"I know you think you're trying to protect me, but I can handle it," Her voice echoed through the basement.
I shared a nervous look between Scott and Stiles. I've talked to the both of them about this. Scott should be the one to tell her-
"I know I'm on the list," She clapped her hands together. "So how much am I worth?"
Okay this is not where I thought that was going...
"Four million," Scott replied after looking at Stiles.
Stiles scratched the back of his neck, "Are you okay?"
She nodded as if it was a dumb question, "Yeah. Brianna is worth 40, Scott 25, and Kira six. They'll take you guys out way before me."
"Forty?! I'm worth forty million?!" I asked, mouth gaped open and eyes wide.
Not only did Stiles keep it from me that I was on the list, but he forgot to tell me that I'm worth more than anyone! I'm surprised I'm not lying in a ditch somewhere with a wooden steak in my heart!
"Yeah. Sorry bud but, you're screwed," She gave me a pat on the back before making her way to the door.
"No one is screwed and no one is going to die," Scott promised.
Malia stepped forward, her claws digging into the engraved lines. With a few swift movements of her wrist the door began to slide open, revealing the inside of the Hale vault.
***
Stiles sat on the floor against a box and Malia was asleep on the floor near him. Scott sat hunched over on a crate while Kira was looking around the room.
Me, well I was leaned against the wall. Sweating all the liquid from my body while I also froze. My condition has gotten way worse as well as everyone else's.
"You know this is where it all started," Stiles' voice echoed. "That's where the money was." He pointed to the safe that was on a table beside Scott.
"117 million in bearer bonds."
Kira picked up a jar on a shelf, looking at it questionably. "How do you even change bearer bonds into cash?"
"The bank, I guess," he replied. "They just let it sit here the whole time collecting dust."
My legs began to wobble from my position so I slowly slid down the concrete wall before I fell, holding onto my head as the room began to spin.
"You know bearer bonds are basically extinct?"
"Why does it matter?"Kira asked him.
"You know how many problems that money could solve?"
"For you?"
"Me. My dad..." Stiles looked down at his hands. "The Eichen House and MRI bills are crushing him."
"Lena has been working over time, to pay off the bills for Eichen and we're still behind on my dad's funeral. We're selling the house," I pushed up on my hands, trying to sit more comfortably. "She's looking at apartments, something cheap."
I haven't told anyone about that, not even Stiles. We have enough problems to deal with.
Scott scratched his chin, "Mom does this thing, she writes down all of the items in our budget, and how much they cost. Then she adds them all up and figures out how long we have until... we'd lose the house."
An hour of silence passed, Scott and Stiles were leaned against the vault door. "So can you hear anything?" Stiles asked Scott.
"They're looking for us. Someone's going to have to go out there..."
I lifted my head up from Kira's shoulder and looked over at the two boys. They were looking at the three of us. Kira was holding onto Malia's hand as she had found it hard to breath.
My eyes closed as I began to cough erratically. I felt a warm liquid splash onto my hand which meant I was still coughing up blood.
When I opened my re-opened my eyes I saw nothing, everything was black.
"Guys..." My breathing began to speed up and my hands began to shake. "I-I can't see. I can't see anything!"
"Scott!" I heard Kira's voice yell.
I could hear two pairs of footsteps run towards me. I felt two pairs of hands on my cheek's making me jump.
"Brianna... Bri, hey it's me," It was Stiles.
"St-Stiles," I cried out. "I can't see anything."
"Shhh... Sh.. it's going to be okay." I reached one of my hands out and his immediately latched onto mine.
"I gotta leave for a few-"
"You're leaving?!"
"Yeah but everything is going to be okay. I'm gonna get us out of here," He responded.
"Where are you going?"
"Whatever's happening, it's worse for you guys. That means it's not just people getting sick, it's another assassin," He explained.
I took in a deep breath since I was finding it harder to breath. I nodded and rubbed my arms.
"Are you cold?" He asked, his voice scaring me. I didn't even have time to respond before I felt him wrapping his jacket around me.
"You're coming back, right?" I asked in fear.
"Yeah. I promise," He held tightly onto my left hand. "I'd never leave you behind."
"Look, Stiles," I gulped and sat up more. "I-I don't know how this is going to end but... I forgive you. For everything."
He kissed my forehead gently before he stood up, his footsteps echoing as he walked away.
It felt like forever since Stiles left. And in that time every one's condition worsened, even mine which I thought it was already bad.
Malia had moved beside me in that time, laying down beside me. Earlier I had let her take Stiles's jacket because my body temperature began to rise.
Even though I couldn't see, my eyelids closed as I fell from my upright position, to my side.
My head was pounding and I could feel my lungs begin to slow down, my heart beating slower every minute.
Death was slowly creeping up onto me and I knew any second now, it would take control of me.
And right after that thought my body began to shut down. And in seconds, I was dead.
***
"She has to wake up right?"
"C'mon, Bri, wake up."
"I-I mean she has to right?"
I began to cough erratically, taking in a huge breath.
"Oh, thank God,"
I opened my eyes but everything was blurry. I blinked countless of times. Each time my vision slowly coming back to me.
When it was in full motion I saw Stiles, Scott, and Kira both hovering over me.
"What the hell happened?" I asked.
"You died once again," Kira said dramatically.
I began to sit up, Stiles helping me. "And what is that horrible smell?"
"Reishi mushrooms. It's what saved everyone," Scott explained.
Blood.
I smell blood.
I followed my noise in the direction of where I smelt it. When I turned my head, my face was inches away from Stiles's.
His face was splattered in dry blood. I looked at him in shock.
"Y-you're-"
"It's not my blood," He said quickly.
The smell of the blood kept dancing through my nose. It was definitely human blood; blood I haven't had in forever.
I could then hear the blood pumping through Stiles's body. Then Kira's and Scott's.
I have to get out of here.
I need to leave, now.
The could hear them talking to me but everything was mumbled because as of right now, I only had one thing on my mind.
Blood.
I took one last look at Stiles's face before using all the strength I could muster up and run the hell out of there.
I can't get the smell out of my nose. It's all I could think about.
What the hell is going on with me? I've learned to control myself better, I have.
I kept running and it took me a second to realize that I ran all the way back to my house.
"Malia Hale."
I screamed and turned around swiftly to see Malia sitting on my front porch with a piece of paper in her hands.
"I didn't mean to leave you there but you were dead so I thought you wouldn't mind," She stood up and shuffled in front of me. "Did you know about this?"
I gulped nervously and took the paper from her hand and examined it. I already knew what it was though.
"Yeah, I did," I avoided eye contact with her, looking side to side as I tried to ignore the blood pumping through-out her body.
"And you didn't tell me?" She was angry.
"I know I should have and I'm sorry. I thought Scott- You know what it doesn't matter. You're my friend, the Hale's are my family. I shouldn't have kept that from you. But I'm not the only one keeping secrets from my friends," I finally made eye contact with her and crossed my arms over my chest.
She just gave me a confused look, shaking her head as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
"You kissed Stiles and you didn't even tell me. Why would you do that, Malia? He's my boyfriend."
"Oh, that... Sorry."
"Sorry? That's all I get? No explanation?" My blood began to boil.
"Look, Bri, sorry I kissed Stiles. It was the heat of the moment and I couldn't focus so I went for it. No big deal, don't stress about it," She turned around on her heal and walked into the house.
"No big deal? No big deal!" I slammed the door behind me as I followed her into the kitchen. "Malia! I understand you've been gone a long time and you've never been in a relationship but you don't go kissing people who have girlfriends! Especially when that girlfriend is your said, best friend!"
She sighed and opened the fridge, pulling out the carton of milk.
"Okay, it won't happen again," She rolled her eyes and drank straight from the carton.
"What are you doing? You can't just-" I began laughing. "Oh gosh, I'm a mess."
"What?" She put the milk back in the fridge.
"I was just about to give you a whole lecture about drinking from the milk carton but I have more issue's to deal with," I shook my head and placed my hand on my forehead.
"Like what? Besides people trying to kill us."
"Stiles being one of them," I sighed and took a seat on a stool. "I told him I forgive him but I don't 100% do. I was just scared and blurted it out without thinking."
"Maybe you guys should take a break," She suggested and took a seat across from me.
"A break? Why?"
"Well, you've been fighting a lot, most of the fight's you've started-"
"Not helping..." I mumbled.
"Whatever. You've been fighting a lot. Maybe you're getting sick of being around each other all the time. Maybe you both need some time apart."
I thought a lot about what she said for a very long time. Stiles and I have been fighting but what coupled don't fight here and there?
But a break sounds like a smart idea. I mean, it's not like we're breaking up, just some time apart.
I shouldn't decide this on my own. I need to talk to Stiles.
Right as I was about to leave I realized that I left my car at the school. Gosh, I'm stupid.
Lena was home and let me borrow her car after I explained the whole situation that happened today. Lena know's about the dead-pool, I told her a while ago. I've decided I shouldn't keep anything from her.
It didn't take me long to get to Stiles's house considering he was about ten minutes away. I just hope he was home and not still at the school or with Scott.
When I pulled up to his house his jeep was parked in his driveway but his dad's car wasn't so he's home alone.
I contemplated on whether I should knock or just walk on in. I sat in the car before I finally decided to just walk in.
"Stiles?" I called out and closed the door behind me.
I heard footsteps hurry down the stairs then I was met with his face as he turned around the corner.
"Hey, what happened? Where did you go?" He asked with concern.
I studied every detail of him. His eyes held questions and concern, his hands slightly shaking so I guess me running off must have scared him. His face was no longer splattered in blood and his hair was wet so he must have taken a shower.
"Sorry to run off, I just had to get out of there," I took a step closer with caution. "We need to talk."
His face fell, "Those are never good words."
"So I was talking to Malia about some things..."
"What kind of things?" He fumbled with the bottom of his shirt nervously.
"Well we briefly talked about the Hale's and the two of you-"
"There's nothing going on between her I and I swear-"
"I know, it's okay. Let me finish..." I took a deep breath and went straight to the point. "Malia had this idea that you and I should take a break."
"You're taking relationship advice from some one who's never even been in a relationship?" He crossed his arms and his face went cold.
"I know it sounds silly but she made a good point. You and I have been fighting a lot and she thought we should take some time away from each other," I explained calmly.
"So you want to break up?" His voice and his stance changed quickly.
"No that's not what I'm saying. I said we-"
"Should take a break, I know. How long would this 'break' be?" He seemed angry.
"I-I don't know; maybe until the deadpool thing blows over. Now of course we can still be friends just to lower all the couple-y stuff."
"That sounds a lot to me like a break up," He said angrily. What the hell has gotten into him?
"Ya know, let's just make it that. Let's break up! Or until you say that everything is okay, right? Then we can get back together?" He threw his hands up in the air.
Tears began to form in my eyes at his sudden out-burst. "No, Stiles, that's not what-"
He shook his head and stormed off. His feet stomped up the stairs then a door slammed making me jump.
What the hell just happened?
Yeah...So that just happened.
PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT!
-Kiley