CHAPTER TEN:
❝︎She's A Ghost❞︎

LIAM STOOD THERE WITH A FROWN ON HIS FACE. He reached forwards, clutching the paper in his hands as he gently took it from the wall it had been tapped on. Alaska's face was printed on it, MISSING running across the top of the paper. He looked up and all around him were pictures of Alaska's face. He was supposed to wait for Scott, but he had been restless all night so he forced himself out of bed and towards Alaska's old school and now he stood here at three am, alone with nothing but worry covering his face. He needed to find her body. He needed to help her. But all he kept getting was dead ends.

Now he sat on a random bench, staring at the crumbled paper in his hands with his jaw clenched. Where was Alaska when you needed her? Had he already lost her? And she already faded out of existence for good? She had to keep fighting. He wouldn't let her give up, not when they were actually getting somewhere. Or were they? It wouldn't be for a few more hours until he heard from Stiles. Everyone was asleep. Of course, it was three in the morning so no one would be up.

He wished that they were. He just wanted to call Scott, awake him from his peaceful slumber and beg him to not wait until the morning. But he knew Scott would just tell him to get some rest. Maybe he should. Maybe he should just walk back home, lay down, force himself to close him eyes even if he knew sleep wouldn't come to him. But something in him made him stay right where he was. Almost as if his instincts were trying to tell him something.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. Liam looked up, watching as a man with glasses perched on his nose and a beer in his hands made his way towards him. He was ready to stand up and sprint away in case this guy tried to start anything. He was positive that all he had to do was flash his eyes in order to send the guy running, but he decided that it would be best not to make Scott mad at him whilst he was helping Liam with the Alaska situation. He watched as the man took a seat beside of him, saying absolutely nothing for a few moments. Liam was getting ready to leave when the man spoke.

     "What's that?" Liam turned to look at him, watching as he took a sip of his drink. He could tell that the man was already drunk, the stench off alcohol made Liam want to stop breathing. He looked at the man who was staring down at the paper in his hands. Liam just shrugged, a sigh falling from his lips as he uncrumpled the paper.

     "A friend of mine." Liam handed the stranger the paper. "She's been missing for a few days. Nobody can seem to find her. They haven't found a single clue. It's like she's a ghost." He watched the man take the paper in his hands, staring at it for way longer than Liam liked. He was tempted to rip the paper away, but hesitated when he saw a certain look crossing the man's face. It was a look of distress mixed with anger with the panic staying hidden in his eyes. Liam gently took the paper from his hands, watching as the man took another sip from his beer.

     "Hope they find her." Was all he said before he stood up and walked away. Liam watched him, he couldn't walk in a straight line for anything. He was all over the sidewalk and Liam was just waiting for him to pass out. Much to his silent amusement, he did. Liam looked back down at the paper of Alaska before he sighed and stood up.

He walked down the side walk, stopping in order to look at the man passed out on the sidewalk. He pursed his lips, glancing around before folding the paper and tucking it in his pocket. He clenched his jaw before lifting the man from the ground, dragging him over to the bench and laying him across it. He placed the man's glasses back on his face before shaking his head and walking away.

He made it back home, laying on his bed with an annoyed groan falling from his lips. He laid down, forced himself to close his eyes in hopes of sleep coming to him, but the sound of a groan falling from someone's lips made him turn over. He sat up quickly when he found Alaska sitting at the edge of his bed, her back turned towards him almost as if she knew her suddenly appearing inside his home was intrusive. He watched as she placed her head in her hands, running a hand through her hair.

     "I shouldn't be here. Jesus, Alaska, out of all the places you could've popped up, you decide to appear in his home. Not only in his home, but in his room. Stalker, much?" She muttered the words to herself, but Liam heard them clearly. He didn't say anything for a moment, too caught up in watching her silently curse herself and taking note of how breathtaking she was even if he couldn't see her face. He simply loved the sound of her voice. That's all he needed. He could hear her speak all day and never complain. He wanted to hear her speak all day. But there was a lot of things he wanted that he couldn't have.

     "You gonna keep talking to yourself or at least say hello?"

     Alaska snapped her head towards Liam, narrowing her eyes at him. "You heard all that?"

     "Mhm."

     "And you just kept letting me talk?"

     "Didn't want to interrupt."

     Alaska slapped his leg, earning an amused smile from him. "I sounded psychotic!"

     "You? Psychotic? Never!"

     "Liam!" She dramatically gasped, slapping his leg again. He only laughed and she couldn't help but laugh along with him, not knowing he had met someone she used to know only a few moments prior.