SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER

Hell is a teenage girl. Jennifer Check knew it all too well. Puberty was a bitch that made her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. The only comfort was wearing jumpers and hoodies to hide her body from others. She was undeniably unpopular, not many people knew she existed. Often they had to be reminded that she had been in their classes since kindergarten.

It seemed the only special thing about her is the fact that her best friend is Lydia Martin. When people saw them getting along, they were in shock. Why would a babe like Lydia associate with a dork like Jennifer? They were on the opposite ends of the popularity spectrums.

Most of the time, Lydia would hang out with her boyfriend, Jackson, and her more popular friends at school. Meanwhile, Jennifer would either spend her time in the library or stick with her average friends. Scott, Stiles and Allison weren't exactly unpopular though, the boys were on the lacrosse team and Allison was another friend of Lydia's. Nevertheless, she still felt invisible. Especially to Stiles, her unrequited crush.

Yet, even when people were looking, Lydia would meet up with her and talk about their day. The girls had been tightly knit since they were little. They were like sisters from different mothers. Sometimes sandbox love never dies. One day, they were going to leave Beacon Hills together. Lydia planned to go to MIT whilst Jennifer wanted to achieve her Broadway dreams.

Beacon Hills wasn't a shithole; it was just quiet. Lydia's grandmother used to tell them that the town was actually a beacon for supernatural creatures, but the girls never believed it. Perhaps they should have.

Like any other day at Beacon Hills High School, it was time for another lacrosse game. Lydia, Allison and Jennifer sat on the bleachers, watching the boys play. The crowd cheered as the team scored another goal. Allison loudly screamed, watching her boyfriend from afar.

Lydia and Jennifer cringed in their seats. "Geez. Can you keep it down, Allison?" The red-head asked.

"What? I'm just showing support for Scott." She stated.

"But can you do it more quietly, please?" Lydia rubbed her ear, wincing slightly. "I swear my eardrum's about to burst."

"I thought you'd be supporting Jackson though." Jennifer thought.

They glanced out at her boyfriend, who was sprinting past the opposing team. The ball was firmly in his netted stick; it didn't even fall when he barged into other people. Jackson Whittemore was a blonde jock whom Jennifer detested, but she hid her opinions from Lydia to avoid causing her distress.

Lydia shrugged. "I think I might break up with him."

Her friends turned to her, astonished. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it." She admitted.

"Why?" asked Jennifer.

"I don't know," Lydia confessed to them, folding her arms awkwardly. "We just don't seem to click anymore."

Jennifer smirked. "Well, knowing you, you could have any boy in this school if you wanted."

"And so could you if you put a little more makeup on." She encouraged.

"No way. I don't need boys in my life." The timid girl stated. "Besides, you're the star of the show. Not a nobody like me."

"What do you mean?" queried Lydia. "Jennifer Check, you are anything but a nobody."

"Maybe to you."

She sighed, never quite understanding why Jennifer had no confidence in herself. "God, your self-esteem is cracked."

Lydia wasn't wrong; her insecurities and low self-esteem would be her downfall one day. She sometimes wondered whether it would be better if she just disappeared. Jennifer was certain no one would miss her if she just jumped off a cliff.

The game reached halftime, both teams leaving the pitch to take a break. In an effort to avoid Jackson, Lydia stood up from her seat. "I'm going grab something to eat. I saw a hotdog stand on the way in. You want anything, Allison?"

"No thanks, I'm good." She responded.

She glanced at her best friend next. "What about you, Jen?"

"Yeah, I'd like a hot dog," Jennifer answered.

"Okay then. See you in a bit." Lydia began to leave, taking her purse with her.

Allison stopped her. "Wait, you're going to miss the game restarting."

Lydia spun around, sticking her hands into her pockets. "That's the idea, genius."

She stepped down from the bleachers and disappeared from the crowd, leaving only Allison and Jennifer to wait for the game to begin again. Below, the girls watched as the boys removed their helmets. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as some of them retrieved bottles of water to drink. Coach Finstock was shouting at a few members of the team, always blaming them for the smallest things.

However, Jennifer's focus was on a scrawny boy with jet black hair and the number '24' on his back. She laid her head on her left hand, admiring him from afar. It's not like she could help it; something about Stiles just made him irresistible. 

Allison took notice of her affection towards him, smiling. "Ask him out already."

Jennifer broke out of her trance. "What?"

"You've been pining over Stiles for ages, both Scott and I have noticed." She acknowledged. "Just go up to him after the game's over and ask him out. He'll most likely say yes."

She shook her head. "No, he won't."

"Oh, come on. It's not like every girl in school is after him." Allison said.

"Allison, he's had a crush on Lydia since the third grade. He probably prays every night for her to notice him." She mused.

Allison scoffed. "You're acting like she cares."

"Well..."

"You literally just said that she doesn't notice him. Why would she suddenly notice him now?" she wondered.

Jennifer shrugged, bowing her head. She picked at the dirt behind her nails, her anxieties taking hold of her. "She's Lydia Martin, and I'm just Jennifer Check."

"Exactly, you are Jennifer Check!" she exclaimed. "You can do anything!"

She scoffed. "Anything?"

"Asking a boy out is easier than taking a test. You have to admit it." Allison told her.

Nevertheless, Jennifer still disagreed with her. "No, I think they're both hard."

Allison groaned, realising she wasn't getting anywhere with this. "Right, I dare you to ask Stiles out by the end of the week."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

"He'll jump at the chance!"

"He'll say no!"

"He might not!"

"He doesn't like me in that way!"

"I bet he's never even slept with a girl."

"Neither have I." Jennifer paused, awkwardly rethinking her statement. "I mean, I've never slept with a boy! This argument is pointless!"

Allison had enough, sighing as a nervous giggle emerged. "Just ask him out before the end of the week and I promise that you won't regret it."

Even though they weren't close, Jennifer knew Allison was right. Perhaps taking a chance and asking out Stiles wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Love was terrifying, but it's also the greatest feeling in the world.

Halftime was about to end and the teams were about to restart the game. From the other side of the bleachers, Lydia emerged with two hotdogs in hand. She returned to her seat with a smile. "What are you suckers talking about?"

The girls shared a sneaky look for a moment before Jennifer answered. "Nothing."

"Did I miss anything?" she asked.

"Nah, the game's just starting," Allison replied.

"Damnit," Lydia handed her friend the second hotdog. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Di." The girls grinned at each other as the game recommenced. Jennifer observed as Stiles got ready to play, coyly smiling at how cute he was.

***

Once the game was over, the girls prepared to leave. Lydia collected her purse as Allison sprang to her feet. "I'm getting a ride home with Scott."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Allison." Jennifer said.

Lydia waved in her direction. "Bye, Allison."

They watched as Allison skipped over to her boyfriend, Scott. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, congratulating him for their team's win. They seemed happy together. Love just came naturally to them. Some people were just perfect for each other.

Jennifer glanced back at Lydia. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just want to talk to Jackson first..." Although, as Lydia gazed across the pitch, she discovered that she could not locate him. Jackson was usually easy to spot; his gelled blonde hair stood out the most.

"What is it?" Jennifer queried.

She frantically searched the area, yet there was no sign of her boyfriend. "I can't find him."

"Maybe he left?" she suggested.

"Why would he leave so quickly?" asked Lydia.

The girls stepped down from the bleachers, gaining a closer look. Lydia led Jennifer through the crowd, continually scanning for Jackson and the number '37'. However, disappointment arrived every time Lydia spotted the wrong number.

She was so focused on finding the correct number that she managed to collide with one of the players. "Sorry," Lydia uttered, completely mortified.

The player turned around, revealing himself to the girls; it was Stiles. He smiled when his eyes landed on Lydia. "No, it's okay, Lydia. It's fine."

"Yeah, sorry." She muttered.

Jennifer shyly beamed. "Hi, Stiles."

"Hey, Jennifer." He said, facing her for a moment.

"Um, have you seen Jackson anywhere?" she questioned.

Stiles took a moment of thought, deciphering when he was last seen. "Oh, yeah. I saw him wandering off with Ethan, I think."

Lydia huffed, though she did not divulge the reason why she was annoyed. "Thanks, Stiles."

"No problem, Lydia." He replied, staring deep into her green eyes. She awkwardly stared back for a few seconds before finally walking off.

Jennifer remained, still smiling at him. Although, it wasn't for long when Lydia yelled. "Jennifer!"

"Coming!" She quickly waved goodbye to her crush and jogged after her friend. Yet, she continually glanced back at him just to see if he was looking. Indeed he was, but not at her. Though Jennifer didn't realise, naively thinking that he could like her back. "Did you see the way Stiles was looking at me?"

However, Lydia ignored her as they proceeded to storm off the pitch. "Where is he?"

She could tell that her friend was growing tenser by the second. "Lydia, I've got a curfew. Can't we look for him tomorrow?"

"He can't have gone far." The girls edged closer to the woods. A sudden crack from inside attracted their attention. They stopped, peering through the darkness between the trees.

Lydia was drawn to the sound, confidently strolling towards it. Jennifer anxiously followed, folding her arms uncomfortably. She scratched at the dry skin, peeling it away as the girls wandered into the dense forest.

There was a squelching noise that became louder with each step they took. Even the animals were silent, the ambience of Beacon Hills had surprisingly died down. Before long, Lydia realised that the noise was coming from a nearby tree.

She strolled over, glimpsing past the wood to see her boyfriend making out with Ethan Steiner, the identical twin brother of one of Lydia's exes. Jennifer's mouth dropped, letting out a shrill gasp. Lydia crossed her arms, unsurprised by Jackson's actions.

The boys froze, turning towards the girls. Jackson's eyes widened in shock, glaring directly at her girlfriend. "Lydia! It's not- it's-"

"Seriously, Jackson? If you wanted to break up with me, you should have just done it." She stated. "You don't need to cheat on me to pass on the message."

"Lydia, I'm so sorry-"

Lydia raised her voice, putting on a fake smile. "Honestly, you've given me a reason to break up with you. I'm glad you found love. I hope you guys have fun!"

The furious redhead grabbed onto Jennifer's arm, pulling her away from the scene. She knew Jackson wouldn't follow; he would be smart not to. As they headed back to Lydia's car, Jennifer glimpsed at her friend in earnest. "Are you really glad that he's into Ethan?"

"Yeah, of course, I am." Lydia honestly asserted. "I'm just angry that he cheated on me. Like no one has ever cheated on me."

"Probably because you're busy cheating on them," mentioned Jennifer.

"Hey!"

"What? It's true."

She chuckled whilst retrieving the keys to her car from her pocket. Lydia swung the keychain around her index finger, popping her glossy lips. "You wanna rent out a movie from Video 2C?"

"Thought you'd never ask." She responded.

The bond between Jennifer and Lydia appeared inseparable. They thought nothing could drive them apart, but they were clearly wrong.

***

I was going to publish this on Tuesday but then I found out that today is the ten year anniversary of Teen Wolf. So, to celebrate that, here's the first chapter of Jennifer's Body.

So I decided to make Jennifer unpopular, similar to Needy in the movie. But she will obviously go through a big change later. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

Also, I can't believe this hit 100 reads even though it's been out for just a few days. Thank you so much!

- Alice ❤