Hope Andrea Argent

Venomous (Part 2)

Slipping inside Coach's dimly lit office, Scott flips the lock on the door and turns to Hope, Stiles and Allison,"Derek's outside. Waiting for her."

"You mean waiting to kill her?" Hope corrects.

"If he thinks she's the Kanima? Then, yeah. Especially after what happened in the pool," Scott says.

"But it's not her," Stiles says confidently.

"She didn't pass the test, Stiles," Hope reminds him,"Nothing happened."

"It's not her," Stiles repeats, almost glaring at Hope, making her feel like she could wilt on the spot.

"It doesn't matter. Derek thinks it's her. So either we convince him he's wrong or we figure out how to protect her," Allison says.

"I don't think he'd do anything here," Scott says,"Not during school."

"What about after school?" Allison asks.

Scott gives a nod, the implication clear: after school Lydia is vulnerable.

"What if we can prove Derek's wrong?" Hope asks them.

"By three o'clock?" Stiles says doubtfully.

"There could be something in the Bestiary," Allison suggests.

"You mean the nine hundred page book written in Archaic Latin that none of us can read? Good luck with that," Stiles says sarcastically, the stress of the situation taking its toll on him.

"Actually, I think I know someone who might be able to translate it," Allison says.

"I could talk to Derek," Scott offers,"Maybe convince him to give us a chance to prove it's not her."

Scott and Allison look at Stiles and Hope, they reluctantly nod.

"All right. But if anything happens you guys let me handle it," Scott says.

"Well, actually I could--" Stiles says the same time Hope says,"You know not all of us have to be--"

"Let me handle it," Scott repeats.

"What does that mean?" Allison asks.

"It means you can't heal like I do," Scott says,"Well, Stiles can now. But I don't want the rest of you getting hurt."

Hope and Stiles glance at each other, like there's a secret between them, but Scott and Allison are too occupied with each other to notice.

Allison puts her bag on Coach's desk and unzips it. She pulls out a black item with a pistol grip on it. With a snap of her wrist, the sides fly out and lock into place to reveal a collapsible and quite deadly crossbow,"I can protect myself."

Brandishing it in her hands for the three wide-eyed teenagers, she sets the crossbow down. But Scott still doesn't look convinced.

"What? Did something else happen?" Allison asks, noticing her boyfriend's expression.

Scott struggles in silence, his girlfriend and both friends watching him,"I just don't want anyone getting hurt. If something goes wrong, you call me, okay? I don't care if your Dad finds out. Call, text, yell, scream, whatever. I'll hear you and I'll find you. As fast as I can."

Allison nods, looking at him with concern.

"We've got until three," Scott tells them.

He turns for the door, but hears an odd snapping sound. He spins back, hand whipping up just in time to catch a crossbow dart.

Stiles lowers the crossbow with a guilty smile on his face,"Sensitive trigger on this thing..."

Hope snatches the crossbow from his grasp.