Second Chances - Stiles Stilinski (Season 1)

Chapter 4: Royally Fucking it Up Again

Stiles

I can't feel my face. Or my legs. My thoughts are racing. One step in front of another. Just follow Scott. Don't trip on a branch.

I glance to the side and see Natalie looking at me, worried. I quickly look away, beads of sweat bubbling at the top of my forehead. Natalie Goodman just asked to have sex. With me? And I didn't even get to respond. How do I respond? She just wants to be friends, but have sex. I don't want to be friends. I don't –

"I had all the time in the world to catch that ball. But that's not the only weird thing, I can hear stuff I shouldn't be able to, hear things, smell things..." Scotts monologue cuts through my thoughts.

"Smell things?" Natalie asks.

"Hear things?" I stammer at the same time.

"Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket," Scott says, motioning to me. I reach deep in my sweatshirt. A half opened old piece of shitty mint mojito gum. "And your heartbeats. Both of yours are racing." Natalie and I look at each other guiltily. Her chestnut hair is reflecting the sunset too perfectly. She looks like a dream. In a stupid sweatshirt.

"So this all started with a bite," I redirect my thoughts. "I've heard of an infection like this." Scott stops in his tracks. "I think it's lycanthropy?" Natalie starts laughing.

"Is it bad?" Scott sweats.

"Only on a full moon!" Natalie chimes in. Scott shoves me. "This is where it was." Natalie stares in the distance, hauntedly. I want to go comfort her, but my whole brain and body feel like jello after our conversation. "The body, the deer...." she looks back at me, giggling, "and the werewolf." 

"Well where is it?" I ask, kicking some leaves.

"Someone moved it."

"Maybe the killer."

"Yea yea yea, help me find my inhaler. I think I dropped it here last night." Scott says, flipping over some logs and leaves.

"Uh, who's that?" I hear Natalie say. She sounds scared. I look up to a man with a glare that could cut glass. I reach over and grab Natalie, shoving her behind me protectively.

"This is private property," the man says. His large frame looms at the top of the hill.

"We didn't know. We'll be on our way!" I say, turning on my heel and pushing Natalie with me.

"Yeah, sorry I thought I lost something –" Scott is stopped short and I turn to see the man tossing his inhaler in Scott's direction. I look back at the man and he's just...gone.

"Creepy," Natalie whispers.

"Dude, that was Derek Hale," I say to Scott, grabbing his arm too to drag him to the car. "He's the guy who's family died in that fire a few years back."

"I wonder what he's doing back," Scott questions, walking back to his bike.

I suddenly realize I only have one option to get out of here, and that's with Natalie. In her car. Alone.

Scott pushes off and with a wave and is on his way to work. The bike rings with farewell.

Ah, silence. Again.

"Yeah, uh, so Stiles. Like I said, I can take an awkward walk away as a clear enough answer. Or I guess falling out of a car. Both seem to be in the same realm." She shrugs and gets into the car. Once again, I feel frozen.

She rolls down the passenger window and leans over to look up at me. "This won't be awkward right? Forget I mentioned it. Just get in the car. Please." I hear that same, sad little 13 year old Natalie come out with that last word. No, I am not going to just shrug her feelings off again. You're more mature than that, Stiles. I get into the car confidently, shutting the door with force.