IN TOO DEEP || Liam Dunbar [3]

TWENTY TWO

WARNING: non descript mentions of vomiting near the end!!!

"Someone needs to explain to me how the fuck the only FBI agent that's been sent to Beacon Hills is Scott's dad," Katherine panted as she ran down the hallway with Liam. "Because honestly, this is ridiculous. People have been dying every year since I was in eighth grade, and the FBI have been like eh, they'll be fine, they've got a whole sheriff and three deputies, what more could they need?" She heaved in a dry breath that all but rattled her lungs. "Hotch would never let this stand—"

"—Katherine, you're awesome, but we've got a probably dead freshman in the shower," Liam huffed.

"Yeah, yeah, dead kid," she huffed out, but it was just to keep herself from getting overwhelmed again.

They ran until they met up at the agreed upon place with Mason and Corey, who both looked mildly panicked. "Library is empty," Mason wheezed.

Corey, who sounded completely fine in terms of breathing, nodded. "Gym too."

"Okay, Aaron—" Hotcher, she thought, then immediately threw it out of her mind "—is the only one we can't get a hold of."

"Did anyone check the parking lot?" Mason asked, having caught his breath slightly. "See if his car is still there?"

"We were just about to do that," Katherine panted.

They took the hallways at a jog now, more than likely for hers and Mason's sake as the two of them were wheezing again. They were nearly at the front doors, just passing the history room when Liam lurched to a stop and Katherine, with her coordination, sprinted right into him.

She let out an oof as her chest hit his back, but Corey was there to keep her from hitting the ground. Then she saw why Liam had stopped.

In the classroom, sitting at the front and centre seat, was a young kid with his head shaved and wearing a lacrosse jersey. Aaron. He had his arms up on the desk as he stared through the half opened blinds of the front window, unmoving.

"What the hell," Katherine mumbled.

They all quietly walked into the classroom to where he was sitting, in a single file line; first Liam, then Mason and herself with Corey following at the end.

"Aaron," Liam called out carefully.

Slowly, with a perfectly calm smile, Aaron turned to look at them. "Hey guys," he said, without any real emotion behind it.

"Thank god you're okay," Mason blurted out before she could nudge him back a step. "Where have you been?"

"I forgot we have a history test tomorrow," was the answer they got: as if it would explain everything.

"We've been trying to call you," Liam frowned.

Aaron grabbed his phone and pressed the power button a few times before shrugging. "I guess it must've died."

From there, after another twenty minutes of talking, Liam was able to convince him to go home and study. They waited another five after he left, just to be sure he didn't circle back for any reason, and then called Melissa who promised to have the situation with the body dealt with. From that point, they went out to their respective cars.

She waved goodbye to Corey as he pulled out of his spot and went home, then hugged Mason and kissed Liam; the two were going back to the latter's house for video games and bro time, as she called it.

"Are you sure you want to wait for Scott?" Liam asked her for the third time, his hands holding her hips.

"Yes," she rolled her eyes. "He texted me a few minutes ago and said he's on his way."