"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" I heard someone yell in my ear, and I groaned. "Bitch, get the hell up! Casey! Paisley, now!" I think Jocelyn said, and the next thing I know, I was pushed onto my floor.
"What the hell?" I whined, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes to see my best friend and my cousin grinning like hyenas. "Who died? Paisley's here, so it's not her. You killed Firass, didn't you?" I asked her, and she suddenly looked offended.
"I did not! How could you- Okay, I get why you think that." She said, and I look at her in amusement. "But that's not why we're here! Happy birthday, bitch!"
I started laughing when they both pulled out confetti poppers and set them off, getting it all over me.
"Thank you," I said to them, getting out of my blankets and standing up.
"Also, Braeden just stopped by to give you your gifts from her and Derek. It's right outside." She said, and I was confused.
Why would it be outside?
I pulled on some shoes, and the girls followed after me as I went outside just to see someone I call family.
"Derek!" A huge smile came into my face as I ran over and hugged him.
"Happy birthday, firecracker." He said to me, and I giggled. "You didn't think I'd miss your birthday, did you?"
"When did you get here?" I asked him, still in shock that he was actually here.
"Came in last night to surprise you. And to give you your gift. You have your license, right?" He asked me before holding up a pair of keys, and I look over to see a Lamborghini. A beautiful white Lamborghini.
"Derek, how much was that?" I asked him, and he shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "I'm not taking that. Return it. I'm serious!"
"Oh, I know you are. But it's still yours." He told me, and I look him dead in the eyes.
"Who did you kill?" I asked him, and they all started laughing.
"You're family, Casey. Take the damn car." He said, and I was hesitant taking the keys from him. I hugged him.
"Thank you, sourwolf," I said to him, and he chuckled.
"You're welcome. I also have Braeden's gift for you, so come on." He said, pulling me along, and we went inside. He hands me the box, and I open it to see a pair of knee-high boots.
"I am so borrowing them." Jocelyn practically drools over the shoes, and I roll my eyes as I put them back, and she hands me her gift next. I open it up to see a scrapbook.
"I didn't know you liked to scrapbook," I said to her.
"I don't. But I know you like them, and I filled it with pictures of us." She said, and I smiled as I looked through it.
"I love it. Thank you." I said, hugging her.
"Love you too, bitch." She said, making me laugh as I let her go, and Paisley hands me hers, giving me this smirk.
"Nothing's going to pop out at me, right?" I asked her, motioning to the gift back.
"No! Just open it." She ushered me, and I take out the tissue paper, taking it out just enough to see that it was lingerie, and before Derek could even see it, I quickly stuff it back in the bag, covering it with the tissue paper.
She and Jocelyn started laughing at my reaction, especially my bright red cheeks, and I glared at them.
"I don't even want to know," Derek said, and I shook my head.
"You don't," I said. "I'm gonna go get dressed. Derek, are you coming with us to Scott's?" I asked him.
"Yeah, sure. I'm surprised your dad and Stiles aren't here." He said, and I shrug, knowing they most likely forgot because they were too busy worrying about Lydia, but that's okay. It's not a big deal.
"Yeah. Well, a lot's been going on lately, Derek. Um, I'm just gonna go get dressed." I said before walking out of there quickly with their eyes on me. Of course, I was upset that my own family forgot about my birthday, but a lot has been going on, and we're breaking Lydia out tonight, so I guess I get it. But it still hurts.
-
"Sorry, we're late. We kind of had a run-in with somebody." I said as we walked into Scott's. And that's when Derek came out from behind Jocelyn. Paisley went home because she promised her Gran that she would help her with something.
"Derek," Scott said, and they all started hugging him.
"Wait, why are you here?" Stiles asked him, and Derek glanced at me, and I shook my head.
"Casey was telling me what was going on, and I decided to come by to see if you needed my help. Which you obviously do." He stated, looking at the blueprints of Eichen House. "So, what's the plan?"
"Well, Kira will be causing the brownout in Eichen, resetting everything so we can use this keycard again. And then me, Scott, Liam, and Casey, and I guess you now, will be going to get Lydia, but since there's mountain ash in the restricted areas, only I will be able to get in and get her." My brother explained to him, and he raised an eyebrow.
"That's the plan? Why not have Casey cause the brownout?"
"Thank you!" Kira suddenly said, and we all look at her in surprise. "Please, Casey."
"No. You need to learn." I told her, knowing that she needed to overcome her fear of losing control and just focus. I wouldn't be telling her no if I didn't think she could do it.
"Casey, you might want to bring your bow just in case," Stiles told me, and I look at him strangely.
"Why would I bring my bow to an insane asylum? That'll make it more obvious. How about we go a little more discreet?" I suggested before taking out my daggers and sticking them into the blueprints.
"Or you can bring your daggers." He said, and I nodded.
"Are those new?" Liam asked me. I realized that these were the new ones Grandpa gave me for my birthday yesterday.
"Uh, yeah. My grandfather gave them to me last night. They're custom." I said, taking it out of the blueprints, and I put them back, my new boots covering them.
"Why would he just give them to you?" Scott asked me.
Look's like they all forgot except for a select few.
"I don't know, Scott. Maybe because I'm his little protégée." I said, sounding a little rude, but I was upset, and I had a right to be.
My phone suddenly went off, and I saw my dad texting me about my birthday and that he was coming later tonight to see me.
"Who was that?" Malia asked me.
"Oh, my dad. Just telling me he's coming by later." I said, not saying why he was coming exactly.
"Anyway, how about we have Kira practice before the brownout tonight? That should be fun." Jocelyn said, trying to cut the tension, but it honestly did not help much.
-
"Okay, this isn't working," Jocelyn said after Kira made a lightbulb explode.
Again.
"I know. I can't do this!" Kira threw her hands up in exasperation. She looked at me. "Casey, can't you do this? You have more control than I do. I can't do this."
Malia looked at me, "Please."
I sighed. "Kira, my brother put you in the plan because he believes in you. You have so much potential, but your doubt and fear are clouding your judgment. You need to relax." I put my hands on the wire. "You need to keep your emotions in check and to have a clear mind. In my opinion? Don't think, just do." The lightbulb gradually began to light up. "See? You just need to believe and to have faith in yourself because without it..." I made the lightbulb break, and they jumped back in surprise. "You'll be trying to pick up the pieces to fix it. I'm not doing it because I know you can do it."
"But-"
"No more excuses, Kira. I haven't been here with you for almost an hour just for you to give up and tell me excuses on why you can't do the brownout. Stop letting fear control you, and don't let the fox dictate you. This is your body, your mind, your powers. You hold the reins, not the fox. Yes, it may be a part of you, but you have to realize that you need to coexist with it. You need to become one with it to learn control. Acceptance is the key, Kira." I told her, but I knew she still had her doubts.
"Is that what you did?" She asked me, and I fingered my pendant.
"Sort of. I didn't know what I was until Jocelyn told me. I was told to hide who I was to protect myself and the people I love. But once I was done with hiding, I finally found acceptance. I accepted what I was- I embraced it. You need to embrace the fox, Kira. Like the skinwalkers said, you wield the sword, but the fox wields you. Now it's time for you to take control."
Kira smiled at me appreciatively. "Thanks, Casey. Really."
"Of course. What are friends for?" I said with a fake smile on my face. I wanted to express how I really felt about today, but today isn't about me. It was about saving Lydia. The girl who is practically my older sister.
Malia, Jocelyn, and I watched as Kira took hold of the wires again, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and this time she didn't let her emotions cloud her. She just did it.
"Kira, it's working," Malia said, and upon hearing that, she opened her eyes and smiled gleefully at the progress she's made.
"Wait, Kira-" I tried, but it was too late. She got overly excited and accidentally lost focus. The lightbulb exploded, along with the other lights in the school.
"Don't get overly excited, or else you'll lose focus." I finally finished what I was trying to say, and the girls looked panicked by what just happened.
"We should go," Malia said.
"Yeah," and with that, the girls both ran out of here while Jocelyn and I followed behind, walking. It's the weekend, and no one else is in the school because no janitor would want to work at night here anymore.
"You okay?" Jocelyn asked me.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked her, and she gave me a look, stopping in her tracks.
"Don't even with me. I'm your best friend, I know you. I'm sorry." She said, knowing that I was hurt about everyone forgetting my birthday.
"It's okay, Jo-"
"God, Casey, for once just say that you're not okay!" She finally snapped, and I stood there in shock. "Ever since Allison died, you haven't been okay. You haven't been the same, and we both know that. You keep everything bottled inside because you think other people matter more than you. You're my sister, Casey, my best friend, and I love you. But I need you to be honest with me."
I played with my charm bracelet nervously, and I knew that she was right.
"You're right. I'm sorry, I just- I'm a mess. I'm such a mess. It's just been easier to keep it in because I don't know what to say, or how to feel. I guess it was just easier putting on a show and acting like I was okay so no one would worry about me, and it's like everything is just falling apart. And now the guy I love is also the guy who put Lydia in Eichen in the first place, and my friends and family forgot that today is also my birthday, but I can't be selfish because it's Lydia, and she's like my older sister, but it still hurts. I'm such a train wreck." I said, sliding down the lockers, and she sat next to me.
"You're hurting, Casey. And that's okay. A lot has changed since you first got here, and I know it's not fair. You lost a lot, but you also gained, Casey. I'm sorry about today, and I know it sucks, but you still got me. Always and forever." She said, holding up her pinkie, and I chuckled the vampire diaries quote.
I raised my hand and locked our pinkies together. "Always and forever."