Monstrous ➙ Theo Raeken

|05|

She was almost nostalgic as she opened the doors that led into the crowded hallways of Beacon Hills High School. It was her last year and she would be going through it without two of her best friends by her side.

Clarissa knew that Jackson needed to get out of Beacon Hills, the place was a curse but she still wished he was here with her. She also knew that Allison was still with her in her heart, but the piece of her that shattered at Allison's funeral was buried deep down with her late friend.

She had always felt at home with Lydia, Jackson, and Allison by her side but as she stared down the crowded hallways watching Lydia walk with Stiles and Malia; she felt lonely. She felt a hand cup her shoulder softly and her eyes darted towards her left to see that her brother was standing next to her warily.

"It's your last year, Clary." Delcan muttered to his sister quietly. He had watched his sister stare down the hallway forlornly for a few minutes before he decided to intervene. "Why do you look so sad?"

"Something just feels off, Del." Clarissa declared quickly. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts that ran through her mind and turned her head to the side to observe her brother. She knew that he was prepared for the year; her eyes glinted at the lacrosse stick strapped to his book bag. "Where's your cute friend?"

"I was just wondering the same thing. Except not about Liam." The youngest Bane told his sister with a vibrant grin. "Where is Stiles this morning?"

"You need to get over the possibility of that ever becoming reality." Clarissa groaned in annoyance towards her little brother. He had been crushing on the older boy since he had joined the lacrosse team. She wrapped her arm around her younger brother's shoulder in amusement as she caught sight of Liam and Mason walking through the hallway. "Besides, I have someone I'm dying for you to meet. He plays lacrosse at Devenford."

Delcan rolled his eyes as his sister led him towards his two friends. "I don't do blind dates."

"You'll like this one." Clarissa stated happily. She knew that her brother was exactly Brett's type of guy and he was extremely lonely since his girlfriend left him a few months ago. "He's got killer abs."

"Fine, I'll agree to meet this guy if you tell me why you seem so upset." The brunette was distracted as they reached Mason and Liam. Mason had been bugging the lacrosse player about a book that he had bought online, the two bickering boys were standing outside of their History classroom as the siblings walked over. "Well besides the fact that your boyfriend won't be graduating with you."

"I would love to tell you about the inner workings of my mind but alas I have peer tutoring to get to." Clarissa told her brother warily as she reached up to place a sweet platonic kiss on Liam's cheek. The boy smiled at her actions before pulling her into him; they needed to keep up the false pretenses in front of her brother. "I'll see you guys later? Liam, are we still going out after school?"

"Definitely." The younger boy declared in excitement. The way they worded it sounded like a date but in all honestly they were just going to the preserve to help Liam gain control.

Clarissa smirked as she walked away from the three boys towards the library, her smirk turning into a smile as Mason Hewitt's voice reached her ears.

"Am I missing something? Clarissa Bane just kissed you on the cheek and Delcan looks like he wants to kill you?"

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Clarissa's nails clicked against the mahogany wood of the library table in a quick repetitive pattern; eyes trained on the skittish sophomore in front of her who was glaring down at his textbook. She tilted her head in confusion as he let out a muffled groan; his head hitting the book against the table. "Corey, are you alright?"