Men in This Town

I looked at the sign on my left as the beam of the lights shined on it. I was back in Beacon Hills. Finally. The six hour drive was tiring. The town was quiet, but a few cars drove by. I looked at the dashboard that started blinking. The gas was low and I sighed in annoyance.

I ducked my head down a little to read the lighted up sign names of each store. I needed a gas station quick, if I wanted to be home already. I smiled as I finally found one. I sped up a little and parked next to the machine. While I got out of my car another car drove up and parked facing mines. It was a nice car. The windows were tinted so I couldn’t really see the person driving. Great so I won’t be able to see the man who would possibly kill me and leave me stranded in the woods.

I closed the door and brushed my bangs back and stretched. A yawn escaped my mouth as I turned to face the machine. Being trapped in a metal box going down the freeway for six hours can take a toll out on you. I started to fish through my pocket for my cell. Once I got it, I held it in front of my face and saw that it was 11:34 pm. Opening my car door I grabbed my purse to search for my card. I jumped when I heard the other car’s door slam. I looked up to see a man standing by the machine. To the people I know and love, I leave all of my Justin Bieber memorabilia to you. I don’t want them anymore.

I found my card and swiped it on the machine and placed the nozzle into the gas tank. I tucked my card into my pocket and caught the guy that was here staring at me. He was quite handsome to be my killer but hey, almost all male serial killers had to be at one point. He had black hair, hazel eyes that were staring at me. Just staring. Like not even blinking. I could clap my hands right now and he wouldn’t budge. I shifted a little bit in my leather jacket under his gaze. Almost like he was trying to make me shrink in my skin. I looked away and faced the gas tank. Just maybe if I didn’t look at him he would go away. I took out the nozzle and put it back in its place. I looked his way one more time. Still fucking staring. He literally watched as I got back into the car. I met his eyes one last time and drove off. Maybe I should have flipped him the bird before I left.

“Jeez, way to creep me out, mister,” I said out loud to myself. I still had 10 minutes left until I got home. I reached for the stereo and pressed play. The first track of the CD started to play but I pressed skip and ‘Night of The Hunter by 30 seconds to Mar’ plays in my car. “La nuit du chasseur,” I sang a long to the song as I drummed my hands on my steering wheel.

I bobbed my head to the beat as I sang to the tracks of the album ‘This Is War’. After a couple songs played I parked the car and killed the engine. It felt nice to finally be home. I missed it while I was in LA for the summer. I looked up at my home and saw most of the lights in the house were off except one. Scott.

I decided on leaving my things in my car. I was gonna bring them in the next day since I was tired. I grabbed my back pack on the floor in the front seat and got out of my car. I closed the door behind me and locked it. The air was cold enough for me to see my breath. I’d have mentioned the weather earlier if I wasn’t being glared to death by that strange man. I slung my bag over my right shoulder and made my way to the front door. My car keys were in my hand and I fumbled for the key that had a Hello Kitty key grip on it. I unlocked the door and walked in.

“Scotty, I’m home!” I yelled through the house. I could hear my brother drop what he was doing and hurry out of his room. I could see him looking at me from the top of stairs and grinned as he ran down them.

“Aria!” he said happily as he engulfed me into his arms.

“Somebody missed me a lot,” I said laughing as I hugged my older brother back.

“Shut up. You’ll ruin the moment.” He said as I laughed harder.

“Well I missed you and mom,” I said as he released me.

“How was LA?” He asked me pulling away. His eyes dared up and down. “You looked different.”

“It was nice, but crowded. I got stuck in traffic there for an hour,” I answered. I looked at my hair and my body. “I colored my hair back to black and I did Pilate’s while I was over there.”

“Well you look great,” he said as I smiled.

“While I was over there I got you and mom something, but it’s still in my car.”

“You got a CAR!!” He exclaimed, pushing past me to open the front door to look at my car. Jeez love you too, jerk.

“Yeah, that’s my beauty there,” I told him as he eyed it with his jaw dropped. He’s drooling. I closed his mouth for him and shut the door. “Grandma and grandpa really spoiled me there,” I told him as he shook his head.

“If I didn’t have Lacrosse to worry about I would have gone,” He said pouting and looking at me. I knew that look. He wanted me to say it. He wanted my permission to let him drive my baby.

“Scott…” I stressed his name while glaring wide eyed. I barely got it and it was partially my money that I earned during my summer job.

“Come on, Aria,” He whined while I walked up the stairs to my room. I need to avoid the puppy dog eyes he was giving me. Since we were little I always gave in to them.

“No Scott.” I closed the door in front of his face. I was serious about not getting suckered in by my brother’s eyes.

“ARIA!!” he bellowed as he burst through the other door. Damn you conjoined bathroom. I jumped as the door hit the wall with a rattle.

“Fine! Just stop the eyes!!” I said falling face first onto my bed. “It burns!” my muffled voice cried.

He laughed as he walked out and closed the door behind him. He is evil. I could feel my self drifting in and out of reality. I was seriously tired from my drive here. Sleep was about to over come my conscious mind when there was a THUD. It was loud and I felt alarmed. We were about to get robbed or worse… Slaughtered!

“Aria.” Scott called as his protective mode was kicking in. He walked to the corner of my room and grabbed my baseball bat that I had when I was 7. I played softball and found out I hated it with a passion. Because I sucked balls.

I got up from the warmth my bed gave and followed behind him. “This is going to be like a horror film, isn’t it?” I asked paranoid as he chuckled lightly. “It’s always the girls to go first… I swear horror movies can be sexist sometimes.”

“Shhhh!” He shushed me and I made a gesture of zipping my mouth shut and throwing away the key. We walked out of the front door and looked for any predator. I checked behind us, because you can’t be too careful. We got closer to the steps and sighed as it was nothing. Must have been the wind making the trees rustle.

Scott loosened up and was setting the bat down when something large jumped at us from upside down on the roof. We all went back and forth with our screams! “Hit it Scott!” I yelled frightened. I can’t tell you how scared I was, because I’m scared speechless.

“Wait! Don’t hit!”

“Stiles! What the hell are you doing?” I heard Scott shout. I stopped my screaming and started to take deep breaths. I tried feeling my pockets for something important and couldn’t find it. My inhaler! Stiles noticed and pointed at me as Scott fumbled with his and handed it to me. I held it up to my lips and inhaled. That was close.

“You weren’t answering your phone,” He answered while I glared at the upside down Stiles.

“I should take that bat from Scott and hit you with it!” I said as my breathing started to calm down. I swear, he will be the death of me. I gave Scott his inhaler back and he tucked it into his jacket pocket.

“Oh, you’re back!” he cheerfully said.

“Yeah, and I’m gonna go back inside,” I turned towards the door to leave the two best friends to talk.

“Wait! I was listening to my dad’s police scanner,” He said as that spiked my interest. When we three are together, we are like the Mystery Inc. I liked helping him with his little fascination of solving a crime. It was what made them fun to hang out with. That reminds me. I need to text Danny.

“Okay, I’m all ears,” I walked back and stood next to Scott.

“So, I saw my dad leave the house about twenty minutes ago. Dispatched called and they are bringing in every officer in the Beacon department and state police.” He gave a serious look as it invoked our attention. Since when did Beacon Hills need so much back up on a case?

“For what?” I asked suddenly. It wasn’t as if anything really happened here in this small hushful town. “Nothing really happens here.”

“That is where you are wrong my dear- I mean Aria,” He stumbled on his words. “Two joggers found a dead body in the woods,” he said making wiggly fingers at me as if it would scare me. I smacked them away and crossed my arms. I wasn’t scared to see a dead body… Okay maybe a little.

“A dead body?” Scott surprisingly asked, but he wasn’t sure if he had heard him right.

“No genius-“

“A body of water,” Stiles finished in on my sarcastic sentence. You could tell we were best friends. “Of course a dead body you dumb ass.” Stiles pulled himself up and jumped to the ground and faced Scott.

Scott ignored our sarcasm and asked, “Was it murder?”

“Nobody knows yet, just a girl probably in her twenties,” Stiles answered. Poor girl, she didn’t live long. I feel bad for her family.

Something clicked. “Wait, hold on!” I said looking at Stiles. “If they found the body, then why are they still out in the woods?”

“That’s the best part… They only found half,” He said as I made a ‘are you serious’ face as he nodded. “They are out there right now looking for the other half.”

“And we’re going, aren’t we?” I asked pointing between Scott and I. He just nodded and I smiled. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out to investigate something. Last time Stiles got us grounded for a month.

“You stay here.” Scott told me sternly as I glared at him and crossed my arms.

“How ‘bout I throw that bat at you for telling me what to do?” I told Scott. He just glared at me and gripped the bat tighter just in case I might do it. His protective mode sucks. “Look, I’m not eight. I’m going whether you like it or not. I prefer not to go behind your back, but I’ll do it.

“Aria, what if you get caught?” Stiles asked helping Scott cause he was glaring at him.

“I’ll cry my way out of getting in trouble.”

“Why does that always work for you?” Stiles asked not distracted.

“Your dad just has a soft spot for me,” I smiled. He did, because our dead beat dad was never around. I asked if Sheriff Stilinski could be my dad for ‘bring your dad to school’. Stiles didn’t mind because we’d share.

“Fine, if you get caught, then it’s your fault.” Scott said making his way to Stiles blue jeep. I loved that thing.

“By the way, whose lovely care is that?” Stiles asked as he eyed my baby.

“Don’t stare. You’ll make him shy,” I told him as I walked over to my black ’67 impala. The seats were a black leather and in all, my grandpa kept it in great condition. I opened the back seat and slipped my leather jacket off since I fell asleep in it almost. I went for my red hoodie lying on the seat. It was my warmest hoodie and if I was gonna be wandering the wood in the cold then I might as well be warm. I closed the door and trotted over to Stiles jeep.

“Let’s do this,” Stiles said as he started the engine and made his way to the reservation of the woods. “Does that mean you won’t be riding with us anymore?”

“No way, I love riding with you guys,” I told him as I scooted in the middle and leaned forward to be apart of their conversation.

“Well Scott here wants to head to school early. You want me to give you a ride?”

“I’m not going to school tomorrow,” I told him and Scott whipped his head around as if he was the exorcist. Creepy.

“Why!!? It’s the first day of school?” He was surprised. Wow, mom didn’t tell him. “Does mom even know?”

“She never knows, but she’s the one letting me off the hook,” I told him as he crossed his arms.

“She never lets me miss school on the first day,” He pouted. Baby…

“I’m staying home, because I need to get situated and stuff.” I sat back as they looked at me through the rearview mirror. “She forgot to get my schedule and I need to fix my room with all the stuff I got.”

“Did you get me something while you were in LA?” Stiles asked as I smiled. I defiantly got him something, but it’s a secret.

“Not telling.”

“She won’t tell me my gift either.” Scott mumbled to him.

“Mumbler~”

The drive wasn’t that long, but it was funny. Stiles was singing a Justin Bieber song to make fun of me. Hey, the boy is adorable and I like his music. Sue me.

He parked his jeep where it could be hidden and we all stumbled out. Well I did because my foot got caught. “Stay close,” Scott told me. I just mimicked his commands.

I placed my hands in my hoodie pocket as I followed behind the two boys. I looked around the dark woods and to be honest I wished I had stayed home. It was cold and I feel like someone is watching us. It’s creepy.

“Guys what if the killer is still out here?” I asked suddenly as I shivered from the feeling of someone watching me.

“Then we cross our fingers and hope he or she doesn’t find us.” Scott said as the two continued to walk.

“Oh,” I said nodding my head. “Okay.”

“You scared?” Stiles teased as he poked my shoulder. No, but it is defiantly eerie out here. I swatted his hands away.

“No.” He just laughed at my answer. They are such jerks sometimes.

“By the way, which part of the body are we looking for?” Scott asked. Stiles stopped dead in his track and we looked at him. He doesn’t even know.

“Hmm, I didn’t think about that,” he said as he looked at us. I just shook my head as they continued to walk. I felt the eyes on my again and I did a 360. I could have sworn I saw glowing eyes before it dashed away. I’m the only girl with two stupid boys. I’m so gonna get killed.

I looked back to Scott and Stiles and they were far ahead. In like any spooky movie with teens in the wood, there was mist. I couldn’t see them and I was sure I wondered off the trail. I’ll just try and find my way back to Stiles jeep and wait for them.

I threw the hood over my head and walked hoping I was on the right trail. When I get out of here I’m gonna beat the two bozo’s up. The crunching of the twigs started to become louder than mines and in a different direction. “Scott? Stiles? If that is you, it’s not funny!” I said as I turned to the direction of sound. It was quick and loud and now I was just plain scared. I could see the shadowy figure that the mist was creating, but I didn’t realize that it had red eyes. “Shit!” I yelled and realized it was neither of them. It turned quickly and ran. I hope running track in middle school was really helpful right now.

I heard it growl and it defiantly wasn’t Scott or Stiles. MONSTER! I really need to cut down on the horror films. Mostly I need to pay attention, because I tripped over a log. It hurt and I believe I just twisted my ankle. I’m a goner and I expected to go out like a champ instead of those girls who just gets killed because they gave up too easily.

I watched as the black creature crawl on top of me. Its red eyes stared into mine and I could tell you there. I was terrified. It was keeping me alive and I could see in its eyes that it was debating something. Before I knew, it opened its mouth, but was tackled off of me. I let out an aching scream of pain, because when it got tackled it managed to claw at the skin on my forearm.

I could hear the dogs in the distant barking and leading the police over to where I lay in the dirt. “ARIA!” I heard Stiles yell. I just ignored it and stared up at the cold night sky. I didn’t move because I was in pain. Now, I really don’t want to go to school. Gossip really knows its way around this town.

“Call for an Ambulance!” I heard Sheriff Stilinski order as he bent down to pick me up, but Stiles stopped him. He picked me up himself. I managed to wrap my arms around his neck as the police party led the way out of the woods.

We reached the pavement and the police lights were flashing. “Stiles I can walk now,” I mumbled to him as he looked down relieved.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure.” Stiles set me on my feet while he and his father looked me over to be sure I could stand on my own. “It’s just a scratch. Not like I broke my leg, guys,” I said as they rolled their eyes at my comment. They are so much a like, but I don’t think they really see it.

“What were you two doing in the wood?” the Sheriff asked.

“What makes you think we went together?” I asked.

“Aria.” He said sternly as I got that father look that he’d give me every time I got caught with the stooges.

“Fine! Stiles and I were meeting up in the woods, because we wanted to keep our relationship a secret.” I said throwing my hands up, not wanting to get Scott in trouble. Man does he owe me big time.

“Relationship?” he started arching a brow and jerking his thumb toward his son. “With Stiles?”

“Hey, I’m good looking,” Stiles jumped in shocked that his father didn’t find him handsome.

“Yeah, see,” I said pulling Stiles by the collar and planted my lips on his. Now Scott owes me two.

“Oh.”

I pulled away from the now red faced Stiles. “I just got lost.” I told him as I turned back to him. “And you know how I’m clumsy.” I raised my arm that was scratched and bleeding, but not a lot to where it poured out like the deeper gashed.

I could see the ambulance coming into view. I hope I don’t have to ride in that. Mom would be really pissed. “Well let’s get that checked and I want the both of you to go home and stay there.” Sheriff Stilinski instructed as we nodded.

“Please don’t tell my mom,” I said as I gave the puppy eyes. After a minute he gave in and sighed.

“Alright. Get bandaged up and ride with Stiles. Be careful,” He said as he meant the last part in two ways. Gross. Safety sex from his dad, awkward.

Stiles and I walked over to the ambulance so they could check out my scratch. I raised the ripped sleeves up and hissed at the pain. Note to self, bring pepper spray to pepper the shit out of that thing for messing up my favorite hoodie. “I hope you plan on taking me out to a nice dinner after that kiss?” Stiles stated as I rolled my eyes.

“Shut up. We never speak of it or think of it.”