Hollis stepped into the house, the door closing behind her with a soft click. Her eyes took in the room, seeing the familiar layout of the furniture and decor. But there was something different. It hung in the air, cloaking the place in something dark. She had sensed it the day before when she had stepped into the Martin household. It was like what they had experienced on Saturday had followed them home, to the corners of their home. Hollis felt it in her home as well except that darkness had been there for quiet some time. It had seeped into her home the day her world had collapsed in on itself just over three months ago. Overtime, lightness had pushed it away but, lately, it seemed as if it had returned bigger and darker than ever.
A sigh fell from her lips as she turned to look at Mrs. Martin, who looked at her with the same kind expression as she had since the first time Hollis stepped foot in the house. A smile graced her face as she nodded in the direction of the stairs.
"She's upstairs. Resting," Mrs. Martin told her, her hands clasped in front of her.
Hollis glanced towards the stairs that led to the second floor, the way towards Lydia's room memorized in her mind. "I'll only be a minute."
Mrs. Martin nodded her approval and left, disappearing down the hall possibly towards the kitchen.
She walked towards the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When she reached the top, Hollis crossed the hall towards Lydia's room. She knocked softly before she turned the knob, opening the door with a slight creak.
"Hey, Lyd," she said quietly as she stepped inside.
Lydia glanced in her direction, a smile working itself onto her face. "Hey."
"How are you?" She crossed the room then sat down on the edge of her bed.
Lydia shrugged, managing to sit up and rest against the headboard. "Okay, I guess." A faraway look appeared in her eyes but when she looked towards Hollis, she smiled. "I'm fine, don't worry."
Hollis nodded, although she didn't buy her act at all. She had known Lydia for years and could read her like a book; see between the lines of every little shrug and facial expression. Nothing went past her, and the same could be said for Lydia.
"What about you?" Lydia asked, staring intently at her. "How's your head?"
"It's fine," Hollis answered truthfully. "It's still bruised but it'll heal soon." She glanced around the room before turning to her. "So I'm guessing you won't be in school today?"
"I'm taking a personal day," Lydia answered. "I'll just be watching movies and doing absolutely nothing all day. Feel free to be jealous," she added with a wink.
Rolling her eyes, Hollis smiled. "Well, if you need anything, just call," she told her. "If you want to talk about what happened—"
"I don't," Lydia interrupted, shaking her head. "There's nothing to talk about."
Raising her eyebrow, she tilted her head in disbelief. "Really? Because that's all I can think about." Since that night, they haven't discussed what had happened at all. Jackson returned to his usual pissed off self while Lydia painted on a perfect facade. Although Hollis was still shocked by the events, she was itching to discuss it. To figure out what actually happened.
Lydia opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. Instead, she looked down at her hands, admiring her manicure.
Forcing a small smile, she reached for Lydia's hand and squeezed. "It's okay to talk about it. You told me that after my parents..." she trailed off and cleared her throat.
"I can't talk about," Lydia told her, shaking her head. She looked at her with a pained expression, the pretense fading from her features. "I can't.... If I do, then I keep thinking about how I forced you and Jackson to go into that store. If I hadn't suggested a movie night then..."
Hollis shook her head. "Ok, don't do that, Lyd," she said seriously. "It's not your fault so don't go blaming yourself. You had no idea what would happen. And you didn't force us. What happened wasn't your fault. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Lydia nodded although she still looked distant, broken. "I guess," she said with a shaky breath. "Then when that thing crashed out the window...I saw," she began.
Curiosity flooded through her. Hollis looked at her questioningly, hoping for Lydia to confirm that what she saw hadn't been her imagination. She hoped for them to finally talk about it rather than pretend it hadn't happened. "What did you see?"
Lydia stayed silent, the faraway look returning to her eyes.
"Lyd?"
She looked back towards Hollis. "A mountain lion," she said simply.
"Are you sure? Because that didn't really look like one," Hollis stated. "I saw it, too."
"It was a cougar then," Lydia told her confidently.
"That's the same thing," Hollis said with a sigh, knowing very well that Lydia knew it, too.
With a shrug, Lydia leaned across the bed and reached for the prescription bottle that sat on the nightstand. She popped the top off, shaking two pills out onto her hand.
"You're still taking that?" Hollis asked with a frown. "Shouldn't you just take one? I mean, you've taken them yesterday."
"Yeah, it's fine," Lydia told her. "It says two every four to six hours," she said, waving the bottle in front of her face. She downed them with water before leaning back against the bed.
Hollis nodded. She was unconvinced about her answer and the mountain lion story Lydia forced herself to believe, although worry for her friend outweighed it all.
The medicine took effect almost right away, her eyes becoming drowsy as she turned back to her. "I feel shleepy," Lydia mumbled and rested her head against the pillow. "Can you hand me my-my...phone? I want to text Ali. It's her birfday,"
Hollis nodded and grabbed the phone from the nightstand. But when she turned to give it to Lydia, she noticed her friend had dozed off. "I'll check on you later," she said quietly, standing up.
The phone buzzed in her hand and, when she glanced down, she saw it was a message from Jackson. Debating on replying to him that Lydia wouldn't be in school, she unlocked the phone. It appeared that Lydia had been looking through her pictures prior to Hollis arriving as an album of photos stared up at her. She went to close the gallery but a recent video caught her eye. Curious, she glanced towards Lydia to make sure she wasn't awake and played it. What she saw made her heartbeat quicken. The dark shape crashed through the window and stood up on two legs, it's red eyes glowing against the dark night. She paused the video, knowing that this was anything but a mountain lion. No wonder Lydia was in the state she was in if she watched this. If she had witnessed this.
Lydia stirred in bed but was fast asleep when Hollis looked towards her. Hollis sent the video to herself, her heart still beating fast. It wasn't until she felt her own phone buzz that she placed Lydia's phone down. With one last look at her sleeping friend, she left the room feeling worried.
Standing in front of her locker, Hollis stared at the book titles, not really seeing them. Dozens of thoughts swam in her mind at a great speed, unwilling to slow despite her pleas. She shook her head, shaking the thoughts free. The roar of questions had quieted down but a few clung to the back of her mind, unwilling to let go. She blinked, and the titles came into focus. Hollis took the few she would need before she closed the door with a clang that was swallowed up by the noise. Hollis walked through the maze-like hallway, squeezing past students who appeared in no rush to get to their class. She rounded the corner, not seeing Jackson until it was too late.
"Watch it," Jackson muttered with irritation but, when he saw who it was, his expression softened.
"Sorry," she said with a small smile.
Jackson nodded at her apology. "Heading to Chem?"
"Unfortunately," Hollis said with a sigh, wrinkling her nose. "I wish I could skip but it would just be another thing for Harris to use against me at the parent/teacher thing tonight."
"I know what you mean," Jackson said with a grin and started to walk down the hall with her by his side. Throwing a look her way, he asked, "Have you seen Lydia?"
"Yeah, I checked on her this morning. She's taking a day off," Hollis told him. When he didn't answer, she continued. "Lydia's still thinking about what happened. I think it's bothering her more than she lets on, you know? I can't blame her though."
He nodded, his attention a bit unfocused at the change in topic. "She'll be fine."
She smiled softly in response, shifting the books in her hand. "What about you? Are you okay?" she asked, noticing that he looked tired, almost defeated as he walked next to her. Although he still had that same Jackson scowl on his face, she could sense a change about him.
"I'm fine," Jackson answered quickly, without giving the question much thought. "You hit your head pretty hard, though. How are you doing?"
"A bit bruised but ok," Hollis said as her fingers traced over the stitches. Now that they were on the topic of the attack, she wanted to stay on it before it slipped from her grasp. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked and, when he nodded, she continued. "What exactly did you see that night? I mean, after those shelves fell."
Jackson shrugged and looked away from her. "A mountain lion."
"Are you sure?" Hollis asked, unconvinced. "I was there, Jackson, remember? It definitely didn't look like a mountain lion."
"I don't know. It was dark," he answered, irritation coating his words. But the scowl on his face softened and he shrugged. "But that's what the cops are saying, right?"
Hollis nodded. "I guess. I mean, I don't know," she said with a sigh. "All I'm saying is that it didn't look like one."
"Does it really matter?" His tone grew irritated again, and his eyes were hard as he looked over at her. "Whatever it was doesn't matter, just as long as they catch it."
Hollis considered this and knew that, in a way, Jackson was right. Even though it didn't keep the questions at bay or make her any less curious, she decided to drop the subject. They walked on in silence, moving past groups of students. When their classroom came into view, Hollis stopped mid-walk. "Hey."
He stopped alongside her and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Thanks," Hollis said. "For pretty much saving me in that store. I don't think I said it before so, thanks."
Jackson nodded, a small smile finding its way onto his face. "Yeah, sure."
The bell rang, bringing their conversation to an end and leaving them alone as the last students ducked into their classrooms. All eyes were on them when they walked inside, curious to see who was late. Hollis saw Mr. Harris glance their way and she held her breath, waiting for him to comment on their lateness. She knew he was just dying to chew her out for arriving late but he stayed quiet...for now. Sharing a quick look with Jackson, they both walked to their seats.
"Hey," Hollis said when she took the seat in front of Stiles. "Where's Scott?"
"I don't know. He's not answering his phone," Stiles answered.
"Weird. Allison's missing, too." Pulling her notebook and textbook out of her bag, she placed them down on the desk. "It's Ali's birthday so maybe they're skipping?"
"Maybe. It's not a bad idea," he said.
"Right?" Hollis asked. "I wish." She sighed, throwing a quick look in Mr. Harris's direction.
Stiles grinned.
"Jackson, if you need to leave early for any reason... You let me know," Mr. Harris said, stopping by Jackson's desk. He turned to Hollis then, the concern on his face quickly fading. "You're late, Miss. Griffin," he told her. "Just adds to the list of things I'll be discussing with your dad at the conference tonight," he said, a trace of a smile dancing across his face.
Hollis sighed, not bothering to point out the unfairness of the situation. With a roll of her eyes, she turned around in her seat.
"Everyone, start reading Chapter Nine," Mr. Harris said, walking to the front of the room. When he stopped, his gaze pierced the room. "And Mr. Stilinksi, try putting the highlighter down between paragraphs. It's Chemistry. Not a coloring book."
Hollis glanced over her shoulder, catching the blocks of paragraphs that were highlighted.
Stiles looked around uncertainly then capped the highlighter. Sensing her gaze, he looked towards her and winked.
With a smile, Hollis turned back to the reading at hand. Her eyes flickered across the page, and she knew it would be another lesson that she didn't understand. Nevertheless, she started to read the words of gibberish that meant absolutely nothing to her. But the further she read, the more confused she became. As the class quieted down, concentrating became easier although she still didn't know what she was reading.
She wrote notes in the margins next to what she didn't understand. Lifting her pen from the paper, she realized that most of what she had read were things she had questions on. With a sigh, she frowned. As Hollis went back to the reading, she only got a few lines in before her attention was redirected to the whispered conversation between Stiles and Danny.
"Danny? Can I ask you a question?" Stiles asked.
"No." Danny answered.
"I'm going to anyway." Stiles told him.
Hollis shook her head and turned back to her reading. She tried to block out the conversation behind her but with Stiles' incessant talking, it was easier said than done.
Bits of their conversation reached her ears; her concentration broken each time she managed to focus. The second question peaked her curiosity, causing her to leave the reading alone. It made her wonder if anyone knew what happened on Saturday. According to Danny, Jackson hadn't mentioned anything. With him and Lydia refusing to talk about it, it didn't seem likely that anyone knew the full extent of what they had gone through.
With those thoughts racing around her mind, Hollis picked her pen up and tried to focus on the Chemistry reading. Lowering her eyes to the page, she reread the short paragraph then started to jot down notes on the information.
"One more question," Stiles said.
"What?" Danny asked, clearly irritated with the questions.
"Do you find me attractive?" Stiles asked.
Hollis stopped in the middle of the sentence, her pen raised above the paper. As a loud silence followed his question, she turned around in time to see Stiles slide off the stool. She narrowed her eyes in confusion when he sat back down, and he met her gaze with a sheepish grin. Rolling her eyes, she exchanged a look with Danny before they each turned back to the reading.
Mr. Harris took control over the rest of the lesson, discussing what they had read for the first half of the class. Although he somewhat explained the material, Hollis was still lost. Even though she paid attention, everything he said and wrote on the board went above her head and beyond. Hollis could picture how the conference would go, with Harris focusing on all the negatives: how she was late for class, how she clearly never did the homework and that she didn't know any of the answers to his questions.
Once class ended, Hollis and Stiles pushed their way out of the door. As always, the hall was filling up nicely with students, and the many conversations blended into one block of noise.
"So," Hollis began, adjusting her bag. She looked over at him before saying, "Danny-"
"What? Oh, I'm not..." Stiles interrupted, shaking his head. "I don't...Not the there's anything wrong with," he stuttered. Stumbling over his words, he formed incoherent and unfinished sentences.
Hollis opened her mouth to respond but couldn't get a word in because he continued to talk.
"I mean, I like y-" Stiles stopped talking, his eyes wide at the word that almost slipped out. He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "Girls. You know, yeah."
Hollis stopped mid-step at the unfinished sentence. It hung in the air between them, despite him having finished it with something else. The break in conversation between them seemed to last for much longer than the actual few seconds. She looked towards him, her heart skipping a beat. "Oh, uhm, I was actually going to say that Jackson hadn't told Danny anything. About what happened Saturday." She changed the topic, hoping to bury those incomplete words that had a clear ending to them. But she could already sense the change they had caused in their friendship.
"Oh, right, right." Stiles cleared his throat, keeping his eyes in front of him. "Yeah, weird since they're best friends. I guess he doesn't want to talk about it."
"Guess so," she said. They continued down the hallway, an awkwardness filling the space between them. She searched her mind for something to break the silence, to make things less weird between them. But her mind was blank, and she mentally kicked herself for not being able to utter one word.
When the silence felt unbearable, Stiles spoke. "So, uh, ready for lunch?" He asked as they neared the cafeteria.
Hollis looked inside, seeing the tables filling up quickly. The smell of food floated in the air and her stomach grumbled. With Scott, Allison and Lydia out, it would just be her and Stiles at the table. Jackson definitely wouldn't be joining them seeing as how he grumbled even when Lydia and the others were present. Hollis went to answer but her mind went back to that one unfinished sentence that had packed a punch, making her confused. She recalled her friends teasing, which only added to the confusion she felt. Hollis avoided his gaze and looked anywhere but at him as a wave of nerves hit her. "Actually, I promised Mrs. Carrillo I would see her. Now."
Stiles frowned slightly then forced a small smile. "Ok, that's-that's fine."
"It's about that short story. Remember? I told you about it," Hollis explained, stumbling over her words. "I have to turn it in today. She wants to look it over before she submits it."
He nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I get it," he told her. "I'll see you after school. We're still hanging out, right?"
Hollis had forgotten about their plans. She looked towards him, ready to make up some excuse and cancel but the guilt hit her. Rather than say 'no', she nodded with a small smile. "Yeah." Shifting the books in her hands, she noticed a stack of stapled papers sticking out. Pulling them out, she stared at the story that was now finished. "I promised you could read it. After it was done and...it is so, here's your copy," Hollis said, holding it out for him to take.
"Great, thanks." Stiles took the copy, his fingers brushing hers. "Can't wait to read it," he told her, smiling.
She pulled her hand away at the sudden touch but smiled softly at his words. "I'll see you later," she said quickly.
The remainder of the day had gone by fairly quickly. Apart from Chemistry, the rest of her classes hadn't been too horrible. Her Algebra quiz had been returned, in which she had earned a B- thanks to the help she had received from Stiles a few days prior. The only class that would cause a problem for the parent/teacher conference would be Chemistry but it was just one class. She tried not to worry too much.
Mrs. Carrillo had loved her submission. Although she had a few critiques here and there, she knew that it would get a positive feedback once it was published in the school's magazine. Hollis felt anxious at having her work read by the rest of the students and faculty. But she knew that Mrs. Carrillo wouldn't have lied. At the same time, she was proud of what she had accomplished.
Shutting her locker door, Hollis made her way down the hall and out the double doors that led to the parking lot. The bright afternoon sun blinded her as she squinted at the cars, looking for the blue Jeep. She spotted it a few rows down and started towards it but, when her name was called, Hollis looked over her shoulder towards the familiar voice.
Carter walked towards her, a smile plastered on his face. They hadn't spoken since the day they broke up despite having seen each other around school. She thought about walking away but it was already too late by the time the thought crossed her mind. He stopped in front of her, smiling that 'Carter' smile at her.
"Hey, Hollis," he said.
"Oh, hey, Carter." Readjusting the strap of her bag, she looked towards the Jeep briefly before looking back. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to check on you," he began, "I heard what happened on Saturday. Actually, I was driving by when I saw all the chaos. I saw you in the back of the ambulance. You looked really shaken up."
"Yeah, it was pretty crazy," she agreed, the images from that night entering her mind. "There was so much going on that I didn't even see you. Sorry."
"No, it's fine," Carter said, dismissively. "But what the hell happened? You were inside when all that crap went down?"
Hollis thought back to that night with a sigh. "Unfortunately, yeah. But it's a long and crazy story," she said with a humorless laugh. "In all honesty, I'm not even sure. It all happened so fast."
"I was going to see if you were okay but the paramedics were looking you over so I didn't get a chance to talk to you," he explained as a look of worry entered his eyes. "How are you holding up? You're okay, right?"
Hollis nodded, smiling softly. "Just a bump on the head." She motioned towards the injury then added, "I only needed a couple stitches. No big deal."
Carter looked to the cut, which was obscured by her hair. Gently, he raised his hand and moved the few strands of hair aside, revealing the bruised, stitched up cut.
His hand lingered there before Hollis took a step back. "Carter...don't."
Carter dropped his hand and nodded. "Right, sorry," he said with a sigh. When she stayed quiet, he cleared his throat and looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Look, I was thinking maybe we could hangout one day. You know, get some coffee and catch up. Like old times. Besides, it sounds like you could use a day away from all this craziness."
"Uh, yeah. Maybe." Hollis looked towards the parking lot once more. There was movement inside the Jeep, which indicated that Stiles was already inside and waiting for her.
His expression darkened as he followed her gaze. "So, you and Stiles...?"
"We're friends," Hollis finished quickly. A little too quickly.
"Just friends?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hollis nodded, slightly unsure of her answer. The words Stiles had uttered earlier stuck, though she tried not to make such a big deal about it considering how he hadn't actually finished the sentence. Despite it, the words left a lasting effect. And if that didn't mess with her feelings enough, she had Lydia and Allison's teasing words at the back of her mind. "Yeah, just friends."
Tightlipped, he crossed his arms. "Really? You two just seem to be spending a lot of time together to be 'just friends'. Not to mention that you thought we needed a break after you started talking to him, so...," he trailed off with a shrug. "Kinda makes a guy think, you know?"
"Look, despite what you think, Stiles wasn't the reason," she sighed." We had our fair share of problems. You know we did."
"I guess," He looked down at her, looking unsure for a moment. "So since we're on the topic of our breakup," he started, "don't you think it's gone on long enough? Maybe we did need the time apart but, come on, Hollis. We've been together forever. Can't we just hit 'reset' and start over? Or find some way to move past everything?"
"Carter, I -"
"If you need more time, I understand, but I just miss you. I'll even admit that I acted liked a jerk the last couple weeks but how much longer can this break last?"
Hollis raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak but closed it a moment later as no words came to her. Seconds passed before she tried to talk again. "We broke up," Hollis stated slowly, watching his face closely for a reaction. "Carter, it-it wasn't a temporary thing. We can't.... We're not getting back together. Too much crap happened between us to just move on and erase it all as if it things haven't been said or done."
For a brief moment, sadness clouded his features before his jaw tightened. The silence was heavy between them, laced with anger.
"I'm really sorry, Carter, I thought that...," Hollis trailed off, knowing that whatever she said next wouldn't make him feel any better. Bitting her bottom lip, she took a step back. "Look, I-I should get going. I'll see you around, okay?" Without another look, she moved away from him.
Hollis approached the Jeep deep in thought. Carter's belief that they had been on a break took over all thoughts and seemed to complicate an already complicated day. She tried to shake their conversation but it was near impossible as it had come out of nowhere. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly to calm herself but it proved to be a futile task.
As she entered the car, she noticed that Stiles was engrossed in whatever he was reading. He looked up with a smile, and Hollis returned it though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Instead, she focused on what he had been reading: her story. A genuine smile spread across her face before a wave of nerves hit her. She settled into the seat and nodded towards the papers.
"So, did you finish it?" Hollis asked, trying her best to sound casual. "What did you think? It's horrible, isn't it?"
"What? No, it's great!" Stiles told her with a definite nod. "I mean, it's dark but that's what you were going for, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "You did a great job describing everything, especially when you used the picture to guide the story. You should be proud. I am."
"Really? You liked it? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I read it like three times," he admitted. He flipped to the second page, where the picture she had taken stared up at them. "I can't believe you took this. It's awesome."
Hollis smiled her thanks, feeling slightly embarrassed over his words. Grateful but embarrassed. "Yeah, and all it took was almost getting attacked by a mountain lion," she joked but his expression told her it wasn't something to joke about. "Too soon?"
"A little bit, yeah.It was dangerous to go alone so next time you want to take a picture with a wild animal on the loose, I'm coming with you." Stiles put her story away then started the car. As they drove through the lot, he looked over at her. "So, what did Carter want?" He asked casually as he looked from the road to her.
"Oh, you saw us talking?" She asked, her smile fading.
He nodded but kept his eyes on the road. "Yeah. I didn't know you two still talked."
"We don't," she answered, shaking her head. "It was the first time since we broke up. But he just wanted to see if I was okay. I mean, he heard what happened at the store and...," she trailed off, shrugging. Hollis debated on whether to tell him the rest of the conversation but decided against it. It wasn't something she wanted to dwell on, especially since another conversation remained on her mind. "It really wasn't a big deal," she added with a quick smile.
"It's kind of a mess, sorry," Stiles said, opening the door to his room.
Hollis stepped in after him, taking in the room and posters hanging on the wall. "No, it's nice." Her eyes landed on a few framed pictures, and she crossed the room to view them. A smile lit up her face at the family that stared up at her, all wearing big grins. "You have her eyes," Hollis said, looking over her shoulder at him.
He smiled but Hollis saw the bit of sadness that lay beneath it. "It was a fun day," he said, nodding. "It was a few months before she got sick."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." She shook her head, putting the picture down gently.
"It's ok," he told her. "Memories are good."
Hollis nodded then let her eyes sweep the room once more. "You listen to All Time Low?" she asked, stopping to look at the poster.
"Uh, yeah," Stiles said, somewhat embarrassed. "You know, sometimes."
"I loved their last album," Hollis said, remembering how she had it on repeat for the first couple weeks.
"You listen to them?" Stiles asked, surprise lacing his voice.
"Of course," Hollis answered as she walked over to the chair he had pulled up for her. She placed her bag down on the floor and took in the few papers that littered the desk.
Silence filled the room. Hollis could feel the uneasiness of their earlier conversation ease into the air, and she fidgeted in her seat. She closed her eyes, hating how those three words had changed everything. But when she looked towards him, she started to wonder if it was only her that felt different. Maybe that unfinished sentence had just been a mistake. Maybe he didn't feel that way. She wasn't sure if he did; she didn't even know how she felt other than confused. Tired of the silence, she searched for something to say to break it. "Oh, guess who passed her Algebra quiz?" Hollis asked happily. "B minus."
Stiles grinned. "I knew you could do it."
"I would have failed if you hadn't helped. Thanks."
"If you need more help, you know, just ask." He nodded.
"I will. We're doing the F.O.I.L method or whatever it's called soon and...," she shrugged with a laugh. Twirling a strand of hair around her finger, she wanted to keep the conversation going. To keep her mind off of whatever it was that she felt. Or didn't feel. Hollis thought back to the conversation with Carter prior to him wanting to get back together and suddenly remembered that she didn't get a chance to tell Stiles everything about Saturday. In the next few minutes, Hollis recalled that night's events from what happened when she and Jackson entered the store to when the animal crashed out the window. He listened intently the entire time, which she was grateful for. "I honestly don't think it was a mountain lion. I don't think Lydia and Jackson do either but no one wants to talk about it," she said with a frustrated sigh. "I get it was traumatic but it's like they're pretending it didn't happen, you know?"
"What else could it be?" Stiles asked, glancing her way. "A bear? It sounds like a bear. We have bears in California."
Hollis considered the bear theory but shook her head. "But what kind of a bear has glowing red eyes?" She asked, tilting her head. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shrugged again.
"Maybe it just looked like it had red eyes," Stiles suggested, although he didn't look convinced. "You said the lights went off. I mean, it was probably hard to see so it could just be a mountain lion."
"No, it's...," She trailed off when she remembered the video. "Wait, I can show you," Hollis reached down into her bag for the phone then pulled up the video. Hitting play, she handed it to Stiles and watched his reaction as he watched it.
His eyes grew wide as the short clip came to an end. "Hollis...," he looked towards her then at the phone, where the dark figure stood on two legs. The red eyes prominent on the screen. "It-I...I guess it could be a bear. I don't know." He looked down at the image again. "Can you send this to me?"
Hollis nodded, taking the phone from him. Once she hit send, her phone rang, startling them both. "It's my dad," she said, looking down at the caller ID. "I'll be right back," she said, going out into the hall. Pressing the phone to her ear, she held a brief conversation with him, telling him she would meet him at the parent/teacher conference. When the call ended, she made her way back towards Stiles' room only to hear him talking on the phone.
"It's me. Again. I found something. Well, Hollis did, and I don't know what to do. I don't want her involved in this, Scott. It's too dangerous. If you don't turn your phone back on I'm going to kill you. I'm too pissed off to come up with a witty description of exactly how I'm going to kill you. I'm just going to kill you."
Hollis reentered the room just as he hung up. She looked at him, a confused expression crossing her face. "What was that about?"
"Nothing," Stiles said quickly, a sheepish grin on his face. Seeing the unconvinced look on her face, he sighed. "I...Look, I promised not to lie, Hollis, but I can't tell you." He crossed the room towards her, placing his hands on her arms. "Please just trust me on this, okay?"
Hollis stayed quiet, suddenly aware of his touch and how close he was. Sighing, she took a step back, trying to push away the mixed feelings she felt. Instead, she focused on his conversation with Scott and averted her gaze as she sat down. Swallowing the dozens of questions that she had for him, Hollis nodded. "Yeah, okay. I trust you," she said slowly, truthfully. "But I need to know that whatever it is that you're involved in that you'll be okay. I don't want you getting hurt," she told him as she tugged at her necklace.
He sat down in the chair opposite her and nodded with a small smile. "I'll be ok. I promise."
"Good. Because I care about you," Hollis told him. "You know, we're friends," she added, ignoring the way the word 'friends' affected him.
A knock at the door made them jump. Hollis was thankful for the interruption, though. The topic was going in a direction she had been avoiding all day and wasn't one she wanted to get into right now, especially since all she felt was confusion.
Turning, they saw Sheriff Stilinski enter. A look of surprise appeared on his face at seeing Hollis but, like always, he smiled.
"Hi, Hollis. I didn't know you were over," he said. "How are you?"
"I'm good, you?" She asked, returning the smile.
"Good," the Sheriff said with a nod. He leaned against the doorframe and looked towards Stiles. "Please tell me I'm going to hear good news at the parent teacher thing tonight."
"Depends on how you define good news," Stiles said.
"I define it as you getting straight A's with no behavioral issues."
"You might wanna rethink that definition," Stiles said and looked over at Hollis with a smile.
Hollis shook her head at their conversation once the Sheriff said, "'Nuff said."
"Dad—"
He paused at the door.
"You guys find out what it was that attacked Hollis, Lydia and Jackson last night?" He asked hopefully.
The Sheriff shook his head, a frown on his face as he looked at them. "You know I can't talk about that."
"But everybody's thinking mountain lion, right?"
"Or bear," Hollis added, although she knew it wasn't either of those two.
"It's the best we've got at the moment. We're setting traps, talking to Animal Control," he told them. His eyes rested on Hollis with a caring smile. "You don't have to worry."
"It's not that," Stiles said with a shake of his head. "It's... forget it."
"You sure?" he asked. When Stiles nodded, he left the room.
"You think it's something else, don't you?" Hollis asked once the Sheriff left the room. She sighed at his silence. "You saw the video, Stiles. Just tell me."
"Maybe," he said quietly.
The ride to the school was filled with silence. His one answer of 'maybe' changed everything, just like his incomplete sentence had from earlier. Except now it told her that her train of thought had been correct in thinking it was something else. If it wasn't a mountain lion or a bear, what else could it be? Frowning, she looked out the window.
Stiles reached over and took hold of her hand. "It'll be okay, Hol. I promise," he told her.
Hollis smiled, turning to look at him. She ignored his hand in hers, hating how every little gesture made her heartbeat pick up. "Yeah, I just.... I want answers, you know? Whatever that thing is, I don't think its animal. Or human."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze for which she was grateful for because she knew she wasn't alone in this.
"By the way, did you get a chance to find out anything about my parents accident?" Hollis asked tentatively. "You said your dad could check the police records if something was left out or whatever."
Stiles kept his eyes on the road but Hollis could see him thinking. A troubled expression crossed his face, and he opened his mouth to speak but closed it as if debating on what he should share. "My dad wasn't the first person at the scene, so he didn't have much to tell me other than the obvious. I showed him the pictures you sent me but he didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary. They pretty much had the same images in the file."
Hollis sat back in her seat with a heavy sigh, her hope at finding something about the accident deflating.
"So, I checked out the file myself," Stiles said, to which Hollis looked up in surprise.
"How did...?"
"I borrowed the keys to the files and took a quick look," he told her with a shrug.
"You broke into the police files?" Hollis asked incredulous. "Stiles, that's - I was asking for help, not for you to break the law!"
"It's okay, no one knows I was even there," he said but was given a disapproving look nonetheless. Sighing, he glanced at her. "Do you want to hear the rest of this or not?"
Curiosity took over, and she nodded.
"Unfortunately, the accident report didn't say much about the scratches. They said it could be from the car hitting a tree or the side of the bridge -"
"But that didn't happen!" Hollis interrupted, shaking her head. "I know I don't remember much from that night but we didn't hit anything. Even if we did hit a tree or something else, it wouldn't leave marks like that."
"Hollis, I know," Stiles said, giving her hand another squeeze for reassurance. "Look, I-I'm not sure what the scratches are but," he hesitated, throwing a quick look her way, "I think they might be connected with the mountain lion theory somehow."
She let out a deep breath, her mind swirling with a multitude of thoughts and theories.
"I'll let you know if I find out anything else but, for now, that's all I know. I-I didn't want to say anything since I don't have anything concrete to tell you but you deserve to know. Even if it's nothing."
Hollis shook her head, a smile crossing her face. "It's not nothing, Stiles. You tried. You're still trying, and that's more than I ever could have asked for. Thank you."
They pulled into the parking lot and found a space at the end of the crowded lot. They were late; she knew it from the multiple text messages her dad had sent asking where she was. Together, they walked towards the main entrance of the building. People started to exit the school, filling the area with dozens of conversations at once. Amongst the noise, a scream pierced the air, causing them to stop dead in their tracks.
Horrified, Hollis glanced at Stiles. "What was that?"
Stiles shook his head but grabbed onto her arm. They ran forward, against the direction the crowd was going in. A shape moved between the cars, a low growl sounding amongst the chaos. Her heart thudded in her chest as fear crept in. She didn't want to see that animal again, didn't want to hear it or see the glowing red eyes. Once was enough, let alone twice. But three times in a row? That was too much for her or anyone to handle.
"It'll be okay," Stiles told her despite the look of panic on his face.
Hollis nodded numbly. Her eyes frantically searched the crowd for her dad or friends but she didn't see them. Her heart sped up, hoping that they were okay and away from whatever was happening.
"Dad!" Stiles said, redirecting her attention to where the Sheriff stood. They watched as an SUV pulled out of the spot quickly, not seeing the Sheriff until it was too late. Hollis closed her eyes as the tires screeched to a halt. A dull thud sounded amongst all the chaos. It wasn't a bad hit but it still made him go down. "Dad!" Stiles said, panic in his voice.
"Go," Hollis told him. "Make sure he's okay."
Stiles looked from her to his dad before he nodded slowly. "Just stay here. I'll be right back."
She watched him run towards his dad, who was getting helped by the panicked driver. Hugging her arms around herself, she took in the panic, silently telling herself everything would be alright. But, when a mass of people shrieked, her heart sped up. She walked forward despite Stiles having asked her to stay put. As she neared, she saw a group of people backed into a corner by a large and dark shape. Those people, she thought, shaking her head.
But before the worst thoughts could consume her, a gunshot rang out. It was louder than anything she had ever heard before and her ears rung from the sound. The screaming stopped just as suddenly as the gun went off. Everyone moved forward, crowding around a dark shape on the ground.
Hollis moved forward on shaky legs. As horrible a thought as it was, she hoped to see that animal on the ground; instead, it was a different kind of animal. A mountain lion. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she turned away from the bloody sight in front of her.
Stiles was right behind her when she turned, his eyes wide. He put his arms around her, keeping her shielded from the sight. "It'll be okay," he told her quietly.
She nodded, although she knew that it was far from over.
AN: Hello :) It's finally Friday! I hope everyone had an awesome week. So, what did you think of the last two chapters?? Tell me in the comments below because I'm curious. I want your opinions (what you like, don't like, what surprised you, etc.) Also, please don't forget to hit the cute little vote button to show your support. Until next week <3