◤ chapter two: ❛ fatal attraction ❜ ◢

✧

    THE START OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WAS NOT MONUMENTAL IN THE WHITTEMORE HOUSEHOLD. Maybe it would have been if both Whittemore boys were attending their junior year (only one more until applying to colleges and deciding their futures forever), but Jackson was gone. It was only Cooper there, and it wasn't like his parents were ever taking pictures for the first day to mark their growth before or anything.

No, to them it was just another normal day, except that Cooper wasn't going to spend most of his time at the house if he didn't have anything else to do because he actually had to attend classes again which was fucking great and he totally didn't miss that.

But summer was the end of a lot of things. It was the end of every week day trainings with Julia so he could hone his skills and not be a walking magnet of attraction and allure every single day just in case the wrong kind of hunter came into town, like Gerard Argent and his crew had. It was the end of losing himself and allowing himself to be seen and heard as who he was because school didn't care about who you were, only who you presented yourself and Beacon Hills High had already decided that Cooper was nothing more than a player.

And they were right. He was a player, he liked sex, and he couldn't help but pull people in and seduce them. It was so easy, to engrained in him, always there even before the bite Derek Hale gave him truly brought that to light. He was always charismatic and people naturally gravitated to him, the bite just magnified that and made it a whole lot worse.

School was also the beginning of a lot of things. Of playing into his roll of a sex addict and nothing else, of figuring out what the hell kind of mad deer ran into the windshield of Lydia's car, and of trying to be just another normal teenager who totally was not supernatural at all. Nope. Not him. He totally wasn't a siren who pulled people in because the myths said that he lured men to their deaths and while that wasn't all true he definitely did reel people in, and his songs could kill someone but that wasn't the only thing about him.

His song could deafen for a second or for forever, it could make you fall in love with a single note, and it could stop your heart instantly depending on how he sung it. But the thing was, singing a siren's song took a whole lot more work than just singing, it took fine tuning to use the right now when he needed it and not the wrong one which could potentially end in death and Cooper was too young to be a murderer if he did say so himself.

He felt a buzz in his back pocket so he pulled out his phone, seeing that Jackson was calling him. His lips twitched upward when he saw it and didn't hesitate to accept the call. "What's up?" he asked into the phone.

"Heard it was your first day back, had to give you a call."

Cooper shook his head, bustling around his phone to grab his bag before heading out. "Yep. Junior year, heard it's a big one. Would've been bigger with you."

And yeah, was a dick move to guilt his brother over moving away even though he had perfectly acceptable reasons to do and Cooper completely understood and would have done the same thing if he could have? Yes, definitely. But, well, Cooper was a bit of a dick when he wanted to be, and this was just how they were with each other.

"Yeah, it would've been. Which is why you should've come with me to London. You would've loved it here, Coop, hot people everywhere," Jackson turned it back around on him, and Cooper rolled his eyes.

"You know I would've if I could. Sirens aren't around everywhere in the world like wolves are," Cooper told him, soft for a second because Jackson never failed to break through his tough exterior.

Others would just see it and think he was insensitive and not think anything more about it, taking it at face value, but Jackson never did. When Cooper bit at him, Jackson bit back harder. And where Jackson pulled, Cooper tugged back. They didn't take the others shit and knew the words they meant underneath it all, because they had the same ways of reacting to shit.

"I know, but still doesn't mean I can't say shit about it. You could've Facetimed Julia whenever you need help."

Cooper laughed at him, heading through the kitchen to grab a banana since he never really ate a large breakfast. Never sat well with him. "I don't think that's wise, but sure. You talk to Danny at all recently?"

"Missing out on your favorite booty call?" Jackson teased him and Cooper rolled his eyes, "And no. He had an internship this summer in L.A. and I haven't heard anything. Time zones are hard and everything."

"I'll talk to him," Cooper told him, knowing that even though Jackson deflected he was upset that he was losing his best friend because he had to get away from Beacon Hills.

Moving away from his brother was one thing for Jackson, he knew that Cooper would make time for him because they always did. It was always them against the world and no one else, even after Jackson lied and get Cooper bit without his permission awakening his siren abilities. And yeah, that caused a lot of tension and anger between them, but eventually the whole kanima and almost dying thing made Cooper forgive him because family was more important than that.

But Danny? Danny wasn't Jackson's brother, so there was no guarantee and it looked like Danny wasn't talking to him, which completely sucked for Jackson, Cooper could tell. Yeah, Cooper knew that he had cut off all contact with Lydia, but that was mostly because they weren't really together (it was really weird near the end of it) and they were better enough not speaking to each other, but Danny hit different, so Cooper would have a word with him and maybe a make out session.

What? Danny was hot and nice and could actually stand Cooper's shit in and out of the bedroom. That last fact made him even hotter in Cooper's eyes.

"You don't have to do that."

"No, I will," Cooper promised him, leaving the house and getting into his car. Cooper would do anything for his brother. Well, almost anything. He wasn't sure if he would kill for his brother, but he didn't think he would kill for himself either. Murder was a very big and alarming topic for him which he had problems with.

Jackson was silent for a moment and Cooper knew that this was his way of saying thank you without actually saying it since they both had problems with that. They weren't really taught that when they were younger and it was really showing up now in their lives, but Cooper knew the meaning of the silence nonetheless.

"Listen, I'll call you later, I've gotta get to school," Cooper told him and Jackson said his farewell, so Cooper did the same, no I love you between them since that wasn't language they used with each other or anyone else really.

It was hard. Jackson especially had a hard time with it, so Cooper didn't even process it when they didn't say it because they never did. It was weird to hear it in general.

With that, he started the car and began to drive.

✧

COOPER ALWAYS EXUDED CONFIDENCE WHEN HE WALKED. It didn't matter if he was anxious as hell or he felt like he didn't belong, he walked with his shoulders upright and relaxed, acting as if he owned the place, especially if he was somewhere he felt like he belonged, and Beacon Hills High was somewhere he belonged. Somewhere he felt comfortable because everyone knew him and everyone wanted something from him.

He walked past people, searching for someone he knew, though he didn't let it show. As he looked, he eventually saw Danny turn around a corner and his lips twitched upward, walking a bit faster to catch up with the guy.

"Hey, long time no see," he said when he got to the side of Danny, who looked him up and down.

"Had an internship, kinda took up all my time," Danny shrugged, though it was clear that he wanted to get away.

Cooper frowned. He couldn't think of a single thing that had gone wrong between him and Danny. They were strictly friends with benefits sometimes and it was obvious to everyone that Cooper didn't do feelings or boyfriends or anything close to it so he couldn't have broken Danny's heart and he couldn't remember being particularly rude to him in any instance.

"So I heard. Jackson told me," he said, ignoring that cue because he was determined to get Danny to talk to Jackson, "You know, funny thing, Jackson also mentioned that he hadn't been able to get into contact with you. I mean, sure, not talking to me is one thing, but Jackson's supposed to be your best friend, so you can understand my confusion when Jackson told me you haven't talked to him."

Danny sighed, stopping in his tracks to fully meet Cooper's eyes. "Look, Jackson's gone. He left without a word, I didn't even get to say goodbye and then when I ask him why he left, he doesn't even have a reason for me," he explained, cold words that he had never heard from the boy, "I don't know, I need time to comprehend the fact that my best friend decided not to tell me that he was moving or explain why. So yeah, I'm not talking to him."

"And me?" Cooper couldn't help but ask, because he thought that he had something pretty solid with Danny.

The boy shrugged. "You're his brother. Doesn't seem right anymore," everything else was left in the air, and Cooper nodded dejected, "Bye, Cooper."

Well, that was not how he was expecting that to go. Honestly, he was expecting a make out session before classes started, not this whole we're over rejection speech. But that was fine. He was fine.

He shook his head, trying to think about what he was going to tell Jackson later because there was no way in hell he was repeating that to his brother. He didn't need that right now...or ever. Friendship really sucked sometimes, didn't it?

Trying to push that aside for now, because it wasn't like there was anything he could do, he walked to his locker where he saw Lydia and Allison waiting around.

"Freshmen. Tons and tons of fresh men..." Lydia noted, in total Lydia fashion as she looked around at the newbies.

Cooper rolled his eyes, because that was kind of disgusting, but at least it was good she was moving on. Lord knows that Jackson wasn't waiting around after their breakup before getting back out there.

"You mean fresh boys," Allison corrected her, though she looked a little amused by her friend, "Lydia, they're fourteen."

Lydia only shrugged at that. "Eh, some are more mature than others."

"I'm with Allison on this," Cooper broke into the conversation because he couldn't help himself, and agreeing with Allison was totally something he never thought he would ever be doing. By the looks of the girls, they hadn't known he was there or listening, which caused him to give them an amused look, "Come on, you're seventeen now. You should be going people around your age and not fourteen-year-olds. Besides, it's not like they're any good."

"You're one to talk," Lydia pointed out, "It's not like you haven't had your fair share."

"Yeah," Cooper admitted because it wasn't as if anyone was unaware of his ability to get anyone he wanted into bed, "But I also go after people my age and older...sometimes a lot older if I'm desperate."

"That's totally something I wanted to know," Allison muttered and Cooper rolled his eyes. The hunter sighed and turned to her friend, "You know, it's okay to be single. Focus on yourself for a little while. Work on becoming a better person."

"Allison, I love you. So, if you need to do that thing where we talk about me and pretend like we're not actually talking about you, it's totally fine," Lydia told her, "But I don't want a boyfriend. I want a distraction."

"Distractions are great," Cooper nodded, "Totally fun especially even they know there's nothing more going on. Gets complicated if they think it'll lead to something more so make sure they know it's only a one night stand."

"See? Cooper gets it," Lydia smiled at Allison, using him as more evidence. Cooper was fine being included in an argument against Allison. Then, she turned to look at a pair of boys walking into the school together.

They were hot, Cooper would give them that, and he wouldn't mind wooing one and taking them to bed. Not the other, that would just get too complicated. And it looked like Lydia already claimed one, but that was fine.

"Brothers?" Allison asked.

"Twins," Lydia corrected her, still eyeing the two.

Cooper cracked a smile between them, then looked directly at Lydia. "You take one, I'll have the other?"

"Sounds good to me," Lydia confirmed.

Cooper heard someone clear their voice behind him, so he turned to see Penelope, Julia's daughter who was in the year below them. "Hey, Penny," he greeted her, a smile on his face like he always did when he saw her.

She was a sweet kid and she sometimes helped with his training, but not much since she wasn't an awakened siren...or she could also just not be a siren at all. The gene could have skipped over her, but they wouldn't know until an alpha bit her which was something Julia did not want for her child.

Penelope lit up at the nickname that he used. "Hi," she gave him a shy smile, still meek next to him. He could feel the attraction in the air, something else his siren ability gave to him because luring people in meant knowing if it worked or not, so they could sense attraction.

He wanted to groan, because he wasn't attracted to her at all, but he kept it inside because he was nice. Really, he was a nice person. Well, he could be a nice person at least.

"You need anything?" he asked when she didn't add anything else.

"Right," Penelope looked down, a bit embarrassed, "Sorry, mom just wants to know if you're coming over this afternoon for another session."

He needed to, he knew that, and Julia would be pissed if he said no to a session when he still needed a lot of help...but it was also his first day back and he didn't want to train after it. He just wanted to settle back into normal high school student and player Cooper Whittemore for one day before going back to training his supernatural abilities.

But, he sighed. "I'll be there," he confirmed, because the last thing he wanted to face was the wrath of Julia Prescott.

"Great!" Penelope chirped, walking away with an extra pep in her step and Cooper sighed. He turned back around to where Lydia and Allison had looks of curiosity all over their faces. "Not a word," he told them before trudging off to class.

Sadly, he had English first. He had sadly not because he liked the subject, English was his best subject actually, but sadly because he didn't have Miss Newman again this year but Miss Black...whoever that was.

He was one of the first people in there, and he watched as Scott and Stiles made their appearance. Mostly, he just played on his phone until class started, but after the bell rang he put it up in his back pocket.

He watched as Allison awkwardly asked if the seat in front of Scott was taken because it was the only empty seat in the classroom and as Scott stammered out a response. God, those two were the worst, trying to find the right balance after their breakup. The whole not talking all summer thing was a real damper and made this even worse, and Cooper wanted to gauge his eyes out so he didn't have to watch it.

Sinking back into his seat, he felt another buzz against his ass from his phone, so he fished it out of his back pocket, seeing a weird text from an unknown number. As he began to read it, someone came into the classroom reading the text aloud.

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth, flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness," by the looks of the woman who walked in and spoke, she was Miss Black, and Cooper instantly disliked her for how she introduced herself, "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

Cooper rolled his eyes, though he did what he was told even though he wanted to flip her off and walk out of the room. First off, she comes in there and already has all of their numbers (creepy) and then she had the audacity to be mad that they read the text that she sent them. Yeah no, he hated this bitch.

Then she got them started on work immediately even though Cooper knew other teachers would just take this time to go over the syllabus...yet another reason to dislike her.

A few minutes into working, a man came into the classroom and Cooper looked up, frowning as he whispered into Miss Black's ear. "Mr. McCall?" she called out his name and Scott stood up, grabbing his stuff and leaving the room.

Cooper frowned, because that totally did not look good at all and he wanted to ask questions, but right now really wasn't the time for that since it was the middle of class on his first day. So no, he wasn't going to ask any questions...right now. He was definitely going to ask them later though.

When Miss Black came back into the classroom without Scott, Cooper looked up again and raised an eyebrow before quickly getting back to work so that the teacher wouldn't see him even though his head was already turning to what could have possibly happened.

He zoned out for a while, reading and taking notes, until he heard something splatter against the window. Immediately, he looked up and while he didn't see any animal, he did see a large blood splatter. Okay, now this really wasn't good.

Miss Black went to the window, and Cooper could see from his desk a large swarm of black birds gather before they pummeled themselves at the window, breaking the glass and gaining entrance into the classroom.

"Get down, everyone!" Miss Black called out and Cooper didn't waste a second before getting down onto the ground, covering his head. Birds got close to him and some attacked him so he used his hand to swat them away, desperately wishing that it wasn't a full classroom so that he could use his voice to force the birds away from them.

Alas, he was, and that was not an option. He crowded towards Allison, Lydia, and Stiles, staying down until eventually the birds left. Cooper hesitantly stood up along with everyone else, and he could feel blood on his forehead and the sting from where the birds had pecked at him.

He and Stiles looked at each other, knowing full well that whatever that was had something to do with last night and that wasn't good at all. Was it too much to ask to just be a regular high school student for just one day? Apparently, it was.

✧

WITH THE OPTION TO LEAVE SCHOOL AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE IN FIRST PERIOD, COOPER TOOK IT WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. His parents would probably be mad that he didn't go straight home afterwards, but he wanted to talk to Julia. He wasn't sure if the one would have anything to add, but he felt more comfortable going over to her house where he knew she would be waiting instead of an empty home.

Julia was outside on the porch by the time he pulled up. She frowned when he got out of the car, walking up to her. "You're skipping school," she noted, "That's not good."

"I'm not skipping, they let us go early," Cooper said before pausing, "Well, they let my class go out early."

It was then that Julia noticed the Band-Aid on his forehead from where the birds got him and she immediately reached to touch it. "What happened to you?"

"Birds," he answered and Julia gave him an unimpressed look so he continued, "Really, birds. A large swarm of them just came in through the window, shattering the glass, and pecking at us. So the school let us go home early."

"And instead you came here," Julia concluded, "Come on, let's get inside. I'll make you some tea."

Cooper followed her inside, because there was no stopping Julia when she made up her mind to go somewhere even though he did add, "I didn't come here to be comforted, I don't need any tea."

"Tea's good. Calming," Julia told him.

"I don't need to calm down, I'm calm already. I just wanted to know if you had anything to say about the bird attack...like, if it could mean anything. And a deer ran straight into a windshield last night, like it was mad," Cooper informed him

Julia frowned, but didn't pause as she moved around her house until she got to the kitchen and immediately went to boil up some water to make him some tea. "Animals go crazy sometimes, Cooper," she said.

He shook his head, not accepting that because there had to be something more. "No, these animals were intent. Scott said that the deer was terrified when it was running, and those birds...man, they knew what they were doing and it was coordinated. Too coordinated."

"I'm not an expert on animals, I'm an expert on blending in with humans," Julia told him before adding, "But that doesn't sound right."

"Do you know what it could mean?"

She shrugged. "For us, it just means that you need more training. Something bad is coming and you need to be prepared."

...and that was totally not the response he wanted. Great.

authors note
okay so there are already so many differences from the first version of allure. like penelope isn't bffs with cooper and now she's actually a year young and julia's daughter. honestly, i didn't like penelope's character in the first version so i'm making her julia's daughter because i want to. also julia is such a queen like i love her.

i hope you guys who read the beginning of the first version are liking this new one even though everything is different because i am liking it a lot more. i feel like my main problem with version one was the fact that the only person cooper interacted with was penelope and in this he's already interacted with so many other characters and i am loving his relationships with them already. cooper's just such a fun character to write honestly.