"You're not real."

***

Alex Drake's funeral came sooner than expected. It had been about two weeks since they found his body in that house. A curfew had since been put in place that prevented everyone in Beacon Hills from leaving their homes after 9:30. It's not like it will help anyway. 

He didn't have many friends, so his mother invited the whole school to attend. Of course, not all of them showed up to pay their respects. Most people didn't realise that he existed nor had ever spoken to him. Only a select few actually knew his name. It was almost heartbreaking that, even in death, Alex was still invisible.

Jennifer didn't show up either. It's not like she'd care anyway since she's the one who killed him in the first place. Knowing the kind of person she was now, Jennifer would probably take pride in the fact that she committed the crime. Perhaps she'd be gloating to Lydia about how she did it, or maybe she'd just shed a smug, silent smile. No one was ever going to catch her, and nobody could stop her.

"Are you okay?" asked Stiles. He had accompanied Lydia to the funeral as a form of moral support. Despite everything, Lydia considered Alex to be a friend; even though she had previously denied any form of friendship with him. They both stood a short distance away, watching the event proceed from afar.

"Yeah." She responded, staring out at Alex's coffin as it was being lowered into the ground. "He was so nice."

"And quiet." He added whilst tucking his hands into his jean pockets. Stiles wore some black casual clothing, however, his girlfriend was dolled up in a long-sleeved black dress and shiny heels. Even for the saddest occasions, Lydia still aimed to look beautiful. "Wasn't he supposed to be going on a date with Jennifer?"

"She probably stood him up." Lydia regretfully lied. "Maybe that's how the killer got to him?"

"Jennifer hasn't even shown up. I guess that shows how much she cares about him." Stiles remarked, unaware of Lydia's lies.

Alex's father wept for his boy, but his mother remained strong. Only a single tear had fallen from her eye, almost breaking her perfect appearance. After the priest had finished his vows, Alex's mother broke her silence and spoke to the attendants. "I just wanted to thank you all for coming. My husband and I are very grateful that you could attend our beloved son's funeral. We didn't think this day would come quite so soon..."

It must have been strange for his mother. You'd think that your child would be the one to attend your funeral, instead of attending theirs. She only hoped that there wouldn't be any more sad parents, but she knew now that hoping did nothing good.

"I didn't think that our Alex would be taken in such a gruesome manner. He hadn't even reached eighteen." She continued. "By the time they found my son in that godforsaken house, he looked like lasagna with teeth. I was the one who had to identify the remains. I had to see my little boy's mangled body on a metal table." That's when more tears started to fall. Mrs Drake's eyes welled up with tears and they soon started to fall. "I don't know where he is now. He could be flying around with angels for all I care. But I know one thing for sure. He is buried six feet under before he even got a chance to live."

The middle-aged woman sobbed, her pain unimaginable. Lydia folded her arms, tugging at the black fabric that clung to her skin. She knew the truth. She could tell everyone what happened there and then. Yet, her words remained in her throat, and she reluctantly swallowed them back down.

As she observed the Drakes comforting each other over this unfortunate tragedy, a translucent figure of sorts appeared behind them. Lydia's eyes widened, recognising him instantly. A gory image of Alex Drake stared back at her with fury in his eyes. She had to be imagining it like she had imagined Jackson and Jennifer in Stiles' room. It wasn't him. It couldn't be him.

"You have to stop this, Lydia." The ghostly apparition spoke, addressing her. "She'll do the same to others."

Her mouth gaped in shock. The young girl felt her heart drop to her feet. Her muscles tensed as she became more uncomfortable over time. Alex wouldn't stop glaring at her, nor would he go away. What was she supposed to do?

"Hey," Stiles nudged her arm, drawing her attention away from the ghost. "You zoned out."

She glanced back, only to find that Alex had disappeared. Lydia sighed, dropping her arms in frustration. "I do that a lot nowadays, don't I."

Unexpectedly, Stiles slipped his hand into hers, supporting her. "Just remember that you can talk to me about anything. Absolutely anything, and I'll be right here."

Lydia pondered for a moment. She trusted Stiles, but she couldn't tell him about the things she had experienced since Melody Lane. "Would you believe me if I told you?"

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

No, he wouldn't understand. It would be better if he didn't know. She didn't want to seem insane to him. Although, she already felt insane herself. "Nothing." Lydia turned away and bowed her head. Her hand was released from his grasp. "I'm going to head home early. I'm feeling a bit queasy."

"I'll drive you." Stiles offered.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can walk. It's not too far."

"But it's, like, a twenty-minute walk."

"I'll be fine. I need the fresh air anyway."

"Lydia," She was about to walk away when he grasped her arm, preventing her from leaving. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Her eyes met his, hesitating for a moment. "I'm not sure I can."

Lydia released her arm from his grip, swiftly storming off. She crossed her arms as she made her way out of the cemetery and onto the main street. She just wanted to leave, go somewhere other than here. This town was drowning her, and it seemed that Jennifer was the one pulling her down.

"Hi, Lydia." A voice spoke beside her. She turned to discover that the ghost of her ex-boyfriend had materialised next to her.

However, she kept walking, thinking that she was imagining him. "Shit, I've gone crazy, haven't I?" Lydia stared at the ground, trying to ignore him. "First, my best friend eats boys, and now I'm seeing the ghosts of her victims. I bet this is all a hallucination, and this is the way my mind is coping with Jennifer's murder; by making her the monster."

"No, I'm afraid this is very real," Jackson responded.

"I thought that." She surmised. "Even still, I'm imagining conversations with your ghosts. You're not real. You're just figments of my imagination. Manifestations of my guilt."

"You feel guilty?" Another voice questioned. Lydia glanced to her right to see that Alex had popped up again.

Jackson smirked. "Well, would you look at that? Lydia Martin does have a heart."

She rolled her eyes. "You know, even though you're not really here and you're dead, you still act like an ass."

"I got eaten alive. Do you know how much that hurts?"

"I dread to think."

"Lydia, you have to do something," Alex said.

"What can I do?!" she screamed, facing the two dead boys. "Seriously, tell me! I need some guidance on how to fix all this!" They were silent. Of course, her ghostly guides did not have a solution to her problems. "Just as I thought."

"Look, I know it might sound hard to believe, but you are the only one who can stop Jennifer." The once-timid boy approached her. "You're smart, Lydia. I'm one of the only people who can see that, so I know that you can do it."

"What do you want me to do? Kill her?" she maliciously proposed. It wasn't something she wanted to, especially to her best friend. "Jennifer and I have known each other since we were in diapers. I trusted her with my life. I can't just betray her like this."

Jackson disagreed. "The damage has already been done. She's evil, and you know that better than anyone."

"She's not evil." Lydia hesitated a little, but she was still determined that there was some goodness left in her. "She was never evil."

"Lydia, she took our lives. Three innocent lives. You know she'll take more." He stated, speaking the truth.

"But-"

He interrupted her. "That thing is not your friend anymore. If anything, Jennifer Check died on the night you left her."

She didn't think to ask how he knew what happened that night, instead, she frowned and said. "Don't blame me."

"We're not." Alex pleaded with her. He was a gentler soul than Jackson ever was. "She's suffering. I felt the pain she was in on the night I died. You have to help her, or Jennifer could end the world."

Abruptly, she heard a car horn on the road. Lydia turned to find that Stiles' jeep had parked right beside her. The ghosts had vanished, leaving only her and her boyfriend. Stiles jumped out of the car and approached her. "I thought I told you-"

"I know, I know." He started. "But, with a serial killer out there, I want to make sure that you get home safe."

She scoffed, knowing the truth. "Don't worry, she only goes after boys."

"She?" he wondered.

Instantly, she corrected herself. "They!" That was a close one. "Sorry, I don't know where I got that assumption from."

"Look, I just want you to be okay. We can just sit in silence until I drop you home. No more questions. No more worries." Stiles explained, only caring for her safety. It was awfully sweet of him. "Is that a deal?"

Lydia smiled slightly. It was getting chilly, and it was a very long walk back to her place. Plus, she needed to keep Stiles safe from Jennifer, so the best thing to do at the moment would be to watch over him. "Alright, you've won me over."

He grinned, opening the passenger door and inviting her inside. It gently swung at hinges as Stiles strolled over to the other side of the door. Lydia climbed inside, her boyfriend soon joining her in the passenger seat. 

As she closed the car door, Jackson's ghost reappeared outside. "She's going to kill again," he mentioned. "And you know who her next target might be."

Her eyes widened a little, realising what he was insinuating. "Stiles."

Stiles turned to her in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing." Lydia quietened down, glimpsing outside once more. Nonetheless, the remnants of Jackson and Alex were nowhere to be seen. She could have been imagining them, but they seemed so real. Either way, she was being driven insane.

It was up all to her now. She wasn't going to let Jennifer kill one more soul.

***

TEEN WOLF IS COMING BACK AS A MOVIE!!!

I think this is what we all deserved after a shitty year. I'M SO EXCITED! I just had to post this chapter early after learning this. Today I've had good news from my two favourite fandoms, so I'm in a fucking good mood. Let's keep it coming!

Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter and I hope you're just as excited as I am for Teen Wolfs' return.

- Alice ❤