CHASING PHANTOMS // TEEN WOLF [bxb]

MADDEN BEGINS

***

       The Madden house was captivating.

       With its three story structure and rounded accents, its gaping archways and elongated windows, it was breathtaking.

       The Madden house was also deceiving.

       It could be filled with people, vibrant and lively, and it would still feel icy, empty, lonely.

       Its cream exterior made its arched windows look deeper as if peering into a vast expanse or endless abyss. Its intricately designed winding tile pathway lead to a massive and thick solid dark wood door that acted as a safe, locking what was within.

       A beautiful array of hedges followed by white and pink hydrangeas lined its front, tall trees closing its back and evergreens lining its sides, as if protecting it.

       Now, frost seemed to ooze from the walls within, a mixture of bitter air and frigid wind. The thermostat had been set to sixty-nine degrees but that was three months ago when the heat was blistering and now the chilled air only added to the icy atmosphere of the barren home.

       Jacob Keaton Madden couldn't be bothered to adjust it, nothing could diffuse the cold ache that seeped its way into the foundation and made a home there. 

       A buzz from his pocket tore Jake away from the half shut blinds covering the window, the sun peeking out through the cracks and leaving its mark on the wooden floor, striving to add some modicum of warmth. 

       He knew what the text read before he even read it, having received it enough times to know that Stiles was waiting for him outside in the jeep. It had become a routine of theirs, driving to school together despite his own car sitting in the garage.

       Calling out a goodbye to his mother, one that he knew would likely go unheard even if she was in the house, Jake grabbed his keys out of the glass bowl on the foyer table before exchanging the cold house for the warmth of the fall California air. 

       The change was refreshing and after being away for three months, he welcomed it greedily. He couldn't deny the excitement he felt at seeing everyone in-person after so long, Skype only capable of doing so much. 

       Approaching the familiar jeep, he immediately caught sight of Stiles reaching over the middle console to roll down the passenger window and call out to him with a bright smile.

       The only coherent thought that ran through Jake's brain in that moment was Skype does not do him justice. 

        Of course he had known Stiles was growing out his hair, he'd seen it first hand over their many calls but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing—for the real Stiles. 

       His hair wasn't the only change as Jake immediately noticed how his lean form had started to fill out a bit more, his jawline sharper and his moles more pronounced. Despite the cosmetic differences, Jake could clearly see that Stiles was still the same spastic teen with doe eyes and a sharp tongue and brilliant mind.

       "Jake!" Stiles called, only leaning back in his seat properly when Jake got in the jeep and dropped his bag on the floor. "Buddy, pal, ole friend, I've missed you," he jeered teasingly, laughing and putting the car in gear when Jake punched him playfully in the shoulder.

        "I missed you too," Jake laughed, shaking his head at his best friend's antics. He was being honest when he said it, he really had missed just being around him, but Stiles didn't need to know that.