Two weeks had past since the pack pushed themselves back into Gale's good graces, yet here she was. Not with the pack. They had all merged off into their nice little pairs and trios, and Gale was honestly too busy preparing for the dance recital next week to even care.
Peter Hale hadn't forgotten about her. Peter checked up on her, picked her up from school, brought her food at dance practice. Gale knew he was not a nice guy, but damn, if it wasn't easy to like being cared about, even if it was Peter.
Today, Peter happened to be driving her to school.
"Do you need a ride home today? Normal time?" Peter asked. "Perhaps a ride to dance rehearsal?"
"No, I got cross country after school, so I'll just go with my dad," Gale replied. "You know this is still weird and creepy. I don't understand why you insist on being around so much."
"I'm protecting my investments. Besides, it seems like you haven't had much contact with the pack as of late, so I thought I would step up the game and include you a little. How are things with you and Isaac? He seems pretty cozy with Allison. Shouldn't he be with yo-"
"Wow, thanks, Peter, I don't know how you keep up with all this generosity and kindness. It's so overwhelming." Gale rolled her eyes as she cut him off.
As the car rolled to a stop and Gale got out, she turned to Peter, "And stop coming by the house, my dad is starting to think I have a sugar daddy, and I don't have any jewelry to show for it."
She slammed the door shut and walked briskly up the steps. The first stop of her day was her dad's office to meet the new history teacher and his daughter, whom she would be showing around today.
She as walks to her dad's office, she finds Allison, Scott, Stiles, and Lydia huddled in front of some lockers. They're speaking in hushed, worried tones, and Gale knows that can't mean something good.
"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Gale asked.
"Nothin-" Allison started.
"They're all going insane," Lydia interrupts. "We think it's a residual side effect from the whole dying thing."
"It's a possibility, yeah," Gale replied. "May I?"
She motions to Scott as her hands near his face; he nods stiffly. Gale firmly plants both hands on his face, closing her eyes she takes a deep breath and when her eyes reopen white and glowing.
"Yeah, there's some residual, I guess you'd call it 'deadness.' I don't know how to describe it, but it's something you'll want to work on. It's like your mind hasn't quite opened up to being alive I guess, or like your subconscious still believes to be in a kind of purgatory or middle state. Like being dead but not being dead, I think there's a word for it, but I can't remember it. We can research it some more after school today," Gale said as she pulls her hands away from Scott's head. "I've got to go, but we'll talk more at lunch."
Gale walked briskly, she knew this was a risk, but maybe if she had been stronger she could have pulled them fully through without any residual effects. She shook her head, she can't blame herself for every bad thing that happens.
When she got to her dad's office, there's a man and his daughter, who looks absolutely mortified as her father speakers.
"Yeah, Kira might have some trouble making some friends. I mean, she hasn't spoken about anyone from school, so I really hope our daughters can become good friends," He speaks.
"Gale!" Her dad barks out. "Just in time, this is Mr. Yukimura and his daughter Kira. Show her around today, yeah? Make sure she doesn't get lost, yada yada. You know the drill."
Gale gives a mock salute and motions for Kira to follow her. "I'm Gale Finstock as you probably know, that baffoon in there is my dad," she said with a laugh.
"Is your dad as embarrassing as mine?" Kira said meekly.
"Worse. He still threatens kids in class if he catches them checking me out."
"Oh my god, no."
Gale laughed and nods. "True story. Do you need a schedule, map, locker, anything?"
"My dad and I took care of it when we first moved here. I think we might have your dad's class together actually."
"Oh god, that's so awkward, ugh, I should have noticed that. I'm so sorry," Gale said.
"I've been trying to blend in, so I guess that's good news," Kira said with a small laugh.
"Alright, well, let's get to class then shall we? And I'll even let you sit with me at lunch."
The two girls smiled and chatted as they went to their separate classes. Gale spent most of her classes pointedly ignoring her teachers and thinking about the problems that Allison, Scott, and Stiles were having. It's possible that spirits had followed them through, despite the precautions she had placed. But spirits that anxious to return would have done something by now. So maybe just their life forces had been tainted by passing into the spirit world than dragging themselves back into the living plane. Maybe not even tainted life forces, but pried open life force. Their very minds and souls pulled apart and left an opening. If that was the case, a simple cleansing ritual could cure-
Her thoughts were interrupted by the bell, and she gathered her stuff and headed over to where Kira's last class was supposed to be.
"Hey," Gale said approaching Kira.
The two began walking towards the table that the pack normally sat at. As they got closer, Gale could hear their conversation.
"So what happens to a person who has a near death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott asked the table.
"And is unable to tell what's real or not."
"And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives."
Did they really have to talk about this in the middle of the school courtyard? Gale sighs inwardly and tries to distract Kira, but the girl has perked up a bit and starts walking faster towards the table.
"Fuck," Gale mutters under her breath.
"They're all locked up because they're insane," Isaac said glaring at the table.
"Haha," Stiles deadpanned. "Could you at least try be helpful, please?"
"For most of my childhood, I was locked in a freezer, so being helpful is still kinda a new thing for me."
"Are we really still milking that?"
"Yeah, we are still milking that."
Kira walked up to the table with Gale beside her. "Hi. Hi, sorry. I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about. And I think I actually might know what you're talking about," Kira began.
Gale made eye contact with Scott and mouthed an apology.
"There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called 'Bardo.' It literally means 'in-between state.' The state between life and death," Kira said.
"And what do they call you?" Lydia said, obviously unhappy that someone new something she didn't.
As Gale was about to answer, when Scott spoke up.
"Kira. She's in our history class," Scott said with a smile to the new girl.
Lydia turned back to the girl, "So are you talking about Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?"
Kira smiled and moved to sit down, next to Stiles. Gale plopped herself next to Kira and watched as she continued.
"Either, I guess. But all the stuff you guys were just saying? All that happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can by visited by peaceful and wrathful deities."
Isaac interrupted, "Wrathful deities? So what are those?"
"Like demons," Kira said with a bright smile.
Gale placed a hand on her forehead.
"Demons. Why not?" Stiles said to the table.
"Hold on. If there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?" Allison asked.
"Death. You die." Kira's smile still bright, oblivious to the worry that fell over the table.
"But, I'm sure not everyone dies, right, Kira?" Gale added with a small nudge to the girl.
"Oh yeah, of course, I think it's totally possible that one could progress the states backwards to life." Kira replied with a nod.
The table wasn't so assured, but Kira kept talking.
"Hey, Gale, can I talk to you for a second? Privately?" Isaac said suddenly standing up from the table.
"Um, yeah, sure," Gale said, grabbing her bag. She nodded to Kira. "We'll be right back."
Isaac placed his hand around her arm and dragged her away from the table back into the school. When he was sure Scott wouldn't be able to hear them anymore, he turned on her?
"What the hell? Why did you bring her?"
"Who? Kira? Maybe because I didn't think you guys were stupid enough to talk loudly about this in a public place. What's your fucking problem? All week you've been rude and picking fights with pretty much everyone."
"Gale, you shouldn't have brought her. What if something happened?" His tone had softened, but Gale was still pissed. He took a step closer and place a hand on her cheek. "I'm just stressed and worried is all."
"You know what, Isaac, fuck you," Gale said. "You don't get to be a dick to everyone then use the fact that I obviously like you to pacify me."
Gale had raised her voice and pulled his hand off her, but he took another step forward, slowly cornering Gale against the lockers.
"Listen to me, something huge and deadly is happening to our pack, and you're busy spending time with Peter of all people and being upset with me-"
"Oh no, don't you dare. I have tried to be more than helpful and researched the shit out of this since I found out this morning, no less. Maybe if you weren't so far down Allison's throat, you would have thought to fucking tell me what was going on when it started."
Isaac opened his mouth to retort back, but Gale placed a hard shove against his chest. "Come talk to me when you're going to be helpful and not an ass."
Gale stalked off angrily back to the table. She found Kira and Scott talking quietly while Stiles and Lydia had left. Allison sat there on her phone, pointedly ignoring the scene across from her.
She pulled out her own phone and shot a text to Peter.
I'm skipping practice. Pick up normal time, yeah?
The reply was instant.
Sure thing, babe. See you soon.
"What a fucking loser," Gale muttered as she went on with her day.