'sometimes not speaking says more than all the words in the world.' colleen hoover.
season 1, episode 4
magic bullet
[trigger warning for a mention of rape. there will be another warning before it happens.]
Friday movie nights were created the winter after the fire by Malikai. Not long after the two - out of three - remaining kids found comfort in each other, the girl's nightmares got worse. As a solution, Malikai came over without telling his mom, and they watched movies until the devil's hour. The boy got grounded for a week, but the next Friday Neviah went over and they watched movies until the sun rose.
And ever since then, the two carried out their unofficial tradition. Not a week went by where they didn't spend the day together, watching new or old movies from sundown to sunrise.
Thursday nights after finishing homework, they would walk to the nearest gas station and supply up on snacks. Sugary and salty delights that would dilute their bloodstream and fill them up with hyperness were picked. As they grew older and received certain requirements for sports, they resorted to one less-healthy food item for two healthy ones.
Until today.
Neviah's mind buzzed with thoughts that made no sense to her. The past few days blurred, only a few important things were remembered. Malikai claimed it was the amount she was drinking. He wasn't wrong. Her typical bottle count went up by double this week. Stress, and anxiety from submitting her application to the internship.
Malikai forced her to take four days off from drinking. In return, he would buy her anything she wanted from Ray's - with his employee and son of the owner discount, of course. And she agreed.
But she needed something to keep her from temptation. While her other coping mechanism would work and he would most likely agree, Neviah didn't want to be tangled with Stiles as a distraction.
Snacks were her next best thing.
Her maroon nails skimmed over the various bags of candy in front of her. The bright packaging captured her attention. She wanted sweet and sour. Her go-to would have been Sour Patch Kids, only that Malikai would take them any chance he got.
Instead she got her favorite, Peanut M&Ms. But she grabbed a few bags of Sour Patch Kids for herself and Mal for tomorrow.
She went around the gas station, picking food she wanted and the food Mal requested. She got drinks. Once she believed to grab everything, she walked towards the counter.
"You having a party or something?" a blonde woman asked with a curious grin.
Neviah politely smiled back, despite not wanting to talk to anyone. The woman's eyes widened subtly. "No. My friend and I are having a movie night tomorrow."
The woman nodded, walking over to the drinks and pulled out a beer can. "Well, a beautiful girl like you should be going to all of the parties possible, not staying home."
"I try," she replied, playing along with the woman. She handed the cashier her card, rushing him with her eyes.
"Have you lived here long?" she asked, standing beside Neviah, with no care of personal space. She had to be in her late 20s or early 30s. Strong and persistent. And from what Neviah could tell by her appearance alone, she didn't take no for an answer.
Neviah shrugged, taking her bags of delicious goods in hand. "I've lived here my whole life. You?"
The woman shook her head. She placed her drink on the counter, pulling out her ID and card. "Used to, but moved away after I got a new job. But my brother and his family moved here, so I thought why not visit."
"Oh, well, I hope you have a fun time back here," Neviah said, heading out the door.
"Hey, what's your name?" the woman asked, right before Neviah could escape.
Neviah turned, inspecting the woman's face. Emotions lacked in her eyes, but her face showed interest. Neviah didn't trust it. Still, she answered. "Neviah. You?"
"Kate," she answered with a smile that caused chills.
The young girl nodded, leaving the store. She quickly rushed to Malikai, who had finished filling up his tank.
"What took you so long?"
Neviah swatted her hand as she jutted her head. "Some lady started talking to me."
Malikai chuckled. He picked up a bag of Sour Patch Kids and went at it as he drove. "You gotta be careful. She could have easily lied and she's actually a serial killer and is gonna kidnap you now."
She nodded playfully, playing into his antics. "If that ever happened, it'd happen to you first. They always target their best friend as a point of weakness."
"Someone's been paying attention to my amazing film choices," he boasted, giving her a side fist bump.
"Only because you won't let me cover my eyes for longer than a minute," she exclaimed, shuddering at the amount of jump scares he basically peeled her eyes open to watch.
He belly laughed. "Besides, I would never die like that."
Playing along, she asked,"How would you die then?"
He shrugged, glancing at her. "Dunno, something heroic, definitely. Like jumping in front of a bus to save a kid."
Neviah giggled, taking a Sour Patch Kid. "Okay, Dr. O'Malley."
༻❁༺
"Scott's coming over tonight?" Lydia asked Allison, glancing at Neviah with knowing eyes. Neviah bit back a smirk, awaiting Allison's answer.
The girl nodded, nothing much of it. "We're just studying together."
Neviah hummed, smiling tightly. ""Just studying" never ends just studying. Take it from a tutor," she added with a wink.
"It's just like...getting into a hot tub-somebody eventually cops a feel," Lydia explained to the blushing brunette as they started up the stairs.
Allison, as innocent as ever, followed behind with worry and curiosity swirling in her pretty head. "Well, so what are you saying?"
"We're just saying, you know, make sure he covers up," Lydia responded. Allison looked down, still confused. Lydia chuckled. "Hello, Snow White! Do it with him with a condom."
Finally, she understood.
Her mouth gaped, forcing out a laugh in shock. "Are you kidding? After one date?"
Neviah shrugged, scrunching her nose. "Most people don't even wait for a first date."
Nodding in agreement, Lydia gave Allison a little tap on her arm that held her jacket. "Don't be a prude. Give him a little taste."
"Well, I-I mean," Allison stuttered out.
Neviah gently grabbed Allison's arm. "Don't do it if you aren't ready. Lydia, here, thinks time flies fast and wants to rush everything."
She earned a glare for that.
Allison pondered everything for a moment. She held herself, staring around and refusing to make eye contact with the two girls. "How much is "a little taste?""
"Oh, god. You really like him, don't you?" Lydia inquired with a hint of shock and jealousy that only Neviah picked up.
However, like most things, she ignored it. Her friend was head over heels for Scott, far more than she bargained for. That was more important than Lydia's jealousy.
"Well," Allison started. She sighed, not knowing the words to say. The lack of words spoke more than she thought. Still Neviah didn't quite get it. "He's just different."
Neviah let out a low whistle. "You're in deep, girl."
"When I first moved here, I had a plan-no boyfriends till college. I just move too much. But..." Allison explained as Neviah and Lydia paused at the top of the short stairs to listen. Her face lit up as it did the night she told Neviah she kissed Scott. "Then I met him, and...he was different. I don't know. Can't explain it," she said with an awkward laugh.
"I can," Lydia responded, unchanged by the emotions flooding. "It's your brain flooding with phenylethylamine."
Allison laughed awkwardly. "What?"
Neviah huffed, throwing her head back. "Just listen to us and you'll be fine."
"When's he coming over?" Lydia asked.
"Right after school."
Neviah nodded, thinking of a plan. The bell rang and students flooded to leave. They follow the crowd, walking at a similar pace to be able to talk.
"Don't be too obvious," Neviah started calmly. "While being out there is hot and sexy, and I'm sure you could pull it off, it'll be better to ease into it." Allison wasn't as forward as the other two, but she could be in the right setting. She needed time and comfortability.
"Invite him in normally, be nice, not too awkward. Like a cute awkward," Lydia went on.
They exited the school, finally finding space as teenagers spread out to get to their rides. Neviah held her wrist below her waist. "Then instigate it first. Kiss him, lead him to your bed."
"And give him a little something," Lydia grinned with a little shimmy.
Neviah rolled her eyes. She flung her hand out and away to dismiss Lydia. "No, you instigate it then let him continue, giving you something first."
"This is why you don't have a boyfriend," Lydia groaned with a disappointed pout.
"Yet, I still have better sex than you."
Allison waved her arms, stopping the two girls from going further. "You know what, I think I got it."
Neviah smiled proudly. "Good luck. Better text me all the details."
"She loves her details!" Lydia shouted to the brunette walked away, shaking her head. "You think they'll actually do it?"
A hum came out of Neviah. "Maybe they'll get close, but it won't happen. At least not tonight."
Lydia nodded before walking towards Jackson. Neviah went to Malikai, who had already started his car. "Have you picked your movies yet?"
The boy smirked, leaning back into the headrest. "Of course I have. Who do you take me for?" Neviah rolled her eyes. She tilted her head, queuing him to continue, "Scream One and Final Destination Three."
A shudder shook Neviah's body at the thought of Malikai's two favorite movies. "You're so annoying."
He laughed at her pain. "What did you pick?"
"Kill Bill One and Two," she responded happily at the two movies she found at the movie store on sale.
"Predictable," Malikai sang as he looked back to reverse.
Neviah gasped. "How? I've never talked about that series before."
He looked at her and pointed with more confidence than he ever had answering a question in class. "Hot women, swords, and blood but not a lot. That's all that you need to want to watch it."
She opened her mouth to argue but she closed it when she couldn't form an argument. He laughed in victory. His laughter stopped once they got into the exit line, only to find it not moving. A series of honks went off, and still no movement.
"Do these people not know how to drive?" Neviah complained, leaning back into the seat.
Malikai scoffed a laugh. "You can't talk, you can't even drive."
She mocked his scoff. "Uh, obviously. But at least I know you don't block exits."
Malikai peered out the window. His shoulders tensed before he opened the door.
"What?" Neviah questioned.
"I'm gonna go check it out." He didn't wait for her two cents. He closed the door and left her. She groaned, throwing her head back onto the headrest.
A few minutes passed and the honking continued. It hurts Neviah's head. Opening the door and stepping out, she sees Mal and Scott helping a guy in a leather jacket into Stiles' Jeep. The man looked horrible, though Neviah couldn't see his face.
Her eyes flickered to Harley, who stood next to Stiles, arguing with the boy about God knows what. She glanced at Neviah. Her face faltered as did her argument with Stiles. She gets into Stiles' Jeep. Neviah moved her gaze to Harley's bike that rested next to Scott's. Huh.
She gets back into the car as the cars ahead begin to move. Malikai hopes in, concealing his emotions. But for a split second Neviah saw the fear blistering.
"What happened?"
"Stiles' friend came to school drunk and needed a ride," he explained with an annoyed tone ringing in his voice.
Neviah crossed her arms, already sensing the lies forming without hesitation. "What friend?"
Malikai shrugged as he drove onto the main road.
She hummed. She didn't believe him one bit, but there was no reason to fight. "That's why lightweights shouldn't drink during the day."
He jutted his head. "Speaking from experience?"
"Yeah," she responded, ignoring his annoyance deflected onto her. "from not being a lightweight."
༻❁༺
[mention of rape]
The teens started with Kill Bill One as Malikai deemed it too early for horror movies. The sun was still out, only a few hours before it would set. They slowly dug into their pile of snacks, starting off with popcorn and soda.
Neviah planted her feet on the coffee table, snuggled in a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her nose scrunched, pulling her upper lip up as the male nurse received cash to let the other man rape the Bride.
"Gross," she muttered, tearing her eyes off the screen. If she had the chance and the ability, she would kill every person who did things like that. The enabler and the assaulter.
A buzz vibrated Neviah's feet. Malikai's phone lit up with an image of Harley. The boy didn't look at it, he was too intrigued by the movie he claimed would be boring. He glared at the man as he crawled over the Bride. "Can you grab that?"
Neviah huffed, getting out of her comfortable position and answered. "What do you want?"
"Is Malikai there?" Harley asked as if it wasn't obvious from that fact that Neviah answered his phone.
She glanced to Mal, who finally peeled his eyes from the screen. Why would Harley be calling Mal? "Yeah, he's here."
He mouths 'let me see' and reaches for the phone. Neviah pulls back, standing up and walks around. She tucks her arm over her stomach and underneath the other that held the phone. "Why do you want to talk to him?"
A stressed exhale came from the other end. "Just tell him that he needs to come near Heather's house. Stiles' Jeep broke down on our way there, and Scott's at Allison's."
Neviah internally groaned, no longer finding the call interesting. She hands the phone to Mal, who swiftly takes it and walks into the kitchen. He talks to Harley in a hushed whisper, periodically glancing at Neviah.
Neviah plopped onto the couch, grabbed the popcorn bowl and watched the movie. Malikai stayed in the kitchen for a few more minutes before walking out with a serious look on his face.
"If you're going to pick them up, can I come? I don't want to wait for you to finish the movie," she pouts with her head hung back on the top of the couch, watching an upside-down Malikai.
He shook his head, tucking his phone in his pocket. "I probably won't be able to come back. I'm gonna take Harley home, then stay with Stiles while he gets his car fixed."
"Then I could just come with you," she insisted, standing up.
"No!" Malikai shouted. Neviah flinched. He realized what he did and paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. Them calling me to get out of calling their parents and ruining our day, pisses me off."
Neviah nodded timidly, staring down at the rug. Mal rarely yelled. Sure, he shouted because he was an idiot who liked attention, but never yelled. Especially not at her.
"Plus Harley also seemed annoyed and you two would just argue, and-"
"I get it, Mal," Neviah interrupted with a fake smile. "Just go."
He nodded, smiling apologetically. Neviah stood there as he left, starting his car and drove away. The sound of the Bride killing the nurse with the door filled the room.
Slowly, the girl fell back onto the couch. The movie no longer interested her. It played as her dull eyes watched. Not once since the tradition started had there been a reason for it to be canceled or stopped. The two teens made sure of it, always canceling other plans to make it to movie night.
Yet, he left. Without a second thought of what the day meant. As if it meant nothing.
A ding sounded. Neviah exhaled, scanning for her phone. She picked it up and saw an unknown number sent an image.
She hesitantly clicked on it. She closed her eyes before it opened up, scared it was an unsolicited dick picture. When she opened them, it was something else that made her stomach sink.
A picture of Harley and Stiles in Stiles' Jeep...
with Derek.
Neviah had seen him at the funeral and at the Hale house after. But the two didn't speak. Harley and Malikai didn't speak to him either, they only stared with words resting on their tongues.
She stared at the picture. She didn't care that Harley was with Derek. What the girl did was for her to decide. It had always been that way since they grew apart.
But it was the fact that Derek looked ghostly. His face was pale, almost white in contrast to his black leather jacket. It was the fact that Malikai had seen him, helped him into Stiles' Jeep for some odd reason, then went to Neviah and told her a lie.
Text bubbles appeared. An address was sent.
Neviah copied the address and put it into her phone's search engine. The Animal Clinic. Her eyebrows knitted.
It was the fact that they lied.
And she wanted to know why.
༻❁༺
The Animal Clinic was a short walk from Neviah's house as persistence and anger fueled her. Despite it being short, night had fallen. Shadows engulfed everything the street lamps couldn't reach. Not even the moon dared to be out that night.
Two cars parked at the closed clinic. Stiles' blue Jeep and Malikai's black car. The lights were on in the back, illuminating the front. Shadows walked around in the back room.
A part of Neviah wanted to barge into the clinic and yell at Malikai and Harley for lying. She wanted to make a scene, make them feel bad for all the lies they have been telling her.
Instead, she did what she had been doing for years. Stayed silent and watched.
She circled around the back of the clinic, finding a window that gave her a great view of what was happening inside. She climbs onto a garbage bin, carefully getting onto it to make little noise.
Three teens and an adult stood in the clinic's examination room. Derek stood shirtless, pale and sickly. Derek turned, scrunching his nose in anger, revealing a bullet wound with disgustingly visible veins.
Neviah's fingers curled on the bricks. Her eyebrows furrowed at the wound. That wasn't human.
Derek held a plastic blue strip that he wrapped tightly above the wound. He was restricting blood flow, but the way he acted gave Neviah the impression it wasn't to save his arm.
"Harley, get out of here," Derek ordered, staring at the girl with urgency.
"No," she grunted, not taking her eyes off of the wound.
Derek flared his nostrils. "You don't need to see this."
Stiles glanced between the two. "Okay, one of you needs to tell me what the hell is going on between you two."
The man glared at Stiles in response, shutting him up. He pulls out a bone saw from a draw, holding it up for the teens. "You want to watch Stiles cut off my arm?"
The three teens - and the hidden fourth - were stunned by his question. Cut off his arm? For a bullet wound? Sure, his arm looked unsaveable, but they needed to get him to a hospital. Neviah wanted to run inside and force Derek to go to the correct type of medical clinic. She was mad at him, but she didn't want him dead.
But she stayed hidden. There was something she was missing. She needed the whole picture.
Malikai stepped forward, inhaling deeply as if he accepted what was about to happen. "Let me do it," he told Derek.
Derek shook his head, shifting his feet as a dizzy spell occurred. "You need to hold me down. You're the only one who can."
"What if you bleed to death?" Stiles asked, being the only one to ask important questions.
"It'll heal if it works," Derek answered, gripping the metal table. Neviah leaned forward.
Stiles gagged. "Look, I don't know if I can do this."
"Why not?" Derek grunted, glaring at him. Murderous urges clouded his eyes. They weren't the eyes she remembered.
"Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood!" Stiles exclaimed, feeling weak as he explained.
Malikai looked at him in disbelief. "You can look for and dig up dead bodies but suddenly you can't handle blood?"
"You faint at the sight of blood?" Derek asked. He was done with Stiles at that point.
"No, but I might at the sight of a chopped-off arm!"
"I can do it," Harley stepped forward, taking the saw in hand. "He'll faint and keep the floor warm, while Malikai holds you down, okay?"
"No," Derek responded almost immediately. "I'm not...I'm not letting you watch this."
Harley clenched her jaw. "Well, suck it up."
Derek opened his mouth to argue once more, only something stopped him. He jerked his body forward, hunching over. Stiles questioned what he was doing. Derek leaned over and threw up black liquid over the floor.
"What the fuck?" Neviah let out quietly, she didn't even realize she spoke.
Malikai and Derek's eyes snapped to the window. Neviah ducked. Luckily the lack of light helped her. They turned away.
"Holy God, what the hell is that?" Stiles whined.
Harley jumped, putting her hand over her mouth to stop her from gagging. "Oh, my god."
"It's my body..." Derek started, struggling to speak. "trying to heal itself."
"Well, it's not doing a very good job of it," Stiles let out weakly, almost as if he was experiencing the same pain as Derek.
Derek looked up at Harley, accepting she would have to be the one. "Now. You gotta do it now."
Malikai held onto Derek, keeping his body up, while forcing his wounded arm onto the table. He looked at Harley with a nod. The girl gulped, flicking on the saw. She placed it on top of his arm, scrunching her face.
"Oh, god!" Stiles let out, covering his eyes.
"Stiles!" a voice called out from the entrance.
Everyone stopped, looking to the door. Scott walked in, panting. He looked at the scene in front of him, expressing all the emotions Neviah felt.
"What the hell are you guys doing?" he shouted, disrupting the plan.
Stiles laughed in relief, forcing the saw out of Harley's shaking hands. "Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares."
Malikai helped Derek look up. He looked at Scott. "Did you get it?"
The boy dug into his pant's pocket, pulling out a bullet. Neviah leaned back, blinking in shock.
"What are you gonna do with it?" Harley asked, her voice shaking.
Derek stared at the bullet, his eyes focusing and unfocusing. "I'm gonna...I'm gonna..."
His body let out before he could finish. He dropped the bullet, dropping all of his weight onto Malikai. The boy was able to hold on. He swept Derek up and placed him onto the table without a second thought.
Scott and Harley went after the bullet that rolled into a grate. Malikai and Stiles stayed with Derek. He looked dead. The way Laura looked as they closed her casket. Dead like the others that burned in the fire.
Neviah swayed. She caught herself before she could fall, but she made a loud bang. The teenagers jumped at it, but returned to their more present concerns.
"I think he's dead!" Stiles alerted Scott and Harley.
"He's not dead," Malikai countered with anger burning his body.
"Just hold on," Scott snapped.
"Scott, use your claws!" Malikai instructed like a teacher. He glanced up to Stiles. "Wake him up."
Stiles couldn't argue as Malikai went over to Scott, urging Harley to move. The girl did. She went to Derek, eyes wide at his state.
"Punch him," she told Stiles with seriousness all over.
"What?" he said in disbelief. "I'm not punching him!"
"Punch him, Stiles! It'll wake him up."
Scott gasped. "I got it, I got it!"
Stiles' shoulders tensed, his head turned as if he was contemplating it. "I swear to God if your secret boyfriend kills me for this, I'm killing you."
He punched Derek, shouting in pain. Derek didn't register what had happened, only that Scott had the bullet. He took it from the boy as everyone lifted him to sit up.
Derek bit the head of the bullet off, making Neviah wince. He tapped out herbs from the head. Malikai handed him a lighter, which he used to light the pile of herbs. They sparked a large flame. The smoke was blue.
Derek swept the substance into his hand, pausing as he stared down at it. His body swayed. Malikai reacted, he grabbed Derek's hand and forced the burned herbs over the wound. Once it was on it, he removed Derek's hand and forced the herbs into the wound with his finger. Neviah gagged.
She saw a slight grin on Malikai's face as Derek screamed in agony before it disappeared. He still hated Derek. Then it made sense. Derek was the person he told her about, the one he had to help but didn't want to.
Derek forced his way out of Malikai's arms, falling to the floor as the teens watched him squirm in pain. An animalistic roar left his mouth. His eyes glowed blue as the wound healed itself.
"That...was...awesome!" Stiles cheered, gaining looks of disbelief in the other teenagers' eyes. "Yes!"
Neviah blinked. She needed to leave. Her mind told her to leave. Her heart raced, everything urged her to leave. She did.
She didn't care that she hit a bucket as she ran away. She didn't care that there was a chance they heard her. She needed to leave.
Her mind filled in the pieces she didn't understand. It felt familiar, the way her brain forced her to focus on the important bits of what just happened. Words like: heal itself, claw. How Malikai was able to carry Derek's weight without straining himself. How the bullet affected Derek.
It made sense to a part of her she didn't know existed.
Once she was far enough, Neviah stumbled to a stop. She had run the opposite direction from home, towards Ray's. She didn't realize she ran that far. Coach Finstock would be proud that her speed stayed the same despite not running since cross country.
She hunched over, hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. An aching pain ransacked her brain. It was happening again. Why now?
Neviah held her head, wincing silently, a truck slowed to a stop in front of her. She looked up and her dad was there.
"What are you doing out, kid?" He questioned. He looked around to see Neviah alone. "I thought it was movie night, where's Mal?"
Neviah shook her head, trying to hide the pain to answer her dad. "He had to help Harley and Stiles. Stiles' Jeep broke down. I went to get food."
Damian arched his brow. "Where's the food then?"
She let out a nervous laugh. She couldn't even lie correctly. "Forgot my wallet."
He sighed, laughing at his daughter's mistake. He opened the door for her. "Come on, let's go get food."
Neviah got into the trunk. Her head stormed. She remembered snippets of what had happened. It was important that she remembered, that's what her mind told her
"Do you have a pen and paper?" Neviah asked her dad, scratching her brain for thoughts that were slipping.
"In the glove compartment."
Neviah pulled out a pen and paper, letting her mind write the important pieces. It was put into a few words. The things her mind made her focus on.
healing & glowing eyes.
scott has claws.
malikai incredibly strong?
stiles, scott, harley, malikai and derek are hiding....
As she wrote, everything left her mind. The words on the page made no sense. Neviah stared blankly at it.
"You okay, kiddo?" Damian glanced at her as he pulled into Ray's parking lot.
Neviah jerked, ripping the paper and crumbling it into her pocket. "Yeah, I'm good."
༻❁༺
another update!
if you don't follow me and don't pay attention to my announcements, you wouldn't know that this chapter was postponed because I had to watch Kill Bill for that scene. I actually wrote this chapter in April and it took me until today, May 20th, to watch Kill Bill. It was really good tbh. it honestly fits Neviah more than I thought it would. I plan on watching volume 2 sometime soon.
and with that, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! tell me your thoughts, theories, ideas, anything and everything! ily all, thank you for 7k reads on this crazy ass book.