Gasoline • Martin.

20

After the whole bird fiasco, Nate found himself the next day at school, holed up in a classroom with his sister, Lydia, Stiles, Scott, and none other than Derek Hale. He knew the basics that a strange woman came to the school and bruised Allison and Lydia on the arm and the girls were sure that it meant something. Nate was there with them for their protection, and because he didn't trust Derek Hale.

"I don't see anything."

Scott sighed and looked at the older man. "Look again."

Derek sends him a pointed look. "How does a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?"

Nate was staring at the werewolf with calculating eyes, on the defense and ready to attack if he even looked wrong in their direction.

"It's the same, on both sides. Exactly the same." Scott was trying so hard for him to see something that maybe wasn't there.

"It's nothing."

"Pareidolia," Lydia and Nate said at the same time. They shared a look before Lydia continued speaking.

"Seeing patterns that aren't there." The two werewolves looked at each other. "It's a subset of apophenia."

Nate could only stare at the strawberry blonde in admiration, his eyes lighting up at how much knowledge she had. He shook his head and woke himself up from his weird daydream about Lydia and paid attention to the conversation again.

"Help? These two?" Derek faced the girls. "This one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you." He pointed at Lydia. "And this one, along with that one," he now pointed at the Argent twins, "who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, come on. No one died, all right," Stiles interfered, "Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I called an important distinction."

Allison sent a dirty look to Derek. "Our mother died."

Derek looked at the twins with a blank face. "Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." Nate balled his hand on a fist, his nails digging into his skin. It was the only way to release his anger and stop himself from punching Derek in the face.

"That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you."

"Wanna help? Find something real." And with that, Derek left the room, Scott following after him.

"Ah yes, great idea coming to Derek Hale, the guy who has a vendetta against all of us, bravo," Nate slow clapped as Scott came back from his brief talk with the Hale man. "Next time, don't waste my time, McCall. I will shoot you."

•••

Nate finds himself in the library with Allison and no other than Lydia Martin. It's weird, they've been spending a lot of time together today, not that he minded, but it just feels good for him. Allison was in her own little world, still thinking about the mark on her arm, while Lydia and Nate were working on some schoolwork.

"I want one."

Lydia's sudden words snapped the twins from their thoughts and stared at her. They both followed her eyes to see the twins who were walking like they were on a runway the first day of school in front of Nate.

Nate's eye twitched at the thought of Lydia with someone else. Hold on, what?

"Which one?" Allison asked, a bright smile on her face.

"The straight one obviously."

Nate scoffed and looked down, before going to talk to Lydia about the homework, only to find her seat empty. He lifted his eyes from the table and saw her in front of a bookshelf, talking to the straight twin she was ogling.

Nate was fuming. God, he hated that he was jealous. He snapped his pencil in half, eyes widened at the sudden action.

"Jesus, Nate. Are you okay?"

Nate stared at the broken lead and then at his sister and nodded, picking his stuff up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I have to go."

He hurried out of the library, bumping into his locker buddy, who greeted him with a smile on her face. "Hey, Nate."

He sent her a look and continued his way to the bathroom. He felt like he was drowning, his chest was tight and he couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe, he was fine five minutes ago. He felt like he was suffocating.

He threw his bag to the floor and took off his leather jacket. He still felt the tightness in his chest. Why was he still feeling like that? Was he... was he having an anxiety attack? No, it can't be, he never got one of those.

God good, why did this happen to him?

Nate started to feel the sweat trickling down the side of his forehead, wiping it with the back of his hand. He fanned himself with the front of his shirt, starting to feel the tightness disappear. Okay, he was good now, it was maybe something he ate or the stress from school. Nothing too serious.

Just to be sure, he avoided anyone he knew for the next two days until he couldn't avoid them anymore. Literally. When he was exiting school that day, he saw the strawberry blonde woman that haunted his thoughts standing in front of his car. He ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to comb it and look a bit more presentable.

"What are you doing?"

Lydia turned around and smiled at him.

"Allison can't drive me back so I came to the best next thing." His heart fluttered. Wait what?

"Get in." he unlocked the car without another word and entered the driver's side, waiting for Lydia to get into the passenger. When he was sure she was buckled in, he started the car and drove to their houses.

There was silence. So silent that you could hear a pin drop.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why are you avoiding me?"

Nate controlled his face at her words. He did not want Lydia to notice any change in demeanor. "I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes, you are. Since yesterday after the library."

Oh. So she did notice. Why did that kind of feel good?

"I was just a bit stressed with homework and other stuff. It's not you."

The car came to a stop in front of Lydia's house. "Nate. We've been friends for a long time," the word friends hurt his heart, "I know you. and I know when something is wrong."

"Lydia, nothing is wrong—"

Lydia held up a hand, stopping Nate from continuing his excuses. "But I also know you enough that when you want to talk about it, you will. I won't force you, okay."

He smiled. He actually fully smiled, with teeth and all. Only Lydia has been able to bring this side of him out since his mother died. "Thank you."

Lydia sent him a dimpled smile in return. "See you tomorrow. Thank you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hurried out of the car and to her house.

Nate was frozen. Did Lydia Martin just kiss him on the cheek?

That's when it hit him. The sudden jealousy, fast heart rate when talking to her, and the small episode at the school bathroom. Now it all made sense to him.

"Good god, do I like Lydia?"