Chapter 19

Melanie walked through the brown double doors of school and embraced the odor of textbooks and angst. The school had a very distinct smell like wet dog. She smiled inwardly. She felt at home here. Who knew it'd be in a public school?

"She lives."

Scott and Danny were coming down the steps nearby. Danny held the strap of his bookbag as it hung on hung on his shoulder. She smiled at them as they came up on both sides of her.

"Unfortunately. This is like the second time I've nearly died. This town is going to be the death of me," she quipped. "Maybe I should write my will."

"Isn't that why you decided to stay here," Danny joked.

"Yeah, sure," she snorted. "I am a thrill seeker. I live my life on the edge."

Scott and Danny cringed at the pun and Melanie's smile dwindled at seeing Isaac grinning like a fool a little ways down the hall. His eyes lingered on Allison. He curled a lock of her hair around her finger. Melanie sighed and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. It was ridiculous to feel angry about those two together. They were dating.

"When are you going to give up those things and get contacts," Danny asked.

"I think I'll keep them. They're annoying, but have a certain charm," she said, smiling goofily. She pushed her glasses up her nose again.

He chuckled. Melanie went quiet as they passed Lydia and Aiden. She couldn't help, but smile in her usual cocky way.

"Hey ginger," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Danny scratched the back of his head, looking away. Melanie could tell that he didn't like the little bitch fights she started. Sure, talking to a cobra seemed like fun until you get bitten. Then you end up dead. Lydia was a cobra, but she didn't strike, not really.

"Whatever," she said. "That top doesn't match those shoes."

The first day back felt as if she'd never been absent. Well, almost. Economics was bumpy.

"Rouxe! Detention, today after school!" he yelled as soon as the late bell rang.

"What!? Why? I'm not late," she exclaimed, shooting forward in her seat angrily.

"You've been absent for the last week," he said.

He started on today's chapter, but Melanie quickly interrupted.

"That's not fair. I was sick."

"Oh, were you dying?" he asked sadistically. His eyes bulged from her persistence.

"Yeah, I was. Call the hospital and check for yourself," she snapped.

"Detention," he said with finality. He eyeballed her carefully, his features softening some, but he didn't say anything more about it.

She roared quietly; her teeth gritted together. What an ass, she thought as her foot bounced up and down. If he wasn't her teacher, she would've said a lot more.

"Don't worry too much about it. We've got detention all week," Stiles whispered from behind.

It didn't make her feel any better. She had better things to do than sit in detention. She still hadn't gone to see Derek and Cora. Neither of them came by the house either. There were no missed calls on her phone. She'd been checking it every ten minutes.

Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead. She didn't touch her textbook or notebook, hoping it'd piss Finstock off. It didn't. He blew his whistle a lot at Greenberg. She didn't raise her hand when he asked questions. That did make him give her questioning looks. His need to try and better her as if she couldn't do it herself was getting ridiculous.

"Rouxe," he said, stopping her after class. "Were you really sick?"

"Yes, you dillhole," she snapped, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Well...I can't take absence lightly," he said, caught off guard by her bluntness. "I expect more out of you."

In other words, he missed her and she wasn't allowed to disappear again.

"Whatever," she mumbled and walked off.

Detention was in the library. It wasn't a new concept for her. But, it was better than expulsion.

Mr. Harris walked into the library as Melanie settled at the table next to the one Stiles and Scott sat at. She lowered her head, hoping he wouldn't see her. Being invisible wasn't a superpower she possessed though. She wished it was, especially right now. He looked at her with disgust.

"I wondered how long it would take before I would see you here," he said.

Melanie clenched her hand tightly, shooting up from her chair. Just the sound of his voice pissed her off. He managed to make her feel ashamed and hated it. Luckily, Scott grabbed her arm to stop her. Mr. Harris's eyebrows rose curiously. She wanted to hit him, but sat back down instead.

"Careful Melanie, I'd hate for you to get expelled," he said, his lips twitching with a smile at the thought.

"Yeah, I bet." Damn temper, she thought. It was a tricky thing to control. Only 'special' people could really press the trigger-idiots.

Allison and Lydia came in right then. They looked at Stiles and Scott, feeling the tension. Stiles shook his head. Melanie stared down at the table, her chest rising up and down quickly as she tried to calm down. Three other students showed up and took their seats, also shuddering under Mr. Harris's shameful glare. If he would just unstick whatever was crammed up his ass he'd probably have better luck getting laid, Melanie thought.

Melanie scoffed at the thought and sat down.

"You may leave at 5:00pm and no later. Why don't you all think about what you want to do with your miserable lives after high school? I'm sure the life of a janitor or fast food worker is very contemplative," Mr. Harris rebuked.

It was fifteen minutes later when he announced that he had to use the restroom.

"Don't move. This isn't The Breakfast Club," he ordered.

Melanie got up and lifted the strap of her bag over her shoulder. The bag hung at her hip, the strap pressing into her chest. She made her way to the windows across the room as soon as the doors closed behind Mr. Harris. If she didn't escape she'd throttle him. That would get her expelled and probably arrested, and Derek was pissed off enough about Paris.

"What are you doing," Allison asked. She turned in her seat.

Melanie opened one of the windows. Lifting it, it stuck almost halfway open. A light breeze brushed over her face.

"Leaving," she grunted, trying to pull it open just a little more. "I am not sticking around to listen to that dildo be all superior."

She got a few snickers on the comment. It was true though. Mr. Harris thrived on the hope that students would fail. No way in hell was she listening to him judge her. Obviously, he was the failure in life. Why else would he be that way?

"He'll suspend you," she said.

Melanie stopped and turned. She tucked her bangs behind her ear and her eyebrows scrunched together with deep thought. That depth was quickly brushed away with a careless shrug.

"I don't care. He can suck a big one."

Scott and Stiles shared a look. She turned and climbed up onto the heater then tossed her bag out the window carelessly. It hit the ground with a soft thud. She saluted them and then slid out and landed on the grass. The sun was hot, beating down on her back. She could feel parts of the gashes split open. She remained paused for a few moments. Feeling them seep was disgusting. She'd have to make a pit stop and change her bandages real quick.

Scott and Allison looked at one another. She bit her lower lip nervously, considering what Melanie had said. She would've rather been spending time with Isaac right now. She looked at Lydia, and bit her lower lip.

"You're not thinking about it," Lydia asked incredulously.

The redhead looked at all three of them. Stiles was tense as if he was going to stand. His lips pressed together and his knee bounced up and down.

"She's going to get you expelled," Lydia said. She picked at her nails.

One of the others that had been thrown in with them made his away across the room and climbed out the window. Scott got up and made his way over next. He tossed his bookbag out the window similar to the way that Melanie had. It was unlike him to break the rules. He needed to see if Deaton knew anything about the recent murders. He had answers for almost everything.

"Scott, dude," Stiles said.

"I have to talk to Deaton," Scott said and dipped out.

Allison couldn't help but grin at seeing this side of Scott. This was new. Stiles followed him out the window. Skipping out on detention felt like the one normal thing he'd done all week.

"Be a rebel," Allison quipped and followed suit. "We could go shopping?"

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you think that would work," she said appalled by her best friend.

"Come on." Allison nudged her. "We've done worse. Remember the time we snuck into that bar-"

"Enough!" Lydia exclaimed. They'd vowed to never talk about the time they went to the bar. Allison laughed.

Lydia sighed and got up. Some of her red curls fell forward. She put her pink Prada purse on her shoulder, hating that she was joining her delinquent friends. Allison jumped gleefully and made her way for the window.

"I hate you for this," she grumbled, carefully going out the window so that her floral dress didn't go up. This was a bad idea and they'd all get suspended probably.

Melanie let out an anxious breath, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him once she saw him. A lot had been figured out. Stiles hit her, Scott and Isaac agreed to help her manage her pain which wasn't needed. They ignored her when she objected to the proposal. Allison and Lydia promised to take her shopping. She wasn't a shopper, but she couldn't turn down their excitement, well Allison's excitement, about it. The ginger was dying to make her more girly anyway. Apparently, Melanie's style was unacceptable. Jeans and a t-shirt half the time was not going to get her a boyfriend. Neither was her attitude, but Melanie ignored all of Lydia's comments. She wasn't looking for a boyfriend right now and she sure as hell wasn't going to change. Comfort was key and wearing jeans and a t-shirt was comfortable.

She got out of the car and jogged across the street. Her heart kept racing in her chest as she went up to the loft. Before opening the door, she could hear Derek talking. Cora was in there too. Their voices were muffled.

She let out a deep breath and opened the door. Her arm felt like a bungee cord. Derek and Cora stopped speaking and just stared blankly. Melanie stuffed her hands in her pockets.

"I just ditched out of detention," she said.

"What a delinquent," Cora commented, quirking an eyebrow.

Melanie walked further into the room, stopping at a column nearby. An awkward tension kept her from getting too close to them. Silence just filled the space. Derek stared at her, no words coming from him.

"So what? You're not going to yell at me," she asked Derek.

He didn't yell. His arms fell from their crossed position to his side. She couldn't tell what was going on in his head. His face was blank. Melanie's heart pounded faster.

"Come on, Derek. Say something, anything. I'm staying here, and I'm not going anywhere. Made a promise to a friend, well a few friends, that I wouldn't leave," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

He wasn't even saying anything and she could feel herself getting annoyed. Her nails bit into her arms. That stupid look on his face made her scoff quietly. He wasn't even looking at her. There wasn't anything wrong with her face. The minor scratches and bruises were fading and some were already gone. Her fingers were in a weird cast that made them feel heavy though her hand was out of the brace. All in all, she looked fine. Underneath the surface things were not fine, but nobody had to see that. Nobody needed to know that she was screaming and crying inside, begging for sanity in the midst of all this-Isaac, deaths, getting nearly killed. All of it at once was too much.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "Really? You're really giving me the silent treatment. Have you and I digressed back to childhood? My god, I can't believe you're acting like this. I save my friends' lives, and yes, I said friends—and you are just going to ignore me. I'm starting to see how you piss everybody off. I know I have issues trusting people, but you won't even give them the time of day."

Melanie started pacing as her rant continued. Her hands were flying up wildly as her excitement of annoyance rose. She stopped abruptly as Derek stepped in her path less than a foot from her. Her hands dropped to her side with defeat. Looking down at her, he still said nothing, but his eyes were softer, gentler. His hardened shell had cracked as he stared at her standing there. Those eyes of his softened as they stood so close.

"I'm alive!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't that mean anything to you? I thought we were family."

Melanie sniffled. He was a stupid dog. She thought he truly cared about her. After knowing him, growing up with him, he was still cold.

Melanie gasped from the sudden embrace he pulled her into. Her toes barely skimmed the ground as she hung in his tight hold. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Don't do that again," he breathed into the crook of her neck. "Just don't."

Melanie closed her eyes. Tears brimmed them and tried to push past her barriers. She sucked in a deep breath and let out a short laugh. Her back pinched and stung, contributing to making her eyes water, but she didn't say anything. She wanted this moment to last. So much had happened and it had been a long time since she'd seen him, so she reveled in this happy moment. It wouldn't last forever.

When he let go, he held her shoulders, getting a good look at her.

"You aren't that stupid teenager I knew," he said.

"That would be Stiles and Scott," Melanie said.

Cora snorted behind them.

"Laura would be proud of you," Derek said.

"Or think I'm an idiot," Melanie said.

She looked over to Cora. She was unmoved by the mention of Laura. Laura would be proud. That little girl who'd gotten lost in the woods was now the girl who ran through them strong and fearlessly. It was thanks to them. If it wasn't for them, she'd be in the foster system or on the streets. This was better than that.

"How's the injury," Cora asked, stepping closer to them.

"It hurts, but I jumped off of a 200 ft. cliff, so that's to be expected," Melanie answered. She arched her back a little. "I just need some time."

"When that time is up, you're getting back to your training. I need you in shape," Derek said. His normal grumpy, stern face returned.

"Why? You have three werewolves,"

"And, you are nearly as good as them."

Melanie grinned. He wouldn't say it out right. He didn't like it when others were right. She accepted that though. It was close enough.

"Okay then. I'm going to need a minimum of five weeks. I might be able to get stitches in two weeks," she said.

Derek nodded. His eyebrows furrowed together, an easy tell of when he's in deep thought.

"You know the alpha pack isn't going to leave," Melanie said after a few minutes.

"We know. Your death will keep them happy until whatever else is out there is done."

"What do you think it is?"

Derek shook his head.

"We should talk to Scott," Cora suggested, keeping her nonchalant posture of not caring.

Derek let out a huff. Going to Scott was a last resort and they all knew that.

"I can't," he said. "He needs a normal life."

"Well, I can," Melanie said, shrugging.

"Melanie don't,"

"All I have to do is act like my usual self and not care. For some reason, that makes them think I care," she said.

"Because you do," Cora piped up, smirking.

"It's going to get me killed," Melanie said, rolling her shoulders.

Her back itched. She put her hands on her hips and dug her fingers into them, resisting the urge to reach back and break the skin of her wounds. It would only take one scratch and they'd ooze and drip and sting then she'd be annoyed at herself for doing it. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Probably," Derek agreed.

"Where's Peter," she asked.

She glanced around the open space cautiously. Now would be a perfect time for him to kill her or chastise her. He was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know," Derek replied. He was as concerned as she was. He looked to Cora. She shook her head just as clueless.

Not knowing was a relief and a burden. Melanie wanted to hope that he'd left town, but knew better. It left her on edge. Peter was conniving and power hungry. There was no telling what he was up to. And, whatever it was would have to wait. Murderers first then comes the alpha pack and whatever else decides to seem worse. Peter was an omega which meant that he's basically useless. For right now that meant he could live and she hated that.

"Do you need help," Derek asked.

He was talking about her back. Melanie shook her head, smiling.

"I'm okay," she replied.

He didn't believe her, but dropped it. He walked over to his table. Melanie stood opposite of it, feeling like a knight of the round table. The decadent piece of furniture was square and Italian, but it made sense in her head.

On the map spread out across the table there were red Xs. She recognized one of them. It was where that girl in the woods had died.

"Dad! I'm home," Allison called out as she walked through the front door. She set her bag at the bottom of the coat rack. "Dad?"

Still, there was no answer. He must've been out. He'd been out a lot lately and wasn't saying much about his whereabouts. He didn't want them involved in this. No matter what he was trying to do to keep them out of this, they were still involved. These were people from school that had been killed. There weren't some random serial killings.

Grabbing a can of soda from the fridge, she made her way back to her room. She decided to wait to do homework. Lying down on her stomach, she took off her black chunky babydoll heels and tossed them to the floor. They bounced due to the thick, clompy rubber heels. She left her above the knee socks on and opened her laptop.

A strange rustling from the front room made her pause. She slid off the bed and straightened her skirt out real quick. Her small crossbow sat on the dresser. She silently inched forward and grabbed it. It remained propped up. The tip of the silver arrow nearly touched her jawline. She breathed slowly through mouth. Whatever was in the apartment wasn't making it out unscathed. Her heart pulsed, but not with fear. Adrenaline was starting to set in. The footsteps of the intruder were soft, but heavy on the carpet. She counted in her head; one, two…

On three she sprang out into the front room and pointed the weapon, her finger tight on the trigger. Her eyes widened and she let out a sigh of relief. Isaac with his back turned to her looked at her, his lips parted in surprise. An elegantly carved picture frame with her sitting on a swing in it was in his hand. Her hair swam around her face in the picture. It had been windy that day.

"Everything okay," he asked, setting the frame down. He didn't take his eyes off of the arrow loaded in the crossbow.

"Uh huh." She nodded lowering the weapon to her side. "Can't you knock?"

"Came through the window. Electricity, really?" He showed her his scorched fingers.

Allison laughed lightly.

"Can't be too careful. Dad wanted it installed."

She dropped the crossbow onto the crème white comfy chair nearby and made her way back to her room. Isaac followed behind.

"Hey," he said stopping at her Dad's office. "Isn't this door normally closed?"

Allison turned. His head poked into the room. It was normally closed. Her Dad kept his office private. Isaac stepped into it, looking around the room. Allison noticed the desk lamp on and walked over to turn it off. She stopped at seeing a map of the town on the desk. Various X's were written on it.

"This makes no sense," she said.

"What?" Isaac stood on the other side.

She pointed at some of the marked spots.

"These are where some of the bodies were found, but what are these?"

She pointed to other marked spots. Isaac shrugged.

"Where others will show up next?"

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