Teen Wolf: Hideaway Episode 2
"Best Friends"
Storming into the locker room, Nolan was seeking a minute alone. He was baffled as to what he’d just witnessed. Accidentally, he bashed too hard into Liam. What’s more was that his arm was surely broken – a cracking sound that loud followed by the awkward angle his arm landed in, it simply couldn’t have been fine. But there Liam was, waving it around like nothing happened. It made no sense. He rested his head against a locker door, trying to gather his thoughts, but his mind was too crowded to process what just happened.
“Nolan?”
He turned around, and there stood Liam.
“What’s up?” Liam asked, sympathetically.
“Nothing, I’ll be back in a minute” Nolan was facing the lockers as he spoke.
“Is something up? Sorry if that freaked you out, but I’m fine, I promise” Liam tried to control the situation. He spoke softly, not wanting to upset Nolan.
“I’m fine. On second thoughts, I might give practice a miss, but I’ll see you after school to hang out” Nolan turned around and began to get changed.
“Alright, I’ll see you later” Liam smiled, leaving the room. Nolan watched him – he wasn’t totally sure what Liam was hiding, but he damn well knew he’d figure it out.
“Nolan?”
He turned around, and there stood Liam.
“What’s up?” Liam asked, sympathetically.
“Nothing, I’ll be back in a minute” Nolan was facing the lockers as he spoke.
“Is something up? Sorry if that freaked you out, but I’m fine, I promise” Liam tried to control the situation. He spoke softly, not wanting to upset Nolan.
“I’m fine. On second thoughts, I might give practice a miss, but I’ll see you after school to hang out” Nolan turned around and began to get changed.
“Alright, I’ll see you later” Liam smiled, leaving the room. Nolan watched him – he wasn’t totally sure what Liam was hiding, but he damn well knew he’d figure it out.
Also starring Seth Gilliam, Khylin Rhambo, Victoria Moroles, Michael Johnston, Aramis Knight, Froy Gutierrez, Kaj Nieuwenhoff, Nick Robinson and Richard Harmon.
Down the road from Scott’s house, Thomas and Casey were perched on a bench. The road Scott lived on was pretty quiet, so it made the ideal spot for a heart-to-heart. Thomas sat on the left side of the bench, and faced straight ahead. To his right was Casey, who had his phone in his hand. He’d just texted Scott to let him know Thomas was safe and they’d be back soon. He slipped it back into his pocket and looked at Thomas.
“I get it” he broke the awkward silence, “You’re running from something. I know exactly how that feels.” Thomas looked at him, knowing what Casey said had struck a chord.
“What happened?” Thomas asked, speaking for the first time in two and a half months.
“I faked my own death” Casey confessed. Thomas looked shocked, realising how extreme it was.
“I know, I know, it’s crazy and it was stupid. There’s a point to this, though” Casey continued. He placed his hand on Thomas’, “I found out in the end that if I confront my fears, with my pack, then I can conquer anything. Sure, I’m not an alpha anymore, but it’s a small sacrifice to stay alive.” Thomas seemed to have food for thought. He placed his other hand on top of Casey’s, as a gesture of good will. They smiled at each other.
“Let’s get you back home” Casey suggested. They stood up and walked back to Scott’s house.
Meanwhile, Lydia was sat in her mother’s office. She was filing attendance sheets, a hugely tedious task and not quite what she had in mind when she offered to help out at the school. She was sat in the main chair, while Natalie was out of the room. The desk was organised to perfection, with “Principal Martin” spelt out in bold capital letters on her name plaque at the edge of the desk, with her computer screen to the right and pencil pots to the left. Slouched on the soft leather desk chair feeling bored, she picked up the top sheet and stared at it. In a flash, she sat bolt upright, as to her confusion, the top of the paper said “Martin, Lydia”. She blinked, feeling almost like she was in a dream, before taking another look. Now all she saw was “Glazebrook, Cody”. Thinking she was just tired, after her lack of sleep, Lydia sat back in the chair, before she saw a message on the whiteboard in front of her – “Eichen House 58B”. She dropped the piece of paper in her hand and ran out of the school as if her life depended on it.
Sat at a computer in the school library, Nolan was trying to keep a low profile. He logged onto the internet browser, and typed in “broken arm healing instantly”. He knew it was a long shot, but there was a slight chance that if he scrolled far enough, he might find someone who’s seen the same thing. Sure enough, after half an hour of scrolling through the search pages of Google, Nolan had found a blog post on page 28. Whilst he was relieved at knowing his time wasn’t wasted, he was unprepared for what he was about to read...
As they waited for Casey to return with Thomas, Scott and Maddie sat at the edge of his bed.
“You’ve not been messaging me much” Maddie spoke, without trying to sound pushy or clingy.
“Sorry, I’ve been so busy, what with college and Thomas, and there’s Liam who can’t get a word out of Hayden. Seemingly the one supernatural power I don’t have is to be in two places at once” Scott laughed. Maddie cracked a smile too. A second later, Scott continued, “Is that why you came over? You never said.” Maddie blushed.
“Guilty as charged” she laughed. For a moment, they looked into each other’s eyes, before they leaned in and locked lips. Maddie closed her eyes, embracing the moment, as did Scott. They broke the kiss briefly.
“I’ve missed this” Scott quietly commented.
“Better make the most of it before college” Maddie smiled, pulling him back in. However, the kiss stopped for good when a startled Malia walked into the room.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, as Scott and Maddie went red in the face with embarrassment.
“No, not at all” Scott replied, sharing guilty looks with Maddie.
“Good. Casey just got back with Thomas. I think he’s made progress” Malia announced. Scott perked up, feeling optimistic all of a sudden.
Slamming their lacrosse sticks on the floor, the team crowded back into the locker room. Liam slumped in second from last, behind only Stiles. Stiles tapped him on the back at the doorway.
“Everything alright man?” Stiles asked, being friendly.
“Someone could’ve seen me heal” Liam was still reflecting on his injury earlier.
“But they didn’t. A little positivity wouldn’t go amiss, right? Keep it cool, you handled it well” Stiles reassured him.
“Keep it cool, ha, kinda hard when my girlfriend won’t speak to me” Liam was upset.
“She’ll come round in time, I’m sure” Stiles tried to offer advice.
“How are you sure? How would you like it if Lydia just ignored you for two and a half months?” Liam yelled. Stiles reflected for a second.
“She ignored me from third grade until sophomore year. I get it” he spoke more solemnly. Liam understood, nodded, and carried on back into the changing room. Nolan was sat waiting for him.
“Ready to hang out?” he smiled.
“Can’t wait. Where are we going?” Liam enquired.
“I thought maybe we could head into the forest, find a spot to sit down and get to know each other” Nolan explained.
“Great” Liam smiled.
Mason and Corey were changing back into their normal clothes in the changing rooms while Stiles and Liam were talking.
“What’s gotten into him?” Corey asked Mason, of Liam.
“Hayden’s really messed up his head” Mason replied, “But I’ve heard all kinds of things about this Nolan kid, and none of them are good.”
“What if he’s actually alright and Liam’s just made a new friend? I mean, we’re being pretty judgemental, that’s not like us” Corey played the devil’s advocate.
“You’re right, I just worry for him. If Nolan tries anything weird, Liam won’t react well” Mason expressed his concern. They carried on getting changed as Liam walked in. Mason smiled at his friend, and received a half-arsed nod in return from Liam, who was annoyed at Mason’s interference earlier.
In the middle of Scott’s living room, Thomas was perched on the sofa. Surrounding him were Scott, Malia, Isaac, Casey and Maddie. He glanced up at them all as he waited for the inevitable interrogation. Scott went and sat to Thomas’ right.
“Casey said you guys had a chat” Scott spoke softly, not wanting to sound condescending.
“You and me, alone” Thomas replied, indicating he wanted the others to leave. Scott looked at the others and nodded. Maddie seemed reluctant at first, not wanting to leave Scott alone, but she followed the others in the end.
“There was another pack, at the other end of Beacon Hills. My pack” Thomas began.
“Was, that’s past tense” Scott noted.
“Most of them are dead now” Thomas responded.
“I’m sorry” Scott was sympathetic.
“Don’t be” Thomas slowly confessed, “It was me who killed them.” Scott was taken aback, remembering just how much of a stranger Thomas really is.
Maddie was pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She wasn’t trusting of Thomas, or very many people for that matter, so to know Scott was in the next room with a werewolf who had never uttered a word concerned her.
“Stop pacing, you’re stressing me out” Malia muttered.
“Yeah? Well how do you think I feel? Let’s throw your boyfriend in with a weirdo like that, see how you like it” Maddie lost her cool and yelled at Malia. Malia was about to launch herself at Maddie, but Isaac pulled her back.
“We’re not gonna get anywhere by shouting” Isaac said, restraining her.
“He’s not a weirdo” Casey added, trying to defend Thomas.
“You’re only saying that cause you fancy him” Maddie retorted.
“You’ve got no idea” Casey replied, annoyed, before storming off upstairs. Maddie rolled her eyes, annoyed that she’s falling out with her friends.
“I’m sorry” she sighed.
“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one sceptical of Thomas” Malia responded. At this moment, the doorbell rang. Maddie headed away to answer it, and was greeted by Lydia.
“I’ve got a lead” Lydia wasted no time with small talk and cut to the chase.
Evening was approaching in Beacon Hills, and the sky was beginning to darken ready for the night ahead. Stiles walked along a long, ordinary street, and turned into a house situated roughly in the middle. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to be answered. Sheepishly, the door was opened, and behind it stood Hayden, peeking through the small gap she opened up. Once she saw Stiles, she shut it as quickly as she could.
“Hayden, wait!” Stiles tried to stop her, but it was too late. Nevertheless, he continued talking, “I’m alone, I just want to talk.” Hayden stood on the other side, listening but wary of opening the door. She had no make-up on and was wearing her dressing gown, having barely left her room all summer.
“Look, Liam’s really unhappy without you, and trust me, I know how that feels. He loves you Hayden, and I don’t know what’s gone on between you, but isn’t it worth talking to him?” Stiles tried pleading, aware Hayden would still be able to hear him. He waited a few seconds, and the door in front of his eyes stayed shut, so he turned and walked away. However, a glimmer of hope came when the sound of the latch on the door filled his eardrums, and he turned around to see Hayden stood in the doorway.
“Come in” she invited.
Twigs crackled under Liam’s feet as he and Nolan strolled through the woods of Beacon Hills. Nolan had a torch in hand – it wasn’t totally dark yet, but it would be soon, and he always liked to be prepared. They reached a clearing, with two people already sat on the ground.
“Guys” Nolan spoke as he and Liam approached the duo, “This is Liam.”
“Hi” Liam sheepishly replied.
“I know who he is” one of them laughed, speaking in a clear Dutch accent. He stood up and shook Liam’s hand, “Daan. Nice to meet you.”
“Cody” the other guy smiled, staying sat down, “Drink?” Cody pulled a can of beer out of the bag and offered it to Liam.
“Might as well” he took the can and sat on the ground also, feeling quite comfortable among the trio.
Malia’s car stopped outside a familiar building, one which filled her stomach with dread.
“Must we come back here?” she groaned as she looked up at the sign on the gate, which read ‘Eichen House’ in large letters.
“I can’t just ignore a message like that, we need to investigate” Lydia responded from the passenger seat.
“What is this place? Looks old” Maddie asked naïvely from the back seat. The trio had left Casey and Isaac at Scott’s house to watch over his chat with Thomas, and follow Lydia’s banshee premonition.
“An insane asylum” Lydia responded.
“Oh” Maddie suddenly felt less intrigued.
“Let’s get it over and done with” Malia said, as she stepped out of the car. Lydia and Maddie followed, and together, the trio approached the domineering black gates.
“You killed people?” Scott was astonished by Thomas, a guy who seemed so innocent but obviously was far from it.
“Let me finish” Thomas said, as Scott was still reeling.
“Why should I spend time listening to a killer?” Scott was starting to get angry.
“You wanted answers, I’ve got more answers” Thomas simply responded. Scott gave a gentle nod for Thomas to continue.
“I didn’t kill anyone out of choice. Another guy in my pack, he forced me. He said if I didn’t kill the rest of my pack, he’d kill my parents, and then me” Thomas continued.
“Why would he do that?” Scott was in disbelief over the entire story.
“He hated the alpha, always did. He resented being a werewolf, but also, he had mental problems” Thomas continued.
“I thought the bite cured any illnesses?” Scott queried, intrigued.
“Everything alright?” Isaac asked, peeping his head around the corner.
“Yeah. We need to get to Deaton, pronto” Scott replied.
The corridors of Eichen House were all too familiar to Lydia, and it brought back horrible memories of her captivity there. Malia kept a keen eye on Lydia, knowing her history with the place, as well as her own. Maddie however was oblivious, and was taking in her surroundings. They were being guided by a staff member, who was wearing a blue outfit as if she were a nurse. Lydia knew, however, that Eichen House was far from a safe mental institute, even if their practices were technically legal. They stopped in front of a metal gate in the corridor.
“58B is the third on the right” the nurse advised them, “It’s lined with mountain ash, your friends will have to wait here.” Malia and Maddie looked at each other, concerned for Lydia’s safety.
“It’s fine, I’ll go on my own” Lydia reassured them, although she was unconvinced herself.
“So how long have you been over here?” Liam asked Daan, making polite conversation.
“A couple of years now, not long before I started at Beacon Hills High actually. I’d lived in the Netherlands my whole life, it was scary leaving all of that behind” Daan answered with ease.
“You made friends easily though, right?” Liam continued.
“I guess” Daan smiled.
“Couldn’t really ignore a new kid with dreadlocks who can’t find his way to math class” Cody jumped in, laughing.
“Don’t diss the dreads” Daan laughed as well, the duo clearly being the best of friends.
“The dreads are cool, don’t worry” Liam went along with them, smiling, before turning to Cody, “What about you, you grow up here?”
“Yup, been here all my life. Can’t escape” Cody replied as he took a sip from his can, “What about you?”
“Same, got all I need in Beacon Hills” Liam answered. He was enjoying the company, different company at that. During this, Nolan was sat watching Liam, without getting involved. He was fixated on figuring out exactly what Liam was...
Lydia paced herself towards the third cell on the right. First, she passed 56B, labelled clearly on the front of the door. 57B was the next marker, before the 58B sign was staring Lydia in the face. She took a deep breath, before swiping the nurse’s keycard into the device to the right of the door. It slid open, and Lydia was faced with a young man in his mid 20s. He had dark floppy hair, and looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“Hello?” Lydia called to him. He stared at her, without moving. Cautiously, Lydia stepped towards him. Her heartbeat was as fast as a car racing down a motorway, and she was hugely nervous about what could happen. Mentally, she reminded herself of the keycard – she could get out at any point she wanted, so into the cell she stepped.
Perched on the edge of Hayden’s bed, Stiles was taking in his surroundings. Hayden’s room wasn’t particularly girly, but was very neat. Everything had its place, with no clothes lying around, and her desk was organised to a T. Hayden was sat up in the bed, leaning against her pillows.
“So what do you want?” she asked.
“Err, I wanted to talk about Liam” Stiles began, “I don’t know what’s happened between you both, but he’s distraught. He’s not his usual annoying self.”
“He can cope without me, he’s a big boy” Hayden responded nonchalantly.
“But that’s the thing, he isn’t. He thinks he’s strong and he’s coping but he’s falling apart Hayden. You’re the glue that holds him together. He’s fallen out with Mason and Corey now” Stiles continued, pleading to Hayden.
“That’s his problem. He doesn’t need me” Hayden continued not showing any remorse, but Stiles knew she was putting on a front.
“Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” Stiles asked. Hayden burst into tears, droplets flowing down her cheeks. Stiles moved over and hugged her, calming her down.
Crowded around Deaton’s central work desk, Scott, Casey, Isaac and Thomas had arrived to discuss their findings.
“Beacon Hills may have supernatural beings hidden all over the place” Deaton explained, having heard Scott’s explanation of Thomas’ situation, “It’s no surprise to hear there’s another pack at the far end of the town. However, I’ve not had any encounter with any of them I’m afraid, until Thomas now of course.”
“What about mental illnesses and the bite? We can’t get sick, so how can a werewolf be mentally ill, surely it’s the same principle?” Casey queried.
“Not necessarily. The mind works in a different way to a physical scar or an infection. You’ve met werewolves who have been out of control, but even closer to home, your friend Liam’s IED has never been cured” Deaton detailed.
“So we’ve got a psycho werewolf on the loose somewhere. Fantastic” Isaac was sarcastic in his tone.
“What does all of this mean? A werewolf who’s mentally unstable, that could mean all kinds of things, right?” Scott asked.
“Certainly. Mental illnesses take many shapes and forms, it’s not always evil or the enemy” Deaton answered.
“I wish I could be that optimistic” Thomas jumped in. The others looked at him, waiting for him to expand on the subject, “I told you, he’s a serial killer, he’s dangerous. We can’t afford to be nice.”
“That’s strange, I thought you were the serial killer considering you actually committed the murders” Isaac retaliated to Thomas trying to direct them.
“Calm it Isaac” Casey ordered his friend, “We’re not gonna get anywhere by arguing over the past. We’ve gotta track this guy down.”
“And I have his scent” Thomas added.
The laughs continued into the early evening in the forest of Beacon Hills, as Liam was having the best night he’d had in a long time. Hayden wasn’t on his mind at all, and the drama with Mason and Corey was a distant memory. Daan and Cody seemed pretty cool and they had a lot in common, and although Nolan seemed quieter than normal, he felt comfortable around him. He cracked open another can of beer, his third or fourth by this point; he wasn’t keeping count because being tipsy wasn’t an issue as a werewolf. He noticed Nolan staring at him.
“Alright?” Liam smiled.
“Yeah” Nolan smiled back. Liam continued drinking, but Nolan wasn’t finished. He continued, “I know what you are.” Liam was about to take another sip, but put the drink down. Daan and Cody burst out laughing.
“How many have you had?” Daan joked.
“Listen to me, I’m being serious” Nolan was desperate for their attention, and to be taken seriously, “He’s a werewolf.”
“Seriously man, give it a rest” Cody laughed.
“I’m not joking!” Nolan was getting annoyed, “I’ll prove it.” He took a small pocket knife out of his bag, and ran it across the skin on Liam’s hand. Liam yelled in pain, whilst Daan and Cody watched in amazement as the open wound, dripping with blood, closed itself within seconds. The duo were speechless.
“What do you want?” Liam asked, panicked.
“I want what you’ve got. Make me a werewolf too” Nolan grinned.
“I get it” he broke the awkward silence, “You’re running from something. I know exactly how that feels.” Thomas looked at him, knowing what Casey said had struck a chord.
“What happened?” Thomas asked, speaking for the first time in two and a half months.
“I faked my own death” Casey confessed. Thomas looked shocked, realising how extreme it was.
“I know, I know, it’s crazy and it was stupid. There’s a point to this, though” Casey continued. He placed his hand on Thomas’, “I found out in the end that if I confront my fears, with my pack, then I can conquer anything. Sure, I’m not an alpha anymore, but it’s a small sacrifice to stay alive.” Thomas seemed to have food for thought. He placed his other hand on top of Casey’s, as a gesture of good will. They smiled at each other.
“Let’s get you back home” Casey suggested. They stood up and walked back to Scott’s house.
Meanwhile, Lydia was sat in her mother’s office. She was filing attendance sheets, a hugely tedious task and not quite what she had in mind when she offered to help out at the school. She was sat in the main chair, while Natalie was out of the room. The desk was organised to perfection, with “Principal Martin” spelt out in bold capital letters on her name plaque at the edge of the desk, with her computer screen to the right and pencil pots to the left. Slouched on the soft leather desk chair feeling bored, she picked up the top sheet and stared at it. In a flash, she sat bolt upright, as to her confusion, the top of the paper said “Martin, Lydia”. She blinked, feeling almost like she was in a dream, before taking another look. Now all she saw was “Glazebrook, Cody”. Thinking she was just tired, after her lack of sleep, Lydia sat back in the chair, before she saw a message on the whiteboard in front of her – “Eichen House 58B”. She dropped the piece of paper in her hand and ran out of the school as if her life depended on it.
Sat at a computer in the school library, Nolan was trying to keep a low profile. He logged onto the internet browser, and typed in “broken arm healing instantly”. He knew it was a long shot, but there was a slight chance that if he scrolled far enough, he might find someone who’s seen the same thing. Sure enough, after half an hour of scrolling through the search pages of Google, Nolan had found a blog post on page 28. Whilst he was relieved at knowing his time wasn’t wasted, he was unprepared for what he was about to read...
As they waited for Casey to return with Thomas, Scott and Maddie sat at the edge of his bed.
“You’ve not been messaging me much” Maddie spoke, without trying to sound pushy or clingy.
“Sorry, I’ve been so busy, what with college and Thomas, and there’s Liam who can’t get a word out of Hayden. Seemingly the one supernatural power I don’t have is to be in two places at once” Scott laughed. Maddie cracked a smile too. A second later, Scott continued, “Is that why you came over? You never said.” Maddie blushed.
“Guilty as charged” she laughed. For a moment, they looked into each other’s eyes, before they leaned in and locked lips. Maddie closed her eyes, embracing the moment, as did Scott. They broke the kiss briefly.
“I’ve missed this” Scott quietly commented.
“Better make the most of it before college” Maddie smiled, pulling him back in. However, the kiss stopped for good when a startled Malia walked into the room.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, as Scott and Maddie went red in the face with embarrassment.
“No, not at all” Scott replied, sharing guilty looks with Maddie.
“Good. Casey just got back with Thomas. I think he’s made progress” Malia announced. Scott perked up, feeling optimistic all of a sudden.
Slamming their lacrosse sticks on the floor, the team crowded back into the locker room. Liam slumped in second from last, behind only Stiles. Stiles tapped him on the back at the doorway.
“Everything alright man?” Stiles asked, being friendly.
“Someone could’ve seen me heal” Liam was still reflecting on his injury earlier.
“But they didn’t. A little positivity wouldn’t go amiss, right? Keep it cool, you handled it well” Stiles reassured him.
“Keep it cool, ha, kinda hard when my girlfriend won’t speak to me” Liam was upset.
“She’ll come round in time, I’m sure” Stiles tried to offer advice.
“How are you sure? How would you like it if Lydia just ignored you for two and a half months?” Liam yelled. Stiles reflected for a second.
“She ignored me from third grade until sophomore year. I get it” he spoke more solemnly. Liam understood, nodded, and carried on back into the changing room. Nolan was sat waiting for him.
“Ready to hang out?” he smiled.
“Can’t wait. Where are we going?” Liam enquired.
“I thought maybe we could head into the forest, find a spot to sit down and get to know each other” Nolan explained.
“Great” Liam smiled.
Mason and Corey were changing back into their normal clothes in the changing rooms while Stiles and Liam were talking.
“What’s gotten into him?” Corey asked Mason, of Liam.
“Hayden’s really messed up his head” Mason replied, “But I’ve heard all kinds of things about this Nolan kid, and none of them are good.”
“What if he’s actually alright and Liam’s just made a new friend? I mean, we’re being pretty judgemental, that’s not like us” Corey played the devil’s advocate.
“You’re right, I just worry for him. If Nolan tries anything weird, Liam won’t react well” Mason expressed his concern. They carried on getting changed as Liam walked in. Mason smiled at his friend, and received a half-arsed nod in return from Liam, who was annoyed at Mason’s interference earlier.
In the middle of Scott’s living room, Thomas was perched on the sofa. Surrounding him were Scott, Malia, Isaac, Casey and Maddie. He glanced up at them all as he waited for the inevitable interrogation. Scott went and sat to Thomas’ right.
“Casey said you guys had a chat” Scott spoke softly, not wanting to sound condescending.
“You and me, alone” Thomas replied, indicating he wanted the others to leave. Scott looked at the others and nodded. Maddie seemed reluctant at first, not wanting to leave Scott alone, but she followed the others in the end.
“There was another pack, at the other end of Beacon Hills. My pack” Thomas began.
“Was, that’s past tense” Scott noted.
“Most of them are dead now” Thomas responded.
“I’m sorry” Scott was sympathetic.
“Don’t be” Thomas slowly confessed, “It was me who killed them.” Scott was taken aback, remembering just how much of a stranger Thomas really is.
Maddie was pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She wasn’t trusting of Thomas, or very many people for that matter, so to know Scott was in the next room with a werewolf who had never uttered a word concerned her.
“Stop pacing, you’re stressing me out” Malia muttered.
“Yeah? Well how do you think I feel? Let’s throw your boyfriend in with a weirdo like that, see how you like it” Maddie lost her cool and yelled at Malia. Malia was about to launch herself at Maddie, but Isaac pulled her back.
“We’re not gonna get anywhere by shouting” Isaac said, restraining her.
“He’s not a weirdo” Casey added, trying to defend Thomas.
“You’re only saying that cause you fancy him” Maddie retorted.
“You’ve got no idea” Casey replied, annoyed, before storming off upstairs. Maddie rolled her eyes, annoyed that she’s falling out with her friends.
“I’m sorry” she sighed.
“Don’t worry, you’re not the only one sceptical of Thomas” Malia responded. At this moment, the doorbell rang. Maddie headed away to answer it, and was greeted by Lydia.
“I’ve got a lead” Lydia wasted no time with small talk and cut to the chase.
Evening was approaching in Beacon Hills, and the sky was beginning to darken ready for the night ahead. Stiles walked along a long, ordinary street, and turned into a house situated roughly in the middle. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to be answered. Sheepishly, the door was opened, and behind it stood Hayden, peeking through the small gap she opened up. Once she saw Stiles, she shut it as quickly as she could.
“Hayden, wait!” Stiles tried to stop her, but it was too late. Nevertheless, he continued talking, “I’m alone, I just want to talk.” Hayden stood on the other side, listening but wary of opening the door. She had no make-up on and was wearing her dressing gown, having barely left her room all summer.
“Look, Liam’s really unhappy without you, and trust me, I know how that feels. He loves you Hayden, and I don’t know what’s gone on between you, but isn’t it worth talking to him?” Stiles tried pleading, aware Hayden would still be able to hear him. He waited a few seconds, and the door in front of his eyes stayed shut, so he turned and walked away. However, a glimmer of hope came when the sound of the latch on the door filled his eardrums, and he turned around to see Hayden stood in the doorway.
“Come in” she invited.
Twigs crackled under Liam’s feet as he and Nolan strolled through the woods of Beacon Hills. Nolan had a torch in hand – it wasn’t totally dark yet, but it would be soon, and he always liked to be prepared. They reached a clearing, with two people already sat on the ground.
“Guys” Nolan spoke as he and Liam approached the duo, “This is Liam.”
“Hi” Liam sheepishly replied.
“I know who he is” one of them laughed, speaking in a clear Dutch accent. He stood up and shook Liam’s hand, “Daan. Nice to meet you.”
“Cody” the other guy smiled, staying sat down, “Drink?” Cody pulled a can of beer out of the bag and offered it to Liam.
“Might as well” he took the can and sat on the ground also, feeling quite comfortable among the trio.
Malia’s car stopped outside a familiar building, one which filled her stomach with dread.
“Must we come back here?” she groaned as she looked up at the sign on the gate, which read ‘Eichen House’ in large letters.
“I can’t just ignore a message like that, we need to investigate” Lydia responded from the passenger seat.
“What is this place? Looks old” Maddie asked naïvely from the back seat. The trio had left Casey and Isaac at Scott’s house to watch over his chat with Thomas, and follow Lydia’s banshee premonition.
“An insane asylum” Lydia responded.
“Oh” Maddie suddenly felt less intrigued.
“Let’s get it over and done with” Malia said, as she stepped out of the car. Lydia and Maddie followed, and together, the trio approached the domineering black gates.
“You killed people?” Scott was astonished by Thomas, a guy who seemed so innocent but obviously was far from it.
“Let me finish” Thomas said, as Scott was still reeling.
“Why should I spend time listening to a killer?” Scott was starting to get angry.
“You wanted answers, I’ve got more answers” Thomas simply responded. Scott gave a gentle nod for Thomas to continue.
“I didn’t kill anyone out of choice. Another guy in my pack, he forced me. He said if I didn’t kill the rest of my pack, he’d kill my parents, and then me” Thomas continued.
“Why would he do that?” Scott was in disbelief over the entire story.
“He hated the alpha, always did. He resented being a werewolf, but also, he had mental problems” Thomas continued.
“I thought the bite cured any illnesses?” Scott queried, intrigued.
“Everything alright?” Isaac asked, peeping his head around the corner.
“Yeah. We need to get to Deaton, pronto” Scott replied.
The corridors of Eichen House were all too familiar to Lydia, and it brought back horrible memories of her captivity there. Malia kept a keen eye on Lydia, knowing her history with the place, as well as her own. Maddie however was oblivious, and was taking in her surroundings. They were being guided by a staff member, who was wearing a blue outfit as if she were a nurse. Lydia knew, however, that Eichen House was far from a safe mental institute, even if their practices were technically legal. They stopped in front of a metal gate in the corridor.
“58B is the third on the right” the nurse advised them, “It’s lined with mountain ash, your friends will have to wait here.” Malia and Maddie looked at each other, concerned for Lydia’s safety.
“It’s fine, I’ll go on my own” Lydia reassured them, although she was unconvinced herself.
“So how long have you been over here?” Liam asked Daan, making polite conversation.
“A couple of years now, not long before I started at Beacon Hills High actually. I’d lived in the Netherlands my whole life, it was scary leaving all of that behind” Daan answered with ease.
“You made friends easily though, right?” Liam continued.
“I guess” Daan smiled.
“Couldn’t really ignore a new kid with dreadlocks who can’t find his way to math class” Cody jumped in, laughing.
“Don’t diss the dreads” Daan laughed as well, the duo clearly being the best of friends.
“The dreads are cool, don’t worry” Liam went along with them, smiling, before turning to Cody, “What about you, you grow up here?”
“Yup, been here all my life. Can’t escape” Cody replied as he took a sip from his can, “What about you?”
“Same, got all I need in Beacon Hills” Liam answered. He was enjoying the company, different company at that. During this, Nolan was sat watching Liam, without getting involved. He was fixated on figuring out exactly what Liam was...
Lydia paced herself towards the third cell on the right. First, she passed 56B, labelled clearly on the front of the door. 57B was the next marker, before the 58B sign was staring Lydia in the face. She took a deep breath, before swiping the nurse’s keycard into the device to the right of the door. It slid open, and Lydia was faced with a young man in his mid 20s. He had dark floppy hair, and looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks.
“Hello?” Lydia called to him. He stared at her, without moving. Cautiously, Lydia stepped towards him. Her heartbeat was as fast as a car racing down a motorway, and she was hugely nervous about what could happen. Mentally, she reminded herself of the keycard – she could get out at any point she wanted, so into the cell she stepped.
Perched on the edge of Hayden’s bed, Stiles was taking in his surroundings. Hayden’s room wasn’t particularly girly, but was very neat. Everything had its place, with no clothes lying around, and her desk was organised to a T. Hayden was sat up in the bed, leaning against her pillows.
“So what do you want?” she asked.
“Err, I wanted to talk about Liam” Stiles began, “I don’t know what’s happened between you both, but he’s distraught. He’s not his usual annoying self.”
“He can cope without me, he’s a big boy” Hayden responded nonchalantly.
“But that’s the thing, he isn’t. He thinks he’s strong and he’s coping but he’s falling apart Hayden. You’re the glue that holds him together. He’s fallen out with Mason and Corey now” Stiles continued, pleading to Hayden.
“That’s his problem. He doesn’t need me” Hayden continued not showing any remorse, but Stiles knew she was putting on a front.
“Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” Stiles asked. Hayden burst into tears, droplets flowing down her cheeks. Stiles moved over and hugged her, calming her down.
Crowded around Deaton’s central work desk, Scott, Casey, Isaac and Thomas had arrived to discuss their findings.
“Beacon Hills may have supernatural beings hidden all over the place” Deaton explained, having heard Scott’s explanation of Thomas’ situation, “It’s no surprise to hear there’s another pack at the far end of the town. However, I’ve not had any encounter with any of them I’m afraid, until Thomas now of course.”
“What about mental illnesses and the bite? We can’t get sick, so how can a werewolf be mentally ill, surely it’s the same principle?” Casey queried.
“Not necessarily. The mind works in a different way to a physical scar or an infection. You’ve met werewolves who have been out of control, but even closer to home, your friend Liam’s IED has never been cured” Deaton detailed.
“So we’ve got a psycho werewolf on the loose somewhere. Fantastic” Isaac was sarcastic in his tone.
“What does all of this mean? A werewolf who’s mentally unstable, that could mean all kinds of things, right?” Scott asked.
“Certainly. Mental illnesses take many shapes and forms, it’s not always evil or the enemy” Deaton answered.
“I wish I could be that optimistic” Thomas jumped in. The others looked at him, waiting for him to expand on the subject, “I told you, he’s a serial killer, he’s dangerous. We can’t afford to be nice.”
“That’s strange, I thought you were the serial killer considering you actually committed the murders” Isaac retaliated to Thomas trying to direct them.
“Calm it Isaac” Casey ordered his friend, “We’re not gonna get anywhere by arguing over the past. We’ve gotta track this guy down.”
“And I have his scent” Thomas added.
The laughs continued into the early evening in the forest of Beacon Hills, as Liam was having the best night he’d had in a long time. Hayden wasn’t on his mind at all, and the drama with Mason and Corey was a distant memory. Daan and Cody seemed pretty cool and they had a lot in common, and although Nolan seemed quieter than normal, he felt comfortable around him. He cracked open another can of beer, his third or fourth by this point; he wasn’t keeping count because being tipsy wasn’t an issue as a werewolf. He noticed Nolan staring at him.
“Alright?” Liam smiled.
“Yeah” Nolan smiled back. Liam continued drinking, but Nolan wasn’t finished. He continued, “I know what you are.” Liam was about to take another sip, but put the drink down. Daan and Cody burst out laughing.
“How many have you had?” Daan joked.
“Listen to me, I’m being serious” Nolan was desperate for their attention, and to be taken seriously, “He’s a werewolf.”
“Seriously man, give it a rest” Cody laughed.
“I’m not joking!” Nolan was getting annoyed, “I’ll prove it.” He took a small pocket knife out of his bag, and ran it across the skin on Liam’s hand. Liam yelled in pain, whilst Daan and Cody watched in amazement as the open wound, dripping with blood, closed itself within seconds. The duo were speechless.
“What do you want?” Liam asked, panicked.
“I want what you’ve got. Make me a werewolf too” Nolan grinned.