XXIX. PARASOMNIA

"This is the one I was telling you about. I got it from a rare book dealer in Germany. Cost me two hundred bucks—but it was totally worth it." Mason stated, walking alongside Madison and Liam as they started walking to their first class.

Madison had already been awake for two hours, and it wasn't even 8am yet. She had spent extra time getting ready, putting a generous amount of time into doing her makeup and hair for once. She was forced to walk to school after Isaac and Stiles abandoned the sophomores at her apartment building, since they were stopping at the sheriff's station before school.

She watched Liam gulp anxiously as he thought about his reply.

"You're still reading about this stuff?"

"I was attacked by an armor-plated giant wearing a bear skull...it left an impression."

Madison looked at Mason her expression filled with pity. She wanted to tell him he wasn't crazy like Liam was treating him, and explain what was going on. But she couldn't.

"Look. Look, have you ever seen anything like this?" He asked, running his fingers over the pages as he pointed to an image of a Berserker.

Madison noticed Liam's eyes widen, before he plastered on a neutral expression and played dumb.

"Uh...no. Never." He replied, moving past Madison and Mason as he tried to get away from them and go to class.

Mason didn't take the hint, and followed after the beta.

"And then, there's this whole section about the Nagual. Have you ever heard of the name Tez...Tezcat.."

"Tezcatlipoca." Liam finished. His best friend looked at him weirdly, and Madison was glaring at him.

"No. No, never heard of him." He defended again.

Madison rolled her eyes, pushing past the two boys as she walked into class. She pondered at the door for a omens deciding where to sit. Sitting in the front was a definite no, as she continued to scan the room. Madison saw a girl sitting towards the back, with wavy dark brown hair. Madison and the girl made eye contact, and she smiled sweetly.

Madison grinned back, taking the seat to her right.

"Hi, my name is Madison," the witch greeted, waving at the girl in front of her. She placed her books down as the girl extended her hand for a handshake.

"I'm Hayden."

"Hayden, I love that name!" She exclaimed, coming off to excited as she dialed her enthusiasm down—she didn't want to scare her off.

"First year here?" She questioned, clearing her throat as Hayden nodded.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. You'll make friends. You already have one here," Madison beamed, watching Hayden chuckle as she mumbled out a thank you. She watched the girl blush lightly, but Madison soon changed her focus as her boyfriend walked into the room with Mason.

"Take your seats, everyone." Ken Yukimura called to his class. Madison watched Liam look her way sending her a soft smile. Before she could return it, she watched as he looked to Hayden, and cringed as he flinched.

"Great." Liam deadpanned as Hayden blew a bubble with her gum.

Mason winced as Liam began to look around the classroom for another vacant seat.

"Liam," the teacher called, you're not gonna just stand there, are you?"

Liam considered this option as he nodded. "Maybe."

"The whole semester?'

"Maybe..." he shrugged. Madison had her head in her hands, watching the other students in the class begin to laugh. She looked to Hayden, then back to Liam, confused on what was going on.

"Liam," Mr. Yukimura began, gesturing to the empty chair, "have a seat."

Liam stared at him blankly for a moment. He looked to Madison, who was scowling harshly at his antics. She watched as the beta groaned as he sat down reluctantly. Liam opened the page of his textbook to the cover. Hayden glanced over at him, snickering.

Madison watched as Liam's expression turned to one of disgust as he slowly turned towards the back of his chair. He started down as he slowly sat up from the seat, pink bubblegum sticking to the back pocket of his jeans. He looked to Hayden, who only grinned in response. Madison looked down at Liam's stained jeans, trying not to laugh. She made eye contact with Mason, and he was doing the same.

Unaware of the chaos that just erupted, the history teacher began his lesson.

"All right, welcome to History 103." Before he could continue any further, Madison rested her head on the desk and dozed off.

***

When history was over, Madison checked her phone to reveal over two dozen texts from Stiles. He had texted her, letting her know that he and Scott were going to interrogate Theo Raeken.

Madison was immediately flying out of the room, backpack over her shoulder as she kissed Liam on the cheek and scurried into the boys locker room.

Madison closed the room, eyes scanning the room until she found the two familiar seniors. She rested against the lockers next to Stiles, where he gave her a thumbs up and pointed to her ears to tell her to listen to Theo's story.

"I was skating in a neighbor's empty pool, trying to do a hand plant. Nobody was home. I'm not that good of a skateboarder, but I guess I was feeling pretty determined...because I completely lost track of time."

"I didn't even realize that it was night until the yard lights came on. Like I said, I wasn't very good. On my last try I went down hard—really hard."

Madison looked to the supposed werewolf, eyebrow raised with her arms crossed over her chest. She and the senior looked identical, same expression and all.

"I was sitting there at the bottom of the pool and I realized something. I never heard the board come back down."

Madison watched as Theo began to explain the alpha standing before him, bloody claws holding his skateboard.

"It came at me fast. I barely had a chance to turn around before it bit me. Right here." Theo stated, slipping his hand off of his pocket and pointing a finger towards the side of his abdomen.

"Well, it wasn't an accident. He wanted to turn you." Scott figured.

"Right. So, why aren't you part of his pack then?" Stiles called out. Madison, who had her head on his shoulder as was quickly growing bored, nodded in agreement.

"Why didn't he come back for you?" Madison added.

"Because by the time of my first full moon, he was dead."

"How'd you know that?"

"I met another one of his pack a couple weeks later. He told me the Alpha that bit me was killed by two of his own betas. They were twins."

Madison's eyes widened at this, the witch biting down hard on her lip to try and make sense of his story. She looked to the two seniors, who were already looking at each other and figuring the same thing as her.

"Scott, listen to my pulse. I'm telling the truth."

"Right, or you just know how to steady your heart rate while you're lying your ass off." Stiles snapped, moving away from the lockers and creeping towards Theo.

Scott have Stiles a pleading look, telling him to back off slightly, but he didn't listen. Madison didn't want him to listen, if someone like him came out of nowhere on a dark and stormy night, he deserves to be interrogated. That's suspicious as hell.

"Why would I lie?" Asked Theo.

"Maybe you're not who you say you are."

"Aren't we all not who we say we are sometimes?" Theo replied, eyes flickering to Madison as she looked back at him, before looking to the floor.

When he didn't get a response, he changed the subject again.

"Okay. In the fourth grade you had an inhaler, I had one too. I remember this day where I ended up in the Nurse's office with an asthma attack. A bad one. I was waiting to be taken to the ER, you were waiting for the principle," he said. Scott looked up to meet his eyes, and Madison figured this memory was familiar to the both of them.

"You told me what would happen when you go to the ER for asthma. How they give you oxygen, and IV of prednisone. You made it sound...easy. Like everything would be okay."

Madison looked to Stiles, who threw his head back and didn't know what to respond with. The witch felt conflicted, the werewolf sounded so convincing. But she knew better.

"I've been by myself this whole time. Everybody knows that line wolves...they don't make it on their own. I swear, I-I'm that same kid from fourth grade," he breathed out, a small smile of his face, "I was hoping you are too."

The bell rang again. Madison grumbled to herself, wondering why she just spent the last hour listening to this weirdo give a speech like he was some sort of motivational speaker.

"I better not be late for class. You're not the only ones I need to make a good impression on." He spoke, chuckling. Scott nodded in understanding, lips curving upwards as he smiled.

Madison narrowed her eyes when they made eye contact. She was not fond of Theo Raeken, and wanted him to know it.

When the seniors had prepared to leave the room, Scott gage Stiles a knowing look.

"No. Don't give me that look."

"We have to give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes."

"Yes, people. Not werewolves who appear randomly when someone is trying to kill you. Don't you get how perfectly ironic that is?"

"Yes, exactly. Not this time, alright? We're right. There's something off about him, I can feel it."

"I can't just trust him Scott," Madison ranted, "I'll trust him when he does something trustworthy."

"You can't just know there's something off about him. Lydia's the psychic. Not you."

"She's a banshee. Give her a better title than some cheap knockoff," Madison snapped, growing frustrated by the Alpha not listening to her as she shoved past him.

Madison felt rage burning throughout her body. The last time someone didn't listen to her, they got hurt. Worse than hurt. They died, and it could've been avoided if someone had just taken the time to listen.

Madison had grilled her backpack tightly as she walked throughout the hallways, shoving past the students who were in her way. She went towards her locker, planning to drop off her stuff and just go home.

She opened her locker, angrily fumbling with the code as she swung the door open, so forcefully it almost flew off of its hinges. She had felt angry before, sure. But this kind of anger felt heightened—to the point she as genuinely afraid she'd hurt someone if she didn't get herself under control.

She expected her magic to go haywire, but it didn't. Instead, that same growl from last night felt like it wanted to explode out of her mouth, feeling the heavy vibrations in her throat. She didn't let it sound. When the witch slammed her locker and turned away, Madison bumped into someone. Hayden.

"I'm sorry," Madison breathed out, putting a hand on Hayden's shoulder to apologize.

"It's fine. You okay?" She questioned, Madison suddenly realizing she practically had steam blowing off her.

"Yeah, I'm good," the witch lied. She watched as Hayden raised an eyebrow, close her locker, and gently grabbed Madison's wrist, leading them outside.

"It helps to get fresh air when you're angry. Trust me, I know." She explained, a small smile on her face as Madison followed her outside.

Hayden wasn't wrong, the cool breeze hitting Madison's skin already evaporating the anger inside her.

"Thank you," the witch said, her voice calmer than before. Madison suddenly felt embarrassed, having just met this girl today and she would likely already scared her off.

"No problem. I had friends at my old school who helped me deal with my emotions when they got to be too much."

"Where did you used to go to school?"

"Devenford Prep."

Madison swallowed at this, slightly shocked Liam had never mentioned her before. Maybe the fiasco from this morning was why.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Have you ever heard of it?"

"You could say that," Madison chuckled out, Hayden's light giggle matching hers. The sun was shining against the bench they were sitting on, making Madison's eyes brighter and hair shinier.

"Okay, so I'm definitely not trying to come off as awkward right now—I guess we just happened to meet on an off day for me. I'm not usually like this." Madison suddenly spoke, folding back a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Don't apologize. Everyone's a little awkward now and then."

"Do you wanna hang out some time?" Madison asked, words flying out of her mouth before she like give them a chance to think it over. Her eyes widened, as she bit the bottom of her lip, anxious for her reply.

"Sure." Hayden responded, eyes bright while the grin on her face held strong.

Madison was going to reply, but she heard someone call her name as she looked behind her. She saw Stiles and Liam, Stiles looking annoyed while Liam followed behind him excitedly.

She watched the senior and the sophomore walk up to where she sat with Hayden, watching her boyfriend scowl at her new friend. She assumed it was a mutual hate.

"Come with us."

"Why?"

"Just-just come on." Stiles said, motioning for Madison to stand up as she glared at him. Was he seriously about to mess up the first friend she had made in months?

"I'm really sorry, Hayden. I gotta go." She said, the brunette nodding as Madison was hurriedly dragged away. Madison felt bad, but when the car door slammed as she found herself in the backseat, the emotion washed away.

Stiles placed his keys in the car, the engine sounding as Stiles leaned back in the seat.

"Whats a Criminal Tremor?" Liam suddenly asked, holding up a piece of paper that Stiles ripped out of his hand.

"It doesn't matter." He replied, the tires squeaking against the parking lot as he drove away. Liam, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, held on to the car for dear life.

***

Stiles had filled in Madison and Liam about Theo, Madison not having missed much aside from the discussion in the library. The three had gotten food while they waited for Theo to exit the school, where they then followed him home and watched him play video games.

Madison was bored out of her mind, and was fiddling with Liam's fingers as she rested her head on his lap. Stiles had tried to pry them apart, but after the first hour he gave up, shooting them warning looks every few minutes.

They had watched Theo leave his house, Stiles nearly vibrating with excitement as he ushered the sophomores back to the Jeep where they followed him out into the woods.

"Stiles, did you think this through? We're following an extremely shady guy out into the middle of the woods. Is there something that's not clicking for you, or..." Madison began, although Stiles waved her off with a finger at her lips.

She groaned in annoyance, licking Stiles' finger as he pulled back and looked at her, grimacing with disgust. She smirked back.

Stiles lead the two out of the Jeep and behind a bush, the three watching Theo as he reached into the trunk of his car. He pulled something out, and began walking further out into the woods.

"I told you he was up to something." Stiles whispered.

"We just spent three hours watching this dude play video games in his bedroom. He better be out here covering up a mass murder." Liam replied as Madison snorted.

"Let's find out." Stiles said, the two crawling away from their hiding spot. Madison looked at them oddly, standing to her feet as she began to walk alongside them. She wasn't in the mood to ruin a perfectly good outfit with dirt.

Madison and Stiles were now following Liam, who had found his scent. Madison watched her boyfriend sniff the air every few minutes, nodding to himself in confirmation.

"You still got his scent?" Stiles asked after a few minutes of silent wandering.

"Don't need it." Liam said, motioning to the footprints in the ground.

Liam came to a pause, pulling Madison back. Stiles didn't quite get the memo until he heard the leaves crunching behind him stop.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I forgot, I-I was supposed to meet Mason at the school gym." Liam spoke, guilt laced in his tone.

"Okay. W-why didn't you just tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"Anything." Stiles replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"We'll, I can't just tell him anything." The beta trailed off as Stiles raised a brow.

"Why not?" Stiles probed.

"'Cause I haven't...I haven't told him everything." Liam admitted, running his chin as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Still? We said it was okay."

"Yeah, I know, but it's not that easy. It's a lot to accept."

"He watched my dad blow up a Berserker with a land mine. I think the groundwork's been pretty thoroughly laid for acceptance. Scott and I, we've been through this. Okay? More than once, it's just, it's always better when they know." Stiles said as he began to continue following the footsteps. Liam sighed, taking in the advice as he looked to Madison, who had been telling him the same thing nearly all summer.

The witch tilted her head, before letting go of his sweatshirt's sleeve and following the senior.

Liam pulled out his phone, stopping again. Madison looked at him, squinting at him in confusion.

"But what if he freaks out? What if he doesn't want to talk to me? What if he tried to stab me with something silver? Or what if—"

Madison and Stiles stopped with they heard a branch snap, followed by a loud thud. Madison turned around sharply, no sign of Liam behind her.

"Li?" she called out, following Stiles as they found Liam inside the dirt.

"What the hell are you doing?" Stiles questioned, Liam looking up at him, having no explanation.

"I-" Stiles trailed off when he heard footsteps. Madison followed his trail of sight, seeing Theo come into her eyes' view. "There he is. Hurry up, stop screwing around." Stiles added before rushing off.

Madison got on her knees, looking down as she extended a hand for Liam to take. She watched as he picked up his muddy phone, the device beeping to life. He scanned over his phone, sadness crossing over his features.

He turned on the flashlight to his phone, although what came to light was a shiny leaf necklace.

"Come on." Madison rushed, her hand waving back and forth as it grew tired. Liam took it graciously, and kissed her on the cheek when he was back to ground level.

The witch smiled, and when Liam turned away she wiped the muddy mess from his hands that had somehow gotten on her face. Madison followed Liam who followed Stiles, the three hiding behind the branch of a tree.

"Try and get his scent," Stiles told, talking to Liam again a few seconds later, "get anything?"

"Soap. It's nice, it smells good." He explained. Madison looked at him.

"Not his soap, idiot."

"His emotional state, chemosignals, remember?" Stiles finished.

"Oh—yeah. Okay."

"Uh...he's sad." Liam said, although it came out as more of a question as Madison looked at him. 

"He's sad?"

"We'll, not just sad— it's more like...grief."

"Grief?"

Madison watched Theo pull out a white flower, dropping it into water. She looked to Stiles, who's jaw had dropped entirely.

"Oh, my God! Go, we have to go."

"What? Why?"

"Go. Right now. Just go." He mumbled, ushering the two away at a rapid pace as they departed the scene.

"That's the bridge where they found his sister," Stiles explained to the two when they were further away.

"What sister?"

"The one who got lost and died from exposure. He's leaving a flower for her."

"That doesn't sound evil."

"I know!"

The three stopped and looked up, to find Theo perched on a tree. He jumped down and looked at them.

He looked angry, rising up from the ground. Suddenly, an innocent smile popped on his face.

"What're you guys doing?"

Liam growled, standing protectively in front of Madison. Stiles put a hand out in front of Liam's puffed out chest.

"Whoa."

"Why do I get the feeling this kids tougher than he looks?" Theo quizzed, raising his arms in surrender.

"Only when we let him off his leash."

"Stiles, we were in Little League together. Why are you so suspicious of me?"

Stiles looked at him and blinked. He reached into his pocket, pulling out two pieces of paper.

"Because of these," he said, handing the sheets to Theo.

"Ones a speeding ticket signed by your dad eight years ago. The other one is a signature on a transfer form to Beacon High, they're different." Stiles told him, the werewolf inspecting the two different signatures.

"Huh. Yeah, they do look a little different." He figured.

"No, they're totally different, signed by two different people."

"So...my dad's not my dad? Like he's an imposter?" Asked Theo, chuckling as if he found the situation comical.

"Yeah, something like that." Liam spat, defending Stiles.

"Who do you think I am?" Theo wondered, folding the papers closed again. 

"We don't know yet."

"Want me to give you a DNA sample or something?"

"No, I don't have anything from the fourth grade to match it to."

Theo's smile faded at that. He looked down, and cleared his throat.

"You know, Stiles...I came back here for Scott. But I also came back for you," he said, Stiles suddenly giving Theo all of his focus, "someone like you." Theo rephrased.

"Someone who's willing to walk into the woods in the middle of the night to protect his friends. I don't have anyone like that, but Scott does. You all do."

Madison frowned. She didn't. A thought appeared in her mind that maybe Theo could be her friend. She wiped it out of her mind quickly, discarding the idea immediately.

"I know I'm in the right place. I'm meant to be here. I'm meant to be a part of this pack."

The walk back to the Jeep was silent. Numerous thoughts and opinions swirled around Madison's head, the witch keeping her gaze down and tuning out the quiet conversation between the beta and the human.

When they reached the car, Scott's motorcycle was parked right beside it. Stiles' jaw dropped as he blinked.

"Find anything?" The alpha asked.

Stiles shook his head. "Nope."

Madison nodded in agreement, opening the car door. She stopped when Liam didn't follow.

"I fell in a hole." He said, smiling. When no one acknowledged his comment he looked at the ground awkwardly.

"It was the bridge where his sister died, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. Very embarrassing, so we're gonna leave now." He explained, placing a key into the car's key hole as the engine sputtered, failing to turn on properly.

Stiles closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Son of a..." he began, putting a hand on his face.

"Liam, just do me a favor," Stiles began, stepping out of the car as Madison followed him, "Get in the car and turn the ignition when I say."

Liam nodded, getting into the drivers seat as the three others opened the car's top.

"Stiles?" Scott's voice rang throughout Madison's ears.

"Be with you in a sec. Try it." Stiles called out, the engine sputtering again as it stopped.

"Stiles."

"Yes, okay, we followed him out here. What do you want me to say? That I'm a stalker, huh? That I'm crazy, totally paranoid? None of this is new information." Stiles snapped.

Scott didn't reply, Stiles beginning to attempt and fix the Jeep again as he glanced behind him. Madison was awkwardly pulling at the skin on her lip, handing a new sheet of duct tape to Stiles as she watched.

"Now you're gonna try to at least give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"I give people the benefit of the doubt. I've given a lot of benefit to a lot of people."

"Like Derek? Kira? Liam? Madison?" The alpha began to list out names as Stiles gritted his teeth.

"I was right about Peter." He defended.

"Try it again." Madison said to Liam, beating Stiles to it as he rolled his eyes.

The engine sputtered. Stiles opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again.

"You know, I bet you still think that there's something about him that can be saved."

"Maybe," Scott agreed.

This seemed in infuriate Stiles even more and Stiles exhaled angrily. He tapped something on the Jeep and called out. "Try it again."

The engine sputtered.

Stiles looked at the Jeep in frustration. As if on cue, Scott asked him a question that only made him angrier.

"Why can't you trust anyone?"

"Because you trust everyone!" Stiles yelled, hand going to punch at the car as he winced in pain.

Madison winced at the noise his hand made when it came in contact with the metal parts. He looked at her, eyes tears as she offered a sympathetic pat on the back.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You could've broken it."

"It's not broken."

"Let me see it."

"I'm fine." Stiles repeated.

"Let me see it." Scott confirmed, his best friend holding out his shaky hand as Scott wrapped his hand around it.

Madison watched his veins turn black, the alpha clenching his jaw as the pain exited Stiles and into him. Stiles wiggled his fingers, no painful sensation remaining.

He looked to Scott, eyes casting away as the Jeep roared to life. Everyone was silent as they got in their vehicles. Scott waved as he drove off, the quietness of the Jeep growing ominous.

"I'll drive you to the school, Liam." Stiles said, the beta nodding and mumbling out a thank you as they began the route to Beacon High.

Madison drummed her fingers against her thighs, leg bouncing as she looked out the window. So much for a relaxing year. Only the first day and things were off to a pretty bad start.

Madison looked at the glowing moon, suddenly feeling off. She swallowed and felt her palms grow sweaty, becoming more uncomfortable the longer she stared at the sky. She shut her eyes, tight, and looked away.

After Stiles dropped Liam off, Madison crawled into the passengers seat.

"Stiles?" Madison whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Ha, that's funny. You're obviously not fine."

"You're the last person I need worrying about this. I protect you, not the other way around."

"Don't thjnk of it as protecting, think of it as...just me being a friend."

Stiles seemed to think this over, eyes narrowing at the road. He sighed in defeat.

"It's just...it's senior year. My last year in Beacon Hills before our lives kickstart with a chance of never seeing you guys again. I can't imagine things without the pack, you know?"

"Stiles, no one is leaving. We're a pack. Packs don't just fall apart when college starts."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not," Madison said, glancing at Stiles as she took a breath, "you just have to trust that things will work themselves out."

"Do you think they will?"

"I hope so, but honestly the last forty eight hours have shown that sometimes things don't always go as planned. But we'll adjust accordingly."

Stiles nodded, the Jeep stopping as he drove up to her apartment. As he unlocked the doors and Madison went to step out, he turned to her.

"Madi, you know you mean a lot to me, okay?"

"I know. Same goes for you."

"Thank you...um, for believing me about Theo. You can always talk to me for anything."

"I know. Goodnight Stiles." Madison said with a smile, stepping out of the Jeep as she waved.

"Goodnight, Little Argent."

— argentsires
do you guys prefer chapters longer when they come out by episode or shorter when i split them in half?
also sorry if updates are a little slow for the next week or so, i have a lot of school work and that comes before writing but i have the next chapter already written and i'll try to write more when i find time over the weekend :)
☾ఌ𖦹