Tether ⌲ Stiles Stilinski [2]

eleven

"I'm still not sure we should go." Allison was lying on her bed with her arms crossed over her chest. She kept eyeing me as I helped pick through her closet to find an outfit respectful enough, mournful enough, for the memorial concert happening later in the evening.

"You want to stay home and snoop through Dad's office again, don't you?"

"Yes! Doesn't that seem more important?" She sat up. "We both know that this concert is a waste of time anyway. It'll make me feel stupid sitting there listening to eulogies about people we knew were brutally sacrificed by a supernatural serial killer."

I sighed. "I know. Trust me, I get it. But Lydia wants us there, and that's enough for me. She already said she was going and if she has to sit through this thing, the least we could do is sit next to her. It will only be a couple of hours."

"A lot can happen in a couple of hours."

There was a quick knock at the bedroom door before Chris swung it open and greeted the two of us.

"Are you two getting ready for the recital?" he asked.

I was about to answer in agreement but Allison cut in before I could manage. She acted hesitant, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort and shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know if we're really feeling up for it."

I shot her a look but she ignored me.

"But your friends will be there, won't they?"

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled.

"If you want I could take you - "

"I don't know if we're feeling up for it, Dad," Allison repeated herself sharper this time.

"Okay," he nodded. "Okay, I get it. Recitals, school, it can all wait you know. You could take more days off if you need."

"We'll think about it," I offered. "We can drive ourselves there if we end up deciding to go. Don't worry about us."

Our father feigned an expression of ease, attempting to soften his eyes into something like understanding. But I could tell by the way his jaw tensed that he was far from being at ease. He was still watching us, studying us. Either way, it didn't matter. We were watching him too.

"Alright, well, I'm heading out for the night then. Just text me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay." My twin sister and I answered in unison.

With one last curt nod, Chris backed out and closed the bedroom door once more. I turned on Allison.

"What was that for?"

"I just need a little more time," Allison pleaded. "I was thinking about something all day, about why Dad could know about all of that druid information. Why he would be able to map out all of the locations of the bodies and sacrifices. How it is he seems to know things before they happen."

"What exactly are you suggesting?"

"I think you know what I'm suggesting."

I let out a sharp breath, not knowing whether to laugh or get angry. "No. There's no way. You are not telling me that you think our father is the one behind everything?"

"I don't want it to be true, either! I'm just trying to come up with some answers!"

"You seriously believe that Dad is the D-"

"Shhh! - " Allison jumped forward suddenly, pressing a finger to my mouth to shut me up. Her eyes were wide, her movements slow and concentrated. "Did you hear that?"