Ghost
Chapter eleven
(: A treat to all my readers! It's sort I know but I promise to update again soon. A big thanks to my reviewers for the inspiration and all your support to get this written, this has been an emotional roller coaster! And of course I promise to keep up the unexpected twists and turns, if you see something coming then I'm not doing my job right! :)
The day had started out with one setback after another, this morning while getting ready for another attempt at school the latches on the window in the bathroom gave way resulting in the glass plummeting to the floor where it shattered and effectively scared the hell out of me.
Afterwards not only did I burn my breakfast the toaster managed to catch fire!
Huffing I blew a stray piece of hair from my face, I had managed to not only avoid any more accidents but also all the unwanted stares. The first two periods flew by filled with faked smiles and meaningless conversations, this time I was dedicated, this time I would do it right so no one would look at me with their pitying gazes.
It was an act, but one that I was sure I was pulling off.
"Hey you're back," Isaac stated as I took my seat beside him in Bio.
My cheeks were sore from all the forced smiles, but that didn't prevent me from tossing one his way. "Yeah, figured it was time. Besides can't fall too far behind," I joked lightly, ignoring the confusion that clouded his face.
This class would be the most important one, this was the only class with everyone in it that I needed to keep up the charade for. I was spared having to toss around the phony smile all class when Simmons announced a pop quiz earning him an collective groan from the class.
For the first time since arriving I was able to relax, even if it was briefly and a half hearted attempt, it was enough to get out of my own head. Popping the tip of my pen I found my mind wondering away from the test to some of my fondest memories, barely noticing the lights flickering in the class room.
Click, flicker, click, flicker.
Everything stopped as everyone looked up at the lights, I stopped to stare blankly at the florescent lights overhead. Click. It happened instantly, like the sound of my pen clicking had set it off. Sparks and glass rained down from the ceiling causing panic to erupt in the once silent class room.
The sounds of the teacher trying to calm the students was far away, as I sat fixated on the now blown out light above my head. Another thing to add to my ever growing list of strange occurrences. "Izzy," a voice sounded softly to my right fallowed by a hand lightly touching my arm.
Startled I turned wide eyed to see Isaac looking concerned, "are you alright?" he whispered studying my face for something, nodding in response I went to turn away. That was when I noticed the entire class had grown silent as they stared in our direction.
I felt my hands tremble before my eyes wondered back to Isaac, he was standing slightly behind me I noticed when I caught his eye. "What happened?" I whispered not wanting everyone to hear, Isaac appeared to shift uneasily before he answered.
"The light above you," he started as his eyes flickered above me, I didn't need to look to know that it had blown out, "it started to flicker and then sort of exploded." He stated trying to keep his tone low, "the teacher was asking if you were alright." He finished leaving out a few important details.
"Oh," I whispered before glancing back to the Mr. Simmons who stood not far off with a shocked expression clearly plastered on his face, fixing my best smile yet "I'm fine." I reassured him.
"So that was, intense." Lydia stated as we left Bio
"Yeah, I hope they'll be ok." Allison responded catching my attention.
"What're you talking about?" I asked confused as we stopped at our lockers to put or morning classes books away.
Allison and Lydia shared a look before Allison responded, "the two sitting in front of you got hit by the flying glass."
"I know you're still a little out of it, but come on you had to have seen that." Lydia stated sounding slight annoyed, shrugging her off I shook my head.
"You're incredibly lucky you didn't get hurt," Allison stated causing an unwanted feeling to twist in my stomach as my free hand started to play with the brace that held my not so lucky arm. Allison appeared to catch this and went on stumbling over her words, "I'm sorry I didn't mean."
"It's okay," I shook my head and forced another smile to sell the act, "I'm fine, really. Doctors say it should come off in a week or so."
"Good, no offence but the hoodies aren't flattering." Lydia stated as we continued down the hall.
"Lydia," Allison hissed looking mortified, so I laughed. It was my first laugh, and it was empty and hallow but hopefully they didn't know that.
"They're harder to pull off then you'd think," I joked before coming to a complete stop. "I've actually got a project due next period, so I'm going to hit the study room but I'll see you guys after school. We're still on for our shopping date, right?" I asked trying to act casual.
"Of course, we have to start our winter formal prep." Lydia stated approvingly as she smiled, Allison nodded with her own half hearted smile as I turned down a different hall way from them.
I didn't go to the study hall like I implied, instead I sat hidden away in the art room sketching an array of different pictures unable to decide which one I'd use for my project. It was peaceful, tranquil even because I was alone without anyone to see how broken I truly was.
"Hey," someone called from the doorway, glancing up I watched as Stiles hovered unsure if he wanted to bridge the gap between us. I hadn't talked to Stile since my meltdown the other day, didn't want to honestly because he was the only one here to know how fragile I had become.
"Hey," I replied softly as my eyes went back to my work.
"You're missing lunch," he stated the obvious, so I nodded without replying, "I didn't know you had art." He continued trying to find something neutral to talk about, I wanted to smile or roll my eyes at this point he was the only one who made me want to feel ok and not because I had to.
I glanced up when I heard him walking around the room, he was studying all the artwork "yeah I do a lot of art," he started slightly swaying, "you any good?" he asked without waiting for a reply, as if knowing I didn't really want to talk, "I'm not. Just seem to keep collecting my random doodles."
I small something claimed my lips, it couldn't call its self a smile but might have been a distant relative. "Oh yeah?" I asked watching as he turned his head towards me with a grin.
"So why are you sitting in here all alone?" Stiles asked shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Truthfully?" I asked taking his slight eyebrows raising as an obvious yes, "I needed some space, room to breathe I guess." I stated shrugging,
"Oh, yeah that makes sense." Stiles nodded shifting awkwardly, "I was hoping we could talk, but if you want to be alone..." he trailed off as he eyes darted for the door, making me momentarily wonder if I should take the easy way out.
Placing my pencil down on the desk I attempted to relax without any real success, "alright is everything ok?" I asked dumbly.
"That's my line," Stiles stated with a small grin as he faced me.
Third person's POV
Stiles stood a few feet away from the desk that separated them swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat, he had to talk to her Scott needed him to talk to her, but more importantly he wanted to.
"I know you're not ok, far from ok, actually." He stated pausing to clench his jaw and he studied her pale face and light purple rings under her eyes, they stood out more now that he was only a few feet away. He didn't buy her act, no matter how many smiles or bubbly sounding conversations she had with people he could tell by looking at her.
" It's just...after we talked," Stiles trailed off watching as she became tense in her seat.
"We don't have to talk about that," Isabel stated resisting the urge to pick her pencil back up, Stiles studied her for a moment she wasn't frightened like she had been the other day but she did seem sad, defeated in a way.
"Yes we do," Stiles stated straightening his spine, after all he needed answers. "Where were you here?" He asked and watched as her eyebrows knit together in confusion, "that night, I mean."
Isabel exhaled, relieved that this wasn't about her being insane. "Scott texting me," she stated as Stiles took a short step back, he hadn't expected that to be the answer this entire time he'd been consumed with guilt over forgetting about their plans.
Pushing down his relief he had to focus, not only had Allison been lured to the school so had Isabel. It was all starting to make sense now, Scott picking up on her fear that was directed at him at least he could fix that.
"Scott didn't text you," Stiles stated catching her eye, "he didn't have a phone at the time." He watched her face expectantly waiting for relief or something, whatever he had expected he hadn't received.
"Then who texted me, and why would they pretend to be Scott?" She asked without seeming overly interested in the answer.
"I uh have no idea..." Stiles stated as his eyebrows furrowed together watching her closely, "but you've been avoiding us, so now that you know it wasn't actually Scott..." He trailed off waiting for her reply.
"that's not the reason I've been avoiding Scott," Isabel stated empathizing 'Scott' "how well do you know him?" she asked after a moment's hesitation. Questioning Stiles on his friendship with Scott hadn't been what he'd expected to happen, and was more than likely not going to end well.
"Uh I'd like to think I know him better than anyone...why?" Stiles asked fearing the direction the conversation could take.
"So than you know what he is?" Her gaze raised to meet Stiles, his face drained of color as his mouth dropped open and stared at her.
"You...you know...but you can't...how...when?" he rambled on wide eyed, as she started packing up her books placing them in her satchel she stood then turned to walk away, "wait!" Stiles skidded around the desks to the door barely in time to block her exit.
"When?" he finally decided on one question, hoping that she would answer. This wasn't good, this had been what he had feared what Scott had expected.
"At the school that night." she finally answered him, her response seemed to drain everything from Stiles as his arms fell limply to his sides and he watched as she walked out of the room.
There was only one way Isabel could have found out that night, and that fact sent a chill down his spine and made him sick to his stomach. That night two kids had been killed, Isabel had barely survived and the Alpha had forced Scott to turn with intent to have him kill all of his friends.
It couldn't have been Scott that attacked them. There was no way, was there?
Stiles walked from the art room his eyes finding Isabel's back as she walked down the hall, there was so much going on more than any of them knew. The only question was how much she knew.
XXX Tried so hard to get this up last night but I kept running into an error, anyway let me know what you think :) XXX