Pure × Isaac Lahey

21.

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        "Derek?" Jennifer slid open the loft door, a storm raging outside. "Derek, where are you?"

        "Right here." Derek came out from another room, something different about him.

        She sighed with relief, "Thank god." She quickly went up to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Something happened at the recital. At the school. Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear any of it from them."

        "From who?"

        "Scott, Stiles," Jennifer hesitated, "Elora. They're going to tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me."

       "What is it?" he questioned.

       "Promise you'll listen to me," Jennifer pleaded.

        "I promise," Derek replied.

        But when Ms. Blake kissed him, she knew the facade was up.

        Jennifer opened her eyes, backing away. "They're already here, aren't they?"

        Derek looked over her shoulder, Scott and Stiles coming out from their hiding spots.

        "So," Jennifer glanced to the teens, "they told you it was me. That I'm the one taking people?"

       "We told him you're the one killing people," Scott harshly said, carrying a present from Elora who'd stayed at the school.

       "Oh," Jennifer sarcastically laughed, "that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense."

        A tear slipped down Stiles' cheek as she lied to their faces. "Where's my dad?"

        "How should I know?" Jennifer looked to Derek. "Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

        After a pause, Derek asked a question instead. "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?"

       "No," she quickly shook her head with a convincing voice.

       "Ask her why she almost killed Lydia."

       "Lydia Martin?" Jennifer asked Scott, "I don't know anything about that."

       "What do you know?" Derek sharply questioned. "You already used Elora's real name, you shouldn't have known that."

       "I know that these boys, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. And one they can't prove, by the way."

       Scott held up a small jar, "Elora says otherwise."

        Jennifer hesitated, "What is that?"

        "She told me it's a poison and a cure, which means you can use it and it can be used against you." He undid the lid, following what Elora had told him to do.

        Jennifer scowled, "Mistletoe?"

       And as the dust spread across Jennifer and showed her true face, they realized they should've listened to Elora in the first place.

        Jennifer breathed heavily as she returned to her unscarred face. In a sudden movement, she tried to run.

        Derek grabbed her at her throat, anger pulsing through him as he brought out his claws.