𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 | 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝔂'𝓼 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻

𝘐𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘐𝘤𝘦-𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮

CHARLOTTE RAPS HER KNUCKLES ON the door twice. "Hey, Dee, can I come in?"

"Do you have ice-cream?" the girl calls out faintly.

"Hypothetically if I do, can I come in? Because my hands are numb."

"Is it strawberry?"

She rolls her eyes. "Lydia, for fuck's sake, just let me in!" Feet pad on the carpet and the bedroom door slowly creaks open. Lydia squeezes her head through the small gap in the open door and immediately looks to Charlotte's hands, which are indeed holding a tub of strawberry ice cream. Her sister grins and the door opens wider. "Thank God," she mutters, rushing over to put the tub on the bedside table. Charlotte vigorously rubs her hands together to warm them up, and Lydia jumps back under the covers and pats the empty space beside her. Charlotte smiles and she hands the girl a spoon and the tub.

"Tfhakufaordeyscreiam."

"Thank you for the ice-cream?" Charlotte guesses.

Lydia nods and swallows her spoonful. "Yep."

"I am really good at that." The girls giggle and the blonde sighs. "How are you feeling? Did the shower help a little?"

It's only been a few hours since they had found the girl in Beacon Hills Preserve, and Lydia had been adamant on not sleeping just yet, despite it being eleven-thirty at night. To be honest, Charlotte couldn't really blame her. She's guessing that her sister would probably be plagued with nightmares. It's the reason why she herself isn't so keen on sleep as of lately.

Lydia's lips lift into a small smile. "Yeah, it's nice to have some proper clothes on."

"I can imagine." It's quiet for a minute. "Hey, can I ask you something? Tell me if you don't want to answer though, okay? Seriously, tell me straight away." Her sister nods in response. "Do you remember anything from the last few days?"

She sets the spoon down and frowns. "No... But the doctors said it's called a fugue state."

"So basically, they're saying they have no idea why you can't remember running through woods for forty-eight hours?"

Lydia sighs. "Don't forget the naked part," she points out dully.

Charlotte takes her own spoon and shoves the frozen dessert into her mouth. "Do you remember what happened at the dance?" she cautiously questions.

The girl's eyes avert to her wrist as she plays with the hair tie fastened around it. The coping mechanism runs in the family. "I just remember some guy biting me," she whispers. "You screamed something and when I turned around, he was just... there."

Once Charlotte notices the tears, she gently speaks up and places a hand on Lydia's knee. "Hey, we don't have to go into anything further. But if you ever do want to talk about it, Mom and I are here."

Lydia nods and quickly wipes the tear away when it falls. She tries to smile. "But you did, too."

"Yeah... We both did." They bask in each other's company for the next few minutes, each comfortable in the silence the other brings. It's a comfortable silence. They've always liked comfortable silence. "Okay, so I rented a bunch of movies," Charlotte begins. "I thought you might want a distraction." Lydia grins and flicks through the choices before pulling out 27 Dresses from the pile. The blonde-haired girl's jaw drops to the floor. "You didn't pick The Notebook!"

"Yeah... New start."

"I'm going to end up watching this a hundred times, aren't I?"

It didn't take long before they ran out of the strawberry. And because Charlotte was a good sister, she had asked her sister if she wanted anymore. If there's ever a time to indulge in junk food, it's after you've run through the woods for multiple days without any clothes. Which leads her to a gas station not far from home because nowhere else is open at twelve-thirty in the morning.

"I swear to God, if this place doesn't have any chocolate..."she mutters to herself. "Chocolate ice-cream, and... and..." She shuts the car door behind her and suddenly gasps. "Popcorn! How could I forg-" Charlotte Martin shrieks in terror when someone reveals themself from walking from behind the pillar. She slaps a hand over her mouth and tries to calm her breathing. "Holy shit! Dude, seriously, you need to stop sneaking up on us. No! You just nearly killed me with a heart attack, and with everything happening at the moment-"

"Charlotte?"

"... Yeah?"

Derek sighs and leans against her car. She raises her eyebrows in question. "I need to know what you think of Isaac."

"Yeah, great to see you too, Charlotte. 'Sorry my psychotic uncle attacked you,' 'Oh, I'm so sorry you were in a coma,' or maybe, 'It's good to see you're alive'?" The girl pauses. "Wait, hold on. Isaac Lahey?" Derek nods. "Why do you want to know about Isaac? Wait, no, how do you know Isaac?" The man looks at her pointedly. "Okay, well, I actually can't tell you too much about him. I just tutored him for a few sessions last year."

"Just..."

She rolls her eyes and begins walking toward the twenty-four hour store. "Derek just spit it out, okay? I need to get home before Lydia has another meltdown because I stopped the movie again."

"Just watch out for yourself, Charlotte," he says ominously.

She stops walking. "Wait, what the fuck?" When she turns around, she groans in frustration because Derek is nowhere to be seen. "Where the hell does this guy go?"

»»———-　　———-««

Charlotte kicks a rock with her shoes as she follows Allison and Lydia up the stairs into the high school. Then she yawns. It had been a long night. They had watched 27 Dresses twice, then by the time three in the morning came, Lydia came to the decision that she would try and get some sleep for a few hours, with the condition that her sister would stay with her. Of course, Charlotte didn't say no.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Allison hesitantly asks the strawberry blonde.

"Yes, Allison! Of course I'm ready. I lost nine pounds during that-that thing... I lost nine pounds. I look amazing, and people need to see that I am perfectly okay."

Charlotte grins. That's the Lydia she knows. "Yeah, Allison," she teases. "She lost nine pounds." The brunette shakes her head with a smile. Lydia grins. The girls walk up to the set of double doors that separate them from the public eye, and the blonde hesitates before pushing them open. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! It's not like my aunt's a serial killer."

Charlotte grimaces at her sister's blunt words and she sends Allison a sympathetic smile as they walk in. As soon as their presence is noticed, every single student stops to stare. She immediately notices her sister tense up at the sudden attention, and Charlotte gently takes Lydia's hand. "It's definitely the nine pounds. You look hot as fuck."

"Yeah, I do," Lydia whispers. "You're right." She straightens herself and flicks a strand of hair over her shoulder before confidently strutting forward. The girls behind her share knowing smile before hurrying after her.

»»———-　　———-««

"So he showed up at the gas station and asked you what you think about Isaac..." Stiles' eyebrows pinch together as he struggles to recall someone with said name. "Isaac...?"

"Just joined the lacrosse team," Charlotte points out.

Scott clicks his tongue. "Right, the guy you tutored last year."

"Then he says, 'watch yourself,' and poofs into thin air?"

She sighs. "Yeah, pretty much."

Stiles' brows furrow once more. "Why would he ask you about Isaac?" he questions confusedly.

"Me?" Charlotte shrugs. "No idea. Maybe because I tutored him?"

The Stilinski shakes his head. "How does Derek even know Isaac?"

"Stiles, I have no fucking clue."

"Well, whatever it is, it's not going to be good."

Stiles gestures to the werewolf beside. "Obviously!"

Charlotte sighs as they continue down the school hallway and reach the locker room. "Well, we can't really do anything about it," she says. "Derek asked me very, very early this morning, so whatever he was planning, it's already been done."

"Possibly," Stiles jumps in.

"Not 'possibly,' I'm right," she states. "I'm always right."

"I'm not denying nor agreeing to that."

Charlotte cracks a grin and Scott chuckles as they watch him stomp away towards his locker. "How's your neck?" the boy asks her with concern.

Instinctively, a hand goes up to gently touch the bandage still on her neck. "I mean it's looking better than yesterday-"

Stiles spins around with a large grin. "Ha! I told you! You were slowly turning!"

Scott rolls his eyes. "No, you idiot. I would be able to tell."

"Exactly, he said he would be able to tell. It's a wolf thing, right?" Scott nods and Charlotte smiles smugly at Stiles' very impressed facial expression.

The boy with the buzzcut tries to move on. "How's Lydia?"

Charlotte purses her lips and leans against a nearby locker. "I think she's processing what happened in her own way. For some reason, she can't remember the whole adventure in the woods thing. But she can vaguely remember Peter. I don't think she knows about the supernatural side to it though, just that he was a weirdo that bit her."

Stiles frowns. "Wow..."

She turns back to the werewolf and the distress finally becomes visible to her friends. "Scott, I don't know how much longer I can keep this from her. She's involved in it now. Plus, Lydia is way too smart. She's already seen a werewolf, Alpha-Peter-werewolf. Sooner or later, she's going to find out. Voluntarily or not."

Both boys give her silence as a response, although they take her words into consideration. Charlotte, after giving up on the topic of conversation, collapses down onto a nearby bench and watches them open their lockers to get their lacrosse gear out. Stiles clears his throat. "So, Scooter, how we are feeling about tonight?"

"Good! I'm feeling good."

Charlotte's eyes squint sceptically at him. "Good?" she repeats slowly. "You're feeling good?"

"Yeah..."

His friends scrutinise his expression, looking for any hint of a lie. "You don't, oh, I don't know, feel the need to want to kill us?" Stiles suggests bluntly.

"No!" Scott protests firmly. "I'm serious. It's not like the last full moon. I don't feel the same."

"As in you don't feel the need nor want to maim and brutally murder us?"

"I swear I don't have the urge to main and kill you."

Charlotte stares at him before breaking the silence. "All right. I believe him," she concludes.

Stiles' eyes bulge at her statement. "Y-you believe him?" He spins back to the boy. "Scott, you say that now. But then the moon goes up, and the fangs, claws, etcetera come out."

She tilts her head to the side in acknowledgement. "Okay, you're not wrong about that. I mean, then it normally goes to the howling, the screaming, the escaping out of windows, and the running through the woods..."

"Not to mention it's incredibly stressful for both of us! So in conclusion, yes. I'm locking you up."

Scott stares at Stiles with wide eyes, then turns to Charlotte. "What?" he protests in alarm. "Charles, you're letting him do this?"

"Scott, I didn't even know he was going to do this until five seconds ago. And to be honest, after my last encounter with a werewolf, it's not a bad idea."

Any surprise he felt disappears. Scott's eyes fill with worry as he quietly asks, "You're scared of me?"

Her jaw clenches and she looks to the floor, taking a deep breath to keep herself calm. She'd been dreading having a conversation like this ever since she had woken up in the hospital. "Not of you."

Scott frowns. "I can hear your heartbeat," he softly points out.

"I'm not scared of you, Scott. I... I'm just-I don't know. I think now I know how dangerous the supernatural can be. Me, I don't care about what happened to me." Scott and Stiles frown at her words. "I'm fine. But Lydia? That was different. I don't think I've ever been more terrified in my life. And knowing you could do that..."

The boy nods in understanding. "No, I get it."

Charlotte closes her eyes with the goal to hide the tears pooling in them. "I'm sorry, Scott, I don't mean to make you fe-"

Stiles scans the room and glares to the nearby boys watching the scene. They abruptly turn away and go back to conversing with one another. Scott quickly walks over to sit next to her on the bench. "Hey! No. I can't imagine what I would feel like if I was in your situation, and it was Mom instead of Lydia. Do not apologise."

Charlotte slowly lifts her head up to look him in the eyes. "I don't want to feel like this," she says.

Stiles comes to sit next to them. "He's right. I try to blow it over, but actually being there to see it happen to you and Lydia..." He takes a deep breath. "That scared the shit out of me." The boy turns to face his best friend. "We aren't scared of you, Scott. I think what she's trying to say is that it's scary to know what you could become."

"Like Peter," Scott mutters.

He nods then quickly adds in, "But that's not going to happen."

Charlotte gives Scott a small, reassuring smile when his eyes flick to her. "I think it'll take a little while to get over what happened, physically too. But ninety percent of your super dog side is pretty fucking awesome."

"Exactly!" Stiles exclaims, pointing to her. "See! When you aren't trying to kill us, this is fun."

All three break into quiet laughter. "So, you guys aren't scared of me?"

"No, Scott, not at all." She frowns. "Shit, this is turning into a very complicated conversation. But let's just try and get through tonight, yeah?"

"Okay. I'll do it. But I do think I'm in more control now, especially since things are good with Allison."

His friends instantly groan in sync. "Yes, Scott," Stiles muses sarcastically. "We are very aware of how good things are with Allison."

"They're really good."

"Thank you! I know."

"I mean, like, really good."

Charlotte watches Scott fall into a daze and she grimaces in disgust. "Yeah, all right. That's enough, wolfie."

"Agreed!" Stiles adds. "Just shut the fuck up before I have the urge to main and kill myself."

"Add me to that. I've already got Allison on the other side of my ear ranting about how amazing things are."

Scott's eyes snap over to her in surprise. "She said that?"

"Shouldn't have said anything."

"She said it's amazing?"

"Shut up, Scott!"

"She said I'm amazing...."

"Oh, God..." Charlotte huffs a sigh and places some distance between her friend and joins Stiles who is back at his locker. "So, have we got something better than handcuffs this time?"

He nods and begins his combination on the lock. "Oh, yeah, much better."

Charlotte glances to Scott. "Do you want me to make you another bowl this time? I can do one for food as well as water?"

He chuckles. "Nope. I'm good."

"You sure? 'Cause I'm more than-" She's interrupted by a loud rattling beside her. She looks to Stiles' locker. Then she looks to Scott, and they both burst into laughter. Stiles, on the other hand, is frozen in his spot, gawking at the piles of chains rolling out of the locker.

Charlotte harshly bites her tongue when Coach comes to stand over next to them. The entire room is now silent and closely watching. When the last chain link falls to the floor, he narrows his eyes. "Part of me wants to ask... The other part says knowing will be more disturbing than anything I could ever imagine. So... I-I'm-I'm just gonna walk away."

"Not a bad idea, Coach!"

"My ideas are always brilliant, Martin!"

"Progress!" the girl says happily. "He's not even questioning why I'm in here anymore." She grins and Stiles chuckles as they bend down to pick up the chains. However, Charlotte hesitates when she notices Scott back to staring blankly into space. But this time it appears that he's concentrating on something. "Scott?"

Stiles turns to said boy and both of pairs of eyes widen when Scott's shine a brilliant golden. "Scott? You okay?"

Scott looks shaken as he replies, "There's another... In here, right now."

"Another what?"

"Another werewolf."

"I told you he could smell them!"

»»———-　　———-««

Speed walking alongside her friends, Charlotte glances to the werewolf and clears her throat. She might as well just get it over with. "Scott?" He smiles, encouraging her to continue. "I need to talk to you about Lydia later."

He nods his head at her words. "Yeah, okay. About what?"

"Later, Scott! She said later," Stiles exclaims impatiently. He grabs onto each of their arms and drags them toward the team bench stationed on the lacrosse field. "So, what did it smell like?" he questions curiously, referencing back to five minutes ago in the locker room.

Charlotte drops her bag down under the bench and takes her seat in the middle. "It was kind of like a scent," Scott says slowly. "But I couldn't tell who it was."

She pulls a face. "It wasn't Jackson, was it?"

Stiles' head snaps to her in alarm. "What?"

"No," Scott dismisses. "Jackson wasn't in there."

"She's got a point though," Stiles adds. "Scott, what if Derek finally turned him?"

The werewolf shrugs. "Okay. We deal with that later." His friends raise their eyebrows at him. "Right now, I need to figure out who it is, ruling Jackson out for the moment."

They nod. Stiles watches members of the team warm up on the field, and after a minute, his eyes light up with an epiphany. Charlotte softly sighs at the smile pulling at his lips. "I know that face..."

"What if you could get each of them one on one?" the Stilinski suggests. "Would that help?"

Scott frowns as he thinks over the words. "Yeah, I think so," he finally agrees.

"Then I think I got an idea." Stiles jumps up and runs off towards Coach in the distance.

Charlotte shakes her head in amusement. "Here we go..."

"Jackson's here," Scott suddenly says.

She hums. "Great!"

"If I get close enough to him, I'll be able to tell."

"So then there'll be two?" she questions. "Jackson and this other mystery person?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Fabulous." Charlotte smiles at him before walking off toward Stiles. She just so happens to move past the bench Jackson's sitting on and overhears part of his conversation with another player. She slows her steps to eavesdrop.

"You have a hundred bucks?"

"I drive a Porsche! What do you think?"

She rolls her eyes then grins widely when the guy replies, "I think your parents have a hundred bucks."

The girl loudly laughs and roughly pats Jackson's shoulders. He flinches. "Now, that was a burn." Charlotte looks to the player she's seen around school but never properly met before. "I like you..."

"Matt," he replies with a small smile.

"I like you, Matt. I'm gonna keep you around. Have a shit day, Whittewhore."

Jackson's face had already resembled a thundercloud. Now, he resembles a steam train. As she hurries away with a grin, he angrily yells, "You should've died that day, you bitch!"

Charlotte sends him her middle finger and finally finds Stiles walking back in her direction from Coach. She snickers at the feeling of daggers being sent into the back of her skull. The boy with the buzzcut narrow his eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just Jackson being Jackson."

"Ah."

"So..." She links their arms together as they head back to Scott. "What's the idea?"

"It's brilliant!" he responds with a grin. But to her disappointment, he doesn't say another word until they're reunited with the werewolf. "Scott, I told Coach you're switching with Danny for the day."

Charlotte looks at him in confusion. "But Danny's goal," she points out slowly.

Scott furiously nods at her. "Exactly! Plus, Stiles, I hate playing goal!"

"Remember when I said I had an idea?"

Scott grimaces and hesitantly replies, "Yeah?"

Stiles wildly gestures his hands to the field. "This is the idea," he says.

"Right..."

Similar to the girl beside him, Scott shares her confusion as he tilts his head to the side. Charlotte thinks he looks like a lost puppy. "So, what's the idea?"

Stiles scoffs. "I seriously don't understand how you survive without me sometimes." She coughs and he rolls his eyes. "Survive without us sometimes," he corrects. Then he grabs Scott by the back of his neck and pulls him onto the field just as Coach blows his whistle.

"Let's go!" Coach yells. "Line it up! Faster!" Charlotte curiously watches the team form a line and Scott runs into the goal. "Make Daddy proud!"

Her nose scrunches up. "What the fuck...?"

Coach throws a ball to the first player in line, and they catch it in their net before running toward Scott and the goal. Charlotte's eyes widen and her jaw drops in pure shock as she watches her best friend dart forward to meet the approaching player, then tackle him to the ground.

"Scott, you're meant to stay in the goal," she mutters. Scott pulls the boy up by the hand and sniffs his shirt. She blinks rapidly, trying to think if she had just imagined that or not. "Scott, do not listen to Stiles. This is the worst plan ever!" Scott's head briefly turns towards her direction, and she sighs in frustration once he runs back down to his position.

"McCall! Usually the goalie stays somewhere within the vicinity of the actual goal."

"Yes, Coach!"

Once the drill is set up for the second time and begins, Scott sprints forward again and repeats exactly what he had done a minute earlier. Charlotte stares at him in disbelief. "McCall!" Coach calls out. "The position's goalkeeper. Not goal abandoner!"

"Sorry, Coach!"

When Scott trips the next player with his stick, causing him to fly into the air then crash into the ground, Charlotte Martin places her head in her hands. "Why do I bother?" she whispers to herself. She looks up just in time to see Bobby Finstock storming over to her. She smiles. "What's up, Coach?"

He drops down on the bench beside her. He looks just as frustrated as she is. "What the hell is wrong with your friend?" he grumbles.

She clicks her tongue. "Many things."

"Shorten it for me."

"Well, he's dramatically failing English and math, doesn't get along with his girlfriend's parents at all, and once a month he has these major mood swings."

Coach leans forward and squint his eyes at Scott. "Hm... That's interesting."

She nods. "I know." When she's alone again, it doesn't take her long to notice a familiar figure beside the bleachers, just close enough for her to see. She sighs. "What is wrong with everyone today?" The girl leaps up and jogs over to him. "Hey," she hisses. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hi, Charlotte. How are you doing? Nice to see you, too."

"Are... Are you mocking me?"

Derek's eyebrows raise. "Doesn't feel good, does it?"

"No, no it doesn't," she mutters. "What are you doing here? Spying again?"

"I'm learning how to play lacrosse," he deadpans.

She looks him up and down and smiles. "Huh... I knew you would be good at it."

"No, Charlotte! Of course I'm not!"

They observe Scott sniff his next victim, Danny. The girl grimaces the second Coach begins yelling again. "McCall! That's it! You come out of that goal one more time, and you'll be doing suicide runs until you die! It'll be the first ever suicide run that actually ends in a suicide! Got it?"

"Yes, Coach!"

"Yeah!"

Derek glances to Charlotte as he asks, "Would he actually do it?"

Keeping her eyes on the field, she answers without hesitation, "Oh, yeah. Coach would kill him, no doubt."

"To answer your question, I'm here for the 'other werewolf.'"

Charlotte's eyes widen. "So it's your Beta?"

"Yeah. Nice to see one of you realise it." It's silent for thirty seconds. Derek clears his throat. "By the way, I am sorry about Peter. Neither you or Lydia deserve it."

She looks down and silently counts each blade of grass. "Yeah... Thanks." He nods. "So, who is your Beta?"

"Scott seems to be finding it out the hard way."

"Stiles' idea."

The man rolls his eyes. "Of course it was."

When Jackson walks off the field and allows the player behind him to move up in the line, Charlotte scoffs in disbelief. "That son of a bitch figured out what he's doing," she mutters. They watch on as Scott and the other player crash into each other, however, this time both teenagers crouch opposite one another. Charlotte's jaw drops open once she catches a glimpse of the name and number on the player's jersey. "Isaac?" she screeches. "You turned Isaac?" She spins to Derek, but once again, he's no longer there. "Derek! It was just getting good! I know you can hear me, you dick!"

As if on cue, Noah Stilinski and a pair of his deputies walk across the field and toward the two boys in the centre. She doesn't waste any time running straight over to her friends. Isaac looks between Scott and Charlotte with desperation. "Please don't tell them," he quietly begs.

She instantly nods and gives him a small smile. "Of course we won't." He breathes out a sigh of relief, then the officers lead him away.

Scott turns to his friend in surprise. "How did you know?" he questions.

Charlotte sighs. "Scott, I have eyes. It was blatantly obvious."

Stiles joins them and he gestures over to the deputies questioning Isaac in the distance. "What are they saying?" But before Scott can respond, Charlotte whacks the back of his head. "Ow!" he shrieks.

"That was the most idiotic fucking idea you've ever had!"

Stiles raises his brows at her. "But it worked, didn't it?"

"Yes, but-"

"And end scene."

"His father's dead," Scott interjects, his eyes locked onto the Beta wolf.

A soft sigh leaves her lips. "Oh, thank the Lord," she mutters. "He was creepy as shit."

"They're saying he was murdered," he adds quietly.

She grins. "Even better."

Without removing his eyes off the scene in the distance, Stiles predicts, "They aren't saying he's a suspect, is he?"

"I'm not sure," Scott replies. He looks to the boy. "Why?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes and refrains herself from whacking his head again. "Isaac didn't kill his dad!" she whisper-yells.

"No, no, it's not that," he quickly reassures her. Stiles' demeanour quickly shifts to one of worry. "They can legally lock him in a holding cell for twenty-four hours."

Her eyes fall shut in realisation. "Oh, shit..."

Scott looks between both of them with a frown. Why 'Oh shit'?"

"Tonight's a full moon," Stiles points out grimly. "Isaac will be in a cell overnight."

"How good are these holding cells at holding people?" Scott asks with concern.

"People, good. Werewolves, probably not that good."

"Not that good?" Charlotte repeats loudly. Her heart races a little faster for her friend's safety. "Stiles, do you remember Scott's first full moon?"

"Yep," he confirms bluntly. "Remember that night very well."

"That's my point," she says. "Those cells won't hold him."

Scott nods and heaves a sigh. "She's right. Remember when I said that I don't have the urge to maim and kill? Isaac does."

»»———-　　———-««

"But why would Derek choose Isaac?"

Charlotte leans her chin on her palm and whispers, "I mean, he's an Alpha. And Alphas need Betas...?"

"Yeah, we know," Stiles murmurs back. "But why Isaac?"

"Exactly," Scott adds in confusion. "He has all of Beacon Hills to choose from."

She sighs and flips a page of her textbook. "All right then," she concludes. "I'm stumped."

Stiles watches her reaction carefully as he says, "Peter told us that if the bite doesn't turn you, it could kill you..." Her head snaps up from her book at his words and she touches the bandage on her neck at the mentioned name. Scott frowns in concern as he hears her heartbeat increase also. "So maybe teenagers have a better chance at surviving?"

She nods in agreement and tries to maintain a calm facial expression. "I mean, it makes sense. Normally, teenagers are healthier, and their bodies are stronger than adults. So, theoretically, we'd have a better chance at surviving it than an adult would."

"Does being a teenager mean your dad can't hold him?" Scott queries.

"Not unless they have solid evidence against him," Charlotte answers.

Stiles points to her. "Exactly..." He trails off before his eyes widen in realisation. "Or a witness..." He spins around in his seat to meet eyes with the student sitting behind them. "Danny!"

The boy hesitantly looks up from his work to all the trio staring at him. "What?" he reluctantly asks.

"Where's Jackson?"

Danny's eyebrows knit together at Stiles' question. "In the principal's office talking to your dad," he replies.

"What? Why?"

Charlotte groans and all three of the boys look to her. "Oh, for fuck's sake," she mutters in frustration. "Because Jackson lives across the street from Isaac."

Scott sighs as they turn away from Danny. "Witness," he states.

"Sadly."

Stiles' eyes move between his best friends, then to their teacher standing at the blackboard. He pauses for a second as he thinks, and eventually adds, "We gotta get to the principal's office."

"Of course we do," Charlotte mumbles. "Is there ever a class where I don't get detention from this asshole?"

"How?" Scott enquiries curiously.

Stiles smiles. "Charles, you're gonna love this."

Her confused frown quickly morphs into a proud grin when he quietly rips out a piece of paper from his notebook. "Okay, this makes up for the last idea," she praises.

"Everyone please turn to page seventy-three."

Stiles quickly crumples the paper in his hands and balls it up in his fist. Charlotte scans her desk and instead of ripping a piece of paper, she grabs her ruler. The pair look to each other and nod. Stiles throws his weapon of choice and Charlotte squints her eyes. Both items hit the man in the middle of the head.

"Bullseye," she whispers as Scott fist bumps her.

Adrian Harris spins around with a scowl. "Who the hell was that?" he snaps.

Charlotte's smile drops in the speed of light as she immediately points to Stiles. All three of them share the same innocent expression. The boy scoffs in response and points to Scott. Then Scott points to Charlotte.

𝘗𝘓𝘌𝘈𝘚𝘌 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸.