( SHE WOLF. )
CHAPTER EIGHT.
trick of the light.

THE AMYTHEST SKY had faded into obsidian. Katie ran outside into the chilly evening air. A sharp wind blew through her dark hair and she realized that she'd forgotten a coat. She quickly wiped a few stray tears from her face, shaking her shoulders to get rid of some of the built-up emotions. It didn't work, she wasn't sure why she always thought it would.

Katie made her way to the bike racks at the front of the school to find her bike lock cut cleanly and wrapped around nothing more than the metal pole. "Shit." Katie picked up the orange lock and looked around, not seeing her bike anywhere. She didn't live far, but to walk alone for half an hour in the cold night wasn't on her to-do list.

Sighing, Katie stared back at the library windows. She wasn't even sure she trusted Erica anymore and didn't want to ask her for a ride.

Katie ran her hand through her hair and took a slow breath in. She felt a sudden wave of loneliness as she looked at the library, and anger quickly followed.

Stop, Katie. Why are you so upset over this?

Because you like her.

Katie took a step back towards the brick wall and leaned against it. She bent her knees and slid down until she was sitting on the ground, head resting against the school. The anger wouldn't leave and nor would the feeling that she was utterly alone.

As she leaned against the wall, staring at the sky, she began to feel a tingling in her hands. It felt like a warm rush of blood. She glanced down to see her hands emitting a warm glow.

Katie stood up instantly. A scream escaped her lips as she shook her hands, trying to get the glowing to stop. It didn't. All at once, she felt her heart banging in her temples, she was aware of the smell of salty sweat on her skin, and her hands suddenly felt burning hot.

A trick of the light. A hallucination.

Katie looked around in desperation. For a person, a mirror, anything. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them again the glowing would stop. When her eyes snapped open, the light was still there.

Her eyes darted back to the library. In a panic, Katie started running towards the library doors. She pushed them open with her shoulder. Her eyes scanned the library, looking for Erica.

"Erica?" Katie called. Hysteria was evident in her tone. "Erica, are you here?"

No response.

"Fuck," Katie cursed, another tear escaping her eyes. She ran to the next door, heading towards the bathroom. She hurriedly turned on the tap, pouring cold water on her fingers.

Sizzling. Katie tilted her head quizzically at the soft hissing sound as it reached her ears. Steam was coming off her hands.

She quickly pulled her hands back from the water and held them up in front of her face. She examined them, her heart rate finally slowing.

What is happening to me?

"Katie?"

Katie jumped, falling back on the bathroom counter.

"Holy shit, Erica!"

Erica stood in the doorway, concern written all over her face. "Are you okay? What's going on?" Erica took a step towards Katie. Katie looked down at her hands worriedly. The glowing had stopped.

"I— I don't know. I'm fine. I— I'm okay," Katie breathed. She shut her eyes for a moment, placing her hand on her heart as it returned to its normal pace.

"You don't look fine," Erica stated, taking a step towards Katie.

"Where did you come from? How did you find me?" Katie asked, placing her hands back on the counter.

"I heard your heart—"

"You heard my what?"

"I mean, I heard your calls. I was about to leave," Erica said quickly. Katie nodded, locking eyes with Erica.

"Okay. Well, I'm fine now," Katie said. She turned back around to look in the mirror. She looked just like she always did.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Erica. I'm sure," Katie said shortly.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing. I just got scared," Katie dismissed it. She swallowed hard before turning back around to look at Erica.

"You're a terrible liar," Erica said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know," Katie groaned, bringing her hand up to her face and rubbing it over her forehead. "The truth is that I don't really have the slightest clue what's going on with me at all, and I don't think I want to."

"Were you bit?"

"Bit? Like by an animal?" A look of puzzlement crossed Katie's face and Erica scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Never mind."

"No, I haven't been bit by anything recently," Katie answered sardonically.

"Sorry, I've just seen a lot of things about people acting weird or seeing things from animal bites."

"I'm okay now. Really. I just need to go home." Katie grabbed her bag and headed for the door. Erica followed close behind.

"Do you have a way home?" Erica asked.

Katie looked back at the blonde before shaking her head lightly. "Not anymore. My bike was stolen," Katie stated sadly.

"I have a ride. You can come with us. I promise, he's not gonna hurt you," Erica offered as the two girls stepped back into the night air.

"Why would he hurt me?" Katie scoffed, looking at Erica with raised eyebrows.

"He wouldn't— I'm just telling you because it kinda seems like you don't trust me," Erica shrugged.

"That's probably because I kinda don't," Katie stated with a shrug of her own.

"Okay," Erica laughed dryly, shaking her head. "See?"

"I mean, do you really expect me to? Do you realize that I waited hours for you on multiple occasions. And you didn't do anything. Didn't even acknowledge it?" They pushed through the library doors and stopped in front of the dark parking lot, illuminated only by pale street lights. Katie could hear the rumble of an engine in the distance.

"I'm sorry," Erica said.

Katie turned her head to look at Erica, who was already looking back at her. Katie furrowed her brow before shaking her head and looking away. "Well, thank you for those two words but it doesn't really matter."

"Why not?" Erica demanded.

"Because you don't mean it," Katie shrugged, eyes trained on the dark parking lot in front of them.

"Yes, I do."

"Do you? Because it kind of feels like you haven't meant a word you've said to me for a while."

"Look, I know I was wrong to not respond to your texts. And I swear to god that I'm sorry for that, but I'm not lying when I tell you there are a lot of things going on that I just can't tell you. You don't need to forgive me but at least accept the apology," Erica said earnestly. Katie looked down at her shoes, not really sure what to say. After a few seconds of silence, Erica spoke again, this time not as sweetly. "So do you want a ride or not?"

Katie looked back up at Erica. She sighed and searched Erica's face for any sign of a lie, any sign of malice. She couldn't find one. She almost accepted the offer.

"I'm okay. I'll walk," Katie told her. Erica looked let down but nodded. Katie turned around to walk away, ready to leave Erica for what felt like the hundredth time that day. But she turned back this time, met with Erica's wide brown eyes.

"I accept your apology," Katie said with a quick nod of her head. "And thanks for finding me."

A small smile crept onto Erica's face. "Of course. I'd always find you."

Katie returned the timid smile, and she was reminded of the girl she'd first seen in the library, of the girl who sat in front of her in history class. Behind it all, she saw the girl who'd come to her room to deliver schoolwork and who'd told her that her eyes looked like a solar eclipse in the sun. But there was something else in Erica's coppery eyes. Katie couldn't put her finger on it, but she saw it nonetheless.

"Goodnight, Erica."

"Night, Katie."

✶

"Who the hell is that?" Katie groaned, getting up slowly after being pushed to the ground. It was the semi-finals, the most important game that the Beacon Hills lacrosse team had played all season. Some beast of a human was on the opposing team, and he was slowly picking off their players with his brute strength. Katie managed to only get a shove, she could still play. Others weren't so lucky.

"I don't know, but we have to get him off the field," Jackson stated, a determined look in his eye as he made his way over to Scott.

"Just don't get a foul!" Katie called after him, but he didn't hear.

"What are they doing?" Elijah asked, walking up beside Katie.

"I have no idea," Katie sighed.

In the third quarter of the game, Katie took a regrettable glance at the scoreboard. It was something she'd been avoiding. The numbers read eight to three, for the other team. Five more points in fifteen minutes at this pace seemed nearly impossible for Beacon Hills. Whatever Jackson had told Scott to do clearly wasn't working.

Another player was being pulled off the field in a stretcher. He was wearing a maroon Beacon Hills jersey. The other team's benches were full while Beacon Hills' were literally empty. Wonderful.

"You're still short one player, coach!" the referee called.

Coach Finstock spun around, throwing his hands up. "Where's Stilinski?" Stiles wasn't anywhere in sight. Then, Coach turned to the bleachers, scanning the people with his index finger. "You!" he finally called, pointing straight at the place where Erica was sitting. Katie's eyes moved to Erica's face as her smile faded. It was only when Erica turned to the boy beside her that Katie realized who Coach was talking to. "You play lacrosse?"

Erica grabbed his arm and shook her head. Katie recognized the boy but didn't know his name. He stood up and pulled off his jacket. He was tall, at least six feet. And he looked powerful. He had dark skin and eyes, a strong jaw, and muscles that looked like they could rip a tree in half.

"We've got ourselves a player!" Coach exclaimed, getting the boy all the gear he could as fast as possible.

"Hey, what's your name?" Katie asked once he got onto the field.

"Boyd. Vernon Boyd," the boy said, turning his eyes to the team in front of them as the referee blew the whistle.

Once Boyd started playing it was clear that he didn't just look powerful— he was.

He alone took out the other team's powerhouse within minutes, and with him on the field, Beacon Hills managed to even the score with only a minute left.

The last sixty seconds of the game were a blur. McCall scored the final goal by some incredible stroke of luck (or skill— but Katie wasn't ready to admit that), and the next second he was lying on the ground. A painful snap reached Katie's ears as Scott hit the ground. Broken bones.

One of the larger players of the other team had thrown him to the ground, leaving Scott on the ground in an unnatural position.

"Hey, what the hell?" Katie called after the player who'd thrown Scott down as his teammate congratulated him. He didn't seem to hear her.

Tentatively, Katie approached Scott as the other players huddled around. Scott's friend — Allison Argent — was leaning over him, speaking in hushed tones. Just then, Coach Finstock ran through the group of kids, holding out his hands.

"Don't move," he ordered.

Scott didn't listen. Instead, he stood up, only limping slightly as he clung to Allison's arm.

"It's okay," he grinned. "It's okay, I'm fine."

"I could've sworn I literally heard bone breaking from where I sat," a woman claimed. She had dark, curly hair and eyes that matched Scott's. She looked to be his mother.

"Heard it, I felt it," Coach added.

"Yeah, me too," Katie agreed, "There's no way in hell you're fine, McCall."

"Guys, I'm fine," Scott repeated as Allison stepped away, leaving him to hold his own weight— which he somehow did without struggle.

Convinced, everyone slowly dispersed. Katie scanned her eyes over Scott as he walked away, watching as his limp completely disappeared.

The players all made their way to the locker rooms. Katie found herself walking alongside Jackson. She hated the kid, but that wasn't always the case. And in the post-victory high, they usually found themselves tolerating each other like they used to.

"You should check up on McCall," Katie told him, twirling her stick around like a baton in the air.

"Why?" Jackson scoffed. And just like that, the feeling of tolerance was broken.

"Because he definitely broke something, I don't care what he claims."

"Why don't you do it?" Jackson retorted.

"Because you're the one who's allowed in the boys' locker room," Katie quipped.

"He's fine."

"How do you know?" Katie looked at him, shaking her head in annoyance.

"I just do, okay?" Jackson pushed open the school doors, throwing his stick over his shoulder.

"Y'know, everyone is really terrible at explaining things. I am so confused," Katie stated, following him down the hallway.

"About what?"

"Everything."

"Okay?" Jackson's face seemed to be saying and why should I care? But that was usual with him.

"It's just like everyone always knows more than I do."

"That's probably because they do. I mean, when it comes to knowledge, you're not exactly a real model of excellence." Jackson raised his brows in patronizing amusement as Katie rolled her eyes.

"Well, Whittemore, when it comes to communication, neither are you." Katie stopped walking for a second as they reached the next set of doors. "I just don't understand how he'd be able to walk after that."

"Well, Ritchie, that sounds like more of a you problem," Jackson said condescendingly as he stepped into the boys' locker room.

"Whatever," Katie muttered, heading into her own locker room.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

( word count: 2375 )

it's like 1am and i have school tomorrow but dw i've got my priorities straight (fanfic > education). just kidding, i guess i just like to self sabotage. anyways, i hope you enjoyed and i love you all so much!! don't be like me and remember to get some sleep <333

love,
skye