Pack Pandemonium

CHAPTER 9

The next day after school, Scott promised that he would take Luke to the Hospital on their way home.
Scott and Stiles waited at Luke's locker after the last bell had rung, signally the beginning of the weekend. Many of the students were sprinting out of the doors, glad to be free for 2 days.
After the chaos had begun to die down and the halls were almost empty, Luke walked solemnly down the halls, but he was not alone. And it was none other than Jackson.

But he wasn't strutting down the hallway with his usual confident stride. He had his arm on Luke's shoulder helping him to walk down the hallway as he almost seemed in a trance.

Jackson noticed Scott and Stiles staring at him and awkwardly removed his hand from Luke's shoulder, moving behind him and guiding him from behind. Avoiding their stare he looked down at the hall floor littered with scrunched up pieces of paper and empty wrappers, pretending to be fascinated by them, rather than avoiding the stare of the people he knowingly betrayed (on more than one occasion).

Luke's face seemed almost porcelain in the state he was in. His mind wandering in other places far from the boys surrounding him. Until he whispered something barely audible underneath his dry cracked lips.
"Emily please wake up".

"He's been like this all last period" Jackson said. Still refusing to take his eyes off the floor.

"Thanks" Stiles said, putting Luke's arm over his shoulder and relieving Jackson of his position.

"I'll just go th..." He began stepping backwards.

He turned fully around and started walking quickly down the hallway, trying his hardest to escape from them. Or at least until..

"Jackson wait!" Scott called.

Jackson stopped dead in his tracks. But didn't look back. Afraid of what he might see. Scott baring his teeth ready to kill him. Or Stiles, what had he become, and what did he want to do to him.

"Can you come back?" Stiles said.

Only confusing Jackson more. Were they plotting against him. It wasn't anything he didn't deserve, that was certain. But still, he obeyed and walked nervously back to them.

"Where did you go?" Stiles asked as he was standing near them once again.

"I had to leave after everything I did. Everyone I hurt and killed. I couldn't stay and watch people who had lost close friends and family because of me. I thought I wouldn't care, but I really, really did. And it was eating away at me when I stayed in Beacon Hills. Even looking at the girl I loved brought back everything that I did" Jackson explained.

"You know tha..." Scott began.

"I know that I deserve to live with that. I was a selfish cocky jerk, to everyone. And I treated you like.."

"Shit. We already know that" Stiles put in.

"Yeah I did. And I am so sorry" Jackson said.

"Wait did you just... Apologise?" Stiles asked. "I must be dead"

Scott gave him a glance and Stiles got the message, walking out the doors with Luke walking zombie-like next to him.

"I am sorry Scott. For everything" Jackson said. "I'm not asking you to forgive me cause I don't deserve..."

"I've already forgiven you Jackson" Scott said.

"Wait really? Are you sure? You don't have to. I don't..." Jackson stuttered, then composed himself. "Why?"

"Because on that night when you became a werewolf. And Lydia ran to you. I saw you. Not the act that you are so dependent on promoting of a selfish jerk who only cares about his image and being above everyone else. You were different. But then you left." Scott replied.

Scotts words cut deep into Jackson, reminding him of the person he once was. And had tried hard to change.

"I have changed. The time that I have been gone I've.. Become a different person. I'm not that guy you knew. I pulled myself away from everything to help myself. And I'm sorry for everything I did."

"I forgive you Jackson. I knew you were going through a lot more than you were letting on. And even now your keeping things. But it doesn't matter. We all have our secrets and inner demons. It's just how we act on them that matter." Scott explained.

Jackson didn't know how to feel. But he knew he was happy, somehow. He had never expected to be forgiven, he didn't think he deserved it.

A smile appeared on Jackson's lips, but not cunning or contempt, an honest warm smile. Something Scott hadn't seen before. Jackson looked down in shame.

"What the hell? Are you smiling? I'm dead aren't I" Stiles' voice rang through the hallway.

Jackson lifted his head quickly afraid of what Stiles might say next. He knew that Scott was more forgiving than Stiles and he had hurt Stiles a lot.

"It's growing on me, doesn't look as fake as before" Stiles said, laughing off the tenseness of the atmosphere.

He reached out his hand and Jackson shook it gladly.

"Thank you guys. This means more than you think" Jackson said.

"Sorry to interrupt the moment. But we should probably go. Luke's in the jeep
and he's not in a good shape at all" Stiles said.

They all rushed out of the hallway to Stiles' jeep waiting outside. Luke was sitting in the back seat but he was...

He was banging his head against the window.

They started running.