𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫, m. tate & i. lahey

𝟎𝟎𝟖. the vault

ANCHOR

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"WHERE'S LYDIA?" KIRA asks, looking around the hallway that the group is currently standing in. Scott, Allison, Malia, and Isaac shrug casually, also unbeknownst to the banshee's whereabouts.

"She took it her freshman year." Stiles tells her, causing Malia to snap her head to him.

The girl's eyes narrow desperately. "Does that mean I could've taken it some other time?"

Allison furrows her brows in confusion. "Malia, what do you mean? You've studied so much."

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna do good," she reminds her friend, whose lips are now pursed as she thinks of words of encouragement.

"Well," Stiles corrects her. Isaac waves a flat hand through the air, attempting to get the boy to shut his mouth before he sets off the already anxious werecoyote. He fails, however.

Malia waits a moment, perplexed as to why Stiles hasn't finished his sentence. "Well, what?"

"It's do well, not good." He says, shrinking back instantly when she throws her hands up in frustration.

"Oh, God!" Malia exclaims, making Stiles regret saying anything at all. Isaac sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Scott decides to speak up next, although his words are more assuring than Stiles'. "You're doing this, because while we're not trying to die, we still need to live. I mean, if I survive high school, I'd like to go to college— a good college."

"It's only three hours. We can survive three hours," Kira insists, nodding her chin. Stiles stares at her, jaw wide open as his eye twitches.

"You're gonna jinx us. You know that, right?" Isaac questions, staring down at the shorter girl with irritated eyes. Kira murmurs an oh and quietly apologizes.

The door to the classroom swings opens, and Ms. Martin steps out into the hallway of students. She shows a warm smile and announces that everything has been prepared and ready for them. The line of teenagers starts to move forward.

Soon enough, the group of friends enter the classroom and walk over to the table that has the booklets. A man sits behind the table on his phone, seemingly oblivious to the students that give him suspicious looks.

The line moves fast; everyone puts their thumbprint on black ink and presses it on a piece of paper, takes a booklet and some pencils, and gives Ms. Martin their cellphone. Malia copies her friends and places her thumb on the black ink and presses the print onto the paper.

Then she grabs a booklet and finds her way to a desk next to Scott. Kira and Allison sit behind them as Stiles and Isaac are seated in front of the four. They both open to the first page and start reading.

"Please do not open the test booklet until you are instructed to do so." The man says, causing Stiles to close it awkwardly, while Isaac stumbles to flip the front paper over. "This test is two hours and ten minutes. There will be two twenty-five-minute critical reading sections, two twenty-five-minute math sections and an essay writing portion that will last thirty minutes"—Malia's mouth gapes open at the amount of time for each section—"There are supposed to be two teachers monitoring this exam."

Ms. Martin, whom is the only present teacher in the room, stammers when his strange eyes meet hers. "I know— it's Coach. He's not exactly punctual. Um, let me just... try him again."