Formalities

The world around me was dark and suffocating, the trees looming high above like silent, watching figures. My breath came fast, my pulse pounding in my ears as I ran, my feet barely making a sound against the damp forest floor. I didn't know how I had gotten here, but I knew I had to find him.

Derek.

A gunshot cracked through the night, shattering the stillness. My chest clenched.

No, no, no—

I pushed myself faster, my lungs burning, my legs aching, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. The air was thick with the sharp scent of gunpowder, and something else—something metallic and sickly that made my stomach twist.

Then I saw him.

Derek was on his knees, his body hunched over, blood seeping through his torn shirt. I got flashbacks of the wolfsbane bullet, the black tendrils slinking up his skin. His breathing was ragged, his head hanging low, but I could still see the defiance in his posture.

Surrounding him were hunters, their weapons gleaming. Their faces were shadowed, but I knew one of them, Kate.

"No!" My scream tore through the air as I surged forward.

One of the hunters turned toward me, their expression unreadable under the hood of their jacket. "You shouldn't be here, Cassandra."

"I'm not letting you do this!" I tried to move, but my body felt sluggish, like I was wading through thick mud. I pushed harder, reaching for Derek, but I wasn't getting any closer.

He finally lifted his head, his eyes locking onto mine. There was something there—something final.

"Cassie," he rasped, his voice hoarse but steady. "You need to go."

"No, I can save you! Just hold on, I—"

A hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me back. I twisted, struggling, but I couldn't break free. "Let me go!" I screamed, my throat raw with desperation.

"You can't save him," said Kate. Her grip tightened, voice eerily calm. "You never could."

A gun was raised.

The shot rang out.

I watched, frozen in horror, as Derek's body jerked with the impact. His mouth parted in a silent gasp, his eyes widening before they dulled, his body crumpling to the forest floor.

"No—Derek!"

I fought against the invisible force keeping me rooted in place, but it was too late. His blood seeped into the dirt.

Everything around me began to blur, the forest dissolving into nothingness. I bolted upright, my heart slamming against my ribs. My room was dark, the air thick and suffocating. I clutched the sheets, my hands trembling.

It was a dream. Just a dream.

But when I reached up, wiping at my face, I realized there were tears streaming down my cheeks, and something out it felt all too real.

I woke up the next day to texts from Stiles, explaining Scott's galavanting in the woods, Derek getting captured, and Jackson almost dying. Suddenly my dream felt all too real, and I felt the nausea rise in my chest. I didn't even make it to the bathroom, my stomach emptying in my desk trash can. I wiped my eyes, shaking my head as I stumbled to the bathroom.

The shower water was scalding, burning against my skin. I tried to scrub the dream away. But I couldn't shake the images that raced through my head.

The rest of Sunday was quiet, and I tried to think about where Derek might be. I was nervous he had actually died, but there was nothing I could do right now. Monday morning came around, and I forced myself to get up and get ready.

The day started quiet, Scott whining about how Finstock had banned him from formal.

"Well, your grades are a bit rough Scotty," I said quietly, shrugging.

"But how the hell am I supposed to protect Allison when I am not there!" He said. I sighed, rubbing my arm.

"I have an idea, but youre gonna hate it." I said, glancing across the hall towards Jackson.

"No, no way Cass." He said, following my sightline.

"I'm offering a solution." I shrugged, giving them both a smile as I headed to class.

-----☾-----

The bell rang, signaling the end of third period, and the hallway immediately filled with students rushing to their next class. I shuffled through my backpack, stuffing my books into it as I debated whether or not I had time to grab a snack before heading to the library.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Isaac standing awkwardly by the lockers, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, his shoulders hunched in a way that made him look even more nervous than usual. He was staring at the ground, and I could tell he was working up the courage for something.

Curious, I turned my head slightly, watching him for a moment. His eyes flicked up, catching mine.

For a split second, he looked like he was about to bolt. His face flushed immediately, his eyes dropping again. He was biting his lip, like he was having an internal debate.

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Isaac?" I said softly, walking towards him.

He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. I saw his jaw clench for a second, before he finally seemed to gather his thoughts enough to speak.

"Uh, Cassandra," he started, his voice already shaky. "I—I was wondering... um..." His words trailed off, and he bit his lip again, clearly frustrated with himself. I gave him an encouraging smile, trying to make him feel a little more at ease.

"You can ask me anything, Isaac. You know that, right?"

He nodded, his cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. He stepped a little closer, his hands now fiddling with the strap of his bag, like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"So," he started again, his voice barely above a whisper, "there's this thing... the Winter Formal, um..."

I tilted my head slightly, wondering where this was going. I watched him curiously, "yeah, I've heard of it" I teased.

He cleared his throat, and for a second, I thought he might actually turn and run. But instead, he pushed through it, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he looked down again.

"Would you, uh... would you want to go with me? To Winter Formal?" he blurted out, his words stumbling over each other.

I blinked, processing what he had just said. My heart did a little flip in my chest. Isaac Lahey was asking me to Winter Formal.

I didn't have to think about it for long. I was smiling before I could stop myself.

"Of course I'll go with you, Isaac," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my heart was racing.

He looked up at me, his face lighting up in surprise. "Really?" His voice cracked slightly, and I swore I saw a tiny bit of hope in his eyes.

I nodded, stepping closer to him. "Really."

Isaac's face broke into an actual smile—wide and full of relief. "Okay. Okay, good. That's good." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to regain some composure, but it was clear that he was still a little in shock himself.

I chuckled, unable to help it. "You're kind of adorable when you're nervous, you know that?"

Isaac's cheeks flushed a bright red again, and he cleared his throat, looking down at his shoes.

"I'll, um, I'll text you the details later, yeah?" he said, his voice much quieter now, as if he was still processing the fact that it had actually happened.

I smiled at him, feeling a rush of warmth. "Sounds perfect."

Isaac nodded quickly, then took a deep breath, as though the weight of the world had suddenly lifted from his shoulders. As he walked away, I couldn't help but stare after him, my heart still fluttering from how sweet and nervous he had been.

By lunch, I met up with Scott and Stiles again. I was still grinning, feeling like I was floating on cloud nine as I sat beside them.

"Hey, don't worry, I'll still be there." Stiles said

"I'm still going."

"Is that such a good idea?" I asked

"Do you even have a date?" Stiles added.

"Not yet."

"Do you have a suit?" I asked

"Not yet."

"Do you have a ticket to the formal? A ride there?" Stiles continued.

"No... and no..." Scott said, looking dejected.

"So, you're gonna ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to, without a date, a suit, or a way in, with Werewolves and Werewolf Hunters all out to kick your little Werewolf ass?" Stiles said.

"Yeah."

"You guys gonna help me?"

"Hell, yeah." I said, grinning. "Though I do have to go to the mall with Lydia and Allison after school. But, honestly, I wouldn't mind some backup. Just... dont be stalkers."

The boys nodded, and I gave them a grin.

-----☾-----

The rest of the day flew by, and soon I was riding the escalator with Allison and Lydia at the mall.

"Alli, you okay?" I asked softly.

"Nothing's wrong... I just, I have a lot on my mind." She said, giving me a weak smile. I pursed my lips but nodded.

"You could smile, at least. Ever heard of the saying, 'Never frown-- someone could be falling in love with your smile?'"I giggled. "Smile, Allison. I'm buying you a dress." She finished

"Have to admit, as far as apologies go, that's more than I expected..." Allison chucked but nodded.

"Excellent!"

"But not as much as I"m going to ask." I looked at her in surprise.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're going to cancel on whatever dumb, 'roided-up jock' you said yes to and you're going to go with somebody else." Allison said as we all stepped off the escalator.

"Who?" Lydia asked. I followed Allison's gaze and finger towards Stiles, who was coughing as he smelled perfume.

"Him. Don't frown, Lydia! Someone could be falling in love with your smile." I grinned widely at Allison. I mentioned once to her about Stiles' crush, and I could tell she had remembered as she gave me a wink. Lydia strutted over, talking to him quietly, before his grin split into a wide smile. I matched it as we headed into Macy's, Stiles training behind us.

"Oh, okay, so are you just gonna try these on right now? All of them?" he asked as Lydia shoved dresses in his hands. "Is this a twenty-four hour Macy's?"

I stayed with Allison, pursuing through the racks.

"What about you Andie, do you have a date?" she asked. I grinned, looking over at her.

"I do. Isaac Lahey. We went on a date, then he asked me" I said, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Oh my god! Tell me more!" She said, turning to face me as she held up a dress.

A cool voice cut me off before I could speak. "That's not your color." My spine straightened as I looked up at Peter. "Sorry if that was intrusive. But considering your skin tone, I'd go lighter."

"Because I'm pale?" Allsion asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Fair. I mean, you can't call skin like yours "pale." Not skin that perfect"

I tensed even more as he grabbed a dress from a passing salesperson.

"Trust me, I-I have a unique perspective on the subject. See? Much better." he said, holding up the dress. His eyes turned to me. "As for you young lady, red is your color." He said, grabbing a dress and holding it up. My breath caught, because I had to admit the dress was stunning. A deep wine red with long sleeves and a low front. It was simple and sophisticated. I took it hesitantly.

"You two here alone? High school dance?" He asked, I nodded.

"Formal." I said, slowly putting myself between Peter and Allison. The PA system crackled to life, "Attention shoppers... To the owner of a blue Mazda, license plate–"

"Did she just say a blue Mazda?" Allison asked, and I nodded.

" --5768. Your car is being towed." It finished.

"Oh! That's my car!" she said, and raced off. I grabbed the dress from her before running off.

"Stay away from my friends Peter." I hissed, the dresses clenched tightly in my hands.

"I continue to be impressed with you and Scott's ingenuity. Just remember... you can't be everywhere all the time." he said lowly.

"But you really should get that dress. It will bring out your eyes and hair," He said, reaching forward to curl a strand around his finger. I flinched back, quickly backing away and towards Stiles and Lydia.

I didn't want to try on dresses, and against my better judgment, I stuck with the dress Peter had picked. I handed both to Lydia, apologized for leaving, faking a migraine. She just looked at me in concern, but let me go.

-----☾-----

I got ready at the McCall's house. While Melissa was not my mom, she might as well be the closest thing I got.

"Oh, Cassie, you look stunning, sweetie. Let's go find Scott." I giggled, swiping the last of my lip stick as I stood to follow to Scott's room.

"This is really nice! How did you afford a–" she froze, looking at the wear and tear of the old suit. "Oh."

"It's not gonna work, is it?" Scott said, panic evident in his voice.

"No, no, it's fine, it's fine. No one'll notice." she said, as scott went to the bathroom to fix his hair. I giggled, shaking my head. "No one legally blind..." Melissa muttered.

"I heard that!"

"Okay, well, you just come in here, and we can try it." She helped him put the jacket on. "See? I actually think this is gonna work..."

"Really?" Scott said, his face lighting up.

"Turn." she ordered, and he spun, the rip in the butt made us both burst out in laughter, he spun, trying to see what we were laughing about.

"What? I-I don't have time for this! I can't buy new ones, Mom! What am I gonna do?"

"Okay, don't panic, all right? Take them off." Melissa ordered. His cheeks flushed, and I turned to look out the window. I heard the click of his belt as Melissa grabbed the sewing kit.

"So, is she coming here? Because you know I need the car tonight." She asked as she worked.

"No, I'm going stag."

"You're going alone?" Melissa asked, surprise lacing her voice.

"Stag. There's a difference. Sort of."

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little, you know, surprised that, you know... you don't have anyone else to ask other than Allison. What about Cassie, you two could go as friends?"

"I actually have a date." I said, still facing the window.

"There are no other girls besides Allison." added Scott, and I felt a smile on my lips.

"You really feel that way?" Melissa asked, surprised.

"Can you please keep sewing?"

"No, no, no, no. You have time for just one question. Come here." she said, patting beside her on the bed. "Do you really feel that way?"

"I can't help it. I mean, every time I look at her, I get this-this hollow feeling in my chest, and it's like-it's like someone literally took a shovel and dug a hole in me, and it's the worst feeling I've ever had in my life, and I didn't-I didn't know anyone could actually ever feel this bad." Scott said, rubbing his hands together.

"I know. Everyone knows eventually. It does go away..." Melissa said.

"I don't want it to."

"Have you told her how you feel?"

"She knows."

I sighed as Melissa shook her head, smacking him. "Come on-- she knows? Listen, dumbass, I'm gonna let you in on a secret that most guys don't even have a clue about, all right? You ready? Women love words."

"Your mom is right," I added.

"You need to tell her how you feel. Just say it. Say it again. Say it differently. Learn to say it better. Learn how to sing it. You know, just write it in a poem and a letter attached to flowers, carve it in a tree, in a sidewalk with cement, tattoo it on your arm..."

"Really?"

"No. Not really. Just... tell her the truth. Tell her anything and everything you want." She said, finishing her sewing. I grinned as he pulled his pants on. I squeezed his shoulder as I passed.

"Now what is this I hear about your date?" Melissa questioned, and I grinned.

"His name is Isaac. He's on the lacrosse team. He's really quiet but really sweet." I said.

Melissa smiled softly, looking over me.

"God, your parents would be so proud of you Cassie. I know if your dad was here he'd be trying not to cry while threatening that poor boy." she said, her eyes a little teary. "I wish they were here for you."

I gave her a tiny smile. "I do too."

She blinked away the tears, pulling me into a hug. "Go have fun, and make sure Scott stays out of trouble." I grinned and nodded.