Beautiful Redemption ━━ Teen Wolf [3] [Completed]

15 | checkmate

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

         CHECKMATE

    After Stiles fought with his father and took a moment of comfort from Clara, the two wordlessly ran out of the hospital and jumped into the blue jeep, rushing towards the school. If it was true that the Darach was hunting for another teacher, the school recital was the perfect place. The band and orchestra recital was created to tribute the fallen students of Beacon Hills High, like Boyd and Erica. At first, Clara found the idea ludicrous. Erica and Boyd were fallen, they were murdered; just two innocent people caught in an Alpha war. It wasn't fair.

    But the more Clara thought about and the more she comprehended it, she began to believe that maybe a recital was a good idea. Boyd and Erica deserved something that honored them, something special. In the beginning, before they joined Derek's pack, they were nobodies in a world where no one would accept them. They always felt like they would just be forgotten one day. Clara wanted everyone to know their names and remember how easy it was to have innocence taken' away. 

    With both hands at the two o'clock and ten o'clock position of the wheel, Stiles glanced over at his silent best friend, who looked to be drowning in her own thoughts. It's become of habit of his to check up on the werewolf when in stressful situations. He was well aware that Clara could take care of herself and didn't need any protection. But Stiles knew that inside, whether Clara showed it or not, was deep guilt and pain brewing in her heart. He had meant it when he decided that he was going to make sure Clara didn't carry all that pain and guilt on her shoulders. Her parents' death was not her fault, her brother's death was not her fault. Stiles just needed to convince Clara of that.

    "Do you think Cora's gonna be?" Clara shyly questioned, her black-painted nails picking at the end of her white shirt. Never once in the car ride did either one of them attempt to make conversation with the either person, but the tense silence was bugging Clara. Things shouldn't have to be awkward between them. Then again, she didn't expect anything different considering he almost proclaimed to her that he wanted to date her. "I mean ― I know she's a strong girl and everything, yet I can't help but worry."

    "You sound like a concerned mother." Stiles joked, smiling slightly when a short, small chuckle slipped from Clara's lips. "Cora will be fine. Everything will be fine once we find this Darach and stop him."

    "You're surprisingly optimistic." There was a long pause, both of them not knowing what to say. A part of Clara wanted her to keep her mouth shut and just let the silence take over. Another part said to make an effort to get rid of the awkwardness. "I heard the conversation between you and your dad."

     Her olive eyes turned sad once she noticed Stiles' body go stiff, his hands clenching slightly, "Yeah, I figured." He reluctantly said, his voice low and wavering.

     "Look, I know you probably don't want to hear it, but take it from me, parents are pain in the asses and will often doubt everything their child says. But eventually, they support you in due time." Clara surprised herself by the reassurance in her light voice. One thing from that overheard fight between the Sheriff and Stiles stuck out in her mind. The Lennon girl may be overstepping her boundaries, but her cautious curiosity pushed her words, "What happened to your mom?"

     Witnessing the sudden sadness that formed in Stiles' brown eyes made Clara regret asking. But Stiles replied with a long inhale and a wave of pain washing over his entire exterior. "When I was a kid, she was diagnosed with dementia. She died not too long after that."

     "I'm sorry." Was the first thing that came to Clara's head, but from personal experience, she knew that those words meant very little. Nothing anyone says will bring that deceased person back, but Clara knew ― well, hoped, actually ― that time healed all wounds for certain people. Obviously, Clara wasn't one of those people who could easily moved on without a wink of pain in their wake. But just because she was in the midst of her own inner crisis, didn't mean she wasn't going to be there for Stiles. She'll always be there. "I wish I could have met her."