Destiny [D.H.]

08

Derek shook me awake and said softly, "You have to go to school, Ella."

I groaned. "After last night, I'm not in the mood."

He smiled. "No excuses. You're 16, you're going to school. Besides; I don't think people will even realize you were there, apart from those who were."

He dropped me off at school and I noticed Lydia and joined her.

She smiled. "Hi, Ella. Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed as someone else joined. "Hey, Allison."

As we walked into school, Allison said, "It's just weird. Everybody's talking about what happened the other night, and nobody knows it was us."

"Thank you for the protection of minors," Lydia stated.

"Lydia, do you think I made the wrong decision?"

Lydia looked over Allison's outfit. "About that jacket with that dress? Absolutely."

"You know what I mean."

"Hello? Scott locked us in a classroom and left us for dead. He's lucky we're not pressing charges or making him pay our therapy bills."

Allison sighed. "Eliana? Do you think I made the wrong decision?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You really want my opinion? Even though you know I don't like you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well, I'm kind of relieved. Look, you and Scott were cute, I'll admit. But he acted selfishly and didn't think twice. So, yes. I do think you made the right decision."

We walked into Chemistry and I sighed, remembering we had a test.

Harris began class. "Mr. McCall, please take a seat. You have 45 minutes to complete the test. 25% of your grade can be earned right now simply by writing your name on the cover of the blue book. However, as it happens every year, one of you will inexplicably fail to put your name on the cover, and I'll be left yet again questioning my decision to ever become a teacher. So let's get the disappointment over with. Begin."

In reference to Harris talking about putting our names on the book, I coughed and said quietly, "Greenberg."

Greenberg glared at me and I smirked.

After a few minutes, Scott and Stiles ran out. Moments later, I ran after them.

"Mr. McCall? Mr Stilinski! Ms. Hart!" Harris called.

I followed them into the boy's locker room.

"Scott? Scott?" Stiles called.

"Stiles, I can't--" Scott breathed.

I looked at my friend worriedly. "What's happening? Are you changing?"

"No. No, I can't breathe."

Stiles offered Scott his inhaler. "Here, use this. Come on, do it."

Scott took a puff from his inhaler and relaxed. "I was having an asthma attack?"

"No, you were having a panic attack. But thinking you were having an asthma attack actually stopped the panic attack. Irony."

"How did you do that?"

"I used to get them after my mom died. Ella occasionally gets them. Not fun, huh?"

"I looked at her and it was like someone hit me in the ribs with a hammer."

I nodded. "Yeah, it's called heartbreak. About two million songs written about it."