CHAPTER NUMBER FIFTEEN.
season number four episode perishable!

            OPHELIA PACED BACK AND FORTH IN THE EMPTY CLASSROOM. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew that Charlie coming back wasn't a coincidence. He didn't want to hurt her— that was obvious when he didn't stick around long. It was almost fake, like a cover up for something else. The blonde didn't know if it had something to do with Allison, but she wouldn't know unless she asked. "Alli.."

             Her voice was timid. Almost like she was afraid of her own voice. "Allison— please! I did what you asked... I'm helping them... I need some answers right now."

             "I know what you're doing—" She slid down the wall, her head in her hands. "You're letting Charlie through to me because you don't want me to ask for you. If you think I'm clueless about the other side, I'm not..."

             "I'm not letting him do anything."
Murmured Allison. Ophelia didn't even flinch as the chocolate brown curls brushed against her shoulder. "Things are getting messy on the other side. These past few months I've been protecting you from him— even before I met you. I was preparing you for what was coming. I shielded you from the outside world..." She hesitated— "I'm fading away. My wishes are becoming fulfilled and I can't keep sticking around as I please. I'm going against nature..." Ophelia soaked in her information, her lips turning down in a frown. "Ophelia I have a week. One more week where I can keep interacting with you. You did your part—" Allison's bottom lip quivered. "Now I have to do mine."

             Allison's hand ghosted over Ophelia's, who's bottom lip trembled. "I was robbed out of time for your friendship. I wish I would have known you when I was alive." Her eyes glistened with tears. "You don't have to let me go Ophelia. I'm always going to be with you. When I move on, you'll see others— maybe even Charlie. But you're strong enough to block them out. Talk to Scott. Tell him about Charlie— and then I need you to tell your mom. Tell her how you feel. Tell her everything. It will be different from last time, she'll believe you. And if not Scott won't let anything happen." Ophelia soaked in Allison's smile, memorizing it so she'd never forget it. "I'll see you one last time to say goodbye. Take care of Scott for me..."

             As Allison's figure disappeared, Ophelia couldn't help the choked sob from escaping the back of her throat. She tugged at the roots of her hair as a wave of sadness washed over her. Allison had become her rock. She had helped her through so much, that she didn't know what do when she no longer had her for support. Ophelia wondered why she hadn't been seeing dead people until Allison. Before they would be everywhere. And now she knew that Allison was protecting her all this time, without even knowing her. Allison had made a difference in her life— and she would forever be in the Argent girls debt for saving her in a time that Ophelia need her the most. A time where she hated herself for who she was on the inside.

             Ophelia jumped as the classroom door flung open, revealing Malia Tate. She hadn't interacted with the girl much at all— and if she was being honest she didn't like how blunt she could be. But she didn't have anything against her. Ophelia's eyes traveled up her tan legs, resting when they got to her scrunched up face. "Scott's looking for you—" Malia told her, growing confused when she saw her tear stained cheeks. "You're crying... and you reek of anxiety." She pointed out.

             Ophelia laughed under her breath.
"Thanks—" her fingertips brushed underneath her chin. Her ears hurt a bit from the excessive sniffling she was doing. "Don't tell him you saw me, Malia... I want to be alone for a little while. It's complicated."

             "But isn't Scott your boyfriend?"

             "It's complicated." Ophelia repeated.
She sighed and got to her feet. Malia took a step closer, not hiding the fact she was smelling her chemo–signals. "What are.."

             "It doesn't smell complicated..." Malia said with her eyebrows furrowing. "It smells like you've got some high attraction towards him— and you should smell him around you." Her nose twisted upwards. "The arousal can get a bit too much..." She hummed.

             Ophelia blushed. Malia said things without thinking sometimes, and it made her want to pull her hair out. But at the same time she kind've liked that about her. "You shouldn't be sad..." Malia told her as Ophelia went to walk out the classroom. "You're too pretty to be sad." She grinned. Ophelia was a bit taken back at the compliment, but she grinned back. Her sullen face washing away.

             "Thanks Malia." Ophelia bit her lip, her hands in fists at her side. "You know, you're not as bad as I thought." She admitted, before grabbing her crutches— she was semi getting used of hopping around. But it felt uncomfortable with the rash growing underneath her arms from the rubbing.

             "Thanks I guess!" Malia called.

―•―•―•―•―

             OPHELIA STOOD BY LIAM AS THEY WAITED ON SCOTT AT THE BONFIRE. She was a little out of the loop— but from what Liam had filled her in on, that assassins were after him. "Liam..." Ophelia muttered, tugging on his hand. The boy turned to face her confused. "I see dead people..." She said in a hushed whispered. "I see them, I talk to them, and with my luck I end up loving them... I saw the deadpool. We're worth more now. What you did for me— saving me I mean, when they obviously could have killed you, means alot to me. Thank you protecting me, for caring about me, and loving me..." Ophelia took Liam's face in her hands. Liam's face became hot as she leaned in, his heart racing a million miles a minute. Not knowing what was coming over her— she pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth, lingering there. It wasn't a proper one, but Liam still felt as if his skin was being set on fire. "Just thought I'd tell you." She rasped, clearing her throat and stepping back. Liam blinked, speechless.

             People around her were dancing like it was nothing, but all she could do was stand there and nod her head to the beat. Her parents told her it wasn't a good idea to go with crutches, however Ophelia was determined to not let it slow her down. She was so determined, that she kept pulling a red solo cup up to her lips given to her from Liam's friend Mason. It burned as it went down her throat, but she just wanted to feel a bit free for a little while. "You've had too much to drink—" Liam grumbled. Ophelia scoffed and wrapped herself around him.

             Ophelia shrugged. Her mind hazed a bit from the alcohol she downed. "Do you think Scott will ever love me like Allison?" She questioned, followed with a hiccup. "I mean it's obvious he loved her very much... Maybe I'm wasting my time on him yanno—"

             Liam rolled his eyes, passing her swaying body onto his dark skinned friend. "I'm gonna go get another drink—" he told him, throwing his bottle on the ground. Mason looked at Ophelia's emotionless face and looked back at Liam, pleading for him to not leave him with her. But the freshman just shrugged and walked in them opposite direction. Mason searched around for someone she knew— not finding anyone. He sighed and kept her with him. He didn't feel like being the jerk... It was a matter of minutes when Liam walked back over, stumbling around. Scott held a drunk Malia in his arms as he walked up to the trio concerned. His eyes falling on a handicapped Ophelia that was in a state where she couldn't use her crutches— and a drunk werewolf that couldn't stand on his own two feet.

             "How much did he have to drink?" Scott asked. "How much did she have?"

             "Not enough to get him like this." Mason said. Ophelia looked up at Scott but didn't say much— she wasn't 'drunk' but she did have a bit of a buzz flowing in her veins. Glancing at Malia in Scott's arms made her scowl. "She had the same amount as me."

             Scott put Malia down next to Liam, grabbing a bottle of water in a cooler that was next to him. "Ophelia— I'm going to need you to sober up and watch them with Mason while I turn the music off." He instructed. The blonde nodded but didn't saying. He sighed, but stalked off to the DJ table despite Mason protesting to leaving him alone with them..

             Mason rocked back and forth on his heels as he looked down at Ophelia. "So are you and Scott like a thing? Because Liam—" Before he could finish, a tall buffed man dressed in uniform came up with his 'friends.' Ophelia felt confused as she was being picked up from underneath her arms, and thrown into someone else's embrace. "Wait... stop! Hey, what are you doing? These are my friends." Mason protested— his hands digging in Ophelia's waist as he tried to grab her from him. Whoever it was made some bullshit excuse about them being too 'intoxicated' and needed to be escorted out. "Okay I'll go with them—" Mason persisted, however he was pushed to the ground. Ophelia struggled to get out of their grip. Grunts and pulls nothing seemed to work.

             "Um I'm not even that drunk—" Ophelia grumbled. "Aren't you going to get my crutches? I kinda need them to walk..."

             Ophelia felt her stomach do flips when she was thrown onto the floor in the high school. "I'm a god damn rag doll!" She barked at them, crawling to lean her back against the lockers. As she looked up, she saw Scott looking at her worried when a cool liquid started being poured over her. An ache began to throb in her ankles as she clawed her way to Scott's— the sour smell of gasoline filling her nostrils. Scott was eager to get his hands on her, dark black veins forming in his wrists as he took as much of her pain as he could. "What the hell are you doing—" Ophelia groaned, the snarling men dosing them in gallons of gasoline.

             "It's gasoline. Haigh says we have to burn you—" the assassin responded.

             Ophelia collapsed her head onto Scott's chest as she gripped his hand for dear life. She glanced over at Liam to make sure he was alright. "You know, I didn't have all these problems when nobody liked me." She pointed out. A small breeze coming through the doors made her shiver. Scott rubbed the sides of her arm to contain the goosebumps. "If we really do die this time— I just want to know something..." Scott squinted his eyelids, nodding. "Do you want to be my boyfriend? I just need to know that I'm not going to die completely alone. I mean my last words should probably include my family and this is incredibly cliché but I mean—"

             Scott cut her off by pressing a kiss to her lips. Ophelia smiled, cupping his cheek as the same butterflies fluttered in her stomach like it was the first time. Scott made her feel like everyday was different, despite how terrible each one had seemed to be. He pulled away while resting his head on hers. "Yes."