BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER FIVE: SEMANTIC SCHOOLING

THE sound of her alarm blaring from her nightstand was what forced her eyes open, the overlying hope that maybe if she turned it off time would pause and she wouldn't have to go to school that day.

She rolled onto her side reaching out for her small phone, she clicked the button necessary to turn the device off letting out a sigh as she sat up rubbing her eyes clean of any sleep that had been left behind.

Her phone read only an hour and a half before school started, meaning she needed to get up now rather than later to throw her clothes into the dryer, she let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed watching them for a few moments as she swung them back and forth, remembering she didn't have much time before school she carefully climbed out of bed and made way for the staircase.

She rushed down the stairs her feet thudding against the material before her feet slapped against the wooden floor of the first floor. The nervous teen wasted no time walking to the laundry room to place her articles of clothing into the dryer on the highest setting, once that was done, she ventured to the kitchen searching for something she could eat for breakfast.

She didn't come across much, except for a bag of apples, Gen seriously needed to go shopping.

Pulling one from the plastic bag it had been packaged in, she sunk her teeth into its green skin letting the sickly sour juice gush into her mouth, she licked her lips to keep any excess juice from dripping down her chin.

River finished the apple in a matter of minutes quickly returning to her bedroom once she was done, she searched her bag for a clean pair of socks discovering a black pair at the very bottom. She pulled them on picking up her phone from the nightstand to check the time, she'd managed to spend ten minutes alone doing laundry and eating leaving her to pack her bag for school.

She pulled her second bag out- the thing being empty and compacted to fit inside the first bag- pulling it open so she could set it out and begin to place the few things she had inside, her phone vibrated against the wooden top of the nightstand causing her to slightly jump the sound surprising her.

She crawled across the floor holding it in her hand as she looked across the screen, it was a text from Gen, there's some school supplies downstairs in my office that I thought you could use, grab whatever you need.

She set the phone off to the side picking up her currently empty backpack as she stood, once again, she traveled down the stairs searching for Gens supposed office, she looked into three different rooms before she finally located it. The room had light blue walls the color reminding her of the one trip she'd taken with a foster family years ago, they'd gone to the beach, it had been a perfect day, the sun was shining, the water was warm, the sky was shining with no clouds in sight.

The girl could still feel the sand between her toes as she thought about it the sensation making her cringe, nowadays she couldn't imagine herself ever going to the beach much less in the water. She entered the office letting the door crack closed behind her on its own, there, sitting on Gens desk tabletop sat a small pile of notebooks with a package of pencils waiting on the top for her.

She walked over to the desk taking a few notebooks and the pencils in hand, turning her backpack so it was in front of her, she slid the notebooks inside dropping the package pencils in after them, off in the background, she could hear the dryer making an odd beeping, she could only assume that meant her clothes were done.

She moved to leave the office her eyes catching something in the corner of the room, it was a book, but it had an intricate design on the front, the cover was decorated with dust making it obvious that the book hadn't been touched in quite some time. Sure that Gen wouldn't notice, she walked over and picked the book up sliding it into her bag, she'd look at it during lunch later.

The girl exited the room heading off to grab her laundry in the process, when she entered the laundry room she could feel the heat settling within the confines of the walls sending chills down her spine, she opened the door of the dryer pulling out her two articles of clothing.

Holding them up to examine them and make sure they were completely dry, she slightly smiled satisfied with how they'd turned out, they were still warm, ensuring that she wouldn't be cold when she changed out of the clothes she was currently wearing.

She left the laundry room retreating to her bedroom as she'd done before, just as she passed the doorway her phone buzzed, she grabbed it off the nightstand fighting back an eye-roll as her eyes searched the screen, nothing, but she did notice it was getting late.

She heard a car honk outside sending her into the air her heart racing as she walked across the room to the window and pulled her blinds back, outside, in front of the house, sat Stiles' jeep, he was leaning out through the window glaring at her, she raised an eyebrow watching as Scott popped out from behind him, "come on! We're gonna be late!" her eyes widened as she closed the blinds.

With more speed than she'd ever experienced in her life, she got dressed rushing to throw her shoes on while she grabbed her bag and her phone, she ran down the stairs throwing the front door open. Stiles honked his horn again River snapping out of the slight daze she'd been stuck in, she stepped out onto the porch closing the door behind her before she rushed down the drive Scott smiling from over Stiles' shoulder.

She approached the car climbing into the passenger's seat with speed, Scott leaned over the seats smiling at both of the teens in front of him, River turned around greeting him with a glare that couldn't be deemed hostile nor neutral.

"Did Gen ask you to pick me up?" Scott's mouth fell open just slightly exchanging a look with Stiles, he shook his head and shifted the car into drive taking off away from the girl's house, "no." his glare intensified with no effort- if that was even possible- Scott scratched his head trying to ease the tension, "maybe- but she also told me not to introduce you to Stiles, so..."

Stiles scrunched his face up half confused by the statement, "why wouldn't she want you to introduce us?" he asked, Scott widened his eyes before leaning back in his seat, "Scott, why wouldn't she?" River spoke up this time, "maybe because of your little adventures, or maybe your habit of lying, or maybe the fact that you put your nose where it doesn't belong." he frowned giving a curt shake of his head.

"No, I put my head where no one else will, there's a difference Leba- Leb-" he continued to stutter trying his best to say the name, "Scott how the hell do you say it?" he rolled his eyes sitting up to answer his friend, "Leb- ah- noy- ah." he spoke pronouncing the name in bits so he would better understand, "Lebanoia." he stated feeling triumphant that he was able to say it.

"That's not my name." she replied a feeling of victory washing over her, he smacked his hand against the steering wheel letting out a sigh, "it's Matthews." Stiles glanced back at Scott for a brief second before returning his eyes to the road, "now that is something I can say."

Turning into the school parking lot Stiles was forced to halt at the oncoming herd of students crossing the road or lingering in their way, he took it slow honking when he needed to and even leaning out the window to yell at a girl when she flipped him off.

Scott and River exchanged a look wondering why they'd gotten in the car with him- more so River than Scott- the honey eyed boy pulled into an empty parking space both of his passengers rushing to climb out to safety, "don't wait for me or anything." he mumbled unbuckling his seatbelt to climb out.

He adjusted his bag around his shoulder locking the robin blue jeep once he had climbed out. Both the teens waited for him at the front of the jeep watching as other students walked- and drove- past them. "Do you know what you're classes are?" it was Scott who asked both his friend and the girl turning their heads to look at him, she shook her head glancing ahead at the school, "no, I never got a schedule." she replied.

"I could take you to the office to get it."

River shrugged at his offer fully aware she had no clue as to where the office was, "Okay." she mumbled. The three of them walked to the bike rack Scott halting them beside the metal structure, "you remember last night, when we were looking for the body?" River frowned, how could she not remember, looking for a body that had been cut in half in the middle of the night also in the middle of the woods with a killer still on the loose.

"No, I completely forgot, thought it was a dream." she replied, Scott smiled pointing to River as he glanced to Stiles, "Dude, she's like the girl version of you." Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, "since when have I ever tried to blow someone's head off?"

River let out an overexaggerated sigh shooting daggers at Stiles with merely her eyes, "maybe don't creep around people's houses and I wouldn't have to."

"It's not even your house." he retorted, the girls gaze intensified her glare becoming far more hostile than before, "you little shi-"

"Anyways..." Scott began having realized that something needed to end their argument before it became physical, he lifted his shirt up showing a bandage, blood was pushing up against part of it causing Stiles to grin and then back away, "that is- wow- that's absolutely disgusting." the boy exclaimed reaching out to touch the bandage, Scott pulled away at his touch seemingly pained by the action.

"It was too dark to see much but I'm pretty sure it was a wolf." Stiles raised his eyebrows, "a wolf bit you?" it was a less of a question and more of him questioning Scott's statement- or how true it was- "I hate to break it to you, but there aren't any wolves in California." Scott glanced to Stiles hoping he would say something different.

"She's right dude, not a chance." Stiles adjusted his backpack listening as Scott spoke, "we heard a wolf howling." River crossed her arms over her chest, "no you didn't." Scott seemed to be the slightest bit upset that his best friend for as long as he could remember didn't believe him, "what do you mean no I didn't? I know what I heard."

River scratched her forehead, "what he means is, you probably just imagined it." Stiles nodded his head happy that someone finally understood what he was getting at for once in what seemed like forever, "c-c-cause California doesn't have wolves." the teen girl tried her best to not laugh at his stuttering knowing it was rude but slightly funny.

"Okay, not in like sixty years." he added, Scott stared at him disbelief flooding through his veins, he could've sworn he'd heard a wolf, hadn't he? Maybe he had imagined it.

He could feel the dull ache in his side reminding him that he hadn't imagined it, that it actually had happened despite that River nor Stiles had been there to witness it for themselves.

BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER FIVE: SEMANTIC SCHOOLING