Chapter One:

The last place Marina McKinley thought she'd be so late at night was in the woods. She couldn't possibly blame her best friends for bringing her there, they hadn't obligated her to, but Marina found it difficult to even begin to comprehend their fascination, especially Stiles Stilinski's, with the possibility of finding a dead body – half of one at that. The mere thought was one she deemed as gruesome, but Marina knew she wouldn't have been able to sleep well knowing her best friends were out and about with a murderer on the loose.

"Just out of curiosity," she heard Scott McCall say to Stiles, moving a few strands of his shaggy brown hair from his vision. "Which half of the body are we looking for?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Stiles shrugged lightly in response, "Huh, I didn't even think about that."

Marina was focusing very little on the conversation the two guys were having as she trailed a few steps behind them, hugging her jacket close to her slender body. Goosebumps rose throughout her skin as she moved her gaze around the dark areas surrounding them, the feeling that someone or something was watching creeping onto her. She tucked some of her long dark brown hair behind one ear, trying but failing to keep up that façade of bravery she had sworn the boys she had.

"Mar." The girl quickly looked at Scott, who had halted, a bit shorten of air, with one arm extended towards her while the other rested on his heaving chest. "Don't stray behind."

Marina nodded her head and quickly joined him, placing one hand on his back comfortingly while he used his inhaler. Stiles slowed down a couple of feet in front of them and Marina focused on the clearing ahead, marked off by yellow police tape. The giddiness in Stile's bounce, although rather odd, was quite contagious and the other two couldn't help but to smile – it felt like they were solving a mystery.

The trio crouched down, watching as the officers moved about the crime scene, inspecting the area while they spoke in hushed voices about what happened. Marina's dark green eyes went wide at the sight of a body bag and the two bare feet that were momentarily visible as it was zipped to a close.

"Is-Is that the second half of the body?" she whispered; it was her first time seeing something of the sort. The sudden but quick vibration of her phone inside the jean's pocket made Marina flinch a little, though thankfully it wasn't enough to attract any attention – that was surely her dad saying that it was late and she had school tomorrow, not that she didn't know already. Marina saw Stiles shake his head through the corner of her eyes.

"No, they would have called off the search. Come on."

The three carefully retreated from the perimeter, not wanting to be seen or heard. Marina remained close to the guys, with Stiles walking ahead while Scott stayed behind, trying his best to maintain a steady breathing. An awfully eerie sensation began to crawl onto her body once more, one that Marina found difficult to explain. It made the pit of her stomach queasy and her heart race a hundred miles per second, making it seem as though it was about to pop out.

Flashlight beams suddenly scour around them, for a moment making the three teenagers freeze on the spot. There were voices ahead, indicating that the search group was there, as well as a few dogs barking. Stiles, unable to stand still, suddenly took a hold of Marina's wrist and ran off, dragging the girl without giving it a second thought.

"Scott," Marina called back in a harsh whisper, looking over her shoulder. Stiles simultaneously slowed down to see if he was there, thinking that the guy had followed, too, but ferocious barking made him spin back around. Marina let out a startled scream, clutching onto Stile's jacket as she proceeded to drag him back while he remained in front of her shocked.

"Stay right there!" one of the state troopers yelled, his search dog yanked back against his leash.

The numerous flashlights blinded Marina and she squeezed her eyes shot, the dreadful word busted running through her mind. How was she going to explain this to her parents? As far as they knew, she was at Scott's house with Stiles, helping him get ready for tomorrow – it had been a silly excuse, really, but her parents deemed it to be a believable scenario with those two boys.

"Hold on, hold on," the sound of Mr. Stilinski's voice made Marina's breathe hitch, already envisioning her parents opening the door and being greeted by the town's sheriff next to their daughter.

Mr. Stilinski appeared before them, glaring but not at all surprised to see his son there. His eyebrows slightly rose, however, at the sight of Marina near Stiles. The older man let out a small sigh, resting both hands on his hips.

"Stand back," he ordered the others. "These two are with me. Do you listen in on all my phone calls?" he asked Stiles, just as the other officers began moving elsewhere. Marina let go the tight grip on the boy's jacket and stood by his side, looking at Mr. Stilinski with a grim face.

"No…" Stiles slowly answered. "Not the boring ones." Marina nudged her friend with her elbow, giving him a pointed look.

"And where's Thing number three?" Mr. Stilinski asked.

"Who? Scott? He's home," Stiles went on, scoffing a little while his father raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "He-He said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for the first day back at school."

Marina lightly nodded her head, frowning. "Yeah, Mr. Stilinski," she added. "Scott wanted to have some energy for the Lacrosse practice."

The older man averted his gaze to the trees behind the two teenagers, creasing his eyebrows.

"Scott?" he called. "You out there?"

Marina bit her inner cheek when no response came, aware that Scott was hiding somewhere around the area. After a few seconds went by, Mr. Stilinski looked back at her and Stiles, letting out another small sigh and almost rolling his eyes when the latter grinned innocently.

"Alright, you two," he moved over to them, putting his arms around their shoulders before proceeding to escort them out. "I'm taking you to your car and you're going to drive Marina back home. Honestly, Stiles, don't you know better than to listen to my conversations? And coming to the woods, what were you thinking?"

"I just…you know, it's – it's a lovely night, Dad," Stiles said, and Marina held in a snort. "And, like, nothing really happens around here, so – so I just wanted to see what was going on and Mar was bored, so…"

"Right," Mr. Stilinski sighed. "You and I are going to discuss a little something called Invasion of Privacy when I get home."

A soft moan was all Stiles gave as a response that moment, surely biting back a verbal one that was at the tip of his tongue just to maintain the act so that Scott could make it out. Marina, on the other hand, was honestly incredibly relieved that Mr. Stilinski was letting them off without any consequences – save for the speech he was going to give Stiles. Despite her best efforts, however, she couldn't help but to glance back at the woods as they approached Stiles' beat up blue jeep. There was something inexplicably odd about the night, something that for some reason had her on edge.

Mr. Stilinski opened the passenger door for Marina once they arrive, while Stiles went around the car to get behind the wheel.

"Thanks," the soon to be sixteen year old smiled sheepishly. "And sorry, Mr. Stilinski…"

The stern look on Mr. Stilinski's face softened lightly and he couldn't help but to smile a little, patting Marina's head as a silent assurance that everything was fine. She grinned in return and got in the car, bringing the seatbelt across her body.

"You," Mr. Stilinski pointed at his son. "Go home straight after, you hear me?"

Without waiting for Stiles to respond, the sheriff closed the door and tapped the car, signaling them to move. The brown eyed boy begrudgingly turned on the vehicle and sped off soon after, driving away from the preserve.

"Shouldn't we look for Scott?" Marina frowned, looking at Stiles. He was lightly tapping the wheel with his fingers, moving his eyes around the road but seeming otherwise less worried than Marina.

"He'll be fine," he said. "He knows his way back."

Marina knew this to be true, but the same strange feeling at the pit of her stomach was preventing her from being fully assured of the former statement. Despite how he looked, Scott could handle himself well, that much she understood, but she just couldn't help but to worry about his wellbeing.

"Are you sure?" her voice came out much softer than intended, causing Stiles to look at the girl sitting by his side. They had known each other for more than ten years and have grown up together, yet Marina's worried expression had never really changed; her eyebrows gently creased, her eyes appeared bigger than usual, and the corners of her mouth tugged downward just a little, giving way to that glimmer of hope that things were really going to be alright.

Stiles nodded his head, giving Marina a smile. "Positive, Scott's a big boy," he let out a snort, bringing his eyes forward once more. "Besides, the worst thing that can happen is him losing his inhaler."

Pushing away her previous thoughts, Marina laughed and nodded her head, telling herself that she was being a worrywart for no reason. Deeming the night as creepy and odd was, at most, a survival instinct. Most creatures avoided going out when the sun was out, including humans, so perhaps the queasiness in her stomach was just her mind telling her that it was safer at home and not out in the woods.

Leaning her head against the window, Marina closed her eyes and exhaled, letting her body relax. The music was playing softly in the background and Stiles lightly sang to it, surely to keep his mind off the murder and the half of the body they saw. It was already close to it being midnight and despite her best efforts, Marina could feel her mind wavering off, tiredness taking over in a matter of seconds.

"Mar," Stiles' call made her open her eyes quickly, only to realize that she had dozed off for the remainder of the ride and was now on her house's driveway. Marina straightened up, pushing some of her hair back.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Do you need a ride tomorrow?" Stiles asked, watching as she began getting off the car. It was not uncommon in the slightest for him to do so, seeing as Marina had yet to get her license, but she shook her head.

"No, it's fine," she assured. "I'll use my bicycle."

"Stylish," Stiles commented sarcastically, raising both eyebrows. Marina stuck out her tongue, a little tired to properly respond as she usually would. She wished the guy a goodnight and closed the passenger door, watching as Stiles waving his hand before reversing the car and driving away.

Marina let out a small sigh and tiredly walked forward, going up the front steps to the royal blue door. Despite it not being a very big suburban house, what with her mother's salary as a Kindergarten teacher and her father's income as a local book shop owner, she genuinely loved the coziness of her home; warm colors, inviting decoration, and seemingly never ending cinnamon scented candles. It was comfortable and perfect for the McKinley family to live in without any problems.

Unsurprisingly, one of the lights of the study room near the entrance was turned on. Marina unzipped her jacket as she walked forward, seeing the back of her father's head as he concentrated on some papers.

"I'm home," she informed gently, though it still startled the 48 year old man. Harry McKinley turned the desk chair around and Marina smiled, hoping he wouldn't get mad at her for the time. "Sorry for coming in a little late, the guys needed a little extra help with their lacrosse gear."

"It's, uh, it's alright," he responded, moving one hand through his currently messy dark brown hair. Marina studied her dad, seeing the dark circles under his equally dark eyes and that his usual five o'clock shadow was a little more prominent.

"Everything alright? Where's mom?" she decided to ask. Marina hardly ever got into what she thought to be her parent's business, both because she didn't want to stress herself out with things that she ultimately couldn't help with and because they wouldn't just discuss such matters with her in a heartbeat. She was still at an age where "adult things" were exclusively "adult things".

Marina knew her dad, though, and he hardly ever allowed a good night's sleep to pass.

Harry nodded his head several times, moving his hand in a simple gesture that told her to not worry. "Your mom's sleeping, and so should you," he said, standing up from the chair. Marina chuckled a little as her father enveloped her in a hug, simultaneously welcoming her back home and wishing her a goodnight.

It had always been very safe to say that Marina was close to her parents, especially her dad. She wasn't one to consider herself the stereotypical daddy's little girl, but the two shared a special friendship and connection she, quite frankly, didn't have with her mother. From the summer days growing up where she spent time at the book shop, to simple hobbies such as hiking, the two did things that were very much theirs.

After kissing her dad's cheek, Marina went upstairs, taking into heavy consideration going to sleep and waking up a little early to take a shower. She closed her bedroom door and placed her jacket on the desk chair before throwing her body on the double bed. It was mighty comfortable, with soft white duvets that combined with her albeit bohemian and minimalist decoration.

The phone's vibration on her pocket made the girl open her eyes drowsily. She took it out and saw that she had received a text message from Scott, bringing a small smile onto her features.

I'm home.

That was all it took for Marina to close her eyes once more, dropping the phone by her side and finally welcoming much needed rest.

It was the opened curtains and sunrays that made Marina stir the following morning, turning her head to the side. The familiar and comforting scent of brewing coffee reached her nostrils, letting her know that her mother was already awake and that she wasn't late for her first day. Marina brought the phone up, seeing that it was only seven-fifteenth but also that it barely had any charge. After connecting the phone, the young girl got up and went straight to the bathroom out in the hall.

Mornings in the McKinley household were always very calm, seeing as it was just the three of them there. Joanne, Marina's mother, was usually the first one to go to sleep and wake up, mostly due to her job, and the last one to get started with his day was Harry. Marina often wondered what her life would be like had her parents decided to have more children, and while she enjoyed the idea of a busy house with people constantly moving around, she knew actually living it would be completely different.

After showering and finishing her usual morning routine, Marina returned to her bedroom to get dressed. Her style varied greatly on her mood but she was one to put comfort as a top priority, opting for a pair of jeans to cover her rather short legs and boots instead of high heels – then again, she was just going to school, not Milan or to the New York City Fashion Week.

Marina brushed her long wet hair, staring at her reflection absentmindedly. Neither of her parents had her strong jaw, but according to what her mother has told her she looks exactly like her dead maternal grandmother, who was, according to Joanne as well, an absolute beauty. Not only that, but Marina had also inherited the woman's pair of defined eyebrows and for some reason back in elementary school a few kids made fun of how much they stood out against her pale skin.

Letting out a small sigh, Marina tussled her wet hair a little and placed a long cardigan over the blue shirt she chosen to wear. Her gaze landed on an old medium sized hourglass her grandfather made when she was born resting on the vanity. Flowers and swirls were carved on the edges of the mahogany wood, but other than that it was very simple and elegant. The sand inside had been slowly coming down for as long as Marina could remember and according to her mother – seeing as she knew much more about the family's history than her dad – it is meant to finish when she reaches her sixteenth birthday. Marina unconsciously picked it up, its weight rather heavy on her small hands, and looked at the cursive golden message on top: The End Marks the Beginning.

Growing up with books such as Harry Potter made Marina imagine various scenarios with this message, many of which ended with her having a fantastic adventure in a world so unlike her own. As a child she looked forward to living an extraordinary life, maybe even go to Hogwarts, too, but the years went by and even though she still hopes to make something of herself later in life, she's quite certain her grandfather just meant that big things will come now that she's on the brink of becoming an adult, now that she's really growing up.

Marina placed the hourglass back down and after making sure she had everything essential in her backpack, she went downstairs, giving her mother a smile as she stepped into the modern kitchen.

"You're awfully cheery for your first day," Joanne commented behind the kitchen island, leaning forward with the coffee mug in hand. Aside from the differencing hair color (hers was blonde), Marina was more her mother than her father looks wise; they both had the same eye color and according to him, the same smile. Really, physically Marina was the pure embodiment of the female members of the Newbury family.

"I just slept well," Marina chuckled, grabbing an apple from the basket. "And you know I don't exactly mind school," she added before taking a bite.

Joanne's chuckle softened as she studied her daughter, looking at the teenage girl tenderly. This small shift did not go unnoticed by Marina but she let it be, thinking that her mother was just having one those "my baby's growing up" phases. It has been going on for the past month, though, and while it freaked Marina out a little at first, she undoubtedly grew used to those weird few minutes.

"Your birthday's in two weeks…" Joanne said, bringing the coffee up to her lips. She lowered the mug once more, raising both eyebrows excitedly, "Anything you want?"

"You've been reminding me my birthday's coming up every week," Marina laughed, shaking her head a little. "But no, I still haven't decided on something."

"Oh, jeez, you're turning sixteen, Marina!" her mother went on, rolling her eyes a little. "Do you want a party?"

"Not enough friends," the other countered lightly before taking another bite of her apple. She wasn't bitter about her lack of friends, having grown up that way, and truthfully, Marina liked her small and intimate group.

"A shopping spree?"

"I'm fine with the clothes I have."

"Oh, my God," Joanne deadpanned and Marina grinned. "Would you stop being considerate for just one moment and ask for something? Anything! Just behave like a normal teenage girl."

Marina laughed, "Alright, alright! Let's see…" she leaned forward on the counter, biting her inner cheek as she tried to think of something reasonable to ask for her birthday. Any other person would have surely opted for a car and while Marina had considered doing so, she knew she first had to get a license and going around town in her bicycle had grown to be therapeutic, so a car was something that could be put for later.

"How about…" she clicked her tongue, pursing her lips together. "Oh! How about a dog?!" she grinned.

Joanne gaped, looking a bit taken aback by her daughter's suggestion.

"A-A dog?" Marina nodded her head vigorously. "Sweetie…you've never been that great taking care of animals."

"Mom!" the younger girl gasped. "I was seven, I didn't know anything about hamsters!"

"Still…" Joanne grimaced, making Marina look indignantly at her mother. The latter chuckled, "Okay, how about you go to school now and I'll go to work and we'll discuss this later?"

Marina scowled, wondering just why her mother would insist that she had to choose a birthday present at the moment only to dismiss her suggestion by saying that they would talk about it later. Nevertheless, Marina agreed with a nod and gave Joanne a goodbye kiss, saying that she wasn't going to forget about this conversation before finally heading out the door.

The burgundy bicycle leaning against the front porch's railing had actually been Marina's fourteenth birthday present. She has taken incredibly good care of it the last two years, always cleaning it and making sure it was spotless – her bicycle was what a car would be to the enthusiasts. Riding it every single day made Marina know Beacon Hills better than the back of her hand and going around town, admiring its greenery despite having seen it her entire life, made her mornings start off well – there was really nothing better than the smell of fresh air and the cold wind hitting your skin to wake you up.

Marina chained her bicycle to the stand in the school's parking lot, smiling lightly at the sight of Stiles and Scott talking vigorously near the grand front doors. She usually tended to be more of a morning person, but it sometimes surprised her how much energy Stiles, in particular, had at such an early time. She hoisted her yellow backpack over both shoulders and went to them, able to catch a few of the words they were exchanging as she approached.

"A wolf bit you? No, not a chance," Stiles said, shaking his head. Marina opened her eyes widely just as Scott took notice of her, going a bit paler at the sight of the girl's clear worry.

"You got bitten?" she gasped, getting closer and sort of closing the small triangle. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?"

"Of course he is," Stiles spoke before Scott could, dismissing Marina's small glare. "It's impossible for you to have been bitten a wolf."

For some reason, Marina reached forward and lifted the hem of Scott's shirt a little, having the smallest of hunches that the bite was there. She gaped and her jaw dropped at the bloody bandage just as the injured boy said that he heard howling shortly after he was attacked.

"Did you get it checked?" she asked, well aware that his mother was a nurse.

"Uh…yeah?" Scott responded, his tone going a little higher before pursing his lips together.

"Scott!" Marina scolded. "You can't just drop some alcohol and put a bandage over it, what if whatever bit you has an infection?"

"Why do you guys say it wasn't a wolf?" Scott went on instead, looking a little frustrated. Marina sighed exasperatedly, crossing both arms over her chest – leave it to him to worry more about the identification of the animal than the bite itself, though, she thought, that must at least mean he was fine.

"Because California doesn't have wolves," Stiles answered. "Not for the last sixty years."

"Really?" Scott's shoulders visibly deflated.

"Yes, really," Marina sighed. "There aren't any wolves in California."

A small sigh escaped from Scott's lips as he sunk in the new information. Marina shared a quick look with Stiles, wondering just why their friend was so adamant on believing that he had been attacked by a wolf. Scott's expression quickly shifted and he looked at the two of them once more.

"Well, if you don't believe me about the wolf, then you're definitely not going to believe me when I tell you that I saw the body," he said, lowering his voice a little.

Stiles' eyes looked close to popping out and he staggered a bit, "You what?! Are you kidding me?"

"I wish," Scott grumbled, all the while Marina's imagination went into overdrive; the upper half of the body, all pale and covered in dried blood, lying coldly on the wood's ground. "I'm going to have nightmares for months."

"That's freaking awesome!" Stiles exclaimed, bouncing about.

"That's disgusting," Marina cringed simultaneously, fairly certain she had lost her future appetite.

"This is seriously the best thing that's happened to this town since…" Stiles went on, though his original train of thought disappeared as his eyes looked past Scott. "…since the birth of Lydia Martin who's walking toward us right now."

Marina looked over her shoulder, watching as the strawberry blonde beauty strutted to the front doors. She always dressed incredibly fashionable, easily standing out among the crowd of casual t-shirt wearing students. Marina supposed it's what made Lydia who she was, though, without the killer wardrobe her impact wouldn't be as sharp.

"Hey, Lydia…" Stiles grinned, lamely waving one hand. "How are you? You look…" – the popular girl walked past them without giving a single glance – "Like you're going to ignore me."

Marina pursed her lips together, Stiles' strong infatuation never ceasing to amaze her. She was about to mention this when Lydia's halting figure made her freeze on the spot, while both Stiles' and Scott's eyes opened widely. Was she finally taking notice of her best friend? Was this Stiles' moment to shine?

Lydia turned around, surprisingly looking at the trio but more specifically at Marina. A series of questions continued flashing in the girl's mind, mostly wondering whether the fashion-forward girl was going to criticize her casual outfit and lack of flashy objects. For some reason, being under Lydia's gaze made Marina feel self-conscious, shown primarily in the way the dark haired girl tucked a few strands behind her ear.

"What's your name?" Lydia asked, pressing her lips together and forming a small pout. Had Marina felt anything other than shock and nerves she would have surely sighed.

"Marina…Marina McKinley," she responded. "We've, uh, we've been in the same group since…forever." Did it come out as bitter? Marina surely hoped not.

Lydia made the smallest of sounds of acknowledgement, as if just remembering this to be true. To be honest, Marina didn't really take the girl's unawareness of her existence as surprising or insulting. They hung out with different people, had different interests, and pretty much lived in different worlds aside from the slightly shared territory in school – there had been no need for the two of them to communicate with one another.

"You look different," Lydia stated, doing a small glance over Marina before sharply turning around and walking away, her long hair bouncing with every step she took.

Marina blinked several times, barely registering the way Scott laughed and Stiles took a couple of steps back, looking, if possible, even more shocked than she did. To the latter it all surely had to do with the fact that Lydia had indirectly communicated with him, too, but Marina's mind wavered into a completely different direction.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, looking at her best friends. "Is that a good thing?"

Scott nodded a little, slightly shrugging his shoulders. "If she actually stopped to look at you I'm sure it must be good in her world."

"So vague, though…" Marina mumbled, letting out a small sigh.

"Who cares?" Stiles finally chirped, looking positively ecstatic. "Lydia Martin took notice of us!"

"Well," Marina smiled, holding in a giggle. "It's more like she looked over at your general direction but took notice of me." Scott laughed at this, unable to hold it in any longer, and earned a playful glare from Stiles.

"You're the cause of this, you know," he nudged the guy, before dropping both arms around their shoulders and pushing them forward. "Dragging me down to your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association, I've been Scarlet-nerded by you."

Marina laughed, "The fact that you can make that connection makes you a nerd, Stiles."

"Shut up," Stiles bumped her waist lightly, a grin plastered on his features as they stepped into the crowded halls of Beacon Hills High.

Hello!

My name's Maria. No, the OC is not me at all, I just like the name Marina (and Marina & the Diamonds), I'm pretty new to the Teen Wolf fandom, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter. I'm a little nervous, to be honest, so I'm kind of taking baby steps into it, haha. :)

I made a Tumblr for the story, too, so just search mariawritesthings dot tumblr dot com

I'd also like to thank my lovely and wonderful and gorgeous friend Dani for being my partner in crime and always listening to all my writing rants - you're an absolute doll!

With that said, please do leave a review telling me your thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate it!

xx,
Maria.

edited version