Save You {Liam Dunbar #2}

BAD NEWS

Isabelle was feeling good about her first day of junior year until she pulled in the parking lot and spotted Stiles and Malia talking animatedly on the sidewalk. She parked her car and looked around it with a sad smile.

It really wasn't her car. It had been her and Allison's.

A few months ago, during one of the "check-in" phone calls she had with her father, who was on a mission to find Kate alongside the Calavera's at the time, Chris had told her with some hesitance that the car was hers too and that she could use it.

Isabelle could still remember the odd feeling that followed the conversation. She couldn't just take the car and act like it was her own. How could she even get in the car? Allison had driven them everywhere in that car and there were too many memories...it was still full of old receipts and various objects of the life the two of them shared in their car.

She still didn't have the heart to take anything out—the backseat was littered with jackets and random articles of clothing that had been discarded on hot days or for rainy weather. The floor was covered with CD's (Taylor Swift was still in the CD player), old textbooks and homework, as well as an occasional tube of lip gloss or eyeliner (most likely Lydia's).

Everything surrounding her reminded her of Allison and god—it even smelled like her.

Isabelle smiled sadly as she picked up a familiar sweater from the passenger seat. Not caring that she probably looked crazy to students walking by, she closed her eyes and pressed the jacket into her face, inhaling deeply. The smell of her sister overwhelmed her then, and she felt a pang in her chest.

It really felt like Allison was here right now.

"Are we finally going to have a peaceful year?" she asked aloud. She let the jacket fall into her lap, but kept her eyes closed. She didn't know what she was waiting for...Allison's voice, a calming breeze, a sudden and unpredicted hailstorm...but she sat there for a moment as if waiting for an answer.

"I doubt it, too," she finally said, opening her eyes and smiling sadly. She returned the jacket to its previous spot, grabbed her backpack and opened the car door. She stepped out and took a deep breath.

"We've got this," she said, nodding to herself confidently. She glanced towards the sky curiously. "Right?"

Walking across the parking lot, she saw that Malia and Stiles were still standing by the front doors. She let out a sigh as she steered herself towards them.

She knew if she tried to walk past them and go to class, Stiles would just tackle her to the ground. Her worry sounded ridiculous she knew, but it had happened once before, and she still had the sidewalk scrape on her elbow to prove it.

"What now?" Isabelle asked the boy, who she had known long enough to recognize the restlessness in his eyes. "What did you find?"

"He found nothing," Malia shook her head. Isabelle glanced at her, then back at Stiles with a curious frown.

"I found a speeding ticket!" Stiles hissed, narrowing his eyes at Malia. He turned to Isabelle, looking more serious, "A speeding ticket signed by Theo's dad eight years ago."

Isabelle was nodding along, waiting for more, but that was all he said. She glanced at Malia to see if she had missed something, but Malia gave her a blank look.

"That's all he's got."

"Oh, Stiles!" Isabelle shook her head. "A speeding ticket doesn't mean anything, everyone gets them!"

"Yeah...people trying to get away from something!" Stiles exclaimed.

"Well, how many tickets do you have?" Malia asked.