It isn't over

~After 27 hours~

Derek's mind was consumed by guilt, an overwhelming weight that refused to let him go. Hours passed, but it felt like time had frozen for him. He couldn't comprehend what had happened. His best friend, his childhood companion, was gone, and all he could feel was the sting of responsibility for Nick's death. 

The funeral had been in the morning, and Derek had stood there, blank-faced, as his friend was lowered into the ground. His heart ached as the words echoed in his mind, the voices of everyone telling him it was his fault.

He didn’t need them to remind him. He already knew. And the truth was unbearable.

Now, Derek sat in the room he had once shared with Nick, alone. He stared blankly at the empty bed, Nick’s things scattered around, the comic books that had been his obsession, the clutter of memories they had made together. The thought of never hearing Nick’s voice again, never laughing at one of his ridiculous jokes, hit him like a ton of bricks. The tears came, choking him as he sobbed for the friend he would never see again.

Eventually, he lay back on his own bed, his hands resting on his stomach, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The silence felt suffocating.

The door creaked open, and Derek didn’t even look up. He didn’t care who it was. His body remained still, like a statue.

“Derek,” a soft voice called out, and he recognized it as Linda’s.

He didn’t respond. He couldn’t. Linda sighed softly before walking up to him and sitting next to him on the bed. She didn’t speak at first, just sat beside him, offering her presence. After a moment, she spoke again.

“I’m sorry for what happened, Derek,” she said, her voice gentle, filled with empathy. But Derek couldn’t bring himself to reply. He heard her words, but they felt distant, as if they were meant for someone else, someone who wasn’t broken like he was.

Finally, after a long pause, Derek spoke, his voice barely a whisper. “Linda, can you please leave me alone? I want to be alone.”

Linda’s expression softened with understanding, but her eyes betrayed her worry. “Okay,” she said quietly. “But if you want to talk to anyone, I’m here for you.” She reached out, gently touching his hand, but quickly withdrew it as if she were afraid to disturb his fragile state.

She stood up and began to turn toward the door, but then paused. “Derek, are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern as she turned back to him. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead and immediately noticed how hot he felt.

“You’re heating up, Derek,” she whispered in fear. She saw him start to shiver, sweat soaking his skin. Her worry deepened, and she rushed to the bathroom. There was no time to waste. She grabbed a towel, dipped it in cold water, and squeezed the excess out before dashing back to his side.

She worked quickly, gently mopping his body with the cool towel, trying to bring his fever down. But it wasn’t just his fever that caught her attention. She noticed the bandaged cloth around his arm, the one he’d wrapped after being attacked by the wolf. With trembling hands, she carefully loosened the bandage.

To her shock, the injury was gone. There was no mark, no trace of the bite. His arm looked perfectly healed, as if nothing had ever happened.

She froze, confusion washing over her. "What...?" she murmured, her mind racing as she stared at the healed skin.

Derek remained still, his breath shallow, his feverish state adding to the mystery of his condition. He didn’t respond, but the healing seemed impossible. Linda's hands trembled as she tried to make sense of it all. How could it be?

"Derek, you were hurt, weren't you?" Linda asked gently, watching him with a mix of concern and confusion.

Derek nodded, his eyes focused on his arm. When he saw that there was no trace of the wound, his brows furrowed in disbelief. He raised his hand, running his fingers over the smooth skin as if expecting something to be there. It was as if the injury had never existed.

"It’s… unbelievable," he thought, but he kept his composure. He had to act cool in front of Linda.

"I wasn’t hurt," Derek replied, his voice steady as he dropped his hand, trying to suppress the unease building inside him.

"But you told me you were when I asked you why you bandaged your hand," Linda said, her confusion clear in her tone.

"Did I? Must’ve said some nonsense because of Nick," Derek lied smoothly, offering a strained smile. Linda nodded slowly, though she wasn’t entirely convinced. She wanted to ask more questions, but she could tell that now wasn’t the time.

As the silence stretched between them, Derek suddenly felt a burning thirst, like his body was demanding something he couldn’t ignore. His senses felt heightened, like everything was too sharp, too intense.

"I need water," he said, struggling to push himself up from the bed.

"No. I’ll get it for you. Don’t stress yourself," Linda replied quickly, her voice filled with concern. She rushed to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water, and hurried back to him.

But just as she approached, Derek’s heart began to beat faster, pounding painfully in his chest. His vision blurred, and his head spun as a cold chill swept over him. The sudden rush of sensations made him stagger, clutching his chest.

"Here, drink this," Linda said in a trembling voice, offering him the bottle with both hands.

Derek barely acknowledged her words. He sat up abruptly and grabbed the bottle from her, draining it in one go, but it felt like he hadn’t drunk anything at all. The thirst remained, the ache in his body intensifying. His breath came in quick, ragged gasps as he stood, suddenly agitated.

"I want more," he snapped, his voice sharp and strained.

Before Linda could react, Derek was already running toward the fridge, his movements wild, almost frantic. Linda stood frozen, her heart racing in fear as she watched him.

"Derek?" she called softly, unsure of what was happening, but Derek didn’t seem to hear her.

"Go away, Linda!" he shouted, pain evident in his voice as he gripped his chest, his body wracked with discomfort.

"I can’t leave you like this, Derek," Linda whispered, panic creeping into her voice. "I need to go and call someone."

Without a second thought, Linda ran out of the room, desperate to alert the clinic about Derek’s condition. She could hardly understand what was going on, but she knew one thing for sure, something was very wrong with him.

Derek drank the water from the fridge, and as he did, his face started to itch uncontrollably. He grabbed his head, feeling an overwhelming sense of unease. His body was burning up, yet he felt cold at the same time. He walked toward the door, shutting it behind him, desperate for some solitude.

He stumbled into the bathroom, trying to shake off the strange sensations swirling within him. The world around him felt distorted, and his senses were heightened—he could hear every sound clearly, and even smell things he’d never noticed before. It was like his body had been tuned to a frequency he couldn’t control.

Under the shower, he turned the water on, letting it pour over him, hoping the coolness would calm his nerves. He kept breathing hard, gasping for air as if he couldn’t get enough. His mind raced with thoughts he couldn’t keep up with, and he clutched his head, trying to regain some sense of normalcy.

Minutes passed before he finally turned off the shower. He staggered out, feeling disoriented, his body still trembling. He heard knocks at the door, but he couldn’t bring himself to respond. He crashed onto the bed and shut his eyes, hoping for some rest to clear his mind.

~PRESENT DAY~

Derek walked into the classroom, his mind still a whirlwind. He noticed Allison and Maggie chatting in the corner. As soon as they saw him approach, they stopped talking and turned their attention to him.

“Hey, how did it go with the principal?” Maggie asked, her gaze sharp as both she and Ashley eyed him.

“Fine. She gave me some warnings, that’s all,” Derek replied, trying to keep his tone casual. Ashley felt a wave of relief wash over her, but she didn’t say anything.

“And Tommy?” Maggie pressed, her curiosity clear.

“He was asked to come to school with his mom,” Derek said, and Maggie nodded in understanding. Ashley remained silent, her eyes focused on anything but Derek.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked, his voice soft yet direct, staring at Ashley.

“You’ve got quite the temper. Why’s that?” Ashley turned to face him, her tone almost challenging.

“I go mad when someone tries shit with me,” Derek answered honestly, his eyes intense.

“But Danielle didn’t try shit with you. She did it with me,” Ashley responded, her voice a little quieter but still firm. Derek couldn’t help but smile at her response.

“You’re close to me. I can’t let them do that to you too,” he said, his voice softening, almost protective. Ashley furrowed her brows, caught off guard by his words.

“Close to you?” she asked to herself silently, the confusion growing inside her.

“I hate what I don’t like. I hate bullies,” Derek added, his expression serious. Ashley, still processing everything, nodded, but couldn’t look him in the eye. She turned away, her mind swirling with questions she wasn’t ready to ask.

“You need to be careful, okay? You can’t just mess with Tommy and expect to get away without consequences. He’ll want revenge,” Ashley warned, her voice firm, and Derek nodded in acknowledgment.

“I know. That’s why I’ll always be by your side,” he said with a reassuring smile, but Ashley’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“I didn’t mean me. I meant you need to be careful,” she clarified.

“He can’t hurt me. He’ll try to take his anger out on you, but don’t worry—I won’t let him,” Derek said with a smile, his confidence making Ashley fall silent.

“Are you sure you don’t know him from somewhere?” Maggie whispered into Ashley’s ear. Derek overheard and smiled, choosing to remain quiet.

“I’m sure. I’ve never seen him before. He’s acting really weird,” Ashley whispered back to Maggie, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Just then, the door to the classroom swung open, and Tommy stormed in, his face flushed with anger. He was furious, this new guy had just cost him his girlfriend.

“Don’t think it’s over, asshole! Watch your backs around here,” Tommy sneered, slamming his fist down on Derek’s desk and pointing a threatening finger at both him and Ashley before storming out of the class.

Derek looked over at Ashley, noticing how terrified she was. It made him angry, and that anger fueled his determination.

“Let’s do this, Tommy,” he muttered to himself.