When Tristan and Malia pulled up on the driveway of their school the next morning, the pair had to roll their eyes at each other at the uncanny coincidence of them arriving at just the same time as Allison's dad pulled up to the spot right beside them with Allison in tow.
The three of them alighted the car at the same time and even though they weren't looking at him directly, they could see the older Argent's frigid stare at them.
"This entire thing could have been avoided if everyone just remained ignorant for a bit longer." Tristan muttered under his breath as he could still feel Chris Argent's stare even when they entered the school.
Malia who was at his side and heard what he said narrowed her eyes, sending him a pending glare. "Is that a non-obvious way of saying it's my fault?"
Tristan looked at her for a second and turned his head back. "I'm just saying what I'm thinking." He didn't give her a direct answer because it wasn't meant to be a dig. If he wanted it as a dig, he would have made sure she knew he was digging at her.
"Wait, if Gerard just bolted, who is going to be our principal? I very much doubt he'll be coming back after yesterday's drama." Tristan said as the random thought just came to his head.
"Yesterday wasn't a drama, Tristan."
While Tristan didn't bother to look at who said that, Malia spared Allison a glance and snorted. "Finally decided to say something?"
Allison wanted to say something but shook her head and apologized. "I'm sorry. I had thought I wasn't the only one who felt awkward by what happened back there, but I guess I was just overthinking."
"Did you guys manage to get some sleep?" She asked but soon realized how stupid that sounded after seeing the unbothered look on their faces. "Right, stupid question."
None of them said anything again and Allison was just thankful that it was no longer awkward, since it turns out she was the only one who felt like that.
"Allison!" Lydia's shout echoed through the hallway which attracted a lot of attention to them as Lydia made her way towards them. "You didn't return any of my texts yesterday. Oh, hey Tristan!"
Tristan only nodded at her and threw his bag into his locker and just took out a book for the first period.
Allison tried explaining why she couldn't reply to any of Lydia's texts throughout yesterday but the strawberry blonde still looked skeptical but relented and accepted the apology for what it is.
"So where are we hanging out after school?" Lydia asked, somewhat excited at the idea of it while confused Allison and Malia while Tristan mostly zoomed it out.
It's not that he wasn't interest in the current conversation, well he wasn't, but he did not see a need to be in it and Ms. Morrell's words still had him on edge about Lydia. At least a little bit.
Malia massaged her temples while Allison looked awkward and Lydia being sharp enough to notice the little nuances of their behavior, assumed something different even if it was perfectly normal for her to think so.
"… You know, if you don't want to hang out with me you can just say it and I won't have to disturb you about it again." She looked downcast and hurt as she said that and this drew Tristan's attention.
Though he wasn't looking at her, he could practically smell something akin to a suicidal thought wafting over her. It was as if her self-esteem were at an all time low.
'I wonder what she saw when she was in her coma.' He thought offhandedly.
While upon hearing Lydia's clearly hurt words, Allison hurriedly tried to explain to Lydia why she wouldn't be available today. Taking her time to clear any type of dark thoughts Lydia might be having, because who was she going to have do it? Malia?
"Hyy guys. Huh, still weird every time I see it." Boyd said as he joined the group while muttering the last part to himself.
Without nothing else to add, the day went just like how it always does for the four of them. Five, now that Lydia seems to be hanging out with them.
For a friendship group of social outcasts like the four of them, having someone like Lydia was bound to draw a lot of attention and that was what ended up happening every time she walked around them.
After school ended, Lydia left since she was called by her mother who had surprisingly applied as a teacher in Beacon Hills, leaving Allison alone with Tristan and Malia after Boyd went home to play Dungeons and Dragons.
"I think my dad will be here any minute now but before that, I want to ask: how is Isaac and Erica doing? Will they make it?" Allison asked in concern.
"It's surprising seeing an Argent worried about a werewolf." Tristan's reply made Allison smile wryly.
"Ouch, Tristan." She winced. "I might be an Argent and even if I'm not friends with them doesn't mean I can't sympathize with how cruel Gerard treated them."
Tristan shrugged. "They'll make it." He simply said which was all Allison wanted to hear.
"If you are this worried for Isaac and Erica then that means you won't mind if Derek kills your dear grandpa?" Malia asked.
It didn't need to be said to understand that Derek was out for blood and if he wanted a full justice on what was done to Isaac and Erica, no one could really call him out for it if he decided to go after the entire family than just a man.
"Right. That was still in play. Honestly I wouldn't feel anything if Derek killed Gerard and somehow just thinking like that frightens me on how much I've changed." Allison said while resting her head on her hands as the trio sat on the stairs as they waited for Allison's dad to show up.
"Don't sweat it. I think you're handling it pretty well and can at least make rational decisions." Tristan said and then nudged Allison with his leg and pointed at her father's car which just drove into the school.
"We'll talk later. Try not to think too much." He said and then helped Malia get up which earned him an eye roll from Allison.
They all walked together and this somehow didn't sit well with Chris as his eyes went cold as he walked towards them.
"Dad!" Seeing the prelude of what looked like a deathmatch from her father's eyes, Allison had to stop him from making any rash moves and complicating things more than they already were.
"i told you to stay away from them, Allison. This is something I won't tolerate." Chris glared at his daughter and then turned to the other two. "And you, don't give me a reason for me to want to put a bullet in your skull." He warned.
While he might have a tacit no aggression truce with Satomi, that doesn't automatically make it okay for him to allow his daughter to mingle with them.
Just because they weren't enemies at the moment didn't mean they could be friends instead.
Unfortunately, his threat wasn't well received by either Tristan or Malia. "We shouldn't give you a reason to kill us?..."
"How about we give you a pair of reasons then?"
Chris almost reflexively reach for his gun at aim it at one of their heads after he saw himself being stared at by two pair of blue eyes.
"Dad, stop. How about we just go home and stop drawing attention to ourselves?" Allison said as she jumped between her dad and her friends to try once more to stop them from fighting in their school parking lot and exposing everything.
"We are talking about it once we get home. Now get in the car." His face was all she needed to know that her dad was mad pissed and looked like he would force her into the car if she tried to say anything else.
"See you tomorrow, Allison!" Malia waved at Allison as she got in her dad's car while said dad looked like he was one more word from losing every single bit of composure he had.
"You know you didn't have to provoke him further, right?" Tristan asked as he sat back and enjoyed the ride as Malia drove them home.
Malia, well, she didn't look as if she cared all at that much and replied nonplussed. "He's already hostile to us for no reason so I thought I'd just make it complete."
Her pale boyfriend shook his head, wondering why he expected something different for her reasons.
"Hopefully he doesn't lose it one day because of you and decides to copy Gerard, but knowing you? You might just find a way to make it happen."
Malia laughed but didn't deny his words either. If he meant it as a joke then it was funny. And if he didn't mean it as a joke?... Well it was still funny.
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