boys are better in books

“You are not dumb and we both know that.” Lydia clarified as she shook her head. “Most boys are, though. You’re right about that.” The banshee felt bad that Rory had to go through heartbreak. Lydia’s heart had been broken more times than she could count- although most of them weren’t from boys. Some were- mostly Jackson leaving her emotional scars- but the rest were from the world in general. Lydia wouldn’t wish that feeling on her worst enemy. “Heartbreak sucks. It’s unavoidable, though. Unless you’re heartless which you most definitely aren’t and that’s a good thing. So take it as a reminder that you have a really big heart, Rory. With plenty of room to heal and bounce back eventually. Which you will.” Lydia put a hand on her shoulder and then gave Rory a reassuring smile. She hoped her words would help even a small amount. “Just doing some grocery shopping for Stiles and his dad. It’s the least they could do after letting me stay there almost everyday.” It wasn’t like Lydia really ate all of their food or anything. She rarely did in general, but she wanted to do something helpful. “I might need a job too.” She practically groaned at the realization. “My dad used to send money every month and my credit card bills just went to him too but now.. I don’t think he’s doing that anymore.” Lydia shrugged. She was pretty sure her mother had threatened him or had something major on him in order for him to take care of the money situation, even after Lydia had turned eighteen. But now that Natalie was gone, perhaps he thought he was out of the woods. Thankfully Natalie had left Lydia money in her will so she had time, but eventually she would need to start working. “Want to look for a job together? Might not be as bad if I can work with you.”

Lydia’s words meant a lot to the girl. They were not superficial in the way that other’s might use them. Thankfully. She did not want to deal with someone being fake to her. But, Rory knew that Lydia was right. She would recover from it - even if it felt devastating at the time - and one day she would look back with no hurt. “I’m sure you don’t have to do anything. I doubt Stiles would want you to stay anywhere else. He seems quite fond of you.” That was putting it mildly. Stiles seemed over the moon for Lydia and Rory was happy that her friend had someone who truly cared about her. “You want to look for a job with me?” Rory asked, her tone slightly unbelieving. Not because Lydia wanting to work with her was unfathomable, but Lydia working in general just seemed like something that would never happen. She smiled brightly. “I’d love to work with you. What kind of job were you thinking? There’s a candy store at the mall that is hiring...I saw the ad the other day. But there are always department stores that are looking as well. We will have to put some feelers out.”

Scott had grabbed the list his mother posted on the fridge. He had to go to the store before he forgot and he was reprimanded by her. He walked through the aisle getting the items he needed making a mental note each time something was in the basket. He was looking at the apples, trying to pick the best ones when he felt someone bump into him. He was so focused on the apples he didn’t notice them coming even with his senses. “No, no, it’s fine.” He shook his head with a smile. “Hey Rory, I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Rory smiled brightly when she noticed it was Scott she ran into. Not that running into anyone was fun. But if it had to be anyone, Scott was a good person for it to be. At least he was always nice. “Hi, Scott. I know. I guess you’ve been busy. You know, with everything going on.” She grabbed some bananas and put them in a bag before putting them down in er cart. “how is everything going?” she asked, her concern for the town overshadowing everything else in that moment.

Malia acknowledged the girl’s words with a small shrug. Her only real experience with boys was Stiles, and while they were nothing more than friends now (especially since she couldn’t be happier for him and Lydia), she was grateful that she had him through so many of her firsts. However, from observing the people around her, she couldn’t fault Aurora’s statement. Boys were dumb. “Get rid of the dumb one and find a new one.” She advised simply, never one to think that maybe things went deeper than that. To Malia, it was a simple problem with a simply solution. “I’m Malia.”

Rory’s face turned a furious red but she merely nodded. “I’m not...it’s not just boys that I’m attracted to so who is to say...” She stopped talking, annoyed with herself. “I’m not good with people...like that...I’ll just...” She trailed off again, mad at herself for not being able to string a few sentences together. “I suppose your thinking is very logical. It’s nice to meet you, Malia.” The girl was blunt but it did not bother Rory. It was simply honestly and she did prefer honest people to those who twisted their words into something that did not resemble the truth. They were people like her mother. 

Talia was doing some quick grocery shopping, hoping to just get in and out quickly so that she could leave since being out in public made her nervous now that her father was apparently back. The idea was terrifying, and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t blame the banshee at all for it happening, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a reality that she’d have to face at some point. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for it, or if she’d ever be ready to face her father yet. So she was staying in various places, sometimes the Martin residence with Lydia whenever the banshee wanted to keep an eye on her and sometimes her car if she wanted to let Lydia have a night with Stiles. She wasn’t really staying at her apartment with Xavier, not when that could put him in danger. So she’d just come to get a couple of things to last for a few days when she suddenly felt a cart run into her. When she looked up ant saw Rory, she blinked before shaking her head in response. “No, no it’s fine. It’s kinda packed in here so I get it. I guess everyone’s trying to stock up before the next inevitable power outage.”

Talia. She liked the wolf girl and she was happy that it was only her that she bumped into. It could have been a lot worse. “I was wondering why it was so busy. I suppose that’s it. The people of Beacon Hills have just come to expect the bad, haven’t they?” She bit down on her lip as she thought about all the crazy that had happened just since she moved there. These people had seen a lot more than she had and she was probably traumatized from it. “Are you here looking for anything specific? I was thinking about attempting to cook again. I don’t know why baking is really my thing and making actual food is just not something I’m good at. It seems really weird, right?” She was making small talk, she knew that, but it was easier than concentrating on a stupid boy who didn’t know what he wanted. 

Grocery shopping wasn’t something Lydia did very often. Her mother had always taken care of that. Natalie had taken care of a lot more than Lydia had ever realized, honestly. There were going to be plenty of changes in Lydia’s life as she worked through everything that happened and started coming to terms with reality. Technically she knew she didn’t even really have to go grocery shopping but she was always at Stiles’ house and thought she’d do something nice for him and his father. It was the least she could do after Noah let her stay there very night. Sometimes she still felt like she was intruding too much and it was weird not technically having her own space but until Lydia sorted that out, it would do. She turned down one aisle and saw Rory coming. Lydia smiled but Rory seemed to be in another world and Lydia couldn’t manage to get out of the way before she collided with her. “That’s okay.” Lydia said, shaking off the apology. “Is everything alright?”

Rory was thankful it was only Lydia she ran into. If it had been someone who would have yelled at her, Rory would be feeling pretty bad. She hated confrontation. “It will   be. It’s just...my first heartbreak? If you can even call it that.” She paused and then sighed. “I thought...I’m a dumb girl, I guess. And boys are dumb.” She didn’t mean every boy but she was a bit upset. She would get over it, though. “What are you getting? Something good? I’m trying to decide what to make. I also need a job.” She was rambling but mainly because she didn’t want to focus on her boy problems. Lydia’s problems were a bit bigger - though they were taught not to compare problems with anyone. Everyone was facing a battle. Rory’s own mother was a dragon and the redhead could not wait to get away.

Malia had gotten sick of her options of either crappy motel room service, or take out. One girl could only take so much processed food. She was no chef, but she figured a trip to the grocery store to buy something that was naturally green couldn’t hurt. She sighed as she walked through the aisles one by one, throwing an item into her basket. Even things like this made her said at this point. Everything reminded her of her family, this experience made her think back to when they would all do this together when she was a child, her parents arguing with their daughters who wanted to buy every single sugar-filled treat that they possibly could. She was lost in her memories when she banged in to someone else. “No, no, it’s fine.” She mumbled, looking up at the redhead. “You look sad. Why?” One day she’d figure out the right way to talk to strangers. One day.

Rory didn’t expect such a blunt response from the person she had crashed into. This girl looked familiar. Did they see each other at school, perhaps? That must be it. “Oh. Um, Boys are dumb?” she answered, though it was more of a question than a genuine response. The girls fingers moved cautiously along the handle of the grocery cart. “I’ve seen you at Beacon Hills High. I’m Rory...I moved into town around four months ago...Which is such a strange time for a parent to move a child but my mother is not average. She’s...focused on herself...” Rory was so used to people asking why she even moved that it just came out. She knew now why people were cautious. So much bad happened here and they wanted to make sure she wasn’t bad as well.

“here you go.  and keep the cha—”  on autopilot, liam spoke as he opened the door, only cutting himself off as he looked up.  “oh my god.  that’s … embarrassing,” he admitted with a laugh.  “i assumed you were the pizza guy.  shit.  uh, hi.  can i help you?”

Rory’s eyes widened at the boy behind the door. “It’s okay. I embarrass myself all the time,” she admitted. “I um, I am...” Her face turned red because she was sure this was the address her mother told her to come to. “She asked me to drop some stuff off to a Dr. Geyer? Is this is house?” She was sure she had seen this boy before, when she first moved here and went to Beacon Hills High. 

“I hope that the people in my life can feel the love I have for them. I try really hard to make sure they know that.” Lydia did everything she could for the people she loved. She gave so much of herself to everyone around her that when it came time to helping herself, she had nothing left. Lydia did it happily, though. She was often a cold person but loved deeply when she did let someone in. Lydia really hoped that people like Stiles, her pack, and anyone else knew how much she loved them. The rest was hard to explain to people who had never been through coming back to life. It was like survivors guilt except amplified more than she could put into words. She did appreciate Rory’s advice, though. “Your mom should know she’s lucky to have you. I’m really a nightmare once you get to know me more.” Lydia said, jokingly only slightly. She really didn’t like herself or think she was that great so that part had a bit of truth to it. “That’s good. College is where you find out what you want. You shouldn’t feel the need to rush just because other people may already have things planned out. I’m not worried for you at all. I know you’ll be perfectly fine in the future.”

“I am positive they know. I’ve not been here long but I can tell that you give your all to the people you care about. That’s good. Just make sure not to give too much. That’s draining and it doesn’t help. Not in the long run.” She knew she shouldn’t be giving advice. It wasn’t like she had the best track record with friendships. Or any track record. “But, you don’t have to even listen to me. What do I know?” She sent a smile in Lydia’s direction as she picked at the food in front of her. “My mom...probably will never care about me. Not in that way. She makes sure I have food, a place to live, that kind of thing but...she stopped really caring when I was younger. I’ve learned to live with it. I doubt you’re a nightmare. Your boyfriend seems to adore you. Truly.” Rory nodded as she took another bite of food and chewed it carefully. “Thank you. It means a lot. I worry for me because, well, I’m so shy. Which i why online classes, for now, is the better option. I don’t have to worry too much about embarrassing myself in front of one hundred or so people in just one class - imagine four or five.”

Talia’s eyes instantly drifted down to the floor as she swallowed at Rory’s question. It wasn’t a hard one to answer, but every time she did she just felt so much lower than all of her friends. “I wouldn’t be able to get any scholarships, my grades are too low. And I don’t have time for any other clubs or organizations besides lacrosse.” She could probably manage to get a scholarship for playing lacrosse, but it didn’t even feel worth it. “Even if I did manage to get a scholarship and somehow make it to college, I don’t think I’d pass. I’ve just gotten too behind and I’m struggling enough to pass senior year as it is.” It wasn’t like she cared all that much about going to college, especially since she couldn’t afford it, but it just sucked to hear about how her friends were all getting accepted. As happy as she was for them, she couldn’t help but compare herself. She glanced at Rory’s hand patting her own as she considered her words. The redhead was one of the few people who tried to reassure Talia that she didn’t need a degree to have a good life, and the thought was hopeful even if Talia had no clue what she could do. Some days it just felt like she’d be working at the Coffee Haus forever. The thought of leaving her friends made her feel sad beyond belief, and what made her even sadder was the thought of all of them leaving to go to college and her just being stuck in Beacon Hills. She’d have Xavier, but still. “I’ll have to look into my options and stuff, but thanks. I appreciate it.” She smiled faintly, since she really did appreciate Rory trying to make her feel better about the whole situation. “Where was your hometown anyways?” She asked curiously as she raised a brow at Rory and continued to listen. 

“Oh. Well, you are someone who has to try and help save the town. Like I have told others, being intelligent isn’t just for grades or the more scholarly things. There are multiple intelligences.” The girl shrugged. She wasn’t bothered by Talia having low grades. There were always junior colleges that would work with her. But, she was not going to push it. Her mother pushed things constantly and that caused Rory tot want to scream. It also made a huge distance between them. And that rift couldn’t be mended. Not that her mother cared one bit. Everyone led different lives and Rory was just glad that she made some friends here in this new town. “You’re welcome,” she said, her voice soft. The girl sighed at Talia’s question. “Fairfield. It’s near San Francisco. Beacon hills is smaller than it but I like it here better. My mother used to work at a big hospital in San Francisco. She heard of the major disease happening here and she jumped at the opportunity. She’s a surgeon but she loves a good mystery. It’s ridiculous. I mean, what mother moves her daughter towards the end of her senior year? But, at least the people are nice to me. Even if some are dying and some are back from the dead.”

Lydia would be perfectly content with saving people for the rest of her life. If that were the reason she came back then it was more than okay with her but the problem was that she didn’t feel like she saved many people recently. Lydia had only been doing the opposite and getting them killed. “Thank you. It happens sometimes. Not that I’d expect you to know firsthand since you’ve never died and come back but.. it’s just something that stays with me. I never really felt fully whole after I came back. Like a piece of me stayed dead, and every so often I just get these really negative thoughts. It’s not a big deal, I usually work through it.” Lydia shrugged. She hadn’t ever really told anyone that before. Lydia didn’t talk a lot about her resurrection experience. She didn’t talk about much in general. There was a lot Lydia had been holding inside for basically the last year, and everyday she felt like she was getting closer to snapping. “I’d miss you, though. And I’m not just saying that. I would have real sadness.” Lydia said honestly. “I would miss how kind you are, and how you seem to care about everyone before yourself. And how you nearly terrified me when you came to Beacon Hills because I thought you might me smarter than me and ruin my chances at Valedictorian.” Lydia added the last part jokingly. “But I admire the intelligence. I’d miss all of that and more.” She shrugged, meaning every word. Lydia never said anything if she didn’t mean it wholeheartedly. “Probably a double major. Mathematics and Bioengineering. I’m not positive, though. Haven’t had the time to look into it completely.” Lydia barely had the time to sleep these days. “I’m glad you know what you want and you’re confident in the choice. Not a lot of people can say that at this age. Any ideas for a major?”

“I think that’s understandable, though. You died. A piece of you staying behind only makes sense. In a total metaphysical way. But you have to embrace that you’re back and love the people you have while you have them. You get that second chance. Some people love but don’t show it and then they die without ever being able to have that. You can make sure every person in your life feels that you love them. Regardless of the type of love. Coming back should help you take hold of your life and break through. Do what you want because you want it. Not because anyone else does.” Rory was babbling on now but she truly felt that if Lydia was given a second chance, no matter how it was accomplished, she couldn’t hold back. “Thank you,” the girl replied as a blush spread across her cheeks. She did not take compliments well. “Hey! I thought I would have you for a bit but you maintained. You are a worthy adversary.” She was joking but the playful spirit could only help to ease the mood. “Wow. You would be my mom’s dream daughter. I love to learn and I am good at it but I want to do something that makes me happy. I don’t have a major in mind so I’m going to stick to basics for now. It’s still helping me but I’m not having to make some decision the moment I start college.”

The more she spoke, the more Art’s face lit up. “You’re saying everything I want to,” he admitted. How he just liked to exist around her, that she was the best part of his day, that she was his favorite person to be around. If she could say everything he wanted to say then that meant she felt just as strongly as he did about her. He watched her speak, the colors of her feelings dancing around her head in a peaceful motion. She wasn’t hard to look at at all. In a calculated movement, he tugged her hands toward him and outward, letting go at the last moment so he could wrap his arms around her. He’d hugged Jake and Rosie like this but he knew that if he hugged Rory, it would automatically be different–and he was right. “I like you,” he said, resting his head on the side of hers so he could speak directly into her ear. “I keep resisting because it’s scary and new to me, but I really, really, like you, Rory.” 

Art squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s okay. I’m sure she knows. You’re giving her the recipe after all, right?” His mother was like a whirlwind of energy, popping in and out as she pleased. He was used to it by now, but he knew others were not. Still, he gave Aurora a sad smile when she spoke about her mother. He knew he should be grateful to have such a cheerful mother in place of Rory’s but sometimes it was hard to see past the nose on his face. He vowed to be less ungrateful in the future.

He could feel the blush creeping up from his chest to his neck and cheeks and all the way to his ears when she admitted to liking the feel of his hand. He wanted to say the same back to her, but his voice wouldn’t come out and he only made  an odd squeak. He skin felt hot and he was a little self conscious about holding her hand without much context. He thought about pulling away to make himself feel better but then remembered how awful he felt the last time he pulled away, so he did the opposite. He moved to pull her to the corner of the store, the one near the windowsill with the herbs he’d planted and grown himself. It was also out of view of the kitchen so his mother wouldn’t bother him anymore. Art turned to face Rory, thinking that if he was already holding her hand, she might not mind if he reached for her other hand as well so that he could hold both of them in front of him. “When you first came into my store, I had a thought that I wouldn’t mind seeing you stay and read while I worked. And this was where I pictured you. There’s natural light from the window and… and I can move the tables so you won’t be disturbed.” He knew he’d have to leave the second a customer walked in, but he wanted her to feel like she was still welcome here when that happened. "You can sit anywhere you like, but I thought maybe you would like it here.” He gravitated toward her without realizing it.

Rory realized in that moment, as he was pulling her along in the store, that she would have willingly followed him anywhere. It was a nerve-wracking and scary thought, honestly. How could she be so smitten with him in such a short amount of time? She wasn’t going to think about it now, however. It was a thought for a rainy day at home - and those days had been a constant now. The redhead allowed a smile to appear when he reached for her other hand and her eyes trained on him to show him he had her full attention. “You thought about me coming to the store? To just read while you worked? I...” She paused to gather her thoughts. Meanwhile, her face took on a light shade of red. “I thought the same thing...that I wouldn’t mind just existing here. I could read and you could come by and say hi between customers and it would just be lovely. You don’t have to change anything. No one will disturb me. This place feels more comfortable than my own house, Art. You being here is...the best part of it.” The admission sent shivers up and down her spine. She had been thinking it, of course, for some time now but actually saying it was different. She looked down at their linked hands and then glanced back up at him from under long eyelashes. “You make me dizzy. I like it.” She hoped he didn’t think it was a bad thing. “Being around you...feels...this is so hard,” she told him, a smile appearing on her lips. “You’re my favorite person to be around. Even if it’s me sitting right here while you work...I think it would be my favorite part of the day.”

“It’s okay not to have any of it figured out yet. You’ll have time once you take some classes to sort all of it out. I still have no idea what I’m going to do after high school, since college isn’t really in the cards for me.” Talia admitted with a slight sigh as she shrugged a bit. It definitely hurt a bit to not be able to go to college since her parents weren’t involved in her life anymore and she couldn’t afford it on her own and wasn’t smart enough to get a scholarship. But she’d come to terms with it and she was still going to do what she could to just live her best life. “Screw what your mom wants you to do. If you’d rather get an art degree than go to medical school then so what? It’s your life, not hers. She’s already a doctor. You’re your own person.” She insisted, glad that Rory wasn’t gonna have to solely rely on her mother for college, since the redhead didn’t need one more thing to be stressed out about. It was clear she didn’t really have a great relationship with her mother. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of getting away with Xavier for a weekend as she nodded slightly. “Sometimes I wish I could just convince him to run away to Mexico or something with me. Start a new life and not worry about Beacon Hills ever again. But then I start to think about everyone else I’d leave behind and I can’t bring myself to do it. Even the thought of leaving Beacon behind in general makes me sad too. I grew up in this town, even if it is kind of a shit hole right now.” She let out a chuckle at Rory’s next statement as she shook her head. “I’ve just never really been the shy type. Or the scared type. My dad kind of drilled not to be that way into me.”

“Do you not want to go to college? I could probably help you find scholarships if it was something you wanted. If not, that’s okay, too. I mean, college is not for everyone despite the recent pushing by everyone. Not all happiness comes from having a degree.” She shrugged her shoulders. She hated the thinking that because someone did not go to college then they were not as good as someone else. Or that everyone had to go to college to have a good life. Both were ridiculous notions. “There are plenty of great careers that do not involve a four year degree. I know you’ll figure it out. We all have to, don’t we?” She reached out and placed a light pat on the other girl’s hand before pulling her hand back to herself. “Maybe a new life would be doable once you feel okay leaving your friends. Like once this huge cloud we are living under is gone.” She didn’t know much about the Four Horsemen other than they were bad and to be avoided by her especially. She was merely human, after all. “I get it. I was sad moving here even if I did not have the best memories from my hometown. But I grew up there.” She nodded her head as she leaned back on the couch. “My mom tried to raise me that way but got annoyed when I just...when I wasn’t like her. So she gave up.”

Cassidy clearly didn’t expect anyone to be in the woods around this time, especially the spot she had chosen which was hidden away from everything and everyone. Hearing the crack of the stick made Cassidy’s body stiffen, but when she heard the shaking of footsteps and the figure come out into the light scared as ever… Cassidy felt awful. She studied the girl’s face as it was filled with terror, Cassidy sighed dropping her bow and arrow to the ground hoping it would relief the other girl. She showed a reassuring smile towards her as she took one step forward “please don’t be scared…” She spoke with her voice calm and soft “you don’t have to leave… I can show you the way out” she added.

It was the moment that the girl dropped the bow and arrow that it all clicked in her mind. Sort of. Was this girl a hunter? She had heard of them but they did not seem as big of a threat as the supernatural things that were haunting Beacon Hills. “It’s...it’s okay. I just...I shouldn’t even be out here.” She sent the girl a small smile. “I um like your bow. I used to take archery...my dad put me in it when I was younger and I’m pretty good.” Why was she babbling on? Rory tended to babble when she was nervous or put into a new situation. This was completely new. “But...it would be nice to find the way out. My friends always warn me that these woods can be dangerous...I would hate to run into anything scary.”

Lydia nodded her head once Rory had stated what she wanted and she sent the order through her phone. That was all she ordered because Lydia didn’t think she was going to be having much to eat but she wanted Rory to feel comfortable at her house. “I used to think I had my entire life planned out but these days I don’t even know anymore. I mean, some days I’m not even certain I’m going to have a future. I definitely shouldn’t.” It was morbid, but the hard truth. Lydia should be dead, technically. And she hadn’t spent much of her time over the last two years preparing for her future. She just did her best to make sure her friends didn’t die- and failed miserably, of course. “I did get accepted into MIT, though. It was pretty much the school I’ve always wanted to go to. So I’ll be starting there as a junior in the fall. Hopefully, at least.” Lydia wasn’t sure what would happen over the summer or even tomorrow. The future in Beacon Hills was so uncertain and she couldn’t leave if the Horsemen were still terrorizing the town. “That sounds nice, though. Have you always known you wanted to take online classes?” Lydia asked as she poured a glass of water for herself and Rory.

“MIT? Wow. That’s...amazing. Despite what you think, I believe there is a reason you came back. Maybe it is just to save people or maybe it is to do more with your life. Your friends would be miserable without you. You know that, deep down. If I disappeared, I doubt anyone would miss me, truly. There would be a fancy funeral that my mother would pay for, attend, and leave as soon as she could. Some classmates would say a few flowery words and they would talk about how I was so young. But that would be it. There would be no real sadness. I don’t have friends, not the deep friends that you do, remember that. I don’t mind the morbid talk, though. So anytime you need to vent...you can talk to me.” Her life was filled with the question of life or death considering her mother’s status. She was a goddess in the operation room but she faced life versus death every day. It was something Rory had picked up on as a young child. “MIT...do you have plans beyond that?” Rory bit her lip as she thought about Lydia’s question. “I didn’t know it was an option to take online classes until last year. I know I will probably have to go to some face to face classes for my major, whatever that is. Yes, though. As soon as I knew I could take online classes I wanted to. I can work ahead in most of them. I don’t have to go to class, worry about getting lost, face people when I’m having an off day. I can work easier, too, with online classes. I am a simple girl, honestly, so it fits me.”

It was pretty normal for Cassidy to be out after closing hours past the 12am clock. To her, sleep was for the weak and it was more important for her to train with her bow and arrow. She was in one of her favorite places, deep dark down into the woods as she had set up a target to fire at. She licked her lips as she concentrated on the red bulleye while she pulled the arrow back and… FIRE. Instantly shot right to the bullseye. Cassidy took a sigh of relief as she loaded her next arrow… But something stopped her, a sound of a stick being stepped on and broken. Cassidy quickly loaded her arrow once more and snapped her direction to the sudden noise ready to fire. “I can hear you” she said, her voice firm and filled with intimidation.

Rory was in the very wrong place. She somehow got so confused and she was out way late. Her mother would have killed her for being out late and alone yet she would never know. Unless she ended up dead. That could happen, she supposed. From what she knew of he place it might be a very real thing. She stepped on a stick and suddenly she heard a voice. Her eyes widened. She wouldn’t outrun anyone so she decided not to. She stepped out to where she heard the voice and she raised her hands in the air. “O-okay. I am...I am just lost. I’m sorry.” Her voice was quiet and she was clearly scared. Rory did not want to get into any trouble. Suddenly she worried about what her mother would say at her funeral. Here lies my daughter...stupid enough to be in the woods at midnight. What would Art think? What about Erica, Lydia, and Talia? “I can..I will just leave.”