𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫, m. tate & i. lahey

𝟎𝟎𝟔. lydia's patience

ANCHOR

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LYDIA STARES AT the sketchbook, clutching down on her pencil tightly. Malia watches her, waiting impatiently. The strawberry blonde slowly moves the pencil towards the paper. Malia averts her gaze from her to the easel. She moves from her right shoulder to her left, trying to get a better view. Meanwhile, Allison sits off to the side, a book laid out on the table in front of her. Although, she's not actually reading it.

"Please stop hovering." Lydia snaps at the werecoyote, opening her eyes and glancing back at the girl.

"I'm not hovering. I'm... waiting," Malia says. "Draw something, write something. We need to know who else is on that list."

Lydia inhales a quick and sharp breath. "You mean, you need to know if you're on the list."

Malia sighs and tips her head back as she licks her lips. She thinks of an honest answer, which isn't difficult for her. "If someone's coming to take my head off, then yeah. I'd like to know."

"To be fair," Allison starts, leaning her cheek against the palm of her hand. "I'd like to know, too."

As the banshee's hand gets closer to the sketchbook, Malia leans over her shoulder more. Lydia closes her eyes and tilts her head to the right, attempting to relax and find silence despite the breathing in her ear. When Lydia's patience runs to the lowest point, she finally snaps. "Can you please just sit down?"

Malia immediately moves away and takes a seat next to Allison. She grabs a nearby book and starts flipping through it in an attempt to distract herself. Allison purses her lips at the both of them.

Lydia grits her teeth, still holding the yellow pencil tightly in her hand. "You're making me nervous."

"Sorry," the werecoyote says quietly. Malia glances between her and the book, nonchalantly turning the pages and taking small looks at the images. Then a familiar shape comes into Malia's sight. She perks up at the drawing, an idea dawning on her. "Lydia."

"What?" When neither of her friends respond, Lydia scoffs in an irritated voice. "Oh, my God, what?"

"Maybe we need help," Allison tells her, turning on her stool to look at Lydia. "Maybe from another banshee."

Malia adjusts her book and props it up for Lydia to see. She sighs heavily, pursing her lips in either an annoyed or reluctant manner. Lydia takes a moment to process the thought. "Meredith."

Malia shrugs one shoulder. She raises her eyebrows in question as well. "So?"

"Let's go call Eichen House," Lydia drops her pencil and jumps off the chair. She heads toward the doors to the art room, Allison and Malia following suit.

They enter the hallway, and the strawberry blonde takes her phone out and dials the number. Lydia holds the device to her ear and waits as the phone rings. Then the ringing stops.

"Hi, this is Lydia Martin calling," Lydia shifts her weight onto one heel. She glances back at Allison, who offers an assuring smile. "I was wondering if it would be possible for me and some of my friends to visit a patient?"

Malia taps the tip of her shoes against the tiles, nibbling on the inside of her cheek as she watches Lydia talk to the Eichen employee.

"Meredith Walker," the strawberry blonde says. She fidgets with a button on her striped sweater anxiously. Malia furrows her brows but decides to dismiss her observation.