Kennedy drummed her fingers along the wooden table she sat at and stared at the bottom of her coffee cup. It had been empty for half an hour but she hadn't left the late night cafe, instead trying to gather the courage to go to her house. She had asked the taxi driver to stop in the middle of town instead of her actual address, hoping to put it off for a little bit longer even though it was nearly midnight.

All she had with her was a small shoulder bag with her IDs, some make up, her phone, her laptop, and a granola bar inside and a small black duffel bag with enough clothes to last her the week. The rest of her belongings were being shipped across the country, and would hopefully arrive by the end of the week.

Pushing her chair back with an ear-splitting screech, she let out a long sigh before finally standing and throwing her bag over her shoulder. Picking up her duffel with her other hand, she left the café and reluctantly walked to the corner of the sidewalk, beginning to head home.

The walk from the town center to her house was only fifteen minutes. That was Beacon Hills for you. Tiny. Isolated. Occasionally her personal hell.

Kennedy had taken ten steps before she paused and looked down at her feet. Four inch heeled boots were probably not the best choice for walking on old, uneven pavement. But damn, they made her legs look fantastic, so she couldn't really regret it.

Besides, it wasn't like she could get blisters anymore.

She pulled out her phone from her bag, a little bit bored and looking for a distraction, and scrolled through her contacts aimlessly. She'd cut off every friend she'd had at her North Carolina boarding school after what happened over the summer in Rhode Island, so the number of people she could talk to had been reduced to a handful. When she focused once again on her screen and saw the name she'd stopped at she felt a too-wide, stupid grin cover her face and she immediately pressed down on the call button.

The phone rang seven times, and just when she thought she'd have to leave a message, her call was answered.

A sleepy, gravelly voice answered with a slow, "hello?"

"G-Man! Are you busy tomorrow night?" she sang into the phone.

"Ugh, tone it down. Some people are trying to – wait, holy shit. Ken, are you telling me you're near Beacon Hills?"

"Mhmmmm."

"What are you doing back?! I thought I wouldn't see you until Thanksgiving break."

In a casual tone she replied, "I decided I needed some more Stiles time. And to start at a private school in Beacon Hills as a junior in three days."

"Are you – are you serious? That's –" A loud thump interrupted whatever it was Stiles was going to say, and Kennedy could make out the sound of sheets rustling.

Stiles let out a string of curses while she waited patiently, used to his spastic tendencies.

Breathing a bit more heavily, he resumed his questioning with a sharper tone. "You're not messing with me, are you? That'd be a dick move, dude."

"Aw, would I do that to you? The light of my life, my very closest friend, my non-sexual soul mate?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Such little faith. So, back to the point. Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely. I'm hanging with Scott in the morning, but I'm free in the afternoon. I'll swing by around four and pick you up. Are we thinking junk food, an overly-competitive Mario Kart tournament, and a Buffy marathon at my house?"

"Obviously."

They both laughed, but Stiles quieted after a couple of seconds. In a softer tone he said, "I really did miss you."

She felt her throat tighten as she tried and failed to take on a lighter tone when she replied, "Me too, buddy."

"Bye Ken, see you soon."

"Bye G-Man."

Kennedy was shocked by the sheer rush of joy she felt at the prospect of hanging out with her best friend. She wasn't close to very many people, always more comfortable alone than having to keep up any pretense or front around others. While she wasn't dripping angst or anything, Kennedy wasn't usually a ball of sunshine and rainbows. Stiles was one of a handful of people in the world she showed her immature, carefree side to. The full force of how much she'd missed acting like a teenager, acting like she didn't have a shitstorm of problems, rained down on her.

Kennedy paused and attempted to calm her breathing and erratic heart. After a few deep breaths, she began to walk once again, turning onto her street. As she neared her house, she focused on the heartbeats inside and heard one person sleeping while one remained awake. Immediately she felt guilty for avoiding the house, knowing her mom was waiting up for her.

She strode up to the front door and steeled herself before knocking loudly three times. The sound of feet rushing from the kitchen increased her anxiety, but as soon as the door opened she felt nearly all her tension leave her.

"Kenny! How was your trip? I'm so glad you finally made it! I was worried you'd missed your flight."

"Nah, it was fine, Mom. Happy to be back."

Her mother pulled her into a loose hug and hurried her inside.

"I know it's late sweetie, so you should probably get some rest, but you should go say hi to your sister first. I didn't tell her you were coming home to start school here, I wanted it to be a surprise. She'll be so happy to see you!"

Her entire body froze. She knew for a fact her sister would not be so happy. This was going to be an absolute clusterfuck. However, Kennedy's panic only lasted for a moment before a twisted amusement settled in.

Seeing her sister's face was going to be a beautiful, beautiful moment. She was fairly sure that the announcement after eighth grade that she was going to boarding school on the other side of the country was the best day of her sister's life.

She leaned in once more to give her mom a quick hug before faking a yawn. "I think you're right. I'll put my stuff in my room then drop in for a second to let her know I'm here."

"Alright. Night hon, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Mom."

She made her across the hall to her room and felt genuine happiness as she took it in. Though she was barely ever home, it was kept in pristine condition, just like she remembered. Tossing her stuff onto her bed, Kennedy took the stairs two at a time and stood in front of her sister's door seconds later.

Opening it widely, she flicked on the light and knocked loudly against the doorframe with a smirk. Vaulting upright, the figure under the covers groaned out a quiet "what the hell" before pushing back the silk eye mask.

Lydia's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in an expression of absolute horror. She quickly schooled her features into a mask of calm distain. However, Kennedy could hear her heart racing and could smell the dismay radiating off of her.

"What are you doing here, Kennedy?"

Smiling sarcastically she said in a slow drawl, "I've decided to try out the whole 'Beacon Hills' shtick," her smiled grew as she continued pleasantly, "Besides, I've missed you, Twinny."