Hope Andrea Argent

Chaos Rising (Part 1)

The tip of an eyeliner pencil presses down on the pale skin of Lydia's forearm where the mark left by the mysterious Girl has begun to fade.

With Allison driving, Lydia sitting as still as possible, Hope finishes going over their bruises. She places Lydia's arm next to Allison's, connecting the strangely patterned contusions into an odd symbol.

"I don't know. Doesn't look like much to me," Lydia says, looking over the bruises for the millionth time.

"It's a pattern," Allison says confidently, turning to Hope,"Did you find anything in that book Deaton gave you?"

"It's called a grimoire and no," Hope replies.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, your a witch, you have a magic book of spells," Lydia says, rolling her eyes,"And do you really think Scott and Stiles are gonna know what it is?"

"No. But they might know someone who might," Allison says.

"How are you so sure it means anything at all?" Lydia asks.

"Even from twenty feet away I could smell the desperation coming from her," Hope says,"She wasn't just looking for Scott and Stiles. She needed to find them. Like she had to."

"And that definitely means something," Allison adds.

Speedometer needle rising, Allison sends the car racing down the dark roads of Beacon Hills.

Change Of View

Hurrying along the sidewalk of a suburban neighborhood, Stiles glances over to Scott,"What?"

Scott blinks at him, looking confused,"What do you mean what?"

"I mean what. And you know what."

"What what?"

"That look you were giving," Stiles says, making all confusion disappear.

"I wasn't giving a look," Scott lies.

"Heartbeat, dude," Stiles reminds him,"And that look on your face that says the last thing you feel like doing is going to a party."

"It's not that. It just feels a little weird going to a different high school's party."

"One drink, you'll be fine," Stiles tells him,"I went to nursery school with this girl. She promised to introduce us to all of her friends. So no Allison, no Hope. We're moving on."

Scott glances to his phone seeing a missed call from Allison. But he slips the phone back into his pocket,"You're right."

"That's right I'm right," Stiles replies.

"Moving on," Scott says, still on the fence about it.

"Onward and upward."

"Let's do this."

"That's what I'm talking about," Stiles says as they walk toward an upscaled house.

"How's my breath?" Scott asks.

"Dude, I'm not smelling your breath," Stiles replies.

"Do you have any gum?"

"No gum. You're fine."

"Can you at least tell me what kind of party it is?"

Inside the house, a beautiful but slightly inebriated girl named Heather raises a red cup to several others held by her friends,"It's my birthday!" She shouts.

The girls holler in approval and everyone drinks. Emptying her cup, Heather pulls her friend, Danielle, to her side,"Tonight," She tells her.

"Really tonight?"