39; On The Hunt Pt. 1
The folded white paper sat on Scott's dresser discarded there by El's refusal to look at it. In this week's turn of events, the man with no mouth hadn't been some random murderer. He was a notorious assassin who'd come to collect and he wouldn't be the last.
The death of Demarco Montana and Carrie Hudson was a confirmation of that. Someone was out there waiting, plotting until the moment was right and none of them knew when that would be or who on the list would be next.
El didn't need Scott to tell her that her name wasn't on it. Not that it mattered. Unbeknownst to her, people had been after her for years and Paul had been the only thing stopping them. Where was he now? Gone. Forever for all she knew.
"What are you thinking?" Scott's voice drew her out of her thoughts after what seemed like hours of sitting in contemplative silence. They sat on his bed cross legged in front of one another while he broke the news. He'd prolonged the inevitable as much as he could, but she deserved to know what was up against them.
In truth, she didn't know what to think. All she knew was that she'd had one week of somewhat peace. She and Scott were together now to the complete shock of some- namely Kira- and long overdue to others. Malia's more instinctive take on the subject was something El would prefer to forget altogether. It was in all honesty, the best week of her entire life. Nonetheless, she knew something was wrong the entire time.
She wouldn't tell Scott this, but he wasn't nearly as good at keeping a secret as he thought he was. Or at least not from her. The whispered side conversations he'd pull away from her to have with Stiles was the biggest giveaway. Then followed by his frequent trips to the Sheriff's station.
Had she taken the time to figure out what was going on it would have been easy to piece together, but for once she left herself in the dark. It was nice not knowing and having to worry if at least for a while. "I'm thinking we need to figure out who at the party killed the keg guy."
He nodded his head in agreement, "we think whoever ordered the keg is the one who did it."
The implication that led to should have shocked El or at the very least make her fear having to return to a school in less than an hour. On the contrary, she was disturbingly impressed. What better way to get near the high school teenagers you were trying to kill than to impersonate one?
"Is there any way I can convince you not to play at tonight's game?" Running around on that field anything could be made to look like an accident. The thought of losing Scott while she sat watching hopelessly on the stands was not something she wanted to have to do. Especially when Scott wasn't the only one she would have to worry about out there.
The newest addition to the pack proved to be more difficult each day that passed. On top of his constant temper outbursts and naivety, he was still trying to cling to what normalcy he had left. El knew there was no way she could convince Liam to sit out the game even if they explained to him in gory detail what was at risk. If not to find out who the killer is, then Scott was out there to protect him.
As if reading her mind he reached over and held her hand comfortingly, "Liam's not on the list."
Relief flood through her briefly. Not yet anyways, she reminded herself. For the past two weeks, Lydia had uselessly held herself over a record player at her grandmothers lake house. There was still two thirds of the list yet to be uncoded and El could take a quick guess that she and Liam's names were on one of the two.
"Eleanor, if the killer really is a student, they can't know that we're on to them. This might turn out to be a good chance to find out who it is."
"So that's a no," El concluded with a shake of her head. "Scott, I know you want to be brave in all this, but this isn't a time for heroics. This is a professional killer we're talking about. He... or even she knows exactly what they're doing! Look at Demarco and Carrie. One got their head taken clean off and the other was stabbed to death with a weapon no one can identify."
El was breathing heavily by the time she was done, slightly annoyed by his lack of a quick response. For a long moment, the look on his face made her wonder if he'd heard anything she'd just said. He didn't seem fazed by any of it.
"I'm not afraid."
Looking down at her hands, she felt as though the fear he was pushing away was piling itself on top of her own. "Maybe you should be. Your name is on that list." She wasn't asking, merely confirming something she already knew to be true.
People from all over, with the sole purpose in life to kill, were coming for him. With millions of dollars as their endgame, a change of heart or moment of mercy was out of the question.
Why wasn't he afraid when she was absolutely terrified?
"We should go," she whispered and he checked the clock beside him and sighed. "We should," he agreed quietly and picked up their backpacks along with his lacrosse bag from the floor.
The ride to school was quiet and undeniably tense. Did this count as their first disagreement only one week into their relationship? If this was a synopsis of how their time would be together, then either it was going to end very quickly or it would be spent at constant odds with one another. Both options further darkened her already somber mood.
"Who else is on the list?" El asked as she removed the helmet and handed it to him. Scott was a patient person at his very core, but right now it seemed he'd like to keep all conversation of the deadpool to a minimum. After all, it's all he'd been talking about for two weeks straight from the moment he and Argent investigated Demarco's murder to today when he'd decided to finally tell her about all of it.
"Lydia and Kira," he answered with a sigh.
Disagreements aside, El didn't like seeing him upset. She knew he was under an insane amount of pressure to protect everyone. He was the alpha, that's what was expected of him and she couldn't imagine the heavy responsibility that entailed. They weren't just friends either, they were his pack and that was a much deeper bond than any kind.
"And so is Derek."
El's teeth ground together as they began the walk into the building. She didn't bother putting on a happy face for those around her. They all already thought she was crazy, pretending wouldn't change their minds.
"Derek can take care of himself," Scott assured and held the door open for her to walk through.
Which explains why he was kidnapped and taken to Mexico, she grumbled making sure to keep it to herself. Her bickering wasn't going to help Derek. Or anyone for that matter.
"I just wish I didn't feel so useless."
"You're not a machine, Eleanor. You don't need to have a use. You just need to be alive," he emphasized and reached for her hand once again. This time she returned the gesture and held it tightly.
"At least let me help you with Liam. I have a feeling tonight's not going to be easy on him."
"You can say that again," he drew out a tired laugh and ran a hand through his short hair. She wondered how he managed to get a good nights sleep with all he had to deal with. "Okay, if he's going to listen to anyone it's going to be you."
El smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss her temple as they stopped in front of the door to her next class. "See you later?" She nodded and took her bag from him but not before giving him one last hug.
Differences in opinions aside, they were in this together.
Liam was already in his seat when she walked in. He didn't have to look up to see it was her her who had arrived. He'd been able to hear and smell her from the moment she'd walked into the building. Along with Scott.
"Hey, kiddo," she beamed as she took her seat beside him. He barely glanced up at her as he busied himself with scratching something into the top of his desk. "I'm only two years younger than you," he grumbled and she turned to face him.
"Hey, if you need to talk about anything..."
"You're here for me," he finished for her monotonously. "I know. You always tell me."
She raised her hands in surrender as she turned around and began doing her work. She had learned that sometimes he just needed his space and seeing as she was stuck sitting beside him for another half hour she was willing to give it to him. When the class had nearly ended he slipped a piece of notebook paper onto her desk. El looked up at him with raised eyebrows and sheepishly he motioned to the little paper.
Unfolding it, she laughed.
I'm sorry for being a jerk, it read with a poorly drawn sad face beside it. She crumbled it and tossed it at his head with a grin. "You're forgiven. Now tell me what's wrong."
"It's the game tonight. It's just a stupid scrimmage."
That's only the half of it, she thought to herself. It could be life or death.
"But?" She offered and he huffed and leaned closer to her. "But I'm playing against my old school. My old teammates. They still hate me for what I did to my coach's car."
"Let them be mad. You've already done your part in making up for your mistakes. They'll just have to get over it, but they'll probably have to start after you kick their ass tonight."
He laughed and from the front of the room the teacher sent him a glare. Pretending to work, she gave him a firm look of her own, "I mean that metaphorically. Don't get into any fights. That would be supremely bad."
Hesitating, he drummed his pencil against his thigh. "Will you be there?"
"Of course, I'll be in the stands cheering you on."
From her bag, she heard the soft vibration of a text message. She rummaged through the front pocket and when she found it she sunk deeper into her seat. It was from Scott.
Meet in the locker room after class.
Not as romantic as I would have liked, El noted with a sigh and looked up as the bell rang overhead. She gathered her notebooks into her bag and walked out into the hall with Liam by her side.
"So what number should I be looking out for?"
"Nine," he smirked and she snorted with a roll of her eyes. She got the feeling competitive was an understated trait of his. One that wasn't going to make tonight's game any easier.
"The best one out there," another voice pitched in and she had to peer around Liam at the boy who'd fallen in stride beside him. He was taller than her but not by much and he wore a friendly smile that compelled her to return it. "We haven't met yet," he said and extended his hand to her around Liam.
She shook it and laughed as Liam shook his head exasperatingly. "El, this is my best friend Mason. Mason, this is... my other best friend El."
The title took her by surprise and she hesitated before meeting his expectant gaze. Silently he asked her if it were okay and the decision wasn't a hard one. El looped her arm with his as they walked and his widening smile replaced his nervousness. "Liam's told me so much about you," Mason continued somewhat teasingly and she joined in as Liam began to blush.
"Has he now? Unfortunately, I can't say the same."
Mason brushed it off nonchalantly, "I'm sure he just didn't want to brag about all this." He motioned to himself with a wave of his hand and the three burst out into laughter.
Not a second later, the lightheartedness of the moment seemed to die out instantly. With hardening eyes, Liam glared at something outside the exit in front of them and her smile fell away. El could feel his arm tense against hers and she peered at him and then at Mason questioningly. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly open as he mumbled a few expletives. He wasn't looking at her though, he was looking at Liam or rather waiting for Liam to react.
El still didn't understand what he seeing that she wasn't. She followed his line of sight only to see students trying to get to their next class.
Before she could ask what was going on, Liam stormed off, a cloud of bubbling rage following over him. She and Mason shared a look before running after him. "Liam, don't!"
Her confusion was short lived as Liam pushed past people in the direction of a bus with a school name written in black letters across it. Devenford Prep. Boys filed out carrying duffel bags with lacrosse sticks hanging on their backs. He'd never told her his previous school's name but it didn't take much to put two and two together.
"Liam, stop!" She joined in with Mason's pleas and placed a hand on his arm to try and lead him away. He didn't budge an inch and it didn't occur to her until then that he was much stronger than her now. Even without the enhanced strength, El imagined it wouldn't of made a difference.
A crowd had begun to gather around them waiting for something to happen of interest. She could hear muffled whispers, catching their names flying around in the gossip.
Liam breathed harshly, his chest and shoulders rising and falling visibly as he willed himself to contain his anger. El's eyes trailed to the boy he was wounding with his steel glare and felt her heart flutter nervously in her chest.
At first she saw nothing but light brown hair tousled in messy waves upon his head that towered over her by nearly an entire foot. A face appeared in her mind one that she'd pushed away for months now. She found herself taking a step towards him until his equally dagger like stare pierced her where she stood. They were blue, but too pale to belong to the person he reminded her of.
"Brett," Liam ground out and El blinked and returned her attention to him.
Brett's gaze lingered on her for a few more moments further setting ablaze the spark of anger in Liam that willed itself to be let out.
"I just wanted to say..." She tightened her grip on his arm and shook her head slowly. Don't do this. Liam took a deep breath and stretched out his hand, "have a good game."
El let out a sigh and smiled softly but it was quickly erased by the mocking laughter that erupted from the tall boy. His teammates joined in around him and she scowled at them hoping it had some sort of affect.
"That's cute, Liam. Is that what they told you to say in anger management. Apologize and everything's fine?"
"You leave him alone," she hissed and the next thing she knew Liam was the one holding her back. Brett hardly spared her a glance as he continued on as if she hadn't spoken at all. "You demolished coach's car."
His complete disregard for her presence spiked her irritation to levels that had her skin heating with purple-hot anger.
"I paid for it," Liam seethed and focused on the growing pain in his palms as his claws dug deeper and deeper. At the moment, it was the only thing keeping him from digging them into Brett's face.
"Yeah, you're going to pay for it. We're going to break you in half of there and it's going to be all your fault."
Violet light flickered on El's fingertips as her fist clenched at her side. It extinguished with a near silent sizzle of contact as a hand enveloped her own and pulled her back. After regaining her balance, her sight of Brett was impaired having solely been replaced with a view of Scott's back.
Holding her gently by the hand, he ushered her away with a fuming Liam in tow. Stiles joined them a few moments later after failing to mediate the situation.
"I can't believe he said those things to him!" She snapped as they shuffled quickly into the locker rooms. She began to pace shaking her arms and hands to rid herself of the odd tingling sensation traveling through her nerves. Liam was snarling now and fighting against Scott who held him up against the wall.
"Not helping!" Scott shouted over the roars of anger and she snapped her mouth closed. "Turn on the water!"
She scrambled around the three and hurriedly turned the nozzles for the shower head directly above the freshman boy. The icy water rained down on his head and into his clothes causing him to sputter. For a second it seemed to shock him into submission, but with the smallest twitch of his jaw El's hands shot up to her ears. A growl that shook the lockers around them momentarily loosened the firm grip Stiles and Scott had on him. With furious golden eyes, he snapped his teeth at the hands reaching to push him back against the title wall.
"El, do something!" Stiles grunted and she rushed over only to have Scott nudge her back. "He could hurt her!"
"Vaporize the little bastard!" Stiles commanded her, drawing out another snarl from Liam.
Despite Scott's demands for her to get back she stepped forward and flinched when Liam's canines came within mere inches of her fingers.
Scott slammed his body against the wall in warning but it seemed to deter him very little as he continued to snarl at them. "It's just me," she whispered under her breath and held her hands up for him to see. His golden glare narrowed on her as she took slow steps towards him still aware of the threatening growls rumbling in his chest.
El wasn't sure what she was doing, but it was almost instinctive as she placed her palms on either side of his face. "It's going to be okay," she continued in an even softer voice that even Scott had difficulty hearing. Amethyst light radiated from her palms into his skin and the glow of his eyes brightened to an extent that forced the boys behind her to squint.
"El!" Stiles grabbed at her shoulder, "don't make him stronger!"
Immersed in a trance like state, Stiles' voice sounded distant to her ears. His hand immediately recoiled as he yelled in agony at the burns that spread across his palm and fingers on contact. Scott hesitated before releasing his hold on Liam and going to his friend's side.
"Beta," the word slipped from her mouth in a drawn out whisper. "Gypsy," Liam replied dazedly in a low voice. With Scott now tending to Stiles, neither one saw the streaks of purple flash in the beta's eyes before the glow disappeared altogether.
In just one blink, confused electric blue eyes stared up at her. She embraced him tightly as he slumped against the wall with his head resting on her shoulder. His breathing had slowed to an even pace while hers on the other hand was near unhealthy as she replayed the events that had just occurred.
His golden eyes invaded with violet rays was framed in her mind with his low, sluggish voice echoing one word. Gypsy.
El didn't know what any of it meant. It was all a reminder of the secret she'd kept hidden since the day he was bitten. She still hadn't told Scott or anyone else and didn't know if she ever would. She was too afraid to face the consequences of her actions knowing Liam would be the one to suffer them.
She helped him move from the showers and he sunk to the floor with his soaked clothes clinging to his body. "Are you okay?" Her voice was shaky and she cleared her throat to cover it up. Liam nodded slowly and pressed the heel of his palms to his eyes. "I'm dizzy," he mumbled and shook his head to try and rid himself of the haziness clouding his mind.
A string of curses littered the air and they both turned to see Scott gripping Stiles' wrist while he sat hunched over on a bench. "What just happened?" Scott winced as black veins traveled up the length of his arm. Stiles sighed and leaned back against the lockers as the pain ebbed away.
"Stiles, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," her voice was thick with remorse, unsure if she'd feel better if he even accepted her apology. He quickly stood as she approached him and held up his hands to maintain the distance between them. "It's fine," he assured, but she wasn't hearing him anymore.
El shrunk back at the sight of the red, angry blisters that marred his skin. She'd used her powers on others before primarily those that had tried to hurt her or sometimes accidentally like now. This was Stiles, the sarcastic boy who although wasn't entirely a friend also wasn't deserving of being hurt by her. He couldn't heal the way Scott or Malia could. The pain she caused him would last and remind him of what she was. If El was ever going to be fully in control, she had to be able to prevent this from happening. She glanced down at her own hands seemingly normal but with a scorching touch.
Scott read the open look of disgust and sorrow on her face and turned to his friend. Stiles gaped in a way that said "what did I do?" in response to the glare he received. With muttered annoyances under his breath, he lowered his hand and hid it slightly behind his back.
"Eleanor," her full name hit her like a whip. It was almost as if this moment was branding a mark of judgement upon her skin: Eleanor Rose Paxton the girl of destruction. Beware all who come near. "It's okay. It was an accident. Stiles is fine."
"Look," Scott grabbed her hand before she could move out of his reach. Her heart skipped an entire beat as she expected him to snap away from her with a series of second-degree burns. Her breathing slowed as he held her other hand increasing the contact of his skin to her own. Finally, his palm settled on her shoulder where Stiles had touched her and allowed his fingers to skim across the crevice of her neck. "See? I'm okay. You didn't mean to hurt him."
El gulped and nodded her head slowly just as Liam had done with her. "I need some air," her voice was weak as she pulled away and immediately felt a loss as his hands left her body. "El," he said her name with concern and she forced herself to smile. It was weak and pitiful at best, but knowing she wouldn't back down he accepted it. "I'll be back."
She looked over her shoulder at Liam who was getting to his feet to follow her out. "I'll just be outside. I think there's some things you need to tell Scott."
His head dropped between his shoulders as he obeyed and settled himself down on the floor again. Without looking at Stiles, she walked out of the locker rooms and pushed herself into a sprint towards the nearest exit.
The small breeze of the January afternoon forced a gasp out of her as she pressed her back against the building. El fumbled for her phone in her pocket and pressed on the most recent number in her call log. She counted the rings as they passed.
One... two... three... four...five.
Her heart rate settled as she breathed along to the steady rhythm. After the fifth ring she waited for the familiar voice to fill her ears only to be utterly disappointed when a robotic one informed her the voicemail box was full and to try again later.
Feeling a wave of sadness wash over her, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket and rested her head against the wall. For three weeks, she had tried to push away the loneliness her brother's absence had formed within her. It was a hole that not even Scott could fill entirely.
Now nearing her breaking point, she wasn't even allowed the solace of hearing Paul's voice through a five second recorded message.
Despite the brightness of the setting sun, a darkness settled over her head and seeped down onto her shoulders. The heaviness of the last month was becoming unbearable and it was slowly beginning to take a toll on her body. On top of the weight of her looming death approaching with her 18th birthday, concern and stress for those she cared about added an impossible amount for her to carry.
If this was what life was going to be like from now on, El wasn't sure how long she'd be able to handle it. She wanted to be strong like the others and continue to fight every monster that slipped out of dark corners, but it was exhausting. What if she wasn't made for it? What did that mean for her chances of joining the pack? Where did that put her with Scott?
One after the other, bad things kept happening and bad people kept trying to hurt her or those around her. It was a never ending cycle and eventually she'd lose herself in it. Or worse, someone she cared about.
Someone like Scott, a chorus of voices sang into her ear and an iciness snaked down her spine as the breathy symphony attacked her senses. Yes, she'd been thinking it but had tried her best to push the pessimistic thought out of her mind as if entertaining the possibility would make it come true. But the voices, they were stronger than her. They clutched at her fears and excavated them from the deepest parts of her mind for her to face. Join his pack to save him, they continued playing on what they knew her darkest nightmares rose from: her inability to protect those she cared about.
Complete the transformation, El winced at the rise in octaves and shut her eyes as the assault continued, harness the power. They had become so loud and clear she was unsure for a second if the voices were actually in her head. With a jolt her eyes snapped open and she stumbled away from the tall figure standing beside her.
"Didn't mean to scare you."
El masked her alarm quickly, reigning in her momentary lapse of outward emotion. The people in this town preyed on fear and she had too much of it for her own good. "You didn't," she assured him with an innocent tinge of a smile on her lips.
"Oh, but I think I did." His blue eyes were alight with a teasing gleam drastically different from the vengeful, animosity filled glare he'd looked upon Liam with earlier.
"Are you just here to argue or is there purpose for your presence?" He didn't squirm under the iciness of her tone as she intended him to. If anything her irritation only fueled the amused smirk playing on his face.
"I just couldn't believe a girl like you would be clinging to little Liam's arm. I had to see what your damage was for myself. He's an angry one, isn't he?"
"You threatened him. I think that's reason enough to get upset."
Brett chuckled as she completely ignored his first attempt at getting her to rise to his bait. Intrigued by her seeming ability to disregard his charms, he placed his hand to the wall beside her head. As he loomed over her she could see the shades of streaks in his eyes, a hint of green mixed into cool blue. "I don't think he needs much of a reason," his voice was a low whisper that alerted her of his proximity.
El considered stepping back to widen the distance he'd closed during his sultry display. She knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to fall trap to it. She could see why Liam wasn't a fan of his. It was clear that he thought he could do whatever he wanted- maybe even have whoever he wanted- just by using his pretty face. Unfortunately for him, El wasn't fazed much by looks. Unless, of course, you were Scott McCall.
Dawning a playful grin of her own, she copied his movements and leaned in close enough so that her nose nearly brushed against his. His delight was barely concealed as one corner of his lips tugged upward into an arrogant smirk. El was conflicted as to whether she wanted to punch him or laugh at how easily he thought he'd played her.
"If you hurt Liam tonight, I'll make you regret it."
His reaction pleased her to no ends as she pulled away to see his face wash blank with confusion. "Good luck tonight," she smacked him on the arm and he lurched from his seductive-turned-awkward position against the wall. Turning her back on him, she reentered the building with a new sense of motivation to get the night over with in one piece.
All three boys stopped talking as the door squealed open with her entry and they relaxed only when they saw her appear from around a row of lockers. She looked to Scott first who studied her face for some indication of her current mood. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she walked over and he smiled up at her with his dimples on full display. That settled it. Brett or any other boy could never possibly come close to being what he was to her.
"Glad to see you're stable again, but we've got a problem," Stiles commented and drew their attention away from one another. "Not only is baby wolf here a ticking time bomb, but the assassin is on the lacrosse team. Our lacrosse team."
The extent of Liam's anger wasn't news to her. She'd witnessed it countless times, but the assassin being on the team was definitely not something she had anticipated.
"We think it might be Garrett. He's the one who paid Demarco for the keg at the party," Scott explained and it amazed her how unsurprising it truly was. She lived in a world where teenagers could sprout fangs and claws. What were teenage trained assassins compared to that?
She remembered the first time she'd met Garret when he'd knocked her over in the hallway. It really wasn't much of an introduction but it did leave an impression. Now she wished she'd let Liam beat him up. "It makes sense. He's an asshole."
Liam coughed to cover up his laughter when Stiles snapped at the both of them. "This is serious!"
"You're right," El mumbled her conceit, agreeing with Stiles felt like a betrayal to herself. "Does this mean you guys won't play tonight?" She asked hopefully, glancing between the two wolves and based on the looks on their faces her hope was essentially pointless. Of course they were.
Honestly, she didn't understand why they all just couldn't go and find whoever sent the list out in the first place. If they found him or her then they could make them stop. El realized it sounded much easier said than done, but still it made more sense to her than running around with the person trying to murder them.
"I hate to say it, I do with all my heart and soul, but I agree with El."
She wasn't even granted the pleasure of having someone else agree with her just because it was Stiles. There mere fact they were on the same page about something should have been alarming enough to Scott, but he simply shook his head.
"Well since I can't convince you to sit it out, I'll see you all out there."
"I'll walk you," Scott joined her as she headed out into the hallway. Few people still walked about many of them waiting for the game to begin as well. "So I was thinking..."
"Oh, that's impressive," she teased and nudged him with her elbow. Scott smiled as he rolled his eyes, "I was thinking that maybe you'd wear this to the game." Shyly, he handed her the t-shirt he'd been holding behind his back and she unfolded it for herself to read. 'Beacon Hills Lacrosse' was printed in big bold letters across the front along with their logo and on the back was the number eleven. The gesture had her speechless as she reread his name above his number several times.
"It's kind of silly I guess," he added quickly to mend the silence of her reaction. "It's just that sometimes the other guy's girlfriends wear their hoodies or spare jerseys or whatever. Since your mine I thought that you might want to- I don't know. It's just this dumb good luck thing they all do."
His eyes had lowered to his fidgeting hands at the end of his nervous rambling. Gripping the shirt tightly, she took him by surprise with a tight hug. It took him only a second to respond as his hands found their place on her back. "I would be absolutely honored to wear it, McCall."
"Really?"
To prove her point, she pulled the slightly larger shirt over her head and held her hair up as she spun in a circle for him to see. "How does it look?"
"Beautiful," he answered seriously but with an adoring smile all the same. The rosiness in her cheeks didn't fade as he pulled her close and kissed her. It was slow and soft as a kiss from him usually was. They ignited a fire of passion in her very soul that burned hot each time she laid eyes on him.
"Be careful out there, okay?" She kissed him again and held him for one second longer before pulling away.
"El, I wish I didn't have to do this but..."
"It's okay. I'll talk to you after the game. Hopefully we'll be celebrating a victory."
He raised his eyebrows suggestively with a grin and she giggled as he tried to pull her back to him again. "Get out of here," El shooed him away and he quickly dodged her swatting hands as he pecked her cheek.
Once he was gone she navigated her way to her locker. From inside it, she pulled out the the rolled up poster decorated with tons of glitter, paint, and lights she'd creatively put together. Considering she had to hide it from her mother who was still against even the mentioning of his name and from Scott himself, she'd found herself staying up late at night to get it done. Well, the nights he didn't sneak up into her room through her window while her parents slept.
"Hey El!" Liam's friend from earlier jogged up to her dawning his friendly smile. "Hi, Mason right? Sorry, I'm terrible with names."
"Yeah, it's cool. You staying for the game tonight?"
She gestured to her maroon t-shirt and unrolled the poster for him to see in all it's sparkly glory. "Woah, I'll take that as a yes."
"I may have gone a bit overboard," El admitted with a shrug of her shoulders and carefully rolled it back up.
"Well hey, I'm staying tonight to support Liam and all. Would you want to sit together?"
Again, El faced the same dilemma she'd had with Liam. Being friends with Mason meant endangering him and putting him at risk of being dragged into their mess. But then again it didn't look like Liam planned on casting his best friend aside and she'd never ask him to do so either. El felt like he was going to need Mason now more than ever. "Sure, that sounds great."
"Awesome," he beamed enthusiastically as the two walked out to the field.
Conversation with him flowed easily as they discussed school, Liam, and of course Scott. Apparently she and him were pretty popular as far as gossip went. He was captain of the lacrosse team and she the former inpatient of Eichen House. While he steered clear of bringing it up, Mason didn't have to say it for El to know the vast majority of people viewed her that way. She was the mental patient and even after months of being out of Eichen she had yet to shake that label.
El had to admit that she and Scott were an unlikely couple. If it weren't for their supernatural ties that brought them together, she wondered if he would have ever noticed her.
"Look there they are," Mason pointed to the field where both teams ran drills up and down the long stretch of grass. She found Liam, Kira, Stiles, and Scott among the maroon jerseys huddled together. While El wished they'd all opted out of tonight's game, she was comforted slightly by the fact they were there to protect each other.
Mason pulled her through the crowd as he was waved down by someone already sitting in the stands. "Hey Vi," he greeted the girl with a hug and she slid down the metal bleachers to give them space to sit. "This is Liam's best friend El."
"Oh, I didn't know Liam had another best friend," she told Mason as if El weren't sitting right beside her. "I guess I'll just have to learn how to share him," he joked to cover up the silence that ensued. "Anyways, El, this is Violet. Her boyfriend's on the team too."
"El is Scott's girlfriend," Mason continued before she could get a word in for herself.
The surprise was apparent on Violet's face as her eyes widened to a degree that slightly offended El. Was it so hard to believe that she and Scott might actually like each other?
Violet recovered quickly and grinned as she looked El over with one sweep over eyes. "Well this keeps getting better and better. You know, I hear Scott's a real animal."
"On the field," she added and reveled in the obvious discomfort it caused. El laughed to conceal her embarrassment, but it sounded just as awkward as she felt. "Yeah, that's what I've heard."
"Story goes he used to really suck and then overnight he got so good that he made first line. How do you think he did that?"
El returned her accusatory glare with a smile so fake it almost pained her to do it. She got the feeling Violet already had an answer to her question and she was merely prodding El for a reaction. The orderlies at Eichen played a similar mind game every time they wanted information. Usually that involved admitting to doing something wrong or snitching on someone else. El had learned quickly that either you kept your mouth shut or you lied and hoped it was believable.
What she wasn't sure of now was what exactly Violet wanted to know.
"Lots of practice," El responded smoothly and a muscle twitched in Violet's cheek. "My brother played lacrosse when he was in high school. He'd practice every single day morning and night. He was captain all four years."
The explanation clearly wasn't what she wanted to hear. Violet simply nodded her head and didn't say anything more.
"I'm going to go talk to Liam before the game starts." Mason got up and jogged down the steps before she could follow. She sighed and did her best to brush away the distaste she already had for the girl sitting beside her after only five minutes. She was overreacting, Violet was just being nosy and trying to pick into her relationship just like all the others, so tomorrow they'd all have something new to talk about. That's how it had been for the past week, but usually El had Malia by her side to ward them all off. Tonight, she was on her own.
"So I haven't seen you around before, did you just start going here?" El tried, doing her best to put on a friendly attitude.
"About a month ago. For business purposes." Again she sounded almost taunting as if she were telling a joke she knew El wouldn't understand.
Whistles blew down on the field before El could say anything more and she was glad for it. Mason returned to his seat not long after and she focused her attention on the game. Liam, Kira, Stiles, and Scott all ran on to the grass and held positions in front of their goal.
With the help of Mason, she held the poster above her head and began to cheer along with the rest of the crowd. The flashing lights on the poster quickly drew in attention and many heads turned to read it. On the field, she watched as Scott was nudged by one of his teammates and told to turn around. He found her in the stands instantly and with it the sign adorning his name and number in metallic silver paint.
His teammates continued to hassle him playfully as he removed his helmet and waved. His bashful, but wide grin was enough to make her swoon. She hadn't forgotten that night on her doorstep when he said no one had ever done this for him before. El felt as his biggest fan, it was her obligation to be the first.
She blew him a kiss as he put his helmet back on and ran to a spot beside Liam. El and Mason sat back down still smiling as she turned off the lights to her banner. "I think he liked it," he mused.
As a kid, she always enjoyed watching Joey play and now her excitement was at all new levels. The game began with a face-off at center field. The ball lay on the floor between two players of opposite teams and as soon as the whistle blew they sprung into motion.
El quickly noted it was Brett who captured the ball so quickly in his net that the player from Beacon Hills had to do a double take. She cheered as he was blocked by going any further and the ball was picked up by the other team.
For the first ten minutes that's how it went, back and forth as the crowd anxiously waited for a goal to be made. All the while, the four players she watched keenly kept their distance from Garrett seeming to be keeping a close eye on him as well. He moved around the field constantly, sometimes coming too close to Liam or Scott than she liked. It took some restraint on her part not to run down there and drag him off the field herself.
With a loud horn, she and Mason oohed as the first point went to Devenford Prep and it further irked her that Brett had been the one to make it. He jogged around Liam cockily and she imagined the smirk that must have been plastered to his face.
He and Scott were the next two at the face-off and as the whistle blew the taller boy ran past him with ease. She watched as Liam charged after him only to be knocked down forcefully by two green jerseys. The horn blared again, but she was too busy watching Liam fling off all his equipment angrily.
Stiles and Scott were there to hold him back for their sake. If they knew what he was capable of then they wouldn't be so eager to get in his way.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Stiles swiped the ball away and with one thrust sent it flying into Kira's net. She hesitated before running off with a lightness to her step evading everyone as they ran at her. Against coach Finstock's shouts to pass the ball she continued on and with one powerful spin, the ball went sailing past the goalie. Players on the field praised her goal as they clapped her on the back excitedly while she ran to the sidelines.
The sudden look of disappointment and worry on her face said it all. With slumped shoulders, she sat on the benches at Coach's orders leaving one less person on the field to protect Liam and Scott from Garrett.
Something wasn't right. El could feel it, but then again playing this game was a bad idea in its entirety.
The scrimmage continued with Beacon Hills traveling with the ball getting it closer to the opposite end. Liam caught it swiftly as it was passed to him and turned to make a break for it.
He couldn't of been able to see Brett barreling towards him at full speed. All three of them winced from the stands as Liam and Brett collided forcefully in a mess of limbs. The taller of the two rammed his shoulder forward lifting Liam off his feet and into the air. They crashed to the ground landing in awkward and visibly painful positions. Several people in the stands stood and tried to get a better look as players, coaches, referees, and paramedics obstructed their view of the two boys still laying on the floor. She followed suit and briefly caught sight of Brett as he yelled out in pain.
Scott and Stiles were by Liam's side before anyone else and hurriedly hauled him back up on his feet before the paramedics could see his injuries. They hovered around him closely and as if feeling her worry, Scott turned and sent a nod her way. When Liam walked out from behind him she sighed and sat back down.
Paramedics walked Brett off the field with his injured leg dragging behind him. His face was contorted into a grimace and a small part of her felt bad for him. The rest of her was relieved it wasn't Liam, Scott, or even Kira she was having to watch in such pain.
"That looks bad," Violet observed with narrowed eyes. "I'm going to the concession stands. Want anything?"
She didn't stick around for an answer and even Mason noted her strange behavior with a raise of his brow. "Must be hungry," he said with a grin and El quickly caught on that he was one to make light of a situation. She respected it considering she was the type of person to assume the worst in any given situation.
From her pocket her phone began to chime and Mason took the poster from her hands so she could get it. Malia's name read across the screen and she took one final breath before answering. "Hey Mal, are you still with Lydia?"
As usual, Malia blew past the formalities. If she was anything at all, she was consistent. Another thing El appreciated and respected. "She broke another part of the code."
El's fingers curled tightly around her phone as the anticipation sent a nervous energy throughout her body. "And?" She said in a softer voice in attempt to calm the anxiety that threatened to overtake it, "who's names are on it?"
Malia listed the first two names and they stuck out to her immediately. Kate Argent and Noshiko Yukimura. Kira's mom. She glanced to the field where the four gathered at the sidelines. The shorter girl stood beside Scott with her back facing El as they all spoke to each other.
"Is that all?"
"I don't recognize the last few names." There was a serious of clicks on a keyboard as she read off the rest of them, "Joanne McLaughlin, Steve Grace, Tom Hill, and Brett Talbot."
Her brain must have went haywire as she lost the inability to form words for what felt like an entire minute. "Did you say... Brett Talbot?" She pronounced the name clearly into the mic in the off chance she'd misheard her.
There was a pause that drove her impatience through the roof and her nails dug into the fabric of her jeans. "Yeah, Brett Talbot. One million. I don't know him," there was another moment of prolonged silence as Malia pieced together El's obvious concern. "Do you?"
"Yeah. Mal, I gotta go."
El stuffed her phone back into her pocket as she processed the new information. Brett was on the deadpool which meant he- like the rest of them- was supernatural. There had been something about him that she couldn't quite figure out and now it made sense. It was the same thing she felt in all the others. That spark that set them apart from everyone else and drew her to them.
The reason he'd reminded her of Isaac.
"Violet's still not back," Mason said in attempt to pick up conversation again. He wasn't one for quiet. "Maybe she went to go check on Garrett."
His name coming out of Mason's mouth left her winded and it took a moment to gather her scrambled thoughts once again. She didn't understand what the hell was going on that this was all coming out at once. "Why would she check on Garrett?"
The casualness faded as he took in the uneasy turn her demeanor had taken. Mason frowned and it looked odd on him reenforcing her idea that he was the optimistic kind. "I don't know. I just don't see him on the field anymore..." he trailed off leaving it open for her to explain. She couldn't even if she wanted to. He wouldn't understand without her telling him that his friends were killers that wanted to murder his best friend. While he'd been cautious and nice enough not to bring up her past, she knew that would turn him into one of the critics who'd written psycho on her locker several months ago.
El turned and scanned the players on the field checking the faces closest to Scott and the others. The entire game Garrett had always been somewhere nearby and now sure enough, he was gone. Mason had told her Violet's boyfriend was on the team and now she and Garrett were both gone. It could be a coincidence but those didn't exist in a Beacon Hills.
El knew were this was going and she couldn't believe none of them had put it together before. None of them had considered he might not be working alone. "Garrett is Violet's boyfriend."
El peered over her shoulder at Mason once again putting hope where she shouldn't be. His expression said enough. "Um yeah, I thought you knew. They moved here together."
For business purposes, Violet had said. She'd been taunting El from the very beginning. They were here for the deadpool.
El's face paled. The list Brett was now on. Oh no. She didn't give herself time to change her mind as she ran from the stands and straight to the school. Mason yelled after her holding the poster up in the air, but she kept going. If only for a split second she thought about turning back and going to Scott. But by then it'd be too late.
Brett would be dead, if he wasn't already.
She could practically hear Paul's voice screaming in her head, telling her what a reckless and idiotic thing she was about to do. He'd be right as El hated to admit he sometimes was. He'd been protecting her for years and here she was about to make it all in vain. It was stupid thought, but maybe this would bring him back. Or more likely, maybe it'd get her killed.
[Author's Note]
So this is kind of a long chapter. Not one of my best I think but I hope you guys enjoy either way. Next one will be up soon! (Soon as in within the next month hopefully lmao. Ah I suck.)