CHAPTER 3: MS. BLAKE
"Have you tried calling Derek?"
"Like, five times. Do you have any other emergency werewolf contacts?"
"Yeah. Call Indi and Scott."
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"INDI LET'S GO, IT'S ENGLISH, not the end of the world."
I pout at my best friend, whining as she drags me along. "It may as well be. I hate school. I just want to sleep, which is forbidden here, and school only makes it easier. "
Allison scoffs, rolling her eyes. "That's why God made coffee."
My eyes narrow at the other girl. "What part of overactive metabolism is hard to remember?"
She blushes sheepishly as we enter the room, almost late nonetheless. "Right, well there has to be some kind of preternatural substitute."
I roll my eyes. "Too early, Ally, keep the big words to a minimum." With that, I find an empty seat next to Stiles, who smiles widely.
"Indi, looking fresh as ever..." he begins sarcastically, and I huff. "There's this unique thing called a shower."
"Stiles! You know when you grow your hair out, you actually have to take care of it." I whisper, noticing Lydia's snickering. "While buzz cuts require little to no maintenance, I'm sure you've heard of a hair brush?"
He gasps exaggeratedly, placing a hand on his heart. "Never. Tell me more."
I roll my eyes. "Google it instead of Googling porn tonight."
He scoffs. "Fine, but only if you promise to buy some clothes that actually fit."
"Well only if you let the lumberjacks have their oversized flannels back."
"Right after you let your brother have his sweatpants back."
"My brother is shorter than me, idiot."
"Ooo, burn, she called me an idiot." he whines. "Indi, maybe you should consider reading a dictionary, and taking a bath while you're at it."
"Maybe you should shut up."
"Maybe you should find comebacks from this century."
I laugh first, and Stiles lifts his hand into a fist bump letting out a hissed, "Yessssss..." and I groan.
"Next time, Stilinski." I warn, the smile sticking to my face like it always does after Stiles and I's banter.
He rolls his honey brown eyes, smirking. "You wish, Dunbar, we all know sarcasm is my forte."
I spin to my left to mention something to Allison, only to see a random student in her place. Frowning, I scan the room, my hearing picking up on an awkward conversation towards the back of the room.
"Is someone... no?" Allison's nervous voice speaks from where she's standing beside the last vacant seat in the class, which, luck would have it, is right next to Scott McCall.
Scott stammers, " No, no, no, no. No, it's all you, all yours. Uh, it's totally vacant."
"Oh good God." I snort, and I feel Scott's glare on the back of my head, sensing only amusement.
My phone buzzes then, along with everyone else in the class's, and Stiles, being the loudmouth he is, reads the message aloud.
"'The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under-'"
"'-An overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.'" A voice interrupts, continuing the weird message, and a pretty women walks in, and I put two and two together. Ms. Blake. "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."
I snort, deciding to leave mine on in the corner of the desk, already hating the new teacher. Why would she share the last line of a book we haven't read yet? And how did she get all of our numbers, anyway?
Scott's phone starts to go haywire before he can turn his off, and I cock an eyebrow at him, and he mouths back, "My mom."
Not Derek then. Not an emergency.
Ms. Blake is about to continue when my phone begins to buzz, spazzing on the desk, and I snatch it before it can fall, giving the impatient teacher a wane smile.
Ms. McCall.
Scott must've seen it because his breath catches, and I ponder whether or not to answer when the call ends, and Scott's starts up again.
Ms. Blake gives a huff. "Mr. McCall? Uh, I'm sure it's an emergency if your mother needs you to leave school, but I'm gonna give you a warning in the nicest possible way. I am well aware of your attendance record. I don't wanna see you slip back into old habits."
My eyes narrow as Scott begins a stammered explanation, turning his phone off. " I won't. It's gonna be different this year."
Ms. Blake tilts her head slightly. "Resolutions are only good if you stick with them, Scott."
Scott nods. " I will. I promise it won't be ephemeral."
I snort at his word of the day use, and then my phone begins to buzz with another call from Ms. McCall.
"Ms. Dunbar-"
"Yeah, I'm going to take this. Sorry if English class isn't my priority, especially on the first day when we all know you're going to assign us 'Heart of Darkness' and ramble on for a bit." I smile thinly, gathering my bag and phone, walking out the door to the privacy of the hallway.
"Ms. McCall?" I answer, trying to quench the worry. Why would a nurse at Beacon Hills Hospital be calling both Scott and I? Clearly for something supernatural.
"Indi! Thank God! You and Scott need to get down here now- I have Issac and he's hurt-" she begins, and my heart stops.
"Hurt? And isn't healing, or?" I interrupt frantically.
"He's healing, but very slowly." she answers, and I breathe a small huff of relief. "But he's scheduled for a surgery, and I'm afraid he'll heal during it, and-"
I picture Justin, who just started as the chief of surgery, and dread his reaction.
"Oh, that's pretty bad. Have you tried calling Derek?" I bite my lip as she huffs a stressed laugh.
"Of course. I called him first. He wasn't answering." she explains, and I roll my eyes. Of course he wasn't. The guy is in his mid twenties, yet about sixty when it comes to technology.
"Okay, we'll be there.. just... I don't know." I begin, and I'm not the alpha, I don't know what to do in these situations. I don't call the shots, I don't follow orders. I'm an omega and have been for a while now.
She hangs up then, and I pace for a minute, pondering how I could get Scott out of class, then shrug.
"Ms. Blake." I reenter the classroom, holding a blank slip of paper. "The principal needs to see Scott McCall. His mother needs him to leave school."
Her eyes narrow at me, and I stare back evenly, until she shrugs. "Go on, Scott, remember what I said about attendance."
He nods, scurrying out of the room, and I mouth a quick, "later" to a confused Allison before giving Lydia a meaningful look.
"So, uh, what's so important we're missing class?" Scott follows behind me diligently, groaning when I exit the school, following nonetheless. "And school apparently. Indi.."
"Isaac's in the hospital." I explain. "He's healing, but slowly."
Scott nods. "Yeah, that's pretty important."
He straddles his motorbike, motioning for me to join, and I cringe.
"Yeah... no." I cross my arms, and he rolls his eyes.
"You said yeah first, come on." he teases, and I shake my head.
"No way am I getting on that deathtrap." I affirm, and he groans.
"Come on Indi, it's not a deathtrap. Don't be such a girl."
My eyes narrow dangerously, and he sighs.
"Sorry. Just get on the bike."
"We're gonna die." I tell him, getting on behind him nonetheless, and he grins, revving the engine.
"We're not gonna die." he soothes. "Worse case scenario, we crash and break our spines."
I sputter. "Oh, well thanks that's reassuring."
He laughs. "What? We'll heal anyway."
"That doesn't change the fact that we could break our spines!" I argue, and he laughs louder. "Scott, stop, it's not funny!"
He shakes his head. "Oh my God, you'll run headfirst in battle against a kanima, yet you're terrified to get on a motorbike because you have the slightest chance of breaking your spine."
I shake my head, hands wringing in my lap. "How about I break your spine, and we'll see if you're laughing then."
He laughs again, and I roll my eyes before exclaiming, "What if I crack my head open on the concrete?"
"Well that's what the helmet is for."
I gave him a minute.
"Oh you don't have a helmet."
"Scott McCall, ladies and gentleman."
"Oh, stop. Just wear mine." He hands me the green plastic shield meant to save a human's life, and I hold it with a frown.
"What about you?" I query a little concerned, and he turns to face me, those warm brown eyes meeting my own.
"You're more important." he whispers, and I hope to God he didn't hear my heart skip three beats as I gingerly fasten the strap under my chin. "You might wanna hold on."
"To what- OH MY GOD!" I scream as he peels through the parking lot, wrapping my arms around his chest on instinct, feeling the laugh rumbling through his back against my check.
"You bastard."
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