This IS My Normal

006

"Derek!" I yelled in the woods. I needed to find him. If he was going to teach Scott, maybe he could teach me. How to shift. When to shift. Any of it. All of it.

"What" he said so dryly. Seemingly not wanting any sight of me. "Teach me. You've been trying to teach Scott and I want to learn too." "It's harder for Scott. He was bitten. You were born with this." "Yes, but I don't know anything about it. My dad refuses to teach me. You're my last bet". "Fine". "Fine?" "Yeah, fine. I'll help you". I felt my body straighten up along with my face lightning. "Okay, thank you!" We both just stood in the woods, silently. "So...-" "I said I'd help you, I didn't say when" Derek tells me as he walks off.

••••

"You trust Derek? Why are you and Scott so adamant on him". "Why shouldn't we trust him? I mean what has he done? He's literally done nothing but try and help Scott. So I want him to help me too". Stiles just rolled his eyes at me as he kept driving us to school.

"If anything it should be him who hates us. Not the other way around". Stiles stared at me and I took it as a hint to stop talking and enjoy my free ride to school.

••••

"Hey, have you talked to Scott today?" "Not really, no. I actually haven't even seen him yet." "Do you think he's mad at me?" "Why would he be mad at you?" "I don't know. It just feels like he's avoiding me, Em". "I don't think you have anything to worry about. I could text him for you if you want?" "No, his phone is broken or something." "Well I've got to go to class, Alison. I'm sure everything will be fine" I assured her as I walked away.

I didn't know Scott had been avoiding her. I actually realized I hadn't talked to him since the week before. Then I realized my next class was with the three of them.

We filed into the class and I sat beside Scott. Stiles behind me and Allison behind Scott. I could tell something had shifted between Allison and Scott, I just couldn't tell what.

"Let's settle down" Coach Finstock tells us as he slams a book on top of another on his desk. "Let's start with a quick summary of last night's reading. Greenburg, put your hand down. Everyone knows you did the reading". I looked around the room to see who Greenburg was and couldn't find him. Who's Greenburg? "How about uh... McCall?" Coach says as he approached the boy.

Scott looks up and looks as though he was a deer in headlights. Just confused as ever. "Last night's reading?" he asks. "How about the reading of the Gettysburg Address?" "What?" "That's sarcasm. Are you familiar with the term 'sarcasm' McCall?" "Very" Scott replies as he looks back at his best friend. Stiles looked at him too as though he was a proud parent.

"Did you do the reading or not?" "Uh, I think I forgot" "Good job McCall. It's not like you're averaging a D in this class." then Coach leans in on him, "Come on, buddy. You know you can't be on the team if you have a D. How about you summarize uh, the previous nights reading?" Scott couldn't answer. Coach was getting restless. Asking Scott to summarize anything he's ever read. Scott just sat there, unable to speak.

After class, I decided to follow Scott and Stiles to see what was going on. They went outside and I watched Stiles blame keying a car on Scott. Then Scott just got jumped by like four guys and Stiles just stood there. That was until our chem teacher broke it up.

The two of them ended up with detention and I had to wait for the two dumbasses to get out to ask them what was going on.

••••

"Hey, what's going on with you two? Why is Scott avoiding Allison?" "Nothing. We're just trying to figure out how to control my shift?" "That means you have to avoid Allison?" "Yeah" they both said together. "That doesn't make any sense". "I know. But that's what Derek said I have to do." "So you're gonna do it?" "I tried".

I started to walk away. I couldn't understand how he could ask for help and not be able to do the one thing he was asked.

"Where are you going?" "I don't know. What I do know is that this isn't something to mess around with Scott." I told Scott as I stopped in my tracks. "I know". "No, you don't. This is serious. And if we, no, you don't learn how to control it, people can get hurt".

I turned around and kept walking in the direction of my home. Not wanting to deal with this topic any more.

••••

"Where's your little boyfriend?" I rolled my eyes. "This is my I'm never home Polo. You're too much". "Right" he says as if he wasn't believing me. "It's sad, really. You're always home. With no friends at all. No girlfriend. Nothing. And you have the audacity to pick on me" I started laughing.

He threw a pillow at me and I flipped him off. I'd like to think that he has some redeeming qualities and other times I can't seem to find any. Maybe that's just a brother thing. Or, a Polito thing.

"Hey, Emilia, come help me with these tamales" my mom calls. I got up and walked to the kitchen. As I washed my hands, I felt my phone buzz and checked it. I got a text from Scott, asking me to meet him at school. I so debated on asking my mom if I could go. I didn't want to deny my friends help.

"Mami" she looked up at me. "Ah?" "My friend needs help with something. He just texted me-" "He?" "I promise Ma, nothing is going on. I just" I sighed, "He needs my help".

"What kind of help?" my father asks as he entered the room. "Um, econ. He's been really struggling in class. If he keeps steady with a D, he can't play lacrosse". "Why is that your problem?" "It isn't. But he's my friend. Why wouldn't I try and help".

That's when Polo entered the kitchen and put his arm around my shoulder. "No let her go Papi, a late night with her boyfriend. Do you see the time? You know she's not leaving to study". I gutted him with my elbow. "He has a girlfriend, Allison. We've been over this".

My mother looked at my father and they exchanged looks. "Fine, home before twelve" she tells me. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Mami" I said as I rushed out the house.