Last night was rough, needless to say.

After Liam assisted Hayden with getting the power in the club back on, using his strength to flip the stuck safety switch in one of the back rooms, he left. I offered to give him a ride home since I didn't want him walking around town by himself at such a late hour, but he refused and walked away without another word.

Hayden didn't seem surprised when I told her I had to leave too.

I went home and tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn't let me. It kept replaying Liam's disappointed reaction to my friendship with Hayden and Brett, as well as constantly reminding me of the negative impacts Valack's book might have on me. We realized that it had a delayed reaction to it, so none of us were in the clear yet, and worse of all, we had no idea what would even trigger the repressed memory.

I was convinced that the moment I closed my eyes, the Dread Doctors would be there to greet me in a brand new terrifying nightmare.

Hoping to buy myself some time before that happened, I laid awake in bed, witnessing a pitch black night turned into a pastel morning. In those hours that passed, guilt and anxiety only settled into me further.

When the time came for it, I got ready for school.

I assumed Liam would have cooled off by the first period, but I was wrong. He built his entire day around not talking to me, even going so far as to skip the one class we actually had together. I couldn't even try to pretend that he was absent since he did a terrible job of avoiding me in the hallways during transition times, narrowly hiding behind corners of trash cans.

I couldn't blame him for it, not at all. I screwed up.

My only wish was that he would tell me how to make things better rather than leaving me clueless and playing into an immature silent treatment. This situation wasn't one I had any experience navigating, and it wasn't like I could go to our friends for advice. Either they had no idea about Liam and I, or they happened to be part of the reason he and I weren't on the best of terms right now.

I did seriously consider speaking to Hayden about it but I didn't want to increase any tensions between her and Liam more than I already had. Though, in my defense, that had been purely unintentional.

I was giving Liam the space he so clearly desired, and put all of my attention on coming up with new ways to find chimeras.

Beacon Hills High School was a breeding ground for supernatural activity because of its position on the telluric currents, but it wasn't the only place in the town where a chimera could possibly turn up. Mason and I had been talking earlier, and we created a plan that would give us more pairs of eyes on the other side of town, increasing our chances for success, by using Brett and Lori to keep track of students of Devenford Prep.

Having them watch their peers at school would expand our search radius significantly, which bought time for the Stilinski's in our midst to figure out a pattern that would have more definitive results in tracking down potential victims.

Brett was hesitant about skipping school to speak with us about our idea but after some begging and bribing, he agreed. It would cost me to pay for an entire month of his rent, but it's not like I didn't have the money to spare.

The halls were empty as I made my way out to the field, third period beginning a few minutes ago. Mason and I had a free slot right now, so neither of us had to worry about any teachers questioning our whereabouts. We told Brett to meet us on the bleachers when he arrived, something that should be happening soon, as the isolated location would provide us with privacy from any prying ears.

The sudden slam of a classroom door puts my journey to a cautious end.

Shuffling footsteps echo through the deserted halls, approaching my position fast. I hold my ground, looking down the hall from where the noise was coming from, waiting for a threat to reveal itself.

No vile and treacherous creature comes into view, only Sydney.

She freezes when she rounds the corner, finding me standing in the middle of the walkway. Her dark brown eyes are filled with tears that streak her face, and her round cheeks turn pink from embarrassment.

Before I can ask if she's okay, she runs past me.

"Sydney?" I call out after her, worried.

Sydney and I may not have talked much, but I didn't want to ever willingly see someone as kind as her cry. It wasn't right.

Another slam sounds, and I hear the distinct click of heels. This time, it's Lydia who shows herself.

"What's going on?" I ask her, pointing at a retreating Sydney.

"We were sitting in class doing nothing when Theo noticed something off about her. Her hair was falling out in clumps," Lydia pants softly, tired from her short burst of running. To her credit, she was able to move quicker with heels than most people could barefoot.

"Chimera?"

"Only one way to find out," Lydia replies tensely.

I tilt my head in the direction Sydney had gone. "Let's go."

Brett and Mason could wait a few minutes. There was no way in hell I was letting Lydia speak to a possible chimera on her own.

We follow the same path Sydney had, looking through the slim windows of empty classrooms to see if she had dipped into one, as there aren't any bathrooms or closets nearby that she could have hidden in. The further we go, the more Lydia gets a clear idea of where she'd run off to.

She leads me in the direction of the guidance counselor's room; her mother's new office.

The door was propped open, a sign that someone was inside. Miss Martin herself was nowhere to be seen, but Sydney was sitting alone at a circular table beside the main desk, her eyes focused on her hands, sniffling quietly.

"Sydney?" I say her name lowly, not wanting to scare her.

She lifts her gaze to meet ours, quickly wiping her face clean with the sleeve of her jacket.

"I was just looking for your mom." She murmurs. "I mean Miss Martin." She corrects herself while straightening her posture, as if needing to keep up some illusion of professionalism that neither of us required of her.

Lydia ventures further into the office. I follow her lead, though I don't get as close as she does, still remaining skeptical of Sydney. She was a mellow person, but if she was a chimera, it wouldn't be up to her anymore to control any possible violent urges. I prepared myself to tackle her away from the banshee beside me if necessary.

Outside of that, Lydia was also the one between us who had a gentler hand when it came to comfort.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

Sydney cracks under that one question.

"Does this look okay?" She holds open her hand, revealing a ball of her brunette hair that she had been concealing from us. At least they weren't scales.

Lydia's green eyes filled with concern. I remain silent as I watch her and Sydney, knowing Lydia didn't care about the supernatural right now, only Sydney's well-being.

"How long has it been happening?"

"Three years."

"Years?" Lydia echoes incredulously.

"It's stress," Sydney breathes out, exhausted with her own scalp. "I've tried everything. Medication, acupuncture, hypnosis-"

"Have you tried not taking the hardest classes in school?" Lydia interjects. Everyone was aware of how much of a high-achiever Sydney strived to be.

"Or just dropping out entirely?" I added.

Lydia reaches out to smack my arm, and we both smile when Sydney lets out a gentle burst of laughter because of it.

"It can't be that bad, Sydney. You have nothing to be ashamed of," I say softly. Lydia nods in agreement, and Sydney seems less anxious, but not yet fully relieved.

"Doesn't make people stop staring," she mutters dejectedly.

"Let me see it. Maybe I can help cover it up?" Lydia suggests, speaking of the bald spot that surely existed on Sydney's head. Whether it fell out on its own, or she tugged it out herself, that much hair couldn't be missing without a mark.

Sydney considers it and ultimately agrees. She turns in her seat and reaches up to pull her hair back, revealing a patch of reddened skin above her ear that had nothing growing from it.

It genuinely wasn't that bad, nor was it noticeable when her hair was positioned properly.

I was about to tell her as much when Lydia lets out an abrupt and intense gasp before staggering back. She was about to fall onto the floor but I dove to catch her, my arms wrapping around her waist.

She continues to slip, and I have to drop to my knees to brace her upper back before she bends in half. Lydia sags against my body, unconscious.

"Oh my god, is she okay?" Sydney stands up, staring down at the two of us with wide eyes.

"Go get help," I order her, unable to answer her question because I didn't know how to.

She doesn't move, only stands there, frozen. I don't bother to be reposeful anymore, not with Lydia out cold in my arms.

"Sydney, go!"

She jumps at the sound of my voice, pulled back to reality. She doesn't seem offended and mumbles an apology before rushing out into the hall, hopefully going for someone more equipped to handle this situation than me.

"Lydia?" I say her name softly, brushing away strands of her fiery hair from her face.

It feels like an eternity passes as she lies there.

"Goddamit, Lydia, wake up!" I shake her body in my arms, unable to help the fear growing inside of me. She'd dropped out of nowhere. There was no supernatural involvement, no paralytic toxin, there was only one horrified breath before she fell into my arms.

Her eyes begin to twitch. I can see them moving beneath her colored lips. Her lips start to move, and she murmurs faintly under her breath. I lean down to listen, trying to discern exactly what she's saying as most of it comes out as a jumbled mess.

"They're coming for all of us," she whispers in a shattered voice.

Lydia hadn't been the only person I had ever heard speak that phrase before. The day Tracy died, when we cornered her in Mister Yukimura's, she said the exact same thing. I understand now that her cryptic words had been a warning.

A sharp pain emanates through my head. I let out a strained yelp of agony as I shut my eyes tightly, an attempt to cope.

I soon regret that choice as a broken flood of images breaches the surface of my mind's inner defenses. I can't make out anything definitively. They're all wrong pieces of one puzzle that I can't possibly finish.

There are cracks in a tiled wall, different hands covered with blood, lengthy needles that dig themselves into my skin, and a pair of glowing red eyes. They pass in quick beats, but soon there's an image that lingers longer than the rest. The image of the Surgeon's masked face staring down at me.

"No," I gasp softly, repeating that one word over and over again as my worst fear comes true.

I fight off the memory, willing myself to rebuild the walls in my head, creating them brick by brick. I remain sheltered inside, for the time being. It would only be a matter of time before those walls were knocked down again.

My grip on Lydia tightens, using her as something to tether me to reality and ignore the now constant pounding that radiates in my skull.

Squeaks of sneakers approach, Theo and Scott appearing in the doorway. They pause only momentarily before entering, Scott kneeling on the other side of Lydia.

"What happened?" he questions.

I hesitate to answer, still reeling from what I've seen.

"Jac?" Theo says my name, snapping me out of it.

"She - she just fainted out of nowhere. I don't know why," I explain, forcing myself to focus on Lydia. I wasn't important right now, only she was.

Scott reaches out, holding onto Lydia's shoulder.

"Lydia?" he calls out to her, trying to pull her out from her sleep.

Finally, she begins to stir.

She groans softly and nuzzles her head into the crook of my arm before snapping awake, now fully aware. Her eyes have darkened and it appears as though she hasn't slept for a hundred years.

"Lydia, are you okay?" Scott asks, taking her shaking hand into his.

"I'm okay. I'm fine," she responds automatically, though her appearance betrays her claims.

"You wanna sit?" I ask her, getting a short nod in return.

Scott helps me to lift Lydia from the ground, both of us holding onto her as we guide her to sit in the chair Sydney had been in a minute ago. She exhales heavily as she melts into the seat, still holding Scott's hand.

"You remembered something," Theo states from behind us. It was a fair assumption to make that Lydia's sudden fainting spell was caused by the cursed novel.

"Not about the Dread Doctors. Nothing about them or the surgery."

"What was it?"

"My grandmother. At Eichen House."

Scott and I look at each other, then back to her, both of us holding an intense amount of concern. We were both aware of the reality of what happened at Eichen House with Lorraine Martin, none of it pleasant enough for her granddaughter to witness.

"Where's Sydney?" Lydia searches the office for her. I almost want to laugh at the fact that she still found it in herself to worry about another person right now after what she just experienced.

Anyone who had ever claimed Lydia as heartless didn't know her at all.

Right on cue to answer Lydia's question, two more people enter the room. Miss Martin comes into view, Sydney over her shoulder. Miss Martin rushes forward, Scott and I stepping out of her way so she can kneel in front of her daughter.

"Oh my god, what happened? Are you alright?" She scans Lydia up and down, checking for any obvious signs of injury.

"Mom, I'm fine. It was nothing," Lydia assures her, remaining calm. I was sure it was easy for her to do so with how exhausted she was now. Those few seconds under had drained her.

"Was it a blackout? Did you faint?" Miss Martin presses, and I can see Lydia bite back an annoyed response.

"Yeah, I fainted. Mom, I'm fine. I promise." Lydia relents, repeating her earlier statement.

The two of them continue to speak in hushed tones, Miss Martin doting over her daughter. Scott, Sydney, Theo, and I dismiss ourselves, closing the door behind us as we go out into the hall to give them a moment of privacy.

"Thanks for getting us, Sydney. You did us a huge favor," Scott says to the brunette. I agree with him, giving Sydney a grateful look. I wouldn't have been able to leave Lydia alone like that.

"I just hope she's okay," Sydney brushes off the compliment, wringing her hands together nervously.

"She will be," I swear.

Sydney exchanges a tender smile with us before excusing herself, probably planning on returning to speak with Miss Martin at a later time. When she's out of earshot, I face the seniors in my presence.

"She's not a chimera," I inform them, easing their minds of previous curiosity.

Sydney didn't have any of the telltale signs of chimerism. She was only a teenager in over their head who had put way too much on their plate. Happens to the best of us.

"That means we still don't have any leads," Scott sighs.

"I'm actually working on that," I tell him. He and Theo silently question exactly what I mean.

"Brett agreed to help keep an eye out on the Devenford students. He should be out on the field with Mason by now. I was on my way there to talk to them but I got distracted with Sydney and Lydia."

"That's a good idea," Scott says, almost stunned.

"I have them on occasion," I reply dryly.

At the mention of Brett and Mason, I take note of the fact that I was late to meet with them. Brett was risking his scholarship by skipping classes for us to speak and I didn't want him to feel disrespected by keeping him waiting, so I had to get a move on already.

I begin to take a couple of steps backward. "I have to go, but let me know if Lydia needs me. I'll have my phone on."

"Jac, wait." Scott signals for me to stop, coming to stand in front of me. "Have you felt anything different today? Anything at all?"

His eyes are filled with concern for me. He's worried I'll have a similar reaction to the book that Lydia did, or maybe something worse like Malia almost getting run over.

Part of me wants to tell him what happened, about how there was now an ever-present pounding sensation in my skull, but I couldn't. If the Dread Doctors had done something to me, that meant Deaton had been right. They were after Scott's spark inside of me.

How could I possibly tell him that what he did to save my life had now endangered it?

I could picture the heartbreak on his face and how it would lead to a divide between us. Scott allowed his guilt to control him too much, and I was already living under the conditions of his own remorse. I didn't want to endure any more of it.

If something was going to happen to me, I wanted to spend as much time as I could being with my friends as they were, none of us haunted by our own ghosts.

"Don't worry, Scotty. I'm better than ever," I lie with a wide smile. He smiles too, relieved. It's hard to feel terrible for my dishonesty when it brings him peace.

"If anything changes, call me," he orders gently.

I hold up my hand as if pledging a solemn oath in agreement. Scott lets out a breathy laugh before saying goodbye, heading in the direction of the class he had just been in the middle of.

Theo doesn't follow him and remains in the hallway, studying me.

I panic under his observant gaze because it feels as though he can see right through the lies I've told. If someone who was a virtual stranger to me could do that, how long would it take before those closest to me figured it out too?

I don't linger and give Theo a swift nod before turning, not bothering with a real form of dismissal. I was sure my voice wouldn't hold anyway.

I make my way to the field, finally.

There were quite a few people outside, all of them having overlapping free periods. My eyes pass them to search the bleachers, finding Mason and Brett sitting near the top in the middle of a conversation. It's a relief to know my tardiness hadn't intruded too heavily on our plan.

I walk toward them, but stop when I finally discover my misplaced Beta.

A lot of groups were on the grass playing various sporting activities for their free time. Some people played volleyball or kickball, while others used the goals that were set up on the edge of the field for soccer and lacrosse, Liam being one of them.

It's not a full-blown practice like they'd had the other day since there isn't enough space for that, and they're only lined up in a straight line to practice throwing goals into a nearby net.

"Liam!" I shout without thinking. I had wanted to give him his desired space, but now all I wanted was to have him close to me, desperate for his comfort.

He turns on instinct at the sound of my voice, and judging by his reaction, I'm sure he regrets it. All of the hard work that he'd put into ignoring me crumbled in a second.

"I need to talk to you. Please," I say at a normal volume, knowing he could hear me.

I can see his shoulders shift as he lets out a disgruntled sigh. He exchanges a few words with his teammates and then makes his way over to me, thankfully not too upset to pretend like I didn't exist entirely.

I hadn't completely thought through what I would say to him, whether I'd confess to what I'd seen moments ago or simply beg for his forgiveness and call it a day. The only thing that I was sure of was that Liam was the only person on this planet who could bring balance to the warzone in my mind.

Whatever grudges he had didn't matter to me this second. I would endure his impatient sighs and stiff attitude as long as it meant he was with me, because I needed him.

"Hey," I greet him quietly.

He doesn't do the same. Instead, he turns away from me, pointing in the direction of the bleachers at Brett.

"What's he doing here?" he asks, not with any attitude, more genuinely curious.

"He came to help me with something but that's not important right now," I brush it off, swallowing thickly. "Look, there's something I - I have to tell you about-"

"Nice tank top, Dumpbar," Hayden snorts as she passes by.

She was on her way to the part of the field where the soccer players were currently running a few drills. Apparently, she couldn't join them before taking a dig at Liam's wardrobe, a slightly shiny gray athletic tank top with stripes on the back. In all honesty, it wasn't the most flattering, but Hayden didn't need to say that. She had the worst timing.

"Hayden," I say in a scolding tone. She gives me a mockingly apologetic look as she continues walking away.

"There goes another arch nemesis of mine that you've befriended," Liam murmurs, burning holes in the back of Hayden's head.

"Arch nemesis. Really?" I repeat his words in disbelief.

"She hates me. And Brett..." he trails off, shaking his head. Still, even now, he refuses to tell me what happened.

"I thought you were okay with me being friends with him?" I shoot back, thinking back to the other night at Sinema.

Liam eased my guilt, reassuring me that I didn't have to be secretive when hanging out with the Talbot boy. He claimed their past wasn't my problem and that the person Brett was growing into now was all that mattered. It had been such a relief then, but now, it felt like another lie.

"It's not like I had a choice," Liam snaps, his resentment getting the better of him.

"I thought I didn't have to give you one," I whisper. I bite my lip after, keeping myself from asking the question I wanted to.

If Liam didn't actually believe Brett could change... what did he really think of me?

Liam's face shifts, coming out of his anger. It's like only now he realizes that this argument between us, isn't us. We weren't supposed to operate like this. We were supposed to be partners.

We don't do anything but stare at each other now.

It feels off. We've never argued before, not like this. I'm not sure what to do, and I can tell he doesn't know either.

"Liam, hurry up!" one of his teammates shouts for him.

"I should go practice," Liam mutters. He waits for me to say something as if needing permission to walk away. I give him a small nod, my eyes focused on the grass under us, and he goes.

The pounding in my head only worsens the further he gets from me. I take a deep breath and bite my tongue to distract myself from the pain to keep an illusion of composure as I head toward the bleachers, Brett and Mason waiting for me.

"Took you long enough," Brett jokes when I reach them, smiling in greeting.

I force out a short breath of amusement before sitting down beside him.

"You tell him our plan?" I ask Mason. He nods and gestures for Brett to voice his concerns over it.

"It's a good idea, but I don't know, guys. Everyone at Devenford's pretty abnormal to me," he shrugs, doubtful.

"We're not saying you need to keep a log of everyone's awkward teenage behavior, but someone's gotta stick out," I counter. Beacon Hills may have been a small town but it wasn't so small that every supernatural horror would only occur within the space of our high school.

"Alright, well, what is there to look for?" Mason presses for answers. "There's heightened strength, smell, hearing, speed..."

"Able to see in the dark," Brett adds, the two of them beginning to list different supernatural characteristics.

"Glowing eyes."

"Eyes that reflect the light."

"Visible scorpion stingers protruding out of limbs," Mason breathes out, still fascinated.

"Yeah, or three-foot lizard tails," Brett counters, more realistic with his reaction.

I'm too distracted to add to their list, my attention solely on Liam as he stands on the field. He doesn't speak with those around him, in fact, he doesn't do anything. He stares down at the lacrosse stick in his hands, seemingly just as distracted as I am.

"Hey, Jac!" Hayden yells, getting both of our attention. "This one's for you!"

She rushes forward, sending one of the soccer balls in front of her perfectly into a goal. I clap silently to thank her for the dedication, and Hayden bows in return. She glances over her shoulder after, able to feel the intense glare Liam was giving her.

Hayden simply waves at him, cockier than ever.

Liam makes eye contact with me, his scowl softening as we both think the same thing. 

He could never do that for me. 

A public display like that would leave too many people questioning things between us, and that wouldn't be so easy to brush off as it would be with Hayden if Scott overheard any of it. 

Liam works his jaw, stomping over to the goal he and his teammates were using. He sends a pointed look my way as he picks up a ball from the grass with his net, as if silently telling me this next shot was for me.

He revs up and sends the ball flying, missing the goal entirely.

I can hear Hayden's cackle from the bleachers.

Hayden, taking Liam's actions as a direct invitation for competition, grabs another soccer ball and drops it, kicking it flawlessly mid-air, scoring again. When she's done, she turns to point in my direction, another dedication.

Liam doesn't wait for her to gloat any longer and picks up another ball, this time actually having it make it into the goal. He flashes Hayden a cocky smirk of his own, enjoying the grimace she gives him in return.

The two of them continue to try and one-up each other. They both take shots, actually waiting for the other person to go to analyze their technique. It's uncivil yet oddly respectful at the same time?

They only stop their petty duel when Liam accidentally throws with too much force into the chest of a goalie, sending him flying back.

Everyone stops what they're doing, stunned.

"Sorry!" Liam shouts, rushing over to help the boy he'd just pummeled.

I groan under my breath and look away, unable to watch any longer.

"What's up with those two?" Brett asks.

"Sixth grade. That's not the best year for Liam's anger management issues," Mason explains, grabbing his phone to bring something up. "There was this fight in the hallways, Liam and this other guy. Hayden sort of accidentally walked into it, and this is her yearbook photo."

He shows us his screen, revealing a young Hayden. She had a bandage across her nose and her eyes were swollen, caused by a direct punch to the face. Not the prettiest sight, and definitely something to be vengeful for.

"Ah, damn," Brett winces, though it's filled with amusement. "What'd she do to him?"

Mason chuckles knowingly as he swipes his phone screen, showing us Liam's photo next. He had a bandage on his nose too, as well as dark-colored bruises under his eyes.

Hayden and Liam's feud makes sense now, on some level. Though, I was admittedly peeved that Liam felt such a grievance towards Hayden for a punch. If I refused to be friends with everyone that had ever hit me, I wouldn't have many friends at all.

Mason and Brett laugh over those childhood photos, but their amusement can't last forever as a dire voice carries across the field.

"Does anyone here have asthma?! Anyone got an inhaler?!" A boy shouts, rapidly searching for anyone to answer his question.

Liam's eyes find mine automatically, holding fear. He speaks, and though I can't hear him, I can read his lips.

Scott.

Our Alpha was in trouble.

"Stiles keeps one in his locker!" I shouted to him, unbothered by the stares I get for it.

Scott had evolved from his asthma when I came to know him, but Stiles always mentioned in passing how he used to have inhalers on hand back in the day. They were at his house, in his Jeep, even here on campus.

They were guaranteed to still be there, Stiles always having a habit of watching his best friend's back.

Liam drops his lacrosse stick and sprints toward the school. A lot of people take off after him, all of them curious as to what was happening. Brett and Mason do too and I follow them, needing to make sure Scott was okay, but soon find myself falling behind.

My breath is heavy and ragged as if I've run a marathon. I wasn't a track star by any means, but I'd outrun werewolves before. I had more stamina than this.

The further I go the slower I become, and eventually, I have to stop. I let out subtle wheezes as I stumble into a wall of lockers to support myself. I fall to my knees as the agonizing pounding in my skull becomes unbearable.

Unable to fight any longer, I give in and allow the defenses in my mind to crumble, what was stolen from me now returned in full force.

~

||| A/N |||

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