FUTURE

Just as Olivia lifts her hands to create a shockwave of flames, another bullet whizzes through the school hallway and plunges in the middle of her chest before any of her friends could act.

Her hands shakily rise as she clutches onto her chest, feeling her surroundings slowly shrink into darkness.

"No, no, no." Malia frantically whispered as she quickly help her friend up, but Olivia waved her hand dismissively, ignoring the agonizing pain spreading through her body.

"Don't let her get away!" Olivia grunted but Malia carefully helped her lean against the lockers in concern at the sight of Olivia's eyes flickering orange. "Go, Mal! I'll be fine!"

Malia nodded before sprinting after the woman, unaware of the trap that was set in stone.

For all of them.

Olivia's vision blurred as she weakly entered the science classroom, the sounds around her diminishing in a matter of seconds as she watched Derek hurriedly look through the supplies in the cabinets to find a fire source to burn the poison out of his friend's chest.

Seeing as she entered the room, his eyes lit up in realization and dismay all at once. "Olivia," He quickly rushes to her side, guiding her to walk closer to Scott. "You have to burn out the poison or he'll die!"

Olivia holds out her hand, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of her glowing hand flicker. "I...I can't." She whispered, stirring a sickening feeling in her stomach.

You may ask, how on Earth is she losing her powers? Well...we have to start from the very beginning.

Because after tonight, she realized that she should've listened to everyone telling her to leave Beacon Hills when she had the chance. Hell, maybe some things would have been different.

The feeling she now recognized to be important but at the time, considered it to be a brief feeling that will soon go away.

PRESENT

Olivia's POV:

"I can't believe two of my best friends are moving in together!" Lydia grinned, placing another clear storage container in the IKEA shopping basket I was wheeling in. "I called it from the beginning since you moved here."

I snort. "If I recall, you were the one who said that Scott and Allison were meant to be together."

"When?"

"At the ice skating rink? When I was a fifth wheel?" I reminded her and she kept her confused expression. "When you swore you saw Peter under the ice."

She scrunches her nose in disgust. "Oh right...I purposefully put that in a box in the back of my mind. Anyway, I was blind back then." She dismissively waved her hand before grabbing the picture frames from the display and placing them into the cart. "It's obvious now more than ever things are serious and you're past the honeymoon phase."

I furrow my brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Moving in together? This is going to be completely different than your usual picnic dates and regular hangouts. You're going to have to adapt some of Allison's lifestyles into yours, you know." Her eyes widen in delight, took the turquoise curtains off of the rack, and tossed them into the basket. "These are cute, you're buying it."

"Allison and I practically spent the night at each other's places a good amount of times. I'm sure it won't be that bad." I chuckle but she immediately stops the cart with a brow raised.

"Spending the night is completely different than moving in!" She scolded. "You're sharing a place."

"Lyds, I think you're starting to overthink this a bit. I mean, it's not like we're getting married--"

"Yet!"

"Lydia--"

"You have to consider how much alone time you each need, eating habits, chores, people that can come over, bills--"

"Lydia." I sternly interrupt, placing my hands on her shoulders which causes her to stop talking. "Is everything okay?"

"Sorry." She scratched the back of her head with a sigh. "I think I'm still sort of...nervous for when I leave to MIT. I'm moving into a dorm with a stranger! It would've been easier if you or Allison applied and got into the same college as me."

"Lydia, I'm sure your roommate is going to love you. Who wouldn't?" I pat her arm before continuing to push the cart. "Besides, not everyone has a brain like yours, Lydia. Besides Stiles, you're the brains in our friend group."

She starts to smile. "Please. You and I both know mine is slightly bigger than his."

"How is he by the way? Last I heard, he was already annoying his dorm roommate with his antics."

"He's supposed to call me tonight but I think it's been okay. He misses all of us." She softly chuckled. "Too bad he couldn't see your apartment in the summer."

"He told me he's coming down in our winter break for a week so it's not so bad. Aren't you?"

"I'm planning to but enough about me." She dismissively waved. "Be honest. How are you feeling?"

My gut stirs in discomfort but before I could answer, the sound of Malia's groan causes us to turn, seeing as she approached us with a look of annoyance.

"Guys, I found her but I tried almost everything to get her off of the couch display." Malia muttered before her eyes trail to the shopping carts. "What the--are you guys buying the entirety of IKEA?"

"It's important stuff! But anyway," Lydia's brows furrow into confusion. "why almost?"

"Well if you want me to use my claws to pry her off the couch--"

"No!" Lydia and I exclaim in unison, earning strange looks from the people in different aisles.

"We'll get her off." I quickly assure, following behind Malia to the couch section.

Laying flat on her stomach on the large couch, Phoebe's eyes flowed with tears as she sadly stared at the phone in her hands and clutched onto the furry throw pillows.

"Poor Phoebe." Lydia whispered, taking note of Phoebe's saddened appearance.

"I knew we should've left her home." Malia muttered.

"Hey, my parents wanted her to get out of the house for fresh air since she refused to get out of our room." I elbow Malia's hip with a glare. "It's been rough for her."

"Well, it's been a rough couple of hours waiting for you guys to finish shopping!" Malia huffed. "Now let's get your sister and go home. I need to finish packing for Paris."

"Wasn't it canceled?"

"No, it's re-routed." She corrected.

"Anyway," Lydia emphasized. "I'll finish putting the rest of the things Allison wanted while you two get her up."

I nod and grab Malia's arm, dragging her to walk closer to where Phoebe laid. "Hey...how are you holding up?" I gently asked, taking a seat on the coffee table in front of her.

"What kind of question is that?" Phoebe sniffled, swiping another photo of her and Hayden. "I can't handle this."

"Obviously--" I harshly elbow Malia's side. "you can!"

"I can't...I'm too miserable." Her head turns to the other side away from us.

"Okay, no. No more tears." I say, nodding my head towards Phoebe. We carefully grab under her arms to pull her into a seated position so we can sit on opposite sides of her. "You've handled so much worse than this! You're a badass hunter-in-training!"

She numbly shook her head. "I'm nothing without her."

"Phoebe--"

"Hayden left me, don't you understand?"

"She moved to protect her sister." I corrected.

Malia lets out a sigh of impatience. "No, she dumped her ass and moved to protect her sister." I harshly nudge her side which earned a yelp to escape from her lips but I give her a stern look. "Okay, okay. Do you want my advice? Usually, when I'm upset over something, I hold it in by pushing my feelings down and hide them until they come out to strangers."

"Dude, who cries in IKEA?" Someone voices from behind and I turn, seeing two teenage boys eyeing us in confusion. "What's wrong with her?"

"What's wrong with your face? Buzz off, dorks." Malia snarled, causing their eyes to widen, and quickly walk away from the aisle in fear. Her phone pings in her hand and she glanced down, bringing the phone close to read it properly. "Lydia says she's finished with Allison's list and is walking to the line."

"And you're leaving tomorrow with Allison too?" Phoebe tries to lay back down but Malia quickly wraps her arm around hers to force her to sit up. "Even Corey and Mason are going to apply to UCLA together."

I crouch down in front of her to look her in the eyes. "Going to University is not leaving, okay? We've talked about how I'm always a call away." I assure with a small smile. "We have to grow up and sooner or later, you and the rest of your friends are all going to be going to different colleges eventually."

"So then...I'm just screwed." She muttered, causing me to roll my eyes in annoyance. "I'm forever going to be by myself."

"That is not the point!" I exclaim and grab Phoebe's hands to pull her to stand on her feet.

"Then what is the point?"

"The point is that summer's almost over and you're about to be a senior." I say as Malia fixed her hair, continuing to walk towards the checkout lines. "You're going to spend it by having a blast with the rest of your friends, you're still captain of your mathletes team, and you're leading a study group for an AP Biology class."

"Guys, we have a problem." We all turn, seeing as Lydia stood behind with the shopping cart. "Scott texted me and said he and Liam had a run-in with a bloodied wolf during their lacrosse scrimmage. They followed it into the woods and found nearly a dozen dead wolves scattered in the area."

"Wait a sec," Malia cleared her throat. "Wolves or werewolves?"

"Wolves but--"

"Not interested. You guys can go."

"Liam was asking for help from the Werecoyote." She emphasized before gesturing to herself, Phoebe, and I. "not the Banshee, Phoenix, or Sally Sadness."

"Why me?" Malia whined.

"Because you're the former animal. No one understands mysterious animal situations like you do." Lydia sarcastically smiles.

"And we still need to pay for this stuff and take it back to my house so I can finish packing." I add, carefully wrapping Phoebe's arm around my shoulder. "And since Phoebe's time of the outside world isn't finished, you can take her with you."

"I'm too depressed to investigate." Phoebe muttered, trying to pull her arm away but I held my grip. "All I want is to crawl back into bed."

"That's something I sort of agree Phoebe with." Malia murmured. "I'm done with mysterious animal situations. I want mysterious men--French ones."

Lydia holds up her phone, showing a website tracking Malia's flight to Paris, blinking the word 'Rerouted'. "I just checked your flight and it says it's still delayed."

"No, no...it's re-routed." Malia corrected again. "There's a difference."

Lydia sighs in exasperation. "Delayed is what happens when a flight is rerouted. So, you have plenty of time to help--" She glances down to her phone again. "And there's a storm system shutting down Charles DeGaulle Airport."

She scoffed. "It's a minor shower."

"Malia--"

"Liam's got everything covered. They were just dead wolves." Malia dismissively waved her hand. "It doesn't sound supernatural to me. Now, can we leave so I can finish packing for Paris? Please."

I roll my eyes, gesturing for her to lead the way as we follow behind her to the checkout line.

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"Dead wolves?" Allison's voice rang in concern before there was shuffling in the background. "I can make it down to Beacon Hills in an hour or so--"

I unhook the last t-shirt from my closet and place it in the storage container. "I don't think--"

"I'm sure my dad will let me use the truck for the night as long as I come back--"

"Babe--"

"To double-check on things and thank god I remembered to leave my crossbow at your--"

"Allison!" I raise my voice, causing her to stop her rambles. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise. You and your dad deserve the time off together. Relax."

"But what about you? I'm allowed to worry about my girlfriend, you know."

I start to smile. "Soon you won't have to be. Once we're in Los Angeles, all we'll need to worry about is orientation and schoolwork."

"I can't wait to see you...I miss you."

"I miss you t--"

"We get it already!" Phoebe groaned in frustration from her bed. "Ugh, you guys make the notebook look bleak. Do you guys practice those gooey eyes in the mirror or is it natural?"

"Is that Phoebe?" Allison chuckled. "How is she doing?"

"We managed to get her out of the house by taking her to IKEA so--" Phoebe loudly blows her nose before turning to her side. "it's a work in progress."

"I'm not surprised. Hayden was her first love, remember?"

"I mean, when we broke up I was too busy trying not to die from assassins killing me for money instead of crying my eyes out for a month." I snort. "Pretty sure it distracted me enough to cope."

"Phoebe didn't have that so technically this is the only normal thing that's happened to her." Her father's voice muffles in the background in which she lets out a sight. "My dad need helps with something so I have to go, but I'm pretty sure all she wants is for you to be there for her."

"It won't be easy but I"ll try." I chuckle, folding a pair of jeans and placing it into the container. "See you soon. Love you."

"Love you too." She whispers before the line clicks.

I shove my phone in my pocket and walk over to Phoebe's bed, taking a seat on top of her nightstand. "Are you still drowning in your sorrows?"

"Maybe." Her voice muffled against the pillow. "What did you do when you and Allison broke up? Is it supposed to hurt this much?"

I sigh, rubbing circles around her back in comfort. "You know what my mom told me once? Don't chase after someone who isn't worth your time. Wait for the one that's going to make you happy. Not the ones who cause you to be this upset."

She lifts her head, revealing her teary-red eyes with a sniffle. "But Hayden made me happy. It's hard when I can't stop caring about her."

"Which is why you surround yourself with the ones you love to help you go through this rough time in your life." I give a small smile. "Don't push them away."

She sits up from her bed and wrapped her arms around me with a sigh. "Beacon Hills isn't going to be the same when you and your friends leave."

"You're going to do great Phoebe. I promise." I wrap an arm around her with a squeeze. "It'll pass."

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Phoebe's POV:

"AP Biology, AP English Language and Composition, AP Calculus..." Watching as the guidance counselor, Ms. Monroe, listed off with an impressed expression at my class schedule sheet. "These and along with the rest of your schedule are exceptional classes for you, Ms. Jimenez, but I'm a bit confused. Why an art class?"

"Well...I thought it wouldn't hurt to boost my GPA." I timidly pick at my fingers, not wanting to meet her eyes. "And have a distraction."

"Well, I applaud you trying to raise your GPA, especially while applying for colleges, but adding more onto your plate is not the path you should be taking." She gently explained. "What career are you considering for the future?"

"It...It's been a tough year for me." I awkwardly clear my throat. "But I'm hoping to become a forensic scientist."

She nods with an understanding look. "Having to switch schools and adapt to the new changes? I get it. Especially since the students at this school have seen and been through things that don't exactly come with easy explanations."

I quizzically tilt my head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Just that...anything we talk about in here stays between you and me. It won't go any further." She warmly smiles. "Anything personal such as relationships, friendships, family, my guidance hours are posted. I know I haven't been in the position all that long, but...I'm here for you."

I slowly nodded with a nervous smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Ms. Monroe. Thanks."

"Good. Now, looking at your past classes, it's clear you've already caught up on all your credits and from what I hear, an excellent tutor, so instead of taking an Art class, how does being a teacher aid sound?" She questioned.

"Well..." I trail off with discomfort. "it feels weird. I feel like I should be pushing to challenge myself."

She quickly shakes her head. "Phoebe, it's okay to take a break now and then. You shouldn't feel the need to prove yourself all the time when you know what you're capable of. Taking advanced placement classes don't determine your worth, you know."

"Huh...maybe I've been carrying too much. It'd be nice for a change." I shrug in which Ms. Monroe nodded at my words. "I took AP chemistry over the summer so I'm sure Mrs. Finch would appreciate the help in her class."

"Perfect." She smiled before writing something down on my class schedule and handing me the sheet. "I wrote down my hours in the corner just in case you want to take up on my offer."

"Thanks again." I wave off, grabbing my backpack off of the floor before I exit the room.

I accidentally shoulder bump someone which causes them to stumble a bit, causing my eyes to widen. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to--"

"It's o-okay." The boy in the plaid shirt immediately stammered. "You just...I mean--I got in the way and it's my fault--"

"Phoebe, you ready?" Mason interrupted with a smile as Liam stood behind. "Oh, hey Nolan."

Nolan's gaze flickers to Liam before he quickly shakes his head. "Hi."

"Yeah, we still have to look into that thing." Liam continued. "Are you still coming? It's okay if you don't to or--"

"No, no. I'm going." I cut in before I turn to Nolan. "See you around, Nolan."

"Yeah...maybe." He mutters before stepping into Ms. Monroe's office next.

Weird.

"There's this book, North American Cryptozoology," Mason explained as he pushed open the doors that led to the library and walked to the left side of the aisles. "and they have this entire chapter on spiders. They even have a section on scarabs, too."

Liam frowned. "What's a scarab?"

I wince. "A dung beetle but...I'll spare you the details."

Mason turns to a section but pauses in his steps, seeing that the shelf labeled "Mythology & Superstition" had no books.

"What happened to all the books?" Liam warily asked.

"Uh, maybe someone is writing a paper on mythology and superstition?" Mason suggested. "Or, like...a hundred papers."

I shake my head. "But to check out the entire row?"

Suddenly, a scream causes us to quickly turn around, seeing as some of the students looked around in confusion as well.

"It's coming from a math class." Liam whispered in which he quickly sprints out of the library and back inside the school with Mason and I following behind. 

He skids to a stop near a classroom but my eyes widen at the sight of the teacher and the students had already climbed onto their desks in fear as dozens of rats scurried across the floor.

My eyes trail over to the vent and I scrunch my nose in disgust, seeing as hundreds of more rats crawled out.

"Looks like we're going to need a book on rats, too."