I'm not the night owl of the family. Melissa usually takes the night shift and Scott is almost always up talking to Allison or Stiles... that is, if he's home. Sometimes he just disappears for odd amounts of times. I think he sneaks away with Allison, but I'm not about to tell Melissa that. For some reason, the storm tonight is keeping me awake. The thunder is rattling my window; the lightning flashes keep illuminating my room. I'm on edge. Every crash makes me jump. I can hear every creak in the floor and rustle in the house.

I especially hear the front door opening.

Jumping out of bed and putting my ear to my door I can hear Scott say, "Isaac what are you doing here?"

Did he just say Isaac? As in Lahey? The one he told me to stay away from not a month ago. I crack my door open very slowly to confirm. I definitely heard right. He's standing in front of Scott's door soaking wet. What's he doing just casually walking into my house?

"I need a favor." He says holding up a duffle bag.

He killed someone. He's a murderer, Scott was right.

"What's wrong?" He asks like they're friends and not accomplices.

"Derek kicked me out." He says sheepishly.

"Why?"

Because he murdered someone. I think to him.

"He didn't say why. It came out of nowhere. But," he seems to be getting choked up, "it doesn't matter. Can I stay here?"

No!

"Of course." Scott says and throws him a towel. "The couch is yours as long as you need it." He pats him on the shoulder. They turn my way to head downstairs. I duck behind my cracked door before they see me.

What just happened?

The next morning I wait for Scott in the car. When he finally comes out he moves his lacrosse stuff over in the back before he gets in the passenger seat. I put the car in reverse to leave and he puts his hand over mine.

"Wait."

"What?"

He nods towards the door. "Isaac."

"I'm giving him rides now?"

"It's just to school."

"And he's coming to our house in the middle of the night."

"It was one night let it go." He sighs like my apprehension bothers him. "He's a friend."

"You told me he was a bad guy and now he's your best friend?"

"Shh," he cuts me off as Isaac comes out. He keeps his eyes down as he gets in. We drive to school in silence. My shoulders are tense and I'm gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. He just assumes I'm going to drive him and his friends everywhere.

Scott gets out and slams the door. He's mad at me?

"This was a one time thing." I say pointedly to Isaac as he's getting his stuff together.

It wasn't. Isaac came back the next night...and the next...and the next. And the rides continued. The "one night" turned into permanent residence in the spare bedroom. Turns out he didn't have mangled body parts in his bag, just wet clothes.

I'm not a morning person, but when I snap at him he snaps back. He's a quick learner, I've gathered.

"Morning, Princess." He jests as I walk down the steps still in pajamas with messy bedhead. I glare back in response. He's leaning against the bannister, ready to go. He's never late, which I appreciate. I'd never say it to his face though.

"Why are you up so early?"

"Oh, I just love to see your smiling face in the morning. It's just so," he looks up and smiles, mockingly, "warm. It starts my day."

"You know, I could kill you in your sleep. So don't annoy me, Lahey."

"Oh, you learned my name? Are you sure it's not Ian?"

"How-" I begin.

"Allison told me." He laughs.

"Well I didn't know then we'd be such fast friends." I say like a peppy college recruiter and then immediately let my face fall plain as I sip my coffee.

In Chemistry, Isaac slips into the seat next to me right before my lab partner, Danny, can. He presses his lips flat into a line and shrugs his shoulders at Danny. He walks over to Isaac's old spot.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"It's easier to copy your work if I'm next to you rather than steal it from your bookbag at home."

"I knew you were the one taking it."

"While we're on the subject, I should add I steal the math homework too."

I open my mouth to say something bitchy but he continues his explanation.

"I mean, not exactly because that's too obvious. I would never do that good on my own."

"Will you two shut up?" One of the new transfers say to us. Twins from Northern California. I can never tell which one is which. I think Ethan is the one with the kind eyes. Aiden seems to always have a frown on.

Isaac scoots closer to me and takes a deep breath.

"Is this your girlfriend?" Aiden chides. My cheeks go red. I don't need to be pitied and laughed at. Isaac has already gotten in a few fights with them, so I turn around before he does.

"Are you just upset Danny isn't in front of you anymore?" I stab at Ethan. That shuts them up, but I can't help and feel awkward the rest of the period. I can't look at Isaac. Not that I like him or want to date him, but I know he doesn't want to date me and it probably disgusted him that they said that. I don't want to see that disgust on his face.

I'm getting ready to leave to go to Lydia's for her homecoming dresses presentation, because Lydia Martin can't pick one dress, no, she has to buy seven and return six of them.

"Where are you going?" Scott takes my keys from my hand. He is having one of his movie nights with his new friend group, which includes the ex murder suspect Derek Hale. How Scott became friends with him I don't know and I don't care to ask. They don't care to ask me to join them. Allison was supposed to be going with me to Lydia's but she decided to stay with Scott instead. Shocker. Stiles said he'd be happy to take her place but Scott jabbed him in the ribs.

"Give me my keys." I try to grab them from him, but he moves faster than I do. It doesn't help that he's taller. "You're not my boss, Scott." He holds the keys above his head.

"I don't think you should be going." He looks at Isaac who looks nervous.

"Oh, well since you put it that way," I say so he'll lower the keys. I jump, but he throws them to an unready Stiles who gets hit in the chest. "You're so annoying!"

"Y/N, it's not safe." He says so serious I almost laugh.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing it's just not safe here anymore, you need to be careful."

"Because a few birds flew into a window?" I laugh.

"Actually it was a few hundred." Stiles butts in. Allison, Isaac, Scott, and Derek glower at him. "And there have been dead bodies showing up..." he says lower.

I roll my eyes. "I'm older than you I can do what I want." I say stubbornly, which makes me sound like a child disproving my point.

"You're not going anywhere." He says firmly.

"Whatever. It's not that far I can walk to Lydia's." He tries to grab my arm but I jerk away and slam the door on my way out. He made me look like an idiot in front of everyone. I didn't realize how angry I was until a tear rolled down my cheek. I hate being an angry crier. He made me look like a child. My hands and chest are burning despite the cold air. I'm not walking to Lydia's, I'll make it up to her later. I'm walking in the direction of school. Which is an eleven minute drive, so I'll be walking for a while.

I've been so caught up in thought I almost didn't notice the tall bald man watching me. It's a lingering look, one with intentions. Something's not right. I quicken my pace, I'm almost to the school. My heart is beating so fast I can feel my chest tightening. I can't run. That's too alarming. I just have to get away from him. He's across the street coming the opposite way of me but when I pass him he turns and walks with me from across the road. I try to relax my face so it doesn't look like I'm panicking. Who is he? Why is he following me?

I see pass a few house that look dark and empty. I don't see any lights on. I notice one dark haired woman walking out to her car. I jog to her, "Hey, Macy, you ready?" I try to say as casually as I can without my voice shaking.

She looks at me wide eyed confused. "That guy is following me." I say through gritted teeth.

She drops the confused look as her lips curl into a smile, "I know."

I notice she doesn't have any shoes on a second before everything goes black.