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[SHE]

2.01 || check your email

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"Why am I here?"

Lacey lies back where she's sitting on the hood of Stiles' Jeep beside Scott. "Because he's your brother." Stiles responds, jerking his head towards the tree. "Alright, so, I found some cool two bedrooms in the Mission District, but they're pretty expensive. A couple in Haight and Ashbury. Also expensive." Stiles says and Lacey rolls her eyes.

"What about Berkeley? Don't a lot of students live around there?" Scott asks.

"Yeah, yeah, we could try Nob Hill." Stiles suggests. "But, the Jeep would probably burn through a lot of clutches." Stiles says.

"You're bringing the Jeep?" Scott asks.

"God, Scott, why don't you just kick him in the balls?" Lacey asks.

"You know the plan, okay? No one gets left behind. That's the plan." Stiles says. "Lydia's not gonna have a problem getting into Stanford. Kira's thinking USF. Malia's, uh, gonna, you know, she'll figure something out, okay? Lacey's," He trails off, looking at the blonde.

"Lacey's not getting her hopes up until she finds out she's passed summer school." Lacey responds.

"Okay, Lacey is also gonna figure something out. The plan's perfect." Stiles says.

"Or we could also wait until we actually get into college and then figure out where to live." Scott suggests.

"I have a vision, dude. Okay? And it is a beautiful vision. Don't ruin the vision." Stiles says.

"Hey, even if Mal and I don't get in, we can still move with you and get jobs instead." Lacey suggests. 

"Okay, we can check out East Bay. Haven't looked at Oakland yet, you know." Stiles says, looking up at Scott who was staring at the moon. "You alright? You starting to feel it?" Stiles asks and Scott shakes his head. 

"No. Just thinking." Scott responds. 

"About what?" Stiles asks.

"Senior year." Scott responds.

"Senior year, come on, that's- that's- That's nothing. That's going to be easy." Stiles says.

"It's more like something Deaton told me once." Scott responds, sitting up. "You ever hear of regression to the mean?" He asks.

"No, I don't think so." Stiles responds and Lacey looks back and forth between them. 

"It's basically his way of saying that life can't ever be all bad or all good. You know, eventually things have to come back to the middle. So, think about the last few months. Things have been good, right? But not amazing." Scott says.

"Yeah, but no one's tried to kill us in six months either." Stiles adds.

"And I really am liking that. Because assassins felt like a very extreme thing to be thrown into." Lacey says, checking her phone when it buzzes before sighing when she sees an Instagram notification.

"Right. We've been pretty much in the middle for a while. Which means, at some point, the scale has to tip one way or the other. Things are gonna get really good again," Scott says.

"Or really bad." Stiles fills in before lightning flashes and Lacey sighs. "Think it's been long enough?" Stiles asks.

"Yes!" Liam calls from where he's chained to the tree and Lacey sits up to look at him. 

"Hey. Trying to have an adult conversation over here." Stiles retorts.

"Alright, you're two years older than me. And I'm fine. Just let me go." Liam says before they walk over to him, Scott pulling the keys to the chains out. 

"It's not that we don't trust you." The Alpha says.

"It's that I don't trust you." Stiles adds and Lacey elbows him. 

"But after that last full moon," Scott trails off.

"It was one slip up." Liam says.

"Slip up? A dozen calls to the Sheriff's Department about a 'monstrous dog-boy running around the streets of Beacon Hills naked.' That's a slip up?" Stiles asks.

"Why were you naked?" Scott asks.

"And why did you guys call me to help? I'm scarred." Lacey says.

"It was really hot out that night, okay? Let me go." Liam responds.

"You sure you're okay?" Scott asks.

"It won't happen again." Liam responds.

"You're in complete and total control?" Scott asks and Liam nods slightly.

"Yeah. Complete and total." Liam responds. 

Lacey lingers as they drop the chains in the bag before walking off to see the blood on his hands and she sighs, raising a brow at him. "I'm working on it." He say quietly and she glances over her shoulder before pulling a pack of wet wipes out of her bag and Liam raises a brow.

"I like being prepared. Just hurry up and clean the blood." She whispers, taking the pack off him and shoving them back in her bag when he's done. 

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The blonde sits in the backseat of the Jeep, constantly checking her phone for the email she knew Malia was waiting for too. So, she was also waiting from a text from the werecoyote because they promised to text each other if they weren't together when the email came through.

"Still nothing?" Scott asks and she shakes her head. 

"Not yet. Not from Mal either." Lacey responds.

"Is it a party?" Liam asks.

"It's not a party." Stiles responds.

"Then what's at midnight?" Liam asks.

"Your bedtime." Stiles retorts and Lacey chuckles briefly.

"Why aren't the girls going?" Liam asks.

"Excuse me." Lacey interjects. 

"Other than Lacey." He adds.

"Thank you." She says.

"They're meeting us there, okay? And just stop asking questions, alright? It's a senior thing. You'll know when you're a senior." Stiles says.

"You guys having trouble with your phones?" Scott asks.

"God, I hope that's why this email hasn't come through." Lacey responds, checking her phone again before the engine of the Jeep starts spluttering.

"Oh, what the hell?" Stiles asks as the car stops.

"You out of gas?" Liam asks.

"No, it's electrical. Probably the alternator again." Stiles responds.

"Stay here." Lacey instructs as she follows the two boys out of the Jeep to look into the engine. 

"Whoa, that's a lot of duct tape." Scott says and Stiles holds a finger up at Scott who chuckles. "Kidding. We'll fix it." 

"I know. It's just the last night of summer, you know, so I wanted to make sure everyone was there tonight." Stiles says.

"We'll make it. You got any tools?" Scott asks.

"Yeah." Lacey sighs, rubbing her face when Stiles holds up a roll of duct tape.

"Christ, I'm buying you real tools for Christmas." Lacey says and Stiles rolls his eyes as he tears off a strip of duct tape.

"Guys!" Liam calls.

"Yeah, give us a second, please." Stiles calls back.

"Liam, stay in the car, okay?" Scott says before they all jump when lightning strikes right behind them. 

"Holy shit." Lacey says.

"That was close." Scott says.

"Very close." Stiles adds before the engine starts, startling the three of them slightly.

"Can we go now?" Liam asks, leaning out of the window and Lacey nods before moving to climb in the Jeep with him.

Lacey chews on her bottom lip as she checks her phone again as Stiles pulls into the parking lot they were picking Malia up from. "Sorry we're late." Stiles says, leaning out of the window and Malia runs over, kissing him with a smile. 

"I'm sorry, too." Liam says, leaning forwards and Lacey rolls her eyes before yanking him backwards.

"You boys do remember I own a gun, right?" Mr Tate asks.

"Vividly." Stiles responds.

"Hey, Henry." Lacey says, leaning forwards, smiling at Malia briefly. 

The two girls had spent loads of time together over the summer at either of their places.

"Lacey." He responds, nodding at her before winking at Malia and the blonde grins as Malia climbs into the back with her and Liam.

"Hi Henry." Stiles remarks, slightly mockingly but mostly a little bitter as he pulls away and Lacey and Malia share an amused look. 

"It's not my fault her Dad doesn't like you. After all you're the stupid teenage boy dating his daughter." Lacey says. 

"You don't have to rub it in my face." Stiles argues. 

"I was being polite! Besides, he likes me." Lacey says. 

"He actually said he'd prefer I was dating Lacey." Malia chimes in and Stiles splutters slightly. 

"Come on, seriously?" He asks. 

"Hey, I'm adorable and I can't get her pregnant. Of course I'm the better option in his eyes." Lacey says and he scoffs. 

"I don't like you very much right now." Stiles says.

"Love you too." Lacey responds dryly.

"Anything?" Malia asks, trying to interrupt the conversation before Stiles could respond and Lacey shakes her head. 

"You?" Lacey asks and Malia shakes her head too. 

"You haven't found out yet?" Stiles asks and he and Scott turn to look at the two girls. 

"They're gonna email us." Malia responds.

"Oh, this is about summer school?" Liam asks.

"You told him?" Malia asks, looking at Stiles.

"They did. But he knew about me anyway." Lacey says and Malia huffs.

"All they said was you had to go to summer school 'cause the principal said your test scores weren't good enough and you might have to repeat junior year. He said the same thing to Lace too." Liam says and Malia looks at Stiles impatiently. 

"We should've left him chained to the tree." Stiles says and Lacey rolls her eyes as she checks her phone again.

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Lacey leans against the front desk in the hospital as she continues checking her phone with Stiles and Malia while they wait for Scott to drop Liam off upstairs. "Back in a minute." Stiles says before heading around the corner. 

"I don't wanna do this senior scribe thing if I'm not gonna be a senior." Lacey says, leaning on the counter as she refreshes her email. 

"No, me neither." Malia says, looking over at the blonde.

"Just, I don't know. That can be interpreted a lot of different ways." Stiles says as he and Scott stop by the front desk and Lacey just refreshes her email again.

"Like what?" Scott asks.

"Well, like, 'Don't worry, we're not exclusive. Go have fun with other guys'." Stiles says.

"No. No way." Scott argues.

"Malia, if you were going away, and I told you 'Don't worry, go have fun.' What would you think I was talking about?" Stiles asks.

"Fun like bowling? Or sex with other guys?" Malia asks.

"Okay, yeah, now I'm worried." Scott says. "Hey, Mom, where's all this coming from?" Scott asks as paramedics wheel a patient in.

"A jack-knifed tractor-trailer on 115, caused a major pile up." Melissa says. "And Lacey, you're due a check up." Melissa calls and Lacey glances up, nodding before looking down and refreshing her emails again.

"Okay, okay, there's only one way back into Beacon Hills from the airport." Stiles says.

"115." Scott fills in.

"Kira's never going to make it." Stiles says.

"Scott's got a motorbike. It's not like a pile up is gonna get in his way." Lacey says idly as she refreshes her email again and the three of them look at her. "Come on." She says, rubbing her face as she refreshes her email again. 

"Lacey's right. I can get her." Scott says before starting to walk off. "You guys get to the school. Lydia's probably already there. We'll meet you by midnight." Scott says before walking out of the building.

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Lacey follows Stiles and Malia out to the Jeep, climbing in the backseat as she continues refreshing her email, right up to when they walk up to the front of the school. "Nothing from Scott or Kira." Malia says.

"And nothing from Lydia either." Stiles adds.

"And I still don't know if I passed. And it doesn't look like Lacey does either." Malia says. "We don't want to do this unless we're actually seniors." The werecoyote says.

"Yeah." Stiles says, as Lacey refreshes her phone again.

She glances up to see Malia sniff him and she rolls her eyes before looking back down. "What's wrong with you? You smell terrible." Malia says.

"Yeah, it's called anxiety. Should be a familiar scent for you by now, since it's pretty much a constant state for me." Stiles says.

"Why's this thing so important to you?" Malia asks.

"It's not." Stiles responds. "It's not. It's, uh- I don't know. Maybe it is." Stiles says and Lacey glances up from her phone briefly. "I asked my dad the other day about his high school friends. Guess how many he still talks to? None. Not a single one. You know, these were his best friends and he just says he lost touch with them, you know. So I started thinking about things, like I always do." Stiles says.

"Obsessively." The two girls fill in. 

"Yeah. And so, I'm thinking, what if- What if Scott's my best friend now, you know, but he's not my best friend for life?" Stiles asks.

"Well, doesn't that just happen sometimes?" Malia asks.

"Yeah, but only because we let it happen." Stiles responds. "You know, that's what I'm saying. How come when we graduate we're just expected to go our separate ways? If I've already found the best people in my life, why aren't I not trying to stay with them, you know?" Stiles asks.

"Well, I thought that was the plan. The dream." Malia says.

"The vision, Mal." Lacey says, refreshing her emails again. 

"Yeah, and don't mock the vision." Stiles says.

"I-I like the vision. Especially if I'm part of it." Malia says as she steps towards him, wrapping her arms around him. "So that's why you wanted everyone here tonight. Because you don't want to lose all your friends after senior year." Malia fills in. 

"And I hope they don't want to lose me either." Stiles says before the two of them kiss. "Mal?" He asks and Lacey looks up.

"Someone's coming. Someone fast." Malia says before she turns, slamming that person to the floor. 

"Liam!" Lacey exclaims, putting her phone away.

"Scott's in trouble." Liam pants and Lacey moves to help her brother up.

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The four of them run down to where Malia could hear fighting happening to see a creature stood with it's claws in Scott's chest and Lacey winces when Liam growls next to her before Scott grasps the guy's arm, pushing himself up before breaking his arm and Lacey grimaces as he pulls the claws out of his chest.

"I don't know who you are. Or what you thought you were going to do, but I'll give you a choice. You can stay and I'll break something else. Or you can run." Scott says.

"I'd run." Stiles says when the guy looks towards them. 

"I'd walk. But I think the running is metaphorical anyway." Lacey shrugs and Stiles rolls his eyes at her before the guy runs away and the six of them step into the middle before turning to look at the unfamiliar face.

"You don't remember me, do you?" He asks, stepping forwards. "I guess I look a little different since the fourth grade."

"Theo?" Scott asks.

"You know him?" Malia asks.

"They used to. Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again. A couple of months ago, I heard of an Alpha in Beacon Hills. When I found out his name was Scott McCall, just couldn't believe it. Not just an Alpha, but a True Alpha." Theo says.

"What do you want?" Scott asks.

"I came back to Beacon Hills. Back home with my family. Because I want to be a part of your pack." Theo says.

Lacey narrows her eyes at Theo's retreating form before stepping up next to Stiles as they walk towards the school. "He gives me a bad feeling." Lacey whispers to the boy. 

"Yeah, me too." He responds.

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Lacey pulls out her phone as they walk into the school, checking her email before her eyes widen as she clicks on the newest email. "Oh, my God." Lacey whispers, stopping to read it. "Mal, check your email." Lacey says, nudging the brunette and the werecoyote stops to pull out her phone just as it vibrates. 

"I'm in." Malia says before looking at Lacey. "You're in?" She asks.

"I'm in." Lacey grins and Malia beams back before wrapping her arms around the blonde for a tight hug. 

"We passed." Malia says and she steps away before hugging Stiles and Kira steps towards the blonde, hugging her.

"Oh, thank God. I don't think I could have coped with repeating Junior year." Lacey breathes.

"We're officially seniors." Malia says as the blonde lets go of Kira.

"The vision is safe." Lacey says to Stiles and he nods, smiling at her.

"Thank God." Lydia says, walking over to them. "Where have you guys been? The whole senior class is here." She asks. "Are we doing this or not?" Lydia asks and they all share excited smiles before they walk to the library.

Lacey takes the pen from Stiles after he writes his initials, writing hers beneath his before stepping over to him. "This isn't vandalism, is it?" Kira asks.

"Not technically." Lydia responds before stepping away.

They watch Kira, Malia and Scott write their initials down before the Alpha steps over to them, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend after adding Allison's initials. "She would have been with us." Stiles says.

"Yeah." Scott says.

"She still is." Lydia says before they all make their way down the steps to leave the library.

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