Blood in the water

The Benefactor - 4

I didn't realize how hard throwing a party was. I like parties for sure. But I didn't realize that throwing parties came with all this crap.

Especially when it's a party that was thrown together at the literal last minute. 

Most of these kids were freshmen that I have never even seen before at school. I had slapped on the bracelet Athena had given me so I could control the wolf in me.

Then Lydia and I spent most of the time keeping everything in the house in perfect condition. 

When are people so touchy? "Don't touch that," I scolded a teenager as I put back the figurine they had taken back on a shelf.

I perked my head when I smelled the scent of booze and headed for the source. It didn't smell like wine or anything we have here. 

I came into the kitchen to see Demarco. He's kind of the town's teenage beer supplier. Danny and I ordered from him when we had the black light party for Halloween. I missed Danny. 

"Okay, I didn't order a keg of beer–“ Lydia tells him as she inspected the keg. “especially not domestic.” 

“Somebody ordered it.” Demarco said and looked around at the amount of people lodged in here. “Are you trying to tell me nobody here wants to drink?” 

Lydia spots her laptop open with a glass of wine on top of it. “Who put this here?” She demanded from the crowd, even though it was likely no one would answer her. 

“This laptop is two thousand dollars.” I looked to see one of the members of the team, Garrett, sniffing an open bottle of wine. Good God.

I snatched it from him and handed it to Lydia. “That bottle of wine is four-hundred.” 

I sighed and looked at Demarco as I began to pull out my wallet. “How much?” He handed us the receipt and Lydia and I scanned it quickly. “What's this extra hundred dollars?”

“I call that the, "Yes, you do look twenty-one to me"-surcharge.” I rolled my eyes. Real mature.

I looked down in my wallet to see I was missing the rest of the money. I had 100 dollars but not the rest of it. Dammit. 

Lydia looked out into the hall to see a kid going upstairs. “Let me get you the rest of the cash…” She tells Demarco before she goes to follow the kid upstairs. Not wanting to be left alone with Demarco, I hurried up after her. 

The kid had entered a very white and spacious room that only had two chairs, a bookshelf and a record player. He looked around curiously. 

“What are you doing up here?” Lydia and I demand from the kid. He turns around startled by us. “The party's downstairs.” 

“I was looking for Liam.” The kid explained. So I’m guessing this is the friend Mason that invited all of these people. Thank you very much dude. 

“Sorry, but missing freshmen are a little low on my priority list.” Lydia tells him as she marches in the room to pick up the glasses of wine some kids left up here. How did they even get up here without us noticing? 

“But not so low you don't know he's a freshman?” 

I sighed annoyed as I grabbed the kid's arm and began marching him out the door.

“Almost everyone here is a freshman. We might have seen him downstairs.” 

Lydia trips suddenly behind us, spilling the red wine on the very white carpet. “Oh, my God! The carpet.” She drops down immediately and begins to try and take it out with the hem of her sweater. 

“Hey, it's alright. It'll come out.” I tried to assure her but Lydia kept trying to rub it off anxiously. 

“I'm sorry.” Mason apologized. “Was it valuable?” 

“No. That's the problem-- nothing in here's valuable." Lydia cried. "We just put the house on the market.

It was supposed to be left without a scratch. It has to be in perfect condition. We need every penny we can get out of this place.” 

Oh god. Is everyone having money problems. I rub Lydia's arm sympathetically. 

“Okay. Let me go get some club soda and salt.” Mason said. I smiled, thankful at him. “Lydia, it'll come out. It will.” 

Mason gets up and goes to find the stuff, leaving Lydia and I alone for a second. "Lydia what's going on?" I asked the redhead. "If you're having money problems you could have just told me." 

They all could have told me. I would have gladly given them my portion of the inheritance money.

Including Peter's because that money has been lying there for years untouched. It might as well be put to good use. Well once we get it all back. 

Lydia lets out a shaky breath. "I know. I just didn't feel right asking for someone's charity." 

I give her a sympathetic smile. "It's not charity if it comes from someone you know." Lydia smiles thankful. I looked down at the red wine stain on the carpet. Hm. There might be a spell I can do. 

I get up and go to close the door so no one from the outside can see, however as soon as I close the door the beat from the music stops. Lydia and I frowned. I open it again and the sound pours through.

But when I close it again it’s gone. Even through my ears I can't really hear much going on outside. Lydia stood up confused and looked around the room.

“Soundproof?” 

The room was empty, except a small desk, two chairs, a shelf, and a record player. 

“Why does your grandmother have a soundproof room?” I asked Lydia. She shakes her head and looks around. She approached the record player and turned it on.

What plays is some sort of distorted beeping. For a second I think I’m hearing things before I realize Lydia was hearing it too as she stares at the blank wall. 

“Lydia,” I asked softly as I approached. “What do you hear?”

“The key…" She said it so softly it's almost a whisper. "The key to break the code.” 

Lydia turns the computer in the room on, loading the code from before. She types in the key to the code. That was surprisingly Allison. 

“What is this?” I was shocked as a list of names showed up with numbers next to them. 

I only recognized a few. There were the names of the entire Walcott family, and then some of our names. Lydia Martin, with the number 20 next to it. 

Scott McCall 25

Derek Hale 15

Nathan Hale 30 

Andrea Hale 20

My own name, Isabelle Hale with the numbers 50 next to it. 

Kira Yukimura 6

This wasn't disturbing at all.

“It's a list of supernaturals in Beacon Hills.” Lydia finally explained. “It's a Deadpool-- and we're all on it.”