Chapter 11

Formality

Studying with Erica had been filled with awkward and tense silences punctuated with occasional questions about the topic and the winter formal that was coming up in a day or two. Erica had asked if she would be attending the function as Stiles had tendency to skip school dances and the one's she was forced to attend she managed to disappear during. Stiles had smiled and answered that she was going to be there with Lydia as Jackson was taking Allison as a favour to Scott.

It had taken Erica another thirty minutes to finally concede to understanding the material and sufficiently completed the history homework and Stiles had never felt more relieved to escape the beautiful aroma of ground coffee beans in her life. She sped home and after making sure her dad was asleep upstairs she went to her own room and collapsed, face first into her bed.

Stiles was rudely awoken what felt like minutes later by Scott who had ran to hers and slipped through her window. Scott shook her shoulder, demanding that she woke up and help him with his new problem – Peter was going after Allison and he couldn't find his phone. Which was how Stiles found herself in Scott's bedroom, messy hair pulled up in a sloppy bun and dressed in her comfiest clothing as she drowsily dialled Scott's number.

"Call it again!" Said puppy eyed boy cried as he tore apart his room looking for the device. Stiles dropped into the spinny computer chair, her head hurt with exhaustion and her body nearly begged for sleep… or more caffeine.

"Scott, I have. It isn't here, you must have dropped it somewhere." She mumbled, blinking rapidly to keep her eyes from slipping shut. Her best friend had yet to explain what happened last night and why she was the one that had to crash Melissa's date when Scott had been tracking them. Only for Scott to then disappear and decide to wake her at an ungodly hour.

"Stiles, I can't do this alone, we need to find Derek."

"Okay, first of all you have me, so you're no completely alone and what exactly happened to Derek? You never explained anything."

"He walked into gunfire when the Argent's ambushed us at the Hale house last night." Scott brushed off with disinterest, Stiles very nearly slapped him because that was the worse explanation ever.

"Well, he sounds pretty dead to me. What's your next move, Lassie."

Scott shook his head, ignoring the barb. "No, they wouldn't kill him because they need Derek to find the alpha."

"Okay, that sounds like a pretty straight-forward plan to me. Use Derek to get Peter which could possibly lead to finding an arsonist." Stiles concluded, finding very little fault with the idea which would take care of at least half of the problem.

"Not if Peter is going after Allison to find Derek!" Scott growled.

That was something that didn't fit into Stiles' plans. Why would Peter use the hunter's daughter to get Scott to find his nephew? It didn't make sense and certainly wouldn't work. Scott wouldn't be able to find Derek and Peter would only be able to use Allison as leverage against the other Argents. Who were at the centre of most of this, it would be reasonable to assume they were the ones to set the fire – given the well documented hatred between both families but the, unfortunately had plausible deniability on their side.

"Look, maybe you dropped it when you were fighting. You do remember that, right?" Stiles drawled, leaning a fist against her face. "When he tried to kill you after you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson."

"That doesn't mean we should just let him die."

Stiles rolled her eyes, she had said nothing about letting Sour wolf be murdered, that was just cruel. She was okay with Creeper wolf being murdered though.

"I didn't say that…" She trailed off with a sigh noting Scott had focused his hearing on something else. "Okay, we have to get to school. You can keep looking for your phone another time."

"Yeah, yeah okay." Scott mumbled, looping his bag over his shoulder. Stiles was surprised at the non-existent whining or complaining but happily followed Scott out to her jeep, giving herself a mental reminder to find Lydia at some point.

Arriving at school Scott was immediately pulled into coach's office to discuss his pitifully failing grades and the compromise from him to stay on the team – much to Jackson's displeasure if he ever found out.

"I'm not allowed to go to the dance tomorrow night." Scott moped once he left the office and met Stiles at their lockers, the strangely subdued girl leaned back against the cool metal with her eyes closed.

"That sucks for you." She hummed, not necessarily caring.

"Allison needs to be protected; Peter could attack her. If I'm not there to keep an eye on things then she can be hurt, and it'll all be my fault."

Stiles hummed non-committedly, her mind jumped three miles ahead of the actual conversation she wasn't listening to even though she was certain her body was trying to shut down.

"Ask Jackson."

"What?"

"I said," Stiles whispered, finally opening her eyes. "Ask Jackson, he's already taking her to the dance."

The next thing she knew, Scott was dragging her up and around the halls to find the gigantic douche and talk him into keeping an extra close eye on Allison. Stiles tuned out the conversation because the whole 'Allison is a perfect angel, and everyone should worship the ground she walks on' thing Scott had going on was really annoying.

Stiles relaxed against the row of lockers, releasing soothing breath that helped ease the knot of tension that curled in her stomach. She was beginning to feel at ease, even though she had learned nothing new about Sparks in general her headaches had miraculously stopped occurring after she had began spending more time with Lydia. Stiles wasn't sure if it meant something important but after telling Derek about how they had become unlikely friends that had drifted apart, she started to feel more relaxed and surer of herself.

"Stiles?" Speaking of the strawberry she-devil, Stiles opened her sleepy eyes once more and smiled at Lydia. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ly's." Stiles replied softly, feeling rather touched by the concern in Lydia's tone and expression.

"Are you sure? You look exhausted."

"Just had a late night and Scott wanted to drag me out of bed at some unholy hour to help find his phone." She explained casually almost laughing as Lydia's face twisted in distaste.

"Rude much." She commented light before procuring a pink and white thermos from her handbag. "Good thing I brought this."

Stiles brushed off the niggling in the back of her head as she accepted the flask of strong, sweet coffee. Lydia didn't drink it, preferring herbal teas or some other form of caffeine, Stiles recalled a time they were paired for a project and Lydia had almost spewed when she accidentally mixed up their drinks.

"Thanks, Lyd's."

Lydia just smirked, tossing a playful smile at Stiles before flouncing off to her class. Stiles perked up when she saw Scott making his way back over to her with clear satisfaction. So, Allison would have Jackson to watch her back at the dance but who was looking out for her and her favourite harpy? She wanted to ask but she was in no mood to deal with any whining about it all being to much pressure to keep everyone safe.

"I'll still be there." She mumbled cradling her coffee close to her chest, knowing Scott would take it as a reassurance that she'd keep an eye on his sort of girlfriend.

"I'm still going."

"To the dance?" She clarified with a raised brow. "That you have been explicitly told not to go to?"

"Yup."

"Do you even have a date or a suit for this?"

"Nope and no."

"What about a ride? A ticket?" Scott shook his head indicating that he had nothing to prepare him for the dance. "So, what? You're going to ride your bike to a dance you aren't even allowed to be at with crazy alpha's and werewolf hunters all wanting to tear you apart?" Stiles ranted, just to make sure she had understood everything.

"Yeah, you want to help me?"

Stiles would have scoffed, walked away declaring she actually wanted to enjoy Friday night, but Scott was like a natural disaster, if she didn't at least try to mediate his flurry of, frankly ridiculous plans, then a lot of people would be needlessly hurt. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she was a little more than worried Scott's active pacifist act was going to destroy the county and hurt the people in it.

"Yeah, obviously." She could at least try to change things before they blew up spectacularly.

Stiles went through the day only half paying attention in her classes, her mind focusing on getting Scott into the dance, wondering were Derek is and what Peter's plan was because it surely couldn't just be based around Scott. That would be insanely stupid, the former catatonic werewolf had to have a contingency plan because his beta had no plans of becoming a part of his pack. Stiles felt like the answer was just out of her purview and it was driving her insane.

Thursday passed without much more than Stiles half listening to everything going on around her and drinking the coffee Lydia had graciously given her that morning. She should do something nice for the redhead, maybe take her for ice cream or something she knew Lydia like the chocolate sundae you could get from Dairy Queen. Stiles preferred the peanut butter sundae herself, but Lydia would appreciate the gesture – as much as she would deny it later.

When the final bell rang Stiles snuck up behind Lydia as she removed some books from her locker. Stiles had skipped past her own to find her before she disappeared with Allison.

"Are you just going to stand behind me or are you going to tell me the reason you're drilling holes into my head?" Lydia's condescending tone snapped Stiles out of whatever daze she was in.

"We're going for ice cream, let's go." She almost shouted in the middle of the crowded hallway, several other students either glared at her or shot her dirty looks. Lydia just smiled, hitching her handbag onto her other arm so she could link hers with Stiles' as they left the school.

"Okay, but we are taking my car."

Stiles didn't argue, just glad Lydia was happy to spend time with her, she could not force away the feeling of icy claws crawling up her spine, something was going to happen at the formal and Lydia was in the middle of it. Stiles refused to let her longest friend suffer because she was stupid enough to drag Scott out looking for a dead body.

Friday passed with no incidents; Scott's phone was still missing so Stiles had viable excuse to ignore him. But as the formal crept closer she couldn't escape the feeling that churned in her gut that something bad was going to happen, Stiles shook her head and climbed out of the shower wrapping a towel around her as she pulled the hair tie loose. She'd finally managed to rid herself of the chill and headaches and she wanted to at least enjoy some of the night.

Stiles dried off in the bathroom before moving to her bedroom to get dressed. As she sat at her mostly unused vanity table and brushed out her tangled curls the sheriff entered with a small knock.

"Hey dad." She greeted.

"Stiles," He returned eyeing the silky, low cut dress she was wearing. "Just to be clear, your going with Lydia, right?"

"Yup and there will be no boys whatsoever before, during or after the dance." She replied, closing one eye to apply a shimmer silver eyeshadow with ease. "What's up?"

The sheriff watched Stiles for a moment longer with a fond smile before shaking his head. Stiles put down her applicator brush and unscrewed the mascara, quickly swiping her eyelashes a couple of times.

"Nothing, I'll be home late tonight."

"Okay, so I'll see you in the morning?" She asked, half focusing on finishing her make up with a nude gloss and pinning her hair over one shoulder before she stood up and all but ran into her dad's arms as he stood behind her. "Dad?"

"You be careful tonight, okay? You and Lydia."

Stiles cocked her head to the side curiously, "We will. I'm leaving to pick her up in a few minutes but I'll have my phone and mace on me at all times so you can stop, panicking."

Noah took a deep breath and nodded shortly before backing out of her room, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe you should bring a gun."

"Schools in California have a no gun policy." She shot back with a laugh.

Stiles slipped on her shoes and a thin, black jacket before grabbing her purse she had readied before hand and sent a quick text to Lydia to let her know she was on her way. As she left the house, she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle, Stiles took in her eerily silent surrounding's before shaking her head and climbing into her jeep.

Lydia was waiting outside in a turquoise blue dress with a puffy skirt that reached her knees and a black satin bodice, her vibrant red hair was styled in an intricate updo with a peacock clip holding it place and on her on feet were dark blue platform heels. She looked as perfect as always as she strutted down the driveway and haphazardly climbed into the jeep causing Stiles to snicker when she glared.

"You couldn't have a car that's easy to get into?"

"If I had a choice in the kind of car I got to drive, don't you think I would've picked one that was easier to drive in heels?" Stiles snarked as she turned the ignition. "Your hair is nice by the way, did your mom help?"

"Yeah," Lydia gently brushed a hand over her hair in though. "She's extremely gifted in doing braids and updo's, the clip was Maddy's. She was someone my grandma knew."

They continued to the dance in a relative, comfortable silence until Stiles decided to ask about Jackson and Allison going to the dance together, Lydia raged a little but took a deep, soothing breath and plastered her so-fake-it-looks-real smile on her face.

"I don't care, I really don't." She insisted. "I am not so shallow to need a guy in my life to make me feel validated. So, if Allison wants to get back at me for kissing Scott one time then let her. Besides, it's not like she'd be the first of my friends to kiss him."

"Oh my god!" Stiles yelped as she jerked to the jeep to the side, when she and Lydia started getting close again, she had not been expecting that to be thrown in her face. "Seriously? I thought we were passed this; it was one time!"

"Please try to keep the car on the road as you have a meltdown. Besides you brought Jackson into this conversation." Lydia shot back with a vindictive smirk. "And was it really just one time."

Stiles bit her tongue to stop her from saying the truth, it was only the one time that Lydia knew about, that would needlessly hurt her. She and Jackson both agreed to never bring it up again and pretend it never happened which was surprisingly easy. Stiles gave Lydia a condescending smile as she pulled into the school's parking lot.

"It's not like you haven't done the same thing with his friends, Lyd's. Let's not get all high and mighty just yet."

"Well," Lydia shifted slightly, "now that we're on the same page, will Scott be here tonight?"

Stiles hummed in thought as she reapplied her gloss and dropped her stuff in her purse. "He's currently climbing across the roof to sneak in. Coach banned him from coming to the dance until he got his grades up."

"Why are his grades so low in the first place?"

"He met a pretty girl."

"You're his best friend, don't you usually help him study and stuff?"

"Lydia, he is a teenager with his first ever girlfriend. Being his best friend means nothing to him right now."

Lydia rolled her eyes with a scoff, "I know I'm suppose to support her and all but seriously? What is so amazing about Allison Argent that has your best friend ditching you, that is not what friends do Stiles."

"Believe me, I know." She sighed before brightening. "But that doesn't matter, because we are going to enjoy this ridiculous excuse to dress up and dance inappropriately close and stay away from Jackson, Scott and Allison. Yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan." Lydia said with a smile. "Oh, but if you're driving us home then you should also stay away from the punch."

"Duly noted."

Stiles jumped out the jeep and slammed the door shut before walking around to the other side to get Lydia who was making awkward small talk with two of the people they wanted to avoid.

"Allison. Jackass." She greeted looking between them with a raised brow.

"Stiles, did you help Scott sneak into the dance?" Allison asked, smiling gratefully, "That is…amazing. You're such a great friend, we'll see you inside?"

Allison walked off with Jackson hiding a bottle of alcohol inside his jacket pocket. Stiles felt her face twist into a sneer that only broke when Lydia laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just you are clearly starting to dislike her especially after that incident at the school. But for Scott's sake you're nice and it's just…pitiful that you are letting his feelings and morals get in the way of your happiness."

"Okay Doctor Phil, how about we table this therapy session for another time?" Stiles rebutted linking her arm with Lydia's and leading the way to the hall the dance was held in.

It didn't take long for Stiles to remember why she hated school dances; the music was terrible, the lights blinded you and there were far too many balloons. Not to mention the chaperones eyes drilling into the back of her skull was enough to leave Stiles antsy and on edge with Creeper wolf's promise lingering at the forefront of her mind. She sat with Lydia and some other girl form Lydia's posse at table set to the side of the room, her leg bounced continuously in anticipation. Lydia watched as Stiles' anxiety levels skyrocketed and knew she needed to distract her before she worked herself into a panic, so she pulled her envious gaze away from Allison and Jackson.

"Stiles get up. We're dancing."

"What?"

"It's a dance, Stiles and it's a terrible one but it's still a dance." She said standing up and holding out her hand. "So, we are going to dance to a few awfully reinvented songs and get some snacks before leaving. Sound good?"

Stiles felt the knot in her stomach loosen suddenly, if that was Lydia's plan then that's what would happen. She couldn't shake the feeling the something bad was about to happen that would change their lives forever. Stiles got to her feet and took Lydia's hand, her breath fogged in front of her, which was strange because she didn't feel cold and the gym was pretty warm.

Stiles looked around her as the music dimmed to nothing and lights blinded her vision briefly, she blinked twice and the room around her warped into a black, cloudless sky and dewy grass. She was standing on the lacrosse field with Lydia only a few feet away, her dress torn and bloody, a large bite wound on her side. Lydia sobbed, her hair falling around her shoulders as she dropped to the ground with an ear splitting scream that left Stiles' ears ringing as she gasped and jerked away from the strawberry blonde.

"Stiles?" Lydia asked, her face etched in concern. "Stiles, you okay?"

"…Yeah." She breathed, seeing Lydia was perfectly fine. She tightened her grip slightly and pulled Lydia onto the dance floor.

They danced for a few songs before Stiles noted how Lydia was watching something over her shoulder, she glanced back and saw Allison with her arms around Scott's neck and no Jackson in sight.

"I can't see Jackson anywhere."

"Do you want to go look for him?"

"Normally I'd say no and let him come out of whatever funk he's in but with the attacks…I'm just worried he's going to get hurt."

"Okay, you take the the school and I'll search the side lot. He might be out there drinking his worries."

With a nod of agreement, they split up and went to search for Jackson. Stiles felt a strange pressure on her chest as she roamed the halls but ignored it, praying it was just her imagination. It wasn't that hard to find Jackson; he came stumbling out of treeline looking pale and shaken.

"Jackson. Jackson, we've been looking for you literally everywhere."

"…What…" He hesitated, his swivelling around to take in their surroundings. "I was…uh…"

That's when Stiles felt it. A twisting pang in her stomach that felt like she's just been punched, she lurched forward with a small grunt as her throat sealed with fear and the urged to scream. The vision of Lydia on the lacrosse field tearing a new sense of fear into her.

Stiles spun around and took off at a dead sprint towards the field, stumbling a few times as the concrete turned to grass beneath her feet. Bright stadium lights flooded the pitch and the couple standing in the middle, Peter in all is creeper wolf glory stood with his hand around Lydia's throat, said girl was ragged and bloody with her dress torn to reveal a giant bite mark. Her hair and been ripped from its perfectly styled updo and the clip now lay on the wet grass, pressed into the dirt where it had been stepped on. Stiles tripped as she tried to move faster, her own dress ripped, and she landed on the ground the same moment Lydia did.

Ignoring the sting of the scrapes and bruises, Stiles pushed herself up and made her way over. Dropping to her knees and leaning over her friend protectively as Peter revealed his razor sharp teeth and blood red eyes. Stiles felt a white hot rage overcome her, eyes burned violet as she glared the feral alpha done, Peter inched back whether it was out of fear or awe she didn't know or care.

"Not her." Was all she said, she had let her friend fall into the hands of supernatural danger and she wasn't about to let it happen again without one hell of a fight.

So, Stiles is very protective of Lydia and she's also starting to display a tempered form of dislike for Allison which i can say will only grow more intense as the story continues. And Scott will have some semblem of sense knocked into him at one point.