Chapter 3

Scarlet wandered through the woods with Scott and Stiles as they recounted what had happened that day at practice. Apparently Scott was suddenly a very good goal keeper.

"I don't know what it was, it was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball and that's not the only weird thing. I hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear, smell things," Scott explained.

"Smell things, like what," Stiles asked.

"Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket, or pine needles on Scarlet," Scott replied.

"I don't have any mint mojito," Stiles started to say as he searched through his pockets. He pulled out a piece of gum though falling silent. Scarlet sniffed the collar of her jacket but couldn't smell anything other than her perfume.

"So all this started with the bite," Scarlet asked.

"What if its like an infection and my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something," Scott exclaimed.

"Let's not be dramatic," Scarlet suggested.

"You know what I actually think I've heard of this, its a specific kind of infection," Stiles replied.

"Are you serious," Scarlet and Scott asked.

"Yeah, yeah I think its called Lycanthrophy," Stiles said seriously.

"What is that? Is that bad," Scott asked in fear.

"Oh my god, really Stiles," Scarlet said shaking her head at her brother. "Are you trying to give him an asthma attack?"

"Oh yeah," Stiles said addressing Scott. "It's the worst, but only once a month."

"Once a month," Scott asked.

"On the night of the full moon," Stiles said before letting out a soft howl. Scott shoved him in response and Scarlet simply rolled her eyes. "Hey, you're the one that heard a wolf howling!"

"There could be something seriously wrong with me," Scott replied.

"I know! You're a werewolf," Stiles said growling and making claws with his hands.

"Really Stiles? A werewolf? That's ridiculous even for you, I think you are the one we need to be worried about," Scarlet called.

"Obviously I'm kidding, but if you guys see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I can find its because Friday is a full moon," Stiles explained. He shot Scarlet an apologetic look.

"I could have sworn this was it, there was the body, the deer came running, I dropped my inhaler," Scott said as he knelt down to look through some leaves. "Do you recognize it Scar?"

"Yeah, this is it," she said as she glanced around. She didn't think she'd be able to forget this particular clearing for awhile.

"Maybe the killer moved the body," Stiles suggested.

"If he did I hope he left my inhaler, those things are like eighty bucks," Scott said.

Scarlet wandered away from the boys searching the ground as she walked. She wasn't looking where she was going until she walked into someone. She glanced up assuming it was Stiles or Scott. She let out a soft gasp when she recognized Derek. He smirked at her before stepping around her to address Stiles and Scott.

"What are you doing here," he demanded. "Huh? This is private property!"

Scarlet darted around Derek and got between the guys. "We were here last night, and he dropped his inhaler," Scarlet reminded him as she motioned to Scott.

"Sorry man, we didn't know," Stiles said.

"We were just looking for it, but forget it," Scott muttered.

Derek tossed something to Scott and Scarlet turned to see that it was the inhaler. She turned back and smiled gratefully at Derek before he walked away from them. She started to say goodbye to him, but thought better of it. He obviously made her twin and Scott uncomfortable.

"Dude, that was Derek Hale," Stiles burst out. "You remember right? He's only like a few years older than us."

"Remember what," Scott asked.

"His family, they all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago," Scarlet explained.

"I wonder what he's doing back," Scott murmured.

Stiles made a scoffing sound before walking away from the clearing. Scott and Scarlet exchanged a heavy glance before following after him. They dropped Scott off at work before heading home. Scarlet went up to her room and dropped her bag on the floor. She turned back to it when her cell phone began to ring.

She noticed that it was Jackson and hit the ignore button. She tossed it on her bed, but heaved a sigh when it began to ring again. She glanced down noticing a different number this time. She grabbed the phone and answered the call.

"Hello," she said carefully.

"Scarlet, it's Lydia," said a syrupy sweet voice.

"Hey Lydia, what's up?"

"I heard an interesting rumor today and I was just curious to know... are you still dating Scott McCall?"

"I was never dating Scott," Scarlet said in confusion.

"Really? I heard that you were dating him last summer," Lydia explained.

"Who told you that?" Scarlet realized a moment later that it had to be Jackson, she'd told him about it one night. Why would he tell Lydia about that though?

"Ok, you can't tell him I told you, but Jackson was the one that mentioned it to me. He said that I couldn't get Allison together with Scott because he's dating you. Which I thought was ridiculous, because first you could do way better, and you would have told me if you were seeing someone, or just sleeping with someone. Right?"

Scarlet could hear the insinuation in her voice. She drew a deep breath before speaking. "Of course I would Lydia."

"Just like I would need to know if you knew that Jackson was messing around behind my back, which I think he is."

"Oh, um, no I don't know anything about that. I mean why would he cheat on you? He'd be crazy to do that!"

"Listen, Scarlet. I know that your position at the school is kind of... precarious if you will. You are cool, but your brother and his friend aren't. You're also really pretty, which would mean that not only will guys want to go out with you, girls will want to tell you things. So I need you to find out who Jackson is screwing around with, because when I find out, I'm going to ruin her. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear," Scarlet said. "Anything else?"

"Nope, see you tomorrow," Lydia said brightly before hanging up.

Scarlet glanced at the clock on her phone. She knew that Jackson would still be up and that Lydia would be at her house by now. Her parents always made her come on by ten on school nights. Scarlet grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. "Stiles, I'll be back in a few minutes," she shouted as she grabbed the keys and rushed out the door.

It started raining as she drove, but she at Jackson's in just a few minutes. She parked down the street and ran through the rain to his house. She called him from the back door. "You ignored my call," he said instead of hello.

"I'm at the back door, come let me in, we need to talk."

The line went dead and she waited for him to come. She huddled against the wall trying to keep out of the pounding rain. The door suddenly flew open causing her to jump. Jackson grabbed her arm and pulled her inside without a word. They silently snuck up to his room, careful to not alert his parents.

"Lydia called me," Scarlet explained as soon as Jackson shut the door.

"Yeah, she accused me of cheating tonight. I tried to call you and warn you."

"Does she know its me or is she just speculating?"

"She doesn't know who it is! She just said it was a feeling she got," Jackson exclaimed. "She's just upset cause I wouldn't have sex with her."

"Ok, is there a reason why?"

"If I tell you its because I'd rather have sex with you, would you believe me?"

"No, not really," Scarlet said with a roll of her eyes. "Look, I told you that we can't do this anymore. Now Lydia has me on the look out for whoever you are sleeping with. Also why did you tell her about Scott and I? I told you that in confidence!"

"You told me about Scott because I asked you if you had ever been with anyone else, you thought I meant dating not sex. I didn't know I was your first!"

"Uh, really? It was pretty obvious when we were done," Scarlet pointed out.

"You didn't tell me! How was I supposed to know," Jackson demanded as he sat next to her on his bed. He placed a hand on her knee and met her gaze for a moment. "Are you staying?"

"Jackson," she exclaimed as she threw his hand off her knee. "Your girlfriend knows that you are cheating on her, she doesn't know with who or why. She just does, and I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore. It's not if the shit is going to hit the fan, it's when. We both know that neither of us wants to be standing there when it does. She'll dump you, she'll kill me, and what will we have to show for it?"

"I'll break up with her," Jackson said seriously.

Scarlet scoffed at him and rolled her eyes. "I'll believe that when it happens. Stay with her, you are good for one another."

"What about you," Jackson asked. "What are you good for?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out, I've got to get home before my dad. We agree right? This is done? The last thing you want is for people to find out you were sleeping with one of the Stillinski twins. You've got to lay off him and Scott though."

"At least it's the hot one. I'll lay off, for you."

Scarlet laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'll be sure to not tell my brother you said that, walk me out?"

Jackson rose from the bed and heaved a sigh. They quickly made their way downstairs to the backdoor. "It was good while it lasted Scar," he commented. "Friends?"

"Yeah Jackson, friends," Scarlet said before kissing him on the cheek and slipping out the door and into the rain.