Once in a Lifetime

37

After a moment, the boy continued. "You didn't see it, did you?"

"I saw it," Tabitha retorted.

"Then why'd you waste so much time running through the doors? I'll tell you why. Because it's all part of the illusion. You're afraid. And they want you to be afraid."

Peter frowned. "I'm not afraid."

"Can't do it, can you? He can't do it."

Peter met Tabitha's eyes. "We should really kill him."

"Or you can just walk through it," the boy said as he breathed heavily. "Push me."

"What did you say?" Tabitha asked.

He continued breathing heavily. "Push me."

Tabitha hesitated and Peter pushed her and the boy into the tunnel. "Now you're getting it."

After a moment, Peter said, "Tabitha Tabitha, let's go."

BEACON HILLS HIGH SCHOOL

Stiles sat in English class, ignoring the lesson.

He stared outside, seeing a man hooking a blue Jeep to a tow truck.

"Stiles, are you paying attention?" the teacher asked.

Stiles eyes flicked back to the front. "Yeah. Yeah."

"Is there something outside that's more fascinating than reading through Beowulf?"

"No."

The mechanical whirring got louder and Stilesjumped up. "I'm really sorry."

He rushed out of the room and down the hall and heard heels clicking down the hallway.

Stiles turned to see Lydia. "Why are you following me?"

Lydia shrugged. "I saw you leave class and was worried."

The teens ran out to the parking lot and Stiles narrowed his eyes at the tow truck driver. "Hey! Hey! You can't tow this Jeep!"

He browsed the papers. "Paperwork says I can. It's reported as abandoned."

He put a hand on the Jeep. "And now it's not."

"Oh, this is your vehicle?"

"Does it matter?"

He scoffed. "Sounds like a no."

He blurted, "It's mine. The Jeep is mine. Thanks. I'll move it. Once I get the keys. From my locker. After you leave."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, once it's on the hook..."

Lydia frowned. "Please don't say, "you're on the hook"."

"Well, I can't now."

Scott appeared and began pleading with the tow truck driver. "Oh, I, okay. Look, there's gotta be something that we can do. Sign something? Call someone?"

"Pay someone?" Lydia suggested.

The tow truck driver smirked. "Drop fee's a hundred and fifty. Cash."

Scott's eyes widened. "A hundred and fifty? This thing isn't even worth that much."

Stiles pulled out a small wad of cash. "I have $33."

Lydia pulled out her wallet and turned to Scott. "How much have you got?"

"Uh, how much have you got?" Scott asked.

"Just give me the money."

Scott sighed. "All I have is $50. And when I say "all", I mean all. Uh..."

Stiles grabbed the money from Scott's hand. Lydia handed him more money, and Stiles gave it to the man. He smiled smugly and walked off.