Arabella's POV:
"Before I forget, I wanted to ask if you're okay with something." Allison asked the strawberry blone walking beside me as we ventured further into the reserve. "Jackson asked me to the winter formal."
"Did he?" She tried her best to act like it didn't bother her, but her mask was practically transparent.
"Just as friends. But I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first." Ally replied, there was a bitter tone to her answer, something unusual for her I gotta say.
"Sure. As long as it's just friends."
"Well yeah I mean, it's not like I would take him to the coach's office during lacrosse practice and make out with him or anything."She retorted sarcastically with a glare. A proud smirk made its way on to my face. Good on you Ally.
"Uh- Ari kissed him too!"
"Correction, he trapped me and tried to kiss me, and yet I still managed to pull him off. Its not the same as making out with your best friend's ex love." I spat out practically singing as we continued to walk.
"About that..." Lydia's tone shifted, riddled with guilt, rightly so in my opinion.
When we finally reached a stop, Allison had delved into her duffle bag, reaching out arrows and a long bow, I guess she figured out something about who her family are?
"What does that do?" Lydia asked from beside me, watching Allison screw a large, almost egg shaped arrow head into the body. "We're about to find out."
She picked up the bow, aiming the arrow towards a tree before firing. It hit the bark, errupting with sparks and a puff of smoke upon impact. "What the hell is that?"
"I don't know."
I had barely said anything the whole trip, finally chiming in, "well this was fun, any more leathal weapons you wanna try out-"
The end of my question was cut short by the sound of twigs snapping among the orangish-brown leaves below. Ally was about to go check it out before I intervened, wanted to get away from the tense atmosphere between the two girls. Besides, it brought me peace in knowing if it was dangerous, I could probably handle it.
"it's probably nothing, I'll go check be right back" I muttered, quite literally disappearing into the mist.
"what if that nothing is something and that something is something dangerous?" Lydia quizzed as Allison straightened her shoulders, "then I'll shoot it."
I felt a presence behind me, immediately turning and punching them in the face. "ahh!"
"Scott what the fuck!" i half whisper-yelled as the boy groaned, putting his hand to his face.
"my fault, totally my fault" he muttered, finally pulling his hands away. "yeah I'm aware, considering you're the one who sneak attacked me in the woods."
"How come you're out here anyway? following Ally?" I teased before I heard the brunette call out from the distance, "Ari? You okay?"
"Uh- no. N- her dad said she runs this trail sometimes, I was hoping to catch her alone."
"yeah yeah keep telling yourself that Scotty." I mocked, tapping his shoulder as we started walking towards the girls.
Beside me, Scott stood on a twig, the sound echoing through the reserve. Oh nice one.
Within maybe a second, an arrow flew straight for his head, probably one of those specialised ones. Of course I reached out, catching it before impact.
He stood there with his eyes wide, head jerked back slightly as a reflex, my hand a mere few centimetres from his face as the arrow head stared him down. Allison and Lydia emerged a few moments later, our position stayed the same as the pair stepped forward, Ally's bow drawn with another arrow rearing to go.
"put the damn bow down Pocahontas!" I called, dropping my hand from in front of Scott.
"Oh my God Scott! Ari! I didn't realise it was you. what are you doing here anyway?"
"Can we please dial it down on the trying to shoot us thing first." I joked handing her back the arrow.
She accepted it, taking the arrow from my grasp "Nice reflexes by the way." She said as the four of us headed back towards our original stopping point.
"Scott's lucky he doesn't have an arrow sized hole in his head."
Scott explained to Allison how he had apparently found us to give her back her necklace. The one he 'found at school' and definitley didn't steal or anything. Bless her, I thought, Allison's facial expression bared nothing but joy as she held it in her fingertips.
"You don't think I'm a total stalker now do you?"
"No I just think you're weird." The two embraced before she walked away, Lydia not far behind her as I decied to head home. Tonight the plan was spells and more painting, I couldn't go running thanks to the Argent's keen eyes, but I was quite content with my itenary if I'm honest.
---
"Door's open!" I called from behind my easel, waiting a second for someone to enter. When I couldn't hear the sound of the handle, I cleaned my brush, placing it on the side before going to open it myself.
"Stiles?" I questioned, the familiar boy stood there, his entire frame tense. His face lacked the usual vibrance of life he radiated at school, instead replaced with a solemn look, his eyes almost pleading as they looked into my own. "Come in, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"
"I didn't know what to do- Scott wasn't answering. I h-hope I'm not disturbing you." He blurted as I closed the dorr behind us. We were now stood in the middle of my living room. "Its okay, really. What happened?" I asked gently.
"I- H-he started talking about my mom. About how much he misses her I just-" He paused looking at me with glazed eyes. In an attempt to comfort the frantic boy, I snaked my arm around his waist, pulling him in. Immediately he complied, his chin on the top of my head as his grip tightened around me. "Breathe Stiles." I muttered into his chest.
Blissfully, the two of us stood there for a second before pulling away. "Sorry I- My dad was working on cases and I sorta maybe got him drunk so he would tell me more infomation, but then after, he started talking about her and I- I don't know." He stuttered gazing at me. "I'm going to hell" he chuckled, thankful to get it all off his chest.
"Don't apologise, and you're welcome here anytime. And please, you're practically an angel." I nudged him slightly, lightening the mood as another soft chuckle rolled off his tounge.
"What were you doing before anyway?"
"Oh just painting." I smiled "want to see?"
Of course he nodded, further towards my easel situated near the wall of windows. There, propped against the timber, a canvas dowsed in watercolour.
Truthfully, I was incredibly curious of what his reaction would be, I rarely showed anyone outside of my family any of my work, unless it was to be sold. He stood there, eyes scanning each detail of my work as his jaw dropped down slightly.
"It's almost finished, what'd you think Stilinski?" I made my way next to him, checking it twice over too.
"It's- it's incredible." Rendering him almost speechless, I would be lying if I didn't feel triumphant. "You painted these too?" He asked curiously, gently moving his hands to look through a series of classical paintings stacked together by my wall.
"Yup." I said, popping the P as I smirked.
"You're incredibly talented." He said, only inflating my ego further. "I'm serious, I could see these in galleries. Who taught you?"
"My dad. Real avid painter, he taught my sister and I when we were young, we both do a lot of drawing too. Believe it or not, he has work across the world; The Louvre, Tate Modern, The Uffizi, you name it."
"Really?" He asked, eyes growing in fascination only amusing me further. "He has work in the same museums as like, Da Vinchi and Michelangelo?!"
"Please" I scoffed, "Who do you think helped teach them?" I teased, I knew if my dad were here, he would be boasting all the same. His art work and his mentoring has always been some of his greatest achievements.
"Oh my God that's awesome!" His arms flailed emphasising his dramatic response, making me giggle as a result.
After only being here like 20 minutes, the pair of us decided to catch up on a couple episodes of 'The Office'. However, before we could even finish a full episode, Scott called.
"Peter Hale is going on a date with your mom?!"
"Yes! I can't do anything right now. You gotta try and stop their date!"
—-
Realistically, I wanted absolutely no part in this plan, I literally just sat in the jeep, Stiles driving closer towards Peter's car.
There was a short impact as I jolted in my seat slightly. "That's one way to do it Biles."
"Oh are you kidding me?! Stiles!" Melissa shouted as she got out of the car, inspecting the damage.
Stiles jumped out. "Mrs. McCall?"
"Yes!"
"Wow this is just crazy what a coincidence huh"
Peter exited the car, my cue to leave too.
"Nicely done, Scott." he muttered before turning to a very angry McCall and her son's best friend.
"Everyone's okay right?" I asked in a frantic tone, acting as if I was unaware of the plan.
"We're okay honey." Melissa turned to me before focusing her agitation back on Stiles. Ha. She didn't seem to blame me at all, probably correctly assuming I had just been dragged along.
"I mean I do not know what happened you guys just came out of no where."
"Came out of no where? We were parked at the side of the road Stiles!"