"So, where's this mystery girl?" Scott asked jestingly as he and Stiles approached the front doors of the school.
"I don't like that you say that like she doesn't exist," Stiles retorted. "She does exist...and I told her I'd meet her here."
The two halted at the top step and sat down, staring out over the expanse of the parking lot.
"Junior year…" Stiles breathed. "You think this year we can actually be popular and things can just be normal?"
Scott smiled crookedly. "Judging by that crazed deer attack last night, I'd say things probably won't be going back to normal anytime soon."
"So we strive for popularity," Stiles joked.
"Yeah, I guess––Oh, jeez!" A look of dread suddenly flushed across Scott's face.
Stiles followed his gaze out to the parking lot, where he saw Alison and Lydia climbing out of Alison's car.
"Stiles, do you think we can wait somewhere else?" Scott pleaded.
"No, man, I told her I would wait for her here!"
"I'm just gonna head to class then, see ya there!" Scott tried to escape, but Stiles grabbed his arm and forced him back into a sitting position.
"Really, dude? Is this how it's going to be all year?"
Scott exhaled. "I guess not," he sulked.
"Sheesh, man up," Stiles told him, thumping him on the back. "It's you and Alison, man. Everything will work out."
"I hope you're right," Scott confessed.
"Oh, there she is!" Stiles exclaimed, seeing Lacey approach from the parking lot. He watched with some degree of horror as she crossed paths with the two other girls. "...and now she's talking to Lydia and Alison."
(With Lydia and Alison)
"Hey, is that Scott and Stiles up there?" Alison asked, trying to appear indifferent.
"Very good, Alison," Lydia replied with her usual level of sass. "Of course that's Scott and Stiles. And, look, I know you and Scott broke up, but can we try to make this a little less awkward? It's our junior year, we should be enjoying it with our friends, not avoiding them at all costs."
Alison sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We've had four months. We just need to get back to normal." She steeled herself. "We can be friends."
"That's my girl." Lydia gave her an encouraging smile and linked her arm in hers. "Now, let's march up there and talk to them like there's absolutely no weirdness."
"Right, no weirdness."
As the girls walked toward the main entrance, Lydia noticed a girl she didn't recognize walking beside them a few feet off.
In her usual audacious Lydia fashion, she turned her head toward Lacey and demanded, "And you are?"
Alison could only slightly be heard scolding "Lydia!" under her breath.
"I'm Lacey." She introduced herself without skipping a beat.
"You're new here," Lydia stated. She stopped walking and faced her, forcing both Alison and Lacey to follow suit.
"Yeah, I am, actually," Lacey agreed.
"You don't look like a freshman." Lydia appraised her.
"That's 'cause I'm not. I just transferred––I'm a junior."
"Us too!" Alison offered, trying in some way to apologize for Lydia. "I'm Alison."
Lacey beamed at Alison. Then, she turned her attention to Lydia, raising her eyebrows. "And you are?"
Alison tried to stifle a laugh. Lydia's narrowed her eyes at Lacey, but then allowed a slight smile to escape.
"I'm Lydia." She offered her hand and the two girls shook. "You're gonna do all right here, Lacey." She turned and continued walking; Alison and Lacey followed.
"I hope so," Lacey responded. She looked up at the school building looming above her, and she caught sight of Stiles sitting on the steps.
"We can show you around if you want," Alison offered kindly.
"Yeah, totally," Lydia seconded.
"That's really nice of you guys, but I've actually already got a tour guide," Lacey told them.
"Oh, really? So you know people here?" Lydia questioned.
"No, not at all, except… do you guys know Stiles?"
Lydia and Alison exchanged a look.
"All right, what was that?" Lacey demanded. "What's wrong with Stiles?"
Lydia stopped the parade again and gestured for Lacey to join her in a sort of huddle. "There's nothing wrong with Stiles––" she shook her head, "can't believe I just said that. But you see the guy he's sitting with?"
"That's Scott, right?"
"Yes––it's eery how fast you catch on. Anyway, he and Alison broke up before summer and it's still a little...completely awkward." Lydia pursed her lips and gave Alison a side-eye look.
"Was it a bad break up?" Lacey asked her.
"No, it was fine, it's just...you know…" Alison chewed her bottom lip nervously.
"Well, sorry if this is awkward, but Stiles already agreed to take me around. I can just see you two in class, or..."
"Oh no, it's no problem," Lydia insisted, shooting Alison a look. "We're trying to do normal."
"Are you sure?" Lacey asked, looking only at Alison.
"Yep. Normal." Alison nodded briskly. "Let's go."
The girls climbed the remaining stairs and walked straight up to the boys. Stiles had a huge grin on his face, while Scott looked uncomfortable, to say the least.
"Hey, guys," Stiles greeted the three of them.
"Hey, Stiles," Lacey chimed back, smiling.
"I see you've met Alison and Lydia," Stiles commented, smiling at the other two girls.
"Why, yes she has," Lydia responded. "Hey, Stiles. Scott."
"Hey," Scott finally squeaked, "Lydia...Alison…" His face was scrunched up like a raisin.
"Hi," Alison breathed, barely audibly, her eyes darting around.
"Scott," Stiles valiantly stepped in. "This is Lacey. We met yesterday and I told her I'd show her around today."
Scott stuck out his hand. "Scott McCall," he introduced himself. His face still looked pinched.
Lacey smiled warmly and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Scott. How's the tattoo doing?"
"Tattoo?" Lydia asked, suddenly very interested. "You got a tattoo?"
"Uh...we, uh, actually missed the appointment," he replied nervously, rubbing his healed tattoo self-consciously.
"Oh, that's a bummer," Lacey told him, frowning slightly. "I hope that had nothing to do with me."
"No, not at all. My mom made me do the dishes after dinner, so…"
"Ah, I see."
Scott couldn't help but feel like Lacey was looking straight through him.
"Well, I have to run to the main office and get my welcome spiel from the principle before English, so should we…?" She looked at Stiles.
"Yeah, let's––"
"Oh, Stiles, I totally forgot I have to talk to you...about the summer reading," Scott interrupted. He looked to Lydia, making sure to keep his eyes off Alison. "Do you two mind…?
"Course not," Lydia replied, giving him a little smile. "We'll see you two in English."
"So sorry, Lacey," Scott said. "I promise he'll show you around later." He smiled weakly.
"It's totally fine! See you guys in class," Lacey assured him. She completely hid her disappointment. "Let's go, ladies."
The three girls departed.
As soon as they were far enough away, Stiles turned on Scott, but before he could say anything, Scott interjected.
"Look, dude, I know, I know. That wasn't cool, but I couldn't be around her anymore––"
"So, this is about Alison? They were just getting ready to––"
"No, Lacey!" Scott sputtered.
"Didn't know an introduction could go that badly. What was it exactly, the way she said 'nice to meet you,' or––"
"Stiles, I'm serious! I, like, want her, man!"
Stiles looked dumbfounded. "Oh, come on! Scott, I kinda figured it was implied, but I've got dibs!"
"No, you don't get it." Scott seemed to be calming down. "I think it's a wolf thing. Her scent is…" It looked as if his eyes had glazed over. He shook his head and blinked a few times.
"What do you mean, her scent? Does she have nice perfume or something?" Stiles looked utterly confused.
"No, it's just her," Scott explained. "It's her scent. I don't know how else to explain it."
"I guess that explains why you looked constipated during that entire conversation... I just thought it was an Alison thing." Stiles rubbed the nape of his neck thoughtfully.
"Do you think she thought that?" Scott asked quickly, looking stricken.
"Man, one thing at a time!" Stiles urged. "This scent craziness, can you control it?"
"I mean, it's better now that I can be ready for it, but…"
"But, what?" Stiles pressed.
"I don't want her up here," Scott pointed to his head, "but, I don't know, it's...primal…"
"Well, you better do your best to keep your primal instincts in line," Stiles told him, "'cause we have class with her in, oh, five minutes!"
Scott sucked in a huge breath.
"It would be pretty embarrassing if you ripped her clothes off in the middle of our first English class," Stiles joked, beginning to walk toward the building.
"Too bad that's exactly what I want to do," Scott said under his breath, trudging after Stiles as if he were being sent to the gallows.
(With the Girls)
"I just wanna stop by my locker before class," Lydia said. She strutted down the row of lockers and, upon finding hers, popped it open and proceeded to gaze at herself in its tiny mirror.
Alison gave Lacey a covert eye-roll and both girls smiled. "Lydia, really? We've got class in like––"
"There's always enough time for a touch-up, Alison." Lydia flashed her a dazzling smile in the mirror's reflection. "Besides, I actually have people to impress today."
"Oh yeah, who's that?" Alison questioned, leaning up again a locker.
"Freshmen," Lydia trilled, slamming her locker shut as she did so and turning to face them. "Or should I say fresh men."
"You mean fresh boys?" Alison asked, amused. "Lydia, they're, like, 14."
Lydia gave a non-comital "hmph" and openly appraised a group of boys walking by.
"Lydia, I have to say, having a 14-year-old boyfriend would probably be more trouble than its worth," Lacey advised.
"Oh, dearest Lacey," Lydia cooed, putting a hand on Lacey's shoulder and batting her long lashes, "I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm looking for a distraction."
As if on cue, the front doors burst open and two men––twins––wearing motorcycle jackets strode into the hallway.
Lydia turned to the girls. "Well, would you look at that?"
Lacey and Alison this time took part in a group eye-roll as Lydia ogled the new specimens as they approached.
Then, without warning, one of the two lunged in the girls' direction and pinned Lacey up against a locker.
"Hey," he practically panted as he pressed himself closer. "I'm Aiden."
Thankfully, at that moment his brother was grabbing him by the leather collar of his jacket and literally dragging him backward. He was whispering in his ear as he did this, something indiscernible to human ears.
"I don't know what she is, but you can't do this here."
Then, he turned his attention to the three girls. "I'm Ethan," he spat through gritted teeth. "And he's sorry." With that, the two continued down the hall, Ethan still gripping Aidan's jacket.
The girls watched them go, silent. They all exchanged a bewildered look.
"Well, you gotta hand it to him for being direct." Lydia was the first to break the silence.
Alison brushed it off. "Did you hear what he was saying to him?" She looked at Lacey.
Lacey seemed as if she were about to say something, but then thought better of it. "No, I didn't."
"I can't believe a guy like that is allowed to go out in public," she continued. "Come on, we should go to class." She began to walk the opposite way that the twins had come and the other two followed.
"I thought it was kind of hot," Lydia mused, looking at Lacey.
"Lydia!" Alison scolded.
Lydia looked utterly perplexed. "What? If a guy like that pressed me up against a locker, I wouldn't be complaining."
"It was threatening," Alison asserted.
"Don't worry, Lydia, he's not exactly my type, anyway," Lacey told her, offering a weak laugh. "All yours!"
"What do you have that I don't?" Lydia wondered, looking Lacey up and down.
Lacey gave a shrug as they almost collided with Scott and Stiles in front of their English class.
"Hello, again," Stiles said pleasantly as he stepped aside to let the girls in.
"Dude, I can't sit by her. Don't make me sit by her," Scott whispered to Stiles.
"Right," Stiles whispered back. "Lacey!" he exclaimed as he walked through the doorway. "Come sit with me by the window!"
"Maybe he's into freckles…" Lydia persisted as she, Lacey, and Stiles found seats by the window.
"Who's into freckles?" Stiles asked a little too concernedly.
"Oh, just some guy who's super into Lacey," Lydia told him.
"Wh–what guy?" Stiles asked again, struggling to remain nonchalant.
"Just some guy in the hall, Stiles," Lacey assured him, settling into her desk. She looked over at him. "Not my type."
"That's you giving me the go-ahead, right?" Lydia inquired.
Scott and Alison had found an uncomfortable seating situation in which the only desks available were two in the same row. Alison chose the one in the front and Scott had no choice but to sit down right behind her. He noticed her heartbeat. It wasn't the faint flutter sitting next to your ex in class brought. He leaned forward.
"Alison, is everything okay?" he asked earnestly.
"What?" She turned to look at him. "Oh, yeah, yeah, everything's fine." A faint smile and she was seated forward again.