CHAPTER 7,
A PROMISE TO THE DEAD
"Looks like a lot of effort being put in there. It's really bringing out your biceps there."
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LIAM ADMITTED TO not wanting to join Scott in helping the pack they found and saved from the assassins. It wasn't because the blond didn't care about the others but because he claimed he's not like the McCall pack
However, Indiana took the time out of her day to stop helping her friends run around chasing people to solve the current problems in order to help comfort Liam. The boy tried to get her to go help her friends but she refused, stating that he has a problem too because he practically has trauma from the berseker back at the hospital. Mason joined them too, although he didn't exactly question it and just thought he got his old two friends back.
During the time of the three freshmen's spending time together, the rest of the pack managed to stop the dead pool altogether. Stiles and Malia discovered that the machines operating it all were located in Lydia's lake house, the two turning it off while the others discovered that Peter Hale created the whole idea during his coma after the fire.
No more assassins. No more murders. No more of people being corrupted just for the sake of money. No more having to worry someones going to decapitate them, set them on fire, or stab them with wolfsbane.
Currently, Indiana walks downstairs after being called down by her mother. She pauses at the sight of Scott awkwardly standing there, Melissa having the bag of money in front of her.
"Oh, god." Indiana mutters, wondering how the conversation is gonna go.
"This is payment from the deadpool. I found it in Garrett's locker." Scott informs.
"This belongs to Derek?" Melissa questions, raising a brow. "So you're just keeping it safe for him in a gym bag underneath your bed? How long have you been keeping this from me?"
"Too long." Indiana replies, glaring over at Scott since she thought he had given it to the Hales already.
"I was going to give it back, Indi." Scott tells her.
"Do I want to know why you haven't yet?" Melissa asks.
Scott falls silent, pausing for a moment before sighing. "Because of you."
"Me?" Melissa questions.
"Mom, we know how you're struggling with money." Indiana states.
"Only a little." Melissa reassures.
"No. A lot. We're struggling a lot." Indiana corrects.
"Guys.. You can save people's lives, but you cannot save them from life. Life is full of struggles." Melissa informs.
"But it doesn't have to be. Do you know what just one of these can do? This gets us a new roof. And this lays for Stiles' MRI. This pays for Eichen House. And this one means you don't have to work the double shift at the hospital and come home totally exhausted." Scott lists, picking up stacks of cash to explain what they can do.
"What about this one?" Melissa asks, showing him one covered in blood and just receiving a sigh in response.
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Indiana currently roams the hallways of school, her textbooks gripped in her arms while her backpack sling over one of her shoulders. A small smile sits on her face, thankful that she no longer as to watch out for people attempting to possibly come out of nowhere and attempt to kill her.
The brunette makes her way into the gym where she's meeting Liam and Mason, the boys informing her that no one else is inside the room. Pushing the door open, Indi finds Liam sitting down on a bench press and Mason doing bicep curls with the worlds smallest weights.
"Looks like a lot of effort being put in there. It's really bringing out your biceps there." Indiana jokes, patting the boys shoulder before retracting her hand with a grimace at his sweat.
"This is my warm-up, dumbass." Mason replies. "You and Liam are bullies."
"What did you say to him?" Indiana asks, glancing over at the blond.
"If he decided a spot." Liam replies, grinning with pride at his comment.
"Hey, Indi, do you think he needs a spot?" Mason asks, motioning over to the weights. "I mean, that thing is like 300 pounds. He's gonna kill himself."
Before the girl can reply, Liam lays down and takes the weights off of the hooks. He then pulls it down to his chest cautiously before lifting it back up and placing it back onto the hook.
"Do I look like I need help?" Liam asks, a hint of annoyed in his voice.
Mason just scoffs at his friend, glancing at Indiana for a moment before placing the weights down and storming out of the gym. Indiana sighs, zoning out for a moment as she figures out how she's gonna get them to make up again.
Indi is pulled out of her trance at the sudden sound of grunts of pain, followed by the coughing for air. She whips her heard back around to see Liam now struggling beneath the weight he claimed he was fine lifting.
Before the brunette even gets a chance to place her textbooks down and rush forwards to help him, Scott runs into the room with Mason right behind him. The junior grand ahold of the weights and hooks it back into its place, Liam still coughing for air.
"Are you okay?" Indiana asks, concern laced in her voice.
"I- I'm fine." Liam replies, stuttering.
"If you don't want to be with us, that's okay. But don't push your friends away too." Scott whispers.
"Look, he may not know about what we are or what we do, but there's no reason we can't continue being his friend." Indiana adds. "Look, whether you like it or not, I'm in your grade so you're gonna be stuck with me for a couple years, so I'm gonna make it my mission that you don't push away the people you care about."
Liam gives the brunette a small smile in responses, one that she just instantly returns.
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Indiana now stands in the boys locker room with Stiles and Liam, the boys dressed in their lacrosse gear as they prepare themselves for a game their about to play. Meanwhile, the two freshman's are worrying about Scott and Kira because they're been missing for awhile now.
"Everything's fine. I got a text from him this morning, he said he might be a little late." Stiles reassures.
"A date isn't known to last that long." Indiana tells him.
"How late is late? Is he always late? We're playing Devenford Prep again and this time it's an actual game. He shouldn't be late." Liam rambles.
"Who shouldn't be late?" Coach questions, turning around to face the three as he cuts into their conversation.
"Scott and Kira." Liam replies, sighing.
"They might be slightly late." Indiana adds.
"Slightly late is still late. What are they doing?" Coach asks.
"They're doing something that's going to make them slightly late." Stiles awkwardly replies, not being able to come up with a lie right on the spot.
"What could Scott and Kira be doing right now that's more important than playing in the first game?" Coach asks, his voice rising as he becomes more demanding for answers.
Everyone in the locker room falls silent as the gaze over at them to see what all the fuss Coach's making is about. The three just exchange glances before turning back to the adult.
"Oh, Coach." Stiles comments.
"Sorry to burst your bubble." Indiana adds, trying her best not to laugh at his reaction.
"Will they make it here on time?" Liam asks as the adult walks away.
"Okay, what's really going on? Are you nervous about the full moon? It's not for another 24 hours." Stiles states.
"Liam, you're going to be fine. Just try to stay calm and try not to wolf out. If it get thats bad, you can pretend you got injured and join me in the stands." Indiana tells him.
"You two aren't worried?" Liam questions.
"I'm worried because this is my brother we're talking about." Indiana replies, pausing with a sigh. "But he'll be okay, he's strong."
"I'm mildly concerned. Mildly." Stiles replies, proceeding to pull out his phone and type a message to Scott. "How late are you gonna be? Very worried. Very."
Indiana catches sight of the text, leaning over and smacking Stiles in the back of the head for lying and just trying to reassure the two betas. The brunet just playfully shoved her back.
"We're going to lose without him." Liam continues.
"No, we're not. We can be just as good without Scott. I've been practicing and let me tell you something, I'm getting good. Really good." Stiles informs.
"I think that's another lie, Stilinski." Indiana comments, nudging him with her elbow.
"I don't think it is, McCall." Stiles replies, giving her a look to go along with it.
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It's now half time in the sports game, Indiana practically leaping down from her seat beside Malia on the bleachers. She runs down to the players bench, now standing beside Liam and Stiles to talk to them about the whole Scott and Kira situation once again.
The young girl has hardly been able to pay attention to the lacrosse players, her leg just bouncing up and down from nerves due to her mind constantly thinking of where the hell her brother and Kira could possibly be. The werecoyote tried reassuring the werewolf after smelling Indi reaching with anxiety, but nothing really seemed to work on the poor girl.
"Neither of them are answering." Indiana states, glancing down at the many texts she sent to the two.
"I'm going to see what's going on." Stiles decides.
"You're leaving? What are you going to tell Coach?" Liam asks.
Just as the boy says that, Coach begins throwing a childish strop while shouting to himself. The adult throws the lacrosse stick around on the ground, attempting to stomp on it too. However, he fails miserably and trips over it instead, managing to catch himself before glancing around to see if anyone saw him.
"Uh, you don't tell him anything, alright?" Stiles replies. "Liam, you're gonna be okay. Indiana is gonna stay here with you."
"I'm not allowed to go with you?" Indiana questions, looking over at the older boy.
"Not until we figure out what's happened. I'll text you immediately, okay?" Stiles replies.
Indiana sighs. "Fine. Be careful though."
Stiles nods in response, ruffling her brown hair slightly before rising to his feet and walks away to go deal with the situation. This leaves Indiana and Liam standing alone, the boy clearly concerned about whether he's gonna wolf out while the girl is worried her brothers safety.
"Liam, get on the field!" Coach yells.
"You'll be okay. Just focus on the game for now." Indiana tells the boy.
"I'll try." Liam replies, a sigh leaving his mouth.
The blond turns to walk out onto the field when the girl grabs ahold of his wrist gently. He turns back around to face her, Indiana instantly wrapping her around around his body. Liam smiles down at her, hugging her back before the two pull away.
"Good luck." Indiana says with a smile, walking back up to the bleachers
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The lacrosse game ended minutes ago, Liam struggling to play because something was still glued to his mind and he couldn't shake it out of his head. The brunette could smell his fear from all the way across the pitch, making her frown in confusion slightly.
Currently, Indiana is sitting in the boys locker room with Liam right beside her. She's been trying to comfort the boy and get him to talk about what's winding him up, but he doesn't budge and claims that he's okay.
"You okay?" Brett asks them boy as he enters the room.
"We lost." Liam replies.
"But you're okay, right?" Brett says.
"Why'd you do that? Why'd you help me?" Liam asks.
"Because of Scott. He saved me. He saved all of us." Brett states. "Liam, do you know how lucky you are?"
"What do you mean?" Liam asks.
"Scott's a true alpha." Brett replies.
"What's that?" Liam questions.
"It means he didn't get his power because he was born with it. He didn't get it by stealing it or by killing someone. He earned it." Indiana explains.
"You're not strong just because you can lift a lot of weight now. You're strong because you endure." Brett tells him. "Satomi falls it strength of character. You're lucky to have him. And his sister helping you too."
Indiana gives the taller boy a smile before watching him walk out of the room. Her phone goes off and she glances down to see a text from Stiles.
"They've been taken to Mexico. If we want to save his life, that's where we have to go." The text reads.
"You've got to be kidding me." Indiana mutters, sharply inhaling.
"What? What's wrong?" Liam asks, looking over at the girl with concern at her sudden change in mood.
"We might be taking a trip to Mexico if you're down for it." Indiana replies, turning to meet his blue eyes with a small sigh. "This will be the second time we're going to goddamn Mexico to go save someone now."
"When was the first time?" Liam questions.
"A few days before we met you. Had to save Derek who ended up appearing as a teenager with major memory loss. Let me tell you, the Calaveras are freaking annoying to deal with." Indiana replies, going on a bit of a rant.