From Ashes ✗ Stiles Stilinski [#𝟏]

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 [ nerves. ]

A/N: New chapter! The day after the premiere of season 5! I'm so excited. Also, things are developing in the chapter. Important things. Enjoy!

Song Recommendation ["Madness" - Muse]

NOTE: For the full experience, I do personally suggest seeking out each song rec.

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Isn't that how it begins? When you can't see past a person?

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School made everything more difficult.

Considering Maddie had never gotten the opportunity to be what she was and a student at the same time before that year, it felt like splitting her brain in two nearly every day. One side was devoted solely to her mission, which she was becoming largely confused on as days past; the other half kind of payed attention in school. She couldn't see anyone really caring, but part of her was starting to - especially math. She used to be so good at math.

She grumbled to herself as she walked out of Calculus with a stapled together stack of paper. The number 68 was written in red and circled, constantly drawing Maddie's defeated stare back to it. She hardly even remembered the day she took the test, much less the unit she was told to study. Could be worse. Could be failing! Marie's flighty voice rang in her head with a scoffing laugh like it was a joke and she grimaced.

It wasn't much longer until she spotted the familiar black-haired boy standing at the other end of the hall and focused on his phone. It was odd to see him alone; in fact, Maddie couldn't remember a time when she'd seen Scott without Stiles in toe or Allison a few yards away in a poor attempt at trying to ignore each other. She tucked her deplorable test in the top book she was carrying (which wasn't even her math book, at that) and strode quickly over to Scott. "How are they?"

He seemed a bit startled when he looked up from his phone but nodded a hello. "Uh...good. I think."

This was their friendship - if she could call it that. No 'hey'. No 'what's up'. In fact, she couldn't think of a time that they had ever even had an amiable conversation. She wasn't sure what an amiable conversation with Scott would be. "Hey! How's the werewolf thing going?" or "Patrol party! You bring the claws, I bring the stakes!". No, the only thing she could usually think of was "stop being an idiot". Clearly, she still had quite a way to go. Even so, they began walking side by side in silence as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Scott pocketed his phone and his eyes shot over to her, all wide and dark and worried. "Hey, have you seen...um..."

Allison, she thought, almost in amusement. She knew he couldn't say it out loud, for fear that someone might over hear him but it was the only subject that seemed to come up with Scott. Sure, there was nothing wrong with that. It was good that he cared so much. As the weeks had worn on, she found herself wondering if she would ever care about people as much as Scott McCall. Maddie nodded but kept her gaze forward. "Yeah. Drove me here. She, uh...was acting a little weird today."

"Weird, how?" Scott asked, panic jumping into his voice.

Maddie shrugged, searching for a way to explain it. "...I don't know, like...like she kept looking at me on the way here. Not normal looks. Weird ones, like..." She thought back to the drive to school, being watched. She would turned just a bit toward the passenger window and Allison jumped. She hadn't even spoken a word to the girl the whole way. Instead, as soon as Allison locked the doors, she had fast-walked to the school entrance. Maddie knew the reaction all too well. She hadn't expected it now, though. Not from Allison, at least. Her shoulders slumped low and her brows furrowed. "...She was afraid. She's never been afraid of me, not even when she first found out about everything."