HARSHER THAN THE BARK
A/N: I am so pleased with how many of you guys are reviewing and I love hearing your thoughts on the story so thank you for the support!
Enjoy!
Scarlett peeked her head into the music room, her eyes landing on the band, who were getting their instruments ready, and then on Danny who smiled and motioned for her to walk in and then they landed on Miss Blake who gave her a tight smile.
Slowly, Scarlett walked into the room and felt all eyes on her.
"So, you guys have the music but unfortunately I have to go." Miss Blake apologised. "Doctor's appointments. They're so hard to get a convenient time." She said with an awkward laugh before taking her bag and leaving the room.
Scarlett gave her a wary look as she walked by her before walking towards the piano where Danny stood. "I still can't believe I'm doing this."
"Come on, Scarlett. It's for a good cause." Danny assured her. She gave him a doubtful look. "Look, don't worry about it. Just, try it. I'll be singing along with you so it's not like you're doing a solo."
Scarlett sighed. "What's the song?" Danny smiled, hanging her a sheet of paper that contained the lyrics to The Scientist, by Coldplay. "Why this?" She asked. She loved the song. A lot. And, funnily enough it had been her go-to song lately when she was feeling down about…things.
Danny shrugged. "Miss Blake picked it out. She said it fit."
"It's a tribute to the people that have died. This song is about the end of a relationship." Scarlett countered.
"Well, it's sad isn't it? And people have lost relationships with the dead so…"
Scarlett rolled her eyes. Danny was right but she still found it very strange that Miss Blake, of all people, had chosen this song at this particular time. It also still bothered Scarlett that Miss Blake had approached her to sing with Danny anyway. Scarlett had no idea that she had been planning any kind of recital.
Scarlett was just about to walk out of English but Miss Blake's voice stopped her.
"Um, Scarlett? Could you hang back a minute? I have something I'd like to speak to you about."
Scott gave his sister a confused look but Scarlett just rolled her eyes and motioned for him to go ahead. Scarlett was sure that Miss Blake was going to call her out on the constant glares she had been sending her way during class. Maybe she was going to tell her to stop because it was distracting. Or maybe she was going to give her detention, solely for the fact she didn't like her. Or…she was going to talk to her about Derek. Perhaps she would apologise, say she had no idea that Derek and Scarlett had been a couple. Whatever it was, Scarlett would take it with a straight face.
Scarlett walked to Miss Blake's desk and raised a brow at her. Miss Blake smiled awkwardly.
"Okay, I'm just gonna get straight to it. I know you don't like me and I probably have no right to ask this of you," Here it comes. "But, I heard you singing in the music room after school yesterday." Wait, what?
Scarlett's brows furrowed. She had no idea that anyone was still in school yesterday. She hadn't even meant to start singing but she was sitting at the piano and she started playing a few keys, remembering how she had missed playing like she did when she was younger. There was still a score, with lyrics on it, sitting on top of the piano. When she noticed it was the score for Defying Gravity, something tugged at her heart. A memory of Mary belting the lyrics to this song out almost every day after work. Wicked was Mary's favourite musical.
Scarlett hadn't thought of Mary recently but seeing the song title filled her head with the memories of her late friend. God, how she wished Mary could've been there. Alive. She would have given Scarlett advice on how to handle the Derek situation. She would've been there to help her through it and it pained Scarlett that she wasn't. She wished she could see her again, hear her voice, talk to her, sing with her. But she would never be able to.
Scarlett fixed the score so it was upright and she could see it properly. She hadn't played the piano in a long time so, naturally, she was rusty at first but once she was a few keys in, it flowed perfectly.
She couldn't help herself, she had to sing the words. She imagined singing along with Mary and she realised how much she related to the song. Scarlett was so sick of living her life in fear, of following someone else's rules…Now that she and Derek were done, she had no one to answer to but somehow she always ended up tangled in situations to do with him. Because of him, the Alphas had their eye on her when she had, literally, nothing to do with their beef with Derek. No more, though. It was time for Scarlett to be her own woman. She would no longer stand for being sucked in to the supernatural drama, unless her friends really needed her help.
She lost herself in the music. She sang with passion, belting the words out and it sounded mesmerising...magical, even.
As she ended the song, she sighed and noticed a teardrop splash on one of the keys. She really had to stop crying for no reason. It was becoming ridiculous.
"Anyway," Miss Blake continued, snapping Scarlett out of her memory. "I was just wondering if maybe you would like to sing at the recital I'm putting together. I know, it's short notice but it was really all I could come up with. And, I don't know anyone else who has a voice quite like yours." Miss Blake let out a small laugh.
"Are you sure there's no one else?" Scarlett asked, not really wanting to broadcast her singing voice for the entire school.
"No, there's really not. Please, Scarlett, I know you have some beef with me but don't let that get in the way of showcasing your talents. And besides, you wouldn't even be singing alone. I'll make the song a duet and Danny will sing with you."
"I'll think about it." Scarlett told her, begrudgingly, making her way out of the class.
"Thank you!" Miss Blake called after her.
"I just don't understand why she picked me." Scarlett groaned.
Danny just laughed at her. "Have you heard yourself, Scarlett? You're amazing."
"When have you ever heard me sing?" Scarlett asked with a confused look.
Danny rolled his eyes. "We sang together in fourth grade, for the school play. Don't you remember?"
"Oh," Scarlett nodded. "I had completely forgotten about that. Wow…fourth grade. Life was so simple back then."
"Tell me about it."
"Okay, whenever you're ready." The substitute music teacher said, her fingers already on the keys of the piano.
"That actually didn't go as terribly as I thought it would." Scarlett laughed as she and Danny walked through the dark halls of the school, heading home, followed by a group of members of the band.
"Except for when my voice totally cracked on that last note." Danny reminded her. "You were great though. Seriously. I had no idea you had that much power in your voice."
"Oh stop, you're making me blush." Scarlett said sarcastically, hitting his arm. They turned a corner and halted immediately when they saw a deputy, Tara, jump at their appearance.
"What the hell are you guys doing here so late?" Tara asked.
"Practicing for the recital." Danny shrugged. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Scarlett glanced at Tara's hand. It was positioned over her gun. "There is something wrong, isn't there?"
"Somebody made a nine one-one call. You need to leave, now. If you see anyone else, tell them the same." Tara told them sternly. Scarlett nodded and left with Danny and the group.
As they were walking and talking, something to the right of Scarlett caught her eye. She glanced over and could've sworn she saw someone standing in the dark, wearing a black cloak. Her eyes widened and she looked away. When she looked again, there was nothing there. She kept giving the dark corridor a strange look and Danny noticed.
"What is it?" He asked, looking where she was.
Scarlett shook her head. "It's nothing…I thought I saw something but, never mind, let's just go." She said, pulling Danny along forward as she sped up her walk. She didn't want to be in the school anymore. It was giving her the creeps.
"Scarlett!" Scarlett turned towards the familiar voice and the sound of heels running towards her.
"Lydia?" She gave her best friend a strange look.
"I'll see you later, Scar." Danny waved, heading off to his car. Scarlett smiled and waved back, before turning back to Lydia who had a concerned look on her face, as did Allison who was behind her.
"What're you doing here?" Scarlett asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." Lydia countered.
"I asked first."
Lydia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Remember how I told you about how I ended up finding the dead body at the pool?"
Scarlett's eyes widened. "Lydia, did you find another body?"
"No." Lydia said quickly, glancing behind Scarlett. "I'm waiting for them to find the body."
Scarlett turned to look behind her, seeing her brother and Stiles walking towards them.
"Same thing?" Stiles asked Lydia, referring to her call.
"Same exact thing. I got in my car to go somewhere completely different and we found ourselves here." She motioned to Allison and herself.
"Wait, Scarlett, what are you doing here?" Scott asked her.
"Practicing for the recital." Scarlett mumbled. She hadn't told anyone about it yet, not even Lydia.
"You don't play an instrument." Lydia reminded her.
"Yeah, I know. I'm…singing." Scarlett cringed at hearing herself say it. It just wasn't something she would normally be into. They all stared at her, wide-eyed. "What?" She asked, raising her hands. "It's for a good cause."
"There is no cause." Scott reminded her. "It's a memorial."
Scarlett frowned. "Well, whatever. That isn't what we're all here to talk about."
"Okay, so where's the body?" Stiles asked, his stare fixed on Lydia.
She gave him a sassy look. "Oh no, I am not doing that again. You get to find the dead body this time."
"Lydia, you're supposed to call us after you find the dead body." Stiles stressed.
"Guys," Scott interrupted them. "I found the body." They all turned their gazes to where Scott was looking and saw it. Tara's dead body, draped over the 'Beacon Hills High School' stone wall. Scarlett gasped. She had just seen Tara a few minutes ago and she had been very much alive.
"I- I just spoke to Tara like five minutes ago." Scarlett said frantically, looking at the group. "She said someone made a nine one-one call…" Her voice trailed off. "What if it was the Darach? Oh my God…I thought, I thought I was just seeing things."
Scarlett heart rate increased dramatically and Scott heard it. He put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Calm down, Scar."
"What did you see?" Allison asked wearily, speaking up for the first time.
"I saw someone." Scarlett said slowly. "Or, it might've been something. I never saw a face."
Lydia went wide-eyed. "Was it wearing a black cloak? With a hood?"
"How did you- "
"Because I saw it too." Lydia answered, her voice shaking. "In the fire. Next to the bus, when I pushed you guys away. I saw something."
"My dad's on his way." Stiles said as he walked back over to the group. He had gone to call his dad as soon as he saw that it was Tara. No one looked at him, they were all mulling over what they had heard from Lydia and Scarlett. Stiles raised his brows. "What? Did I miss something?"
"Idioms, analogies, metaphors and similes. All tools the writer…" Scarlett had to shake herself awake again as Miss Blake walked around the class, droning on and on about writing techniques. Scarlett had barely slept last night. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by a figure wearing a black cloak so, as a solution, she had to stay up watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy.
"Lydia, I wasn't aware you had so many hidden talents." Miss Blake said, sounding pleased. Scarlett looked up from her seat beside Lydia, her eyes heavy from the lack of sleep. Lydia was drawing that damn tree again. Scarlett wondered how many pages she had wasted drawing the same tree.
"You and every guy I've ever dated." Lydia replied nonchalantly, not looking up from her doodling. Scarlett grinned, that was the best friend she knew and loved.
"Oh," Miss Blake looked uncomfortable. Scarlett loved it. "That was an idiom, by the way. Idioms are something of a secret to the people who know the language or the culture." Miss Blake gave Scarlett, Scott and Stiles pointed looks, as if she was silently telling them that she knew. Well, of course she knew, Derek couldn't keep his mouth shut about anything. "They are phrases that only make sense if you know key words. Saying 'jump the gun' is only meaningful if you know about the starting gun in a race. Or, a phrase like 'seeing the whole board.'"
"Chess." Stiles mumbled.
"That's right, Stiles." Miss Blake smiled. "Do you play?"
"No, no, my father does." Stiles informed her.
"Okay, so who knows when an idiom becomes a cliché?"
"Hey, I'm pretty sure I can get to Ethan and make him talk." Scott whispered to Stiles. Scarlett wanted to listen in but the sleep was fighting to take over her, which meant she needed to fight back harder, despite how much she just wanted to give in and conch out in class.
"What would you wanna do that for?" Stiles asked.
"The Druids are emissaries, right? So what if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas?"
"Okay first, I can't believe we've gotten to the point where 'what if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas' actually makes sense to me. Second, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan."
"What's that?" Scott asked, completely oblivious. Scarlett was half a sleep and even she knew the answer. Aidan wasn't gonna let anyone near Ethan, especially Scott.
"Aidan. They're always together since he's been back at school how are we supposed to separate them again." Stiles explained.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and coughed obviously, gaining the boys' attention before pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Lydia, who was still doodling away.
Lydia looked up when she felt the three pairs of eyes staring at her. She sighed. "What now?"
"We need you to distract Aidan so we can talk to Ethan." Stiles said bluntly.
Lydia pretended to ponder it for a moment but Scarlett could see right through her façade. Scarlett knew for a fact that Lydia was starting to like Aidan. Or at least she thoroughly enjoyed the sex. "Fine."
"Ethan! Ethan, wait!" Scott jogged up the stairs, Scarlett and Stiles hot on his heels as he cornered Ethan, who had been trying to avoid them at all costs.
Ethan sighed and turned to look at them. "Why are you even talking to me? I helped kill your friend, remember? How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?"
Stiles gave him an incredulous look. "Is he looking at me? Are you threatening me? You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna break off an extra-large branch of mountain ash, cover it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe and shove it up your frickin' a-"
"Okay, tough guy." Scarlett sighed, rolling her eyes and grabbing Stiles' arm so he would stop walking towards Ethan. "He's shaking."
Scott sent Scarlett a silent thank you and she shrugged in response. "We're talking to you because I know you didn't want to kill Boyd. And Scarlett told me that you stopped Aidan from killing her too, so thank you. And I think that if something like that were to happen now, you wouldn't do it again." Scott explained his motives to Ethan. He wanted him to realise that they didn't need to be enemies and they, could in fact, help each other.
Ethan looked down and shook his head. "You don't know what we owe them. Especially Deucalion."
"How so?" Scarlett asked with a raised brow.
"We weren't like Kali and Ennis. We weren't Alphas." Ethan told them with a sombre look on his face.
"What were you?" Scott queried with intrigue.
"Omegas." Ethan sighed. "In actual wolf packs, omegas are the scapegoats, the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack."
"So you and your brother were like the bitches of the pack." Stiles put it bluntly, still putting on his tough guy façade.
"Something like that." Ethan admitted.
"Well, what happened?" Scott asked.
"They were killers." Ethan's voice took on a different tone, he seemed to become angrier and more passionate about what he was saying. "I mean; people talk about us as monsters. Well, they're the ones who gave us the reputation. And our Alpha was the worst of them."
"Well why didn't you guys fight back?" Stiles wondered. "Form Voltron-wolf, kick everyone's asses?"
"We couldn't! We didn't know how to control it back then." Ethan snapped.
Scarlett nodded, thinking she understood. "So Deucalion taught you, right?"
Ethan nodded. "And then we fought. We took down the pack one by one and by the time we got to the Alpha he was begging for his life and we tore him apart. Literally."
"What about your emissary?" Scott asked. Ethan just looked away. "They're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?"
"All except for Deucalion's."
"You mean Morrell?" Stiles asked, already knowing the answer.
Before Ethan could say anything he gripped his chest and let out a gasp of pain. Scarlett's brows furrowed in confusion. "Are you okay?"
"Are you hurt?" Scott asked him, his expression worried.
"Not me." Ethan clarified. "My brother." He took off down the stairs, heading towards the boys' locker rooms and the other three teens followed closely behind although Scarlett struggled to keep up. All this running was not helping her drowsiness.
The group arrived, just as Aidan was about to smash Cora with a weight. Scott and Ethan quickly went for Aidan's arms, making him drop the weight while Scarlett and Stiles ran to Cora who was already on the ground and bleeding from her head. Lydia was next to her. She had been shouting for Aidan to stop but he wasn't listening.
"Hey!" Ethan shouted in his twin's face. "You can't do this!"
"She came at me!" Aidan growled, glaring at Cora.
"It doesn't matter!" Ethan snapped back immediately. "Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her." Aidan remained quiet and Ethan dragged him out of the locker room.
"Hey guys, I think she's pretty hurt." Stiles said, drawing the attention of the others to Cora, who was writhing in pain on the ground, with a huge gash that was gushing with blood on her forehead. Cora ignored the pain and rose to her feet. Scarlett found a towel and gave it to her to clean up the blood. "You okay?"
"She doesn't look okay." Lydia answered.
"I'll heal." Cora muttered, taking a step back and swaying as she did so. Scott immediately stepped forward to balance her but she pulled away. "I said I'm fine."
Stiles narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you have any idea how suicide-ally crazy that was? What were you thinking, going after them?"
"I did it for Boyd." Cora snapped. "None of you were doing anything."
"We're trying." Scott assured her.
"And you're failing." Cora reminded him coldly. "You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers, running around, thinking you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do it show up late. All you really do, is find the bodies." She left it at that and walked out of the locker room.
"Did we just have our asses handed to us?" Scarlett wondered.
"Yup." Stiles confirmed. "She's definitely a Hale…I'll make sure she gets home." He walked out after her.
Scarlett was making her way across the courtyard. Her teacher had sent her to the nurse's office because she was concerned Scarlett might faint in class. She couldn't blame her. Scarlett was pale and had dark bags under her eyes. All she wanted to do was go home but she still had three periods left of school so she supposed going to the nurse wasn't the worst idea imaginable. She would probably let Scarlett sleep for a while.
As she was walking, something caught her eye. Or, someone, rather. Derek. With none other than Miss Blake. She wasn't even sure if that was allowed on school property. Anyway, she groaned internally. The timing of this awkward meeting couldn't be any worse. If Scarlett was to face her ex and his new squeeze then she at least wanted to look fierce, not like she was on Death's door.
Scarlett stopped and Derek caught her eye, staring at her. She looked tired, worn out, exhausted. He wondered what was wrong with her but he guessed it wasn't his place to worry about her anymore. Although, some part of him did.
Jennifer noticed that Derek was looking at something behind her, rather than at her and when she turned to see Scarlett, she clenched her jaw. This girl really had the worst timing.
"Uh, Scarlett!" Miss Blake called out, keeping her voice as sweet as possible. "Do you have a pass for being out of class?"
Scarlett narrowed her eyes. She really, really wasn't in the mood and who knew if she'd regret her actions later but to hell with it. "Oh yeah, yeah I do-" She started rummaging in her bag. "It's right here!" She shouted, sticking her middle finger up at the two and walking away. Scarlett grinned. She loved how immature she was.
Miss Blake's eyes widened. Usually, that would gain Scarlett a detention but Jennifer wasn't willing to waste time with Derek to run after Scarlett. "Wow, she's um, a charmer."
"Yeah…she's, uh, something." Derek muttered. His mind screamed that she was so much more than something. He knew it was true. He cared about Jennifer but she was really just a distraction from the immense loneliness he felt, something to keep his mind off of Scarlett, which he had come to find was extremely difficult. Everything reminded him of her. He even bought a new car because his Camaro just brought back constant memories of being in the car with Scarlett. Of her smiling, laughing, arguing with him.
What was worse was how every time Jennifer smiled, he saw flashes of Scarlett's smile in his head. Every time she laughed he cringed because it wasn't Scarlett's laugh. Her touch didn't feel the same, either. Her kisses seemed so cold compared to Scarlett's full, warm lips, so he had to imagine it was Scarlett lips that were touching his. That was the only way he got through it all.
Scarlett was a constant plague in his mind. He knew that she didn't want anything to do with him and how could he blame her? He had been so insensitive but he was so angry that he she had left him. He also knew that she was better off without him. Being with him was dangerous and he hated when Scarlett was in danger. Nothing made him more furious.
It was never going to change anything, the fact that he was still in love with her. He had lost her for good but that didn't stop his constant craving for the woman who still held his heart in her hands.
Scarlett woke up feeling like she hadn't slept at all. She groaned and sat up, the paper beneath her crinkling noisily as she did so. The room she was in was dark but just outside, she could see the nurse sitting on her computer. Scarlett stood up and walked out of the room.
"Ah, you're awake." The nurse announced.
"Yeah. How long was I out for?" Scarlett asked, rubbing her eyes.
"About an hour."
"Really? I don't even feel like I got five minutes." Scarlett complained.
"Well, it's no wonder, with all the tossing and turning and murmuring you were doing." The nurse laughed.
Scarlett's brows furrowed together. "Murmuring?"
"Yes." The nurse confirmed. "I wasn't intentionally listening, of course, but you were talking quite loudly about a Derek and I think it's safe to say you miss him."
"What makes you say that?" Scarlett asked warily.
The nurse chuckled. "Well you weren't just saying his name, dear, you were crying out for him. Telling him to come back." The nurse gave Scarlett a sympathetic look.
Scarlett groaned internally. She wasn't even safe from thoughts of Derek in her sleep. And now the nurse knew about it too.
"I should get back to class." Scarlett said, walking out of the office. As she was making her way to English, she noticed a crowd of people gathering at the door of one of the History classrooms. Curiosity got the better of her and she walked towards the crowd, pushing past the other students when she saw a flash of strawberry blonde hair.
"I'm telling you, he was taken. Just like Mr Harris was. Has anyone heard from him lately?" Lydia asked Miss Blake who was listening to Lydia's explanation of Mr Westover's disappearance.
"Lydia?" Scarlett asked, walking towards her with a concerned look.
"Oh thank God." Lydia sighed. "You believe me, right, Scar?"
"About what?"
"Mr Westover didn't show up for class." Lydia informed her, giving her a look that meant she had a feeling about this.
"If Lydia says he's missing then he's missing." Scarlett clarified for Miss Blake, who sighed.
"We can't be sure of anything." She told them.
"Look, he was taken and he's going to be the second murder." Lydia stressed, pointing to the number 2 that was in one of the circles on the board. The circles created a Celtic five-fold knot. Scarlett knew because Allison had told her about it once.
"But, Lydia, you wrote that number." Miss Blake reminded her.
Lydia huffed. "Okay, I'm psychic."
"You're psychic?" Miss Blake asked, incredulous.
"I'm something!" Lydia snapped, making the other teachers turn to give her looks.
"We'll figure it out, Lyds." Scarlett whispered. "Let's just go." Together, they walked out of class, away from the crowd so that Scarlett could call Allison who had ditched school.
"Allison." Scarlett said when Allison answered. "Mr Westover's missing. Lydia has a feeling he's the next sacrifice. You know how you told me that you thought your dad was tracking the sacrifices? Well, let's see if maybe he knows where Mr Westover is going to end up."
Danny's eyes widened as Scarlett walked into the music room. "Wow." He was strictly gay but even he had to admit that Scarlett looked breath-taking.
She was wearing a lilac ensemble that consisted of a delicate, sheer, netting crop top that had a few floral patterns crotched into it that cleverly hid the cleavage that the bralette underneath the top exposed, and a floor length, flowing skirt of the same colour that had a slit in it that reached just above her mid-thigh. She knew it would be disrespectful to show so much skin at an event like this as a small part of her stomach was already exposed between the top and the skirt so she reminded herself to not put her right leg out at all or it would be on display for everyone to see.
"Oh shut it." Scarlett said with a laugh. "You'd find me much more attractive in a tux." She flipped her hair and the dark curls flowed gracefully down her back.
"You're probably right." Danny laughed. "You ready for this?"
"Of course not." Scarlett laughed. "But let's do it."
The two walked out together and Scarlett's breath hitched as she saw that the hall was nearly completely full. She definitely hadn't expected such a turn out. Danny saw Ethan and immediately left Scarlett to go to his side. The band were already in place and Scarlett had nothing to do besides wait in the wings until it was time. She peeked out again and sighed with relief when she saw Scott and Lydia standing at the back of the hall. They gave her encouraging smiles but then their faces reverted to being full of concern. Scarlett had a bad feeling about all of this.
"Well, it's time." Danny sighed as he appeared next to Scarlett. Scarlett nodded, trying to calm her racing heart. "You'll be great." He took her hand and led her onto the stage as the lights dimmed, their music teacher took her seat at the piano and the conductor got the band ready to play.
Scarlett heard the music and thanked her lucky stars that Danny was singing first. All she had to do was wait.
"Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are…" Scarlett was still surprised how good Danny was.
"I had to find you, tell you I need you, tell you I'll set you apart…
Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions, oh let's go back to the start…
Running in circles, coming up tails…
Heads on a science apart…
Okay Scar, you can do this.
"Nobody said it was easy…" That wasn't so hard. Now Danny.
"It's such a shame for us to part…"
"Nobody said it was easy…"
"No one ever said it would be this hard…
Oh take me back to the start…"
Deep breath…and go.
"I was just guessing, at numbers and figures…
Pulling the puzzles apart…
Questions of science…science and progress, do not speak as loud as my heart…
But tell me you love me, come back and haunt me…
Oh and I rush to the start…
Running in circles, chasing our tails…
Coming back as we are…"
"Nobody said it was easy" It was so true. It wasn't easy for Scarlett. None of it was. Especially losing Derek.
"Oh it's such a shame for us to part…
Nobody said it was easy…
No one ever said it would so hard…"
"I'm going back to the start…" Scarlett felt herself belt the note out, losing herself in the song.
"Nobody said it was easy…"
A thunderous applause filled the hall, filling Scarlett with relief. She smiled, relishing in the feeling of being appreciated. She and Danny held hands as they bowed but then something stopped all the noise.
Scarlett gave Danny a confused look as the band started playing again. Not the next song but some strange…chant. The same chant Lydia had heard. The one she had showed Deaton.
The audience held confused looks, the band seemed to be getting louder and louder. Scarlett didn't know what to do. She looked at the teacher on the piano and just as did, a chord came loose and slashed the teacher's throat, spraying blood all over Scarlett and making her scream at the sight of the teacher falling off the stool, dead.
Her eyes widened, her hand coming to her mouth as she froze in shock.
"Come on, Scarlett!" Danny grabbed her hand and yanked her away as a crowd started to form around the body and horrified screams sounded everywhere.
"Oh God, oh God." Scarlett began hyperventilating.
"You need to calm down." Danny warned her.
She shook her head. "I need to find my brother."
Scarlett ran as fast as she could in her stilettos, pushing past members of the audience and bursting through the double doors.
"Scott!" She yelled when she saw him and Stiles, with their back turned to her. She ran at Scott and he turned around just in time to catch her as she tripped.
"Scar you have blood- "
"I know!" She snapped at Stiles, quickly taking her shoes off and carrying them in her hands.
"Do you know where Lydia is?" Scott asked her.
Scarlett shook her head frantically. "No. Should I? What happened?"
"We need to find her." Stiles stressed.
"Hold on." Scott said, his eyes glowing yellow as he tried to focus on listening. All of a sudden he clutched his ears, yelping in pain.
"Scotty?" Scarlett asked, bending down to see if he was okay.
"I heard her." He panted. "I heard her scream. I know where she is."
"Scream?" Scarlett asked with wide eyes. "Why are we just standing here?"
Scott was gone before she even noticed. She turned to look at Stiles who sighed and grabbed her hand as they took off after Scott.
They ran through the dark corridors until Stiles halted in front of their English classroom. They both looked inside, wide-eyed at what they saw.
Lydia tied to a chair, Sheriff Stilinski with a knife in his shoulder, Scott on the ground and Jennifer Blake giving them an evil glare.
Scarlett felt her blood boil but just before she could barge into the classroom, Miss Blake shoved her desk and it flew at the door, closing it and barring Scarlett and Stiles from getting in.
"Dammit!" Scarlett screamed. Her brother, her best friend and her father figure were all in trouble, she had to get into the room. "Stiles help me!"
Together they pushed the door, banging against it, trying and trying to move the desk but it wouldn't budge. They stopped when they saw movement in the classroom and stared through the small window with horrified faces.
"I can't believe it's her." Scarlett said, her voice filled with confusion and anger. "Well actually I can. She's an evil bitch!" She shouted, hoping Miss Blake would hear. "Ugh!" She screamed, throwing her full body at the door, trying again to bust it open. Stiles joined her again. They pushed the door, fought with the door handle but to no avail. They were trapped outside when they were needed inside.
This wasn't happening. There was no way any of her friends were dying. Not at the hands of the thing that seduced the love of her life, forced her into singing in front of an audience to distract her and kept giving her B's in English. It wasn't happening. Scarlett wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't allow this person to ruin her life. Not tonight, not ever. She had to get in.
She had to get in.
Scarlett backed up and ran, full speed at the door, with enough force to open the door and knock the table out of the way. Stiles stared in shock as Scarlett squeezed through the opening the door had made and climbed over the desk, running to Lydia.
Stiles got in just as they heard the glass of a window break. When Scarlett looked up, Miss Blake was gone. And so was Sheriff Stilinski.