My mom came from the top of the stairs, "Um better than mine of course, who could ever beat your recipe mom." I give her a hug, Stilinski shaking his head, gives me a thumbs up. "Nice save." He mouths.
"I'm just gonna eat in my room, mom. I have a lot of work to do." She hands me my slice and drink, and I head up the stairs.
I turn on my TV screen, and eat my food, before falling asleep immediately after.
It was Sunday morning, and someone was knocking hard on the front door. "Mom! Someone's at the door." Nobody answers, "Mom! Door!" Silence. I throw my covers over, and drag myself out of bed. Almost tripping down the stairs, I catch myself with the railing. More knocks come from the door, "I'm coming!" I yell. I open the door, to see Talia, Laura, and Deucalion standing in my doorway. "You're back, yay...come in." I rub my eyes, trying to wipe all the sleepiness. "Good morning Sav." Deucalion kisses the top of my head, "Yeah, yeah, good morning."
They settle into the living room , looking around at the pictures. "I remember you at this age, you gave your dad and Chris a lot of trouble." Talia says. "Mom." Laura, pulls back towards me. "What's going on?" I ask.
"We went to Portland for a pack meeting, and somehow your pack ended up crashing it. It wasn't everyone. Alexander, Ty, Marcus, and Mia were all there. We..well I, never told you exactly why I don't send my pack up to Portland, or why I didn't let Laura go with you and Emma to visit. We have been attacked by the members of your pack in the past, now they're more of threat to you rather than us." I look at both Deucalion and Laura, who seem to not want to say anything else. "Why would they target your family in the first place?"
"My family is known to be very persuasive, we get what we want, when we want it. They don't seem to like that. We stole the money they had given to their main pack leader, later they found him dead. Ever since that day, they think we've had something to do about it. Most specifically, that Laura had something to do about, since she is the next Alpha in the family line." The sound of someone walking down the hallway catches my attention. "Scott?" He mumbles something, "It's nothing, just stay in your room, I'll bring you breakfast soon."
"We heard that their planning on coming to confront you about Laura, to lose all sort of connection with her and our family, as a promise to them that you will never have contact with us again. Savannah, you're going to have to persuade them to drop everything they want to do, and find a compromise. We can't bring war in your town, it will lead to genocide." So many thoughts running in my head, that I can't even wrap around my head around this conversation. "Okay, I'll see what I can do with Kali." I walk them out the door.
Leaning my head back against the door, I take a deep breath before making Scott his breakfast.
Few days later
"You got a tattoo?" My mom's eyes were full of concern, "I really wanted one mom, and plus it's hidden most of the time, so no one's really going to see it." She takes another look at the phases, "It is pretty." Giving her a cheeky smile, she gets angry one more time, and sends me off to my room.
I looked around for a clean canvas, and some pencils, and paint before I sat near my window. Picking up the pencil, I started to draw a skeleton of a girl looking down to the ground. Her hair was being moved by the cold wind very softly, but her sweater kept her warm. The shapes on her jacket, revolved around her sweater, repeating until the pattern stopped. I colored her hair a dark brown color, and then stopped. I finished my last bite of lasagna, and set my plate aside.
I grab the paint from my night stand, and colored into my drawing. The door slightly opens, "Hey Scott." He peaks his head through the tiny opening, I nod my head towards me. "You're drawing again." He sits next to me, hugging my pillows. "Yeah, it's been a long time." Mixing the colors, and dipping the brush, I carefully paint her hair. "You haven't drawn anything since dad left, why now?"
"I've had a lot on my mind, sometimes Music can't heal me as quickly as drawing can." He watches as I shift my body in order to paint the canvas, "Do you ever think dad's going to come back?" I stop painting, "I don't know. Some days, I think he's just going to pop out of nowhere and tell us he's staying, but sometimes when I see us together. We're fine how we are, we don't need dad in this picture..not anymore." The front door closes, "Mom?" Scott yells. She doesn't answer. "Guess, she's heading to work." I lay the drawing and paints on the floor, and walk down to the living room, with Scott.
"Hey." Emma, and Derek sat on our couch. Scott, who was grabbing my hand, lets go and runs towards her. "Hey, babes. How' you doing?" Still staring at the two of them, Scott leaves us alone after a while. "Why are your hands covered in paint?" Derek asks, "I've been doing a project. What are you two doing here?" The coldness of my voice comes out a tad bitchy. They both raise their eyebrows in surprise. "Well you haven't called? And you've been ignoring us?" I take a few steps back, making sure Scott has locked his door.
"I have nothing to say to the both of you. It is not your decision in how I control my pack...my business is with Talia and Laura. I suggest the both of you, get out of my house. Or I will get you out myself." I feel my eyes change into a blazing red color. Slowly, they both get up and leave.
"Why did you send Derek and Emma out of the house?" Scott, stood at the top of the stairs, "They were just leaving." I said to him, looking back at the door.
The next day, I got a call from Talia to come to her house. Being 7 am, my mom still hadn't left for work. "I'm leaving to open up mom, I'll be back by lunch." I whisper to her. Closing the door behind me, I walk down slowly and into my car.
Talia and Laura were already waiting for me on the porch. "Hey, what's up?" I say to them, but they just open the front door, and let me in. "We have a big problem.." I lean on the table at the other end of the living room. "Like what?" Deucalion and Ennis come from the kitchen. "Your pack heard that we were in town, and now they want to hunt you and Laura down." Not even one look, or glance did Laura give me. Still keeping her arms crossed around her arms. She looked a lot worried than usual. "They feel like if you don't take her out of your life, then they'll take the both of you out together." Ennis, another member of Talia's pack, interferes.
"They follow the orders of Kali, and I know she doesn't have any problem with you what so ever Laura. I'll talk to them, they're going to listen to me, whether they like it or not, you are all my family. Their just going to have to accept it." Talia pulls out a ticket. "What's this?" Handing it to me, I read the location. "Spain. You want us to run away?" She shakes her head, "Not run away, and not the both of you. You have a future Savannah, and you're the next savior to our lives. The last one of your kind is within you, and we can't lose that." All of them stand beside each other, "Noway, I'm not leaving here like a coward? You thought me that Talia, ever since I was young, you told me to never run away from a fight or hunters. And I never will."
"You're going to have to figure something out, because if the time comes that you have to leave here, I won't hesitate to send you off." With a stern voice, "Okay, I will."
After a tension conversation, I followed Laura go to her room. "You Okay? You didn't say much down there." Bitting her sweater, she turns around in tears. "Andrew left today...for the Marines." Then a flow of tears run down her face. I run to hug her, and we fall to the floor. "When?" I ask, "Yesterday in the morning, when I came he told me to meet up with him." She sobs into my forearms, "Shh, it's okay. I'm still here for you." I hug her, bring her up to my chest.
We sat at the end of her bed the whole night, she eventually fell asleep, and so did I. During the night, a shadow walked past my eyes when ever I opened them. They kneel down to me, picking me up in their arms. "Laur.." "Shh." They whisper to me.
The feeling of soft fabric brushing against my skin, refresh me. "You're fine now, just sleep." They pull me close to their chest, tightly enough for me to suffocate from their warm smell. They brush through my hair, making me fall asleep.
The next morning, the sun shined down above the head board. I stretch out my arms and legs, feeling all of my muscles contract. I turn over to my left side, leaning into the warm corner. "Looks like you're still tired." I look up to see myself in Peters arms. I sit up in a nano second, "How?" I ask him, "You fell asleep in Laura's bed, Derek's room was locked. So the last room in the house was mine, nothing happened I can assure you that." He leaned on his elbow, passing the light coming through, he sits in front of me.
"You should probably change, school starts today for you." He gets out of bed, and as I see him walking out his room, a pile of fresh clothes sit on the edge of the bed. "I got them from your house." I grabbed the high waisted jean shorts, and the maroon crop top, he had for me. I crawled to the edge of the bed, and see my converse on the floor. "I'll be waiting outside to drive you to school." Closing the door behind me, I was left alone in his empty room. No pictures, drawings, or trophies were hanged on the walls. A computer sat on the nightstand, while, his closet was full of sports gear, and his clothes.
I get ready in a short number of time, not really caring about my hair, just wrapping it in a high bun. Tying my shoes, I grab my jacket, and find Peter waiting for me. "Derek had practice early if you're wondering.." Opening the door for me, I walk towards my car.
The radio kept the silence between Peter and I less awkward. He was nice to me this morning, and the fact that he didn't try anything with me last night, was a miracle. "Why are you being so nice today?" I turned down the radio, "It's not like my feeling aren't still there, it's just that I realized you're Derek's, and I can never find someone like you, because he already has the only person." Just a few minutes away from school, I made him stop by the diner for breakfast.
"I heard you got a tattoo? Is that the reason you're not talking to Emma or Derek?" I bite off a piece of bacon, "Yeah, they don't seem to like it." He finishes his food before me, so for the whole 20 minutes he looked at me eat. "Can I see it?" I lift up my arm, where you can easily see the ink. "Describes you perfectly. Your whole life you've been going through phases, and somehow they seem to repeat themselves." My eyes roam up to Peter, who was looking directly at me. "It's weird to know that you like me, even if you are Derek's uncle. You seem to act different around your sisters family, why is that?"
"I've been the little brother for many years. Growing up in my sister's shadow was one of the most gruesome things I had to go through. Everyone though I was going to grow up just like her, but I seemed to disappoint them. And for the last couple years, I just don't seem to care." He called the waitress over for the bill, "No, it's on the house." She flutters her eyes, but Peter doesn't notice. "Thank you." He waits for me to leave the booth before following after me.
"You must be wondering what has Emma and Derek been up to since the last few days. Nothing. He just sits around the house all day, waiting for his phone to ring, and when it does. He answers it so quickly, that he gets disappointed often because it's not you. Emma stays with Ash, because she's scared that she would get you mad enough to kick her out." He says to me as we get in the car. "Why would she be scared of me, when they both came to my house without a warning." He pulls up to the school's driveway.
"I'd ask them what's going on. Because they way I see it, it's not about the tattoo on your arm." I watch him, a little longer than usual. Getting out the car was difficult because I didn't want to go to school just yet. "Hey, if you need anything, just call me." I nod my head, backing away from the car. "I will." And he drives away.
Walking to my first class of the day was weird. People kept looking at me like I was the new student, they kept whispering around me, and when I let it get to me, their voices filled my head. I finally made it to my first class, Trigonometry, and awkwardly, I had it with Derek. He sat in the back of the class with his friends, "Hey it's Sav-" one of them say, but get cut off by someone else.
The teacher walks in and starts class. Rapidly starting with our first lesson. I finished the work under the first hour, so I asked to leave the class. "Sure." He said. All eyes were on me as I packed my books, and shoved them into my backpack. "But please take the door in the back of the class, janitors are cleaning." I swing my bag over my right shoulder, and scoot passed the students, including Derek. "He-" I pass by him quickly, not letting him say a word to me.
Walking out the class, I head over to the tables near the exit for lunch. "Kali?" I hear someone pick up the phone, "Hey, you okay?" She says. I look around me, "Sort of, I was just asking about the others, how are they?" A few whispers come through the other line. "They're fine, Alex, and the rest of his 'pack' are causing the trouble, but I seem to control it." Knowing she can't see me from the other end, I nod my head. "Okay, well. Keep me in touch, I'll probably come by during break, see how their doing." We say our goodbyes, before I head of for my next class, English.
Walking down the stairs, I see Derek come towards me. I panic and make a sharp turn to my left, taking the long way around the halls. "You can't run away forever.." I hear in my head, I then turn around to see Derek looking directly at me. The crowd of students pass in front and behind us. But the look in his eyes, didn't seem to carry anger anymore, but more of sorrow.
My second class was a lot like my Trig class, finished the work in less
than the hour. So I have extra time to go grab lunch, and eat outside.
The bell rang, and a herd of students come out from the exit doors. Athletes pass by me, saying their 'Hello's' and their 'Bye's'. I sat under a young tree, the only tree that gives off some sort of shade from all the others. I opened my books to study the music sheets Mr.Lively sent to me during my break. Multitasking during lunch, is something that I always seem to do. Some of the swim team passes by me, stopping to have small talk and then leaves. As I see them leave, I feel someone look at me, but don't think about looking back at them.
Derek's POV
I sit on the table near Savannah, watching her study her music sheets.
I've been thinking about the whole situation, her pack, the tattoo. I didn't want to lose her to people that she doesn't even know. "What's going on, my favorite nephew." Peter sits with me on the table, "I don't like you. And plus you're not supposed to be in school anyways, I can have you banned from school grounds you know that right?." He grabs one of my peanut butter cups, "I can't be banned from anywhere, I'm too good looking." Rolling my eyes at him, I look back at Savannah.
"You know you could just bite her, make her part of your own pack. You'll keep her safer than she already is." He says, "Is that even possible? Making a Hybrid part of a Beta's pack?" I ask. "I don't know, but if you really want her to stay by your side. I'd keep her safe. You and her are just...something special. You're the Perfect Combination." Savannah smiles at the groups of swimmers that had already passed my her, the school bells rings, for our next class.
I follow her up the stairs, "Savannah, Can we talk." I grab her by the arm. "Not if it involves my safety. Or my pack." I shake my head, "I'm sorry. I feel like in this whole relationship all we've been doing is saying sorry to each other. Truth is, I don't want you involved with my families problems, if they want to attack Laura, because of what she did, then let them. She's an Alpha, she can handle herself. You don't need to protect everyone." The doors leading to the classrooms close. "Let's just go home, okay. And we can forget that this ever happened, the fighting, the ink on you arm. Please." Shee leans her head near my neck, wrapping one arm around me, "I'm sorry."
For a moment, I don't know what were doing? But I know that she still wants me. "I love you, I'm just trying to protect what's mine." I hold her face in my hands, "I am too."