IX. PREP SCHOOL APPROVED

Madison stood inside of Coach's office, fiddling with her hands. She was waiting for Stiles and Isaac to come back with Kira, Scott using the time they were gone to explain to Madison what was going on.

"The one that's been killing everyone—not the mute, the student. The killer's on the lacrosse team, Stiles saw the pattern of the stab wounds matched with the pattern of the bottom of the school's lacrosse sticks."

"The killer's on the team? Do you guys have any leads?" Madison asked, leaning forward to get closer to Scott. He shook his head as Madison groaned.

"Great. We're all going to die." She huffed and put her head in her hands to dramatize her actions.

"Nope. We're here to look at the bottom of the lacrosse sticks to see if we can find a match." Scott stated proudly as Madison looked at him.

"You mean we're going to look at dozens upon dozens of sticks to see if we can find one tiny dagger? You do realize that most people have their own equipment too, right?"

"It's worth a shot. Anything we can do to save a life, we're doing."

"I don't know, Scott..." Madison said, before Scott placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Madison, no one is going to die. I promise. No more death." Scott said, looking into her eyes as his own flashed red. Madison smiled as she took in his words.

"I would flash my eyes back at you, except I don't really have any cool colored eyes, so..."

Scott chuckled and took his hands away from Madison, although he continued to stand protectively in front of her in case anyone caught them and got them into trouble. The door squeaked, Madison peeking out from behind Scott, the door opening to reveal the other juniors.

Scott had decided they would split up around the room and take off the bottom off the sticks, and if they each covered an area, it would get done faster.

"I swear you guys are going to get me suspended. It's nearly noon and I haven't attended a single class." Madison complained. It's not like she chose to go to class, even if she had the option. She was simply tired, taking out her annoyance on the four freshman.

"You're right. This...this is pointless." Stiles replied as Scott rolled his eyes, trying to explain his point of view.

"Most of the team plays with their own gear."

"If none of us think this is a good idea, why are we even doing it?" Isaac asked, knocking his knuckles as they grew sore.

"Maybe instead of trying to find a lacrosse stick with a hidden dagger in it, we should be trying to get the game canceled?" Kira asked, Madison snapping her head towards her and clapping.

"Finally! A reasonable idea."

"The games the best way to catch him red-handed."

"But what if he's red handed 'cause his hands are covered in the blood of the person that he just stabbed to death? Which by the way, could be any of you guys."

"Or Liam." Scott said.

"Yes, Scott. Literally. We don't want to find some poor kid dead because we couldn't find the killer fast enough."

"Well, we don't have the whole list and he could be on it. So could Madison." Scott said, before slapping a hand over his mouth since he revealed too much.

Madison turned her head in confusion and blinked.

"So I'm not on the list?"

"Don't-don't answer that. We don't know anything about the list. Now it's made, how it's updated. I mean—who's been out taking a supernatural census anyway?"

"How do they even know about me?"

"They know about all of us. I knew I should've stayed in France." Isaac complained.

"Yep, and you should've brought back some food." Madison joked, patting his shoulder as he playfully pouted.

"I think Kira's right. I think we should stop the game." Stiles said, agreeing to Kira's previous point.

"I'm not afraid."

"Neither am I."

Madison, Isaac, and Stiles looked to one another. Madison's eyes were wide. She was terrified and didn't know a single thing about the list.

"Well, I'm terrified! And I'm not even on the list. Guys, these are professional killers. It's their profession. One of them's got a thermo-cut wire that cuts heads off."

"Who knows what else they have?" Stiles added, Scott's face falling as he looked at his pack members in the room.

***

Madison left the room a few minutes after that, needing to get fresh air and clear her head. Scott and Stiles not so secretly followed her out, Isaac going to the locker room to put back all of the lacrosse sticks.

Madison sat on a bench, her bag against her side. She felt a hand tap her shoulder as she turned around.

"Stiles, I said give me a second-" Madison began, quickly shutting up when two freshman boys stood above her.

"Not Stiles." Liam replied as Madison looked up, embarrassed for snapping at them.

"What're you doing?" Mason asked, sitting next to Madison and he pulled the book in her hand out of her grasp.

"Homework."

"Boring."

"Aren't you the one with like- a four point something gpa?" Madison retorted as Mason stared at her.

"How did you even know that?" Mason asked, Madison chuckling as she realized she most likely came off as creepy.

Luckily a bus pulled up just as she fumbled over her words, grabbing Liam's attention. She watched as he left the two completely, walking towards the bus.

"Who's that?" Madison asked.

"His old school. Devenford Prep."

"Oh."

Mason motioned for Madison to follow, and she was glad he didn't grab her by the wrist. She was lucky if her wrist wouldn't bruise by the end of the day by how much people have been pulling her everywhere.

She slipped her book back into her bag, tossing it over her shoulder as she quickly followed behind Mason. In the corner of her eyes she saw Scott and Stiles follow the two as she turned around and glared at them.

Madison watched as a group of boys exited the bus, one who was weirdly tall making eye contact with the freshman. Madison had to admit he was quite attractive, Mason thinking the exact same thing.

"I just wanted to say," Liam started, Madison ready to grab and pull Liam away if anything started. "Have a good game." He held out his hand for a handshake, only for the boy to laugh in his face.

"That's cute, Liam. Is that what they told you to say in anger management?" He mocked, Liam's defeated expression making the juniors cringe.

"Apologize and everything's fine? You demolished Coach's car."

"I paid for it." Liam replied through gritted teeth, his embarrassment and rejection quickly developing into anger.

"Yeah, you're going to pay for it. We're gonna break you in half out there. And it's gonna be all your fault." The boy taunted, Liam clenching his hands into fists and blood began to drop on the pavement.

Madison shrieked, as her and Scott headed toward the very angry beta.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's go." Scott said, him and Madison grabbing Liam and rushing him somewhere private where he wouldn't be seen as supernatural. Madison mumbled a goodbye to Mason as she saw Stiles begin to stall the other prep students.

A few steps later Stiles joined the two, their quick jog turning into sprinting as they rushed Liam into the locker room. Madison opened the door as Scott and Stiles pinned him to the wall, Isaac looking at the group in confusion.

"I was gone for like, ten minutes. What the hell did you do?" Isaac asked, getting no one except a slight chuckle from Madison as the students used their strength to keep the beta calm.

Madison looked around the room and turned on one of the showers, drenching the juniors who looked at her with blank stares.

"Really?" Isaac said, not getting to say much else as him and the two struggled as Liam growled and snapped at the air. Madison rushed back to help hold him, although she wasn't doing much to help.

"Okay, are you calm yet?" Stiles asked, Liam replying with an angry roar. Madison stepped back for a moment, the three juniors throwing Liam against the wall. Madison winced at the noise his back made, calming down mere seconds later.

"Okay! Okay." Liam spoke, turning back to his human form as the group panted. Madison cringed as she felt her damp clothes and frizzy hair. She turned the water off, stepping out of the showers and leaning against a nearby wall. The boys gave Liam his space as the freshman sunk to the floor.

"That car you smashed, I thought you said that was your teacher's?" Scott asked.

"He was also my coach. He benched me for the entire season." Liam explained.

"What did you do?"

"I got a couple red cards." Liam mumbled under his breath as he looked away.

"Just a couple?" Stiles asked, Liam looking at him with an expression that Madison couldn't quite pick out, but she felt bad.

"You gotta be honest with us. What else happened?" Scott asked Liam looked down at him and rolling his eyes.

"Nothing!"

"Look, Liam. If something happened, telling the truth will only help." Madison said, walking next to Liam and crouching down. He smiled at her for a moment, breaking their eye contact as he stared at the wall ahead. Madison decided to sit down next to him and he finally began to speak.

"I got kicked out of school. They sent me to a psychologist for evaluation."

"What did they call it?" Scott asked.

"Intermittent Explosive Disorder."

"I.E.D? You're literally an I.E.D? That's great. Great, you gave superpowers to a walking time bomb." Stiles joked, Madison turning towards him and glaring. "Shut up."

"Did they give you anything for it?"

"Risperdal. It's an antipsychotic."

"Oh, this just gets better."

"But I don't take it."

"Obviously." Stiles clasped his hands together, Madison's glare burning into his head as she warned him to stop while he was ahead.

"I-I can't play lacrosse on it. It makes me too tired."

Isaac signed, looking to Madison. He felt like he was intruding on their conversation, since he and the other beta barely knew each other.

"Okay. I think you should bail out of the game. Tell Coach your leg is still hurting." Scott advised, Liam shaking his head and standing up.

"No, no! I can do this. Especially if you're there." Liam tried to convince, Stiles running a hand down his face

"But, Liam, it's not just about the game. We think whoever killed Demarco might be on our team."

"Who's Demarco?"

"The one who brought the beer to the party. The guy who was beheaded, remember?"

"We think the person who ordered the keg killed Demarco." Scott explained, watching as Liam's face fell. His eyes were trailed on the floor as he looked around.

"Liam? What, you know something?" Scoot asked, the other three teenagers looking at each other in anticipation at what Liam would reply with.

"I don't know who ordered the keg," Liam shook his head. "But I know who paid for it."

"Who?" Madison asked, stepping closer to Liam and placing a hand on his arm.

"Garrett."

"Uhh...who?"

authors note
i love madison so much i can't wait for you guys to see her character develop ive put so much thought into her character and i hope it shows throughout the series <3
have a great day/night!