Secrets cannot stay hidden forever ¹ | S.S ✔️ [EDITED]

New start at beacon hills [chapter 1]

( edited )
927 words

I sat in the back seat of the car, my head resting against the window as trees blurred past. My mom was driving, and Hope sat beside me, humming to herself as we made our way back to Beacon Hills.

I hadn't been here since I was a kid.

The memories hit me like waves—late-night talks, running through the woods, laughing until my stomach hurt. Scott and Stiles were everything to me back then. My best friends. My safe place. But things changed when Hope and I were sent to the Salvatore School. Distance grew. Messages stopped. And eventually... so did the friendship.

We were four miles out.

"Mom, are we there yet?" I asked, eyes still on the passing trees.

"Yes, we're almost there. Why?" she responded, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

"Because I'm getting really tired," I said with a yawn, stretching slightly.

Hope snorted beside me. "Are you sure it's just that? Or is it because you want to see Stiles?"

I turned to her, instantly catching the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.

"Really, Hope? I haven't talked to him in forever. He probably got tired of me and moved on. And yes, I want to go because I'm actually tired—okay?" I said, turning my face back to the window.

But part of me knew she wasn't entirely wrong.

I wasn't just tired—I was nervous.

Because a part of me still hoped he hadn't forgotten me.

It wasn't just that I was tired.

Part of me wanted to see Stiles. I hadn't seen him in almost ten years. Ten whole years. I wondered if he still wore plaid every day, or if he was still hopelessly pining after Lydia Martin—going on about how brilliant she is, how perfect her hair looks in the sunlight, or whatever poetic nonsense he used to ramble about.

But more than that... I wanted to see if he'd even remember me. If I'd become just another faded memory from his teenage years.

Tomorrow, I'd find out. I'd be seeing him again at Beacon Hills High.

Before I could spiral any further, my mom's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Okay, we're here!" she said, her tone full of excitement.

I glanced out the window and my jaw nearly dropped. A huge house stood in front of us—warm, inviting, and nothing like what I'd expected.

"Wow," I whispered, eyes wide. "Mom, this is amazing."

Hope leaned forward in her seat, smiling. "Yeah, Mom. It's wonderful."

"Can we go inside? Pick out our rooms and start unpacking?" I asked, already itching to explore.

"Yes, sweetie. Go ahead," Mom replied with a smile.

That was all the permission we needed.

Hope and I bolted out of the car, laughing as we ran toward the front door. My foot caught the edge of a stone step and I stumbled, barely catching myself before hitting the ground.

"Hey, be careful!" Mom called after me.

"OKAY, MOM!" I shouted back with a grin as I pushed open the front door.

I was home again.

Kind of.

•~•

Hope and I had just finished unpacking. Exhausted but satisfied, we collapsed onto the couch in the living room of our new house, a giant bowl of popcorn between us and a movie playing softly in the background.

It actually felt... normal. Peaceful.

For a moment, anyway.

"Hey," Hope said, nudging me. "Are you ready to go to school tomorrow? See your two long-lost best friends?"

I turned to look at her, meeting her curious eyes. "I... I think so. I guess. I just don't really know."

"You're not prepared to talk to them," she said gently. "It's been, what, ten years? You have no idea how they're going to react to you being back."

I sighed and leaned back into the couch. "Exactly. I mean, the last real conversation I had with Stiles was him ranting about Lydia. And Scott and I spoke here and there... but—"

Hope raised an eyebrow. "There's a but coming, isn't there?"

I let out a small laugh. "But every time I tried to talk to them, they'd say stuff like, 'Oh, I can't talk right now,' or, 'Sorry, I'm busy. Call me later.' Every single time. It was like they were avoiding me—or hiding something."

It was true. No matter how many times I tried to reach out, I always got the same excuse. Eventually, I stopped trying.

That's how we lost contact. That's how I ended up feeling like a stranger to the two people who once meant everything to me.

And tomorrow... I'd see them again.

"I probably won't even talk to them," I said quietly. "But I know myself. The second I see them, I'll probably forgive them. I just... I hope it doesn't come to that."

Hope sat up, yawning as she stretched her arms. "Well, whatever happens, you're not facing it alone. Now come on, we've got a big day ahead of us. I'm heading to bed."

"Yeah, same," I said, standing up and brushing popcorn crumbs off my lap. "Goodnight, Hope."

"Goodnight, Kat."

As I made my way to my bedroom, I tried to calm the swirl of emotions building inside me.

Tomorrow was going to be nerve-wracking. Confusing. Maybe even heartbreaking.

But also... maybe a little bit hopeful.

Tomorrow was going to be a nervous, happy day.

(A/n: I'm trying to fix everything and change a few things around