I sat in the empty classroom shaking from head to foot for about five minutes, though it could have been five seconds or hours, I had no sense of time. All I could think about was getting to Scott and the others. I would have even put up with Lydia just as long as I wasn't alone when the Alpha got me. I thought of all the things I hadn't done, how I was going to leave things. I would never tell my dad that I loved him and that I was sorry that we hadn't talked lately. I would never go to college or have sex for the first time. I couldn't tell Scott how amazing of a friend he was and that whatever happens to me was never his fault. Maybe the most important thing of all was that I would never get to tell Stiles how I felt about him. By the off chance that he could ever reciprocate the feelings, I would never hear him say he loved me. And right now, that hurt worse than anything. But maybe that was my raging teenage hormones.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw something creep by the window to the classroom. I approached the door as quietly as possible, but it wouldn't matter if it was the Alpha: His hearing could have heard my breathing as soon as I locked myself in here. I peered through the window and saw the furry monstrous outline of a wolf.
I bit back a yelp and slid down the wall, finding my situation deteriorating by the second. I could hear the pitter pat of the Alpha's paws coming to the door. I held my breath as I listened to him sniff. I froze, realizing he could smell me. That night in the forest he had gotten my scent and now there was nothing stopping him from taking me: to kill me or change me (either way, my choices were pretty bleak).
But then, he stopped sniffing and walked away, just like he had that night in the forest and just like that night at the video store. Why the fuck did he keep walking away when I'm so alone and vulnerable? If he was going to change me, why didn't he just get it over with?
I sat there, feeling faint, before I realized I had to breathe again. I couldn't hear the Alpha outside anymore, so I took the opportunity to poke my head out and see if the coast was clear. I creaked open the door as quietly as I could manage, and looked both ways. There was no sign of the Alpha so I picked myself up and stepped out into the hallway. My shoes echoed in the silent halls so I held them.
I wandered around the halls of school, looking out for any sign of the Alpha or my friends. I wrapped my arms around me, wishing I had a jacket in the unusually chilly California weather. It was weird being in school after dark.
I loved school. School was a place that I could shine academically and hang out with my best friends, but it didn't feel that way anymore. The Alpha was taking the things that made me feel safe and happy and it was starting to become more than I could bear. I wanted to scream, to take back my security, to not have to look behind me everywhere I went when Scott wasn't around. I wanted to feel safe when I walked into a room or in the forest. I wanted things to go back to the way they were before the Alpha came and fucked it all up. Maybe I would still be blissfully ignorant to my feelings for Stiles and Scott and Alison's relationship wouldn't be based on secrets and lies. Maybe I would be able to talk to my dad about things and he wouldn't go around to Mr. Argent and telling him I'm marked. Maybe I would be living a normal happy life and not worrying whether I would live through the night as a human.
I sniffed in, shaking my head. Now wasn't the time to think about 'maybes' and 'what ifs'. I needed to find the others and get the hell out of here before the Alpha decided what he really wanted to do with me.
I strode silently past the main office and then out the doors to the bathrooms where Lydia and Jackson had been before they caught up with us. I swallowed as the goose bumps along the bag of my neck rose. I looked around cautiously until a shadow ahead caught my eye. I was standing, frozen, in the middle of an open hallway, as the Alpha walked by a conjoining hall. He sniffed again and turned his head, his red eyes blazing. I vomited a small scream and ran faster than I ever had in my life.
I wasn't even sure if the Alpha was coming after me or not, I didn't stick around to find out. I just wanted to put as much distance between us as possible. My breath was coming out in short gasps as I ran through the school, ending up in the science hall. I started trying every door to find a sanctuary but no matter how hard I jiggled, the doors didn't budge.
I let out a strangled cry of frustration. The Alpha had to be on its way by now. I was foolishly making too much noise and I couldn't help my rapidly beating heart as it fought for my survival.
Another yelp escaped my trembling lips as something grabbed me from behind. I fought and kicked to free myself form what I was sure was the Alpha. It tossed me into one of the science rooms and then there was shuffling heard behind me. I turned around apprehensively to see Scott, Jackson, and Stiles pushing chairs and stools and whatever else they could find, back up against the wall like a barricade. Lydia and Alison swooped down as settled me on a stool.
"Oh my, God!" Alison whispered, sighing in somewhat of a relief. "You're okay!"
"What the hell happened to you?" Lydia demanded bossily.
"I—I fell..." I muttered lamely. Lydia snorted rudely. Alison glared at her in response. "I wouldn't have gotten separated from you guys if you stupid boyfriend had thought to help me." I seethed.
Lydia rolled her eyes and jumped onto a lab station. I shook my head in annoyance. "You know what, Lydia? Go fuck yourself." The words just slipped out. After all that had happened, I wasn't up to putting up with her shit. The others looked around at me in alarm.
"Whatever." Lydia sneered. I smiled fakely.
"Seriously, Lydia. Get over yourself. There's a reason why you're a co-captain. You're not the hot shit you think you are. And to be honest, I'm done pretending I care about what you and Jackson did last night or what kind of romance advice you have! If you can't even try to pretend like you're interested in anything but yourself, then I'm gonna treat with the same amount of respect you give everyone else. It's time that someone was honest with you because high school's ending for you this year and the real world isn't going to make sure you like it, it's gonna kick you in the ass and it sure as hell isn't going to watch Titanic every time you rent a movie," I looked over at a stunned Jackson for a split second, "So it's time to grow up, Lydia. I'm not just saying this 'cause we could all die tonight, but it's something you need to hear and since no one else has the balls to break it to you—well—I just did it." I was radiating with anger and the desperation to do something.
Lydia needed to hear this but now wasn't really the time or place. I didn't know what had gotten into me because lashing out and yelling at people (no matter how mean they were or how badly they needed to hear it) wasn't me. I was breathing heavily after my rant as I looked around at the dumb-struck people. Lydia looked as if she didn't know whether to cry or yell back at me. Jackson seemed to be resisting the urge to clap.
"Oh, God, I don't know why I just said that, Lydia." I gulped, looking at her sincerely, "It's just the stress and the near death experiences I've been having, they're just getting to me and I'm—I'm really sorry!"
Lydia glared and looked away. "Cunt." She muttered under her breath and that same frustration and hatred started pumping through me like adrenaline. I opened my mouth to start yelling again when Stiles clamped his hand over my mouth. I struggled to push it off so I could give Lydia a piece of my mind. I screamed into his hand and even tried to bite him but Scott came over and intervened. They dragged me over to a corner of the room and Stiles didn't remove his hand until he was sure I could contain myself.
"I'm sorry," I said again, examining Stiles' hand. Small bite marks were visible but they weren't hard enough to break the skin.
"It's fine." Stiles said, staring at me, "If you had been Scott, then we would be having a problem, but you're purely human so it's all good." I cracked a small smile and glanced over at Scott.
"I have no idea what happened back there." I said helplessly. Scott could tell I was freaked out and he still looked a little stunned. "And attacking Stiles? It was like had I temporarily lost my mind!"
"I'll admit that was a little unlike you, but it was nice to see someone finally tell Lydia off." Stiles seemed to have gone temporarily deaf. I breathed a shaky laugh.
I ran a trembling hand through my hair and put the other in my hip as I paced around restlessly. I sighed nervously and glanced over to the other group. Lydia was glaring hatefully at me while Jackson had his arm reluctantly around her. Alison was looking at Scott, afraid.
"Let's find a way out and then we can deal with my fucked up mood swings." I said. It was the only thing that made sense at the moment. The guys agreed and Scott trudged back over to Alison's waiting arms.
I could feel Stiles watching me as he had been since I got to the room. I looked back at him and our eyes connected for a millisecond before he looked away. He was afraid, we all were. Us more so then the others since we knew what was actually out there and what it wanted...kind of. There was something else in his eyes that I couldn't place because I'd never seen it when he looked at me.
"I was worried about you." He spoke up suddenly.
"You were?" I asked softly.
"Uh—yeah—we all were." He said evasively. I rolled my eyes lightly.
"Lydia looks like she'd be real torn up if I hadn't made it back here." I rolled my head over to where she sat, probably talking shit about me.
"Who cares about Lydia." A snort escaped my lips as I looked at Stiles, shocked.
"Did you just say you didn't care about what Lydia thinks?" I smirked, half-amused, half-confused. "Did Rupert Stilinski just bad mouth the great Lydia Martin?" His eyes turned to slits as he playfully glared at me.
"Maybe I've just realized she's not what I want anymore." He shrugged.
I took in a deep breath and let it out before asking my next question. "And what do you want?"
He just looked at me for a few moments and I could have sworn he leaned in a tiny bit before Alison cried, "Scott, tell me what's happening!"
We stood up abruptly and he avoided my gaze as we walked back to the others.
"What's going on?" Stiles cleared his throat. Alison looked distressed as she faced Scott. They were both in an arguing stance. Jackson and Lydia looked on, watching them.
"Who sent that text?" Alison asked. Scott rubbed his face and turned away, putting both his hands down on a table as he concentrated, trying to make up a story. "What was that thing?"
There was silence for a few moments. Stiles and I looked at each other before looking over at Scott expectantly, though he couldn't see us.
"It was Derek. Derek Hale." Stiles and I exchanged wide-eyed looks. What was Scott doing?
"Your friend from the parking lot? That guy whose family burned to death in the fire?" She asked, confused. Scott shook his head.
"We're not friends. He led us here and trapped us. He killed the janitor-" Alison, Lydia, and Jackson let out weird noises between disgust and disbelief.
"Oh my, God!" Alison looked terrified.
"Why haven't we called the police yet?" Lydia demanded.
"Yeah, let's do that." Jackson declared. "Stiles, call your dad and tell him to bring all his rent-a-cop friends and save us."
Stiles shook his head in disbelief. "No."
"Stiles," I looked at him questioningly. Jackson went about it the wrong way but we needed help, and Stiles' dad had the whole department behind him.
"I'm not leading my dad here to get killed." Stiles said resolutely.
"Whatever," Lydia rolled her eyes, getting out her phone, "I'll call." She dialed the number and waited. "Hello—yes, we're trapped at the school by some crazed killer and you need to send everyone you—no, I—but—" She looked at her phone, stunned, "They hung up on me."
"The police hung up on you?" Jackson asked.
"They said that they got a tip that some kids were going to prank call about being trapped at the school and they hung up!" Lydia cried, becoming frantic.
"Stiles, call your dad." Alison pleaded. I watched Stiles' Adams apple quiver as he swallowed.
"No." He turned away from us.
"Stop fucking around and call him!" Jackson yelled.
"Calm dow—" I started.
"If you don't call him, I will." Jackson reached his arm around Stiles to get his phone but Stiles turned around and punched him in the face.
"Stiles!" I cried, shocked.
"Jackson!" Lydia screeched. Alison bent down and touched his face.
"Are you okay?" Alison murmured. Scott and Lydia looked down at them, frowning.
"Stiles," I repeated. "You gotta call your dad."
AN: Won't be able to post tomorrow. I gots a dance competition so hope this will hold y'all off 'til Sunday!
Thanks for all your reviews so far. You guys are fantastical (: