Chapter Seven

We Aren't Pretending Anymore

"The tricky thing
Is yesterday we were just children
Playing soldiers
Just pretending
Dreaming dreams with happy endings
In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords
But now we've stepped into a cruel world
Where everybody stands and keeps score"

-Eyes Open

Taylor Swift

"Jessimine Martin," Scott and Stiles said to Derek Hale at the exact same time.

Derek raises his eyebrows and folds his arms, "never heard of her."

"She's the Alpha," Scott says.

"Now now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Stiles said, "all we know is her scent was on the bus. That doesn't mean she's a heartless killing machine."

Scott and Derek looked at Stiles.

"Okay, it's probable."

They continued to stare.

"Alright, alright, alright, she's our only lead, it's likely. I mean, I guess it would make sense. All this stuff started happening when she first came to school and she acts pretty weird sometimes so I guess…" he trailed off because he hated the thought of Jessimine as the Alpha. He was really beginning to like her.

Scott turned to Derek, "so what are we going to do?"

"Your both going to take me to school tomorrow and let me meet her, I'll be able to figure out if she's the Alpha or not by her smell," Derek said.

"So what? You're just going to walk up to her and take a sniff? Jessimine isn't dumb, she'll know we are up to something, especially if she's the Alpha."

Derek sigh, fed up with Stiles attitude, "just leave it to me."

When Derek, Stiles and Scott walked into school they immediately found Jessimine. She was wearing black boots, light denim skinny jeans, a white top, a flannelette tied around her waist. She had red lip stick on and her hair was tied up in a high pony tail, it had a singular curl that was long and bounced when she walked. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were pressed together. If looks could kill every single one of the students in Beacon Hills High would be dead.

"Is that her?" Derek asked.

"Yeah," Scott breathed.

"Oh god," he murmured.

Stiles could only nod as Jessimine looked like the most unapproachable person in the world.

"If she is the Alpha it would explain a lot," Derek simply said as he walked towards Jessimine. Stiles and Scott hung back and waited.

Jessimine scowled at Jackson as he walked past her, throwing her a wink, she rolled her eyes and straightened against her locker. She dug her nails into her skin to hide her anger.

"Hey Jessimine! I can't wait to see you a lacrosse practise this afternoon!" Jackson called. "It will be fun to see you make a fool of yourself."

Jessimine clenched her jaw but didn't say anything as Jackson came back in front of her.

He tilted his head to the side, "you mad Jessimine? You don't like the fact that I will always be better than you?"

Jessimine looked elsewhere as Jackson moved closer, placing his hand on the locker behind her and moving his body closer. He was so close Jessimine could smell his cologne. It was bitter. Not something she liked.

"You just hate me because I'm dating your sister, don't you?" he whispered, his eyes wide and menacing. "You're jealous."

"Actually, I wished my sister dumped your sorry ass, she deserves better."

"Oh sweetie, there is no one better than me."

Jessimine pushed Jackson off her and power walked down the hallways.

"YOU KNOW IT JESSIMINE!" she heard Jackson call behind her.

A strange sensation started travelling through her body, her heart rate quickened and her breathing become rapid. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly ran into the girls' bathroom. She threw off her pack and gripped onto the sides of the sink, her skin was prickling with sweat as she felt a strange sensation move throughout her body. The hairs on her arms rose. She felt something press against her lip, on both sides, almost like teeth…

Jessamine's eyes shot up to the mirror and she didn't recognise what was staring back at her.

Firstly, a two pointy teeth were slipped out over her red lips and when she opened her mouth slightly she realised all her teeth were, well, wolf like.

Secondly, her fingernails were now not fingernails, but claws. Pointy, dangerous claws.

And lastly her eyes were not blue, no, they were silver.

Jessimine didn't stop the scream that cut through her throat.

Stiles, Scott and Derek exchanged looks as they heard the scream that came from the bathroom where Jessimine ran in only moments before. Stiles pushes the door open and stumbles into the girls bathroom.

"Jessimine!?" he calls, "Jessimine!"

But Stiles calls are only met with a eerie silence of an empty bathroom. He hears the door behind him open, he whips around to see a blanked faced Erica standing in the doorway.

"Stiles, what are you doing?" she asks slowly.

"Jessimine was in here," he says. Erica raises her eyebrows. "I mean I was looking for her, but not in a creepy way. I thought she was in trouble but she isn't in here. You know what, never mind." He is red now as he turns to leave but as he does he sees the opened window above one of the cubicles.

When Derek, Scott and Stiles ran out to the car park Jessimine's car was still there meaning she couldn't have gone too far.

"Unless she's a werewolf, then she would be able to travel faster on foot," Derek said casually.

Stiles ran his hand through his hair, "but it's Jessimine, she can't be a werewolf. Or an Alpha. It just doesn't make sense. Actually none of this makes sense. I'm blaming you for all of this Scott."

"Hey, you were the one who made me go out in the middle of the night to find a dead body, if it wasn't for you none of this would have happened."

Stiles rolled his eyes, "details."

Derek decided to wait around in the car park for the rest of the day in case Jessimine returned, Stiles and Scott eventually returned to class to find Jessimines' seats empty. Stiles sent her numerous texts, feeling bad for what happened last night and at the same time concerned for her wellbeing.

But Jessimine didn't return to class.

Stiles and Scott were changing in lockerooms for lacrosse when Derek approached them. "Does the girl always run and scream like that and then just disappear?"

"No, somethings wrong," Stiles said. He stared ahead blankly. "Terribly wrong."

When Scott, Stiles and Derek walk out onto the lacrosse field Derek sits in the bleachers while Stiles and Scott walk to Coach.

"Stilinski, McCall," he greets.

"Hey Coach, have you seen Jessimine?" Stiles asks.

"Yeah, I have," he says, "she's running the field."

He points and Stiles and Scott's eyes follow to the blonde who is running across the track. Stiles quickly picked up on the fact that she was wearing lacrosse gear. They turned back to Coach.

"Wait, why is Jessimine wearing gear?" Stiles asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Coach asked.

"Hear what?"

"The other night, after the game when you two idiots ran off with thirty seconds to go I had to substitute a player. Lydia told me about Jessimine, I must admit, I had my doubts. But the girl proved herself by scoring the winning goal. Now she's on the team." Coach paused when he saw Stiles and Scott's dumbfounded expressions, "wait, didn't you know?"

"No, she never told us," Stiles mumbled.

"Is there something wrong with her? She seemed agitated when she came," Coach said.

"We don't know, but we are trying to find out," Scott simply replied.

It was agreed that Stiles would talk to Jessimine after practise so when Jessimine finally pulled off her helmet and walked into the girls lockeroom Stiles took action. He quietly followed her inside and didn't expect to see her standing in only her shorts and bra top.

Jessimine seemed to sense his precede as she turned around and jumped in surprise, a shrill escaping her throat. She whipped around not a moment later and tugged on a grey shirt.

"Stiles! What the hell are you doing in here!?" she yelled.

Stiles had to shake himself out of his shocked state before he answered, "Hey! Don't get all defensive with me! You came into the boys lockeroom twice now!"

"Yes! But both times I gave you warning! You know I could sue you for being a peeping tom or something!"

"Well I didn't mean to walk in on you getting changed!"

"This is a girls change room, so obviously I'm going to get changed. You're just lucky I didn't decide to take a shower cause if you walked in on me then…" she trailed off, leaving Stiles blushing before adding, "I'd probably gauge your eyeballs out." When he didn't reply she tilted her head to the side and asked, "why are you here Stiles?"

"I came to see if you are okay."

"I'm fine," she said quickly. She picked up her bag and went to push past him.

"Don't lie to me," he whispered. "I saw you this morning, when you ran off into the bathroom and I heard you scream. You were gone all day. Obviously something is wrong."

She paused for a moment, "I'm okay."

"No your not."

"It's none of your business anyway," she said as she pushed Stiles aside.

Stiles grabbed Jessimines hand making her pause, but she didn't turn around. "It is my business," he said, "your one of my best friends and I want to know if I can help you."

"You can't help me," she whispered, "no one can."

Then she snatched her hand away and dashed out of the lockeroom, shoving Scott and Derek out of the way.

Stiles dashed out not a moment later and turned to Derek once she was out of sight, "did you catch a scent?"

The two teenagers looked at him hopingly.

"Just apple blossom shampoo, that's it, no Alpha smell, beta smell, omega smell, nothing. Just that stupid shampoo."

Stiles and Scott groaned.

"If she's not a werewolf what was she doing on the bus?" Stiles asked the question everyone was wondering.

Scott looked to Derek, "maybe she wasn't on the bus." He paused, "maybe the Alpha just had her scent on it."

"So what does that mean?"

"That means the Alpha has been around her," Derek said. "It doesn't mean she is something. Maybe she's seen it and it hasn't attacked her. Or maybe she's met it in its human form. That's the only thing that makes sense."

"So, in one way or another Jessimine has been with the Alpha?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah."

"So what do we do?"

"Ask her."

Stiles coughed, "how on earth do I ask her?! I can't just walk up to her like, oh hey Jessimine, have you seen a wolf, with red eyes? Let me know if you do."

Derek and Scott exchanged looks, "if she knows who the Alpha is it could save a lot of lives."

Stiles huffed, "fine, I'll ask, but I doubt she will tell me anything."

When the doorbell rang from down stairs Jessimine didn't budge from her spot in front of her computer on her bed. She was thourally researching silver eyed werewolf, yes, on the internet. And maybe it was a stupid thing for her to research but the internet was the only choice she had.

The only results she got were some cool sketches and a photo of a girl that had photo shopped her eyes to look silver. And that was not helpful at all.

So instead Jessimine typed up in the search silver eyed sightings, and at first nothing seemed to appear but as she researched further into witness reports of unsolved crimes or statements from 'unstable' or 'unreliable' witnesses she began to find what she had been looking for.

Most of the files that related to sightings of silver eyes were either unsolved murders or missing person's reports.

Jessimine scrolled through the cases with mentions of silver eyes.

'I saw the eyes and the next second they disappeared, the next morning she was gone.'

'Something with silver eyes was hovering over his body, when it saw me it ran away, Jamie was already dead then. I think whatever killed him wasn't human.'

'There was no one at the scene, but there was this pair of eyes, they were glowing silver, and they were lurking in the bushes, I never saw who or what it was.'

'I heard her call my name and I ran towards her, I couldn't find her and she continued screaming. Her last words were "the silver eyes" I never understood what she meant by that.'

Jessimine was so engrossed in the reports that she didn't hear the door to her bedroom open. She didn't hear her mother call her name multiple times and she didn't realise she was crying and shaking.

"Jessimine!" her mother yelled.

Jessimines eyes shot up to her mother who was standing at the door, she jumped before blowing out and breath and struggling to sit up. She wiped her eyes, "yes? What is it?"

Her mother looked at her carefully, "someone is here to see you." She paused, "Jessimine, honey, are you okay?"

Jessimine swallowed the lump in her throat before tucking her hair behind her ears and looking up, "yeah, it's okay, I'm okay, everything is okay," she breathed in, "I'm fine." Jessimine paused, "who is here to see me?"

"A boy named Stiles," she said, hesitating on the name slightly.

Jessimine rolled her eyes, "tell him I'm sick, please I don't want to see him."

Her mother bit her lip, "um, sweetie-" she cut herself off when Stiles stepped out from behind her and gave Jessimine an awkward wave. Her mother hesitated for a moment before turning and muttering, "I'll leave you to it."

Stiles hung at Jessimines door awkwardly, looking everywhere but Jessimine.

"What the hell do you want Stiles?" Jessimine snapped.

Stiles winced at her harsh tone, but Jessimine didn't care for his feelings. She was currently in the middle of a crisis and she didn't need Stiles bugging her.

He drummed his fingers against the door as he answered, "I just wanted to talk to you."

Jessimine eyed him, "about what?"

"Can I come in?" Stiles asked. Jessimine hesitated before nodding.

Stiles sat awkwardly on the side of Jessimine's bed before taking a quick look at her laptop, "what are you doing?"

Jessimine closed the lid of the laptop quickly before saying, "just researching."

"Researching what?"

"Chemistry."

"But we didn't have any homework," Stiles gave Jessimine a sceptical look. Jessimine looked away. "Jessimine, what's on your computer?"

Jessimine clenched her jaw.

"You're hiding something from me," Stiles said slowly.

"So are you!" she spat back. "You've been so secretive lately, and you and Scott keep being weird and saying strange things. I'm not the only one. I thought we were good enough friends that we didn't have to hide stuff from each other."

Stiles was silent for a few moments before he nodded, "you're right, I should tell you what's been going on."

Jessimine frowned at him.

"Only if you tell me what's on your computer."

Jessimine sighed, "are you serious?"

"Yes."

Jessimine rolled her eyes before sighing once more, "okay, this is going to sound weird but I'm looking up unsolved murders and missing persons."

Stiles gave her a confused look, "why?"

She wasn't going to tell him the truth, "because something weird is going on in Beacon Hills and I'm going to find out what it is." Jessimine opened her laptop and showed Stiles the witness page, he just nodded.

"Jessimine, can I ask you something?" Stiles asked as Jessimine closed her laptop once more.

"Sure."

"Can you tell me what you know about Alpha's?"

Jessimine froze, "why?"

"I'm curious."

Jessimine turned to Stiles, "Alphas are always trying to build their pack, the more wolves they have behind them the stronger they are." She turned to Stiles, "and Alphas are careful, they will never reveal themselves to the non-supernatural. That's what I've heard anyway."

Stiles swallowed, "do… do you believe in Alphas and werewolves?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?" Jessimine whispered.

"Well, maybe I'm interested to what you think," he said. Jessimine could tell he was lying, she saw the way his eyes left hers. And interestingly she heard it, his heartbeat quickened.

"Your lying, don't lie to me Stiles, tell me why you're asking? What are you keeping from me?"

Stiles hesitated, he wasn't prepared to let Jessimine into the supernatural world if she wasn't already in it, "I just think all these murders haven't been because of a mountain lion." He wasn't exactly lying.

Jessimine shrugged.

"Jessimine, have you ever seen an Alpha before?" Stiles asked.

"No," she said. "But I think your right Stiles, I don't think a mountain lion is what's to blame for the murders."

Stiles nodded slowly before saying, "sorry for interrogating you like that. It's just things have been so strange."

Jessimine smiled slightly, "tell me about it."

Stiles looked across at Jessimine, "but in all seriousness, are you okay?"

Jessimine certainly was not okay, she felt like screaming and crying or just having a meltdown, especially after what she read on the computer. But of course she didn't tell Stiles this, he didn't need her burdens.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile that only Lydia could determine was fake.

"Okay," Stiles said, rising from the bed, "just know if you ever need anyone-"

"I know," she smiled slightly.

Stiles nodded, "I'll see you at school Jessimine."

She smiled at him as he turned around and exited, the moment he closed the door she burst into tears.

It was not ten minutes later her sister walked in.

"Hey Jez, you mind if-?" she pauses as she looks at the weeping girl before her. Jessimine tries to hide her face but it's too later and Lydia knows her too well to fall for that. Lydia sees her blood shot eyes and the purple rings under her eyes, she sees her shaking hands. "Woah," Lydia whispers. Lydia knows it better than anyone that Jessimine is hard as a rock, it's not often you see her cry. She's strong, but even the strongest of us break down sometimes.

Lydia moves inside the room and softly closes the door, she looks at Jessimine with a concerned expression, "Jez, what's wrong?"

Jessimine hiccups as she wipes the tears on her cheeks away furiously.

Her sister moves forwards and sits on the bed, tucking her foot under her leg, "Jez? Was it the boy? The boy that just came? Did he do something to you? Did he touch you? If he did we can get the police and I'm sure Jackson wouldn't mind beating him up."

Jessimine laughed between hiccups, "it's not that, he didn't do anything. It's just- everything."

Lydia sighs as she pushes her hair back over her shoulder, "I hate seeing you like this, you know."

Jessimine sniffles, "sorry, I know I look like a baby."

Lydia rubs her back as she smiles, "look, Jessimine, I think you need something, that will make you happy. I'm going to take you out."

Jessimine groaned.

"Not shopping," Lydia stood, "Jessimine, I'm going to get you so drunk you are going to forget all your problems."

Jessimine grinned at her sister before sliding on a coat and following her sister to her car. The sisters made their way to the cliff that overlooks the whole of Beacon Hills in the reserve. They used to come up here all the time as children, now not so much.

Lydia passed her sister a bottle of vodka, "bottoms up babe," she said with a wink. She had her own bottle, they clinked glasses before pressing their bottles to their lips and drowning their problems in clear liquid.

Half a bottle later the pair were flat on their backs staring up at the sky. Jessimine knew she was drunk, the words that tried to form on her lips faded and she felt her head roll to the side.

"Jessimine?" Lydia slurred.

"Huh?"

"Do you like anyone?"

Even in her drunken state Jessimine knew that was a bit of a strange question, "why you asking?"

"Just wondering."

Jessimine thought about it for a moment, "I don't think so."

"Not even, gah, what's his name? Buzzcut kid whose friends with Scott?"

Jessimine chuckled, "Stiles."

"Yeah, him."

Jessimine thought about it for a moment, Stiles and her were nothing but friends that happened to share similar interests. Besides, he was totally head over heels with Lydia, even if she did like him it wouldn't happen. "No."

"Oh."

Jessimine giggled, "what do you mean oh?"

"I just thought, you know, you liked him, you're always around him. And don't think I missed hearing about that little date you two had the night when I was at bowling. I don't miss much."

"Firstly, it was not a date and secondly, it wouldn't work, ever," Jessimine tried to say.

"Denial, the first step, next thing you know you'll be his baby maker," Lydia murmured.

Jessimine punched her sisters arm but still laughed.

Lydia rolled to the side so she was facing Jessimine, "I know I tell you not to hang out with losers but if losers make you happy then…" she smiled, "I'm okay with that."

Jessimine smiled, "it's okay Lyds, I won't be getting a loser boyfriend anytime soon."

It was at that moment Jessimines phone bean ringing, Lydia looked up at her sister and nodded to take it. Jessimine pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the dialler, she sighed dramatically before slurring, "it's Stiles."

Lydia smirked, "you going to answer that?"

Jessimine rolled her eyes before answering the phone.

"Oh thank god you answered," Stiles huffed into the phone.

"What do you want, Stiles?" she slurred, Lydia giggled in the background.

"I just wanted to tell you- wait, a-are you drunk?" he asked.

Jessimine giggled, "maybe, maybe not."

"It's a school night," he said in disbelief.

"So what?"

"Am I that bad? The minute I leave you decide to get drunk?" he joked, but Jessimine didn't pick up on his joking tone.

"My drinking doesn't involved you Stiles," she snapped.

"Well I can't help it, it's a school night and it's two o'clock in the morning, I didn't even expect you to pick up. Where are you?"

"On the edge of a cliff," she answered vaguely, knowing well it sounded bad.

"What!? You're drunk near a cliff!? I'm coming to pick your sorry ass up, where the hell are you?" Stiles demanded.

"The Reserve," she answered.

"You mean… the same reserve that has had many animal attacks these past few weeks," he said carefully.

"Hm, I think so," she murmured.

"God damn it Jessimine! I'm coming to get you! Get out of there right now!" the next thing she knew he was gone.

Lydia looked to Jessimine, "so I guess this is over then, huh?"

The two sisters staggered back the way they came, Lydia seemed more unstable than Jessimine as she kept stumbling over but it probably didn't help that she was wearing designer high heels in the middle of thick dense bush land.

They were less than one hundred metres away from the car when they heard the twig snap, Jessimine heard it first, stopping in the middle of the track and pausing. "Did you hear that?" she asked quietly.

Lydia squinted, "hear what?"

They waited for a moment before another twig snapped, this time closer, Jessimine became sober quite quickly as she stood in the dark, alone, in the middle of the reserve. She silently cursed herself for her stupidity.

"Lydia," she said quietly, "I want you to go to the car, quickly, start the engine and wait for me."

"Jez-"

"Just do it."

Lydia wasn't told twice, she quickly dashed to the car. Jessimine slowly circled as she felt her heart beat begin to increase rapidly. Her fingertips began tingling and she felt her claws slowly slide out. Her vision cleared suddenly and she realised her eyes must be glowing as she was able to see into the dark.

Jessimine felt her skin tingle as she turned towards the sound she could only describe as a growl, there, ducked in the bushes was a creature, the Alpha presumably. Its red eyes boring into Jessimines soul and making her freeze in place. She blinked at the creature and suddenly felt at eyes as she met its red eyes. Her heartbeat began slowing down but her gaze didn't lower. The wolf gazed at her and Jessimine couldn't look away. She stepped forwards towards the red eyes and held out her hand towards the Alpha.

The Alpha paused before leaning towards her and resting its head against her palm. Jessimine realised in that moment she wasn't scared like she should be, if anything she was calmer than she had been since the bite. And it didn't make sense. It was like she had a connection to the creature.

The sound of a horn tore her out of her state, as she looked towards the blue Jeep she felt her claws return to nails and her vision disappeared once more, all she saw was bright headlights.

"JESSIMINE! GET HERE NOW!" she heard Stiles yell.

Jessimine looked back towards the bushes and realised the Alpha was gone, but the tingling sensation on her hand was not as she made her way towards Stiles Jeep.