Hoping for Heroes

Chapter 18

Harley digs through the cabinets and drawers, looking for something to clean up her fist. She startles as someone knocks on the door, standing up straight. She clears her throat and hides her hand behind her back, opening the door.

"Are you done?" a random guy asks, annoyed. "You've been in here for like, an hour." Harley narrows her eyes at him. He shrinks back into himself. "Never mind, just, uh, take your time." With that, he scrambles away. Harley rolls her eyes, stepping out of the bathroom. She shoves her way through the crowds to find anyone she may know.

She eventually makes her way outside, finding some random girl dunking Stiles' head into the pool as Scott watches. She reaches them just as the girl asks Stiles how he is feeling.

"Like I might have to revisit my policy on hitting a girl," Stiles says.

"He's sober," the girl says to Scott, sniffling. Scott turns to look at Harley.

"Where have you been?" he asks her.

"Around," she muses. "Did Stiles get drunk?"

"He only had a cup or two of Lydia's drink. I don't know what happened."

Harley shoves through the large mass of people, meeting Scott and Stiles as they all look for Lydia.

"I can't find her," Stiles says as they reach one another.

"Me neither," Harley shakes her head.

"And, dude, anyone who drank that crap, they're freaking out." The three look on as multiple people jump into the pool.

"I can see that," Scott says, wide-eyed.

"What do we do?" Harley asks Scott.

"I don't know, but we gotta-" Scott is cut off by a desperate yell.

"I can't swim!" the voice pleads. "No, no, no, no, stop, guys! I can't swim, I can't swim!" The boy is thrown into the pool, flailing violently. Harley steps forward to help him, but Scott grabs her wrist and tugs her back. She looks at him, confused, but he only shakes his head. She stares at him in horror as he continues to drown, until something unexpected happens. Jackson pulls the boy up and out of the water. The boy turns out to be Matt, the one that was Allison's date to the rave.

"What are you looking at?" Matt demands. He walks forward, shoving his way between Scott and Stiles, not before staring Harley down. She keeps her face even, staring him back. The party is soon dismantled as everyone runs from the cops. 

"Scott?" Harley calls. It's not even a few seconds until he's at her side. She nods forward, and he follows her gaze, seeing Matt staring at the two, huffing angrily. Harley inhales sharply once she notices. At Matt's feet is Jackson in his Kanima form. "Fu-"

Harley finds herself, yet again, seated cross-legged on Stiles' bed as he argues with his dad.

"So this kid's the real killer?" Mr. Stilinksi asks. Scott nods. "No."

"Yes!" Stiles exclaims.

"No."

"Dad, come on." Stiles jumps up out of his seat. "Everybody knows that the police look for ways to connect victims in a murder, okay? So all you have to do is like, look through their transcripts and figure out which class they all had in common."

"Yeah, except for the fact that the rave promoter Kara wasn't in Harris's class."

"All right, yeah, you're right, sorry. Then I guess they dropped the charges against him?"