𝙳𝙾𝙻𝙻 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃𝚂⠀⠀⠀⠀⁴
𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗘 𝗜. Cry Wolf

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑
▏𝗦𝟬𝟭𝗘𝟬𝟯︰𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆▕

❛ NEVER MIND.
IT WAS PROBABLY NOTHING. ❜

BRIETTA HUMMED WITH SATISFACTION AS SHE ADMIRED HER OUTFIT, which had been expertly chosen by Lydia. She was sporting a green pointelle hunter knit top paired with denim flare jeans that reached the floor.

               Turning away from the full-body mirror in Allison's bedroom, Brietta shifted her attention to Lydia, who had been evaluating [ although, it was more correct to say judging, at this point ] Allison's outfit options.

               Allison presented a black sweater vest with brown spots for the girls to consider, but both Lydia and Brietta immediately shook their heads in unison. "Pass," they chimed in agreement, clearly unimpressed with the choice.

               Allison proceeded to take out a see-through dress adorned with green, blue, and white splashes, causing Brietta to scrunch up her face in disapproval once again. "Pass," she declared. Lydia let out a sigh of exasperation before getting up and heading over to inspect Allison's closet, determined to find a more suitable outfit.

               Lydia continued to reject each of Allison's outfit options, and Allison looked at Brietta with a somewhat surprised expression. "She did the same with me. Just let her work her magic," Brietta advised with a casual shrug. She sauntered over to Allison's bed and took a seat, content to let Lydia take control of the fashion decisions.

               "Uh, pass on all of it. God, Allison, my respect for your taste is, uh, dwindling by the second..." Lydia quipped with a grimace, followed by a light chuckle. She then reached for a black shirt adorned with sequins all over and presented it as her choice. "This," she declared, passing the outfit to Allison. The girl held it up, pressing it against her figure with a self-satisfied smile.

               Unexpectedly, Chris Argent walked into Allison's room, catching everyone's attention. "Dad? Hello?" Allison greeted him with a smile. However, when Chris noticed Lydia and Brietta in the room, his smile quickly faded. "Right. I'm sorry. I completely forgot to knock," he apologized, visibly uncomfortable as he adjusted his jacket.

               Lydia playfully threw herself onto Allison's bed, striking a flirty pose as she addressed Chris. "Hi, Mr. Argent," she greeted with a mischievous tone. Brietta couldn't help but shiver at the display of flirtation, feeling slightly awkward as she scratched the back of her neck, wishing the bed would just swallow her up.

               "Dad? Do you need something?" Allison's tone made it clear that she didn't want her father in her room. Chris paused for a moment before responding, "I wanted to tell you that you'll be staying in tonight." Brietta couldn't help but cringe as she remembered the townwide curfew, which meant she had to beg her grandmother for permission to go out and promise to check in every five minutes.

               "What? I'm going out with my friends tonight," Allison objected, her eyes flickering toward the two girls in her room.

               "Not when some animal out there is attacking people," Chris argued, zipping up his coat. Allison opened her mouth to object, but Chris cut her off. "It's out of my hands. There's a curfew. No one's allowed out past nine-thirty p.m.," he reminded them before walking away, sparing a brief glance at Brietta.

               "Someone's Daddy's little girl," Lydia sarcastically cooed, rising from the bed and standing up. "Sometimes...but not tonight," Allison smirked, donning her beanie and moving toward her window, which she opened. She stepped out, prompting the other two girls to hurry to the window.

               Allison stepped to the edge, leaving Lydia and Brietta wide-eyed. "Woah, Ali. What are you—?" Brietta started, but Allison didn't respond. Instead, she executed a front flip, landing gracefully on the ground below, and swung around to look up at her friends. "Eight years. Gymnastics," the Argent explained, smiling as she exhaled deeply.

               Allison frowned as her two friends remained by her bedroom window, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you coming?" she called out, prompting the two redheads to exchange a glance. "We'll take the stairs."

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MUSIC REVERBERATED THROUGHOUT THE BOWLING ALLEY, its volume nearly matching the noise of bowling balls striking the pins.

               Brietta occupied the space between Stiles and Scott, while Allison was a few seats away. They all observed Lydia as she positioned herself to roll the bowling ball down the lane. Jackson approached her from behind and ground his body against her, prompting Brietta to scrunch up her face.

               As Lydia and Jackson took their turns to bowl, their balls missed the mark, rolling into the foul line. Brietta watched as Lydia and Jackson managed to knock down some pins but not all of them.

               Stiles, Scott, and Brietta were now up for their turn at bowling. Brietta picked up a pastel pink marble ball and held it up, testing its weight. She looked a bit hesitant as she examined the ball.

               "You can do this, Brelly," Stiles encouraged, noticing her uncertainty. Brietta nodded, taking a deep breath, and positioned herself before launching the ball onto the lane. Unfortunately, it didn't make it very far and rolled into the foul line. Jackson snickered, which prompted Scott to growl under his breath. Stiles turned around to address Jackson, scowling, "Pipe it, jawline."

               Brietta, determined to improve her game, selected another ball, taking a deep breath. Stiles came up behind her, placing a reassuring hand on her bicep and adjusting her position. She initially tensed up but then relaxed and followed his guidance. Together, they released the ball, and this time it hit all the pins. They cheered in triumph, and Stiles picked up Brietta and spun her around.

               Stiles and Brietta pulled apart after their moment, but he kept his hands on her waist while she kept her hands on his shoulders. They shared a smile, the connection between them palpable.

               Scott eyed their interaction and felt as if a knife were scraping against his heart. A second later, he cleared his throat, snapping them all out of their trances.

               Scott's throat-clearing brought Stiles and Brietta back to reality, and they quickly separated, although there was still a lingering connection in the air between them.

               Brietta clapped her hands together as she avoided eye contact with Stiles and Scott, "Is anyone hungry?"

               As Allison, Jackson, and Lydia declined the offer of pizza, Brietta sighed and accepted the situation. "Well, I guess we'll be at the concession stands," she said, motioning to her, Stiles, and Scott.

               Scott and Stiles followed her towards the concession area, while the others decided to continue their game of bowling. Despite the initial awkwardness between the three teenagers, the trio was determined to make the most of their night out together.

               "What can I get for you?" The worker smiled as the trio approached, and Brietta looked at the menu attached to the wall. "Three slices—two pepperoni and one cheese—and three bottles of Pepsi." She ordered and the worker nodded, putting in their order.

               Brietta grabbed out her wallet from her jeans and went to pay but Stiles slapped the wallet out of her hands and onto the floor. Brietta looked up with a widened expression. "I'm paying. I pay." Stiles pointed to himself. Brietta laughed and nodded, picking up her wallet as Stiles paid for the food.

               The worker quickly prepared their order, sliding three slices of pizza onto a tray and grabbing three bottles of Pepsi from the fridge. They handed the tray to Brietta, who thanked them and then collected the drinks.

               With their pizza and drinks in hand, the trio made their way to a table by the stands. Brietta placed the tray down and the three began to dig in, each grabbing a slice and a bottle of soda.

               The initial moments were marked by Stiles' gaze shifting between Scott and Brietta, with Scott's eyes also alternating between Stiles and Brietta. Meanwhile, Brietta quietly nibbled on her slice of cheese pizza, her attention fixed on the label of her Pepsi bottle.

               "Brietta," Brietta was suddenly jolted by a hushed voice calling her name. She glanced around, but there was no one nearby except for Stiles and Scott. She was certain neither of them had spoken. "Brietta Chastener," the voice whispered again, and she furrowed her brow, feeling a chill run down her spine. Setting her pizza slice down on the tray, she took a deep breath, trying to make sense of what was happening.

                 "Brietta." She snapped her head over to Stiles and Scott, who looked like they'd been trying to catch her attention. "Are you okay?" Scott sought, and his eyes softened at the girl and she nodded with pursed lips.

               Stiles and Scott exchanged concerned glances before Stiles asked, "Brie, did something happen? You look like you've seen a ghost."

               Brietta forced a smile, trying to shake off the strange feeling. "No, I'm fine, guys. Must've been my imagination. Let's just finish eating and get back to bowling." She picked up her pizza slice, but the uneasiness lingered in the back of her mind.

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BRIETTA LEANED AGAINST THE PASSENGER SEAT WINDOW, the jeep's engine making the car hum. She, Scott, and Stiles had left the bowling alley a few minutes ago and were driving home in silence.

               The streetlights cast shifting patterns of light and shadow on the car's interior as they drove through the quiet streets of Beacon Hills. Brietta's mind was still occupied by the strange whisper she had heard earlier, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She glanced at Stiles, who was driving, and then at Scott, who was sitting in the backseat. Both of them seemed lost in their thoughts as well.

               Finally, she decided to break the silence. "Guys, did you hear that whisper back at the bowling alley?"

               Scott and Stiles exchanged puzzled looks, and then Stiles responded, "Whisper? What whisper, Brie?"

               Brietta hesitated for a moment, wondering if she had imagined the whole thing. "Never mind. It was probably nothing. Just my imagination playing tricks on me."

               Scott and Stiles frowned but didn't press further, and the jeep continued its journey through the night.

               Something in the air bothered Brietta, something that made talking to Stiles and Scott tense. Brietta huffed out a breath a few minutes later as Stiles approached her—and his—street, "Why don't you guys spend the night? We'll watch movies or," Brietta looked back at Scott, "we can solve those case files you got me for my birthday."

               Stiles glanced at Scott and then back at Brietta, considering the offer with pursed lips. "Sounds fun. And Scott," he turned to Scott, "we could use a break from the bus stuff, right?"

               Scott nodded in agreement, a small smile appearing. "I'll text my mom then."

               Brietta grinned, relieved that she had managed to lighten the mood. "Great! Then it's settled."

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"STOP FRAMING RANDOM PEOPLE, SCOTT!" Stiles scowled as Scott placed Paul Preakness' picture onto the 'MURDERER' section of the suspect board, which was actually just Brietta's wall, though they pretended it was a suspect board. After all, it did have a piece of tape with 'SUSPECT BOARD' written on it.

               Scott scoffed and turned around. "He's obviously the murderer!"

               Stiles' head snapped back in disbelief. "How can he be the murderer?"

               Scott held his hands out and motioned to Brietta, who sat on her bed surrounded by a pile of evidence. "I'm supposed to believe that," Scott motioned back to Paul Preakness, "he's a senior in high school?"

               Brietta looked up from the printed CCTV footage and glanced at Paul's picture. "He's got a point, Stiles. He looks more like a senior citizen than a high school senior."

               Stiles scoffed and walked over to the suspect board, removing Paul's picture and placing it on the 'SUSPECT' side. Scott glared at him as he did.

               "I'm going to the bathroom," Stiles announced before backing out of the room and into the bathroom connected to Brietta's room. Stiles pointed at his eyes and then to Scott before slipping into the bathroom.

               As soon as the bathroom door shut, Scott moved Paul's picture back over to the 'MURDERER' section, and Brietta giggled at their shenanigans.

               "You two are ridiculous," she said, still chuckling. Soon, her throat felt dry and she dropped the paper in her hands onto the bed as she slid off, "I'm gonna go make some lemonade. I'll be right back."

               Scott nodded and took her spot on the bed as she walked out of her room. Brietta jogged quietly down the stairs, being careful not to wake her grandmother.

               As Brietta went to her kitchen drawer for a knife, a knock sounded at the door. Brietta furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at the clock above the door. Who the hell was knocking at their door at 11:23 p.m.?

               Brietta considered not answering, but then she wondered if it might be a delivery driver. Ellington had a tendency to order things frequently, and sometimes these orders arrived late at night.

               With a sigh, Brietta smoothed out her pajama pants as she approached her front door. She peered through the peephole, but nobody was there.

               Her eyebrows furrowed, and despite the little voice in her head telling her to let it go, she unlocked the door and swung it open.

               Looking around her dimly lit street, Brietta began to step out of the door but her foot pushed against something. She looked down to see a small cardboard box with a symbol on it. It had three swirls, and it looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.

               Brietta picked up the box and examined it, but there was no return address or anything else printed on it, not even her address. This meant that the owner had likely delivered it themselves.

               Brietta shook the box in her hands and heard a flapping sound like paper and a sharp sound like a small chain.

               She lifted her gaze from the box and glanced around, but there was nobody outside. Brietta bit the inside of her bottom lip for a moment before returning inside with the box.

               Brietta locked the door behind her and set the box on the island before going over to the drawer and retrieving a small knife.

               Brietta eyed the box warily, hoping it wasn't a bomb or something incriminating before she cut the tape sealing the box. She set the knife beside the box and began to open it when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

               She glanced up to see Scott walking into the kitchen. "Stiles and I narrowed down the five suspects to two. Are you almost done?" he asked before noticing the box. "What's that?"

               Brietta looked down at the box before setting it aside. "Uh, nothing. Just a package," she shrugged before moving over to the limes and water bottles. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be right up."

               Scott nodded after staring at her for a moment. He glanced back at the box before heading back upstairs.

               Brietta took a deep breath, sparing a glance at the box, and then turned back to the limes and water bottles. She decided she would open the package tomorrow.

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BRIETTA STIRRED AWAKE AT A HAND PRESSING AGAINST HER HIP. Awareness hit her and she felt the hand trail down from her hip to the bottom of her ass.

               The sudden shudder that coursed through her sent a wave of tremors across her entire body. As if a chill had descended upon her soul, her skin erupted in goosebumps.

               She moaned as the hand gripped her ass, and she began to peer over her shoulder in a sleepy haze. Her eyes widen slightly as she sees Stiles hovering over her. "Stiles?"

               Silently, Stiles closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a tender, wordless exchange.

               Brietta, overwhelmed by the sensation, leaned in even closer, her awareness of the world around them slipping away. Stiles's fingers tightened their grip on her hip, anchoring them in the moment as the world faded into insignificance. Her eyelids fluttered shut in response, sealing off the outside world as their connection deepened.

               As Brietta felt fingernails scrape against her skin, she pulled away from the kiss, her eyes still closed. The hand on her ass pulls away and moves over to her cheek, caressing it.

               Brietta's eyes flutter open and her breath catches in her throat, "Scott?"

               Like Stiles, Scott doesn't speak either, and instead leans into her, his lips ghosting over hers.

               With a newfound confidence, Brietta closed the remaining space between their lips. This time, there was no shock, only a warming sensation that flooded her heart. Their kiss deepened, a silent exchange of feelings and desires that spoke volumes without the need for words. In that moment, everything felt right.

               Brietta's heart raced as a sensation of weightlessness enveloped her. It felt as though the ground had vanished beneath her feet, and in an instant, her world plunged into darkness. She was left tumbling through a disorienting void, her surroundings a mystery, and her senses overwhelmed by the absence of light and sensation.

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BRIETTA'S SUDDEN AWAKENING WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A GASP, her body jerking into an upright seated position in her bed. Her breaths were rapid, and the ghostly sensation of a hand against her cheek and ass lingered in her mind. As her breathing gradually steadied, she brushed her hair away from her face and cautiously surveyed the room, checking both sides of her bed.

               To her relief, she found Stiles and Scott still peacefully asleep on their mattresses, one on each side of her bed. The room remained undisturbed, and the unsettling feeling she had experienced seemed to dissipate, leaving her in the quiet darkness of her bedroom.

               Just as Brietta started to relax, the memory of her unsettling dream rushed back like a freight train. Her heart began to race once more as everything pieced together in her mind.

               I just had a near-sex dream, Brietta thought, her hand tightening on her sheets as her eyes widened slightly. With my best friends!

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

I feel naughty. ԅ(‾⌣‾ԅ)

▍PUBLISHED . . 09/09/23 — ♡︎ ୫
© POETICLULLS,                    2023