Author's Note- I've actually had this written over the summer. I didn't think the idea would develop that well and I already had a DP fic to attend to. But my dearest friend Lauren- Lauren94- inspired some ideas to start swimming and I decided to give this story a shot. Also I would love to give her a special thanks for being the critic I needed to get this story on its feet. She's my beta buddy! XP

It will be shorter of course. No more than 20 chapters at the most. Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Rumor is that Darkest Powers actually belongs to Kelley Armstrong. I don't believe it for one second.

New guy at school. Great. Now I'm a cliché.

Chapter 1- Another Beginning.

Buffalo High School. The oh-so original name of yet another new school for Derek and his siblings. This had to be the twelfth- no, maybe the thirteenth- new school they had to transfer to because of issues surrounding their previous stay, in places they could barely ever call home. But, this time, the fault for having to transfer weighed now on Derek instead of his Dad.

The, 'Usual,' was something along the lines of Mr. Bae being a lawyer, a very exclusive one, who transferred to wherever he was hired to work a case. If his current conditions didn't satisfy the strict schedule of his demanding job, then he had no choice but to make the decision to move somewhere more convenient. And, depending on the case and the time it took for him to be recruited for a new one- which, in retrospect, wasn't very much- Derek and his family were soon packing their bags and their transcripts to register into a new district.

Derek himself had grown very accepting of the constant changes in his life. In fact, it hardly mattered to him. He could care less about where he lived, or the next place he would end up, or the not-so sentimental aspects he left behind. As long as he was with his dad, Simon and in some- very few- ways, Tori, then Derek was happy to comply to new things.

Simon and Tori were a different story. They were more social than Derek. Moving was a reoccurring nightmare to them. They made friends, got involved in school, lived a typical teenager's life, and with each move they were leaving everything they had worked so hard to achieve behind. It pained Derek that they were upset with their circumstances, but he understood that, deep down, they felt the same as him. They had their family, and in the end, it was enough.

Derek, of course, was the odd one out in his family, but was accepted nonetheless. Well, accepted more by some than others, though Tori shouldn't really count considering she was, well, Tori. He had been adopted by Mr. Bae when he was about five. Constantly abused in a run-down orphanage for lost boys had taken its toll on Derek, and it had taken him a long time to grow accustomed to his new family. But, over the years, Derek's trusting and loyal nature was only accessible to his family. He didn't bother to give anyone else his time. Why bother even if he needed to? He had everything that made him happy, and there was no point to pursue anything else when the, 'Usual,' was bound to roll around.

However, this case wasn't the, 'Usual.' Derek had- well he had gotten into trouble; trouble that was currently jeopardizing his father's political record. He had lost control and had been consumed by his short-fused temper. And even though the situation lasted barely a moment to breathe, it haunted Derek for hours on end. It was Derek's fault that Simon and Tori had to go through yet another move. It was Derek's fault that their new accommodations would be stuck on them for God knows how long because his father wasn't being hired for raising an, 'Unstable,' son. And, it was Derek's fault that a kid back in Albany would never be able to walk again.

Derek surveyed Buffalo from the backseat window of his father's green van. Simon sat beside him in the other seat while Tori occupied shotgun. She idly chattered and mused about her clothing to no one in particular. Derek reasoned it was most likely to her reflection in the side mirror of the vehicle. Regretfully, this wasn't a spiteful mental recognition but more a reflection of guilt. Tori and Simon were usually bickering at this point, tossing snide remarks back and forth on who would be in and out of more relationships this time, or who was more academically and socially incapable and other such insignificant teenage sibling banter. But the car ride to Buffalo High was a silent one.

Silence had never been more cruel and torturous to Derek in his short seventeen years of life than at this very moment.

While passing through a rural suburban area just a few blocks away from the school, Derek's distant green eyes fell upon an old, white Victorian two-story you only saw in the movies. The aged sterile feel that produced from the all-to-welcoming front door sent disturbing shudders through Derek's body. It was too similar. Too familiar. Blocked memories threatened to haunt Derek's thoughts, so he quickly casted his view away and the uneasy feeling that twisted in his stomach soon passed, as did the house.

More kids Derek's age came into view as they approached the school. Buses lined the curb at the front entrance as puberty enduring teens piled out while others were found crossing the street from the student lot. Through the crack in his window Derek heard the splitting shrill of the beginning bell and he mentally groaned at the thought of enduring yet another first day at a new school. Not that it truly mattered; he didn't succumb to social paranoia, yet the act was almost tedious now.

"Don't want to be late kids," Kit sighed as he pulled the van to a halt at the crosswalk. Tori and Simon simultaneously echoed his release of breath as they clambered out of their respective doors. Derek followed, guilt stabbing at him relentlessly.

"Love you guys, see you at two." Their Dad stated with a sympathetic smile. There were no groans and mutters of utter embarrassment towards their father's affection. Instead Simon and Tori gave a curt wave and reassuring smiles of their own before they turned towards the school.

Derek's Dad passed him a wary glance. It wasn't a look of disappointment, of judgment, or even a warning towards him to be on his best behavior. It was a knowing glance, a look of pride for his son that held inner sadness. Mr. Bae didn't want Derek going through something like this- this guilt. Derek knew that. But that still didn't diminish the fact that it was his fault.

Derek lost Tori and Simon, or more like he didn't even bother to keep up with them as they entered the school, and he walked the halls to the front office himself. The school was actually pretty grand for something so small. It was an old school- Buffalo's first in fact- hence the original name. Not too old to be claimed as historical, but it felt welcoming and warm.

Students chatted and passed through the halls animatedly, everyone's spirits seeming so bright and high. Derek found an easy explanation to this as just about every inch of the school's halls were plastered in pep rally posters.

Pep Rally Thursday! Be There or Be Square!

Let's go Bison's, let's go!

Support your team! Attend the raging stampede pep rally Thursday! Go Bison's!

Derek saw enough colors, cheesy puns, and nauseating spirit to last him a lifetime in a single hallway.

Great. He had just entered the preppy school.

This time, Derek didn't even bother swallowing his groan of displeasure, and he received several anxious glances from students passing by. That wasn't all. Each and every single person that passed Derek rubber-necked their eyes back in his direction as they cautiously sized him up in a fleeting glance. Their actions were all the same. Eyes incredulously wide and questioning- as Derek was rather large for his age- then they dimmed and fell into narrowed slits of judgment and accusation as they made their own assumptions of who he was. Last but not least, they would turn to whatever companion or acquaintance occupied their side and release hushed whispers of irrelevant gossip.

And so rumors of Derek Souza were already spreading. Sure enough, the students here knew about the accident. Of course, the situation wouldn't have had to exist for people to judge Derek just by his appearance. And by this point, Derek was used to it and chose not to care.

What did it matter what people thought of him? It wasn't even personal. No one knew him, and no one cared to try. So why should he?

Derek approached the front desk, ignoring all the eyes he could feel boring into the back of his head. The brunette receptionist looked up from her current distraction- a stack of papers concerning God knows what- her almost friendly smile vanishing into a hard line as soon as her eyes found Derek's.

"You're the other new student I presume. I had the pleasure of meeting your siblings only a moment ago," She stated, as if it wasn't a pleasure at all. Derek mentally rolled his eyes. The secretary had the maturity level of a typical high school bitch. The title was written all over her, what with a striped pencil skirt and a hot pink blouse that exposed a little too much in Derek's opinion. Her face was finely masked in cosmetics as her small frame held lingering accessories. A desperate attempt to contain youth.

Derek figured she had to be forty.

"Here's your schedule." She said slowly, as if talking to someone who was mentally ill. Derek ground his teeth together and ripped the schedule from the receptionist's hand. She jumped back and threw him a cautious look.

"Ignore the class times for now Mr. Souza. We are on the assembly schedule today as the pep rally is after second hour."

"It's not optional?" Derek questioned incredulously. He was exceptionally miffed that he would be forced to attend the spirit fest. On any other occasion, Derek would prefer to skip, but with his current situation, that wasn't an option. It was either the assembly or more police and counselor involvement. Personally, Derek rather take on the police again as he would have done nothing wrong this time. But he couldn't stand the idea of putting his family through all that again, especially his dad who had worked so hard to get him this second chance.

The secretary shook her head curtly before passively dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

"Move along Mr. Souza, class is starting. And remember, if there-"

"I'm aware," Derek snapped, not really needing the constant reminder that he had messed up and was now under watch for, 'Unstable activity.'

Derek barely heard the receptionist scoff as he rounded the corner back into the hallway he had come from.

English 12, Room 24.

Derek trudged into yet another beginning. Except this time, he was walking into his own scheduled hell.

At least I can walk.