❨𝒐𝒏𝒆❩
freshman year
Stares, whispers, looks of pity, followed Harlow Evans wherever she went. It was her fault. She got attention, and that's what she wanted. But now she wanted it gone, she wanted to be in the shadows again. Anything, to stop the looks that were sent her way.
Harlow pulled down her sweater sleeve, trying to hide within the grey cotton fabric. A plain navy blue backpack was slung over her right shoulder as she kept her head down. Once she made it to English she would be able to hide in the back and avoid everyone.
So she walked quickly. Her tattered converse buckled underneath her speed. As she watched the tiles pass underneath her, she forgot to actually pay attention to where she was going. With one step the geometry book she had tucked under her arm fell to the floor with a clatter. She groaned as another book fell, this one on her toes.
"Watch where you're going." A boy spit, only churning the girl's stomach. So much for staying invisible. Harlow looked up, her brown eyes melding with crystal blue ones.
"I-I'm so sorry." Harlow stuttered, bending down to retrieve her and the boy's things. Her cheeks stung red as several other students had stopped to watch the exchange. She quickly picked up the boy's blue English book, handing it to him. She then grabbed her own. The brunette tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear before glancing at her classmates. A couple of them snickered behind their hands, only adding to the girl's embarrassment. "Sorry again." She muttered before quickly making her way down the hall. This time making sure she was looking.
Harlow felt so embarrassed as she slid into an open seat in her classroom. Last row next to the window. Her leg bounced as she pulled out a notebook and pencil from her bag.
It was not long before the class filled up. Students chatted happily amongst themselves. Many of them had to catch up with acquaintances and friends about their semester break. Not Harlow though. She simply sat with her head resting on her palm and eyes peering out the window.
"You've got to be joking." At the loud scoff Harlow turned her head. Meeting the eyes of the boy before, she let out a soft sigh. Just her luck. Reluctantly the boy slid into the last empty seat besides her, slouching down in his chair. Harlow bit her lip, turning back to the front of the room. This year was already going to be a long one.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Harlow sat next to Malia Tate. The girl's only friend. Or the only person the girl felt comfortable with anyways. Kira Yukimura also sat with them, on the opposite side.
"Why am I here?" The brunette asked, pulling a sketch pad out from her bag. The three of them sat on the bleachers watching the oh so enthralling lacrosse tryouts. "I don't even like lacrosse."
"You, Harlow, do not like anything." Malia pointed out. The werecoyote sat her math books down and turned to Kira, who was staring at Scott absentmindedly. Harlow sighed as the two began to converse. She was used to it of course, and she didn't have anything against the Yukimura girl. But it did make her feel left out, "besides aren't your brothers literally on the team?"
"So?" Malia chuckled before looking down at her homework.
"What's wrong with you?" Malia asked the girl. Harlow looked down at the blank pages of her book, listening in to the two's conversation.
"Me? Nothing." Kira insisted. Harlow resisted the urge to snort. Something was very clearly wrong, and everyone and anyone could see it.
"You reek of anxiety, and it's distracting. What's going on?"
"Scott and I sort of had this thing happen... But it wasn't much of a thing... And I'm starting to think it never was anything at all." Kira rambled. Harlow had given up on the blank page and now turned to look at the girl.
"What do you want it to be?"
"More."
"It will be." The brunette girl piped up, startling the other two. Harlows cheeks flushed as both pairs of eyes laid on her. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just weird hearing you speak to anyone besides Malia," Kira spoke, a soft smile appearing on her features.
"Well, I guess I usually don't have anything to say." That was far from true. Harlow had many things she wanted to say. She just didn't know how to say them. Harlow was an observer and she was perfectly okay with that. Kira offered another smile before turning back to the field. The brunette looked out to the field as well, watching as her brothers shared a fist bump.
"I hate math," Malia muttered, placing a green highlighter in her mouth. Harlow glanced down at the girl's work. It was simple equations, and yet the werecoyote struggled. "Can you help me?" Malia asked, turning to face Harlow. The brunette's mouth opened slightly, ready to protest, "please, Lydias' notes are so confusing."
"You do know that I am two entire grades under you, correct?" Malia nodded, causing the Evans girl to sigh. "Okay fine."
"Isn't the team captain supposed to be one of the best players on the team? Or good?" Kira piped up, drawing the attention of the two others. Harlow cringed as Scott McCall missed the net. Malia just shrugged, going back to her math.
It was silent for a moment, only the sound of lacrosse sticks and soft thuds filling the air. Harlow was slowly explaining how to solve for X when Kira shouted. "YES!" The brunette girl's eyes followed Kiras. The two boys had actually managed to block everyone, including her brothers, and her brothers were good. I mean not as good as Scott, but still.
"That's how you do it! That's how it's done!" Coach shouted as Scott and Stiles shared a chest bump. Then a boy stepped up, Scott and Stiles exchanging a look. Kira watched with bated breath as the boy managed to get past Stiles, although that wasn't too hard. What was really surprising was the fact that he got past Scott McCall, swiftly scoring a goal. Harlow gave an impressed look, the boy was good.
"That was luck!" Malia cried, standing up. Harlow cringed, slinking back into the bleachers. Coach turned to Malia and just stared. "Do-over!"
"Sweetheart, there are no do-overs-- this is a practice." He told her with a small chuckle. Harlow buried her head into her hands, trying to avoid the stares of the entire lacrosse team and students on the bleachers.
"Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles!" Malia, still, challenged. Kira shook her head at the werecoyote.
" ...I'll take that action." He exclaimed. On the field, Liam watched carefully. He was sure if it came down to it, he would be able to beat Scott and Stiles, again. The dirty blonde girl on the bleachers just gave him another chance to prove himself. "Hey! Get back in there, Liam!" As Coach called his name he noticed Harlow, her face buried in her hands. She was always hiding. He had heard about her. The girl who jumped into a pool of chemicals. Only a psychopath would do something like that. But for some reason or another, he caught himself staring. Since she bumped into him in the hallway, he couldn't stop. Something about her intrigued him.
"Liam," Garrett spoke, breaking the boy out of his trance. He shook his head and breathed deeply, before facing Scott and Stiles again.
Malia and Harlow went back to math. Only stopping when a sickening crack sounded. The two exchanged a glance before peering out onto the field. Liam was down, Scott and Stiles rushing over.
"Don't move! Don't touch him!" Coach cried, making his way over to the boy. Harlow then recognized him as the boy from English, the one that scoffed every time she was nearby. And it hurt.
"He's an asshole, so way to go Scott!" Harlow spoke, a little loudly. Liam just scowled at her. While the pack sighed, what was she doing? The Evans brothers shot their sister a warning look. Malia snickered slightly, glancing back down at her math. The duo had managed to complete one out of ten problems.
"I am never going to be able to finish this." The Tate girl sighed.
"You just need practice, we have all had years, you've had one." Malia and Harlow jumped when the sound of a net colliding with a ball cracked, in their faces. Beside them Kira let out a small breath, holding up a lacrosse stick. Harlow blinked, double-checking to see if the ball was actually that close to hitting her face.
"Wow! Nice catch! Throw it back!" Coach shouted, visibly impressed.
"Oh, my God!" Kira muttered, still in shock herself. But she obliged. The lacrosse ball hit coach in the stomach, knocking him over. Harlow shot Kira an impressed look, while the Yukimura girl just looked mortified.
"Someone ask her if she's ever played lacrosse!" Coach cried, pulling himself back up.
"Go Kira, the first female on the team," Harlow told her. Maybe becoming friends with Malia's friends wouldn't be so bad.
Hi! So I am going to try and upload on Friday's! That is if I keep up with my writing, buttt welcome to the first chapter! :)