Lydia Martin and Abby Morgan weren't exactly the best of friends. They'd only agreed to handle dance registration together, so that one of them couldn't brag of having one-up on the other.

They took an entire cafeteria table to themselves at breakfast the next morning, and Jackson being the douchebag he was- was determined to push matters.

"Room for me?" Jackson asked with a smirk, having a seat with his breakfast tray, while his buddies did the same.

"Oh sorry," Abby laughed. "Didn't anyone tell you Jackson? This table's for dance tickets only."

"I didn't see a sign on it," Jackson pointed out.

"Yeah well too bad!" Lydia told him, clucking with disapproval. "I'm afraid it is. Move Jackson!"

"Go on a date with me and I will."

Lydia fumed at that, while Abby merely grinned, deciding to be her usual annoying self when she didn't get her way.

"Mrs. Tringle!" she called across the cafeteria.

"Oh god," Jackson groaned, as their librarian made her way over the staff table.

"Yes Abby?" the woman asked shortly, adjusting her glasses with an impatient look.

Mrs. Tringle didn't exactly like Abby, but she was the girl's favorite staff member to complain to.

"Jackson won't move," Abby sighed dramatically. "And this is Lydia and I's table for dance registration."

"There's no sign on it," the librarian observed, while Jackson shot Abby a triumphant smirk. "Still, I must insist you find another seat Mr. Whittemore."

Jackson's smirk fell immediately, but he didn't dare to contradict a teacher.

"Oh and Abby," Mrs. Tringle said as the boys sulkily shuffled away. "Do put a sign out in the future."

"Of course," Abby agreed brightly, but then muttered at the librarian's back when she went back toward the staff table.

Lydia still had a scowl in place.

"Thank you," she managed.

"Well one of us has to know what we're doing," Abby pointed out, with that sweet smile that made Lydia want to slap her.

It was then that Dawson popped into the cafeteria, hoping Jen was there. He didn't typically eat school breakfast, but sure enough...

Jen was at a table with Joey of all people, but they didn't appear very chatty.

"Jen," Dawson greeted, making his way over.

"Oh hi Dawson," she replied.

"Given what I asked last night thought?" he pressed, cutting straight to the chase.

Jen's slowness to reply told him clearly she hadn't.

"I don't know yet Dawson," Jen admitted, looking like she hated to let him down. "I haven't said yes to anyone else."

"Wait a sec," Joey cut in, sounding like she was in real bitch mode. "You asked her to the dance Dawson?"

"Well what's wrong with that?" he asked with a dismissive laugh.

"What's wrong with that is it was an insensitive thing to do! She's new here. You don't know her history or..."

"Really Joey," Jen interrupted her. "Its fine. He didn't mean any harm."

Joey sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever you say Jen," she muttered, and turned to her plate, pretending neither one of them existed.

"How about the Rialto?" Dawson suggested. "Its a theatre. Tonight?"

Jen seemed to think about that.

"Well I guess," she agreed, but still sounding unsure. "I'll meet you at your place. What time?"

"Six?" he suggested.

They agreed, and Dawson left the cafeteria as quickly as possible. Joey didn't become any less pissy in his absence.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Stiles groaned as Mr. Harris droned on about something he was too tired to even remotely process. Why did Scott have to go and become a werewolf?

He rubbed at his eyes and gave a sudden jump.

He couldn't be seeing a boy there...

A boy who was definitely younger than himself with black hair and expressive eyes waved at him from the back corner of the classroom.

Stiles rubbed his eyes again, and just like that the boy was gone...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The bell for third period echoed through the halls of Cape Hill.

Joey slammed her locker shut. She definitely hadn't intended to get an tardy...

However, she stopped dead short in the hall when she saw a boy who was definitely not high school age. He was looking straight at her with the most piercing eyes, and smiling softly.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Maybe," the boy said. "I can't find my family. I'm lost..."

Joey felt uneasy more than anything for some weird reason. The boy seemed to give off a vibe of unease.

"And what is your name?" she asked like you would talking to a child.

"Derek," he replied. "I've lost my family somewhere, and I can't find them."

Joey wasn't sure what to say, and for some weird reason she really didn't like the boy.

"Where do you live?"

"In the woods," he answered. "The woods outside town..."

"The preserve?" Joey asked in disbelief.

That place was all wooded and grown over. There was no one living out there...

She turned back toward the boy, but her heart skipped when he simply wasn't there. Where had he gone?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I saw a boy in Mr. Harris's class," Stiles insisted. "I don't know who he was, I told you."

Pacey laughed lightly at that, and sipped at his chocolate milk.

"You didn't see a boy Stiles," he said understandingly. "You're tired. You said he was gone when you rubbed your eyes."

Stiles's mouth fell open, and he looked as though he wasn't sure he believed himself.

"The boy seemed real," he muttered.

Just then the last person either of them wanted to have lunch with joined them without really asking.

"Mind if I sit?" Joey asked quickly, and sat before either of them could really reply. "I hope you and Pacey don't mind, Stiles. I really don't want to sit with Jen or Dawson."

"Why not?" Pacey questioned curiously.

"Something stupid that happened this morning," Joey dismissed like it was nothing. "I've really been having the morning from hell..."

Pacey chuckled darkly at that.

"Can't be any worse than our night from hell," he remarked.

"I don't know what your night was like," Joey said. "But get this! I saw some boy in the hallway. Young kid with black hair..."

Stiles's eyes lit up.

"You saw him?" he cut into their conversation. "I saw him!"

Joey's mouth fell open in shock.

"You..." she stopped, and eyed Stiles supiciously. "This isn't one of your jokes..."

"Hey I swear," Stiles said, raising his hand. "Scout's honor."

Joey shook her head and stood, rolling her eyes.

"I don't believe you," she told him. "I should have known not to sit with you two dorks."

"Yeah well don't believe me!" Stiles shouted after her.

Joey dumped the rest of her food, and decided to spend the rest of lunch outside. She wasn't really very hungry.

However, something soon drove everything else from her mind...

She turned a corner into another hallway, and almost ran headlong into the boy.

"Hello again," he greeted brightly.

"Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed, and rubbed her forehead to steady herself. "You shouldn't sneak up on people!"

"I'm sorry," Derek apologized sincerely. "I need you to come to the preserve. My house is there, but I can't find my parents anywhere."

Joey sighed at that. Who was this kid anyway?

"I am not going anywhere near that preserve," she said flatly. "There's a wild animal attacking people out there. You shouldn't be there either."

"He isn't really wild," Derek said in reply, and Joey looked like he'd lost it.

"Look," she sighed finally. "I don't like the idea, but I can't have a kid like you out there by yourself. If you'll just meet me there after..."

She looked toward him, but he'd pulled his vanishing act again...

Unease and the slightest hint of fear washed through her.

Should she really do it? Should she go to the preserve?

"Weird kid," she said aloud to herself.

If Joey didn't know any better, she'd think he was a ghost or something...