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Track 01 - You (Ha Ha Ha) by Charli XCX
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{Saturday: Morning - BHHS, Parking Lot}
"A decision has been made," Allison's her fingers splayed dramatically, her voice pleading despite her animated her face. "I'm reinstating bowling night!"
From the noncommittal look Scott cast Lydia, for once Scott and Lydia were on the same page, but he was the easier to fold. Lydia's right brow went up so high it may as well have been part of her hair line. Isaac took a step further back keeping brave footing behind Allison.
"Hear me out," Allison put the take-out food ominously on the car's hood, so Scott rush forward get hold of it. "It was only ruined because I pushed it onto everyone to begin with," she reached for one of Lydia's hands and one of Scott's.
"If I had asked you both, to mend-fences, would you have said yes?"
"Of course, I would have," Scott grinned then glancing over her shoulder at Isaac and smiled a bit less.
Lydia sighed, "if you begged. Offered to pay for the first frame."
"Is that a 'yes'?" she bit her lip.
Lydia sighed and nodded.
"Now, Isaac, I want you to come bowling as an apology. If it weren't for me butting my nose-"
"It's really fine, Allison," he tried to dissuade her.
"See. He said its fine, Allison." Lydia yanked at her hand, but Allison wouldn't be dislodged.
Allison turned to half face Scott knowing he'd sense a lie. "I owe Isaac, and I want him to come as my guest to make it up to him. Even Lydia admits she wouldn't have torn into him if I hadn't pushed her."
Lydia's eyes shot daggers at Allison. Allison wasn't afraid of daggers.
"Scott? What do you think?" Allison looked to him, from mask of a sweet smile, and long lashes.
"Scott?"
His head whipped around at the sound of Lydia's plea. Her expression wasn't soft, but her eyes were in earnest. His surprise at her addressing him directly left him too stunned to respond.
"Scott?" Isaac asked mostly because he was afraid Scott may have had an aneurysm. "It's really okay," Isaac redirected toward Allison, "we don't get along really."
"That's not true," Scott answered quickly, "we probably have more in common than we don't. If Isaac wants to come. Sure."
Isaac shrugged, "It's up to Scott and Lydia."
"Typical guy-code," Lydia groaned. She wrenched her hand from Allison's and rubbed its soreness away.
"Meaning?" Allison asked.
Lydia grabbed at the take-out, marched away and left nothing for Scott, "of course Allison, anything you say Allison. I'll be there with bell's on Allison," she continued to rant as she marched through the school doors. Chasing after her, Allison smiled assuredly.
Sighing deeply, Scott encouraged Isaac to join him back on the field for a healthier outlet, maybe for a better way to execute camaraderie. Isaac replied, "Sure Captain!"
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Track 02 - Team (Lorde Cover) by CHVRCHES
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{Noon-ish - Preserve, BH. CA}
"Pretty sure at this point I need to remind you that we are best-friends."
"I know that" Allison said over her shoulder.
Lydia twitched, unconvinced but pushed on. "When our second cram session got cancelled you said we'd have quality girl time."
"I said we'd spend quality time. Who knew Ms. Blake would leave after the morning session."
"If you saw the way she was ogling the boys at lacrosse out of the class window-"
Allison stopped short, "no way!"
Lydia shrugged. "I do it too, but I never used it as an excuse to miss a class."
Allison continued onward through the woods, with a shiver Lydia clutched her coat closed and moved on too. "Allison," she whispered searching around. "How far out are we going?"
"You didn't have to come?"
Lydia waved the remark as one would a passing fly. She quickened her pace to march alongside Allison instead of straggle.
"Allison, when you needed to stop for an errand before Häagen-Dazs and chick-flicks a 5-mile hike was not what I was expecting. Or I wouldn't have left my phone in the car charging, instead I'd be calling for an Uber."
Allison stopped again. Lydia smirked, her hands on her hips in triumph, instead Allison responded by dropping her quiver to the ground to strap on her shooting gloves. Lydia would have complained more but she became intrigued, watching her best-friend at her best work. Allison knew she had won the argument when Lydia didn't even snip at her when given a gentle push in the arm with the edge of her bow to move out of target range.
"Well, critique?" beaming, Allison expected her best-friend to be full of them. Lydia's lips pressed into a withholding grin as she handed over a second arrow.
"If there's one thing, I could say..."
"Yeah?" Allison placed the quiver in alignment.
"Did it have to be here? I feel like I'm being watched in these woods," her voice grew small.
Disengaging Allison turned to face her with an uncertain expression. This far out, she couldn't imagine that to be true. Lydia snapped, if she wasn't scared of harassing ex's why would she be scared of a few leaves and branches?
"Is Jackson the ex?" she supposed. Allison didn't know everyone at the High School yet, but she understood social hierarchy and she'd been raised to understand certain signs.
Lydia laughed like that had been the punchline to the worst joke. The bad joke of her messed up relationship where Jackson suddenly turned from eye-candy to abusive prick.
"Look, sometimes going off like a rocket is a good thing and he was pretty to look at. But I didn't love him I just loved liking him. It took me a little too long to figure that out."
She placed Allison's hands back in aiming position and encouraged her to continue shooting. "You're fortunate you came along when you did Allison Argent. Perfect timing. Just when I happened have the opening for a best-friend to gossip about how he turned into a possessive freak overnight!"
"You never have to worry about that happening again," she promised. The second arrow hit the tree with such force it echoed through the wood and sent birds scattering, "I'll have your back." She smiled sweetly and turned for Lydia to hand over the next arrow. Lydia didn't hesitate, instead grinned practically preening.
"Listen to you, like a Knight in a skater dress, protecting her Queen."
"You bet," Allison slid the arrow against her gloved finger. She took a calm breath and shot the third arrow close enough to the first to nearly split it. Lydia gave a slow clap, admittedly impressed.
A serious tone settled. "Well, you had better look out for me. Not just because you owe me for being so patient with your practice for alleged archery team, gymnastics, cross-country-" she ticked off a list on her fingertips.
When Allison kindly reminded her wasn't an archery team, Lydia joked "yet" when suddenly her eyes mouth went slack, her eyes and she stumbled backward. Allison caught hold of her before she hit the ground, but Lydia tried to excuse it away. Allison was having none of it. She knew the effects of supernatural symptoms and she continued to question Lydia while the effects were fresh in mind. Lydia caught her footing quickly but never quite regained balance. She used Allison as a crutch while they made their slow and trailing way back to the car.
Along the way Lydia described what she felt, the harsh dizziness that rose to the point of an ache, driving her to want to scream until her head ached. "Now I hear it, like a sort of pounding. It's so loud, don't you hear it?"
Shaking her head, Allison pitied her friend and carried them along.
"Pounding like, pounding like trampling," Lydia looked around, paranoid and skittish. She moved faster until Allison tripped to keep hold. "It's getting too fast, it's getting dangerous" and she grabbed her chest, as her breath sped up and Allison rushed her into the car. She hardly spoke between her harsh pants. Allison wanted to go the hospital, but Lydia urged them to go home.
"I can handle this. It'll pass..." she gulped for air, "it has to." She clutched her head and collapsed into the passenger seat. Allison knelt outside the door beside her, knees pressed against the nettle covered ground as she looked up at her semi-conscious friend. Lydia's back arched away from the seat, her mouth dropped open in a silent cry, as her face crumbled in agony. Then in a moment it was over.
Allison was surprised to find Lydia's pulse calm when she checked. When she sat back, she looked fragile and seemed to be falling asleep. Despite that when Allison moved away Lydia clutched her hand. She squeezed it back. Of course, Lydia could handle whatever this was, she could handle anything.
"Lydia?" and the only response was the twitch of a brow. "Lydia you're going to be okay," but Allison's voice croaked, she sounded pleading instead of confident.
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Track 03 - Amorphous by The Underachievers
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Endurance drills on the cross-country path weren't uncommon for the Lacrosse Team. Having it held on a weekend was verging on barbaric but "them's the breaks!" Coach was happy to inform them.
"I hear you're to thank for this McCall," Jackson's voice virtually slid through the group and struck Scott in the back of his head.
"Well, I-" Scott started to explain he wasn't the only kid involved in the fight but thought better. It wasn't in him to throw someone else to the wolves, so to speak. Even if he and Isaac weren't on the best terms.
"I'm going to make sure to show you my gratitude. Do you hear me?" Jackson ground out the words, his enunciation like bite marks. It made Scott's ears hurt.
Coach crowed at the sight of Jackson and smacked him hard on the shoulder, "what an honor! To have not one, but both our Co-Captains in attendance. I could cry. No really, it's so pathetic it takes these extra measures to get you all to turn out. Maybe I should have endurance drills every weekend?" His suggestion was met with groans.
"Well, then get out there and show me it's not necessary! GET!"
Jackson turned away and clipped Scott hard enough in the shoulder to set him back a pace. Isaac winced at the sight.
The term "on your mark, get set, go!" Although they were the last to run, the boys surpassed the rest of the team. But if anyone was going to be suspicious would have had to catch up. In intensity, if not competitiveness.
If Isaac had been clearheaded, he would have remembered to stay under the radar but give up a chance to mess around with a pack member-? Meanwhile Scott forgot Allison's suspicions of Isaac but never having challenged another supernatural being on equal footing (not since their fight the day) before, he couldn't help it. Along they went. Over hillside, kicking up dust, cling and kicked off of tree branches, leaping over stones and skidding around bends.
Not wanting to be shown up Jackson, pushed himself to try and keep up. His body strained, he heard his heartbeat thunder, reverberating from the soles of his feet and to his brain. It was a sound he preferred to the voices of two over-animated idiots. As much as he pushed, he couldn't get pass the fact that the wrong people were in the lead and he was set, yet again following.
"Hey, man! Don't! You're going to pull something-" Danny's voice sounded like something from the bottom of a tin can. With a snarl Jackson shoved him off hard enough to knock him over. He could not bear to hear one more person's voice rolling around in his head. The sight of Danny vanished into a cloud of dirt stopped Jackson in his tracks, too quick for his velocity and sent him stumbling. Jogging, he back tracked over to help Danny to his feet. Despite his apology, possibly due to his limp, Danny was not quick to forgive.
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In a childish display of one-upmanship, they made demands as surpassed each other.
"What do you want with Lydia?" Scott wanted to know as he leapt over a rockface.
"That's not a question I can take seriously," Isaac admitted while he jumped past a ditch.
"Are you using Lydia?" He chose a different tactic, closing Isaac against a wallface.
Listening to Isaac's heart-rate he noticed an irregularity, not a spike like a lie but something of a hiccup and Scott's hackles rose. They would never be certain whether it was an honest-to-God trip or a tackle but they both went down, all-limbs and bruising.
Until Danny caught up and asked if there was some 'hotness' happening because he did not mind but Coach might have words. Isaac and Scott broke apart and sat breathless in a familiar tangled mess.
Isaac opened his mouth to apologize but Scott beat him to it.
"I don't know why I keep losing my temper," Scott wiped his face with the back of his hand, putting more dirt on than taking off.
"Have you tried smacking around your friends? I hear that helps." After sucking on his bloody lip, Isaac's grin looked stained.
Scott stood and helped Isaac to his feet, "it's not like me."
"No, Scott. It's very much like you to get protective over the people that matter to you." Isaac clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm just sorry you don't see me as one of them yet."
"What are you saying?" Scott shuffled along, setting a pace that put them in last place.
Isaac made at cracking his neck to try to hide the way his wrist healed from a fracture when a thought occurred to him. "Scott, have you tried focusing on just your nerves?"
"What?"
"I don't know." He took a moment to consider how vulnerable Scott was as a Beta- or an Omega, whichever he technically was. Without a pack Scott should have been weaker or desperate, somehow, he was none of those things. But Isaac certainly felt that way at times which is what first drew them together, his own need for a pack. Even if it led to them coming head-to-head. But as long as Scott remained a beacon of vitality, others would be drawn in. Without some guidance, without an Alpha to learn from he'd be in harm's way.
Isaac sighed and dove in, hoping for the best, "this's just something I picked up from my foster parents to help keep myself in check. When you're upset try to visualize each nerve, individually inside of you. Not slowing them down or separating them, just being there."
"Does it work?" it was then that Scott worried on what Allison would think about him going to Isaac for advice. He wondered what she would think of Isaac's theories. And then he thought maybe for now he shouldn't tell her, or at least not until he tried it out first.
"I guess. Because once you know that 'there' is where you are, you don't have to worry so much about losing control. Even if sometimes you still will."
"Isaac, is that Buddhist?" excited at the prospect, Scott's face lit up.
"Maybe a little bit," Isaac's brow cocked in thought. "I don't know. I never asked them."
They got near enough they could make out the rest of the Team waiting up for them. They stepped apart from one another, keeping a distance to assure the rest of the Team they wouldn't burst into a fighting fury once more and cause any more spontaneous endurance drills.
"Scott, try it." He squinted against the slanted rays of dying sun, "and when it doesn't work, try it again. You should know yourself before someone decides to label you."
After several small nods, a grin split Scott's face. It was the least Isaac figured he could do, if Scott learned to suppress his nature, and it prevented him from being a target, it might prevent them from rubbing each other the wrong way. Although, he didn't imagine it would go far in resolving where Scott figured he fit in the greater hierarchy.
At the end of practice when Coach said anyone who does not check in gets left behind. Danny asked if anyone saw Jackson. No one had and they returned to BHHS without him.
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Track 04 - Flux by Bloc Party
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It never actually happened where Danny thought of Jackson in the showers, but when it finally did it was because he was worried sick. He thought of him snarling and disappearing over the horizon and not having heard from him since. He thought of Jackson the way a parent frets over a sick child, so much so he lost focus and almost burned his skin. So, he jumped out of the showers, left the locker room and after dismissal hopped in his Toyota Yaris and sped up the mountain side they had just run. He retraced their trail, but slower and by the light of his phone.
The sun set only made him fear more for Jackson so he sped up when he should have taken his time.
"You can be killed being out here this time of night, there's no visibility," said the guy who pulled up on the dirt bike. "Not to mention there are weirdoes all around."
"I kinda know that. I've misplaced my weirdo," Danny answered as he threw an arm up to shade his eyes from the headlight.
The driver chuckled and turned off the bike.
"I'm worried about my best-friend." Danny explained. He instinctually wanted it to be clear his reason for being there was serious, also seriously he was not searching for his boyfriend. "He's been acting weird and took off around here a couple hours ago."
The driver advised him to go home, "You're just going to get into trouble up here. There's poor cell-phone reception." The driver looked him over considering whether he was worth his full attention. "It'll be better to come back in the morning when you can see better. Although you could probably get in just as much trouble then."
Danny clicked off his phone's light to let his eyes adjust, discerned light brown hair and deep brown eyes in the shade, and determined they were enough to stop and listen to for a while. The stranger pointed out any tracks that could have been followed would have been obscured by now, plus his best-friend (who had better be worth it) probably managed a different way home.
"If your friend doesn't turn up by the morning you might want to have the Sheriff's department come out here to look with you," the cockiness in his tone left no room for argument. "Until then, why don't I take you some place safe?"
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Track 05 - Girls Like You by The Naked and Famous
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{Afternoon - BHHS, Boy's Locker Room, Changing Area}
While Scott's was still in the locker room shower his cellphone rang. He had a feeling it was more bad news, but he also had feeling he should get it before he regretted it.
"Scott?"
"Hi, hello" Scott tried to assure her he was ready to listen. He remained on his knees after having tripped across, over benches and barely tumbled into his shorts.
"If I cancelled tonight, would you be mad at me?" her voice sounded tucked into her elbow, curled into her crossed arms and hidden from her nerves.
"Of course not." He glanced around the locker room for Isaac.
"Really?"
"Well, not mad."
She laughed nervously while Scott juggled the phone and tried to yank on a t-shirt.
"I'm confused," Scott admitted, trying to hide the sound of his frustration. Allison gave a shaky sigh. She could often see through his act.
"Lydia asked for a 'Girl's Night'. I think she really needs it," a rustling through the phone was the sound of her running her hand through her hair. Her voice showed tiredness and apologies her words could not get across. "I think she needs to crash really."
"Is she going to be, okay?" The line stayed quiet, not perfectly since he could listen to her breath and how it stayed muffled at a stilted rate.
"I know something's wrong," Scott's voice came across with firm tenderness, "I can tell when you're hiding something." Scott cradled the phone to his ear; he could see in his mind's eyes the way she would cradle her head against her forearm while she peered out and figured how to approach the world.
Allison expressed her growing concern. She described Lydia's episode in the forest, the sudden onset of headache and chills. Scott was too embarrassed admit he had kept silent about Lydia's symptoms earlier in the Chem-Lab.
"Will she be, okay?" Scott cut into her stilted recap as he caught sight of Isaac walking with other teammates.
"Yes. Of course," she assured him. "Nothing keeps her down."
After a moment's hesitation, "good, that's good," he conceded and for the time being that would have to be enough.
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Track 06 - And The Boys by Angus & Julia Stone
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"Hello Allison," Isaac picked up in a tone of exasperation that answered the point of her phone call before she opened her mouth.
"Would it help to say I'm sorry?"
"I'm don't know if you know what that word means" Isaac tried awfully hard not to smirk, from the corner of his eye he caught Scott listening. Scott probably didn't even know he tried to, but it was Allison, and he could probably hear her over jet propulsion.
"Let me make it up to you!" she sounded falsely cheery.
"Please, if you say bowling-"
"Fine, no bowling. Something else."
"Allison please," that had been a mistake. Scott froze pulling his shirt midway down his torso. Isaac couldn't afford their shaky truce being broken. He walked himself and his phone nearer and he mouthed to Scott, "why's Allison calling me?" as if he hadn't known.
Scott shrugged, pretty good at playing dumb.
"We just keep taking off on you-"
"Hey, if you ever had Jackson as a Co-Captain, you'd get used to it. Here for drills, gone for practices, takes off right off the running tracks, looking like a lunatic. You're not half as crazy as that guy."
"I guess, if that's what I have to measure up to I'm in good standing," she gave an awkward chuckle.
"Next game just cheer extra loud, okay?" Isaac suggested.
"Not good enough," she insisted. "Next dance, I'll owe you a spin on the floor. Sound good?"
Isaac felt like he had swallowed a dozen marbles while standing on hot coals. Scott stared with one eyebrow shot up in accusation. Isaac didn't know why he did it or how it became an impulse, but he answered "yeah, sure" before he realized he had opened his mouth.
"Great! Scott's a great slow dancer... I mean you didn't think I would give you the dance? You good with that Scott?" Allison's grin sounded thick in her voice, and it wasn't hard to envision. She'd rightly assumed, in opposition to her advice the two would form a brozone.
"Uh..." his jaw worked on vowels while his eyes squinted trying to catch up with the pressure in his brain. "Huh?" effectively he had answered. 'uh-huh'
"Great! Talk to you later," and she disconnected. Isaac looked toward the ceiling as if it held some explanation. The rattling in Scott's brain was nearly audible.
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Track 07 - Living Dead vs. Figure 8 (Marina & The Diamonds Mashup) by DJ Bulbou
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{Saturday/Sunday: Crossroads}
It hella-sucked to wake up hungover without the bonus of having gotten drunk.
Lydia's brain rocked through her skull, she felt nauseous and to use the term generously 'ruined'. Her skin felt stretched a bit too thin while light and sound affected her like a battering ram. Life sucked.
She across to the bathroom barefoot but the carpet felt like gravel underfoot. The flow from the showerhead sounded like the unexpected rainfall that came along sometimes and made the streets reflect the dark night. She closed her eyes and imagined she could feel a soothing breeze against her skin.
When Lydia opened her eyes, her reflection showed something different than what she expected so her breath tightened in her chest. Humidity trailed her hair in a bloody red rivet over her shoulder, the dark circles around her eyes and pale trembling lips left her face unrecognizable. The eyes looking back at her searched for answers to questions she'd yet to pose. Startled, Lydia spun around, aligning with the shape of her reflection, she searched the room for answers. But in the mirror, she stood in the rain-soaked street meanwhile she stood beside her dresser staring into a vanity. When she looked back, her mirror-self watched her with mild suspicion but with much more fascination. Lydia tilted her head slightly and thought while she understood the appeal, corseted top, ripped jeans and doc martins were a bit too showy for her taste. It took seconds really, to look in and know you're yourself and not yourself. It took a split less second for Lydia to see red eyes in the dark and recognize looming death in the background. Her breath became labored, her memories of running in the dark came flooding back and she struggled to stay put. Her expression must have said enough. Her mirror self-turned around and saw the Monster bearing down on two legs, then on four. Lydia saw It leap over obstacles, shopping carts and car hoods, like they were invisible things. Flashes of fear and panic washed through her. She clasped her hands to her mouth because mere words weren't enough to express her terror, instead she filled her lungs with it. Of all the things to come back from her missing time, did it have to be witnessing her dying?
Lydia glued her eyes open both terrified and transfixed while the Monster killed her again. She reached out her hand when the roar collided and screamed as her world shattered into a million pieces.
"Lydia!" her Mom shouted, a sound that would normally snap her awake. Mrs. Martin shook her daughter and dragged her physically from her sleep. Groggily Lydia rolled over and wished everyone understood, nightmare or no nightmare, how difficult a time it took for her to get to sleep. Why wouldn't they just let her alone?
"Lydia, please," her Mom needed for her daughter to confirm she was okay, was unwilling to take no for an answer. She pulled back her duvet to find the blankets and sheets coated with fresh blood and bits of glass, and her daughter's hands recently had been split open. "What did you do?"
Fully awake, Lydia leaned up against her Mom and looked across the room to see that while everything else in the room had been perfectly unphased, in her vanity mirror was spiderweb fractured through.
"Oh, my God, what did you do to yourself?" Lydia knew her Mom really wanted to ask 'what is wrong with you? but Mom's aren't allowed to ask those sorts of questions aloud. She glanced to her nightstand and found her phone charger empty. No safe-line in Allison.
"'Lydia, sweetheart. Why did you do that? Lydia."
She couldn't think of an excuse. She couldn't comfort for her Mom. She couldn't think of a thing. Her mind was a blank.
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Track 08 - Beautiful Nightmare by Skylar Grey
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The Monster did not smell her fear because she wasn't at first afraid. She stood tall for someone so small. She wasn't confused either when the Monster showed, and she didn't have weapons. The rain started and changed the smells around her. Somewhere he remembers we are born appreciating the scent of rain because our ancestors have relied on rainy weather for survival. That is not what begins the hunt, but it is what makes it much more fun.
She does run. The sound of her boot clad feet against the moist pavement is more enjoyable than had it just been the clomp-clomp-clomp of a teenage stampede. She scurries around things, but it isn't hiding exactly. Its strategy. And she is clever, this wily redhead, his precious commodity. But she falls under his claws, when Scott flings her through the air it is almost as satisfying as blood dampened thump of when she hits the ground.
The Monster gives her just enough time to get up again before leaping onto her and digging teeth in. He didn't want it to be teeth, he hadn't meant to be angry, Scott was not an angry person after all, but he liked the adventure of it and the soft crunchy sensation of sinking into her. After surrendering to the hunger, it became impossible to stop.
When she screamed Scott fell out of bed. He curled into a ball and clutched his head as it continued for a full minute in a voice he would recognize anywhere. Instead of feeling grateful to be woken from another premonition he feared for everyone, but especially for Lydia.
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Scott's voice felt raw. Until he actually spoke, and he realized only his dream voice felt raw. He hadn't been growling, he hadn't been hunting in the evening's chilly night air or chasing down his friend in the dark. He hadn't been tearing into her skin and swallowing bits of bone that scrapped his esophagus.
"Scott?" Allison sounded tired. He felt guilty for waking her up. He felt worse for the unrest he was about to cause.
"Is Lydia, okay? I heard her screaming?" He trembled as he asked. He shook worse than when he first heard voice her rip through his skull.
Allison cleared her throat. "Mmyeah, always why?"
"Not always."
"What's going on?"
He breathed deeply and gripped his knee tightly hoping to still it. "Nothing, I guess. It was a nightmare."
"A "Nightmare" nightmare?" she sounded more awake.
"Are you sure she's fine?"
"She's fine Scott," she assured over and over again. When she asked if he wanted to talk about it, a blow of tiredness ran through Scott, and he could barely stay awake anymore. He didn't feel the vision would come back. It wasn't the sort of thing that would reoccur.
"Tomorrow," he promised, and hung up.
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Track 09 - Yellow Light (Cillo Remix) by Of Monsters and Men
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{Sunday: Before Dawn - Spaulding District, Aires West}
Allison stared at her cellphone. The night was long, and her tiredness wasn't an act. Conniving had become such a common practice she'd become numb.
What bothered her was not being able to call Lydia's cell. After the afternoon they'd had, she couldn't blame her for forgetting the iPhone charging in the car. And cloning the phone gave her busy work while she waited outside Jackson' house. The idea had been brewing in her mind for some time, although she'd only now just gotten around to it.
She felt guilt having to decide between her staying on task or to leave her stake-out to check on Lydia? Instead, Allison took a 3rd choice and get out of the car for closer investigation. The little impression Allison had of Jackson were conflicting at best. His display of concern for Lydia was passive aggressive.
Weeks earlier, Jackson had driven Allison around to the ER in Fairvale for Lydia's sake but refused to get out of the car. At the time it was a blessing because Allison didn't want him seeing how she worked her investigative skills to get pass security. Afterward, he seemed equally upset and relieved when Lydia returned to school. The way Lydia described his flip-flopping behavior over the summer months coincided with when there were attacks in the Preserve. But ex-girlfriend centric behavior aside, his frazzled disappearing acts from lacrosse practice were suspicious. It wasn't much to go on, but it was enough to pique her interest.
Investigating solo was a dangerous route; if Jackson was a Werewolf, an aggressive one at that and he discovered her snooping he might attack at any moment. But she wanted to get out of there, the sooner the better. She missed her partner, Bennet. She missed her better half, Scott. But her instincts told her this hunch could not ignored and it paid out.
The broken trashcans in Jackson's driveway presented the unmistakable detail of claw marks.
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Track 10 - Black Out Days by Phantogram
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While he stood underneath the rhythmic hot shower water blasting away at his topmost layer of skin, there was little Jackson sensed or understood. It took away with it mud, grit, blood and guilt. Guilt for something he couldn't even remember. His hands moved slow over his body, from his neck, over his collar, across his breast plate and hugging his arm closed, he bowed his head against the fall of water.
If he remembered nothing, and he could force himself to wash away the present tense too than he had no need to question whose blood still clung under his fingernails. He could tell himself it is just the shower water, it's just nothing but the faucet valves fully open and the colors going down the drain were the same they always were when training got away from him.
Not that anything really got away from him.
Playlist: have been transferred from 8tracks over to youtubeDOTcom / bhanesidhe