Chapter 16

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Yesterday was definitely... something. Seeing the lizard creature and being paralyzed by it once was enough; seeing it twice and giving it a pet name was a whole different story. Then after I finally got home, it was around eleven o'clock when dad got a call from Danny saying that he was out when he was suddenly paralyzed from the neck down. Knowing what that meant, I accompanied mom and dad down to the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.

As we we're arriving, Danny's doctor announced his reason of paralization as unknown, as well as the several others who had also been paralyzed that night. The doctor said it would be best for Danny, as well as the other victims, to spend the night in the hospital. Although, mom was extremely uncomfortable with her "baby-boy" spending the night in the hospital, she was reluctant and finally came to a decision—at one a.m.. She deemed it best that she stay the night with Danny, since dad had to open his office and I had school in the morning. It was easy for mom to stay behind, since she could just open her flower shop later in the day.

While mom and dad where both talking to the doctor in the hallway, I asked Danny tons of questions about how everything happened. I though if Danny would tell me any important detail, it might be beneficial to Isaac later on. Danny told me everything he knew, which wasn't very much, but at this point any detail could help. Though was shocked when he mention that him and his boyfriend, Bryce, had broken up earlier that night and he hadn't even told me. I was even more shocked to find out Danny went to the Jungle, a gay club near the warehouse district, to help get his mind off of everything. I also learned that Bryce had also been at the Jungle and had been paralyzed, which wouldn't help him when I got a hold of him.

This morning I moved mindlessly, dragging my feet across the kitchen floor as I prepared a small breakfast. These past few weeks I've barely had any sleep, and with that slimy creature freely roaming around town, I didn't expect to get any good sleep in the near future. I made a note to myself to buy more concealer because I was running low and quick at this rate.

"Good morning James," my dad smile as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

I smiled at the unoriginal nickname my dad gave me when I was younger. "Good morning dad."

"Do you want me to take you to school?"

"Yes please," I said gratefully in between bites of an apple. "Do you know when my car's going to go to the shop?"

"Today finally, and there going to estimate the damage. And if you're lucky, since you've check engine lights been on for over two months, and since you've parents that love you and bought you full coverage insurance, they'll give us enough money to buy you something newer."

"I really like what I have," I say defending the little 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor. "It's got me where I needed go, and it has gotten me their faithful for almost a year."

"Maybe it has, but whatever happened to your car, which is still a mystery, has multiple gaping holes into the back. That's not just a simple fix. Not to mention you engine stutters often, and the check engine light has been on for how many months?"

"Only two," I exacted.

"Two too many," my dad chuckled lightly.

"Okay fine maybe, but for now I'm still routing for it. A new car is expensive."

"I never said I was buying you a new car," he corrected. "I said I would get you something newer." I groaned loudly, and he chuckled to himself. "Now go get dressed, I want to drop you off as soon as possible. Hopefully with the next thirty minutes," he asks.

I nodded and quickly went to my room, and threw on a quick and ran down stairs with my backpack. I got in dad's car and he drove me to school and dropped me off within minutes. I waved him bye, and strolled in looking for somebody—anybody. I search the hallways and didn't see anyone. No Lydia, no Allison, no Isaac, no Scott, no Stiles, no Danny, for obvious reasons, and no Jackson, not that I minded his absence too much, but the hallways seem void of all of my friends.

I turn in the direction of my locker when I noticed a somewhat familiar face. "Hey Mr. Whittemore," I smiled an waved. With Danny being Jackson's closet friend for several years, it meant that I had encountered his dad on more than one occasion.

"Hello Jamie, how are you?" he asked sincerely.

"Pretty good considering," I answered. "Super tired, since last night Danny went to the hospital."

"What happened?"

"He was paralyzed by something from the neck down. The doctor wasn't exactly sure what caused it though," I explained and Mr. Whittemore nodded. "Do you know where Jackson is, I haven't seen him this morning?"

Mr. Whittemore's face dropped at the mention of his son. "That's actually why I'm here. I was just talking to the Sheriff. I think something bad has happened to Jackson."

I furrowed my eyebrow. "That's awful! What happened?" Mr. Whittemore explain his sons odd behavior the past few weeks, and I nodded in agreement. It was true Jackson has been acting extremely weird the past few weeks, ever since that damned winter formal. He then continued to explain to me about how Jackson sent him a text saying 'I love you'. As far as I knew, ever since Jackson found out he was adopted several years back, he hasn't hold his parents he loved them. I felt extraordinarily bad for them. They were both great people, but sometimes Jackson didn't realize that as he was so focused on himself. The bell rang and I finally said bye to Mr. Whittemore wishing him good luck with the whole Jackson ordeal. I promised I would keep and eye out for Jackson and tell him immediately if I came across anything. He told me to wish Danny good luck when I saw him later today, and with that we parted ways.

Quickly, I moved to my locker and switch out my books and turned around. As I turned around, I was almost hit in the gut with a ladder. That's what I get for having a corner locker, running into everything and everyone. I didn't expect an apology from the professional looking man dressed in a local tech shop uniform as he turned and went to install what look like a security camera in the corner of the hallway. I was appalled as I watch him hook up a larger security camera in the middle of the hallway, and scoffed. I don't know what Allison's old man was thinking, but I was definitely going to ask her if she knew the reason behind why her grandpa decided to have these cameras installed.

I frowned when I saw Erica strutting into school, like she has been for the past week or so. I guess becoming a werewolf gave her a huge confidence boost, which was good for her, but also bad at the same time. If she kept up the attitude, her head would be huge by then end of the year. Although I didn't particularly want to talk to her, I wanted to talk to Isaac, and she was the only one I assumed know where he would be.

She was halfway down the next corridor when I shouted her name. I rush towards her, roughing it against the flow of students who had parted like the red sea for her, but decided I wasn't important enough to move out of the way for and continued to walk forward. When I finally caught up to her—she hadn't stopped so I had to keep walking after her—she gave me a dead look. "Do you know where--"

"No." She blatantly jabbed, cutting me off.

"You didn't even let me finish first of all. Secondly, how do you know what I was going to ask?"

"Why else would you be talking to me?" she snapped looking down. I had heels on my ankle boots, but the heels she had on her gave her a height advantage.

"Maybe I would talk to you more often if you hadn't suddenly started acting so..."

"Bitchy," she filled in the blank.

That wasn't exactly what I would have called her, but she called her own shots this time. "Sure, I mean if that's what you want to call yourself." I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized I was already running pretty late, if I let now I would just barely make it. "Look I've gotta go, but if you see Isaac tell him I was looking for him."

"Yeah, whatever Jamie," she answered. I smiled at her before turning back down the hallway in the opposite direction.

I was about to round the corner when I heard her again. "Maybe we could talk more."

I was completely shocked by her words, but grinned anyways. "I would like that Erica." She gave me a small smile before, turning into a nearby classroom. I was glad Erica and I came to some kind of understanding, but after realizing how utterly late I was, I knew I was screwed, although I still hurried down the practically empty hallway.

My heels tapped against the corridor floors as I rushed to class. I saw the classroom door in sight, and sighed in relief. I was only a couple feet away when suddenly my arm ripped and I was dragged straight into a hall closet. I was about to scream, but suddenly a large hand covered my mouth and the light-switch was flicked on. "Don't scream Jamie, it's just me," the familiarly cool voice asked of me.

Slightly annoyed, but happy nonetheless, I removed Isaac large hand from my mouth. "What the hell Isaac!" I whisper shouted at him. "Why would you do that, you scarred me," I said smacking his shoulder lightly. To make things worse, the bell rang which meant I was late to class.
"And you made me late," I added slightly upset, but the fact that I was with Isaac made the fact that I was skipping class all the worth while. I'd didn't let that on though.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Isaac quipped. I could help but take in his presence as we stood closely in the closet. Like he had been the past few days, he was clad in his typical bad boy clothing, leather jacket and all. His hair was kinda messy, in a way I would just want to run my fingers through it and make it messier, but I would dare. All in all he looked good, really good.

"Can't this wait till after class Isaac?" I say turning towards the door.

"No, it's about the kanima," he said as he grabbed my hand before I would have opened. He had me stopping in my tracks as I turned to look at him. "It's Jackson."

"Are you serious!" I whisper shouted. I assumed my eyes were wide and I probably looked bewildered, I just hope I didn't look too ridiculous in front of Isaac.

He nodded. "At first we thought it was Lydia, because she wasn't affected by the venom--"

"Wait what?" I stopped him. "When did Lydia take the venom?" I asked him seriously. When he didn't answer and let go of my gaze, it hit me. "Is that why Scott and Allison told me to stay away from you yesterday? Is that why you and Erica where acting so weird yesterday?!" I accused.

Isaac sighed. "It's not what you think it is Jamie," he explained still holding my hand from when I tried to open the closet door.

"Then what is it Issac? Please tell me," I quaked, removing my hand from his to hold at my side. It was always something with him and this was just another thing to add to the list of our already growing problems.

"We had to make sure that she wasn't dangerous to anyone, Derek said that the kanima was a threat, not only to us, but to everyone else, so we--"

I cut him off. "People say crap all the time Isaac, that doesn't mean you have to poison someone because they told you to do it!" I hissed quietly. The fact that I barely even know this Derek figure, and want to strangle him means something.

"We didn't poison her Jamie. And I didn't do it because Derek told me to," he retorted. I noticed his features slowly begin to change. Not in the way where he turned were on me, but simple things like his stance becoming tense, and the way his hands balled into fists. Everything about him reminded me about the night in my bedroom nights ago.

I was getting angrier and angrier by the second, at the same time my heart continued to beat faster and faster. I hope Isaac could tell how upset I was with him right now, because if he didn't he was about to know. "Then why did you do it Isaac?" I asked him furiously. "Just tell me."

"I can't tell you," he grunted. I watched as his eyes flickered between blue and gold and his body begin to shudder.

"Are we really doing this again? Every time, and I swear, every time we get close shit like this happens and I'm getting sick and tired of it! It feels like all you ever do is drag me along, and I'm so stupid to willingly follow you. And this is exactly what happened last time when we were in my room, and then I told you how I felt about you, then you just pushed me away." I puled. I glared in Isaac's direction, but I didn't meant his eyes as they we squinted tightly shut. "You made so many promises to me, and you drag me into all of this, and now I don't even know if what you told me was the truth or just a lie. Did you even come back for me like you promised? Or did you come back to complete your stupid little mission?"

"If your really so intent of knowing why I wanted to poison Lydia, it's you," he growled his eye widening as his beautiful gold eyes stared at me.

I scoffed, "What do I have to do with this?"

"I don't think you understand that I do everything for you," he pleaded. "You spend so much time with Lydia, so if she just so happened to be the kanima and hurt you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." My eyes glistened with tears as I continued to listen to him. "Everything I do, it for you Jamie! Your all I think, and when I'm around you I can't help but think about how beautiful you are, or how you glow when you smile, or when you think how your forehead scrunches up. And when I'm not around you, all I want is to be with you. The only reason I came back to school was to be around you, because at the same time you make me lose control, you keep me sane."

A tear escaped my eye, as I watch Isaac struggle with himself. "I've literally lost everything. My family, my freedom, my life, and your the only thing I have left, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure the one last thing I have is safe. And everything about me hurts you, I'm dangerous to you. For crying out loud I'm a fucking monster! I'm the worst possible thing that could happen to you! I'm so worried about other things hurting you, when I'm the one that's hurting you the most."

He continued to rant, but I blocked him out. "Isaac," whispered. Isaac didn't even bother to acknowledge I said his name. "Isaac," I whispered again. I said his name once more, and he still didn't say anything. There was nothing more I wanted in that moment more than Isaac. So unlike the last time where I asked him to kiss me, I made the first move and kissed him.