Element of Surprise ~Stiles Stilinski Fanfic

Chapter 4

Over the next week I spent my time between Erica and Lydia's group. If I had lunch with Erica then I hung out with Lydia and Allison after school and vice versa. I had tried and failed to convince Erica that it would be okay if she came to spend lunch with us but she refused every time. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that she tended to clam up whenever she was in a group.

Today I stood in the gym with everyone, watching Allison and Scott scale a rock wall. Allison was far ahead of Scott but by the time I blinked Scott had somehow managed to pass her. When Allison kicked Scott's foot out from under him, I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else as he fell onto the mat below him.

Erica stood beside me, shaking with nerves for a moment before she was told it was her turn. I watched as she and Stiles put the harnesses on and began to climb the wall. Stiles wasn't buff but he had definitely filled out more since we were eight climbed the wall with ease while Erica had frozen about twelve feel off the ground. Coach tried to talk to her and tell her to come but she seemed to scared to move. I walked up to the wall and looked up to her.

"Erica. Erica listen to me okay. Just push off the wall you'll come down slow."

"I-I can't." she called down.

"Erica, I've got you. I promise."

For a few seconds she didn't say anything but finally she let go of the wall and lowered to the ground. I put my hand on her back and kept her steady. Once her feet touched the ground she got out of the harness and headed for the locker room, her eyes facing the ground. Several students laughed and I had the urge to kick one of them in the shin. I smirked a bit when it turned out that I was going to be climbing with him, especially since he seemed so cocky about it.

"Look it's not that big of a deal." I said as I pulled my locker open. "So, you freak out when it comes to heights. A lot of people do."

"You don't." She mumbled, sitting on one of the benches with her legs pulled up around her.

"You're right. And I broke my arm when I was five because if it." I teased. "Look if you just have to face your fears and practice. If you want, we can go for a hike or something this weekend. Work on your climbing and next time coach pulls out the climbing wall you'll be golden."

"Yeah. Practice." Erica nodded standing up and walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some water."

I finished changing and when Erica didn't come back, I decided to go looking for her. As I walked out of the girl's locker room, I saw Scott flying by with Stiles not to far behind him. Others must have noticed the urgency and quickly followed. Though I didn't know what was going on I had the sinking suspicion that it had to do with Erica.

I had just gotten to the gym when I saw Erica fall from the wall right into Scotts arms. He caught her like she weighed nothing at all before laying her down on the ground. I slid in beside Allison, taking off my jacket and sliding it under the seizing girl's head. I did my best to soothe her until she finally came to. A deep blush creeping up across the girls face when she saw the crowd that had gathered around her.

We stood around and watched as the paramedics loaded Erica into the Ambulance and drive away. Allison and I walked to French class as she tired to talk me into going ice skating with the four of them tonight. While I knew that it wasn't technically a double date since Lydia and Stiles didn't date, even though Stiles would have liked to, I still knew I would feel like a fifth wheel.

Allison decided to recruit Lydia into trying to convince me as we walked to lunch. I told them that I couldn't, making the split-second decision to pick up an extra shift at the nursery tonight. Walking over to get some food I stopped when the entire room fell silent. Erica walked into the room, turning everyone's head. How was it possible that just a few hours ago she was seizing on the gym floor and now she looked like she had just stepped off the pages of a magazine.

When she saw me, she gave me a small smirk and winked at me before heading out of the room. I moved to follow her but stopped when Scott and Stiles ran after her. Looking over towards Allison I saw a worried expression cross her face as she watched the two boys race from the cafeteria.

The next day I could tell there was something going on. Scott, Stiles, and Allison was on edge all day and when Scott and Stiles left during lunch and never came back, I knew that I was right. I tried to ask Allison why what was going on but she dodged my questions every time. I tried to text Erica who only responded with cryptic messages, saying that she would ask if she could tell me.

It wasn't until the next morning when I was on my way to Econ that Erica grabbed my hand, stopping me in the hall. I still couldn't believe the transformation she had made. Her acne was completely gone as well as her shy demeanor. Rather than looking at the floor whenever someone would look at her, she now held her head up and smiled, exuding confidence.

"You want to know what's going on with me, right?" she asked, pulling me towards the doors of the school.

"Well yeah. I mean you look amazing but...how?" I motioned to her, falling into step with her. I knew I shouldn't be skipping classes with this being only my second week but curiosity was getting the better of me.

"I've got someone I want you to meet." I wasn't sure to be excited or worried by the smile she had as we walked out of the school and towards the woods.

I had a million questions but didn't know which to voice first. What caused the confidence boost? Who did she want me to meet? Why was Scott and everyone acting so odd? I remained silent until we broke the tree line.

If I didn't trust that Erica was my friend, I would have automatically assumed that this was where I went to die. Apparently, I had seen far too many horror movies for my own good. I was just about to ask what the hell we were doing here when out of the shadows stepped three men. Two of which I recognized. One was a loner I had seen around school. Boyl or Boyd something like that. The other was the boy I had seen talking to the police the first day I had arrived. I had heard that he had gone missing and was now on the run from the cops.

"Seriously Erica?" I asked when we finally stopped. "You don't want to come sit with Lydia and me during lunch but your cool with hanging out with a fugitive?"

"Innocent." The boy said with a small smirk as he leaned against a tree.

"Still on the run." I shot back before turning to my friend. "What's going on?"

"So, this is her?" the older boy asked. I hadn't seen him before but from how everyone watched him as he talked, I could tell he was the leader of this little gang.

"Yep. This is Bri." She said, stepping towards the leader. "Bri this is Derek Hale." She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes.

"Hi." I said, casting Derek a short look before getting Erica's attention. "Wanna explain what this is?"

Derek stepped closer to me and Erica took a step back. There was something off about this entire thing. I had the feeling I wasn't in any real danger but I still wished I hadn't popped another pill before heading to class.

"Erica tells me your friends with Scott McCall." Derek smiled down at me. Even with the uneasy feeling I couldn't help but notice just how handsome he was.

"I am."

"You see Scott and I we have an interesting relationship." He mused. "Erica and I were thinking you might be the perfect one to help bring the two of us together."