Worlds Apart (Teen Wolf)

12- Smooth

A crowd has formed around the bus parked out in the school's parking lot. Furrowing my eyebrows, I easily slide through gaps in the crowd to find Stile and Scott standing off to the side, watching a much taller blonde boy laugh in Liam's face.

I reach out to touch Stiles' arm, keeping my gaze on the two boys. "What's going on?"

"Ah- God!" Stiles freaks out from my touch.

I quickly withdrawl my hand from him, sheepishly looking down at the ground. "Uh, sorry." I apologize. For a second there, I had forgotten that I was dead and not alive. "What's going on?"

Scott awkwardly glances at the other side of Stiles, where I'm standing. "The Devenford Prep lacrosse team has arrived for the game."

"And?"

"It's Liam's old school."

 "Oh." I realize.

The blonde haired boy continues to laugh. "That's cute, Liam. Is that what they told you to say in Anger Management? Apologize and everything's fine? You demolished Coach's car."

Through gritted teeth, Liam takes a deep breath before saying, "I paid for it."

The boy nods. "Yeah, you're going to pay for it. We're gonna break you in half out there and it's gonna be all your fault."

I slap Stiles in his chest. "Guys, his hands. He's drawing his own blood from anger." I push both of them on their backs. "Get in there."

I watch as the two race forward to the young teen wolf. I slowly walk towards them. Scott wraps one arm around Liam, pulling him back away from the other boy. Stiles steps in front of the other boy.

"Hey, what's going on prep students?" Stiles awkwardly rubs the back of his head. "Welcome to our little public high school. How you doing?" Stiles holds his hand out for the boy to shake, only for him to leave him hanging. "That's a firm handshake you got there."

I giggle next to Stiles. "Someone looks like they are in a good mood."

Stiles cracks a smile, yet keeps his gaze on the boy. The boy's eyes snap towards me, narrowing into slits. I swallow nervously. Holy sh- Does he see me?!

Stiles blindly reaches for me with his hand, probably noticing the boy staring at me. Not knowing what else to do, I grab Stiles' hand, nervously looking around. People are going to think he's crazy if they see him with his hand outstretched. I force our hands to his side to make it look natural. Thankfully, no one is looking at Stiles, they are all looking at the other boy.

"Uh," Stiles squints his eyes, like he's trying to remember what he was originally talking about before. "We're very excited for scrimmage tonight. Uh, but let's keep it clean, alright? No rough stuff out there. Alright, see you on the field." Stiles spins around to face Scott and Liam. He keeps his hand locked around mine. "Go."

Letting Stiles pull me away, I sneak a glance over my shoulder to see the boy watching me very carefully. We may have a problem on our hands. And, I'm not referring to how Liam is seconds away from wolfing out in the middle of school. My legs move me forward, easily keeping up with the three of them, but my eyes are locked on our intertwined hands.

Tears build up in my eyes and I hold my breath to keep Stiles from hearing me. His fingers are tightly holding onto my own, just like he used to do when I was alive. Stiles loved to hold my hand. He always told me that he liked knowing I was close to him. He said that I always had a way with calming him down when he needed me to. Or he simply just wanted to hold my hand. Sometimes, Stiles would reach for my hand, not even realizing that he was doing it.

A tear slips down my face as I rub my thumb over the back of his hand. Another tear slides down my cheek. I can't even feel his skin anymore. I don't feel how calloused his hands are from playing lacrosse. I just feel a solid object, like I'm just touching a wall. His hands arent' warm, they are cool. Everything feels wrong.

We burst through the locker room. Our hands are ripped apart as Stiles runs with Scott to put a wolfed out Liam under the showers. I stand beside the lockers, silently crying. Stiles may be able to hear and feel me, but nothing is the same. I can't feel him. I miss his touch. I crave it these days. I would do anything to feel his calloused hands again or his lips on mine.

I cover my mouth with my hands to keep my crying to myself. I don't want Stiles to hear me. I step around the lockers until I can no longer see the three of them. My back hits the locker, but I don't feel the air vents in the middle of it or the lock stabbing me in my back. I don't feel any of it. Everything is flat and smooth.

I slide down the locker just as a sob slips out of my mouth. The water suddenly shuts off. The locker room fills with the boys' panting and my soft sobbing.

"Carter?" Stiles speaks up, worry laced through his voice. He rounds the corner of the locker room, eyes wildly searching the room for where he think I may be.

I clamp both of my hands over my mouth. I hold my breath, lips pressed so tightly together to keep any noise from escaping.

Stiles walks further away from the lockers. "Carter?" He tries again.

I shake my head and squeeze my eyes shut. I don't know where Lydia is right now, but I need my best friend. I reopen my eyes to find myself in Lydia's bedroom. My back is leaning up against her headboard. Unfortunately, she is nowhere in sight.

Knowing no one can hear me, I remove my hands from my mouth, letting my sobs out.

 "Carter?" A soft voice says from beside me. The bed dips down from where she is sitting on the bed.

I roll over and fall against her chest. Her arms wrap around me in a comforting hug. "I don't know what to do, Allison." My whole body shakes with sobs. "I miss him so much."

Allison holds me close, gently rubbing my back. "I know. I know."

 "I know I should be grateful that he can hear me, but I want- I need more." I sob into my cousin's chest. "I just wish I was still alive. I-I'd do anything-"

 "I'm so sorry, Carter. I'm sorry." Allison hugs me tighter.

 "I-I don't regret saving Scott at all, but I-I wish I had survived." I cry harder over the fact that I'm dead. I bury my face in Allison shoulder, letting my tears soak through her shirt. "I wish I was still alive."

XXXX

So, kind of a sad chapter. Sorry. Just kidding. I'm never sorry for writing a sad chapter.

If only Carter was still alive. If only...

Question: What do you think?'

So, yeah!