CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:
SECRETS SAFE WITH ME

"YOU REALLY DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING?" Allison asked as she, Lydia, and Elaine all walked towards the school.

"They called it a 'fugue state,' which is basically a way of saying, 'We have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days.'" Lydia answered her before shrugging. "But, personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

"Always the optimist, Lyds." Elaine spoke.

"Are you ready for this?" Allison carefully asked the strawberry blonde.

"Please. It's not like my aunt's a serial killer." Lydia answered, giving Allison a sarcastic smile. The three entered and immediately everyone stopped and stared. Lydia stood there, frozen. Not knowing what to really do.

"Maybe it's the nine pounds?" Elaine suggested. After a moment, Lydia flipped her hair from her shoulder and strutted up the stairs with her usual ounce of confidence. Allison and Elaine exchanged looks with one another before quickly following after her. The day went by, Lydia seemed to be doing fine, and now Allison and Elaine were sitting together for their free period.

"So. . . let me get this straight." Allison spoke, looking at the girl who had just explained how exactly it was that she was alive. "Your real mother is from a very famous blood line of witches. And she brought you back to life with witchcraft, which activated your 'true potential' in being a witch?"

"Yes."

"I thought you hated your real mom?" Allison frowned.

"I do." Elaine shrugged. "But, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here, and there could've been the possibility of me not being able to find Lydia. But, you can't tell a single family member. According to our mother, literally everyone hates our bloodline. If they know I or my mom are alive, they'll come after us, and they won't stop until we're dead."

"Your secrets safe with me." Allison assured with a smile. The bell rang and the two girls said their goodbyes before going to their classes. Elaine took a seat right in front of Stiles and Scott, her chair moved away from her table as she was quick to be filled in on the fact that Isaac was Derek's new beta.

"Why would Derek choose Isaac?" Elaine asked with a frown.

"Peter told El and I that if the bite doesn't turn you, it could kill you. And maybe teenagers have a better chance at surviving?" Stiles suggested.

"Doesn't being a teenager mean your dad can't hold him?" Scott quizzed.

"Well, not unless they have solid evidence. . . or a witness. . ." Stiles paused. "Wait―︎Danny, where's Jackson?"

Danny, who was sitting at the same table as Elaine, turned his head to look at them. "In the principal's office, talking to your dad."

"Wait, why?" Stiles quizzed.

"Maybe because he lives across the street from Isaac?" Danny suggested before turning back towards his work.

"Witness." Scott mumbled.

"We gotta get to the principal's office."

"How?" Elaine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Everyone, please turn to page seventy-three." Mr. Harris spoke before suddenly getting hit in the back of the head with a paper ball. He quickly turned around. "Who in the hell did that?" Scott and Stiles were quick to point at Elaine.

"What the hell, I did not!" Elaine spoke. However, Mr. Harris was quick to send all three of them to the office. They sat there, Elaine with her arms crossed over her chest. "I hate both of you."

"Shh." The two boys hushed her before leaning their ears against the window.

"Listen to me―︎you're telling me that you knew Isaac's father was hitting him?" Noah Stilinski's voice could be heard as he was talking to Jackson.

"Hitting him? He was kicking the crap out of him." Jackson answered with a scoff.

"Did you ever say anything to anyone? A teacher? Parents? Anyone?"

"Nope. It's not my problem." Elaine scoffed in disbelief at the boys response.

"No. No, of course not. You know, it's funny that the kids getting beaten up are always the ones who least deserve it."

"Yeah." Jackson spoke before quickly repeating the Sheriff's words in his head. "Wait, what?"

"I think we're done here." Noah spoke before walking out with his deputy following. Stiles was quick to grab a magazine, covering his face with it in hopes of his dad not seeing him. Elaine looked at the boy with a scoff as Noah looked at his son for a moment before looking at the other two.

"Hi, Scott, Elaine."

"Hi, Sheriff." Elaine greeted whilst Scott gave the wave of his hand. Noah shook his head at Stiles before the two police officers walked away. Elaine then looked at Stiles as he lowered the magazine from his face. "Really?"

"What?" The boy shrugged.

"Boys. Elaine." Gerard greeted them, making the three turn to look at him. Elaine gave Scott a questioning look, and the boy simply nodded his head, confirming that this was in fact Allison's grandfather that was standing there. "Come on in." The three entered the office and Elaine opted for sitting on the arm of the chair that Stiles was sitting in. She placed her arm on the boys shoulder as the three looked at the man, watching as he picked up a manila folder.

"Scott McCall. Academically not the most accomplished, but I see you have become quite the star athlete!" Gerard offered the boy a smile and Scott nodded his head before the man grabbed another file. "Elaine McCall. Astounding grades, and you have some volunteering marked on here. Nicely done." He then picked up Stiles' folder. "Mr. Stilinski. Oh, perfect grades, but little to no extracurriculars. Maybe you should try lacrosse?"

"Oh, actually, I'm already―︎"

However, Stiles was quickly cut off by Gerard. "Hold on. . . McCall. You're the Scott that was dating my granddaughter." He then looked to Elaine. "And you're my granddaughter's best friend."

"That I am." Elaine smiled.

"We were dating, but not anymore. Not dating, not seeing any of each other, or doing anything with each other at all." Scott spoke making both Stiles and Elaine turn to look at him, Elaine cocking an eyebrow at her brother.

"Relax, Scott. You look like you're about to crack a cyanide pill with your teeth." Gerard said, amused.

"Just a hard breakup." Scott told the man.

"Oh, that's too bad. You seem like a pretty nice kid to me." Gerard told him before focusing his attention on all three of them. "Now, listen, guys―︎and gal. Yes, I am the principal, but I really don't want you to think of me as the enemy."

Stiles scoffed. "Is that so?" Elaine flicked the boy in the head, making him hiss in pain, narrowing his eyes at her. She just narrowed her eyes back. Gerard watched the two with slight amusement before going back to being the principal.

"However, this being my first day, I do need to support my teachers. So, unfortunately, someone is going to have to take the fall and stay behind for detention."

"And it's not going to be me. I wouldn't even be in here if it weren't for you two idiots." Elaine was quick to tell both of them before they could even think about putting the blame on her again. Elaine and Scott quickly turned towards Stiles who had been messing with something in his hands before he looked up and noticed all of their eyes on him. He opened his mouth in disbelief before scoffing and slumping in his seat.

━︎━︎━︎━︎━︎

"Stiles is going to complain for at least an hour once he gets out." Elaine spoke as she walked down the halls with Scott.

"I know." The boy sighed before the two quickly rushed towards the school doors. That shoved the doors open just in time to see Isaac Lahey sitting in the back of the Sheriff's car. The two stood there, watching as he was taken away.

"Well, damn." Elaine breathed, running a hand through her hair. "What are we gonna do now?" The two were about to turn around and walk inside before the sound of a car's tires squealing grabbed their attention. They both turned their heads to see Derek sitting in his car.

"Get in." Derek told them through the passengers window that was rolled down.

"Are you serious? You did that. That's your fault." Scott told the man.

"I know that. Now get in the car and help me." Derek snapped.

"No, I've got a better idea. I'm gonna call a lawyer, because a lawyer might actually have a chance of getting him out before the moon goes up."

"Not when they do a real search of the house."

"What do you mean?" Elaine asked, frowning as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Whatever Jackson said to the cops, what's in the house is worse―︎a lot worse."

Elaine glanced towards her brother, noticing the look on his face making her mouth fall open in slight disbelief. "Scott, you're not serious, are you?"

"We have to do something." Scott told his sibling. "I'll call you, keep you updated."

"If there's anything I can do to help. . ."

"I'll let you know." He assured her, grabbing her arms in reassurance before quickly giving her a kiss on the top of the head and running down the steps, entering Derek's car. Elaine met her brother's eyes one last time before Derek quickly sped off. With a sigh, Elaine hiked her bag up on her shoulder before walking over to Stiles' jeep, climbing into the passengers seat and placing her feet on the dashboard as she pulled out her mother's book of spells, silently re-reading through them as she waited for Stiles to get out of detention.

It grew darker, and eventually Elaine had pulled out her phone, playing music as she let out a huff of boredom. Why was it taking him so damn long? Just as she thought that, the jeep door was pulled open and Stiles let out a yell of surprise, making Elaine open her closed eyes as she looked at the boy.

"Jesus, took you long enough." Elaine spoke, taking her feet off the dashboard and fixing the way she had been sitting. Stiles climbed into the jeep, handing Elaine the phone, allowing her to quickly put it on speaker as he had Allison on the other line. "Catch me up."

"They were asking me all these questions about Lydia and how she was bitten by Peter, and then they sent this guy out." Allison quickly explained.

"Wait, what guy?" Stiles asked, driving down the road.

"He was dressed as a Sheriff's deputy."

"They're sending him to the station for Isaac." Elaine breathed.

"He was also carrying this box with something on it. Like, um, like, a carving or something."

"What was it?" Stiles questioned.

"Hold on, hold on. . . It's in one of these books. . ." There was a pause before Allison spoke again. "I'm sending you a picture." Stiles glanced at the picture before focusing back on the road whilst Elaine studied it for a moment. "Did you get it?"

"That's wolfsbane, isn't it?" Elaine asked.

"Yeah. It's wolfsbane," Stiles confirmed.

"What does that mean?"

Stiles sighed before answering. "It means they're gonna kill him."