Unbroken ▹ Teen Wolf [02]

00; revelations & realizations

Seven years ago.

For the first time in a long time, Rachel Hale was undeniably overjoyed.

The smile on her face was unbreakable, not even by the (slightly terrifying) teenagers herding across the front of Beacon Hills High School's courtyard. Everywhere, there seemed to be someone either laughing, stressing or focusing on something to do with the people & various work around them. Rachel couldn't help but imagine herself as one of them, working on an assignment she'd accidentally forgotten on the coffee table; much like her brother had forgotten his math book.

A purple bike, equipped with the ten year old's favourite pink streamers, had been parked at a slight angle in the bike rack, sitting nearly a foot lower than the rest. The light shade of lavender stood out all on it's own, but with the help of the shiny streamers stemming from each handle, it looked more than out of place. As did Rachel, a tenth grade math book clutched in her small hands, skipping along the sidewalk happily.

She wasn't quite sure where she was going, but she was so outrageously excited just to be there that she couldn't care less. She was in a school— a real one, not just the one she'd created in her mind based off the various types she'd seen in movies. It was everything she'd imagined & more. Through heightened senses, she could practically feel the emotions radiating off the building; mostly boredom & loathing. The dislike was understandable— she knew some weren't particularly fond of learning— but how could anyone possibly be bored amongst so many people? Rachel had only seen a fraction of this at most, and that was when she'd secretly followed her mother to meet with other packs.

There was someone new to meet around every corner, and she could only hope to become friends with every last one. Rachel had always wanted friends— of course she'd always have her sister, but when they were in the midst of one of their very occasional fights, she wanted someone she could tell about it. Even if she had to tell fictional stories in place of her supernatural truth. Her world was one filled with remarkable creatures (such as herself) & endless possibilities, but telling a human the truth often had consequences, and Rachel never wanted someone to be hurt because of her.

The brunette hurried into the school, knowing if she didn't hurry up, she was going to get lost amongst a crowd of teenagers. It was around 2:50pm according to velcro watch around her wrist, and she knew the school buses would arrive around 3:20. She always heard them driving by her house whenever she was out in the yard. Rachel stopped shortly after getting inside of the building, looking for a sign or something to direct her to the gym (she knew by now Derek would be out of class for basketball practice; he had a two hour practice every Wednesday. She had chosen to leave that information out when telling her mom how important it was that Derek have his math book) but soon found that there was nothing but a bulletin board pinned with various college brochures, driver's ed classes & other miscellaneous.

Someday those would be of interest to her (more so than they are now). She would stand here with her sister, discussing what college she planned on attending so she could one day go out into the world on her own. They'd complain about how much schoolwork there was, how much college costed & every other thing they could possibly complain about, but Rachel wouldn't trade it for the world. She wanted high school to be the best & most memorable years of her life, as every movie had led her to believe they should be.

"Rachel?" A familiar voice called softly, whilst a hand lightly touched her shoulder. Rachel jumped, startled, but quickly calmed as she spun around to see her older sister.