𝐖𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍. sᴛɪʟᴇs sᴛɪʟɪɴsᴋɪ ¹

102

                         102. blue jeep

   A golden layer cascaded over Amara's closed eyelids as the early morning sun filtered through her curtains, painting her room in a warm, ethereal light. She groaned, flinging the covers off before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. After taking a deep breath, she swung her feet to the cold floor and pushed herself up to get ready.

Amara fidgeted with her outfit, smoothing down the pleats of her brown skirt and adjusting the cuffs of her black turtleneck sweater. Her white knee-high socks peeked out from her polished brown boots. She quickly straightened her hair, touched up her makeup, and grabbed her bag before heading downstairs. As she walked downstairs, she heard the familiar murmur of her dad making coffee. Peeking around the corner, she called out, "Dad!

Elijah put down his coffee and hugged his daughter, whom he hadn't seen in over two months. "I've missed you, pumpkin," he said. Amara, still in his embrace, smiled up at him. "I've missed you too, Dad." Elijah kissed her head before letting go.

"So, pumpkin, are you going to tell me about your summer?" he inquired, passing her a mug of coffee. Amara grinned cheekily. "Are you going to tell me about the dead body you guys found at the Beacon, preserved?" she murmured, glancing at him. Elijah chuckled knowingly, aware of the game his daughter was playing.

"Alright then, it's your first day back, isn't it? Do you need a ride to school today?" he asked. Amara shook her head as she sipped her coffee. "Lydia's giving me a ride," she replied. Her dad nodded, settling into his newspaper.

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence. Amara couldn't shake her thoughts about the body her father and Sheriff Stilinski had found last night. It was especially unsettling since it was discovered at the Beacon, preserved on private property.

"That's Lydia. Bye, Dad, love you," she said, rising from her seat. She grabbed her brown leather jacket, slipped it on, gathered her bag, and headed out the door toward Lydia's car.

—

"Jackson Whittemore, really?" Amara scoffed, applying her lip gloss.

Lydia glanced at Amara. "Yes, Mara, he's cute," she replied with a slight smirk. "I'm pretty sure he has a cute friend for you, Mara. Oh, then we can go on a double date,"

Amara chuckled. "Lydia, I'm fine alone. I prefer it, actually."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "That's what single people who are alone say."

Amara giggled softly before settling back into her seat. The sky was a light grey, but the sun still cast a gentle glow. The street was clear, with no cars in sight, which was odd but nice. The car was comfortably silent as Amara looked out the window, watching an old blue Jeep pass by. She instantly recognized the car—it was Stiles Stilinski's blue jeep. How could she forget the car that almost ran her over on her third day of freshman year?

Flashback

It's a Friday in October, and a cool breeze carries the scent of fallen leaves mixed with earthy undertones. The sky is overcast, draped with rolling gray clouds. Trees are adorned in vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow, their leaves rustling gently in the wind. The smell of pumpkin spice fills the air.

Amara walked out of her last class of the day, heading towards her locker. She retrieved the books she needed, closed her locker, and made her way out of the school. As she crossed the street, an old blue Jeep suddenly barreled towards her. She froze, eyes wide with terror as the Jeep screeched to a halt, inches from hitting her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stumbled back, but she managed to stay on her feet. She looks up, hearing the car door slam, and sees Stiles Stilinski stepping out of the Jeep, his face flushed "What the hell were you thinking?" he snaps, striding towards her. "I could've ran you over!"