Part 1/3
"So, if the square root of negative 25 is 5i, and our denominator is 10, our answer would be…" Lydia scanned the room of students, looking for someone to call on. Most of them were hyped up like little kids on a sugar rush at the prospect of the approaching winter break. Well, to be fair, most of them actually were in some sort of candy cane induced hyperactive state; and who could blame them? This was the last period before school let out for break, anyway. She decided to be lenient, and skipped over calling on the group of boys in the back who were paying about as much attention to her as they do Natalie; the smartest girl in the class, who unfortunately just hadn't figured that being the only student who dressed like the school librarian wasn't what it meant to be a trendsetter.
Lydia shifted her eyes and, not surprisingly, there was Natalie, sitting front and center with left hand raised high, her fingers wiggling in anticipation. Her demeanor reminded Lydia slightly of an excited puppy. She sighed, knowing that, in the long run, all that would matter were Natalie's brains and heart, not where she stood on the high school food chain.
"Natalie?" Lydia called out, relieving the young girl.
"The answer would be i over 2, Ms. Martin." Natalie replied confidently, never doubting her brain's ability to solve a simple math problem.
Lydia smiled, "That's correct." She replied just as the bell rang, signaling the period was over. She barely avoided getting trampled by the wild group of juniors, as they bolted out of the room in a chorus of "Have a happy holiday, Ms. Martin!" Lydia was just able to get out an exasperated "You too!" before the entire room was empty. She laughed quietly to herself, turning around to grab her bag, and almost jumping out of her skin when she realized the room wasn't yet completely abandoned.
"Natalie! I didn't realize you were still here." Lydia said, letting out a breath.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Martin! I didn't mean to scare you! I just wanted to give you this before the break." She explained anxiously, while handing Lydia a small gift bag with a smiling snowman on the outside.
Lydia smiled genuinely at her student, pulling he into a quick hug. "Thank you so much, Natalie, this is very sweet of you."
Natalie smiled, pulling away while pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "It was really no problem, you're my favorite teacher." Lydia smiled again at her comment, touching her arm for a moment.
"Anyway, I have to get going, my mom's probably waiting for me outside. We're going on vacation over the break! Have a good holiday, Ms. Martin!" Natalie yelled behind her, already on her way out the door.
"You too, Natalie!" Lydia shouted back, chuckling slightly at the sheer warmness of that girl, and at the fact that she was actually someone's favorite teacher. She'd come a long way since she was in high school, that's for sure.
She quickly slid on her peach colored pea coat, grabbed her bag and was on her way out the door. Snowflakes were beginning to lazily make their way to the ground, sticking to the asphalt like glue. Soon enough the entire state of Maine would be covered in an array of unique snowflakes all melded together to form a pristine, white cushion, coating everything like candy. Lydia felt a bubble of excitement form in her stomach at the idea of it; one thing she didn't miss about California was the lack of seasons. Unfortunately, she also had a mental list on tab of all the things she did miss.
Climbing into her white Honda Pilot, she turned on the radio station to drown out her thoughts, opting to sing along to the Mariah Carey version of "All I Want For Christmas Is You" instead. She was home within the hour, unlocking the door to her small, but impeccably furnished, apartment she shared with her boyfriend of three years, Brad. They had met shortly after Lydia moved to Maine on a job offer after college. They were, by all means, perfect for each other. They were both valedictorian in their high schools, top of their classes in college, and both had looks that anyone would kill for. Brad looked something like an Abercrombie model, and eerily reminded Lydia of her ex-boyfriend Jackson, with his perfectly sculpted jaw and piercing blue eyes. The only difference, really, was his height and raven colored hair. He worked as a lawyer in the local firm, and would most likely be home late again, like he was almost every other night.
A harsh vibration coming from her bag broke her out of her thoughts. The screen lit up with a pretty Asian girl, the name "Kira Yukimura" displayed proudly underneath. Lydia took in a sharp breath, she hadn't talked to Kira in a few months, and she and Scott were the only people she still talked to from high school.
"Hello?" Lydia answered. She heard an excited squeal from the other end, before hearing Kira's bubbly voice.
"Lydia! It feels like I haven't talked to you in forever!" Kira screeched loudly.
Lydia had to pull the phone a few inches away from her ear, her eyes squinting shut for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I've just been busy lately." She said, involuntarily slumping onto the couch.
"Well, with Christmas around the corner and all, I was wondering what you were up to?" Kira asked, cautiousness masking her hope.
"Oh, I'll probably just stay here with Brad again this year. His family might come down…" Lydia trailed off, a proper excuse not coming to mind.
"Yeah, I figured. I just thought you might want to come back home for Christmas this year, since we rarely see you anymore. We all miss you, you know." Lydia could feel that familiar moisture begin to pool in the back of her eyes at her old friends words.
"Yeah, I miss you guys too." Lydia rapidly blinked back tears, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. If Kira noticed, and Lydia was pretty sure she did, she did a really good job of hiding it, because she didn't say anything, instead saying something about Scott just getting home and bidding Lydia a quick goodbye along with a promise to call. She was grateful to Kira for not calling he out on her emotions, but once again, she was left sitting alone, wiping a few stray tears with the back of her hand.
Standing up, she straightened out her dress and walked to the kitchen, her heels she hadn't bothered to take off making clicking noises against the hard wood floor. On her way there, though, something caught her eye. Natalie's snowman gift bag was smiling up at her in an annoyingly cheerful way; picking it up she gently removed the card first, rustling the bright green tissue paper slightly.
Dear Ms. Martin,
I remembered you said were interested in the supernatural, so when I saw this I thought of you. I hope you have a fantastic break!
Your student,
Natalie Hart
Lydia smirked at the card, "An interest is a bit of an understatement." She whispered cynically to herself. She'd been keeping herself company a lot lately. Opening the bag further, she pulled out a book entitled "Supernatural: Fact or Myth?" by Trevor Lockwood. Her perfectly manicured nails mindlessly thumbed through the pages, landing on a random one. She could have sworn this was some kind of joke when the page she landed on was about werewolves. A small laugh escaped her previously sealed lips, and she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. First a call from Kira, and now this; she really did miss everyone from Beacon Hills… maybe Christmas back home wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. It's not like she could hide from her past forever, and if there was one thing Lydia Martin didn't do, it was run away from her problems.
Sighing, she glanced at the clock, which flashed 4:00. Brad probably wouldn't be home for another few hours, so she had some time to herself. Groaning, she began to clean up the house a bit and start dinner.
At 12:00 am Brad was just wrestling with getting his key into the door, and dinner was already cold as the snow falling outside, but it was still sitting at the table waiting for him. Lydia would have been to if she hadn't opted for a nap on the couch instead.
"Lydia?" Brad called a little too loudly; rudely causing Lydia to snap out of her much needed slumber. She sat up slowly and stretched out her sore limbs.
"In here." She yawned, her head lolling back slightly.
"Hey." Brad said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Dinner's still on the table." She said, pointing to the chicken she had made earlier.
"Oh, it's ok, I ate at work." He smiled insincerely, "I'm actually pretty beat, I think I'm just gonna hit the sack." He said, turning towards their bedroom.
"Wait!" Lydia almost shouted, perspiration lightly coating her palms as her anxiety rose; she'd never brought Brad to Beacon Hills to meet her old friends, before. "Um, I talked to my friend Kira from high school today, and she actually invited me back home for Christmas… I was wondering if you wanted to spend the holidays in California this year?" Lydia's green eyes searched his blue ones for a moment, waiting impatiently for a response.
"Uh, I don't know babe, I kind of have a lot of work to do here. I'm not so sure that's a good idea." He replied, as though he'd planned for this type of question beforehand.
But hell would freeze over before Lydia Martin was turned down in something she was determined to get, and in that moment she realized she really wanted to go back home for Christmas. So, she stood a little taller, even without her heels, and rolled back her shoulders. "Well, I think it's a good idea, and I'm going either way."
"Lydia." Brad said, frustrated.
"Brad." Lydia matched his stance, speaking his name with an untamed fierceness.
Brad sighed, annoyed. He dragged a hand down his face before replying. "Fine. We'll go visit your little friends, but I'm not staying there the full week, I have responsibilities." He said, turning away from her and ducking into their room.
"Whatever." She smirked, shooting Kira a quick text that they were coming for Christmas, before following Brad into their bedroom.
Lydia woke with a start to the sound of her alarm clock beeping. She sat up groggily, pressing the button to stop the horrid noise. Memories from the day before quickly invaded her mind, and she was up in a minute from the pure excitement of it all. She showered, packed, confirmed their plane tickets, and was yelling at Brad to get in the car by 11:30 am.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Brad yelled back at his girlfriend, almost tripping on his way out the door. "I just need to make one quick stop at work before we go to the airport." He said, checking his phone.
"Really?" Lydia questioned dryly; even though she knew she wouldn't be able to change his already made up mind.
"Yeah." He replied, hopping into the drivers seat, and waiting for Lydia to buckle up before speeding down the icy road towards the law firm.
"Wait here, I'll be right out." Brad said in between pecking Lydia on the cheek and slamming the door on her face.
As soon as he was far enough away from the car, and Lydia, Brad pulled his phone out of his pocket again.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'm headed up now" He spoke coolly to the person on the other end, letting himself into the abandoned building and riding the elevator quietly up to the seventh floor. As soon as the doors opened, they revealed a leggy platinum blonde with an obvious boob job, who looked like she was better suited to be walking the streets, rather than the halls of an expensive law firm.
"Jeanine." Brad said, admiring the way her body perfectly filled out her revealing maroon colored dress.
"Is it true? You're going to California for the holidays, instead of spending them with me?" Her mocha colored eyes were wide and defenseless.
Brad looked at his assistant for a moment longer before answering her, "Yeah, I'm sorry babe, but my girlfriend really wants to go back home for Christmas. I'll only be gone for a few days."
"Ugh, I hate that word on her, girlfriend." Jeanine shivered, looking down. Brad took a step closer to her, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his once again.
"I know you do, but pretty soon you'll be my girlfriend, and we won't have to worry about her again, okay? I love you." Jeanine eagerly believed Brad's deceptions, as she nodded her head quickly, her doe eyes widening in ignorant elation. He leaned down, capturing her plump, strawberry tasting lips with his own.
"Wow, I love you, too!" Jeanine replied after he pulled away, throwing her arms ecstatically around him as if he'd just found the cure for cancer. Brad held her for a second before telling her he'd better get going, and promising to call her once he got to California.
Lydia turned at the sound of Brad opening the car door again, "Ready to go?" she asked him, an innocent smile on her lips.
"Yup, all set." He replied, smiling quickly at her, and starting back down the icy road.
By the time their 5-hour flight landed, it was around 7 o'clock and to say they could eat an elephant each was an understatement. Luckily, the always-considerate Kira knew this would be the case, and booked a late dinner at a new Italian place.
As soon as Lydia spotted Scott and Kira at the welcome gate, she flung herself into each of their arms like a little kid who's parents just came back home after a night out.
"I'm so excited you're here!" Kira squealed, clapping her small hands together in thrill, as they exited the airport and hopped into Scott's car.
"Yeah, us too." Lydia replied genuinely, smiling at her friend through the rear view mirror.
"So, I made us some reservations at La Bistro, with some of our other friends." Scott explained while turning down the familiar road to the town of Beacon Hills. Lydia felt her blood run cold for a minute, sure she was happy to see her pack again, but the aspect of seeing one person in particular made her stomach release a thousand little butterflies. Lydia pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind before replying,
"Yeah, I'm just really excited to be home again."
"I can't wait to meet some more of your old friends, as well." Brad said, giving Lydia a smile. She smiled back, her thoughts from a minute ago becoming bolder as they drove further into the town. They stopped at Scott and Kira's house first to unpack, driving up the circular driveway to reveal a beautiful Victorian style home.
Lydia's eyes widen at the simple beauty of her friends' home, admiring the cherry blossom tree outside the porch.
"Well, come on in! I'll take you to your room." Kira said, grasping Lydia's hand and pulling her upstairs, while the guys were left to carry the luggage up the stairs like pack mules.
Kira stopped abruptly, swinging open one of the crisp white doors to reveal a huge guest bedroom, decorated welcomingly. "Oh, wow, your house is beautiful!" Lydia exclaimed, turning to face her friend.
"Oh, no, I'm sure yours is decorated a million times better than mine." Kira babbled on, still holding the strawberry blonde's hand in hers. "We'll let you guys unpack and get dressed, and then we'll get going!" Kira breathed excitedly, releasing Lydia and turning on her heel, dragging Scott out with her.
"They seem nice." Brad said in monotone before grabbing a change of clothes and disappearing into the bathroom.
"Yeah, they're great actually." Lydia yelled at him through the door, willing him to see the sheer amazingness of her friends. She heard him reply with a quick humph, and she just rolled her eyes and pulled out a pretty floral dress.
Once they were in the car again, Lydia could feel her excitement and nerves fighting for first place, until they finally just melted together, forming an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. She dragged her wet palms down the front of her dress once the car stopped in front of the restaurant. She felt Brad swing an arm around her shoulder as the waiter asked for their reservation.
"Yeah, it's under McCall." Scott replied with a sideways smile, and the waiter lead them to a large table in the back of the restaurant. Lydia tried to count all the seats, because it honestly looked like Scott and Kira had invited all of Beacon Hills to welcome Lydia home.
"Holy shit, what were you, the mayor of this town?" Brad whispered to Lydia, referring to the 12 still empty chairs after the four of them had already sat down. Lydia snorted, of high school maybe, she thought to herself. But, everything began to make sense once she remembered how much all these people meant to her.
There was Melissa and the sheriff, who she learned were finally engaged, and Chris Argent, who'd come back home to be with family for the holidays. Isaac had come back too, with his girlfriend of 2 years, who Lydia was a little surprised to find out was Cora. That surely must've taken Derek at least a year to approve of. But she figured love had softened the sour wolf up a bit, because he was still with Braeden, who, and even Brad would agree, still looked like some sort of assassin. Of course there was her mother, who Lydia almost strangled with how tightly she hugged her. Liam was there too, the baby of the pack, she was happy to see doing so well. Malia, she learned, was still single after she and Stiles had broken up junior year, not that she needed a man to take care of her.
Stiles she finally let the thought filtrate through her, his name on constant repeat in her mind, until she finally looked up to see his pair of honey eyes, his splay of moles and messy chocolate brown hair, placed strategically on his of gangly limbs. She was about to say something witty to him, when she felt her heart drop at the sight of a gorgeous brunette, with tanned skin and hazel eyes walk through the door behind him. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat when Stiles wrapped his arms around her skinny shoulders, smiling his boyish smile. His eyes focused on the girl next to him, instead of the girl who still had pieces of him embedded in her heart.
Scott, sensing the disappointment radiating from Lydia, reached over to discretely grab her hand. "I'm sorry." He whispered, his dark eyes capturing her green ones for a moment. She blinked quickly, looking away and pulling her hand out of his grasp, "For what?" she asked, desperately trying to keep her emotions from toppling over and breaking the gates of her resolve.
"Lydia!" She heard Stiles yell, excitement taking over his voice. "It's so good to finally see you again! This is Jennifer." He shouted, giving the girl a name. "Jen, this is Lydia, and…" He trailed off, looking at the man sitting next to Lydia.
"Brad." Brad finished for him, reaching over to shake his hand.
"And this is Brad." Stiles completed his sentence, angling his body towards Jen.
"It's so nice to meet you." Jen said sweetly.
"You too." Lydia replied, although it was probably the furthest from the truth she could get right now.
She sighed deeply, knowing this was going to be a long trip after all.
Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to leave a review!
-xx KaterinaPetrovah