Mack made his way out the door of his, Jackson, and Jordan's room to get breakfast before his first class of Senior year started. He did not expect to run into a familiar face as he turned the corner of the stairway.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he quickly caught hold of Malia's waist.
"It's, um, okay," she said, flustered by how close they were. Something familiar coursed through her body-a warm, fuzzy feeling but couldn't quite figure it out.
The tingling sensation in her stomach made her realize Mack had touched her like this before. A glimpse of their laughter filled her ears in the distance but knew it wasn't real. Of course, Mack and her hadn't been like this before.
Mack cleared his throat after realizing that they held that position for a little longer than they should've and stepped back.
"I'm gonna go get breakfast," he told her.
"Okay," she said. They stared awkwardly for a few more seconds before parting ways. She peered back to take a quick glance at his retreating figure, carefully making sure he wouldn't notice.
Mack was sitting with his twin sister Jay, Stiles, Scott, Tom, Lydia, and Parrish on a bench in the outside cafeteria.
"I still can't believe Mack and the others walked in on you two trying to have sex," Parrish was saying to Jay and Stiles.
Immediately, bathe couple's faces turned bright red.
"Oh my God," Lydia said after a few moments of looking between their faces. "You did it."
"They totally did," Tom agreed.
"What?" Jay chuckled nervously. "Of course not-yeah, we totally did," She bluntly said, making Stiles even more flushed.
"That's my best friend," Scott patted Stiles' back from beside him.
"Gross," Mack made a gagging noise.
They were engulfed in their conversation about Jay and Stiles sex life, but Tom instantly notices his younger half-sister walking out the cafeteria building with a tall, curly haired boy next to her. They were chatting away.
"When did those two start to get so cozy together?" Tom nodded towards Andy and Isaac. Everyone turned to look at them.
"Oh, yeah," Mack started to eat his breakfast again. "She told me that they had put their "differences away" and were trying a "new friendship.""
"And you're not worried man?" Parrish asked.
"Jordan!" Lydia snapped at her boyfriend. "There's nothing wrong with them rekindling their friendship. No matter how flirty they used to be," she murmured that last part to herself but everyone could hear her.
"He has nothing to worry about with Andy," Jay spoke up for her brother and best friend's relationship.
"Because he's her ex?" Stiles acknowledged.
"I trust her," Mack said matter of factly.
"I mean they were very close friends before they became official," Scott emphasized 'close.'
"Come on," Stiles started. "We all noticed how attracted to one another before they got together," Jay gave a him a death glare, and he regretted speaking. "I mean-man, nothing to worry about with her."
"She is Andy after all," Scott encouraged.
"Yeah," Mack said, taking in every word that he heard.
Jay looked at her brother, then caught A glance of Mal, Cora, and Kira sitting together by the large tree in the meadow, and rested her eyes on Andy and Isaac.
She loved that her brother and best friend we're together, it was something she thought would be amazing. She knew they cared deeply for one another, but that love they had was not as deep as what the couple had had with their previous lovers.
~~~~~
"It's so weird," Nina laid on top of Derek's king sized bed. The comfy black sheets covered her half-naked skin as she watched in adoration as her boyfriend was getting dressed.
Derek's pack, the Blood-Moon pack wasn't as big as the Moonlit pack. So Derek, being the Alpha has his own room but Nina always stayed with him ninety percent of the time.
"It's strange that you are graduated but still are here," she told him.
"I am the Alpha," he pulled on a black button-up shirt, something that wasn't his style. He looked well dressed. "I'm lucky they're letting me stay here and work as an intern in the administrative building. I almost didn't graduate for all the day we all missed last year."
"At least we'd have more school time together," She pouted. "I'm still stuck for another two years doing awful school work."
"It's not gonna be that bad," he kissed her forehead. She loved this soft side of him. "You should get ready. Don't wanna be late for your first day."
"I don't care about school," she groaned into the blankets.
"I know that Andy will drag you out of this dorm in just that shirt to get you to class."
"Let her," but soon she gave up and got out of bed. Nina walked up to Derek and swung her arms around his neck. "This is just gonna be another stressful crazy year."
"We just need to follow what Andy and Scott said,
'Focus on school and worry about Francesca when she comes to us.'"
"I'm not excited about that. I'm surprised those two don't want to jump on this case," Nina said.
"I guess she's just trying to adjust to your guys mom being the cause of all of our losses," Derek suggested. "How are you holding up?"
"I can't believe it. I'm disappointed that our mom could do this to us, but I just can't shake what my sister is feeling," she honestly felt even worse for Andy. "Of course, our mother abandoned Tom so he's not doing that bad. But my sister looked up to our mom. She tried so hard to do everything perfectly so she could be proud. Our mom always had Andy do more and more of tricks and other stuff to make her stronger. I was jealous of how perfect she had to be. But now we know why."
"You think Andy feels used?"
"That and angry," Nina hugged him tightly. "And that scares me. She tried to keep her cool but I know that she's raging inside. It's just a matter of time before it bursts out."
~~~~~
"Hey," Jay said as she walked into the bedroom she shared with Andy and Kira, finding Andy laying in her bed as she did homework. She held two cups of coffee; one with sugar and the other without.
"Hey," Andy didn't look up, but extended her hand for the cup without sugar.
"So what's the deal with you and Isaac?" Jay sat beside her best friend.
"What do you mean?" Andy finally met the other girl's eyes. Before Jay could say anything she interrupted, "He apologized and we agreed on being friends."
"And that's it?" Jay pushed.
"Of course!" Andy exclaimed. "I'm with your brother."
"Yeah-"
"And I love him."
"But you're not in love?" Jay suddenly asked, catching Andy off guard. "You especially know the difference."
"I-um-I don't know," Andy blurted out.
"Are you still in love with Isaac?" That question made Andy drop her coffee.
"Shit!" She cursed she quickly picked it up and thanked God for not getting any on her homework and bed. "Why would you ask that?"
"Because we all need to know," Jay told her. Andy was totally confused of why Jay was acting like this. This wasn't usually how the blonde acted.
"No-yes, ugh, I don't know," Andy groaned. "I'm happy with Mack."
"But I know you don't love him like the way you love Isaac," Jay said. "All I want is for my best friend and brother to be happy, even if it's not being together."
It took a minute for Andy to muster up the words, "I know. I just don't know what to do now."
"Talk to Mack," Jay suggested. "We both know he'll understand.
"And Isaac?"
"That's on you."
"Ugh," Andy groaned again. "I have to think about that."
"I love you," Jay said.
"I love you too."
~~~~~
Anthony was in Jackson's Porsche as he waited for the surprise location their date was taking place. It took a half hour until they pulled into a parking lot in front of a Japanese restaurant.
"Am I suppose to be wearing a suit?" Anthony looked down at his blue jeans and pink t-shirt, thinking the place was more fancy.
"No, you look fine," Jackson flashed him with his perfect white-tooth grin as he opened the door. He wore black jeans and a white tee.
"Thank you," Anthony said as he stepped inside.
Their was a very romantic setting in the restaurant with dim orange lighting. Some of the tables had chefs cooking right in front of customers.
"Whittemore," Jackson told the hostess the name the reservation was under with a charming smile.
"Follow me," she said as she grabbed two menus.
The young Asian woman led them to a table in a back corner. A couple of minutes passed before an old chef came to cook in front of the two boys.
"Is this what you normally do for your first dates?" Anthony asked Jackson.
"Just you and Lydia," Jackson reconsidered. "If you count going to the movie with her. We were in middle school when we first got together."
"So she was your first girlfriend?" Anthony recurved a nod as he pieced together Jackson's love life. "And you broke up in high school. Was Ethan..." he trailed off from the awkwardness of bringing up Jackson's dead boyfriend.
"He was my first boyfriend," Jackson finished cooly.
"Sorry."
"No need to be," Jackson said.
The two of them stared at the fire that roared up in front of them as the chef was in the middle of cooking. They had left him to decide what they were going to eat tonight.
"What about you?" Jackson said after a minute of silence. "Had any girlfriends or boyfriends?"
"No girlfriends," Anthony quickly fell back into the easy conversation as they forgot the remembrance of the dead. "I had a few things with guys but nothing serious. School and making money to support myself was basically it."
"That's why you never came to the Academy in the first place?"
"Yeah," Anthony thought of how to describe it. "I couldn't afford the whole privileged private boarding school," they had to watch how they described the Academy for the supernatural in public.
"I mean, Andy and the twins didn't get in on money," Jackson countered.
"But their parents went there, as did most of the others."
"That's true."
"I was fine with public school," Anthony shrugged. Then said quietly. "But I heard stories about your Academy and the famous Anderson girl who showed up with all her power. There to save anyone with a flick of her hand."
"Well, I'm glad you were in Beacon Hills of all places to run into," Jackson gave another grin. But this one was less 'I know I'm charming' and more 'I hope you like me.'
"Yeah," Anthony agreed with his own smile. "Would still be waiting tables."
"And you wouldn't have met me."
"That too," they both chuckled.
~~~~~
"Hey babe," Mack kissed Andy's cheek as he ran into her in the Moonlit dorms kitchen at almost 10 p.m. She was snacking on a red apple with peanut butter.
"Hey," Andy spoke softly, nervously taking a bite of an apple slice with peanut butter spread over it.
"I can't believe Jackson was able to get Principal Martin to let him take Anthony out pass curfew," he stood not too closely next to her.
"Lyda probably pulled some strings," Andy proposed.
"Probably," Mack looked concerned at his girlfriend. "What do you wanna talk about?"
"What makes you think I wanna talk about something?" Andy put the apple and peanut butter on the counter.
"Come on, we've known each other forever."
"I guess I should get it over with," Andy sighed.
"Are you breaking up with me?" Mack quickly asked, realizing what would cause Andy to be so nervous about talking to him.
"Wait, listen Mack," Andy stepped closer to him.
"You are, aren't you?" He stepped back.
"Please," Andy reached a hand forward and he allowed her to grab his. "We both know we're not in love-and I do love you. I care so deeply for you but not romantically. You may have once loved me like that but I know you don't anymore. I fell for a different boy and you fell for a girl. When it got messed up, we thought we owed it to ourselves to try this," Mack didn't dare look into her eyes. "We did, thinking you still had those feelings and that I could potentially gain them. But it never happened, right?"
"I don't want to break up," Mack let a couple tears fall down his face as he looked into her watery blue eyes, though she held the tears.
"I know," Andy wiped his tears. "We're scared of getting our hearts broken again. But we can't live a lie. Don't you see what I'm saying is true?"
"I know it is. But It's also easier for you to be with Isaac than it is for me to be with Mal," Mack pointed out.
"Not really," Andy thought about it. "I want you to be with the person you should be with, but I don't think I'll be able to be more than just friends with him again. There's too much with the prophecy and my mother."
"But how do I get back together with Mal if she doesn't remember our relationship?"
"Didn't the doctor say there was a high chance of her regaining memory from any small action or physical proof-like a photo of you guys?" Andy asked. "Isn't there anything that may have triggered something-anything so day?"
"Wait," he thought. "This morning I swear I saw her look at me differently."
"There you go," Andy lit up. "And what may be a big enough thing to regain a lot of memory from a former boyfriend; a kiss."
"So you think I should just find her and kiss her?"
"The most epic kiss you can give," Andy smiled.
"I will, I'll do it," he smiled back. But then as he saw the pain in her eyes as she knew it would be best for her to remain friends with Isaac. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"It is," she reassured. She just wanted him to be with the actual person he was in love with. She wanted that for herself as well. But she had a lot to think about, and a debate in her mind would take a while to solve.