All Shades of Blue

28

Nora, who had been discussing supernatural stuff with Scott and Stiles, saw Derek walk into the Jennifer Blake's classroom.

She frowned, confused, and stood outside wishing she knew what was being said.

Ms. Blake screamed. "What do you want? You gonna threaten me? Tell me that no one's gonna believe me? Try to scare me? Kill me?"

"I was gonna see if you were okay," Derek replied.

"Physically or emotionally? Although I guess that presupposes I was emotionally okay before any of this. And according to my therapist, I... it's been debatable for a long time." She sighed.

"I think you're gonna be okay."

"Obviously, you've never taught high school. In 20 minutes, I have to start two dozen teenagers on The Crucible, and I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna say."

"Well, why don't you start by telling them that it's an allegory for McCarthyism?"

"Is that a subtle way of suggesting that I shouldn't say anything? Because I won't. Who are you?"

"I'm Derek."

"Jennifer."

He walked out and smiled, seeing Nora. 'To what do I owe seeing you?'

'Nothing much. I was just talking to Scott and Stiles. Any plans for the day?'

'I want to keep an eye on my sister. The rest remains to be seen. You're welcome to come if you want.'

'As much as I like the offer, I have a ton of paperwork to do.'

'Best of luck with that.'

'Thank you.'

Derek left and as Nora was leaving, a girl screamed.

Nora ran towards the space between the forest and the track field.

"It's him, isn't it?" Scott asked.

"Hey, get out of the way," the sheriff instructed. "Get back. Get this area cordoned off before they trample every piece of evidence."

"Back up!" Deputy Tara cried. "Everyone back!"

"Get these kids out of here."

Stiles glanced to his father. "Dad, just come here. Look, look. Look at it. It's the same as the others, you see?"

The sheriff nodded. "Yeah, I see that. Do me a favor. Go back to school, yeah? Coach, can you give us a hand here?"

"You heard the man," Coach said. "Nothing to see here. Probably just some homeless kid."

"Coach," Scott called.

"Yeah?"

"He was a senior."

"Oh." Coach sighed. "He wasn't on the team, was he?"

Ashley let out another cry. "Aaaaahh, Kyle! Oh, God, Kyle! Oh, God!"

"Go on. Go, go," the sheriff said.

Nora walked up to Ashley and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Isaac and Stiles stood to the side. Scott was a short distance away from them.

"You see the way the twins looked at him?" Isaac asked.

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, you mean like they had no idea what happened?"

"No, no, they knew."

"The kid was strangled with a garrote, all right? Am I the only one recognizing the lack of "werewolfitude" in these murders?"