Recovering

Chapter 3: Who Throws the Best Parties in Beacon Hills?

She tripped down the stairs in an attempt to do a slow-motion moon-walk type thing, and I tried not to be insulted that Liam actually noticed her. I was happy, though, that he did the chivalrous thing and helped her up.

That might just be because he likes her better, though, a vicious voice inside of my head said, and I adjusted the beanie covering my gauze head-wrap self-consciously, glancing to Lydia for hope.

My part was at the end of the day. Most people wouldn't have seen her, hiding behind the lockers, but I saw Lydia, carefully masked (because, despite her confident, beautiful, amazing self, she could hide when she wanted to).

"Hey, Liam," I said. "Sorry about earlier with Scott and Stiles. On a totally unrelated note, did you hear about the party?" God, I was so awkward, but either way he nodded his head slowly. "Good...that's good. I'm going, are you?"

Liam nodded, a smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm going, too."

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Kira picked me up first in her electric car, and then we picked Liam up. I didn't even want to know how Kira knew where he lived, but I suspected it had something to do with Stiles going through files in his dad's office, and was probably illegal. I sat in the backseat, Liam sat next to me. A song called "This Party" by someone called "Matt Young" was playing, and Liam looked like it was blasting right in his ear.

Out-of-control werewolf hearing, I guessed. Even more signs.

"It's at Lydia Martin's lake house," Kira was babbling to Liam. "Actually, it's her grandmother's lake house, but she's dead, so it's okay. I mean, it's not okay that she's dead," I rolled my eyes and tuned Kira out, focusing instead on Liam.

The full moon was definitely affecting him.

"Could you turn the music down?" Liam finally asked, and that confirmed my werewolf-hearing theory. Unfortunately, Kira misunderstood him, having never dealt with this type of thing before (and by this type of thing, I mean an out-of-control, just-bitten beta, because Kira had still dealt with plenty of other things). She turned the music up.

I rubbed Liam's shoulder soothingly, hoping it helped somewhat, but he seemed unable to focus. Liam glanced at me and gave me a small smile, and then his phone buzzed, startling him. I noticed it was Mason as the caller ID, but I couldn't make out what the text said.

"Um, who'd you say was coming to this party?" Liam asked Kira.

Kira's uncomfortable face immediately took over, and I wanted to groan, except that would give away the entire ruse. This would be bad, I knew it. "Um, everyone!" she exclaimed brightly.

Kira was a terrible liar.

We finally arrived at the lake house, and we all got out of Kira's car. She didn't even pick a parking spot, just parked it in the middle of Lydia's miniature parking lot.

"Where is everyone?" Liam asked uncomfortably.

"They're in here!" Kira gestured to the lake house. "It's a small party."

"You said everyone was coming," frowned Liam, looking around. I couldn't really blame him.

"They are! They're late, and we're early, so we better hurry!" Kira tried to usher him in faster.

We finally made it into the lake house. Liam and I went in first, and then Kira followed us. Liam immediately noticed Stiles and everyone else, and Kira closed the door behind him.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"What the hell is this?" demanded Liam, glaring at everyone lined up behind a table. I winced at Malia's fraying chains.