Protectors-Teen wolf

Ch. 21: Mud Wrestling

I'm sitting in an old wooden chair, a mug in my hands as I flip through a photo album filled with pictures from when I was a child. My mom is over at the stove, making French toast as she hums an unknown song.

I stop as I flip to the page filled with nothing but pictures of me when I first started basketball. It was a team of boys and girls, all under the age of nine and over the age of five. I'm sat in the front row, a glare on my face as I look at the boy next to me.

A young Derek Hale is shone laughing as he looks at my younger self, who is quite unhappy with her placement. I smile as I remember how our relationship started out. We hated each other.

It started with him pushing me once in a practice game, an accident but it still happened. I was convinced that he did it on purpose as, when I fell, I landed in a muddy puddle next to the basket post. In a fit of rage, I picked up a glob of mud and threw it at him, hitting him square in the face.

This angered him and the next thing we knew, we're being pulled apart, both covered from head to toe in the brown liquid.

From there on, it only spiraled out of control. We would pull pranks on each other, both of us silently agreeing that we were enemies. It continued like that for years, a never ending cycle year after year.

Until one day, it all changed....

*flashback*

I'm sitting on the ground, my head on my knees as I cry to myself. I clutch my legs, gripping them as I remember what happened. Dad coming home drunk again...Mom yelling...Scott...

I had been asleep on the couch when Dad came home...I had been there when...

I continue to cry as I try to get the thoughts out of my head. I sniff as I pull my long sleeves down, trying to comfort myself as best I could.

My head snaps up as I hear movement behind me. My brown eyes connect with hazel green, narrowing as I realize who it is.

"What do you want?!"

"I-I heard you crying..."

"So. Thought you would come laugh at me or something? Make your day by ruining mine?!"

"No!" He gulps as he drops his bag, sitting down next to me. "I-I just wanted to see if you were okay..."

I scoff as I go to get up. I wipe my eyes and grab my bag, wanting to get as far away as I could. I feel a hand on my wrist, stopping me.

"I-" he takes a breath, not making eye contact. "If you want talk about it..."

"What? Talk to you?" I laugh as I shake my head, glaring as I turn around. "Why would I talk to you? We hate each other.."

"I don't hate you..." he mumbles, not making eye contact.

"What?"

"I don't hate you. I never have." He looks up, making eye contact. "I just liked messing with you because you made it easy...."

I scoff again, shaking him off as I go to leave. I hear him get up, rushing to follow me.

"Wait! We could start over!"

I turn and give him a confused look, not believing his words.

"What?"

"We could start over...be friends."

"Why?" I cross my arms, glaring at him again.

"Well...for one, it'd be fun pranking someone else for a change...maybe together..."