***PSA: SO I GOT A GUEST REVIEW BUT PRETTY SURE IT WAS JUST A TROLL. THEY'VE LEFT A COUPLE OF COMMENTS/REVIEWS ON THIS STORY SAYING SOME NASTY THINGS, CALLING ME NAMES AND SAYING I SHOULD KILL MYSELF FOR THINKING I COULD WRITE. I ONLY HAVE ONE THING TO SAY TO WHOEVER IT IS... THANK YOU! HAHAHA LMAO. I SO APPRECIATE YOUR REVIEW. IT GAVE ME THE LAUGH I NEEDED AFTER A STRESSFUL DAY AT WORK. HOW PATHETIC DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO LEAVE A NASTY REVIEW ON A STORY JUST TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE. I TRULY WANT YOU TO CONTINUE LEAVING THEM. I LAUGH AND THEN DELETE THEM. BUT THANKS, I SO NEEDED THE COMIC RELIEF. ***
**Now, for everyone else. this is the last chapter of this story. Please don't shoot the messenger, or the writer in this case. Enjoy **
"So not to get ahead of schedule or anything, but when do we start planning the bachelor party?" Isaac asked from the back seat of Stiles' jeep. I turned in my seat to stare at Isaac to see if he was having a mental break because that sentence had made no sense whatsoever.
"What?" Stiles asked, glancing back. He was driving us to school today because he ended up staying over the night before to celebrate the paperwork going through. Isaac was officially my brother and all of us were happy about it. We may have celebrated too much for three sixteen-year-olds who had school the next day. we would be paying for that later, I'm sure, but it was worth it.
"well, since you and Cora are obviously a thing now, I just figured we should start planning for the eventual wedding." He shrugged with a smug grin on his face. Oh, that's what he meant. Okay I was so on board with this conversation now.
"Wait, how are we at wedding stage? And what do you mean we are a thing? When did that happen?" Stiles asked and he really looked like he was confused we could even think such things. We both blinked at him.
"I would say it happened when we caught you making out in your dad's office but I'm pretty sure it's been going on longer then that." I told him slowly.
"Wait, is that why Isaac kept humming 'Kissing in a tree'?"
Isaac and I looked at each other then back at him.
"duh." We said at the same time. Stiles rolled his eyes.
"I'm with Isaac on this. We should start planning the bachelor party. You just better make me your best man. I mean I'm your oldest friend and honestly if it had not been for me you would have never met your future wife." I teased. Isaac snickered from the backseat.
"Guys, we're not… that's not… it's not like that." he finally spit out. We both guffawed at that.
"Dude, she literally grabbed your ass while kissing the hell out of you the other day, in front of the whole school and Derek." Isaac pointed out. That was true. I'm pretty sure she did it to mess with her brother, but Stiles didn't seem to mind it. If it had not been for the piercing whistle from Allison and the cat calling from Lydia and the bystanders, they probably would have kept going.
"Okay, first, that move on her part almost got me mauled by a pissed off werewolf and second, Cora and I are not together. We are just friends."
I tried to process that statement, but it was not computing, at all. Even Isaac looked like he was breaking his brain trying to make sense of that.
"So, do you kiss and grope all your friends like that because I gotta say, I'm starting to feel left out now." Isaac said with a fake put out expression.
"You? I'm his oldest friend and he has never once grabbed my ass or kissed me. Should I be worried about our friendship?" I asked, wiping away a fake tear. Stiles snorted, picking up a crumbled piece of paper from the console and throwing it at me.
"Come on guys, I'm being serious. Cora and I are not dating."
"Then what would you call it?" I asked, quirking a brow.
"We are just friends." Stiles insisted.
"Yeah, with benefits." Isaac muttered.
"No man, benefits usually means sex." I told him. Stiles turned bright red, and his eyes never left the road even as he stiffened. My mouth dropped open and Isaac choked on a breath. "You had sex?" I asked.
Stiles didn't answer, but the tapping of his thumb against the steering wheel was answer enough.
"Dude… Derek is going to kill you." Isaac gasped.
"After he hangs him by his balls. We just got him calm down from finding out you guys were dating." I added.
"Still not dating." Stiles corrected.
"Okay, help us out here. You say you're just friends, but you guys hang out, just the two of you, all the time, and apparently during those hang outs you make out and have sex. How is that not dating?"
"Look it was only one time. It was right after Danny, and I had been kidnapped. She came over the next day to yell at me for getting kidnapped."
"Wait, did she actually yell at you for being knocked over the head and taken?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah, she did. Called me an idiot and told me I had to be more careful, like it was my fault, then she tackled me on the bed. Before I knew it, we were kissing and that kind of led to other things happening." he shrugged.
"I… have no words for that. Congratulations? I guess." Isaac said. "I'll make sure to replenish the flowers on your grave every week." He said with a decided nod.
"Derek is not going to kill him, cripple him maybe, but not kill him." I said, shaking my head.
"Would you put money on that?" Isaac asked and no, I would not.
"But that does make me wonder if you guys aren't dating then what's going on?" I asked, ignoring Isaac's question altogether.
"Basically, neither of us want a relationship right now. We are happy with things as they are at the moment. We both agreed to just go with the flow and if things change down the line then we'll deal with it then." He said and I nodded. At least they have talked about things and come to an agreement on it. I did not see this coming and just goes to further prove that I am no longer in Kansas. Just call me Dorothy.
"So no to a relationship, but you guys are… something. I mean you asked her to the dance." Isaac said.
"Technically, I didn't ask her anything. I mentioned it one day when we were hanging out and she basically told me that her dress was blue and to pick her up at 8 pm sharp. And not to forget the corsage." Stiles said. Isaac and I cracked up.
"Yeah, that sounds like something she would do." I said.
"Speaking of dates for the dance, did you ask anyone? I mean Isaac is going with Allison and I'm going with Cora."
"No, I didn't ask anyone. Who would I ask?" I shrugged.
"Who did you go with the previous time?" Isaac asked.
"In the previous timeline I was blacklisted from the dance because of my grades so I snuck in. That was actually the night that Kate exposed me to both Argent and Allison. It was not a good night."
"Was that the same night Peter attacked Lydia?" Stiles asked. I nodded and his hands gripped the wheel harder. Hmmm… so still has some feelings for Lydia, I mean he could just be worried because their friends, but I do wonder how his feelings fit into his new 'friendship' with Cora. Might be something to talk about later.
"So why not go with Lydia. I mean you're both single and don't think of each other that way. You could just go as friends." Isaac suggested.
"We thought about that but decided against it. It would feel too weird I think. We kind of formed a sibling bond and no one wants to show up at the dance with their sister as a date." I said. Stiles crinkled his nose in agreement.
"True. So, you're just going stag then."
"yep."
"It's not like he wont have plenty of girls vying for his attention, mister captain of the lacrosse team over there." Stiles said. I rolled my eyes.
"Doubtful. I'm still just as socially awkward as I was before. I might dance a few times but I'm just going to hang out with everyone. Do something that's considered normal for once." I told them.
"We could all do with some normal right now. Too bad you couldn't ask Malia to go."
"She's not ready for a school dance. She doesn't even think she's ready to begin school yet." I sighed.
"How is she doing, by the way? Is she adjusting at all to being human again?" Isaac asked.
"She's doing well as can be expected. She's less angry lately."
"Angry? About what?" Stiles asked.
"Unfamiliar territory, guilt over what happened with her family, lack of understanding of everything around her. She's been gone, living basically alone in the woods for 8 years. To us it may not seem like the world changed a lot over that span of time but to her everything is so different."
"When put that way, I get it. She must have felt so lost once she got back home. How's her dad handling having her back?"
"She does feel lost. Her dad is dealing. He's trying to understand what she's going through but I think it's hard for him. Especially since he doesn't know the whole story. He's really been grateful when I visit."
"Oh, and just what do you two do when you visit?" Isaac asked and I could hear the eye waggle.
"Not that." I laughed. "We are a long ways from that if it ever happens. We mostly just talk. I've been trying to help her understand her coyote half but I'm not sure if I am the right person for that. I'm thinking of asking Cora to visit with me one day to talk to her. They are cousins and maybe it would help if she talks to another girl shifter."
"That could work. Cora's been asking about her. She thinks you've been hogging her." Stiles said.
"I probably have. Not intentionally, well not really, but I know it had only been a few weeks since I had last seen her, technically, but it felt like forever, and I just wanted to spend time with her alone for a while."
"That's understandable. We all get it. She's just impatient. She's kind of like Peter in that way. Don't tell her I said that." Stiles hurriedly added. Isaac and I both laughed.
Stiles parked in the still empty school lot. we had changed our workout schedule to Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning workouts. Keeps our weekends open and stops Stiles from complaining so much about having to wake up early on a Sunday morning.
"All right let's get this day over with. I'm already tired and we haven't even started."
We chuckled, shaking our head at him as we got out and headed for the back entrance which led right to the locker rooms and gym where we would meet Danny.
**REWIND**
The locker room was chaos as per usual before practice. Everyone was hyped up but also dreading practice today. Coach was out today so he left the running of practice to Michaelson, a senior teammate who's been on the team since he was a freshman, and me. With the big homecoming game coming this Friday coach had us on a rigorous training schedule but judging by the instructions he left for us today, he was trying to kill us.
Michaelson and I talked before practice and came up with a good enough plan, one that wouldn't end up with us all on injury reserve but still leave us exhausted enough that coach would be happy. Informing the guys brought on groans from some and happy agreement from others, mainly Greenberg, who Michaelson took it upon himself to put down, per coaches instructions. I was happy to leave that to him.
Practice went as expected; we were all pouring sweat by the time it was over. We split up the team so everyone could work on their moves at the same time, half the team on one half of the field and the other on the other half of the field. I mainly worked with Trent, our best scorer, in testing Stiles. He was doing great with normal shots, but trick shots always seemed to trip him up. So, we took turns, along with the rest of our half, in shooting tricky shots his way. He had improved a lot by the end of practice, with a few more tips from Danny. Isaac, who had switched from being offense to defense, looked to be having a blast knocking over his teammates. Though he was always the first to offer his hand to help them back up. It's amazing what one conversation could do. He seemed a lot more confident after his talk with his father.
The girls, along with Erica – which was a surprise, stayed to watch us. I never really understood why they chose to stay to watch, not that I minded. I kind of got it when Lydia and Jackson were still a couple and he was still on the team but now, was it just because we were on the team? The real surprise was Jackson hanging out by the stands, standing just enough back and to the side that it was hard to spot him, watching as well. I noted the frown on his face and the air of resignation around him to know he was not handling being off the team well.
I volunteered to collect the equipment, Isaac and Stiles stayed to help me. By the time we got to the locker room, it was practically empty. only a few guys left, Danny being one of them but he was already dressed. He was waiting for me just inside the door.
"Scott, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. Isaac and Stiles froze to look at us.
"Yeah, sure. Is this a private conversation?" I asked and he nodded. I turned to Isaac and Stiles. "Go get dressed guys."
They nodded and Isaac took my bag of equipment to put away. Danny and I went back out into the deserted hall so we wouldn't be overheard.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I've been thinking. I know I said I didn't want to know anything about what's going on but I'm not sure if I want that anymore." He admitted. I stared at him, not sure where this was coming from.
"What exactly does that mean? What are you curious about?" I asked. The last of the team, minus Stiles, and Isaac, exited and we waited until they were gone completely before continuing.
"To be honest everything, really. But I don't know if I want know everything, just more then I already know, if that makes sense." He said.
"It does." I nodded, thinking. "Look Danny, I told you I won't lie to you. If you want to know you can ask and I will answer as honestly as I can, even if that means telling you that I can't answer something. If you want to have a full sit-down conversation then we can do that. You just let me know when and what."
"I know it's dangerous for me to know so I don't think… what?" he asked. I tilted my head and listened closely, hearing a nearby heartbeat. There should not be anyone still here. I pressed a finger to my lips, and he nodded. I took a deep whiff of the air around me and relaxed, rolling my eyes.
"Jackson, what are you still doing here?" I sighed, turning slightly for the stairs where he was just out of sight. Danny huffed and crossed his arms as we stared in that direction, seeing Jackson's ridiculously overpriced loafers make an appearance.
"Trying to figure out why my best friend wants to have a sit-down conversation with you about something dangerous." He said once he was a foot from us, his arms crossed and a determined look on his face. I sighed again, not really in the mood to deal with his shit.
"He's your friend, you deal with this and call me when you want to talk." I told Danny as I turned for the door. He rolled his eyes but nodded.
"You don't get to ignore me. Wha-." Jackson said grabbing my arm.
"Shit." Danny said as I grabbed Jackson's hand, yanking it off me then shoved him against the wall.
"I thought we already had this discussion about staying away from me. Do we need to have it again?" I asked him, he grunted trying to push me off. "You may have helped once but that doesn't mean we are square. I haven't forgotten what you did to Stiles. Remember that." I told him, letting him go.
"What is your problem McCall? I just want t-." the doors at the other end of the hall slamming open cut him off. I looked to see Lydia running in with Cora and Allison on her heels.
"Scott. It's Isaac." She panted out. I whirled around to head into the locker room when a loud boom sounded and a body hit the door.
"Fuck. Stiles, Isaac." I called, growling as I pushed against the door. Whoever it was, was still blocking it. I slowly and gently pushed it open just enough to squeeze through. It was Stiles laying there, unconscious. I pulled him away so that the others could get through and then checked him over.
"Stiles, man wake up." I said, slapping him gently on the face. Maybe not the best idea but I could hear his heartbeat and hear his breathing and they both sounded normal. I'm hoping he was just knocked out. He moaned as he started to come around.
"Did anyone get the number on the bus that hit me." He said groggily as his eyes opened. I sighed in relief that he was okay. Danny and I helped him sit up.
"Scott, get over here. Isaac's not moving." Allison's panicked voice said. I turned to see her and Lydia hovering over him. Isaac who was slumped against the wall, eyes closed and blood dripping from his mouth and his ear. I raced over to him taking in the red splotchy skin and the burn mark in an almost perfect circle in the middle of his shirt covering his chest. I didn't need to listen to know he was not okay.
"Isaac? Can you hear me?" I asked, hoping for anything from him. "Come on Isaac, you have to be okay." I said desperately, panicking myself. Nothing, there was nothing coming from him.
"ISAAC!"
** the first chapter of the next story in this series, Fast Forward, will be up in the next hour. (Going into hiding now) **