Thiam || NOT ALONE

1- Complicated

Mason strolls confidently down the school hallway, his eyes fixed on Liam. "Dude, it's not that complicated it's Friday anyway! Just sneak out tonight."

Liam walks alongside, glancing around nervously. "Yes, it is complicated. My mom is going to hear me for sure."

Mason chuckles, adjusting his backpack. "Come on! All you have to do is slip out without her noticing and meet me and Corey at the party."

Liam fidgets with his books, a worried expression on his face. "That's impossible! My mom has a sixth sense when it comes to me sneaking out."

Mason gives Liam a playful nudge, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Seriously? You're a werewolf! She won't even notice you're gone, especially since you've been MIA for months."

As they continue down the hallway, Liam's thoughts race, trying to find a way out of the situation. Since the hunters and the war, it feels like everyone has moved on quickly, and it's only been three or four months. Everything went back to normal, and Scott and half of the pack went to college. Liam still feels lost. He watches as his friends embrace their new lives, while he's stuck in the past, grappling with the weight of everything that happened. The halls that once echoed with them fighting for their lives are now filled with students, and he struggles to find his place in a world that has seemingly forgotten the chaos they all endured.

Mason stops, turning to face Liam directly. "Liam, let's be real. You don't want to go, do you?"

Liam hesitates, his gaze shifting to the floor. "No, no, it's not that. I just—"

Mason interrupts gently, a knowing smile on his face. "Liam, I don't need super hearing or smell your chemo signals to know that you're lying. I know you too well for that."

Liam sighs, finally confessing. "Okay, fine! Maybe I just don't feel like partying right now."

Mason nods understandingly. "See? That wasn't so hard! Just be honest with yourself."

He then looks at Liam, a concerned expression on his face. "Is it because of Hayden? You know she's been gone for like 8 months now."

Liam lies, and nods slightly. "Yeah, maybe."

Mason shakes his head, a bit frustrated. "Come on, man! You need to move on! That's why you absolutely need to go to that party. Who knows, maybe you'll find someone else there."

Liam hadn't thought of Hayden in a long time. She left him, and he never felt so desperate after that. But after everything that happened, his mind had completely forgotten about her, and now he doesn't feel anything. It's as if her absence has become a distant memory, one that no longer holds any power over him. He realizes that he's finally starting to let go, even if it took a long time to get there.

Liam frowns, unsure. "I don't know, Mason. I just feel... I don't know, out of place."

Mason places a reassuring hand on Liam's shoulder. "Look, it's time to step out of your comfort zone. You can't keep living in the past. Just give it a shot!"

The bell rings, signaling that they need to go to class. They start walking, followed by other students, and enter biology class, taking their seats. Mason and Liam continue their conversation, with Mason determined to convince Liam to join them at the party. As the teacher walks in, Mason leans in closer and says, "I don't care what you say, I'm going to wait in front of your house at 11 PM, alright?" Liam just shakes his head, knowing Mason's stubbornness. He tries to focus on the lesson, but Mason's words linger in his mind, making him wonder.

Liam thought that maybe he should go to that party and have some fun. It's been a few months since Mason tried to get him to go out, but he always gave up when Liam just locked himself in his room to do homework. Sometimes he would go out for a run in the woods to clear his head, but he'd get scared and rush back home whenever he heard a crack in the trees, fearing that hunters might be nearby. Now, with Mason's insistence, he started to wonder if it was time to break that cycle and enjoy a night out.