Get Away ~ Sterek

Chapter Three ~ Jackson

*Stiles' POV*

School ends for the day, making me sigh in relief. Finally. The stares were getting to be too much. I know I'm a new kid, but do they have to make it so obvious? Like, at least don't make it noticeable. That makes it worse. It makes it real, instead of me just being paranoid about the stares.

I exit the school, ratty and worn backpack draped over my left shoulder. I've had this backpack for years, but I don't care. It's the only one I'm ever going to have. An arm suddenly drapes over my shoulders, making me flinch.

I look over, seeing Jackson. He jumps back a bit. "Shit, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes.

I smile softly, shrugging. "It's okay, Jackson." I walk down the front stops, him in tow.

"Where's your ride?" He asks, looking around the parking lot bustling with students.

"Don't have one," I reply, walking towards the sidewalk.

He grabs my arm and tugs me in a different direction. I wince, pulling away instantly. He looks at me in shock, holding up his hands in defense.

"Woah, sorry. You germaphobic or something?" Jackson asks.

"Just don't like to be touched," I lie swiftly. I don't waver an inch, but my heartbeat speeds up when he doesn't do anything. He can't possibly know.

I didn't even realize I was holding my breath until I released it all at once. Jackson seems to believe me. He walks to a car, pulls car keys from his pocket, and gestures for me to follow.

"Hop in," he offers.

I stand still, debating whether or not to get in the car. A realization passes over me: he's not going to hurt me. Slowly, I walk over and get in the passenger side. Our doors shut in unison and our seat belts click in sequence. He turns the keys in the ignition, backing out of the parking lot and pulling onto the road.

"Where are we going?" I ask softly.

He glances over at me before focusing on the road. "Somewhere with food," he replies.

I smile softly. "Will there be curly fries?" I ask.

He chuckles softly. "Sure. I'm buying. You mind sitting inside? I'd rather not eat in my car."

I glance around the interior before chuckling. "Yeah, I don't blame you. This is a nice car. I guess I have some time." It was a complete lie, but he doesn't have to know that.

My dad is going to be so upset that I'm home late. I mean, hopefully he's at work, but I doubt I'm that lucky.

I just don't want Jackson to think I'm a freak, or give me pity because my dad is controlling. He seems genuine.

I put up a barrier when I'm outside. I'm happy, energetic, when I'm actually broken. It's exhausting, but as long as I stay away from alphas and werewolves, I'm okay.

My mind flashes back to when Scott bumped into me. Something about him seemed warm, almost comfortable.

I have no idea why, because when I remembered he was friends with an alpha, fear coursed through my body. It's like my body is turning against my mind. Even when I realized, it took everything in me to tear myself away from him.

Why doesn't Scott scare me? Maybe it's because he's not the werewolf? Yeah, that's probably it.

•••

When Jackson and I arrived at the fast food restaurant, he pulled into the drive-through. I stayed silent as he ordered for us, and soon after we had gotten our food. I didn't know what to say or ask, so I kept my mouth shut. The entire time, I thought about what my dad would do to me when I got home. It scared me enough to not be the sassy person I am.

I fidgeted in the seat while Jackson drove and glanced towards me every so often. I knew the affects of my Adderall were wearing off, but I didn't have my medication with me. I usually took it when I got home from school.

Jackson pulls onto a dirt road. It doesn't take long to have both sides of the road covered in a forest environment. Jackson stops a couple miles into the forest and pulls over to the side. He hops out of the car after putting it in park.

"Grab the bag," he orders, walking to the trunk.

I obey, getting out after. The door slams shut behind me. Jackson retrieves a picnic blanket from the trunk of his car before shutting it and placing it behind his car on the ground. I stand there in confusion while Jackson sits down on it. He gestures for me to follow suit. Slowly, I do. Jackson takes the bag before grabbing his food.

"So how come we're not eating inside?" I ask hesitantly.

"Didn't want to take the chance of seeing people from school. Lydia would kill me if she saw me eating this," he replies. "I usually don't, but every once in awhile I will. Figured now would be as good of a time as any."

I nod in false understanding. I want to ask who Lydia is, but figure it's probably personal. We eat in silence for awhile. Not one of those uncomfortable silences, but one of the serene ones. Jackson seems genuine, although he has a bit of an attitude.

"I have to use the bathroom," I say bluntly.

He meets my gaze, a little shocked. "Go ahead. I'm not stopping you. I'll wait."

I nod, getting to my feet. I walk passed him, trying to find a good place to go that's far enough away that Jackson won't hear me. I stop in my tracks, spotting a deer. It's a female, and it has a baby with it. I step on a branch, wincing. Of course, they notice. Their doe heads face me before the two dart away.

I find myself running, trying to catch up to them. They're so cute! I just wanna see them again!

I quickly get out of breath as they scurry away, eventually leaving my field of view. I lean my hands on my knees, bending over to catch my breath. Damn, they're fast.

Once my breathing is under control, I take in my surroundings. Fear spikes, not recognizing where I am. Trees and plants are everywhere. There's no discerning clues of where I came from. I have no clue how to get home.

I take a deep breath, trying to remember where I came from. I start the journey, sighing at the thought of how long this will take.

Hopefully I can find my way back.

Published: Thursday, April 2nd, 2020.