"Sorry, Lahey, but I'm more of a cat person."
Vera Pérez is no stranger to the supernatural. Growing up alongside the Hale family has kept her fairly well-informed about the creatures that lurk in the darkness. However, she didn't become one of thos...
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( letharia vulpina, pt. ii )
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
THE COLOR LEECHES from Vera's faceat the sight of the crimson puddle that's quickly quadrupling in size, spreading around the arrow embedded in Coach's stomach. But there isn't much time for her to panic— mostly because the man starts screaming.
"Get it out of me!" Coach cries, his green eyes wide with terror. "Get it out of me! Get it out of me! Oh my God, I'M GONNA DIE!"
"Coach, you're not gonna die," Stiles assures him.
"I'M GONNA DIE!"
Stiles's hands are pressed to Coach's abdomen in an attempt to stop the bleeding. It's clearly futile— his white shirt is quickly bloodstained, transferring the crimson liquid to Stiles's pale skin. Scott and Aiden join him in holding Coach down as he writhes in their grip.
"It'll hurt less if you stop moving, Coach," Aiden informs him over his continued howls of anguish. His tone is much calmer in comparison to Coach's, and Vera supposes that's one good thing about the twins— no situation seems to shake them.
"Get that thing out of me!"
"Stay still, Coach. An ambulance is coming."
"Get it out! I'm gonna die!"
Aiden looks up at the crowd of bystanders from the cross country team, who have gathered even closer to observe the scene. He waves his arms at them in a 'shoo' motion. "Get back, get back! Give him some room!"
Ethan, Isaac, Dominic, and Danny band together to lead their classmates away. Some kids try to stray and peer over them to see what's happening, but one glare from Isaac has them quickly following orders. The area instantly becomes less suffocating when they're given more space.
Vera winces at Coach's blatant disregard of the boys' clear instructions as he continues thrashing and screaming. She knows that he has a flair for the dramatic, but this is another level of theatrics. The only thing he's focused on is the arrow he'd been shot with. So, in order to distract him...
"Coach, I'm — I'm quitting lacrosse!" Vera exclaims, stepping forward until she's peering over Stiles, trying not to look at the gruesome pool of blood that's glinting in the sunlight.
Coach's head snaps over to look at her. "What? Pérez, you'd better be pulling my leg or I swear to God, I will suspend you from the roof of the school by your earrings—"
Scott gives her a grateful nod and takes Coach's hand in both of his own. He closes his eyes, his breathing becoming labored as the pain transfers to him. Vera crouches to his level and gives him a concerned touch of the arm. As far as she knows, this is the second time he's taken pain from someone today. First, it had been her splitting headache at school. Now he's experiencing the agony of being shot with an arrow.
