I N S T I N C T | Jackson Whittemore

11: immune to truth

Immune to Truth
Chapter Eleven

Annie, Scott, and Allison were all forced to climb the rock wall during gym class. Each of them carrying out a conversation as they went. Annie was the furthest up the wall, and she looked down and smiled at Scott as she touched the top.

Scott was too busy talking to Allison to be jealous of Annie beating his "wolf-skills."

Scott shook his head, "It had a tail. I don't have a tail."

Allison shrugged, grabbing the next ring up, and pulling herself up farther. "Maybe you just haven't grown it yet."

Scott stopped completely and grew serious, "I'm not growing a tail. Ever," he finally noticed Allison just waiting for him on the wall, and huffed. "Are you slowing down for me?"

Allison scoffed, "I was waiting for you."

"What? Waiting for me to catch up?" Scott laughed.

Allison shrugged, "You looked like you were struggling."

Scott leaned back, looking at Allison's ass, and smiled, "Maybe I was admiring the view..."

Allison huffed, "Try admiring from afar," she kicked off the wall, and began to climb a few more feet. When she went to look back down at Scott, he was gone, and instead was right beside her. She looked around before kicking Scott's foot off the wall, having him plummet towards the mat. The slack of his rope was pulled before he fell, and he dropped to the ground with a heaving chest.

Annie laughed at Scott, along with the rest of the class, before going back to her conversation. "Why don't you get Allison to ask her? Or, better yet, ask her yourself?" she smiled sarcastically at Stiles. Apparently, he didn't have the balls to ask Lydia on their fun night.

Stiles scoffed, "Me... ask Lydia Martin... on a date?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "It's just ice skating, doofus," she turned around. "Hey, Lydia! Stiles, Scott, Allison and I all tonight. Ice skating. You in?"

Lydia thought about it for a moment before smiling and walking away towards Allison who was getting off the wall. Annie turned back to Stiles, smirking, "There you go... now all I need is a date."

"Stiles and... Erica. To the wall!" Coach blew his whistle, and Stiles rushed towards the wall, slipping on his harness and climbing before Erica could even make her way over.

Annie frowned at the sight, and walked over to Jackson, bumping him with her arm. "Does she do a lot of sports?"

Jackson shrugged, "I don't know her."

"Oh," Annie nodded, "hey, um... I actually need a date to this thing tonight. You wouldn't interested... would you?"

Jackson smiled. Was his dream girl asking him on a date? "What is this thing you're talking about?"

"Ice skating."

Jackson thought about it, then realized what the hell... as long as he was with Annie. "Sure, I'll pick you up around...?"

"9:00."

He smirked, "See you then."

Annie turned to Erica freaking out on the rock wall. Erica breathed in, and out, trying to calm herself as she slowly ventured down it, stepping onto the mat. The entire class bursted into laughter while Annie just shook her head. No one should be treated that way.

* * *

Annie was talking to Allison in the locker room when she heard it. Scott's shout. She sprinted into the gym to find Erica convulsing on her side. Scott had his arm around her, and Annie quickly fell to her knees.

"She's epileptic," she panted, "put her on her side!"

Scott flipped her over as Erica clamped down on his hand with her own. Scott looked up at Allison.

Annie shook her head, monitoring Erica's heart rate, "How did you know?" she asked Scott.

Scott shrugged, "I just felt it."

* * *

"A small exposure on an otherwise deadly virus can actually prevent the effects of the infection from spreading. This is called vaccination."

Jackson rolled his eyes at the video they were watching in health class, and pinched the bridge of his nose. His thoughts were consumed by Annie. Annie and the fact nothing happened last night. He woke up and flipped through the footage to find nothing.

He didn't transform. He simply just slept.

Matt looked at the lens Jackson had cracked the night before by throwing the camera in frustration. He scoffed, "What the hell did you do to my camera?"

Jackson was pulled from his thoughts, "Huh?"

Matt huffed, "The lens is cracked."

"So by creating an immunity—" the video spoke out, and it caught Jackson's attention. "Your body is primed to fight off the infection. From meningitis, to rabies from an animal bite. Meaning the subject in now immune."

Matt groaned, "Do you know how expensive this thing is?"

Jackson snarled, "Just send me the bill."

He looked back at Lydia who was taking notes innocently in the back. He knew he was mad at Lydia, but now he hated her. She was bitten by Peter, and she never turned. It's her. She made him immune to the bite. That's why he never turned... it's because the bite never took.

The bell rang and Jackson watched as Lydia picked up her stuff and walked out of the classroom, and he quickly followed. He cut off her path and stood in front of her, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Lydia's eyes went wide, "What?"

She had no clue what Jackson was talking about. She just wanted him back... she was still madly in love with him.

"Show it to me. Show it to me," Jackson pulled at her coat. "Come on."

Lydia shoved him off of her, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Nothing happened to you," Jackson shook his head. "It's like... it's like you're immune."

Lydia shook her head, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"It's... it's you. Whatever it is..." Jackson looked her up and down with disgust, "blood, saliva... Whatever soul-killing substance is running through your veins, you did this to me." Jackson pointed in Lydia's face, his temper rising, "You ruined it for me. You ruined everything!"

Annie watched with a hand over her mouth as Jackson stormed away from Lydia, leaving her there in tears. She had seen the whole thing.