Contingency~TW/TO~ Lahey

Chapter 17: Chaos

"Okay, so what happens to a person who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott question's our group sitting outside the school's picnic tables. Scott requested we find a spot secluded from prying ears to have a discussion based on the following events of their surrogate sacrifices. I didn't necessarily want to be a part of this predicament, but I was told it'd involve me which slightly piqued my curiosity. That was until I figured it was about all the obscure habits we've gained in the past few weeks. Although, to learn what's going on with everyone is a bit alluring. I'm aware of Allison's aunt haunting her mind, but not the other two boy's dreadful side effects.

"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles chimes in next to me.

Allison voices her situation next, "And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?"

I watch as they talk and suddenly all eyes make their way to me. I look around at everyone but linger my gaze on the curly-haired boy sitting diagonally from me, "I'm perfectly robust. I do this on a regular, remember?"

Isaac must have understood the look in my eyes as he works to change the subject back to the others, "They're all locked up because they're insane."

"Ha," Stiles mocks then whips his head to face Isaac with squinted eyes. "Can you at least try to be helpful, please?"

"For half my childhood, I was locked in a freezer," Isaac retorts. "So, being helpful is kind of a new thing for me."

"Hey, dude, are you still milking that?" Stiles questions rhetorically, already fed up with his presence of being here.

I roll my eyes at the two bickering boys, which seems to be the same response as everyone else.

"Yeah," Isaac answers, anyway with a similar look Stiles is giving him. "Maybe I am still milking that."

I could easily walk away considering we are getting nowhere with these two acting the way they are, but before I can stand, a petite girl with a large smile on her face walks up to our table and interrupts the argument, "Hi. Hi, sorry. I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about."

I resist the urge to look over at Scott with judgment for believing we would have privacy here instead of in the boiler room or somewhere we know other students do not dare to go.

Continuing to look up at the sun-kissed girl with dark hair that flows down her shoulders, she rambles on with a nervous glimmer in her eyes, "And I think I actually might know what you're talking about. There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called 'Bardo.' It literally means 'in-between state.' The state between life and death."

"And what do they call you?" Lydia questions in the only way Lydia can. Not that I blame her. A stranger randomly involves themself in a private conversation, I would be a bit irritated myself. Speaking of, I have noticed that she's still holding a grudge from our differences yesterday. Randomly she'll send a look my way, not that it affects me. I just smirk when I catch her looking.

"Kira," Scott answers for her in a daze.

I look over at Scott, wondering how he would know her with such little free time, but the look on his face says it all. He is smitten with her and by the looks on Allison's face, she seems to notice it, too.  Scott looks at all of us, aware he had gotten our attention and his eyes widen, "She's in our history class."

Looking over to my right again, I notice a blush on Kira's face. Interesting.

"So are you talking Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia questions figuring she is either our best source of figuring out what the hell is going on with everyone or doing her duties as a best friend.