Elemental Werewolf (Scomiche) (student/teacher)

12- Pay the Price

Scott's POV

I just kissed him. Not only just a quick peck, no a full make out session. I don't know how I could be this stupid. I actually do know. Mitch is too gorgeous to ignore. And too gorgeous to be lying dead in a coffin. He has a family, parents and friends. I know I might be exaggerating, but there is a chance that he would be killed and I don't want that to happen.

"Scott, come on!" Mitch starts swimming in my direction. "I thought you were finally warming up to me!" He sounds a little out of breath, probably from the swimming. I can swim endlessly without getting tired or out of breath, the water gives me energy.

"It's not that I'm not warmed up to you, Mitch." I say, trying to keep my distance. Mitch just keeps swimming my way though. I can't let him touch me, it clouds my mind. I can't think straight when he's touching me.

"Don't give me all that I'm in danger bullshit." His voice raises. Is he seriously yelling at me? "I don't see any danger here!"

"That's because I've been so careful!" He doesn't know what he's talking about. "You make it harder to be careful, to hide!" I'm trying to explain, but I can't without exposing my secret.

"We can just go in secret! No one has to know of our relationship." Mitch pleads with me.

"You want to sneak around with me, your whole life?" My voice turns softer. He deserves so much better.

"It won't be my whole life. We will defeat them! Or they will stop looking." Mitch has swum closer to me now, he grabs my arms. "Please. I'm worth it."

"I know." I look down at the water. "But am I?"

He speaks up barely before I even finished my sentence. "Yes! That's what I've been trying to say! I don't want to live mateless! Whatever the price, I'll pay it." He looks very determined. I don't know how to change his mind anymore.

"I don't want you to pay the price, Mitch." I try to keep him away from me. My legs move to swim backwards.

"But isn't that my decision to make?" It doesn't really sound like a question. In a way it is his decision, but it's mine too. I am the one putting him on risk here.

"Not only yours." I can't really swim any further. The shores of the lake are steep so I can't touch the ground with my feet, but the shore is on my back.

"It's my life and I want to spend it with you. I will stalk you as long I have to. I won't stop." Mitch says, his eyes dead serious. In that moment I actually believe him. He seems like a person that doesn't give up, once they have a goal.

"What about me? My life?"

His face drops, it's like I punched his cat. "You don't want me?" Tears appear in his eyes. Shit, I didn't mean it that. He swims away from me, angrily wiping his eyes. "You probably have a boyfriend. You're just too much of a jerk to just reject me so you come up with some story."

I'm completely in shock. He thinks I have a boyfriend? "No, Mitch. It's not like that. I don't have a boyfriend, and it's not like I don't want you." I look at his beautiful face. "That's definitely not the case." 

He keeps swimming away, so I swim forwards to try and grab him. He jerks away from me, but I grab his wrist anyway. "Mitch, you don't seriously believe I would have gone through so much trouble if I had a boyfriend."

Mitch just looks at me, his eyes still mad. "What trouble?! I went to trouble to make you agree to this date in the first place. And then I planned this date! I went through all the trouble! Not you."

"I know, Mitch." I say, trying to calm him down. "But this is a big deal for me." Should I tell him? It's not like I have anything to lose now. "I've never been on a date before."

His eyes go from angry to confused. "What do you mean? You've never been on a date?!" He asks surprised.

"Nope never. The only guys I've ever kissed were drunk kisses in a bar. I've also never had a boyfriend before."

He still looks thoroughly confused. "How? A guy like you? I don't understand."

"It's because of how I live, Mitch. I don't want people getting close to me. A boyfriend is usually someone close to you." I explain to him.

"Oh." He doesn't look very confused anymore. "But don't you have any friends too?"

I think about it. I really only have Esther. "I have Esther." I say, trying to sound less pathetic. "I sometimes talk to Mister Olusola and Mister Kaplan too. They are nice." If you look at my phone contacts you'd be surprised. I literally have 10.

"Oh." Mitch just looks down, probably at a loss for words. "I like you though! Not just because you're my mate, but you're really a nice person." He tries to lighten up the mood.

I smile at him, that is nice of him to say. "Thank you. I really like you too. Your personality."

"Then why won't you accept me?!" My smile falters. I hate discussions like this. I want him to understand, but I can't let him know about my powers. I don't think he would tell the wrong people but I really don't know him that well.

"I don't want you harmed! Is it that hard to understand?!" I exclaim.

"Excuse you?! Do you think I like you getting hurt?" He says back to me. This conversation so far was so weird. It's like we're both bipolar.

"At least I know how to protect myself!"

A hurt expression creeps on his face. "Low blow, Scott. Low blow." He says, before swimming away. He doesn't swim slowly but for me it's no match.

I dive under, coming up in front of his face. "Mitch, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." I see tears in his eyes.

"Then how did you mean it?" I can tell that he's trying not to cry. I hate that I made him cry. Twice. In less than an hour! What kind of person am I?

"I just meant that you're less strong than me. You know if it came to a battle, I'll be the one to protect you. It's not that I mind, but I'm not that strong. I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect you and that you die or get hurt. I just don't want to see that happen. I know it won't happen when you disappear from my life." I try to explain as well as I can.

"I get it, I really do. But what would you say if I was in your situation? Would you just let me handle it myself? We're mates Scott! We're supposed to help each other and take care of each other!" I swim to the shore, Mitch swimming behind me. I sit down on the picnic carpet again.

I sigh. "I know, Mitch." I don't feel like fighting anymore.

"Then don't be so dramatic, you drama queen." Mitch sees I don't want to fight anymore.

"Sorry." I murmur. I know the argument is over, but I know Mitch won't give up anytime soon. But I won't either. I'll just have to hold on longer.