Aspen Juniper Veata has only ever known Beacon Hills to be a quiet and dainty town. Herself, along with her best friends Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski, had gone unnoticed by their peers in high school for as long as they could remember. Aspen ha...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
_____<•>_____
The bell rang, and Aspen trailed behind Lydia, hoping to at least have the girl talk to her. Lydia wasn't used to confiding in anyone. Aspen didn't think it could be her, but it was worth a shot. That person could have been Jackson, but she was sure he wouldn't give her the time anyway. They entered the rather busy hallway, but she didn't slow down, and Aspen didn't stop following. She was too stubborn, but that was a positive trait in her personality sometimes. "I had a blackout in class, okay? It's not the end of the world." Lydia's words sounded stiff on her tongue, but she was determined not to break into a million pieces. Aspen caught a glimpse of Allison by her locker, sending her a questionable quirk of her brow. Aspen waved her hand dismissively, silently telling her she would talk to her in a moment.
"Lydia, Stop," Aspen's dainty hand snapped around Lydia's elbow and forced her feet to stop, even with a sea of students passing them. Aspen's eyes were filled with sternness, something she didn't often show around Lydia. With her, it was cruel, harmless jokes and giggles. But right now, Lydia was hurting, and that broke her heart. "You don't have to pretend to be strong. I see the way you've been acting lately. Everybody can see how you're tearing apart. Even Jackson knows. Look, you don't have to talk to me, but the school counselor clearly isn't helping. All I know is you ended up in the hospital, and then you're out on the streets without a right mind. What's going on inside that head of yours?"
Lydia huffed and flicked a hair from her face. "I've been--" the words cut off from frustration and part embarrassment, "I've been having weird dreams, and I thought it was just nightmares until a few days ago. They were more than that. I see him at school and--and in my room--like that night I punched my mirror. He was behind me, Aspen, and I was terrified..."
Tears began stinging Lydia's eyes, and Aspen led her to an alcove next to one of the classroom doors that wasn't occupied. Lydia's chin wobbled with a silent cry and rested her head against the wall behind her to keep the tears at bay. Aspen let the pad of her thumb graze her hand in comfort. She dipped her head, eyes coaxing Lydia to look at her. "Him. Who did you see? Was he in the classroom just now?"
"You'd think I'm crazy." Lydia laughed pathetically and knuckled under her eyes to wipe away the black smudges.
"I've had my fair share of crazy Lydia. Just tell me."
Lydia looked sidelong as if someone might be listening. When she looked back to Aspen, her green eyes were glassed and trembling. "Peter Hale," she whispered shakily, and Aspen visibly froze, "I see him everywhere. I can't get away. He's--he's everywhere."
Aspen's lips gaped, and she forced her mouth closed. She leaned back on the wall across from Lydia, suddenly feeling like the corner was closing in on her. Her eyes stared at a part of the wall near Lydia's head, and she didn't think the words would leave her mouth, but they did. "Me too," she kept her voice steady.
