willow | d. hale [on hold]

23 | talent

her name was paige.

[ 3.04 ]

Jennifer Blake walked through the empty school hallway, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She felt like she was being watched. Or like someone was waiting for her. And on the off chance that it was one of the werewolves coming to check on her after what happened at the school that Friday night, she put up a scared facade.

After hearing a door slam in the distance, she scurried to her room as quickly as she could. Then she slammed her door shut, leaning her forehead against it in relief that she got there safely. But as she turned around, she screamed.

Derek Hale was standing in the classroom, an eyebrow raised at her reaction. Jennifer quickly grabbed a yardstick and held it out like a weapon as if it would help defend herself.

"What do you want?" she asked, adding a tremble to her voice. "You gonna threaten me? Tell me that no one's gonna believe me? Try to scare me? Kill me?"

Derek waited a moment, honestly amused. She hadn't even been the one locked in the boiler room with two savage werewolves. She only caught a glimpse of them and was still so scared. "I was gonna see if you were okay."

"Physically or emotionally?" she asked. "Although I guess that presupposes I was emotionally okay before any of this. And according to my therapist, I - it's been debatable for a long time."

"I think you're gonna be okay," Derek told her. He slowly reached for the yardstick and took it from her when he was sure that she wasn't going to hit him.

"Obviously, you've never taught high school," Jennifer muttered. "In twenty minutes, I have to start two dozen teenagers on The Crucible, and I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna say. Not only that, but I have to look Willow in the eye knowing that I practically sent her to her death."

"Willow is alright," Derek told her. He hadn't really left her side, especially after what happened at her birthday party. "She wanted me to make sure that you're alright. We know it was a lot to take in."

"Definitely a lot."

"And as for The Crucible, why don't you start by telling them that it's an allegory for McCarthyism?" he suggested. Derek would have to remember that point for later so that he could prove to Willow and Cora that he did in fact know how to read.

"Is that a subtle way of suggesting that I shouldn't say anything?" Jennifer asked, backing up. "Because I won't."

Derek chuckled before handing her back the yardstick. Then he made his way to the door, convinced that she wouldn't run around screaming 'werewolf' anytime soon.

"Who are you?" she asked, stopping him at the door.

"I'm Derek."

"Jennifer," she said with a smile.