It was torture having to pretend that everything was okay. That my brother hadn't been taken by the hunters and was likely being tortured. That I could go to school like any normal girl and worry about things like the school dance. 

As I placed my textbooks back in my locker both Scott and Stiles appeared by my side. "Lets go." Stiles ordered as Scott shut my locker.

"What?" I questioned completely confused, but neither of them replied as they both grabbed onto my shoulders and guiding me around the corner. I had reached a point that their weird behavior no longer stunned me, but that didn't make them any less annoying. We stopped as they looked around the corner and I did the same as I saw Jackson talking to Allison at her locker.

"Hey, what time should I pick you up for the dance tomorrow?" Jackson asked her as nervous sweat ran down his face. I looked over at Scott with a raised eyebrow knowing that he had to be the reason for Jackson's weird behavior. 

"Are you okay?" Allison asked with a smile as she noticed how odd Jackson was acting.

"Yeah, I'm great. I'm just excited to go to the formal. With you. As friends. Just friends." Jackson continued to repeat with a nervous chuckle that only caused Allison to chuckle in return. Almost like he knew we were listening Jackson looked around the fall cautiously."Just...just friends."

"Are you really going to let Jackson take Allison to the formal?" I asked Scott in disbelief as I turned back to them feeling that no matter what threat Scott made there was still no way that Jackson could be trusted. 

"I really don't have a choice, he already promised he was going to help keep Allison safe." 

"But not willingly?" I predicted, knowing that Jackson would never agree to have his life on the line for someone else. Especially considering the threat that we were facing. Scott stiffened at this, but Stiles put his hand on Scott's shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey, don't worry. I'II still be there." Stiles added, but once again that didn't do much to ease Scott's uncertainty. Stiles was completely defenseless against Peter, all he had was his amazing ability to annoy those around him. 

"I'm still going." Scott stated confidently.

"Is that such a good idea?" Stiles asked skeptically. "Do you even have a date?"

"Not yet." Scott answered before the two of them turned towards me.

"No." I stated bluntly as I crossed my arms over my chest. 

"Why not?" Stiles argued as he looked at me accusingly. "Are you planning on going with someone else?"

"I was planning on not going at all." I told them in annoyance, I was in no mood to be going to a dance not with my brother missing and my psychotic uncle on the loose. Thought of dressing up at a time like this was ridiculous. 

"Come on please?" Scott pleaded as he looked at me with wide eyes.

"No." I repeated.

"It's not like you're actually going to be my date, just help me get in and protect Allison."

I looked between Scott and Stiles in completely disbelief of the turn that my life had taken. As annoyed as I was that I had formed a pack link with them, I was still overcome with the desire to help them. Knowing that in some terrible way I had learned to see them as friends. Releasing a small sigh I nodded in agreement.  "Fine."

"Okay." Stiles continued as he clasped his hands together looking over at Scott. "Do you have a suit?"

"Not yet."

"Do you have a ticket to the formal? A ride there?"

"No. And no." Scott replied unfazed by the questions.

"So, you're gonna ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to without a suit, or a way in with werewolves and werewolf hunters all out to kick your Iittle werewolf ass." Stiles finished listing off already acknowledging the flaws in this plan. I couldn't help but be surprised that Stiles as actually being rational for once and being aware of how incredibly stupid this whole idea was.

"Yeah. You guys gonna help me?"

"Hell, yeah." Stiles said with excitement as he patted his best friends shoulder. I groaned as I followed after the two boys completely losing hope in either one of them. At this point there was no point in voicing how terribly all of this was going to turn out, because no matter what we did I had the feeling that we were all doomed from the beginning. 

"Alexis, glad you came around and your going to the formal." Lydia told me as we stepped inside Macy's. The entire mall was packed with excited teenage girls gossiping over their dates and picking out what they were going to wear for what to them felt like the most important night in their lives. "Right Allison?"

"Huh?" Allison asked as she looked over at us. She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, but she had been avoiding me most of the day and now that we were together she seemed extremely nervous and unfocused. Her nerves only increased my own as I slowly started to come to the realization that maybe she finally knew. That she knew about the monsters that were her family and that Derek and I were werewolves. 

But I still couldn't understand why she would be here with me if she finally knew. Unless the Argent's had some terrible plan of their own. 

"Are you going to tell us what's wrong?" Lydia questioned as we stepped onto the escalator that would take us to the second floor of the store. 

"Nothing's wrong, I just I have a Iot on my mind."

"You could smile, at Ieast. Ever heard of the saying, 'Never frown. Someone could be falling in Iove with your smile?' Smile, AIIison. That goes for you too Alexis." She scolded us as she looked straight ahead. "Anyways, I'm buying you a dress."

"Have to admit as far as apologies go, that's more than I expected." Allison replied as we stepped off the escalator and onto the second floor where we were met with rows of sparkling dresses. 

"Excellent."

I looked around and finally found Stiles leaning over the perfume counters as an idea suddenly same to find. Elbowing Allison I gestured towards Stiles and her face immediately brightened as she looked back at Lydia.

"But not as much as I'm going to ask." She began casually, but Lydia immediately turned towards us with a worried expression on her face.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're going to cancel on whatever dumb, roided-up jock you said yes to and you're going to go with somebody else."

Lydia's eyes widened with slight fear as she continued. "Who?"

"Him." Allison said as she looked over at Stiles who held up a bottle of perfume before spraying it directly at his face. I rolled my eyes as Stiles looked up and waved at us. "Oh Don't frown, Lydia. Someone could be falling in Iove with your smile." Lydia looked at us with pleading eyes, before letting out a long sigh and reluctantly walking over to Stiles. "You know that was really nice of you."

"What was?" I asked as we began to walk towards to racks that held rows of colorful dresses, some looking too beautiful o touch and other looking like they belonged at a circus.

Allison smiled again, a smile that caused me to relax just a little. Maybe she didn't know yet. Maybe it was something else that was worrying her. "Helping Stiles get a date to the dance."

"Well, he's done a lot for me." I admitted as I began to look through the dresses on the racks pretending to be interested. As much as I hated to admit it Stiles had been a good friend to me, even when I didn't want him to be. And as irritating as he could be, he was sacrificing a lot here too. "Thought I should do something for him."

"So...um...I was wondering about your brother." Allison suddenly stated causing me to look up at her questioningly. The relief I felt only moments ago disappearing entirely. 

"What about my brother?" I asked and suddenly her heart beat jumped telling me she was nervous, and that was all I needed to know to confirm my suspicions. Allison knew about Derek. Maybe she didn't know about me just yet, but it was only a matter of time before she did. 

Shaking her head Allison looked away immediately turning her attention back to all the dresses that surrounded us. "Nothing...nothing I should have never brought it up."

I nodded pretending that there was nothing wrong, if she was going to pretend then so would I. Allison seemed to relax as she began looking through the racks for a dress and I did the same as suddenly I realized that I was going to have to spend a whole night in a dress. That I really didn't know the first thing about getting ready for a dance. 

"That's not your color." I suddenly heard a familiar voice say and when I looked up I saw Allison standing in front a mirror holding onto a dress as my uncle looked at her with a smile. My hands immediately became fist, trying to push back my anger and the urge to confront Peter. I was shocked that he would dare approach Allison in such a public place, he was getting to confident and that was unnerving. "Sorry if that was intrusive, but considering your skin tone, I'd go lighter."

"Cause I'm pale?" Allison questioned nervously and I could hear her heartbeat rising, I slowly began to walk closer not sure how to approach this situation, especially in front of Allison. One wrong move and there was no knowing what Peter would do. 

"Fair. I mean, you can't call skin Iike yours pale. Not skin that perfect."

It was that statement that caused Allison to worry as she took a step away from him. The look in Peter's eyes was hungry, and I could tell that he was restraining himself to. His need for revenge threatened to take over, but her was much to smart to lose control just yet. He had been waiting too long for this moment. "Okay."

"Trust me, I have a unique perspective on the subject. Do you mind?" He asked as he grabbed Allison's wrist as he held it along with a silver dress he had picked out. "See? Much better. You're not here alone, are you? Shopping for dresses with friends. High school dance."

"Formal." She replied softly and I grabbed a random dress from the rack and walked over to the two of them.

"Hey, Allison what do you think of this one?" I asked her as I held up the terribly cut purple dress, but Allison didn't seem to notice as she looked at me thankfully.

"No, that color wouldn't bring out your eyes." Peter said as he slowly took the dress away from me, once again his boldness surprising me. "You really do have gorgeous blue eyes, they must run in the family."

I looked back at him my blue eyes a mirror of his own. Only I hoped that mine didn't carry all the hatred and evil that his did. 

"They do." I replied slowly trying to hold back on my anger.

He quickly looked around the racks, until he lifted a soft pink dress. Holding it out he smiled until I finally took it from his hands, not looking away from my eyes almost like he was daring me to act now. And maybe this was his endgame, he was testing my restraint. Or maybe he wanted me to snap here in front of Allison. "This one."

"Attention, shoppers. The owner ofa blue Mazda, license plate 5UN l768. Your car is being towed." A woman announced over the PA system.

"Did she just say a blue Mazda?" Allison asked in a panic as she put the dress back in the rack. "That's my car."

After she walked away I took a step towards a smirking Peter as I let out a growl of annoyance. Before I could even say a word I was suddenly pulled back.

"I don't think nows the best time to wolf out." Stiles muttered as we stopped a couple feet away from Peter. Stiles' grip on my wrist was tight as I refused to look away from Peter who took a couple steps back disappearing into the crowd. It took an incredibly amount of restraint to not rip him apart in the middle of the store. 

It wasn't until Peter was completely out of sight that I was able to relax, allowing my heartbeat to steady. With a sigh I looked down at the shimmering pink fabric in my hands. The sight of it only causing my hate for Peter to grow. Stiles but have noticed my irritation as he finally let go of my wrist looking at me questioningly. "What?"

"I hate that I actually like the thing." I muttered in disbelief causing Stiles to chuckle. For a single moment I almost felt normal, even if normal was something that was never going to be possible for me. But I had gotten rather good at pretending, and maybe for one night I could act like a normal teenage girl no matter how far from the truth that was.