"SIERRA!"
The empath turned at the sound of her name being called, pausing in the busy hallway. She had been on her way with Stiles, who also stopped, to first period. Now, Stiles wasn't taking AP Biology with her, but still held a want to walk with her before heading to his own calculus class.
Sierra looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on a familiar face and a wide grin split her lips apart. "Hayden!" she replied brightly, Stiles having a moment of recognition for himself. "How are you?"
The last time Sierra or Stiles saw Hayden Romero was when they were freshmen and she was in the seventh grade. Now, Hayden was a sophomore and held the same kind smile and excited brown eyes as she headed towards the couple.
Sierra remembered when she tutored the girl through a Big Brother, Big Sister program. Hayden used to come to Sierra's house after school to study until her older sister, Deputy Clark, picked her up. Hayden found someone she could be honest with during her struggles--as Sierra understood the situation from living with Jemma and offered great advice to help her cope.
"I'm doing okay," Hayden expressed honestly, accepting the hug that was offered by Sierra. "I'm glad to be back in Beacon Hills. Freshmen year I bet would've been better here compared to Greyfield."
"I'm glad you're back too," Sierra replied, cheerful. "I've missed my little sis." She motioned to her boyfriend who had been waiting patiently. "You remember Stiles, right?"
Hayden nodded, "Of course! It's nice to once again see the most popular couple in school together."
Sierra blinked, thinking she misheard the sophomore. "I'm sorry, the most popular what?"
"Oh, don't act like you don't know," Hayden chuckled, waving her hand. "My friends filled me in. They were all saying how you two, Scott and a few other girls are the ones who create most of the talk around here. Nothing bad though, I promise."
"No way, we would've noticed," Stiles disagreed. He exchanged an unsure look with Sierra. "Right?"
"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders. "Our lives tend to get a little busy so we really don't gossip much."
"Everyone says you two are the cutest couple and I have to agree," Hayden shared, her eyes glancing down to their intertwined fingers. "But you have to know that I totally saw this coming since I was in middle school."
Sierra quirked her lips up, "Apparently a lot of people thought that." She glanced up at Stiles and widened her smile, to which he returned. "Turns out they knew before we did."
Athought dawned on her and she turned back to Hayden. "Hey, speaking of relationships, there is someone I want you to meet."
"Oh, no," Hayden forced a chuckle, holding her textbook closer to her chest. "I'm not really looking to date anyone right now. Between work, soccer and school, I don't have extra time on my hands."
"But everyone needs friends," Sierra pointed out to her, "and since you just moved back, it wouldn't hurt to meet more people." She noticed the hesitation in Hayden's eyes, leading her to continue. "Look, he's in your grade and one of the sweetest people I know. He plays lacrosse with Scott and Stiles."
"What's his name?" Hayden asked curiously.
"Li-"
Hayden cursed under her breath, accidentally cutting Sierra off. "Dang it, I left my notebook in my locker." She raised her gaze from her purse to look back at the senior. "I have to go get it for history before the minute bell rings. Can you find me after second? I wanna talk, I swear, but my locker is on the other side of the building."
"No, you're perfectly okay," Sierra assured her with a smile. "You go ahead and I'll just see you later."
Hayden expressed her gratitude and then stepped back from the couple, sending them one last wave before scurrying down the hallway.
Sierra watched her leave and sighed, "She's perfect for Liam. Don't you think?" She finally tore her gaze away from Hayden's retreating figure to see Stiles smiling down at her, shaking his head in amusement. "What?"
"Nothing," Stiles brushed it off, squeezing her hand. "I'm just admiring my little matchmaker."
"Oh, come on, you don't think Hayden and Liam would be adorable together?" Sierra asked him, ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks.
Stiles pursed his lips, pretending to think. "Eh, I guess...but I know two people who are way cuter than them."
"Who?"
"Us."
Sierra bit back a smile as Stiles pulled her more off to the side of the hallway. Gently tugging her body closer to him, he slipped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to hers. One of her hands wound itself behind his neck as she kissed him back.
"How about we skip first period?" he whispered as they slowly parted, their fingers entangling together once more.
Sierra chuckled, moving her free hand from his hair to his cheek. "Stiles, it's the first day of school."
"And?"
"And we can't afford to skip already," she reminded, making his face drop into a pout. "Don't give me that look. First period is the time of day where both of us have classes that actually matter."
"But you don't even need the credit," Stiles whined, just wanting to spend more time with her. That's all that actually mattered to him.
"Yeah, but you need yours," Sierra pointed out, gently poking his chest. "Believe it or not, I kind of actually want both of us to graduate in the spring. And, if you want to pursue a decent engineering program, you've got to keep your grades up."
Stiles frowned, "I hate it when you're right."
"Chin up, babe," she teased him, raising on her tiptoes to peck his cheek. "You can survive an hour without doing something rash or irresponsible."
"When have I ever done something rash or irresponsible?" Stiles crinkled his nose, making Sierra laugh.
"Oh, honey, I keep a list. It's even alphabetized."
*^*^*^*^*
Mason Hewitt was Liam's best friend.
When they met, they instantly clicked. Liam's attitude when he was first bitten by Scott tested their friendship, but they pulled through once Liam apologized. Now, Mason still didn't have a clue about the supernatural world, but Liam knew he was getting closer. Ever since he was attacked by a Berserker at the high school with Lydia, Mason became fascinated with myths and legends.
He wanted to find out the truth.
And he deserved to, but Liam simply wasn't ready to tell him. Not yet.
So, Liam put up with the rambling as they walked to first period, Mason ogling over a new book he had received. "I got it from a rare book dealer in Germany," Mason informed him while they turned a corner. "Cost me two hundred bucks, but it was totally worth it."
Liam sighed, "You're still reading about this stuff?"
Mason flipped through the pages to find a certain section and defend his research. "I was attacked by an armor-plated giant wearing a bear skull," Mason deadpanned. "It left an impression." He pointed to a detailed drawing of a pelted warrior. "Look, look. Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Liam paused in the hallway to see, instantly recognizing the Berserker. "Um, no," he lied through his teeth. "Never."
Mason stared at him in disbelief, Liam lowering his gaze to the floor as he headed towards Mr. Yukimura's doorway. "And then there's this whole section about the Nagual," Mason pushed the subject, scurrying after him. "H-Have you ever heard of the name Tezcat..." He squinted from the strange spelling. "Tezcat..."
"Tezcatlipoca," Liam pronounced easily, Mason's eyes widening out of surprise. Realizing his mistake, Liam quickly shrugged. "And nope, never heard of him."
Mason huffed, snapping the book shut as Liam turned away, walking inside the classroom. Most students were already in their seats when Liam placed his textbook on a free desk. However, when his eyes drifted, his body stiffened with discomfort and he snatched his book back up.
A girl with wavy brown hair sat in the desk on his right, her head turned away from him. But Liam didn't need to see her face to know who it was. Her favorite green army jacket and beaded bracelet on her wrist gave her away.
Feeling his eyes, she ran a hand through her hair and turned, but instantly scowled from recognizing him.
"Great," Liam muttered under his breath, watching her blow a bubble with her gum before quickly snapping it away. Out of all the girls he could've run into on the first day of school, it was the one who hated his guts.
Hayden Romero.
Liam didn't know she knew Sierra, just like Hayden didn't know how close he was with her and Scott. He hadn't talked to Hayden since he moved to Devenford Prep. But he knew one thing, he didn't want to be stuck beside her all year.
Letting out a sigh, he looked around the room for a different seat. However, luck wasn't on his side. The only desk available was the one he was already standing next to.
"Liam," Mr. Yukimura caught his attention from the front of the room. "You're not going to just stand there, are you?"
"Maybe." Liam shifted his feet awkwardly, shrinking slightly from Hayden's harsh gaze on him.
Mr. Yukimura raised his eyebrows. "The whole semester?"
Liam nodded his head, "Maybe." Anything was better than being next to Hayden for an hour.
"Liam," Mr. Yukimura offered him an assuring smile. "Have a seat."
The sophomore withheld a groan, quietly setting his textbook back down. He sat without another word, forcing himself to stare straight forward so he didn't have to see the girl out of the corner of his eyes. But something felt wrong.
Liam furrowed his eyebrows, catching the scent of something sweet. Turning in the chair, he gently raised himself up to see a giant wad of bubblegum stretching from the back of his jeans against the hard plastic. His nose scrunched up in disgust and he lifted his head, already knowing who the guilty party was.
Hayden simply smiled, her lips quirked up in amusement. Mason held back a chuckle from where he sat on Liam's other side, having watched the entire situation unfold. Liam bit down on his lip harshly and faced forward once more, pressing his fingers to his mouth so he wouldn't lash out.
Because he knew Hayden was only getting started.
*^*^*^*^*
"Well, someone is dressed to impress."
Lydia's compliment filled Sierra's ears as she arrived at the lab station in AP Biology, leading her cheeks to burn slightly. "Thanks, Lyd," Sierra smiled gratefully, setting her backpack down on the floor. She grabbed her textbook out before taking a seat on the stool beside her. "You look beautiful too."
Lydia playfully flipped her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder, pulling her green cardigan closer to her floral shirt. "Well, thanks, I do try sometimes."
"I didn't miss anything, did I?" Sierra asked, her blue eyes scanning the board to see notes already written down.
"No," Lydia assured her. "Mrs. Finch ran to ask a teacher a question before she started class."
Sierra sighed with relief, "Thank god." Her eyes flickered to see Scott sitting beside Kira at another lab station. "Hey, buddy."
Scott raised his head from where he had been staring at the cover of his textbook and offered her a smile. "Hey, Sisi."
She noticed his leg bouncing, putting the pieces together that he was still nervous about taking his first AP class. He wasn't even going to pursue it at first, but Sierra convinced him to give it a shot when they were filling out their schedule request forms. After all, she was one of few who knew how he desperately dreamed of becoming a veterinarian like Deaton. AP Biology was the perfect prerequisite for Scott to take before college.
Lydia and Kira didn't know this though, despite being one of his closest friends and girlfriend. They looked surprised to see him in the room. Sierra watched them exchange confused glances. "Uh, Scott," Kira nudged her boyfriend gently with her elbow. "Are you in the right class?"
"AP Biology?" Scott double-checked.
"Do you know what AP stands for?" Lydia asked next, quietly as she leaned forward so he could see her beside Sierra.
Scott looked between the two, forcing a chuckle. "Advanced Placement."
The girls didn't mean to upset him, but their shock made him feel unsure. He opened up his multi-tabbed textbook to reveal sticky notes and highlighted sections from the summer study sessions he had conducted with Sierra a few weeks back. He wanted to show them he was going to take this class seriously, and he wanted to pass the test.
Sierra grinned at him proudly while Kira's lips parted in surprise.
However, Mrs. Finch walking in cut either of them from saying anything to him. "Welcome to AP Biology," the woman greeted. "Let's see who is awake." Her eyes glanced over her new students as she leaned against her desk, a question tumbling out of her mouth. "Can somebody tell me what plasmids are?"
"Circular, self-replicating DNA molecules," Lydia spoke up to answer, "often used in cloning proteins."
"Nicely stated, Lydia," Mrs. Finch nodded. "Now, can you tell me what vitamin is absorbed in the stomach via parietal cell production of a glycoprotein?"
Lydia went to respond, but her mind went blank. Mrs. Finch had spoken too quickly for her to process the information.
Seeing this, Sierra took over respectfully and replied, "B-twelve."
"Very good, Sierra," Mrs. Finch stated before turning towards Scott while Lydia smiled gratefully at her friend for her help. "Mr. McCall?" His head raised. "Did you know the answer?"
"Um, no," he said, got off guard from being called on out of the blue.
"It's a common test question," the teacher informed him and tilted her head. "What's your number one college pick?"
"Um--"
Mrs. Finch interrupted, "Stop saying, um."
"Sorry," Scott apologized, letting his thoughts gather together before he answered her question confidently. "It's UC Davis."
"Good choice," Mrs. Finch looked at him, impressed as she nodded her head. "It's the best school on the west coast for biological and physical sciences. You're in the right class if that's what you're hoping for."
Scott withheld a small smile, only letting it go through when he made eye-contact with Sierra, who gave him a thumbs-up. Mrs. Finch glanced at the other faces in the rooms and questioned, "Who else thinks they're in the right class?"
Sierra and Lydia instantly raised their hands, Scott and Kira slowly following behind them as other students joined in. Sierra turned her head to see who else was taking the course, as she arrived too close to the bell to be able to see earlier. Sydney was the only other familiar one she knew, until her eyes caught sight of Theo.
He raised his hand up high, offering her a wide grin.
Sierra quickly faced forward, not knowing how to react as Mrs. Finch continued to speak. "Good. Then you should all be prepared for the test tomorrow." Seeing their panicked and uncomfortable looks, she added, "Don't be so disappointed. This test is specifically to help you determine whether you should actually be in AP Biology. You have two weeks to drop. Tomorrow's test will just weed out the ones who shouldn't be here."
Her eyes flickered over to Scott before she finished, "And that could be any of you."
When class ended, Scott and Sierra walked out into the hallway together. She felt the anxiety coursing through his veins and knew he was having a mental freak-out from the stress Mrs. Finch laid on his shoulders. "Don't even think about it," Sierra said first, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "You are not dropping."
"I never said I was," Scott defended, but Sierra rolled her eyes.
"You didn't have to, I know you're thinking about it." She pulled him off to the side so they didn't have to worry about getting pushed by kids rushing to their next class. "Look, it's only been one day, okay? It might seem hard now, but it'll get easier."
Scott sighed, "That's easy for you to say, Sierra. You're practically a genius."
"So what?" Sierra scoffed, crossing her arms. "Scott, just because you don't take a zillion AP courses doesn't mean you are not smart. You and I both know how hard you work and that speaks volume, alright? That shows that not only are you a good student, but you are a smart student. Do not underestimate yourself."
Scott's eyes fell to the floor as he absorbed her words.
"Look, how about we study tonight? It might help ease your thoughts about the placement test tomorrow," she suggested.
"I'd like that very much," Scott agreed, his shoulders relaxing once he lifted his head. "You think Stiles would want to join us? I bet he could use some time for Calculus."
"We can ask him when we see him," Sierra nodded her head. "I know all three of us have free period next, but I want to go find Liam real quick. I'm trying to convince him to meet Hayden since she moved back from Greyfield."
Scott chuckled from seeing her excited face. "You want them to get together?"
"If not together, at least friends," she informed him, letting the smile on her lips widen. "It'll be quick and I can meet you and Stiles in the library afterwards."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Perfect!" Sierra held out her fist and he happily bumped his own against it. "I'll see you in a few minutes then!"
Scott watched her take off down the hall, heading near the sophomore classrooms. He smiled to himself, shaking his head in amusement at his best friend.
"What a matchmaker."
*^*^*^*^*
"Hey, you!"
The second Stiles saw Scott sitting on the outside steps, textbooks piled in his lap, he sprinted over. Scott turned his head just as Stiles skidded to a stop, having darted around a random group of kids. "You, you're coming with me," Stiles pointed to him. "Come on."
"But we have a free period," Scott stated, squinting from the sun shining down on them. "Sierra wanted us to meet her in the library."
"Perfect!" Stiles exclaimed, urging him to stand. "I need her too. But you know who else has a free period? Theo Raeken. We can grab her and then go talk to him. Maybe have her read his mind so we can figure out the truth."
"Stiles, you know she isn't going to do that," Scott reminded the boy. "It's only for drastic measures. Plus, she went to go talk with Liam about Hayden."
Stiles crinkled his nose at this information. "She's still trying to set them up?"
"Yeah," Scott chuckled, but rose to his feet. "You wanna wait for her?"
"No, it's okay," Stiles decided having Scott should be enough back-up. "We can just fill in Sierra later or text her to meet us in the locker room when she's done."
"If you say so."
*^*^*^*^*
His jeans were ruined.
Due to Hayden's desire to rid her bubblegum in his seat and Mason's attempts to scrub it off, Liam couldn't stay in his jeans the rest of the day. After changing into a pair of his lacrosse practice shorts, Liam exited the locker room with Mason behind him.
"Look, I'm not saying I believe all of it a hundred percent," Mason continued to ramble about the supernatural, making Liam sigh quietly to himself. "But people around us seem to know things." Mason lowered his voice, "Like Lydia? She knows things and so does Sie--"
"Sierra!" Liam cut his best friend off at the sight of the senior heading towards them. After sending a warning glare to Mason, he smiled in greeting.
Sierra mimicked his expression, "Hey guys! How's the first day of sophomore year going?"
"Oh, it's definitely going," Mason forced out an awkward chuckle.
"I can see that." Sierra noticed Liam's attire and tilted her head. "I thought you weren't taking gym this year?"
Liam released a heavy breath, remembering the unfortunate event of the morning. "I'm not." He held up the jeans in his hand. "I just...decided to change. Shorts are more comfortable, you know?"
"Alright then," Sierra didn't judge him and turned towards Mason. "I have news for you. I passed the soccer team on my way over here and it looked like they were heading outside to practice. And since it's warm out, they're probably going to be shirtless."
Mason stuttered, "S-So, am I, am I supposed to just follow them out to the field and pretend to study?"
"You can do what you want," Sierra shrugged her shoulders, "but I also heard that Jason might be interested in you."
"And I am out!" Mason exclaimed, already stepping away from them. He glanced at Liam before leaving. "I'll see you in Physics!"
Once he was gone, Liam expressed his gratitude towards Sierra. "Thank you so much for that."
Sierra chuckled, "You're welcome." She started to walk with him down the hallways. "So what's the real reason that you're in shorts? Your heart skipped earlier, so I know it's more than you wanting to be in comfortable pants."
Liam frowned, "Nothing to be concerned about...there's just a girl in my grade who doesn't like me very much."
"I don't think it's possible for anyone to dislike you Liam," she tried to assure him when they reached his locker.
"I can think of two people," Liam disagreed, starting to complete his combination.
Sierra folded her arms and looked at him expectantly. "Who?"
"Well, there's Stiles."
"When did Stiles ever say he didn't like you?" she asked him, confused at the mention of her boyfriend.
"He made it perfectly clear the day Kate kidnapped you that I wasn't his favorite person," Liam recalled the boy's anger in the locker room.
Sierra stifled a laugh, "Oh come on, Liam! That was months ago!"
"Still doesn't change the fact that he doesn't like me."
"He does find you annoying sometimes," Sierra started, making him glare at her as he opened the locker room. She quickly continued, "But all older brothers think that of their younger siblings, Liam. Trust me, he likes you--especially after you helped him prank Scott over summer break."
Liam winced, "You know about that?"
"Of course I do," Sierra laughed. "In case you forgot, Stiles kind of tells me everything. Part of being a boyfriend package." Realizing they had drifted off topic, she asked, "Who's the other one?"
"What?"
"The other person who dislikes you," she clarified. "You said there were two people."
"You probably don't know her," Liam brushed it aside but Sierra didn't let it go.
"Oh come on, just tell me."
"Sierra," Liam complained.
"Liam," she mocked. "Come on, who is it?"
Liam huffed, acknowledging she wasn't going to change the subject. "Fine. Her name is Hay--"
"Hayden!" Sierra cut him off, making Liam furrow his eyebrows. How did she know? But then he realized she wasn't looking at him anymore. He turned his head to see the brown-haired girl arrive at the locker beside his.
"Hey, Sierra," Hayden smiled warmly, not noticing Liam at first. But the second she did, she froze with her hand on her combination lock. "Liam," she said stiffly.
Liam gulped, closing his own locker door. He bowed his head into a small nod. "Hayden."
Sierra's face contorted into an expression of confusion. "I'm sorry, you two know each other?"
Simultaneously, both sophomores answered differently. "No."
Liam sighed, "Yes."
Hayden glared in his direction, swiftly throwing her hair behind her shoulder. She faced her locker completely once it opened up. Sierra looked at Liam for more details, and he reluctantly admitted, "I've known her since middle school."
Sierra knew there was more to the story, due to the obvious tension surrounding Liam and Hayden. But didn't say anything when Hayden spoke up, slamming her locker shut. "As much as I'd like to relive the past, I've got to get to math." Hayden's voice softened when she looked at the older girl and she gave her a tiny smile. "I'll see you later, Sierra."
"Wait, Hayden--" Sierra tried to get her to stay, but Hayden didn't want to feel the discomfort any longer. She stalked off, holding her book to her chest, with her head pointed towards the floor.
Sierra then turned to the young werewolf standing beside her, who let out a groan and buried his face in his hands. "What was that about?"
"It's a long story, sis," he replied, his voice muffled.
Sierra rested her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I'm willing to listen, little bro."
Liam dragged his fingers down his face and sighed again before looking up at her. "I'll you about it, I promise. But I have to get to Economics."
"Fine, but you will tell me later." Sierra poked his arm and he nodded, straightening his back.
"I will."
"Good."
Liam accepted the side-hug she offered him before he bid her goodbye. Sierra watched him leave, trying to put the pieces together and confusing herself further. "Gosh darn teens," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head before she headed for the library.
*^*^*^*^*
Track used to a sport Sierra loved to take part in.
There was something so freeing about being able to sprint off, the adrenaline flooding her veins and her heart pounding in her chest. And Sierra missed it.
Due to supernatural circumstances, she couldn't stay on the team any longer. To her, it felt morally wrong because she knew she held an advantage with her heightened senses. It wasn't fair to the other athletes who trained hard every day, breaking sweats to get across the finish line.
When she informed her old coach about her decision, after connecting to Scott on the school bus and almost dying in Glenn Capri, he completely freaked out. She remembered him blubbering about her natural talent, reminding her of the trophies displayed in the hallways she had won. Yet she stood firm, and he had no other choice but to respect that.
Some days she'd catch herself watching the practices from the bleachers while waiting on Scott and Stiles. A desire would stir her heart, but she would just gulp it down and push it aside. Of course it's not like she didn't run at all anymore; with dead pools and an alpha pack she found herself running quite a lot. It just wasn't the same.
Stiles knew Sierra started to go jogging at night, as insomnia seemed to continually be her enemy since Mizuki. She would slowly climb out of bed when she thought he was asleep, put on her shoes and then slip out the window. She'd always come back about an hour later, but Stiles was still worried about her. Jemma even went as far to get Sierra some medication, but it just didn't work.
So, Stiles made a point to hold her extra close when she returned. Letting her drift off in his embrace, Stiles would press little kisses to her neck before falling back asleep himself. After all, they would wake up only two hours later to get ready for school.
It wasn't just the running part Sierra missed either. She missed the friends she created while on the team, a mix of students from all grades. And because she quit the team and the supernatural took over her life, Sierra and her former teammates didn't talk as much. But that didn't mean she didn't care about them anymore.
Especially about a girl named Tracy.
They were close back then, exceptionally so during freshmen year. Their friendship deepened when Tracy lost her mom, and Sierra could offer her advice because she suffered through the same heartache. Sierra also was aware of Tracy's tendency to have nightmares after the traumatic experience.
So, when Sierra spotted her down the hall looking dazed, she headed in her direction with Lydia beside her. The two were going to meet up with Scott and Stiles, but the boys could wait.
The girl's eyes were watering, and rapid breaths escaped her lips. The two quickened their pace from Sierra feeling Tracy's terror, aware of the negative presence surrounding her.
"Tracy?" Sierra called her name in concern. When she didn't answer, Sierra hardened her voice. "Tracy!"
Tracy gasped, her eyes snapping to where Sierra stood. Sierra's expression softened and she asked, "Are you all right?" Tracy swallowed but still stayed silent, her fingers trembling at her side.
"How about we go outside?" Lydia suggested gently.
Tracy slowly nodded her head, her shoulders relaxing from seeing the girls. Sierra and Lydia exchanged discreet glances before standing on either side of Tracy, comforting her as they walked towards the double doors.
Both of them were so consumed with making sure Tracy felt okay, that they didn't pay attention to her locker after she shut it. They didn't even notice the four long scratches cut deep into the metal--a mark that could have only been made by a claw.