I spent my last class of the day alone, chewing on my lip and playing with the sleeves of my sweater the entire time. There wasn't a single person I even recognized, nonetheless could talk to. Except for the one kid who may or may not have been sitting with Jackson and Danny. Then again, with my track record for seeing things that aren't really there, who knew?
The good thing about taking a photography class for my last period was the fact that it was essentially a free period. The teacher, Ms. Harmon, talked for about ten minutes to brief the class on the kind of assignment we should be working on and then came over to talk to me about what kind of camera I would need for the class, a conversation which lasted approximately 2.47 minutes. Then she quietly settled back into her seat and began reading a book, black rimmed glasses perched on the crook of her nose, a lock of mousy brown hair tucked behind one ear.
I spent a good portion of the class observing the other students. I had always had an inclination for people watching; I found it fascinating how so many human beings could exist, and be so extraordinarily different from one another. I loved to watch how people behaved in certain situations; who had steady hands, whose were a bit shakier. Who could find beauty in everything, as opposed to those who were struggling to find something in the classroom worthy of being captured on their film.
Someone moved past me, brushing against my arm as they went by and I felt a chill come over me, invading me from the inside out. I pulled the sleeves of my sweater tight over my hands, cradling my arms against my chest. I stifled a yawn, the events of the day weighing heavily on me in my lull of activity. I didn't want to think about any of it, I just wanted to go home and try to sleep. I kept my eyes on the clock, watching the second hand tick by with longing, gently folding my arms on the desk and lying my head atop them.
I felt my eyelids drooping but lacked the energy and care to attempt to keep them open. I sighed, taking a few deep breaths and letting myself enjoy the quiet nothingness behind my eyes. When I finally opened them, the classroom was empty, even the teacher gone. I glanced at the clock on the wall in a bit of a panic, knocking my books to the ground.
2:37.
School had been over for more than a half hour. Why hadn't anyone woken me? I stretched my legs out in front of me, letting my head fall back and my eyes flutter shut once more. The cons of having no friends in class I suppose. I gathered my books up, stuffing them into my bag, and made my way out of school, looking around for any sign of my parent's car.
The place was like a ghost town. The parking lot was completely empty and I half expected a tumble weed to blow across it. A gust of wind blew by, blowing my hair into my mouth as I turned in a circle, surveying my surroundings. Did I ever even tell my parents to pick me up after school today? I angrily blew the hair out of my mouth, groaning as I hiked my bag up higher on my shoulder and began walking. I didn't live too far away from the school.
I think.
About four blocks into my walk I came to an intersection and that was when I realized that I actually had no idea how to get to my house from the school.
"Great," I muttered, pulling my phone from my pocket to punch my address into the GPS. It began loading for a minute, the map appearing gradually across the screen. It beeped loudly and then the screen went black, a picture of an empty battery alighting it. "Are you kidding me?!" I threw the phone angrily to the ground, wincing when I heard the crack it made against the pavement. I let my bag fall off my shoulder as I sat down on the curb, pulling my knees up to my chest. Fuck first days of school.
I heard an engine rev and looked up to see a black Camaro sitting at the stop sign. The window rolled down, and Isaac sat in front of the steering wheel, smiling down at me.
"Need a ride?" he draped one arm across the steering wheel, as he ran his hand through his hair.
"Not from you." I smiled up at him politely, before going back to inspecting my nails.
"Is that your phone?" He set his sights on the scattered pieces of plastic adorning the sidewalk a few feet away from me. I crawled over to it, collecting the pieces and shoving them haphazardly into the side pocket of my backpack.
"Nope." I said, popping the 'p' as I moved on to playing with the strings on my bag.
"You're making this a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Just get in the car, I'll drive you home."
"Sorry, I don't get into cars with creepy strangers." I looked up at him, mock disappointment splayed across my face. "You didn't even offer me candy."
"I could offer you sexual favors." He cocked an eyebrow subtly gesturing to his dick. I rolled my eyes, standing up as I shrugged my backpack on again.
"And that is precisely why I'm not getting in the car. Good afternoon Mr. Lahey." I took a few steps backward, bowing my head at him, before turning around and randomly picking a direction. Sitting on the curb wasn't going to get me home anyway. I heard a car engine and glanced over my shoulder, to see the Camaro creeping towards me. I shook my head, turning back around. "Are you seriously following me right now?"
"If you won't get in the car then I'll just follow you home."
"Where are the cops in this town?" I peered at him from the corner of my eye, as he rolled his eyes at me.
"Ask your new buddy Stiles. His dad's the sheriff."
"Noted."
"Will you just get in the car?" he barked, clearly exasperated. I stopped in my tracks, turning to face his car as he slammed on the brakes. Which, at the speed he was going, was entirely unnecessary.
"Why do you care so much?" He let out a frustrated sigh, looking down at my feet.
"Because I was a jerk to bring up Casey today okay? I was kind of a jerk to you all day so…I figured I'd try to make it up to you."
I eyed him warily before he sighed again, reaching over to push open the passenger side door. "Just get in the car Ryan. I'll take you home, I promise." I stared down at my feet for a second, chewing on my lip before deciding that if he turned out to be some psycho killer I could probably take him. I just really didn't want to walk around aimlessly for the next three hours, and if I told him my address he would probably know where I lived anyway.
I made my way over to the car, sliding in and positioning my bag at my feet before slamming the door shut. Isaac winced, turning on the radio.
"Easy with the doors."
"Sorry, you didn't seem like the type to be consciously concerned about your car's well-being."
"I drive a Camaro," He stated incredulously, and I half nodded. "So which way am I going?" I pursed my lips, staring uncomfortably down at my hands in my lap. I felt him staring at me for a while, before turning his attention back to the road. "…You don't know, do you?"
"Not…exactly…"
"Good, good."
"I know my address!" I defended stubbornly, crossing my arms over my chest. He laughed, though not maliciously like I expected.
"It's fine, don't get so huffy. Where do you live?"
"500 Pine Street."
"Okay then, to Pine Street we go." He reached over to ruffle my hair so quickly I didn't know what was happening. I sat there stunned for a moment before peering at him with my eyebrows drawn together. How did he go from making sexual innuendos all day, to half threats, to…this? Maybe I wasn't the only one in Beacon Hills with some mental issues.
The ride to my house was short and quiet, with both of us staying silent as the radio played on. He turned onto my street and I pointed out which house was mine as he turned into our driveway.
"Well, thanks." I turned to him with every intention of looking him in the eyes, but as soon as they met mine I felt awkward and self-conscious, drawing my lips in like a child and looking to either side of his face. "Uh yeah. Thanks." I nodded, grabbing my bag and reaching for the handle on the door.
"Wait," he caught my arm, and I froze, hand still resting on the door. I turned slowly back to him, my eyebrows raised in a question. His hand reached out, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear and trailing his fingers down my cheek, and my eyes fluttered closed on instinct. He drew his hand back and I felt a burning sensation where he had touched me. I opened my eyes and tried to speak, but found my voice stuck in my throat.
"Bye." He smiled warmly at me and I silently backed out of the car, a look of dumbfounded confusion plastered on my face. "Oh, and Ryan?" I carefully closed the door, bending down to look at him through the window.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful on the nights of a full moon, okay?"
"Why? Because of the Lunar effect?" I laughed, arching an eyebrow. I expected him to laugh too, but I was met only with silence and a slightly confused expression. "You know, that old belief that the full moon brings out the worst in people? That there's more violence, more suicides, more accidents, just generally more aggression on nights of a full moon?" He parted his lips as if he was going to say something, but instead only cocked his head slightly, looking at me interested. "You've never heard of that? People used to think the full moon caused mental illness and strange behaviors and stuff. They say that hospitals are always busier on nights of a full moon." He looked at me seriously for a moment before giving a short laugh and putting his car back into drive.
"Interesting. Well, have a good day." He slammed his foot on the gas, peeling out of my driveway before I even had a chance to ask what he was talking about it.
"Well that was…weird." I muttered to myself, before making my way up the steps to the front door. I unzipped my backpack to look for my keys when I noticed that the door was open a crack.
"Mom?" I opened the door all the way, staring at the seemingly empty house before me. "Dad?" I took a step inside but heard nothing. Hm. Both of their cars were here. I closed the door and dropped my bag onto the table in front of the mirror in the hallway. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I felt my hair fall out from behind my ear and quickly pushed it back, the feel of Isaac's fingers on my face still lingering.
But why did that matter? He may have been acting nicer than he was at school, but it was still hella weird. And what the hell was that shit about being careful on a full moon? I looked up to check my hair in the mirror, and froze. My reflection wasn't there. It just…it was just gone. I frantically got closer to it, pressing my hand to the cool glass, but I saw nothing. The mirror reflected the entire room back, but it was as if I wasn't standing less than three feet away from it. I felt my heart rate pick up, my breathing coming in quicker and heavier bursts.
"No, no no no." I ran into the kitchen, reaching for the metal toaster sitting on the counter. I bit my lip and took a chance, glancing at the mirrored surface. The toaster fell from my hands as again, I saw nothing. "What's happening to me," I choked out, as if saying it would magically give me the answer. I heard a faint buzzing sound coming from upstairs, and suddenly I felt my entire body grow hot. Orange dotted my vision and I looked down, as flames spread from the toaster lying on the ground. I screamed, running out of the kitchen and towards the buzzing noise. This is how you get killed in horror movies, was all my mind kept telling me, but my body kept moving towards it, as smoke filled the room around me. I could still breathe though. Why could I still breathe? I should be smelling the ashes and suffocating in smoke, but I'm…not? When I finally reached the top of the stairs, the smoke had ceased, as if it was trapped downstairs for some reason. Where the hell were my parents?
I heard the buzzing again, even louder than before, coming from my bedroom. I made my way over to the door, passing by the mirror in the hallway. I knew I wouldn't see myself but I checked anyway, surprising myself when I did in fact see my silhouette. I slowly approached the mirror, staring at myself and trying to decipher what was wrong now. It wasn't until my gaze travelled up to my eyes that I realized it. I stared at my reflection, and blue eyes stared back at me.
My eyes weren't blue. They were brown. I felt my eyes widen and my hands went to my face, as the buzzing grew louder. My eyes started to glow, burning a bright electric blue and I quickly backed away from the mirror, my back against my door. The door seemed to hum with an electric current, the buzzing so strong I wondered if it would knock the door down. I turned slowly, keeping my hand on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door only to be met with a blinding white light and a noise that sounded oddly like a school bell ringing.
"Hey. Hey!" My head shot up, a boy with a camera sitting in the desk across from me. I looked around me, noticing that I was still in the photography classroom, half of the class gathering up their books and making their way out, while the other half hung back, chatting with friends or finishing up their projects.
A dream. It was all just a dream.
"Are you narcoleptic too?" the boy's voice brought my attention back to him, as he laughed at what was apparently his joke.
"Too?" I raised my eyebrow, getting my notebooks together.
"Yeah, on top of the PTSD." I shot him a look that was supposed to say 'how the fuck do you know about that' and which he interpreted as 'you're so funny please say more'. "A PTSD patient with narcolepsy, wouldn't that be a show." He chuckled to himself and I stood up abruptly, hiking my bag over my shoulder.
"That's not funny. Neither are you. I'm leaving now."
"Wait, wait!" he made a gesture to grab my arm, but thought better of it after I shot him a glare. "You're friends with Allison, right?" I had exchanged a total of like, fifteen words with her all day, and none were expressive enough for me to be able to gauge whether she thought of me as a friend or not. But this kid was beyond irritating and there was something about his behavior that unsettled me. I didn't like him. Not one bit.
"Yep." I gave a curt nod, inching my way closer to the door.
"Do you…she's not…I'm Matt."
"Good to know. Bye." I nodded again, spinning on my heels and heading out of the classroom. He was right behind me though, struggling to get his backpack over his shoulder.
"Wait, no. Allison's not…currently dating anyone…right?"
"Who would she be dating?" I quirked an eyebrow, refusing to look at him.
"I don't know. I know her and McCall were a thing. But I heard that they broke up."
"Then they're broken up." I reached my locker, quickly turning the dial and popping the door open.
"Yeah but, are they definitely broken up or-"
"Look," I grabbed my textbook and slammed the locker door shut, making him jump. "Today was my first day of school here. I have a total of one and a half friends. I know even less than you do. Now if you don't mind, I'm going home in attempts to get my life back on track. Or sleep. Probably sleep. Bye." I left him standing there, slightly shell shocked, but honestly I'm not sure what he expected. Now which way to the exit?
I saw Matt still idling towards my left so I made an executive decision to make a right. I saw Stiles pulling Lydia out of what I think was the library, followed closely by Allison and Jackson, as Lydia seemed to be sulking. She ripped her arm away from Stiles, clearly unhappy with being herded out of her comfort zone.
"If we're doing a study group, why don't we just stay in the library?"
"…Because we're meeting up with somebody else!"
"Really? Like who?" Lydia halted, and the trio looked at each other nervously. Well, Allison and Stiles did, anyway. Jackson just scowled.
"Uhh…" Stiles stammered, looking around frantically. He spotted me and I swear I saw a lightbulb above his head turn on. "Ryan!" he shouted, pointing at me, before nodding at Allison enthusiastically.
"Uh right! Ryan's coming with us!" Allison chimed in, smiling at me.
"Ryan's coming where?" I repeated, eyeing them all skeptically as Stiles grabbed the arm of my sweater, pulling me over to them.
"With us! To study! For school!"
"Oh, oh good, I thought we might be studying for basket weaving. Dodged that bullet." I stated dryly, as everyone ignored me aside from Stiles, who gave me a reproachful look.
"Hmm. Well why didn't she just meet us in the library?" Lydia shot Stiles an incredulous look, before raising an eyebrow at me. I shrugged at her, hands up in defense.
"Oh, that would've been a great idea!" Stiles exclaimed, pushing Lydia and I forward. "Too late."
"Okay, hold on-" Lydia stopped again, and I looked at her with wide, confused eyes.
"Lydia, shut up and walk." Jackson hissed through clenched teeth, pushing her through the exit and towards the blue jeep sitting in the parking lot. He yanked the back door open as Stiles winced, climbing into the driver's seat.
"Easy with the doors!" he called, turning his key in the ignition. Allison quickly hopped into the passenger seat and Jackson motioned for me to climb into the back first. Lydia followed me, Jackson climbing in and slamming the door behind him to make a point.
"DOORS!" Stiles shouted, backing out of the parking spot and cutting off three cars in his mad dash out of the parking lot. The ride was short and I held on to the door handle the entire time, since Stiles had seemed to decide he was going to try and make a ten minute drive into a three minute drive. Everyone remained relatively quiet, the only person to attempt conversing being Stiles, in an ever so eloquent manner.
"So…" he started, glancing back at Lydia, Jackson and I.
"No." the three of us deadpanned in unison.
"CAR!" Allison shouted, pointing towards the windshield and pulling the steering wheel towards her. There was a loud honking sound as I saw my life flash before my eyes for the second time of my existence, and let me tell you, it is never a fun time. Stiles made a left and swerved, pulling up alongside the curb neatly. It was so impressive it almost made up for the fact he had previously almost killed us all. Almost.
"Where the hell did you get your license?" I sputtered, falling out of the car and crossing myself.
"Where did you get your license." Stiles mocked me as if he were a five year old and I rolled my eyes, turning to glance at Lydia as she hesitantly got out of the car. We stood in front of a large green house with white trim and a wraparound porch, one of the nicer houses on the block. Though they were all nice houses. No one had informed me when my parents decided to move to Beacon Hills that it was full of rich kids.
"If we're studying at Scott's house then…where's Scott?" Lydia huffed, marching up the steps, Stiles close behind.
"Meeting us here. I think." He smiled, nodding at Lydia. "I hope." I began dragging my feet, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in the situation. Why had I just let them drag me over to Scott's house? The only one I was really friends with was Lydia. And even so, we had only been friends for like, a day. Every minute of this day seemed like a never ending torture, full of awkward and confusing encounters.
And why was Jackson here? Lydia may have been telling everyone she was over him, but with the look on her face whenever he spoke to her, no matter how volatile his words were, it was obvious she still had feelings for him. But he seemed completely indifferent towards her, as if she could burn at the stake and instead of being sad about it, he'd throw a party and offer to clear away her remains.
"Thanks for doing this." Allison whispered, and I looked up, wondering whether or not she was talking to me.
"I need to talk to her anyway." Jackson answered, walking through the door. I sighed, following them, scuffing the toes of my boots on the ground. The interior of the house was just as nice as the exterior, and I spun around in the foyer getting a good look at the place. I heard the door lock behind me. Multiple times. I glanced over my shoulder to see Lydia, staring at Stiles with her eyebrows raised. He looked to Jackson for some kind of help, to which he did not receive, and turned back to Lydia, the gears in his head turning.
"Uh…there's been a few break ins around the neighborhood." He nodded, glancing around at the four of us. We all nodded slightly, awkwardly standing there, looking everywhere but at each other. Stiles broke the paralytic silence first, grabbing a chair from next to the staircase and propping it up against the door handle.
This time I was the one to raise my eyebrows, gesturing to the chair with narrowed eyes.
"…And a murder." Stiles stated, eyes wide as Allison tried not to laugh and Jackson tried not to pummel anyone. "Yeah it was bad."
"Uh huh." I nodded once, slowly, before glancing over at Lydia. "So, what are we studying?"
"We could work on Economics if you want." She gave me a smile and I instantly felt more comfortable, the huge knot in my stomach untying ever so slightly. Allison cleared her throat and Jackson gave an annoyed sigh, rolling his eyes before turning to Lydia.
"Lydia, follow me." He croaked, his voice sounding strangled, like it was paining him to talk to her civilly. I rolled my own eyes, shaking my head. "I need to talk to you for a minute." Lydia stared at him, her hazel eyes narrowing in suspicion. She sighed dramatically, following him up the stairs.
"Seriously? What is going on with everyone?"
They disappeared and I stood there as Allison and Stiles seemed as if they were trying to discover the secrets to telepathy.
"So…Economics?" I tried, waving my textbook in front of me. Stiles bolted to the window by the door, peeking out of the curtain.
"Ugh, we have bigger problems." He turned back to face us, a panicked look crossing his face.
"Bigger than the Economics midterm tomorrow?" I tried to laugh but it died in my throat as Allison dug through her bag pulling out a crossbow.
"Much bigger." Allison replied, as I audibly swallowed, taking a step back. "Stiles, give me your phone."
"Why?" He asked, already digging the small black contraption out of his pocket and tossing it to her, peering out the window again. The sun was setting, casting a dark shadow over the house, giving off eerie vibes.
"I'm calling Scott." Stiles checked the window yet again, slamming the curtain shut quickly this time.
"Yeah, yeah yeah you should do that." He nodded, fear creeping into his voice.
"Okay, what is going on?" I fumed, marching over to the curtain and drawing it open. Stiles yanked it shut immediately but not before I saw them. Four of them, all dressed in leather, standing across the street like something out of a cheesy vampire movie. Two of them I recognized, Isaac and Erica, and while I wasn't particularly surprised, there was a pit of disappointment in my stomach. I'm not sure why. They had been stalking and threatening me all day. What did I honestly expect? "Who's out there?" I turned to Stiles, who looked from Allison to me. She pursed her lips for a minute, sighing and nodding. "Who is out there." I repeated. It was more of a command then a question at this point.
"You met Isaac and Erica today. What about Boyd?" I shook my head, trying to get another look out of the window. Stiles blocked me, shaking his head. "He was the big one in leather."
"Oh that narrows it down." I retorted dryly, as I heard Allison muttering into the receiver of Stiles's phone.
"Hey, I'd appreciate it if you'd tone down the sass."
"Maybe I'd tone down the sass if I got some explanations." I offered, and I could swear I saw Stiles's eye twitch with annoyance.
"Anyway," he continued, turning back to the window. "Boyd is the one standing between Erica and Derek. Derek is the one on the end, real mean looking guy, much too old to be hanging out with high schoolers and yet there he is, trying to intimidate us all with his big fancy car and his endless supply of leather jackets."
"Derek?" I felt my head swim, Stiles suddenly multiplying before my eyes.
"Yeah, Derek Hale. He's-woah, hey. You okay?" I watched the look on Stiles's face turn from fear to worry, extending a hand towards me.
"What's Derek doing here?"
"Woah, wait, you know Derek?" I think I managed a nod, suddenly feeling like if I kept my eyes open any longer I might vomit.
"Stiles, what's happening?" Allison's voice echoed from my right, and I reached my arm out for something to steady myself on.
"I think she's having a panic attack. Hey, hey Ryan, hey, come on. You're okay. It's okay." I felt hands on my shoulders, and hands on my arms, as Stiles and Allison collectively tried to calm me down.
"Hey," Allison leaned down in front of me as I opened my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. "We're not going to let him hurt you, okay? You're safe." She urged, as Stiles led me towards the stairs.
"Why don't you go check on Lydia and Jackson. Maybe throw some water on your face. You'll feel better." I nodded silently, walking slowly up the stairs, the world still spinning violently around me.
I had guessed that the two of them knew Derek, so why did I feel as if my life had come crashing down around me for what seemed like the fifth time that day?
Derek's here. Derek's here. Casey. Derek. Casey. Casey.
I found the bathroom after a few minor stumbles, barreling through the door and gripping the sink with both hands. When I looked in the mirror I was half afraid I wouldn't see anything.
What I did see horrified me.
"You killed her." Avery's chestnut eyes bore into mine, and I covered my mouth to muffle my gasp. Her face was streaked with makeup, her eyes red from crying. Her voice was calm though, accusatory and strong.
"No," I shook my head, a sob breaking free of my mouth. "No, this isn't real." I slammed my eyes shut, willing my hallucination away. I should have known it wasn't that simple though. I opened my eyes slowly, and there she was. No longer my own reflection, but standing behind it.
"Oh I'm real. And you did, you killed her." Avery nodded sadly at me, and I looked down, focusing only on my hands. I turned the faucet on splashing my face with the water. "Why did you murder my sister?" her voice was angry this time, and sounded as if she was yelling into my ear. I jumped, another sob racking my body.
"I DIDN'T KILL HER!" I screamed, so loud I thought I popped my eardrums. Everything went silent for a moment, the continuous beating of my heart that had been hammering in my ear since the mention of Derek's name, the wheezing of my lungs as I struggled for enough air, the rush of water from the faucet. I heard nothing. I looked back at my reflection, Avery silent behind my figure. "It was an accident." I exhaled, and Avery's image shattered away, as I regained my hearing.
I let myself sink to the ground, relieved that I could breathe evenly again. I heard a kind of ringing that sounded far away, and I reached up to turn the faucet off, sitting back down against the wall and trying to stay perfectly still. The sound got louder, sounding less like ringing and more like a gust of wind howling. I stood up slowly, walking out into the hallway, my head cocking to the side as my ears strained to listen. I heard voices. But none of my past. These voices were from the present.
"What are we supposed to do?" Allison's voice sailed up, as if through the floor, sounding strained and near hysterics. I got down on all fours, pressing my ear against the wood flooring. "They're not here to scare us, okay? They're here to kill Lydia." She pronounced each word carefully, as if to emphasize the weight they held. My heart rate picked up as I processed what I had heard, what I had been hearing the whole day.
You're that girl who was with Lydia this morning aren't you? Are you like, her cousin or something? You guys don't really look that much alike. Did she-did she say anything to you? About me? Or about any nightly urges she's been having?
Some friends you're better off without. Just something to think about.
Lydia Martin is not the kind of friend you want, or need. Trust me.
It's Lydia who should be worried.
I sat there in a trance, my body frozen as my mind raced. Something was up with Lydia. The reason she was in the guidance office, the hallucinations she had been having, the apparent reason Derek and his crew of teeny boppers wanted her…dead? It all had to be connected. I didn't know how, I just knew that it was. Beacon Hills really did seem to be a Beacon for the crazies. I mentally reminded myself to ask my parents why they decided to move us here, of all places. Did it advertise to specialize in treating the clinically insane or something?
My body trembled, as wave after wave of fear rocked through me. Did it ever end? Lately I had been afraid of everything. Afraid to be awake because of the hallucinations, afraid to sleep because of the nightmares. There was no escape for me, no peace. I was sick of being terrified all of the time. I needed to be brave.
"Look, they don't think we're gonna fight. So if one of them gets hit, I guarantee they'll take off." Stiles's voice drifted up towards me again, snapping me back to reality. "So just shoot one of them."
"Which one?"
"Uh…Derek. Yeah, shoot him. Preferably in the head." I stood up, making my way over to the staircase.
"Scott was able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can." What the hell did that mean? Did they use Scott for target practice or something?
"Okay, uh…just shoot one of the other three then."
"You mean two." I reached the top of the stairs cautiously, watching as Allison and Stiles were positioned on each side of the door, Allison peering out the window.
"I mean three." Stiles emphasized, drawing back the curtain hastily and looking out. "Where the hell is Isaac?!" Allisons breathing grew heavier, sniffling as she took a step back, raising her crossbow to the window. I ran down the stairs, making my way over to the two of them, and then all at once the world seemed to collapse.
I heard the whoosing sound of wind again, as if a bird had just flew past me, and I clamped my hands over my ears, trying to ward off the sudden headache I felt coming on. The next thing I knew, Isaac was there, shoving both Allison and Stiles to the ground in a span of less than ten seconds. I felt the wail leave my throat before I was even aware I was screaming.
"Guys!"
"Ryan!" Stiles gasped as he flipped himself over on his back, crawling backward on the ground as Isaac towered over him. He turned to face me, and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. His eyes glowed yellow, and he smiled, brandishing two rows of sharpened fangs. "Ryan, run!" Stiles shouted as Isaac took a step towards me, slow and effortless, as if he knew he had all the time in the world.
"Who's the monster now?" he narrowed his eyes, turning his head to the side slightly. He grinned, light glinting off of his teeth making him look even more menacingly dangerous.
Fear caught me in its claws and refused to let go, as I stood as still as a statue, my feet planted on the ground as if the Earth itself was holding me there. It wasn't the shock of seeing a normal albeit intimidating boy suddenly grow claws, fangs, and glowing eyes. But it was the shock of seeing it again. Because I had most definitely seen this before. Two years ago. At Casey's house. The first time I had seen Derek.
But that wasn't the only time. A voice echoed through my head.
My past came rushing back to me, a blur of images, sleeping over Casey's house one night, the moon shining in through the big bay windows of her room, waking during the middle of the night after hearing a crash, being urged back to sleep by Avery, waking to find Casey missing, dreaming of those glowing yellow eyes and sharpened teeth that caught the moonlight. I felt my body go limp as the floor approached me in what felt like slow motion.
"Run!" Stiles's voice caught up to me just as I was about to slam into the ground. I shot my arms out, catching myself at the last possible second, scrambling on all fours before I was able to pick myself back up and take off running through the first hallway I saw. I made a left and arrived in the kitchen.
What to do, what to do. I heard another crash, the sound of a vase shattering, and I immediately started throwing open cabinets, looking for any pots or pans that I could use in self-defense. However, all I came up with was a bunch of spices and seasonings, and I didn't think Isaac's kryptonite was cinnamon. I spun frantically, trying to think of something, anything that I could use. He could be killing Stiles and Allison this very moment. I had been the cause of enough deaths, I wasn't about to raise my body count now.
A glimmer caught my eye as the moon reflected off of the small metal toaster, plugged in on the counter. I quickly unplugged it, glancing in it to see if my reflection was still there, hoping by some miracle that this would be a dream. No. I wasn't that lucky. My eyes, my brown eyes, stared back at me. This was reality.
I clutched the toaster to my chest, taking a different hallway in hopes of it leading me back to the foyer while still making sure Isaac couldn't sneak up behind me. I kept my back to the wall as I peered around the corner, Stiles still on the floor in front of Isaac, his lip split open. He saw me and I raised a finger to my lips, silently shushing him. The fear in his eyes sent me into a quiet panic as I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to three, knowing that this may be my only shot. Isaac seemed to be busy snarling at Stiles, something about how he couldn't wait to kill Lydia, especially after she had rejected him freshman year.
"So, as far as monsters go?" I cleared my throat behind him, and though I couldn't see it, it was as if I could feel the annoyed expression on his face. "I think it's still me." He began to turn and I raised the toaster above my head, slamming it down with as much force as a 5'4" teenage girl could muster up. He dropped to the ground like his body was full of lead, and Stiles sat there staring at me with wide eyes, his mouth gaping open.
"You…that was…you just…" he stuttered, his arms flailing wildly around him.
"What?" I shrugged, offering him a hand up. "I couldn't find the frying pans."
"Okay, I've seen some pretty badass things, but that, that right there is up there on the list." I laughed, making my way back over towards the door.
"Thanks Stiles. But where's Allison?" I spun in a circle, trying to inspect the floor for the possibly-unconscious brunette, coming up empty handed.
"You just hit him with a toaster-!"
"Stiles!" I reprimanded, extending my arms on either side of me. "Where's Allison?"
"Oh she went upstairs to check on-"
"STILES! IT'S HERE!" Allison's voice traveled down the staircase, and Stiles shot me a nervous look.
"Stiles." I said calmly, taking a step towards him. "What is here?"
"Uhh…well…I uh…"
"Stiles! Do not make me go and find the frying pans." I threatened, jabbing a finger into his chest.
"Ah okay, right. Um well. So your buddy Isaac here, yeah he's a…werewolf?" he finished, squinting one eye in a semi wince.
"A…werewolf?" I said slowly, my eyes traveling from Stiles's face to Isaac's body, lying unconscious on the ground.
"Yeeeahhh…Erica, Boyd and Derek too. Hence the uh, leather jacket club." Stiles mimed putting on a jacket and popping his collar to which I raised an eyebrow.
"And uh-" The door burst open and I jumped back, spinning around and smacking Stiles in the arm. Scott stood facing us, yellow eyes burning. I looked over to Stiles who laughed nervously. "Heh, and uh…Scott too." He scratched at the back of his head, as Scott looked at me panicked.
"You told her?"
"Dude she just freaking bludgeoned Isaac with a toaster after he tried to eat me, what was I supposed to do?!"
"Werewolves." I repeated, nodding to myself.
"Did you tell her about the kanima?" Scott asked, picking up the toaster on the floor by his feet. Stiles threw his head back in exasperation, rolling his eyes.
"No, but you just did."
"Okay, okay werewolves I get. What the fuck is a kanima?"
"You dented it." Scott turned the toaster over in his hands, looking up at me with a mixture of disappointment and…pride?
"I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one. Now can we focus people? What is a kanima?"
"You know, you're handling the whole werewolf thing surprisingly well." Stiles made a face, nodding at me, then at Scott.
"Believe it or not, I've seen stranger." I neglected to mention that the stranger things were usually hallucinations or dreams, but ever since that day in the lake, my belief in the supernatural had increased tenfold. "Now will you two please tell me what's going on? It's not like I can go tell anyone. The only person I talk to is Lydia." The two of them shared a look, before Scott turned back to me.
"Exactly."
"Guys," Allison interrupted, standing at the top of the stairs, panting slightly. "Help me move Erica."
"Woah you shot her?" Stiles asked, disbelief coloring his voice.
"Um…not quite. Paralyzed is more like it." She smiled, clearly trying to hide her pride. I smiled back at her, vaguely impressed. I didn't know what she had done, but clearly it was inventive. And I could appreciate inventive ways of incapacitating someone. "Ryan," her eyes widened slightly, as she registered that I was standing there and could in fact hear what she was saying.
"She knows." Scott declared, with a small defeated/relieved sigh. "She uh," Scott looked from the toaster in his hands, to Isaac on the ground. "She toasted him!" he raised the toaster up, a small pleased smile on his face. Me and Stiles both slowly turned towards him, with narrowed eyes. I shut them and shook my head as Stiles held out his hand and took the toaster.
"Dude, just…no."
"So…Kanima? Anyone?"
"First things first. Erica. We'll explain everything later, I promise." Scott clasped his hands together as he started towards the stairs.
Ten minutes later, and he heaved the door open, tossing both Erica and Isaac outside onto the grass with ease. Werewolves had superhuman strength. Check.
He stepped onto the porch, followed by Allison and Stiles. I crept closer to the door, peeking outside with one eye.
Derek stood in the street and sighed, and I bit my lip, reminding myself to relax.
"I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me Scott. You're not an omega. You're already an alpha, of your own pack." His solemn expression turned into a grin, and he dipped his head to the side. "But you know you can't beat me."
"I can hold you off until the cops get here." Sirens blaired in the distance and on instinct I stepped out onto the porch, peering down the street.
"Ryan?" Derek's smile fell as I met his gaze, lifting my chin high. I wasn't going to be afraid of him anymore. I wasn't going to be afraid of anything. There was a hissing sound coming from above us, and I followed Scott, Allison and Stiles off the porch and onto the lawn, as a dark lizard like creature crawled over the roof. Except maybe that. It paused to turn its head and look at us, opening its mouth to screech and reveal several rows of razor sharp teeth. Scott jumped, an arm looping around Allison's waist.
"Kanima?" I asked, eyes tripling in size.
"Kanima." Stiles nodded, watching the creature scurry down the back of the house.
Derek looked down at Isaac and Erica, still lying helpless on the ground. "Get them out of here," he scoffed through clenched teeth to the large boy standing next to him with chocolate skin and matching eyes, who I presumed was Boyd.
There was the quiet sound of heels against flooring, and Lydia stomped out onto the porch, visibly fuming.
"Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on." Her hands balled into fists at her sides as everyone stared at her in disbelief.
"I wish I knew." Was all I could say, as Scott glanced back over to the roof.
"It's Jackson," he muttered, turning to Allison to whisper something.
"What's Jackso-" Stiles clamped a hand over my mouth, before Allison hurried over to Lydia, taking her hand.
"Come on Lydia, I'll take you home." She began dragging her over towards one of the cars in the driveway, until Lydia pulled her arm back.
"And what about Ryan?" I knew it wasn't something that should have meant a lot, but to me, it did. I had been an outcast, completely alone and friendless for so long, that I had forgotten what it was like to have people care about you, care about your wellbeing, people who looked out for you. I smiled at Lydia, and she smiled back, slightly confused, probably as to why I was tearing up.
"I'll take her home." Stiles volunteered, using my shoulder as an armrest. I shot him a look and stepped to the side, as he went down, recovering not so gracefully. Lydia snickered, rolling her eyes.
"Normally I'd say to leave the poor girl alone, but it looks like she can handle herself."
"Oh trust me, she can." Scott smiled sheepishly at me, and I smiled back, waving Lydia off.
"Go on, go home. It's been a rough day." For the first time I noticed her tear stained cheeks, and thought back to Economics, her sobbing as she wrote SOMEONEHELPME backwards on the board. I thought about her numerous encounters today with Jackson, the look on her face anytime he spoke, as if her heart were still breaking as much as she was trying to be strong and hide it. "It's been a rough day." I repeated quietly, nodding. She climbed into the car with Allison as they sped away down the street, and I turned back to Scott and Stiles, noticing that Derek and his "wolf pack" were all gone.
Wolf pack. I glanced up at the moon, not quite full, but getting there. Full moons. Like my dream.
"Stiles." I called, staring intently at the ground where Isaac had previously been laying.
"Yeah?"
"Is your dad the sherrif?"
"Yep. Why?" I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and shook my head. How did I…How had I…?
"No reason." It was another matter for another day. As for the rest of this day, however… "So," I started, walking over to the porch and sitting down on the top step. "Explanations are in order."
"Uh do you think we could maybe do this ano-" Stiles bit his lip, talking with his hands.
"Now."
"Don't mess with her Stiles. She'll shank you with a toaster." Scott sat down on the step below me, laughing as Stiles shook his head.
"Yeah, yeah laugh it up wolf boy, you're the one who has to explain to your mom why your toaster is dented." They were odd. So very odd. And understandably so seeing as one of them was part dog. But they had good hearts, and I found myself laughing not even at them, but with them. I wasn't sure if we were friends, but I wouldn't mind it if we were.
A/N: Okay! So! Finally! This chapter was a BITCH to write dear lord. It is SIGNIFICANTLY longer than my other ones, and that was kind of an accident. But hopefully you guys like it! Please let me know what you thought, what you liked, what you didn't like, I would loveee to hear your opinions!
As always thank you to anyone who favorited or followed this story, and a big thank you to BrittWitt16, emele807, BroadBeginnings, MessintheMirror, and LionHeartMisfit for your lovely reviews! Love you all!