How to be Cool

Lesson #20: Brett Talbot is Not an Asshole

A/N: I was gonna make this the last chapter, but then I got consumed in the whole Brett story, and now there's gonna be one more chapter lol. Thanks for reading!

I absolutely dreaded going to school the next day, but I couldn't stay home because my dad wouldn't have understood. Not that I wanted to tell him anyways, but if I did, I doubt he would have got it. Derek didn't cheat on me, technically, since he and Brett were on a "break" but that wasn't the problem. The issue was that Derek lied to me about breaking up with Brett. He could have been lying about anything at this point, if he lied about that. 

Despite me not wanting to show up to school, I did anyways. I walked in with my head low, avoiding anyone's eyes, in case Derek tried to talk to me. I wasn't ready to get into with him yet, but I knew he would try to talk to me if he saw me. I didn't want to say something I might regret, and I wasn't over being angry yet. I didn't want to stop seeing Derek, but right now, I couldn't see him. 

When I heard someone approach my locker, I held my breath, scared to shut it and have to face him. When I closed my locker, however, it was only Lydia standing there, a look of pity on her face. "I tried calling you all night. Derek texted me and told me what happened. I haven't spoken to him because I'm so angry with him right now, but-"

"Lydia," I cut her off, shaking my head. "He's your best friend. We just started hanging out, so you don't have to act like you hate him for my sake."

Lydia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not for your sake, Stiles. He is my best friend, which is why I'm so angry with him. He told us both he broke up with Brett. You deserve better than that. I thought Derek was better than that, but apparently, I was wrong." She followed me as I walked away from her, hoping to end the conversation. "Stiles, what exactly happened last night?" 

"I thought you said Derek told you," I snapped, not meaning to sound rude, but I just wasn't in the mood to get into this with her. 

She sighed, grabbing my arm to stop me from walking any further. We still had ten minutes until class, but I didn't want to talk anymore. "He texted me that you guys got into a fight, but I didn't answer, so I don't know what happened. Did he apologize? Come up with any excuses? Are you okay?" she rambled on. 

I shook my head, trying not to relive Derek and I's argument. "He tried to give excuses, but I didn't want to hear them. I told him to leave me alone. That was it." I felt the urge to cry resurface from last night, but I didn't want everyone at school to see me sobbing over a stupid boy. 

"Are you okay?" she repeated, as if that was what she cared about most. Maybe she did care if I was okay, but it was hard to believe, considering we'd only been friends for a couple of weeks, and only because of Derek. 

I was silent for a moment, staring at my feet as my surroundings blurred from the tears in my eyes. Lydia's small hands grabbed my arms, holding me hostage with my feelings. "I-I told him. . ." I trailed off, shaking my head. Lydia squeezed my arms, encouraging me to get it all out in the open. "I told him I loved him, Lydia," I finally got out, the tears slipping down my cheeks as Lydia enveloped me in her arms. "I was yelling at him, I was so angry, and it just slipped out. I didn't give him a chance to say anything, Lydia. I just left," I cried, hugging her back.