before the void - isaac lahey ⁰˙⁵

02

I shiver in Stiles's sweatshirt as we step out of his jeep. I grab my phone out of the pocket of my track pants to turn on the screen so it acts like a torch. 

"If I roll my ankle before school starts I will have your fucking neck Stilisnki," I say as I breathe in the cool forest air. 

Stiles ignores me as he pulls out a torch and turns the engine of the jeep off. 

"We're seriously doing this?" Scott asks anxiously as he gets out of the back seat.

I pat him on the shoulder. "Scared?" I ask mockingly and he shrugs me off with a glare. 

"You're the one that's always bitching that nothing happens in this town," Stiles says as he walks around to us both. 

"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practise tomorrow," Scott says sounding dignified and I let out a snort. 

"Right, 'cause sitting on the bench is such a gruelling effort." I say sarcastically as I follow Stiles to the sign that says 'Beacon Hills Reserve, Do Not Enter.' and step over the chain rope.

"No, because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line." Scott chimes in from behind us both and Stiles and I share a look before looking back at Scott. 

"Hey, that's the spirit! Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." Stiles says shaking his head as we begin to walk through the woods. 

I roll my eyes as I look at the forest life around me. "Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?" I asked Stiles as Scott ran forward to catch up to us both. 

Stiles looks at me sheepishly. " Huh! I didn't even think about that." 

I halt my walking for a second and look at him in disbelief. 

"And, uh... what if whoever killed the body is still out here?" Scott asks as he looks at Stiles.

Stiles looks almost embarrassed as he responds. "Also something I didn't think about."

I run a little to catch up with the pair. "It's comforting to know you've planned this out with your usual attention to detail," I say sarcastically. 

Stiles winks at me. "I know."

Scott lets out a hearty cough and fumbles for something in his pocket. "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?" He asks as he uses his inhaler. He stops against a tree to take a breath but Stiles and I keep walking and I hear Scott scrambling up the hill. 

I see more flashlights and let out a small gasp. "Get down!" 

I run to the nearest tree and Scott behind me runs to the one next to me and I turn my phone off as Stiles keeps walking. "Stiles!" I try to whisper but he doesn't hear me. 

"Stiles!" Scott hisses but as Stiles looks back at us a dog starts barking at him and he falls over. An officer grabs him by the shirt and drags him up. 

I hear lots of shouting and I push myself closer to the tree. 

"Hang on, hang on..." I hear Stiles's dad, the town sheriff, let out a sigh. "This little delinquent belongs to me."

I look over my shoulder to where Stiles and his dad are standing and see Stiles try to suck up to his dad to not get into too much shit. "Dad, how are you doing?"

"So, do you, uh, listen in to all of my phone calls?" His father asks looking thoroughly fed up with his son. 

"No. Heh..."Stiles lets out a sheepish laugh and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I look over at Scott who is breathing hard and has his eye squeezed shut. "...Not the boring ones." I hear Stiles finish.