"I didn't have the emotional or physical connection of any parent.
I was stranger to love.
I was stranger to communication.
I was starved to hugs.
I was starved of their presence.
I grew to learn that love is transactional.
I grew to learn that communication is a flaw.
I grew to learn that hugs are uncomfortable.
I grew to learn that their absence carved a void
I would be craving until I take my last breath."
"Don't make me go. I hate that place". Anita begged, closing her eyes again.
Derek pulled her closer into her chest on the bed and smiled. "Just a few more months". Derek tried to reassure her.
"December is far away". Anita grumbled. "And it's only been the weekend since everything". Anita didn't want to leave him alone. She wanted to make sure he was fine.
Derek moved her hair away from her face. "I'll be fine". He reassured her once again and then added; "I'll take you out for an early dinner when you get back". Anita hummed at that.
"Fine. I'll get up". Anita said, slowly untangling herself from Derek's arms, sitting up and was about to crawl out of the bed.
"Not before I do this". Derek pulled her back into her arms, kissing all over her face as she laughed.
~~~
"Idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes, all tools the writer uses to tell their story". Ms. Blake taught the classroom as she walked around.
Anita rolled her eyes at this. "No, shit". She mumbled under her breath from her seat. She glanced over to Ms. Blake who was by Lydia.
"Idioms are something of a secret". She continued to teach. "To the people who know the language or the culture. They're phrases that only make sense if you know key words. Saying 'jump the gun' is meaningful only if you know about the starting gun in a race. Or a phrase like 'seeing the whole board'". Ms. Blake gave examples.
"Like chess". Stiles muttered under his breath.
"That's right, Stiles". Ms. Blake applauded, looking at him. "Do you play?" She asked.
"Uh, no. My father does". Stiles played with his pencil.
Ms. Blake smiled and then started to walk around the classroom again. "Now, when does an idiom become a cliche?"
"I'm pretty sure I can get to Ethan. Make him talk". Scott leaned over, whispering to Stiles.
"Good. Ask him why his brother is such an asshole". Anita whispered, smiling sarcastically to Scott. She was still pissed off about the whole thing.
She still had a bandage on her neck which was a pain to clean and take off. Not to mention, convincing her parents the house was robbed due to the mess the twins left behind. That was even worse to deal with.
Her parents blamed her for not locking the house up properly and didn't bother to hear her side and didn't even ask what happened to her neck. They just placed the blame on her and compared her to Clarice once more. Of how, Clarice was more responsible.
Anita shook her head, doodling in her notes, not wanting to be involved with the twos conversation. She just tuned them out. It was pretty easy to do at this point whenever they started talking.
"How are we gonna separate them again?" Stiles whispered to Scott.
Anita heard movement and when she did she looked up seeing both Stiles and Scott completely turned around, looking at Lydia.
"What now?" Lydia asked.
"Good luck is all I have to say". Anita shook her head, doodling once more in her notebook.
~~~
"Nooooooo". Stiles reached out, grabbing Anita's forearm to stop her from walking away.
"Come on!" She stomped her foot. "You don't need me. You have Scott". She gestured to the boy.
"Ethan!" Scott called, walking up the stairs to stop him. Anita and Stiles following behind. Anita whacked Stiles hand to let go of her as she just glared at Ethan.
"Why are you even talking to me?" Ethan asked. "I helped kill your friend. How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?" He asked, his eyes going to Stiles.
"And ruined my house. You owe me money by the way". Anita interjected, but no one seemed to care about her house.
"Is he looking at me? Are you threatening me?" Stiles asked. "You know what I'm gonna do? Im going to break off an extra large branch of mountain ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe and shove it up your freaking-" Stiles got closer to Ethan, making gestures.
"Shut up!"
"Whoa, Stiles, okay. We get it".
Anita and Scott said at the same time.
"We're talking to you". Scott looked to Ethan. "Because I know that you didn't want to kill Boyd. Like..." Scott's eyes moved to Anita. "Like you didn't want to hurt Anita. And I think if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again".
Ethan's eyes flashed to the bandage on Anita's neck for a moment and then back to Scott. "You don't know what we owe them. Especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't alphas". Ethan explained.
"What were you?" Stiles asked.
"Omegas". Ethan answered. "In actual wolf packs, omegas are the scapegoat. The last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack".
"So you and your brother were, like, the bitches of the pack?"
Anita let out a sigh, closing her eyes and shaking her head at Stiles comment. She hated him. She really did.
"Something like that". Ethan looked at him.
"What happened?" Scott asked.
"They were killers". Ethan let out a deep breath. "I mean, people talk about us as monsters. Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation and our alpha was the worst of them".
"Why didn't you guys just fight back? Form voltron wolf, you know? Kick everyone's asses?" Stiles questioned.
"We couldn't, we didn't know how to control it back then". Ethan gave Stiles a look.
"Deucalion taught you". Anita finally chimed in.
"And then we fought". Ethan confirmed. "We took down the whole pack. One-by-one and by the time we got to our alpha he was begging for his life". Ethan paused for a moment. "And we tore him apart. Literally".
"What about your emissary?" Scott asked.
Ethan shook his head.
"They're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?"
"All of them except for Deucalion". Ethan confirmed.
"You mean Morrell?" Stiles asked.
Ethan didn't get to answer as he let out a painful gasp, holding his chest.
"What? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Scott asked.
"Not me. My brother".
The four looked at one another.
"Boys locker room". Simon said at the bottom of the stairs. "It's Cora". He looked at her. Anita looked to him and started to make her way down the stairs.
"Locker room". She called, not bothering to wait for them as she started to run, fearing for her childhood friends life.
"Stop!" Anita heard Lydia yell as she got closer. Anita barged in, seeing Aiden was about to strike Cora again. Anita was quick to grab a nearby weight and with the help of Simon, throw it at Aiden.
She regretted her decision as he looked at her angrily, growling and was about to attack when Scott and Ethan rushed over, holding him back. Aiden dropped the weight he held over his head on the ground while Anita went over to Cora.
"Aiden! You can't do this!" Ethan shouted to his brother.
"She came at me". Aiden glared at Cora.
Anita looked to Cora and then up at Aiden. "I wonder why, dumbass".
Aiden growled, taking a step forward but Ethan pushed him back. "It doesn't matter". Ethan looked at him. "Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her, and definitely not her". Ethan gestured to Cora and then Anita.
Aiden stopped trying to fight back as he didn't say anything. Soon enough, Ethan pulled Aiden to leave the locker room.
"I still want my money!" Anita called and then looked down to Cora, moving her hair out of her face. "Just take a few deep breaths". She looked at her worriedly.
"Hey, guys, I think she's pretty hurt". Stiles commented.
"Really? I didn't know that." Anita snapped and then looked to see Lydia and Stiles looking at her.
"Sorry". She immediately apologized. She was beyond stressed. "I'm just-"
"No, I get it". Stiles nodded, reassuring that is was fine.
"Anita. Help me up". Cora grumbled.
Anita grabbed onto her hands tightly and slowly pulled her to a seating position. "Slow. Slow". She instructed and helped her to her feet. "Let's get this blood off". Anita walked her to one of the sinks.
Anita grabbed a rag and got it wet and handed it to Cora who looked in the mirror as she wiped the blood away, hissing from the pain.
"You okay?" Scott asked.
"She doesn't look okay". Lydia commented.
"I'll heal". Cora reassured them and when she stepped back she stumbled. Scott was quick to grab her but Cora gestured for him to stop.
"I said I'm fine".
"Do you realize how suicidally crazy that was?" Stiles asked her. "What were you thinking going after them?"
"I did it for Boyd". Cora raised her voice. "None of you were doing anything".
"We're trying". Scott said softly.
"And you're failing". Cora looked at the three teenagers as Anita looked at the ground from beside her.
"You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers. Running around, thinking that you can stop people from getting killed but all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies". Cora looked at them with disappointment and then grabbed Anita's hand, pulling her out of the room with her.
"She's definitely a Hale".
~~~
Anita swore she would never step foot in Stiles Stilinkis house.
And here she was. Stiles offered to take them to Anita's house but he was a liar and took them to his house. Anita was too tired to say anything and here they were.
Anita went to the bathroom while Cora and Stiles were in his room. Anita washed her hands, drying her hands on a towel. She then let out a deep breath, rubbing her hand on the back of her neck.
"Sit down". Clarice's voice sounded.
"No". Anita shook her head.
"You need to relax". Clarice said from where she sat on the bathtub.
Anita let out a snort. "Funny. I don't have time".
"Anita". Clarice gave her a look.
Anita sighed and took a seat on the closed toilet, looking at her sister.
"You always help everyone else. You can take a moment for yourself". Clarice said gently. "Close your eyes and go to your happy place". Clarice instructed.
Anita shrugged, closing her eyes as she listened to her sisters voice.
"First, think of the sound. What do you hear? Then the smell and finally what do you see? Just take a moment and be there".
Anita heard the crackle of a campfire, laughter, music, and the smell of a campfire and charcoal. Soon enough, Anita started to relax as she took the scenery in and after a few minutes she opened her eyes.
Clarice was gone but Anita felt so much better.
"Thanks sis". Anita stood up and made her way out of the bathroom and back to Stiles room. She stopped when she saw Stiles in front of a chess board with his dad. Anita slowly went over to the bed and sat next to Cora.
"He's telling his dad about the supernatural".
"Oh. Wow". Anita nodded. This was a turn of events.
"Scott and Derek are werewolves?" Stilinski asked.
"Yes". Stiles nodded.
"And Kate Argent was a werewolf".
"Hunter. That's-purples hunter". Stiles corrected.
"Along with Allison and her father". Cora chimed in.
"Yeah, and-and my friend Deaton, the veterinarian is a kanima?" Stilinski asked.
"Well, no, no, no, no, no. He's a Druid. Okay? Well, we think".
"So this the kanima?"
"Jackson".
"No, Jackson's a werewolf"
"Jackson was the kanima first and then Peter and Derek killed him and he came back to life as a werewolf. Now he's in London".
Anita sighed. "You're making this confusing". Anita told Stiles.
"Whose the Da-rack?" Stilinski changed subjects.
"It's Da-rock".
"We don't know yet". Cora told him.
"We don't know yet". Stiles pointed to Cora.
"But he was killed by werewolves?"
"Slashed up and left for dead".
"We think". Cora spoke up again, Stiles repeating right after her. Stilinski let out a long sigh, leaning back for a moment.
"Why was Jackson the kanima?" He suddenly asked.
"'Cause sometimes the shape that you take reflects the person that you are". Stiles explained.
"And what shape would an increasingly confused and angrier-by-the-second father take?"
"Oh, boy". Anita adjusted her seating position.
"Uh, that would be more of an expression. Like the one you're currently wearing". Stiles fiddled with his hands.
"Yeah". Stilinski stood up and went to head out.
"Dad-Dad, would you-I can prove it okay?" Stiles asked, getting up as well.
"Look. She's one of them". Stiles pointed to Cora. "And Anita is something but I'm still trying to figure it out".
"Cora's a werewolf"
"Stiles, Stiles!" Stilinski's voice grew louder, pointing to his son. "That's enough." Stilinski passed his son.
"Dad, can you please just hold on?" Stiles begged.
"You ready?" Stiles turned to Cora.
Cora slowly got up as Stiles turned back to his dad who was near the door. "All right, dad. Just watch this. Okay?"
Cora then past out on the floor. Anita's eyes widened as she jumped off the bed and onto the ground, grabbing onto either side of Cora's face.
"Cora?" Anita asked in panic.
Stilinski was quick to get over and check her. He then turned to his son. "Call an ambulance".
Stiles dug into his pocket, taking his phone out. Anita brushed Cora's face with her thumb as she looked down at her. Her eyes then flashed up slightly.
"Derek. I have to call Derek". She said, grabbing a nearby pillow to put under Cora's head as Stilinski switched with her.
Anita headed out the room, passing Stiles who was on the phone with dispatch. Anita pressed Derek's number and listened to it ring.
"Pick up. Pick up". She pleaded.
Shouldn't you be in class?
Anita sighed with relief that he picked up. "Derek, something's wrong with Cora". She said urgently. "Stiles called an ambulance. We're waiting for it to arrive-"
What happened to her?
"Aiden whacked her in the head with a weight. I don't think she's healing-I don't-"
Anita, deep breaths. I'll meet you at the hospital. Alright?
Anita nodded her head. "Ok. I hear the sirens". She told him, hearing the sirens get closer and then hung up.
"Derek is meeting us at the hospital". She told the two, Cora already in Stilinski's arms.
"Let's go".
~~~
Anita was pacing back and forth in the hospital. She was waiting for Derek to arrive while Stiles and his dad were having a very eventful talk.
"I hate hospitals". Anita muttered to herself. "Nothing good happens in them". She said once again. Every time she was in here something bad happened.
Her sister died.
She got shot.
Is Cora going to die next?
"Anita".
Anita stopped pacing and turned her head, seeing Derek make his way over.
"Derek". Anita breathed out in relief.
Derek was quick to close the gap between them, placing his hands on either side of her face, seeing if she was injured anywhere. But all he saw was the old injury Aiden gave her.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine. Just Cora. They wouldn't let me in to see her".
Derek dropped his hands from her face. "Follow me". Anita guided him to Cora's room. Derek entered slowly, sitting down in the nearby chair, looking at his sleeping sister who had a bandage around her head. Derek took her hand and placed it in his.
Cora seemed to slowly wake up, moving her head towards him. "Derek?"
Derek quickly stood up, hovering over her. "Hey. Hey, I'm here".
"What's happening to me?" Cora asked, fear evident in her voice.
Anita had to look away from where she stood in the doorway, tears shinning in her eyes.
"I don't know. But I'm not leaving, okay? Not again".
Cora soon fell back asleep. Anita went out to grab coffee for Derek. When she got back she handed him the drink and sat in a chair on the other side of Derek. Anita looked at Cora's sleeping figure and then to Derek who suddenly snapped his head towards the exit.
"What's wrong?" She asked him.
"I think I heard Lydia scream". Derek looked to her. Both of them not understanding how.
**I kick my feet ⬇️**