Courageous

16

Stiles and Carter nodded and the former said, "Yeah. You were right. It's not like you. I mean, its eyes were all right, reptilian. But there was something about them."

Scott frowned at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"You know when you see, like, a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see are their eyes and you feel like you know 'em but you just can't figure out who it is?"

"Are you saying you know who it is?"

Carter looked between them. "No, but I think it knew us."

---

During school the next day, Carter walked up to his friends and heard Stiles say, "-because I love you. I love you more than -- oh, my God. I can't -- You and Allison just have to find a better way to communicate."

Scott sighed. "Come on. You're the only one we can trust. Is she coming to the game tonight?"

"Yes!" Stiles cried. "Okay, message complete. Now, tell me about your boss?"

"He thinks that Allison's family keeps some kind of, uh, records of all the things that they've hunted. Like a book."

"He probably means a Bestiary," Stiles answered.

"What?"

"A Bestiary," Carter repeated.

Scott frowned at them. "I think you guys mean bestiality."

Stiles shook his head. "Nope, pretty sure we don't. It's like an encyclopedia of mythical creatures."

"How am I the only one who doesn't know anything about this stuff?"

Stiles let out a sigh. "Okay, you're my best friend, you're a creature of the night, it's kind of like a priority of mine."

Scott slowly nodded. "Okay. If we can find it, and it can tell us what the thing is-"

"And who," Stiles interrupted.

"We need that book!" the boys cried.

Stiles left to ask Allison about the Bestiary. Stiles got a message from Kinsey asking him to meet her and Lydia in the parking lot, so she did so.

Stiles found the sisters sitting in Lydia's car crying. "What's wrong?"

Lydia shot her sister a look and shook her head. "Please go, Stiles."

"No. Not until you two tell me what's wrong."

Kinsey wiped her nose, not looking at Stiles. "Look, Lydia and I don't need anyone seeing us cry."

"Why? You shouldn't care if anyone sees you cry."

"Why is that?"

"You look beautiful when you cry, Kins. I'm sure Carter thinks the same, Lydia."

The sisters let out a soft laugh as Stiles asked, "What is it?"

Lydia looked up at him. "You're gonna think we're crazy."

"Lydia, Kinsey, I promise nothing you say will make me think you're crazy." He frowned; seeing Carter. "I'm busy.

Carter smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I need your help." He offered a small smile to the sisters. "Lydia, Kinsey, this'll just take a few minutes, then he's all yours."

They reached the principal's office and as they were sifting through books, he kept muttering, "Book, book, book. Nothing here. Oh m-"

Suddenly, Erica appeared. "Hello, Stiles. Hello, Carter."