LIONESS || lydia martin

ix. the overlooked

It was the same night and Jennifer had left the school to go to Derek's loft. She shoved the door open. "Derek?" She made her way down the stairs. "Derek, where are you?"

"Over here." Derek announces as he walks into the main room where rain is splattering all over the windows.

Jennifer turns towards him with her eyes wide. She starts to run his direction. "Oh, thank god."

She jumps into his arms and they hug. She holds him tight and sighs. "Something happened at the recital. At the school." Jennifer said as she pulled away. "Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them."

"From who?" Derek asked.

"Scott, Stiles. They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay?" Jennifer pleaded. "You trust me."

"What is it?" He looked her in the eyes.

"Promise you'll listen to me." She said.

He nodded. "Promise."

She leaned into a kiss, but pulled away when she didn't feel Derek kiss her back. "They're already here, aren't they?"

Derek looked behind her, making her turn around. Scott, Stiles and Asher walked out. Jennifer furrowed her brows in shock, but quickly recomposed herself.

"So, they told you it was me?" She looked down. "That I'm the one taking people?"

"We told him you're the one killing people." Scott corrected, anger lacing his voice.

Asher nodded. "Almost killed me, you bitch."

"Oh, that's right." Jennifer chuckles. "Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour." She turns back to Derek then back to the teens. "That way I can go back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense." She laughs.

"Where's my dad?" Stiles asked, a tear falling from his eye.

"How should I know?" Jennifer asked before she turned back to Derek. "Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

Derek glanced back at the teenagers, taking note of the looks on their faces. "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?"

"No." She shook her head.

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia." Scott suggested.

"Lydia Martin?" Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "I don't know anything about that."

"What do you know?" Derek insisted.

"I know that these teenagers, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story." She turned away from Derek again. "And one that they can't prove by the way."

Asher angrily stepped forward, but didn't get past Scott as he stopped her. She looked at him before sighing and taking her spot back beside Stiles.

Scott held a jar up. "What if we can?"

Jennifer looked at the jar. "What is that?"

"My boss told me it's a poison and a cure, which means you can use it and it can be used against you." Scott stepped forward, opening the jar.

Jennifer raised her eyebrows and took a step back. "Mistletoe?"

Scott throws his wrist out, the mistletoe flying out of the jar. It incases Jennifer, making her hold her arms up to her face with a gasp. A scream rings out before a slashed face pops out of the dust. The woman, or thing, roars as the mistletoe fades away and Jennifer is back to her human face. The four stare at her in horror as she breaths heavily. Realization crosses Asher's face.