An alarm sounded causing Scarlett to wake up from her slumber. She slowly blinked and rubbed her eyes. There an arm wrapped gently around her waist, stopping her from fully getting out of bed. A kiss was pressed to her exposed shoulder, "Morning babe." Nate smiled, leaning over to give her a proper kiss.
Before he could reach her lips, Scarlett quickly reached over to shut the alarm off. She said good morning back, tugging the sheet off of the bed to hide her naked body. "Where are you going?" Nate asked with a pout.
"I'm getting dressed." Scarlett looked back over, seeing Nate sprawled out on his bed, not moving. "We have school and my mom will kill me if she found out I was late."
"But babe, it's my birthday."
"I know, that's why I spent the night here." Scarlett smirked as she continued, "Now get up or you won't get your gift."
As Nate was in the shower, Scarlett got dressed in black, ripped skinny jeans, a black and white striped tank top, and black ankle boots. When Nate was finished, Scarlett gave him a quick kiss then pulled him out of his room so they could get to school.
"Come on! Lydia left your gift at your locker for me."
When Nate opened his locker there was a gift bag waiting for him inside. He smiled at Scarlett then pulled it out; inside was a new pair of sneakers, his favorite cologne that he kept saying he needed a new bottle of, and a book with the best travel destinations.
"You always talk about how you want to travel around the world so I thought that book would be helpful, and maybe we can visit some of those places together?"
"I love it, all of it. Thank you so much babe." He leaned over to give Scarlett a kiss, only breaking away when the principal started speaking over the PA.
"Attention students. I know you're all wondering about the vandalism that occurred to one of our buses last night. While the police work to determine what happened, classes will proceed as scheduled. Thank you."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scarlett was sitting next to Jackson and Danny in Mr. Harris' chemistry class. In front of her, Scott and Stiles sat next to each other, whispering. Scott seemed scared which caused Scarlett to wonder what the two were talking about.
Mr. Harris quickly spoke up, breaking Scarlett out of her thoughts, "My. Stilinski, if that's your idea of a hushed whisper you might want to pull the earphones out once in a while. I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance."
The two boys moved seats so they were on opposite side of the room. Scott ending up near Scarlett, Jackson, and Danny.
Suddenly, one of their classmates, Harley, stood up quickly and pointed out the window, "Hey look! They found something! They found a body!"
The whole class stood up and rushed to the window. Scarlett stood near Scott and Stiles so she could hear what they were talking about.
As the class saw the person get pushed towards the ambulance Stiles whispered to the twins, "That's not a rabbit." The person on top of the gurney then lurched up and Stiles continued speaking, "This is good. He's not dead. He got up. A dead guy can't do that."
Scarlett turns to look at Scott, who looked very panicked about the whole situation, "I did that."
"Woah, wait. Do you know for sure?" As soon as those words left Scarlett's mouth, Scott and Stiles pulled her to the side to quickly explain Scott's dream from the night before.
*_*_*_*_*_*
At lunch, Lydia made her way over to Scott and Stiles. A few minutes later, Scarlett followed, sitting in between her and Scott. Next came Allison, who sat on Scott's other side. Soon followed by Jackson, Nate (who was sitting across from Scarlett), Danny, and the other lacrosse players that usually sit with Scarlett and Lydia's group.
When everyone is seated Danny speaks up, "So they're saying it's an animal attack. Probably cougar."
"I heard a mountain lion." Jackson quickly replies.
"A cougar is a mountain lion." Lydia corrects her boyfriend then glances up and starts playing dumb, "Isn't it?"
"Yeah Lyds, it is." Scarlett turns to her to give her the classic don't play dumb face.
Jackson continues, "Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway." As soon as the words left his mouth Scar glared at him, knowing that this conversation was making Scott uncomfortable.
"Actually, I just found out who he is. Check this out." Stiles holds out his phone for the table to watch the news report on display. As the video plays and a picture of the victim pops up Scarlett can't help but think the guy looks very familiar.
The moment the thought enters her head, Scott begins talking, reminding her of where she knows him from, "I know that guy, Remember, Scar, he drove the bus that we use to take when we lived with dad."
Lydia then pipes up, "Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please? Like where we're going tomorrow night?" Allison, Scott, and Scarlett all turn to look at her. "You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow, right?"
Allison glances at Scott as he answers for the two of them, "We hadn't decided."
"Well, I'm not sitting at home watching lacrosse videos again. If the six of us are hanging out let's pick something fun."
Jackson then speaks, clearly not excited about this, "When the hell were you going to tell me about this?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know that too," Nate says, raising his eyebrow.
Scarlett shrugs helplessly, knowing that there is no arguing with Lydia.
"How about bowling? Jackson, you love to bowl!" Lydia suggestions before anyone can continue arguing.
"Yeah, with actual competition."
"Hey, Nate and I are actual competition. And how do you know Allison and Scott aren't?" Scarlett replies.
Allison then continues as she looks at Scott, "You can bowl, right?"
"Sort of..." Scott answers hesitantly.
Nate then looks at Scott, "Sort of? Or yes?"
Scott then glares at Jackson and Nate, "Yes. In fact, I'm a great bowler."
Instead of making a comment, Scarlett reaches for her water and takes a sip, hoping for lunch to quickly end.
After lunch, Scarlett walks with Scott and Stiles to Scott's locker. "You're a terrible bowler! Scarlett, why would you bring up Scott and Allison being competition?"
"Well, Allison at least might be!" She tries to defend, "Plus maybe with you being a werewolf and all you got better at bowling." She shrugs and smiles innocently at her brother who looks miserable.
"I'm sure it will end up being fine, and I am sorry it turned out to be a group date. But we really can't argue with Lydia, she always gets her way." She then leans up to kiss Scott on the cheek and waves bye to the two boys.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scott asked Stiles and Scarlett to come with him to the bus so he can remember what happened the night the driver was attacked. When the trio arrived at the school, Stiles pulled up to a chain-link fence surrounding the parking lot.
The bus can be seen parked on the far side of the lot with yellow police tape draped around it. Scarlett followed the boys out of the car and leaned against the hood of the jeep. Scott goes to climb the fence but pauses when Stiles tries to follow, "Just me. Someone needs to keep watch."
"That's why Scarlett's here. I don't always want to be the guy that keeps watch."
"Sorry, Stiles. It has to be just me." Scott then continues over the fence and walks towards the bus as Stiles and Scarlett make their way back into the jeep.
As they are waiting Stiles looks at Scarlett, "Scar, am I attractive to gay guys?"
"What? Why would I know that?"
"You're friends with Danny, I just thought..."
"You thought wrong. Just because I'm friends with him doesn't mean I know how the mind of a gay man works."
Stiles paused thinking then says, "I was telling Scott earlier how you don't just hang out with a hot girl. Once you hear the words hang out, it's like becoming the gay best friend."
Scarlett turns and gives Stiles her best are you stupid look, "Do you think I'm hot?"
"Wha- I, I..." he looks horrified at the question and Scarlett almost laughs.
"Just answer the questions Stiles, do you think I'm hot?"
"I feel like this is a trick question..."
She rolls her eyes, "It's not, so answer the question. And be honest."
Stiles hesitates before answering, "Well, I mean... Yeah, you're hot."
"First, thank you. Second, I don't look at you as my gay best friend and we hang out all the time. Allison definitely doesn't look at Scott that way. Just because you 'hang out' with a hot girl does not mean that you will always be strictly in the friend zone."
Before Stiles can answer a light catches the corner of our eyes, we look through the front window and Stiles immediately starts blaring the car horn. Scarlett quickly climb into the back seat as Scott runs to the jeep. When the door slams shut behind him he yells at Stiles to go.
"Did it work?" Stiles and Scarlett ask in unison.
"I was there last night. And the blood, a lot of it was mine."
"So did you attack him?" Scarlett asks, growing impatient.
"No. I saw glowing eyes in the bus. But they weren't mine. It was Derek."
"What about the driver?" Stiles asks next.
"I think I was trying to protect him from Derek."
"Wait," Scarlett interrupts, "Why would Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?"
"That's what I don't get..."
Stiles then interrupts Scott, answering my question, "What if it's a pack thing? Like an initiation. You do the kill together." There was a brief moment of silence with that thought hanging over the teens heads, "But you didn't do it. Which means you're not a killer. And it also means..."
"I can go out with Allison."
"I was going to say it means you won't kill me or Scarlett."
"Oh yeah. That too."
*_*_*_*_*_*
The night of the group date, Scarlett was dressed in black short overalls and a cream long sleeve shirt with black vans. She was sitting in Allison's room on the bed with Lydia as they tried to help her choose an outfit.
After the fifth thing pulled out and declined by the two of girls, Lydia spoke up, "God Allison, Respect for your taste? Dwindling by the second."
She then stood up and yanked something black out of the closet. "This."
As soon as the word left her mouth Allison's bedroom door swung open revealing her father. "Dad, hello?"
"Right, sorry. Completely forgot to knock."
"Hello, Mr. Argent." Lydia and Scarlett smiled upon his entrance.
"Dad, need something?"
"Just wanted to tell you that you'll be staying in tonight."
"What? I'm going out with my friends tonight."
"Not when some animal out there is attacking people," before Allison could try to protest anymore her dad continued, "It's out of my hands. There's a curfew. No one's allowed out past ten p.m."
He walked out, closing the door behind him. "Aren't we daddy's little girl?" Lydia mocks.
"Sometimes. But not tonight." Allison walks over to her window, slips out onto the roof, skids to the edge, and launches herself off the roof landing perfectly onto the lawn. "Eight years gymnastics, you girls coming?"
"We'll take the stairs," Lydia replies as Scarlett nods in agreement.
*_*_*_*_*_*
At the bowling alley, Scarlett sits by Nate as they put on their shoes. Scarlett continuously looks over at Scott, nervous that he hasn't gotten any better at bowling. The girls are up first, Lydia stands up beckoning Jackson over to help, though Scarlett knows this is just an act and she is actually really good on her own.
She gets down only a few pins after both tries then pouts, "I'm so bad at this."
Scarlett goes next, only missing one pin after both of her tries. Followed by Allison who knocks down all of the pins. Jackson quickly steps up and easily gets a strike. Then Nate, who gets a spare, "You're up, McCall."
Scott's nervous and Allison and Scarlett both try to encourage him, "You can do this, Scott." He takes a deep breath and when he lets go of the ball, it goes right in the gutter. Jackson and Nate start laughing loudly, not even trying to hide their amusement.
Scarlett quickly elbows Nate in the ribs to get him to shut up as Allison speaks, "Guys? Mind shutting up?"
"Sorry, I'm just flashing back to the words 'I'm a great bowler'" Jackson replies, still snickering.
"Maybe he just needs a little warm-up."
"Maybe he needs the kiddie bumpers." Nate jokes, followed by another jab in the ribs from Scarlett and laughter from Jackson and Lydia.
Scott aims again and the ball launches down the lane but right when it looks like it's about to hit the pins, it goes straight in the gutter. Jackson and Nate start laughing again.
As the group all go through another round it finally reaches Scott's turn again. Allison follows him up to try and give him some courage. Scarlett crosses her fingers praying that this round will be better. When the ball is released, Scott gets a strike! Allison and Scarlett start cheering, "I knew you could do it, Scotty!"
Scott gives Scarlett a disgusted look when she says his childhood nickname, "I thought I said not to call me that anymore." All Scarlett does is sit back and smile. More rounds pass and Scott keeps getting strikes.
*_*_*_*_*_*
After two games, Nate drives Scarlett home. She gives Nate a kiss goodbye then heads to the front door, quickly unlocking it and heading inside.
About five minutes later, she is in the bathroom and hears her mom calling her and Scott's name. Scarlett pokes her head out to see her walk past her room to Scott's.
Scarlett then hears a noise and quickly opens the bathroom door seeing her mom almost hit Stiles, who was climbing through the window, with a baseball bat.
"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" My mom screams.
"What am I doing? Do any of you even play baseball?"
Right as the words leave his mouth Scott walks into his room. Mom looks back at him then sighs, "Can you please tell your friend to use the front door."
"But we lock the front door. He wouldn't be able to get in."
"You should lock your window. Anyone can get in..." Scarlett gives Scott a knowing look thinking back to when Derek came in through the very same window.
Mom nodded her head in agreement, "Exactly. And by the way, do any of you care that there's a police enforced curfew?"
"No." The three all instantly reply.
"Okay then. That's about all the parenting I can take for one night. I'm going to sleep." She then turns around and walks out of the room.
Scott and Scarlett both turn their attention to Stiles who seems very serious all of a sudden. "What?" Scott quickly questions.
"My dad left for the hospital fifteen minutes ago. The bus driver. They said he succumbed to his wounds."
"He died?" Scarlett gasped.
Stiles only nodded.