Stiles POV
Things have been very tense for the past couple of days. Everyone is on high alert for hybrids. I'm also trying to look out for the mysterious alpha named Michael. Chris has left town to try and hunt him down. Derek doesn't want me to be alone until the alpha is caught, but I always manage to leave the conversation when he starts talking about that. I don't need the sour wolf watching over me. That's just creepy. I'm glad that he hasn't told the others about Michael though. Then I'd have pretty much the whole pack overprotecting me. I don't want that. I understand what Chris told me the other day, but I hope he knows I'm not totally helpless. I mean, I broke the wendigo hybrid's neck just by using telekinesis. I didn't even need to touch him. It still pains me to think about that night, but thanks to my friends, the guilt has slowly faded away.
Yesterday, Liam, Isaac and I managed to find a werewolf and werefox hybrid. It was a very interesting mix, let me tell you that. We spotted the creature about to maul a couple walking through the woods. It had claws double the size of a normal werewolf, his eyes were orange, his ears were taller and more pointier than a normal werewolf and he even had a fluffy fox tail poking out of his trousers. I pulled the couple out of danger while Liam and Isaac tackled the half werewolf, half werefox to the ground. "Go, get out of here. Don't tell anyone what you saw. They won't believe you. It might put you in more danger." I told the terrified couple urgently. They nodded quickly and ran back through the woods. I rushed over to Isaac and Liam, who were pinning the hybrid to the ground. "What hybrid are you?" I heard Isaac growl.
"Half fox, half wolf." The creature growled back angrily as he tried to wriggle away.
"I thought wolves and foxes didn't get along?" I asked mischievously. The hybrid tried to snap at me. I walked around to his side. "Why are you here?" I asked in a more serious tone.
"To keep an eye on you. I was supposed to fight you, but let you live, no matter how much I want to rip your heart out." The hybrid answered. I held back a nervous gulp at the death threat thrown at me. "Stiles, what does that mean?" Liam frowned. "I don't know..." I told the youngest beta. The hybrid just chuckled at me.
"So what are you going to do to me then? Kill me?" The hybrid raised his eyebrows.
"You don't have to kill people." I tried reasoning with him, but it was no use. The hybrid did not want to listen to me. In the end, we ended up handing the werewolf/werefox over to Derek. I was worried about doing so, but Derek promised me he wouldn't kill the creature unless it was absolutely necessary. Derek said he knew a place that he could take the creature, so I let him take the hybrid away. I hope I made the right decision by trusting Derek. I don't want to kill these hybrids. Besides, it would be great if one of them spilt more information about Michael, as unlikely as it may be.
Early this morning, I'd say about at 1am, I wake up screaming and crying. It takes me a few minutes to realize that it was only a nightmare; it wasn't real. I had dreamed that the Nogitsune came back and possessed me again, making me kill everyone I love and care about, including my friends from the ocean. I continue to shake uncontrollably, afraid of going back to sleep. I don't want the Nogitsune to return. I swear I can still hear the screams of my friends and family as well as the evil laughter of the fox spirit. Tears continue to spill down my face and onto my bed covers. My heart continues to go through the roof and I can't control my breathing. I'm surprised that I haven't woken Kara up. Instinctively, I reach over and grab my phone. There is only one person that can calm me down right now. I turn it on and quickly go to my contacts list. I find Scott's name and press the call button. I wait until Scott finally picks up on the seventh ring.
"Scott! I h-" I begin urgently in a panicked voice, but I am quickly cut off by my friend.
"Uh, look Stiles, I'm kind of busy right now, I'm sure whatever you want to say can wait until the morning. Goodnight!" Scott interrupts me. I hear a girl's giggling in the background which sounds an awful lot like Samantha. "No! Sc-" I try again, but I am cut off by a beeping sound. I look down at my phone in disbelief. Scott just hung up on me. He didn't even give me time to explain. He just wanted to go back to having sex with Samantha by the sounds of things. Feeling more sad and alone than ever, I curl up into a ball on my bed and cry loudly, terrified of falling asleep. This results in me not getting any more sleep tonight.
At around 7:30 in the morning, I decide I should get ready for school. I slowly get out of bed, feeling awful from the lack of sleep. I walk over to my mirror. My eyes look sunken into my face and I have huge bags under them. Great. Now I'll look like a zombie at school. I sigh as I make my way over to my drawers and pull out some fresh clothes for today. I quickly get dressed and brush my hair and teeth. I pack my school bag and walk over to my mirror again. I look at my reflection with distaste. I still look like I've had a major hangover or something. I rub my eyes, but that does nothing. Well, I guess I'll be going to school like this then. I sling my bag over my back and walk out of my room. I decide that I'm going to skip breakfast today. I'm not even hungry. I walk over to Kara's room and knock on the door. "Kara? We're leaving in 15 minutes if we don't want to be late!" I call out.
"Okay, I'll be ready in a few minutes!" Kara calls back. I walk away from the spare room and back down the stairs. I reach the living room and sit down on a sofa. I finally managed to have calmed down from the nightmare, but obviously not in enough time to allow me to go back to sleep. I groan, wishing I didn't have school today. I place my school bag down on the ground before lying on the sofa, letting my feet rest on one of the arms. My eyes start to feel heavy, so I let them close. I guess I can just rest for a minute...
"Stiles!" I hear someone screaming my name. I gasp as I sit up quickly.
"What is it? What happened? Who's dead?" I ask in a frenzy. Kara kneels down in front of me, frowning.
"Nobody's dead, Stiles. We just need to get to school." She replies.
"Oh, okay." I laugh as I force myself to get off the sofa. Oh, the sofa looks so comfortable right now...
"Stiles, are you okay?" Kara asks in concern, pulling me out of my daze. I turn to look at her.
"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I smile casually. Kara places her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes.
"You are so not fine, mister." Kara states sassily in her Australian accent.
"What happened? You look like death. Didn't you sleep?" Kara questions me.
"Thanks for that lovely compliment, Kara. And for the record, no, I didn't sleep. Not after that nightmare anyway. I'm surprised you didn't wake up when I started screaming and crying." I reply. Kara looks horrified.
"Stiles, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know..." She gasps.
"Don't worry about it, I'm okay. It seems that you really needed the sleep." I laugh.
"Maybe you should stay home today." Kara bites her lip.
"No, I can't stay home today. I have a chemistry test that I can't miss. There's no make up time for the test either. If I don't come in today, I'll fail. I don't want that." I explain.
"You'll fall asleep at your desk!" Kara exclaims with wide eyes.
"Then wake me up!" I reply.
"Fine, if you really want to go to school that bad, then you can go. But I'm not letting you drive that jeep." Kara sighs.
"Well, it's not like you can drive it either. How are we going to get to school then?" I ask tiredly.
"Call Scott. I'm sure he can come around and drive us to school in the jeep." Kara suggests. My expression hardens as I remember what happened several hours ago. "No. I'm not asking Scott." I reply coldly. Kara looks taken aback; I don't blame her. She has no idea why I am rejecting the idea of Scott's help and, quite frankly, I'm not really in the mood to talk about it with her right now. "What about Lydia?" Kara offers. I nod slowly.
"That can work. I'll give her a call." I say.
~~~
We pull up to the school parking lot. Lydia quickly finds a park for her car. "Thanks for giving us a lift, Lyds. Kara didn't want me driving because apparently it would be too unsafe." I thank the banshee as she turns the engine off.
"Well, I'm not in the mood to die today, so I thought we better be safe than sorry." Kara pipes up from the back.
"It's fine, Stiles." Lydia chuckles. Then, she turns to look at me seriously.
"Why did you stay up all night anyway? Why are you at school now? You need rest. You look like you're about to collapse." She asks as we get out of the car. The three of us walk towards the school.
"Because I had a nightmare. I can't afford to miss today; I need to pass the chemistry test." I sigh.
"I could've talked to the teacher and worked something out." Lydia says as we walk up the steps.
"Well, it's too late now." I remark as I push open the doors. We enter the building, looking at the swarm of students around us. The three of us start walking to our lockers. I rush over to my locker and quickly open it up. I grab everything I need before shutting the locker door. I turn around to see Lydia and Kara staring at me with concern. "Guys, I'll be fine, okay? Stop worrying about me." I sigh.
"What class do you have first?" Lydia asks me.
"English." I respond.
"Damn. I guess I can't look out for you in the first class then. Find us after first period or something." Lydia says.
"Okay." I shrug.
"Maybe talk to Scott?" Lydia suggests. Memories from last night pop back into my head. I roll my eyes.
"Or maybe I won't." I grumble. Lydia looks at Kara with confusion. The mermaid only shrugs, as she doesn't know what's bothering me either. Suddenly, the bell rings, signalling that we have to get to class. I hurry away from Lydia and Kara to find the English classroom.
To my dismay, I already see Scott waiting at the door. I quickly try to avoid him by hiding behind a bin, but it's too late. Scott has already seen me. He walks up to me. "Morning, Stiles. Why are you trying to hide from me? What did you want to say last night?" He asks. I keep my head down, not wanting him to see how tired I look.
"I am not in the mood to talk to you, Scott." I sigh.
"Why? What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong, Stiles." Scott pleads. I take a deep breath and slowly look up at Scott. The werewolf's eyes widen at my appearance. "You look terrible! Did you get any sleep at all?" He asks me with concern. Oh, so now this is important to him. Right. I narrow my eyes at him. "Barely. I stayed up most of the night because I was too scared to go to sleep." I reply coldly.
"Why were you scared?" Scott frowns.
"A nightmare. A terrible one at that." I snap.
"No one was there for me to comfort me. If they were, then maybe I would have been able to sleep peacefully. Maybe I wouldn't have been so terrified." I continue. Horror dawns on Scott's face as he realizes what happened.
"I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea..." Scott apologizes sadly, looking down at his feet.
"No, it's okay. At least I know where I stand on your priority list. I'm so glad that sex with Samantha comes before me." I retaliate. Scott looks taken aback. "How did you know that-" Scott begins to question me, but I cut him off.
"It was so damn obvious, Scott! The only way to make it more obvious is to wear a neon sign around your neck saying 'I had sex with my girlfriend'!" I yell at him. By now, everyone in the hall has turned to look at us.
"Nice, McCall! Go get her, tiger!" Coach laughs from down the hall. Scott's cheeks turn a bright shade of pink due to embarrassment. "Stiles, please don't do this..." Scott mumbles.
"Why not? Because you don't want to be embarrassed? Well, what about my feelings? You didn't even give me a chance to explain last night! You just hung up on me, dismissing my problem like it's not important! I hadn't even told you what my problem was! What kind of best friend does that?" I shout back, my lack of sleep clouding my judgement, allowing me to get more angry than necessary. The hallway is deadly silent as everyone continues to stare at us. I glare at Samantha who is walking over to us, concern spread across her face. She takes Scott's hand in hers. "What's with all the shouting?" She asks us with a frown.
"Nothing. Everything's fine. You two enjoy sleeping together, okay? While you're at it, you might as well turn your phones off. That would hurt less than hanging up abruptly." I scoff as I storm away from the couple. I rush down the hall, not caring if class is going to start in a minute. I wipe away the tears forming in my eyes. "Stiles!" I hear someone shout. I turn around to find Danny running after me. I sniffle as I come to a stop and wait for Danny. "Are you okay?" He asks me in concern once he has reached me.
"Not really," I sigh sadly. Danny starts guiding me back to the classroom.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Danny asks.
"I had a nightmare. I freaked out, so I called Scott because he was the only one I wanted to talk to about it, but he hung up on me before I even got a chance to explain. Too busy kissing Samantha, I guess." I explain. Danny bites his lip, trying to come up with a response. "I'm sorry that happened to you Stiles, I really am. But obviously Scott didn't realize that you were upset. If he did, I'm sure he would've talked to you all night if he had to. Everyone makes mistakes." Danny tells me.
"Yeah, I get that, but Scott seems to make a lot of mistakes. It's like he doesn't learn anything!" I reply.
"Just... Don't be too harsh on him. I'm sure Scott will feel incredibly guilty now. He's probably going to beat himself up over it. And maybe you over exaggerated just a little. I understand that the nightmare must have been horrible, but from what I heard, it sounded like you were talking about how Scott left you for dead." Danny sighs. I consider Danny's argument for a moment, letting the explosive event play back in my mind. I groan in dismay, knowing that Danny's right. "Look, nothing can excuse Scott from the fact that what he did was wrong, but you may have over reacted about the situation, only making it worse." Danny continues.
"You're right. I feel terrible now. What do I do?" I ask the human sadly.
"Go and talk with Scott. Apologize to him, but also admit how him shutting you down made you feel. It's not that hard to work out." Danny laughs. I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, well, not everyone is as good as you in social situations, Danny." I mumble. Danny pats my back comfortingly as we reach the classroom. The teacher has already let the class enter. "I can be here for back up." Danny winks at me as we enter the room. Everyone stares at us as we make our way to our seats. Well, everyone except for Scott. He's staring at his desk. He's concentrating on it so much it's almost like he is trying to make the desk explode with his mind. The teacher frowns at us and crosses her arms. "And why are you two late?" She asks sternly.
"Sorry Miss, I just had to quickly talk to Stiles about something." Danny apologizes. The teacher stares between the two of us for a few moments. "Okay, I'll let it slide just this once. If you're late to class again, you'll get to spend after school with me." She sighs. Danny and I nod quickly to show that we understand.
"Alright, let's begin the lesson." The teacher says as she walks back over to the board. I glance over at Scott, who is sitting a couple of seats away from me. He looks like he's trying to hold back tears. I feel guilty. Ugh, why do we keep having arguments? I never wanted to hurt him and I'm sure he never wanted to hurt me. As the teacher drones on, I try to catch Scott's attention. It doesn't work. Suddenly, I feel someone tapping me on the shoulder. I turn around to see that it's Danny, who is sitting beside me. "Try using your phone." He whispers to me.
"Right." I whisper back, suddenly feeling dumb. I sneakily pull my phone out of my pocket and hold it in my lap, hoping the teacher won't notice. I scroll through my phone, trying to find my messages between Scott and I.
Stiles: I'm so sorry about just before, I don't know what came over me. I'm just really tired and grumpy, I guess. I'm really sorry for over reacting and making you feel bad. Please don't feel guilty :(
I place my phone back in my pocket as I wait for a response. I glance over at Scott. He seems to have noticed that he has got a message. He slowly unlocks his phone to check. Scott glances over at me for a second before looking down at his phone again. I suddenly feel a vibration from my pocket. I pull out my phone to see a new message.
Scott: It's okay Stiles, I understand. I'm sorry too. You're right. I should have let you explain things. It was horrible for me to have cut you off like that and then hang up... I hope you can forgive me. Again :(
Stiles: Dude, you're my best friend. We all make mistakes, okay? Of course I forgive you. The question is do you forgive me?
Scott: There is nothing to forgive you for. You did nothing wrong.
Stiles: Scott.
Scott: But if it makes you feel better, then yes, I forgive you :)
Stiles: Phew, that's a relief!
Scott: Put your phone away, Mrs Greene will kill you if she catches you with it, especially since you were late to her class.
Stiles: Ha, let her try and kill me!
Scott: Not funny, dude. You're playing with fire.
Stiles: Pfft, who cares? You're on your phone too.
Scott: Because you're texting me!
Stiles: You don't have to text me back.
Scott doesn't respond.
Stiles: Ha, I got you beat, don't I? Stiles Stilinski wins again!
Scott: ... Shut up.
Stiles: Nah, I can't do that, pal. I like to brag.
Scott: You are such an idiot sometimes Stiles XD
Stiles: So are you! Besides, you know you love me :P
I'm waiting for Scott's response when I hear someone clearing their throat, which captures my attention. Slowly, I look up to see Mrs Greene staring at me, as is the rest of the class, including Scott. "Would you care to explain what is so interesting about your lap that you decide that you can't listen to my class, Mr Stilinski?" Mrs Greene raises her eyebrows. "I really don't think you would want to know, Mrs Greene." I smirk. I hear snickers fill the classroom. Mrs Greene scowls at me. "Ugh, why do I work with uncontrollable hormonal teenagers like yourself?" She groans. I shrug.
"Anyway, would you care to analyse this quote for me? What does it reveal about the speaker?" Mrs Greene points to the board. I stare at the quote for a few minutes. It's from the poem 'In Paris with You' by James Fenton. I hope that my teacher will be happy I have read this poem before.
"In the poem 'In Paris with You' by James Fenton, the language is sarcastic and harsh. The quote that you have on the board, Mrs Greene, is a great example of that. The quote reveals Fenton's hurt and betrayal straight away. Since he's feeling these emotions, he bottles everything up, not wanting anyone to help him through the tough time. The line is repeated throughout the poem in question, reinforcing the fact that Fenton is going through an emotional struggle. His attitude towards romantic love is very sarcastic. He enjoys making fun of it. We all have different ways of coping with heartbreak. This is how Fenton copes with his heartbreak. He rejects the idea of romantic love, worried that it'll break his heart again. This line suggests that he shuts himself away from everyone, not letting anyone get close to him again. He builds a wall around him, wanting to keep people away. He doesn't want to fall in love." I explain after another few moments of thinking. Everyone stares at me with complete surprise, especially Mrs Greene. I guess they didn't expect me to do well. She steps towards me.
"You're familiar with the poem?" She asks quietly.
"I've read it a couple of times, yes." I reply. It is deadly silent in the room, all eyes on me.
"Well now, I guess you've proven me wrong, Stiles. You are capable of high level English. Maybe we should put you in a more advanced class. You seem like you would benefit from it. Your analysis was really good. Best thing I've heard all day. There is hope for your generation yet." Mrs Greene smiles brightly at me. I feel myself blush a little.
"Yeah, well, I'm used to people underestimating my abilities. I don't mind though. I like surprising people." I shrug.
"Well, I'm glad that you are putting effort into this class, Stiles. The rest of you should follow suit." Mrs Greene looks around at everyone else. I glance over at Scott. He's looking at me with awe. I feel myself blush again, so I turn back to face the teacher. "Would you want to go into an advanced English class?" She asks me curiously.
"No thanks, I'm happy with this class." I smile politely.
"Alright then, but I'll definitely be making a note to the principal about having you in an advanced class next year. You'll be in senior year; I think it would be great if you could do the higher level classes. It'll look good on a college application." Mrs Greene says as she walks to the front of the classroom again. My phone buzzes silently in my hand. I look down at the screen.
Scott: Dude, I think you need to tutor me or something XD
Stiles: Haha, Scott. If you really put your mind to it, you can do it.
Scott: You know I am terrible at analysing things. I would have been dead if Mrs Greene had called on me.
Stiles: Okay, I can kind of see that happening, haha.
Scott: Just accept the compliment. That on the spot analysis was awesome.
Stiles: Thanks, buddy.
I place my phone back into my pocket so I don't get into trouble again. I focus back to what Mrs Greene is trying to teach. I try my best not to fall asleep as a wave of drowsiness washes over me.
~~~
By the last lesson of the day, I'm exhausted. I'm struggling to stand up. Scott and Lydia are helping me to my final class: economics. "At least we don't have lacrosse practice today." Scott tries to look at the positives. I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, but I still have to face Coach. You should know more than anyone how he reacts to people who are falling asleep in his class." I look over at Scott. I see him chuckle at the memory.
"Must have been some nightmare." Lydia comments.
"Yeah. I'm alright now, it's just that last night, I was really freaked out." I reply I notice Scott biting his lip.
"Again, I'm really sorry about what happened last night. If I could do it over, I would in a heartbeat." Scott apologizes sadly.
"I told you not to feel guilty, Scott! I'm okay, really! Everyone makes mistakes. I made a mistake as well." I tell him as I lightly punch the True Alpha in the arm. He chuckles.
"Alright, whatever you say." Scott replies in defeat. The three of us finally make it to economics. We quickly take our seats. Lydia sits on one side of me while Scott sits on the other side. Coach storms into the classroom, not looking happy. Oh boy, this is going to be fun.
~~~
I sigh in relief as the final bell of the day rings. I stand up, grab my bag and rush out of the room. "Stiles, wait!" Lydia calls out after me. I don't stop, I just want to get home and to get so sleep. Finally, I feel someone tugging on my wrist. I sigh as I stop and turn around to see Lydia grabbing onto me, Scott by her side. "And how exactly were you planning on getting home?" Lydia raises an eyebrow.
"Um... I... Well, I guess I didn't think about that." I mumble. Scott chuckles at me.
"I can give you and Kara a ride, don't worry." Lydia smirks.
"Okay, thank you. Let's go find Kara then." I suggest. I turn to Scott.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." I say. Scott nods.
"Yep, see you tomorrow. Try and get some sleep this time, Stiles." Scott grins before walking out of the school. Lydia and I make our way back over to the lockers. We freeze when we see Isaac and Kara making out next to Isaac's locker. "Take it easy you lovebirds, we're still on school ground!" I laugh, making the couple jump. Isaac and Kara look over at Lydia and I, their faces flushed with embarrassment. "Aww, don't be embarrassed. You two are so cute together. I ship it." Lydia comments. This just makes both their faces go even more pink. "Lydia offered us both a ride back to my place." I say as I walk closer to the pair, Lydia following right behind me.
"Oh, okay. Are we going now?" Kara asks shyly.
"Yeah, I kind of desperately need the sleep." I chuckle. Kara looks over at Isaac.
"It's okay, go with them. I'll see you later." Isaac smiles. Kara grins back before giving him a hug.
"See you later!" Kara chirps as she walks over to Lydia and I.
"Come on then. Let's get Stiles home so he can get some well deserved sleep." Kara laughs as she grabs me by the arm and starts pulling me towards the school entrance. Lydia grabs my other arm and walks ahead as well. "Uh, I'm not a dog!" I protest. The two girls laugh. I pick up the pace so I'm walking in line with them.
"Where's your car again?" I ask Lydia as we walk down the steps of the school. Lydia points to a small silver car near the back left corner of the parking lot. "That one." She says as she guides us over to the car. Lydia gets into the driver's seat while Kara gets into the passenger seat. This leaves me to have the back of the car all to myself. I quickly get into the car, closing the door behind me. I lie down across the seats and sigh happily, closing my eyes. "Stiles, that's dangerous." I hear Lydia point out sternly. I shrug. "So? My whole life is dangerous." I reply casually.
"Just sit up, please." Kara groans. I don't want to move. This position is too comfortable. I don't hear the engine starting. I open one eye to see both girls staring at me. "What? I'll be fine, okay? It's not like you've had some banshee vision of me dying in a car crash." I tell Lydia. The banshee in question rolls her eyes.
"I still don't know how this works. You could still very well die, I just might not know until the last second." Lydia retaliates. I sigh. The mermaid and the banshee stare at me for a couple more moments. I groan, finally deciding to give up. "Fine." I grumble as I sit up and put my seat belt on. Kara chuckles while Lydia just smirks at me. I roll my eyes and then turn my head to the window, leaning against it. I finally hear the car's engine roar to life. Within one more minute, we have pulled out of the school parking lot and are starting to drive back to my place. My eyes start to close as I rest my head on the window, the movement of the car very soothing. Within seconds, I feel myself drift off.
The next thing I know is a pair of hands shaking me. I open my eyes to see that it is Kara. "Stiles, wake up! We're at your house!" Kara hisses.
"Okay, I'm up now." I reply as I groggily undo the seatbelt and step out of the car. Lydia is waiting for us a few yards away. I walk over to her. "Thanks for the ride, Lydia. I don't know what we would have done without you." I praise her.
"Get some rest, Stiles. I'll see you both tomorrow." My former crush smiles before she walks over to her car and jumps in again. Kara and I wave as Lydia drives off. We then turn around and walk back up to the house. "Isaac might be coming over later. He's helping me study. I just thought I'd let you know in case you woke up and randomly saw Isaac here." Kara informs me as we walk up the steps to the front door.
"Yeah, that's no problem. Have fun with the studying." I reply. I grab my key and unlock the front door. The two of us enter the house. "Talk to you later." I tell Kara as I rush up the stairs to my bedroom. I quickly kick my shoes off, put my keys and my phone on the desk and toss my school bag to the side before jumping onto my bed. I sigh in relief and snuggle underneath the covers. I lay my head down on the pillow and I feel like I'm in heaven. I gently close my eyes and fall into a peaceful sleep.