"Missy, you better go. Derek's here. He thinks you're dead and I don't think this is the time or place to explain why or how your standing here breathing. Meet us at Stiles' jeep after school." Scott said, grabbing my arm and pushing me back toward the school. He seemed very on edge. Stiles looked around the field, before obviously spotting Derek by the tree line at the edge of the field. I didn't turn to look, hiding my face behind my hair. I immediately began speed walking back to the school. It was enough revealing myself to Scott, Allison, and Stiles. I couldn't handle taking on Derek Hale too.
"What's happened since... Since I went MIA?" I asked Stiles breathlessly as he hauled me along the school yard. He glanced over his shoulder but refused to make eye contact with me and cleared his throat.
"Well. After you... went missing, everything just kind of fell apart. I can't go into details right now because I'm kinda worried that you might explode or spontaneously combust or disappear again or something. But right now we need to put as much distance between you and Derek as possible. He's not the most welcoming to those who were believed to be dead."
I frowned. Who else came back from the dead? Was there some one else like me? And if there was, did they have an unfortunate run in with Derek? I shivered and hugged my arms harder around myself.
"I'm not a threat, Stiles. Why does it matter to him? Can't you just tell him you may have exaggerated a little about my dying?" I fished. Stiles scrambled to open the door for me as we reached the school. He took me by the elbow and started dragging me down the hall toward the band room.
"Trust me. It's not that easy."
Once in the band room, Stiles locked the doors behind us and let out a sigh.
"Look I don't know what you've figured out, but I will tell you this. Things are different. Have been for a while now. Since before you got here. It's crazy and huge and unreal and dangerous and every bad adjective you can think of. I swear I will explain this to you, but not yet. Not until things settle down with Scot and Derek. Ok?" I stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide whether to argue or let it go. I decided on the latter.
"So what do you expect me to do until then? Hide here in the band room? Maybe take up the trombone?" I asked, eyeing my surroundings distastefully. It reeked of sweat and old brass.
Stiles sighed and pulled his gloves off, throwing them into a nearby chair.
"Sure. And I'll take up the flute. I think Scott plays the clarinet. We can start a band." I raised an brow at his sudden sarcasm. He dropped the floor with his elbows resting on his knees. I again, noted the dark circles under his eyes. He looked like a dead man. He looked up and caught me studying him. "Artemis... What happened to you?"
The question was simple, but the answer was anything but.
I moved from my perch on the desk to sit beside him with my knees hugged tightly to my chest. We sat in silence for a few moments, him waiting, me silently struggling to figure out where to begin.
"I guess I'll start where we left off in the basement."
Stiles nodded for me to continue. I swallowed hard and looked at the ground.
"I died."