chapter sixteen
( afterlife )
THIS COULDN'T be any more embarrassing. Here Odeya was not even a day later, back at home with Stiles following right behind her. Derek sat in his car outside the house, waiting while she packed some clothes for the night.
"So are you gonna tell me what that was about? back at Scotts?" Stiles asked when they finally made it to her room. He looked determined not to drop it, one of those looks on his face that meant he'd spend the entire night figuring it out if she didn't tell him.
Odeya shrugged, "No, actually, I don't think I am. Cause it was nothing" she exclaimed, roughly throwing shirts and pants into her backpack.
He put his hands on his hips, reminding her of a teacher. "Odeya," he began, scratching a spot just above his brow he always did subconciously. "You had like a full-blown panic attack, Derek tried to touch you and you fell to the floor like he'd hit you. You weren't there, like a zombie" he tried to clarify.
She shook her head, not bothering to look at him while she moved to find some socks. "It was nothing. Just been a long day, I thought I heard someone else and I was surprised, that's it" she promised falsely.
"A long enough day where someone's voice could send you into a heaping pile on the floor?" he suggested, not holding back.
She couldn't tell him about Carson, her ex. Nobody here knew anything about her relationship with him back then, how hard it had been and what ended up coming out of it. Nobody but Lucas and Lauren, one of which was dead now. They wouldn't understand, wouldn't look at her the same. No amount of trauma dumping was worth seeing that look.
She shook her head, zipping up her backpack and throwing it on her back. "It was nothing, Stiles. Now drop it" she warned.
Stiles wasn't sure what to make of this. He'd never seen his sister this messed up before, even compared to coming back from the dead she was never this messed up. He stopped her from leaving, putting his arms on her shoulders.
"You're shaking, Daya. Haven't stopped since we left Scott's. Clearly whoever you thought you heard scares you. I don't like this," he said with warm eyes looking at her. "Just-just try me okay? Maybe I can help."
Odeya debated it for a minute. A world where Stiles knew everything and his opinion of her didn't change. She couldn't imagine it.
"I'm not..I cant. Not yet. Maybe eventually, I don't want to talk about it" she begged.
He nodded profusely, "Okay, okay, I get it. Just – maybe it would help. Screw that actually, I know it would help. I won't do anything I wouldn't go looking for the person. I just want to understand."
The room around her seemed smaller, more cluttered than she remembered. Everything seemed a little out of focus, a little heightened. She didn't like it. "I can't, Stiles. I just, I don't want to. I don't want to mess everything up. I don't wan't to talk about it and I certainly don't want to explain it and put myself in that again. I can't go through it again" she guaranteed.
Stiles' face fell, before he replaced whatever emotion he felt with a fake, reassuring smile. "Okay, okay, I'll drop it, For now," he dropped his hands off her shoulders, a firm look on his face. "But I need to know what happened between you and Derek, why is he here? I thought you needed space?"
"He's right outside, he can hear you, shush!" Odeya warned, a giddy smile crossing her face.
Stiles scoffed, "Pfft, it's raining and we're on the opposite side of the house. He can tune us out, now tell me what changed?"
She shrugged, moving to sit on the end of her bed deciding Derek could wait a moment or two longer. "I guess last night at Eichen changed my mind. I just...I don't know I guess I realized how quick things can change around here. Hell, Kira almost killed Scott, you and Lydia were playing hide and seek with the dread doctors. I kind of just realized I was scared of being scared and missing out on something with him because of it" she tried to explain.
Stiles hummed along, "You're such a romantic, huh?"
"Shut up," she laughed, "You would be too if you died and came back. I already feel like I missed so much being gone those few months, I just don't want to ruin something for myself when I've already missed so much. And when I'm with him it feels like before. Before Mexico, and Kate, and death. It feels like I'm not behind, like I'm right where I'm supposed to be."
It took Stiles a second to register her words and respond, honestly he wasn't used to her being so open about her relationship. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to hear more or not.
"So you're gonna give it another try? Dating Derek?"
"I'm not going to deny myself happiness. We've all had a tough year – few years I guess. If he wants to try again, which I'm pretty sure he does. Then I'd be happy to date him again, especially since he's his normal age now. Which by the way is so weird."
Stiles nodded, thinking for a minute "Yeah, I guess you never really met him before Mexico. You would've loved it he was so dramatic, such a creeperwolf, always observing." he let out a dry laugh. "Scott and Lydia are gonna pester you about this too, you should know. Probably Kira too, and well Malia's been getting invested too. They kind of all owe me ten bucks."
"You placed a bet on us!" Odeya exclaimed, wacking him in the arm softly. "That's... well I mean do I get a cut?"
"Nope, definitely not."
"Then that's horrible. You are all terrible people" she decided. A minute passed and she leaned onto his shoulder, feeling a little guilty Derek was still outside but also loving every second spent with her brothr. "Are you feeling okay? After Donovan?"
He tried to shake his head but it didn't quite work with her on him. "I don't want to talk about that. You get your pass so do I. It's healing though, I guess that's good."
"I wish he was still alive so I could kill him" Odeya admitted, and boy if she had her hands on that boy he'd be terrified.
"That would just be evil. Nobody deserves to be on the recieving end of your anger." Stiles said a little bitterly on the topic of Donovan.
"It would've been fun too, cause my powers are still outta wack. Maybe I could've gained some control from it," she added "That didn't sound good did it? You know what I mean. You didn't deserve that, he's a dick."
Stiles' demeanor seemed to change while they talked about him, he moved a little so her head wasn't on him anymore. "You shouldn't keep Derek waiting. I mean we talked, we're good. You're staying over at his tonight I'm guessing?"
Odeya felt a little guilty now, not feeling the greatest about leaving Stiles all alone. Noah had a nightshift so it would just be him by himself all night with his thoughts, a dangerous combination.
"Why don't I stay in, we can watch a movie or something?" she suggested.
Stiles shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Go have fun."
That definetly didn't comfort her about leaving him. "Okay, that's it. Movie marathon, we can rewatch star wars if you want? Me and Derek can get some junk food and we can just go to town on it" she decided. "Is it cool if Derek comes? or do you want just a siblings night?"
"I want no night. Odeya, honestly, I'm fine. Just go enjoy your night, I'm no fun, I'll probably stay up doing some research and then head to bed early" Stiles tried to throw her off.
"Nope, I don't wanna leave anymore. So do we want Derek here or nah?"
Stiles rolled his eyes at her, though it had no actual heat to it. "If you're not gonna leave me alone then might as well have Derek stay. Maybe that way we can take turns dealing with your stupid questions" he moved to head downstairs.
"It was one time!"
"You asked if Yoda was a zombie and then continued to point out all the shitty stunts and whether the weapons were real or not" he reminded her as they headed down the stairs.
A/N: Just a little filler...I'm sorry guys I've been basically dead. Updates will continue to be slow but hopefully one day I'll actually finish this book. Anyways, how has everyone been? Anyone here from when I first published this book? Feel free to rant in the comments.
Author update though I started college a few months ago, first year. Let me just say it has been a challenge. I'm living on res and wow it's a little lonely. But the actual school part has been cool ish. Anyone else in school going through the motions?
As always thank you for reading and keeping up with this story, I appreciate it and love you all. Until next time, have a great week!