Don't Take Yourself So Seriously

On Friday morning Kinsey was exuding confidence. Gray v-neck shirt, brand new red skirt. I'm looking good, she thought, a spring in her step. It was one of those days to kiss the mirror in the morning. She smiled when she met up with Stiles in the school hallway.

"King!" Stiles shouted, turning towards her. "We need you to do something for us, OK?" Stiles put his arm around Kinsey leading her towards the opposite hall she was walking from. "Scott is going to fail miserably. You need to get the necklace off of Allison. Got a game plan?"

"I'm going to ask for it." Kinsey looked into Stiles' eyes, smiling.

"Good plan. Go for it." Stiles let go of Kinsey and pushed her back into the next set of lockers. Allison looked surprised at her sudden appearance. Kinsey was expecting more time to think of something to say.

"Hi," Allison said quietly. Kinsey scratched at her hand, looking away. "Hello?" Kinsey's mind raced, finding it hard to think on the spot.

"Allison, my dear . . ." Kinsey looked back at Allison, slowly getting on one knee. Allison furrowed her eyebrows, looking around to see who was watching. "I've loved you for a long time now, baby girl." Allison sighed, smiling sympathetically. Kinsey took Allison's left hand into her own. "Girl, you complete me. I want you in my life forever. Will you . . . will you . . ." Kinsey, being an amazing actress, held a hand to her forehead, expressing her deepest troubles.

"You are so weird," the boy in the next locker spat, sprinting away. Allison smiled, and Kinsey blushed. But that would not ruin her performance. If she quit every time someone was embarrassed for her, she'd never be able to speak.

"Will you let me borrow your necklace?"

"No. Get up. You're making a fool of yourself." Allison helped Kinsey get off her knees. She dusted off her legs and finally said hello. "I can't let you borrow it. What was the point of all that?"

"I figured you couldn't deny me if I was that nice."

"Was that a spur of the moment thing?"

"Last minute, crappy plan? If that's what you mean, yes." Allison laughed. Kinsey, in a chipper mood, was going to try to get the necklace again, but figured it was pointless.

Allison looked behind Kinsey's shoulder, but snapped back right away. Kinsey looked in the direction she came from. Scott was at his locker, and Jackson was talking to him. Kinsey opened her mouth. "Don't. Just don't," Allison interrupted, looking sad.

"No talk about Sc-" Kinsey stopped herself. She knew she should have gone on asking for the necklace, but Kinsey wasn't feeling too persistent. "Well, while I have you here, let's have an update."

"More Stiles news? He kiss you again?"

"No. I told you, I don't like him anymore." Lies. I can't even believe you listened to me when that bull came out of my mouth. Kinsey thought back to the awkward phone call the night before and cringed. "He obviously doesn't like me. I've kind of got bigger news."

"It's about . . ." Something in Allison's eyes stopped Kinsey. She looked behind herself again, looking at Scott. "How are you doing? Since you know what."

Allison was taken by surprise. She was always a good ear, but now Allison needed someone to listen. "I just . . . I just thought this was different. I thought he was different. I thought I trusted him, but now I feel like everyone is lying to me."

"Everyone? Why everyone?"

Allison had a look on her face like she had shared too much. Kinsey immediately noticed, so she questioned Allison harder. "Ever since the neighbor incident, my family keeps sneaking around. It's . . ." The bell rang above their heads. "Nevermind," Allison dismissed, walking the other way.

Kinsey stayed in place for a second, but Scott came from behind her. He grabbed her arm, dragging her away. "Jackson knows I'm a werewolf!" he whispered into her ear.

Kinsey's heart fell out and onto the floor. "What?!"

Scott was all riled up. He hiked his bookbag up on his shoulder, running down the hall with Kinsey on his arm.

* * * * *

At lunch, Scott and Stiles walked behind Kinsey as she led them to a table of girls. They were Kinsey's random friends that she never hung out with but was comfortable talking to anyways. Stiles sat next to Scott, cramming food into his mouth.

"Did you get the necklace?" Stiles questioned. Both Kinsey and Scott shook their heads. “And is Jackson sure you're a wolf?” Scott nodded. Stiles sighed, picking up more food.

“This is too much to handle,” Scott grumbled. “Hones-”

The smell of cheap cologne came wafting into Kinsey's nostrils. She put down her milk, thinking it was sour. "Hey," curly-hair guy said, sitting down next to Kinsey. Dear God, why? "Long time no see," he said cockily.

"I wonder why?" Kinsey said enthusiastically, poking hard at her fruit cup. Today is not the day for this. Come on.

Scott didn't finish his sentence, and he rolled his eyes, too frustrated to interrupt.

"It's weird a cute girl like you wouldn't want to be around me." You suck at flirting. Curly-haired guy placed his hand on Kinsey's thigh, causing her to turn her head frighteningly slow, a look of pure hatred in her eyes. His voice got low. "Does the carpet match the drapes?" he said, adding a wink.

It's on. Stiles smiled, waiting for Kinsey's reaction.

Kinsey wiped the anger off her face. She put on her most dimply smile, giggled as girly as she could, and looked into Curly-hair's eyes. She put her hand on his arm, gently rubbing it. "Oh, yeah, baby," Kinsey said, leaning closer to him. "In color AND in length." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, letting the guy see the brown locks fall on her chest. To finish it off, she leaned in as close as she could, her lips on his ear. "I braid that shit," she seductively whispered.

Curly-hair guy fell out of his seat, his eyes wide with fear and disgust. King put her hands on his seat, trying to grab for him. He started to scramble away, so Kinsey pleaded for him to come back.

Stiles was laughing his ass off. "Oh, God. I love you, King." He was clutching his sides, head lying on the table. Kinsey felt satisfied she took care of that problem. Scott gave a look over to Stiles, who still hadn't stopped laughing.

"Maybe put a little too much on there, King . . ." Scott said.

"Not enough. He hit on me at the pools last week 'cause he thinks I'd be easy!"

“King, magnificent.” Stiles wiped his eyes, looking up to see her bright smile. She was always smiling, always happy to be around him. It was refreshing from the usual werewolf angst.

A teensy tiny part of Stiles felt his heart skip a beat when she started talking again.

“Is Jackson staring at us?” she asked.

Scott turned to look around. Jackson's eyes were in fact glued to Scott's head. Scott sighed, looking forward. He shifted uncomfortably. “He's watching us.”

“What's he want?” Stiles asked. Kinsey already knew. Jackson started talking to Scott from across the crowded room, threatening him, convincing Scott he knew all about his werewolf powers.

Jackson took a bite of his apple. The ear-piercing crunch caused Scott to flinch.

“Scott, stop listening to him,” Kinsey warned.

Scott had a death grip on his water bottle. He went in for a drink before Jackson began commenting on how he was going to get his hands all over Allison. Scott puts his hands on his tray, shaking it. “Maybe she's a screamer. How you gonna feel, Scott, when she's screaming my name?”

Scott ripped his tray in half. It was a bit noticeable to everyone around. Only a little.

The whole lunch room turned to him. Jackson took a bite of his apple, then left the crowd of students to whisper about Scott's crazy behavior.

"Don't let him control you like that," Kinsey warned.

"What am I supposed to do?" Scott spit back.

"Don't be scared, and don't give him the upper hand. Jesus, Scott, he doesn't have to win." With the mini pep-talk, Scott calmed down, picking at his food. The students didn't quit murmuring about him, though, which only kept Scott on edge.

Jackson had simply moved positions to talk to Scott from farther away. “I know all about you now. The wolfsbane your friend left in my neck told me a big story. How many of you are there, huh?” Scott gathered his books together, prepared to leave lunch. “Definitely not Stilinski. He doesn't even know how to hold a lacrosse stick right.”

“Hey!” Kinsey said in Jackson's direction. Stiles looked oddly at her.

“Bet I could take a guess at another one. That weird little thing you hang out with used to wear glasses, didn't she? Good thing werewolves have perfect vision.”