"Do you know what McCall has done?" the piercing voice of Lydia Martin echoed in Scarlett's flat, which was putting some red polish on her nails.
"Don't scream; I can hear you," Scarlett said, rolling her eyes. What could he possibly have done?" The puppy didn't seem the kind of guy who caused trouble. He probably just walked into Lydia and stepped on her foot.
"He ran into Jackson during practice," Lydia said, annoyed. "He knocked him down, hurting his shoulder." Scarlett fought a snort to come out from her lips. She could already picture Jackson getting knocked down.
"Really?" She asked, almost impressed. The puppy wasn't that bad after all. Jackson was bigger than him, and being able to hurt his shoulder was a good sign. Maybe Scott wasn't so useless after all.
"Scarlett, are you laughing?" Lydia asked almost immediately.
Scarlett coughed. "Sorry, I was drinking," she said, making up an excuse. "It's unbelievable."
"Exactly!" Lydia exclaimed, pleased to hear that she agreed with her… or so Lydia thought.
"We're going to the hospital tomorrow," Lydia said, taking a breath. "I hope it's nothing serious."
Scarlett nodded, her head focused on her nails as if Lydia could see her. "We need to win this," the vampire frowned, looking over her phone. What love between these two…
"Yeah, sure," she said. "Look, I need to go now. My… dad is calling for me. I'll see you tomorrow, Lydia."
"Sure," Lydia answered kindly. "Goodnight"
Finally, Scarlett thought, hanging up her phone. That girl really liked to talk.
"Who was that?" Scarlett turned her head to see Peter still in bed, one of his arms hanging behind his head. His chest was bare, and his lower body was covered with her sheets.
"Just a very loud girl," she said, annoyed, moving her hair over one of her shoulders. "Shouldn't you be gone by now?" she asked with a smirk.
"No cuddles?" Scarlett laughed at that.
"As if we ever do it," Peter laughed, getting up. A mark of her fangs was visible on his neck. She turned to focus on her nails again, being sure that her polish was perfect.
When Peter got dressed and ready to go away, Scarlett turned. "Be there on time."
"Please," Peter smirked. "As if I could forget." The vampire grinned, satisfied, turning again to her nails. The plan was ready.
Morning arrived soon. School arrived soon, too soon. She lazily got out of bed and started to get ready. She wasn't hungry, thanks to Peter's blood from the night before—one less thing to think about.
She arrived at school early, as usual. She liked to watch all the teenagers around her; it was like being in a restaurant and looking at the menu. She wasn't hungry now, but soon, she'll be again.
A familiar scent made her turn to the parking lot. A red car had just arrived, and inside, Scarlett could see Allison Argent with her daddy. She knew it was probably dangerous going to them, but it was less stupid than sitting there looking at them when she was supposed to be Allison's friend. So she took a breath, wearing the most welcoming smile she could give, and she walked to the car.
"Hey, Allison," she greeted the girl who was adjusting her bag over her shoulder.
"Hi, Scarlett," she said kindly, then she turned to her father. "Dad, this is Scarlett. One of my friends." The man inside the car looked at her with his icy eyes, then smiled before extending his hand, which she took with her gloved one.
"Nice to meet you, Scarlett. I'm Chris. Allison told me you're new, too, in town." It was almost incredible how a polite man like that could actually hide a murderous monster inside of him.
"Yeah," Scarlett said, nodding her head. "By now, I'm used to being the newcomer."
"Even Scarlett's parents travel a lot," Allison added without stopping smiling. Chris looked at Scarlett, and she had to admit to feeling slightly uneasy, but she smiled with fake kindness, hoping that the man hadn't any suspects.
"Well, we are going now; bye, Dad," Allison said before turning to walk away.
"Of course. Bye, girls," he said with a nod of his head.
"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Argent," the vampire said.
"Likewise," he answered before entering his car. Scarlett turned to Allison before starting to walk to school.
Argent… players, lairs, and killers. They weren't that different after all.
"Have you talked to Lydia?" Allison asked while walking; Scarlett fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Yes, she told me," she answered, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.
"So you're in," Allison said, almost relieved, smiling at her. "I was thinking of asking Scott if he wanted…"
"Wait, wait," Scarlett said, stopping Allison. "Am I in where?"
Allison looked at her with a frown. "Strange she didn't tell you; Lydia was looking forward to it."
Probably Lydia got distracted by her own talking, Scarlett thought.
"We want to hang out tomorrow after the game; us, Lydia, and Jackson," Allison said. "And I wanted to ask Scott if he wanted to come too."
"Yeah, and why would I do that?" she said, making Allison frown. Scarlett nearly cursed; she didn't really want to go out with a bunch of teenagers that she couldn't even eat, but she had to remember that she was supposed to be a normal seventeen-year-old girl. And girls her age usually liked to socialize for whatever reason. She had to find a way to deny that invitation. Even because she already had plans for the following day.
"I mean," she said with a light laugh. "You would be two couples. What am I going to do? Sit there watching you making out?" Allison blushed with a sheepish laugh.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "It's not going to happen. Scott and I aren't even a thing."
Scarlett observed the girl trying to ignore how stupid that conversation was becoming. Allison knew she liked the puppy, Scarlett knew she liked the puppy, and everyone knew Allison Argent liked the puppy.
"If you like him, then snog him," Scarlett said, making Allison blush. She almost wanted them to be together, just to see how the story would end.
"Thank you for the offer, but no," Scarlett kept saying. "I really don't want to be the fifth wheel." She then started to walk away.
"What about Stiles?" Allison's voice made her turn.
"What about him?" the Argent girl walked closer to Scarlett.
"Maybe I could ask Scott to bring him too." That girl was ruining everything; she was really persistent. But there was no need to have a discussion. There were other ways to do what she had to do.
"You could, yes," Scarlett said with a smirk. "Why not? He seems sweet enough."
"Perfect," Allison said happily before walking again. Argent didn't know, but she had just given Scarlett an excuse for what she was about to do.
It was almost lunchtime, and Scarlett was walking to her locker to pick up a book she needed. For the first time, she was walking through the school without wanting to eat someone. She felt almost relieved; it was less stressful for her; Peter's blood was a blessing.
She was walking when she spotted Stiles at his locker, his backpack hanging on one of his shoulders. Scarlett smirked at him; he was always able to appear at the perfect time.
"Hey," she said with a delicate tone so as not to scare him, even if he was hilarious when he jumped in surprise.
Stiles turned his head to her quickly. "Scarlett, hi," he smiled awkwardly at her, and she could feel his blood pumping faster in his veins. The feeling was delicious, and for a moment, she wondered what taste he could have.
"Ready for the game tomorrow?" she asked, trying to focus again.
"Yeah, yes," he said, nodding his head. "Even if… I'm not going to do much."
He gave out a small nervous laugh, and she observed him; he really didn't believe much in himself.
"That means that it makes two of us," she said, flashing a smile that he returned.
"Listen," she said, leaning her back on the lockers. "I don't know if Scott told you, but apparently, this little gang of them wants to hang out tomorrow after the game." Stiles swallowed and moved his Adam's apple before nodding his head.
"Yes, he told me," he said, and she felt his blood run fast again. "Are… are you going…?" Scarlett nodded her head elegantly.
"I was hoping you were coming too," she said without stopping smiling. "I really don't want to go if it's just me with two couples…"
"I am," he interrupted her. "I am coming. I mean, I will… be there." He smiled nervously at her.
"Cool," she said, showing her perfect white teeth with a smile. He looked at her with a light blush before his gaze fixed on something behind Scarlett's shoulders. Stiles frowned, and Scarlett turned her head to see what he was looking at. In the corridor not far from there were two deputies, and looking closely, one of them was wearing a golden star-shaped badge; the sheriff of Beacon Hills was at their school. Why?
"Is everything alright?" she asked, turning to Stiles.
"Oh, yeah," he said, looking down at her. "It's just that that one is my dad." He nodded his head towards the sheriff. "I didn't know he was coming here. Why is he here?" Scarlett observed Stiles' expression, and she noticed something in his gaze—a hunger that she had never seen in him. He was curious.
"You are dying to know why they're here," she said with a smirk. You can go, you know?" Stiles looked at her with a blush.
"It's not… oh God…" he rumbled, groaning. "I like talking to you. I really do." His heart was biting like crazy.
I can see that, she thought, glad everything was going as she wanted.
Scarlett gave out a light laugh. "I know, don't worry," she said, putting a hand on his forearm. Stiles looked quickly at her hand before returning his gaze to her, which never stopped smiling.
"You should go," she said, gesturing with her head to the two deputies. "Or you'll never hear them."
He looked at her, almost amazed, for a moment before nodding his head. "I'll see you later. I mean, if you're ok with that."
Scarlett nodded. "I'm okay with that." Stiles smiled once again before fixing his backpack on his shoulder and walking away.
It's going to be fun, Scarlett thought with a smirk before walking away.
The night of the game finally arrived; the previous day, Scarlett had spent hours and hours hearing Lydia complaining about the puppy and planning how she would introduce Allison to all the guys on the team as an ultimatum to make him play. As if a girl would change her mind by just meeting a good looking guy; the Argent girl seemed to be serious about the puppy… for now, maybe that would have changed if Scott turned in front of the entire school.
She didn't care, though. She had other plans.
When she arrived at school that evening, the team wasn't there yet; the coach was on edge, not that she was surprised; he always seemed high. The man even appreciated that Scarlett was wearing a shirt with the color of Beacon Hills High.
"So," she said, leaning back on the door frame with her arms crossed. "Is McCall going to play tonight?" At her question, the coach grinned, making her frown.
"You got a thing for McCall, Black?"
Scarlett frowned deeper. "What?"
The coach laughed. "You can tell me. I care about my team, except for Greenberg, of course." Scarlett closed her eyes and took a long breath.
"No, coach, I don't like McCall," she said.
"Why does anyone like anyone?" Did he like gossiping or something?
"Would you want me to like someone?" She didn't even know why she asked that; maybe she wanted to find out if a conversation could get any more senseless.
The coach laughed. "Not someone from the team," he said. "They could get distracted."
Right…
Luckily, that conversation ended thanks to some guys who entered the room; they waved at her, but they were deep in conversation. She decided to get away from the coach to avoid his strange conversations. Scarlett sat down on a bench when she heard two guys talk.
"And they arrested him," one of them said. "This morning."
"Apparently, she was buried on the ground of his house," another said.
"Unbelievable," the first spoke again while changing his shirt. "That's sick, guys."
Scarlett got up, walking closer, and leaning her side against the lockers, she asked with a fake gentle smile. Beacon Hills didn't seem a town with lots of criminals and she had been very careful that no one would find her victims. She didn't want the Argents to find out that a vampire was in Beacon Hills.
"Haven't you heard?" the guy whose name was Nick asked, turning to her, and she just shook her head.
"The police have found the body of the girl killed a few days ago buried in the ground of the Hales' house." Scarlett frowned. Peter had told her that Laura was in the woods, far away from their house.
"And inside the house, there was Derek Hale," Nick said, but Scarlett faked a frown. She was new in town; she shouldn't know who Derek was. Nick realized that and started to explain that Derek had moved after the fire and that the moment he got back, someone got killed.
Scarlett couldn't believe he had done something so stupid as buring Laura in his own ground, of course everyone thought it was him. She pictured Derek inside a cell and it almost made her laugh, Derek wouldn't even interfere in her plan.
"It's going to be even easier. Your nephew is an idiot," she texted Peter quickly. It was going even better than she had planned.
Suddenly, a different heartbeat made her turn almost unwillingly. The puppy had entered the locker room. She could feel his blood run fast in his veins, and that made her hungry, almost desperate to taste his delicious werewolf blood.
"Hi, Scarlett," he said, but his mood was different from usual. He sounded stressed and worried, which made his blood run even faster. Scarlett had the self-control to nod to him with a small smile. She needed to calm down, but it was really difficult, especially if he was that stressed.
"Scarlett, hi." Scarlett looked up, hearing Stiles' voice.
"Hey," she said with a smile, observing the boy who was getting closer to her, his bag hanging over his shoulder and already wearing his jersey. Why didn't he change in the locker room like the others? But then she shook her head, surprised by her own stupid thoughts.
"Are you ok?" at his question, she nodded her head.
"Sure," she said with confidence. "Are you?"
Stiles nodded his head with a goofy smile before starting to look around.
"I'm starting to think you don't like my company. You are always looking for someone else," he said, turning to her with wide eyes.
"What..? No! I really like your company… I really…" but her laugh made him stop.
"I'm just messing up with you," she said, touching his forearm. "He's over there." Scarlett nodded her head towards the direction Scott had disappeared. "He surely seemed stressed."
"Tell me about it," he said with a nervous laugh. Scarlett smiled at him before turning to walk away.
The game wasn't going very well… she supposed. The rival team had a giant on the field, and the Beacon Hills team wasn't working as a team. The puppy was useless, and once again, Scarlett found herself thinking what use she and Peter could make for him. Moreover, the presence of Argent and the girl he liked holding a sign for Jackson didn't help Scott, who seemed scared even to run a little faster. Scarlett regretted her decision to join the team; it was so boring.
A vibration in her pocket made her take her phone from her pocket.
"You seem bored, moonlight," she smirked, looking at the message.
"You're on time… Good boy," she said, then put her phone back in its place. Scott got the ball, sprinted towards the rivals' net, and scored a goal. The audience roared with joy, and Scarlett saw Stiles jumping up with raised arms.
It was crazy how Scott was playing now, scoring goal after goal, and her gaze fell on the Argent man sitting next to his daughter. She really hoped he wasn't noticing anything suspicious… even if it was difficult not to notice something strange since he was extremely faster than before and the players of the other team were moving away from him on porpoise.
She didn't need to worry about Scott being useless… he would die in a moment anyway.
At the moment the timer signed zero, the Beacon Hills team had won, and everyone started to yell and run on the field. Scarlett was silent for a moment, but noticing that she was the only one, she yelled too, congratulating her fellow team members.
"Yes! Oh my God!" she heard Stiles exclaim, relieved. He had been nervous for the whole match, chewing his glove.
"We won!" she said, getting closer to him, who turned with his goofy smile.
"It almost seems impossible, right?" she smiled at him.
"Scarlett!" Lydia's voice almost made her turn her eyes, but she held it back, turning to the girl.
"Scarlett, I just wanted to say hi," she said with a wide smile, not noticing Stiles the slightest. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"What? Wait," Scarlett said, widening her eyes. "Aren't we going out tonight?"
"Haven't you heard about the curfew?" Lydia said, and Scarlett fought the urge to curse. What was that supposed to mean?
"Oh, you… you're right," she said, forcing a smile. "I just couldn't believe they really set it up." She couldn't believe it. Those stupid policemen. Why? Why could nothing go as she wanted? Lydia waved her goodbye once again, and Scarlett had to think quickly not to let anyone notice how angry she was, and she had to be quick about Stiles, too. It had to be that night.
She turned to Stiles. "That's a shame?"
"What?" he asked, blinking his eyes, not sure she was talking to him.
Scarlett smiled. "I really wanted to go out tonight."
"Oh…" he hesitated before continuing with a bush. "Yeah, me too."
She smiled at him, starting to think about something else that could also work. "Maybe another time, right?" The boy nodded his head before Scarlett waved her hand, turning away from him. She made a few steps, then she turned again.
"I'm sorry," she said, walking close to Stiles once more. "I forgot I came here on foot, and Lydia is already gone. Could you give me a ride? You would really save my life." She asked, biting her lips to show some kind of nervousness.
"What... me?" he asked incuriously. "Yeah, sure!"
"Oh, thank you so much!" she said, showing a flawless smile. Then she noticed that something had caught Stiles' eyes. She followed his gaze to see his dad talking on the phone. He really didn't seem very happy about what he was hearing.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Stiles asked as soon as his father hung up his phone.
The man took a breath. "We have to reliese Derek Hale." Stiles' heartbeat went faster.
"What? Why?" he asked with his eyes widened.
"The girl we found," the sheriff said, taking a breath. "Was his sister?" Stiles' expression became worried and confused; he was surely trying to understand what was happening, but he couldn't. He missed too many pieces.
"But don't worry about that," the man said before turning to Scarlett. "And who is your friend?"
"What?" Stiles exclaimed before turning to her, too. "Oh, yeah. She is Scarlett."
"Nice to meet you, Scarlett," he said, extending his hand to her. "I'm Noah Stilinski, Stiles' father," the girl took his hand.
"Nice to meet you, sir," she said kindly with her usual white smile. The man smiled at her one last time before turning to his son, who seemed deep in thought.
"You're coming home, right?" he said, eyeing his son. "You are not wandering around."
"No, no, I have to…" Stiles said quickly before stopping suddenly. "I'm driving Scarlett home, and then I'll be back," he said, forcing a smile. The man looked between his son and the girl, almost impressed, and nodded his head, saying goodbye to her and repeating to Stiles to go straight back home after taking Scarlett to her house.
"Oh God," she heard him say before turning, and she noticed both the puppy and the Argent girl missing. Maybe he had killed her by now.
"I have to look for Scott," Stiles said urgently. "I'll be right back, um… Wait for me at my car."
"Yeah, sure," she said, nodding her head. "I'll… look for Allison." He gave out a nervous laugh before running away. She waited for him to disappear before taking her phone from her pocket.
"Get ready," she typed to Peter. "He is almost ready."
She waited in the dark, and she could see something moving in the dark, covered by the shadows and the darkness of the trees. He was there, ready to follow her plan.
It was almost funny how Stiles had parked his car away from the crowd and how people got away from the field. Suddenly she heard steps echoed in the dark, she lied closer at the wall, careful to not being seen by Stiles who was searching for his keys in his pocket. He didn't even reach his car when a dark figure walked out of the shadow. His face was covered by a dark hood, but she knew very well who he was. He walked behind Stiles, and when he got closer enough, he attacked the boy. She looked at the scene, Peter had pushed Stiles to the ground hand he started to scratch him with his claws wherever he could.
Not too deep, Peter, we don't need another werewolf.
Stiles tried to get away from him, but Peter wouldn't let him. He was covered in cuts now, and he was getting tired since even his screams were getting lower. At that moment, she got out from the shadow, yelling at Peter, who growled back at her. She could almost see him smirk while glowing his eyes red at her, so she showed her fangs. He attacked her, careful not to hurt her, as did she. They needed to seem fighting each other. After throwing some punches and shoves at each other, she managed to throw Peter away from her, and then the man ran into the woods with a last smirk.
Then she turned to Stiles. He was on the ground, groaning, covered in blood.
"Oh, God! Stiles!" she exclaimed, faking worry, kneeling at his side. She took him in her arms. "You have to stay awake, alright?" she said urgently, but the only thing he could do was cough and grow in pain.
"It's going to be ok, I promise," she said, caressing his face. "It's going to be ok." She popped out her fangs before biting her own wrist and putting it in front of the boy's face.
"You have to drink it," she said with an urgent tone. "Please," he looked at her tiredly. "Please, Stiles" he took a breath before allowing her to put her bloody wrist in his mouth. He started to suck her blood eagerly by the minute, and she couldn't help but feel proud of herself as his wounds started to heal, and she could start to feel Stiles' fear as if it was hers.