This IS My Normal

027

"I don't see anything" Derek announced. "Look again" Scott tells him.

"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are"?

"It's the same on both sides. Exactly the same." Scott tells him. "It's nothing." Derek snaps.

"Pareidolia" Lydia started, "Seeing patterns that aren't there." We all just stared at her not knowing what it meant. "It's a subset of apophenia."

Derek stared at Scott not wanting to be a part of any of this.

"They're trying to help" Scott tells him.

"These two? This one" he says pointing at Lydia, "Who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you". He then points at Allison, "And this one, who shot about 30 arrows into me and my pack."

"Which I, by the way still do not trust her" I added.

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

"My mother died." Allison said.

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." Derek told her.

"Also, what was your mom trying to do, Allison? Hmm? So quick to pull that card as if the reason she got bit wasn't-" I was met with Stiles' hand over my mouth.

I glanced up at him and saw the expression on his face. Basically telling me to stop talking. Which, I did.

"I'm here to help him, not you." Allison tells Derek.

"You want to help? Find something real." Derek says as he left the room.

••••

"The stock market is based on two principles. What are they"?

Scott raises his hand and Coach permits him to go to the bathroom. When Scott tells him that he actually wanted to answer the question, Coach started laughing.

To my surprise, Scott answered the question right, "Risk and reward".

"Does anybody have a quarter?" Coach asks. Stiles then jumps to reach into his pocket and grab one.

To my amazement, a wrapped up condom flies out of his pocket as he takes his hand out. Coach reaches down to pick it up for him.

"Stilinksi, I think you dropped something, and uh, congratulations." he tells him as he puts the condom on Stiles desk.

"Is that the one from Heather?" I asked him as I sat up from the desk behind to ask. "What? Oh, yeah but-" I sat back in my seat to listen to Coach before he could finish.

"Risk and reward. Put the quarter in the mug, win the reward." He then gets down and demonstrates bouncing the quarter on the ground and jumping into the mug.

"Rodriguez. Risk, reward. The risk: if you don't put that quarter in the mug, you have to take the quiz tomorrow and you have to write an essay. Risk, more work. Reward, no work at all. Or, choose not to play".

"But, isn't this just like, chance?" "No. You know your abilities, your coordination, your focus, past experience. All factors affecting the outcome. So what's it gonna be Rodriguez? More work, no work, or choose not to play?"

I picked up the quarter and ultimately decided not to play.

"Does anyone else want to try it?" Coach asked.

Stiles jumped up to go to the front. But before he did, he turned to me.

"I'm gonna make my own risk and reward. Risk, you're still mad about Heather. Reward, you aren't mad anymore, and I'll go on your evening run with you tonight" he tells me.