Riley called Stiles for the third time, letting the ringtone play out. When he didn't answer, Riley jumped on her bed and buried her face into her pillow. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon lulled her into a state of peace, something that she hadn't done since she found out about what lurks in the dark.

Riley bit her lip and stared at the ceiling, in deep thought. Stiles has been frustrated lately because the supernatural had suddenly decided to take a break. He's been driving Scott and the Sheriff crazy, and while Riley didn't care at all about Scott, the Sheriff was another matter.

He took her in when her parents got too much and that was something she could never repay him back before. They were strict and cruel, demanding all A's no matter what. When she was in third grade, Riley got a terrible stomach virus that made her sick for a couple days. Her parents still sent her to school, only for the nurse to send her right back home. She'd never seen them so mad before.

Sheriff Stilinski saw what was going on thankfully and told her parents that he had a son around her age that would love to play with Riley.

That was how she met Stiles, her first friend. Her best friend. He hung out with her and laughed at all her jokes. Stiles made her forget her shitty life and in return she did the same. So, when she went to school one day and saw Stiles talking to a Hispanic boy instead of her, well, she got jealous. Apparently, he had gone on a small family trip with his mom and just came back in town. Stiles and him were best friends, closer than Stiles and her ever were.

And since then, she decided that she didn't really like Scott. And yes, it may be childish that she still didn't like him in Senior year, but it made sense to her. Scott believed that you didn't have to get your hands dirty every once in a while. Riley disagreed. Yes, there are other solutions. But there's always going to be that situation where there is no way out.

Riley experienced hers when she was thirteen.

God, she could remember that day like it had just happened five minutes ago. She'd been alone at home doing homework, when the front door slammed shut. Curious and scared, she walked downstairs with a baseball bat in her hands, eyes flickering around as if she were a scared animal, her hands sweating so much that the wooden bat almost slipped through her fingers, and her glasses hanging off the very end of her nose grandma style.

She walked in her living room, expecting an intruder, when she saw her father. She let down her guard for a fraction of a second, before seeing her dad's Cheshire cat grin painted across his face, terrifyingly ominous looking, and raised the bat back up. Her arms tensed, ready to swing at a moment's notice. Riley's dad took a step forward, arms raised as if expecting a hug.

"Put the bat down, Riley. You don't wanna hurt yourself, right?" he stalked forward, his eyes fixated on Riley.

"N-no," she stuttered, backing up only to hit the wall.

Her dad leaped forward and Riley tried to swing the baseball bat, but it hit the wall and a loud crash echoed across the room. He grabbed her arm harshly, making her scream.

"Now, you listen to me you ungrateful piece of shit!" he threw her against the wall, making Riley's head snap back against the plaster.

Her head was dizzy and black spots danced across her vision. Riley felt scorching hot tears burn their way down her cheeks and puddle onto her faded clothing. "Dad, stop! Dad, please stop!" she yelled, only to get screamed at.

"I'll stop when you apologize!"

Riley raised her head up slowly, "apologize for w-what?"

He lowered his head down and spoke in her face, making her gag from his alcohol covered breath, "for being born."

Riley's heart hitched and her eyes pooled with tears. When she didn't answer immediately, her father shook her shoulders, making her cry out in pain.

"Apologize!" he roared.

"I'm sorry!" Riley cried out in small heartbreaking hiccups. "I'm sorry for being b-born."

He stepped back, "there. That wasn't so hard."

Riley's father turned around and sat down on the couch. She watched him with wide eyes.

"Wanna watch the game with me?" he asked, a bright grin decorating his face.

Too afraid to say no, she sat down. The rest of the hour was spent watching the game in silence, apart from her dad's cheers every time his team scored a touchdown. Around midnight, barely able to hold off sleep any longer, Riley felt her eyelids close.

She awoke to the sound of a zipper opening. Fully aware of what was about to happen if she didn't react immediately, she jumped up and ran upstairs. The outraged scream that her father released barely made it to her ears, too focused on trying to get help.

Riley sprinted to her room at the end of the hallway, slamming it shut. The loud thuds from the staircase turned into gunshots in her mind. Her hands barely managed to lock the door before the Devil barreled into the wood. She ran for her phone and hurriedly unlocked it. Terror filled her lungs instead of oxygen, making it hard to breathe. She pressed the numbers that had been engraved into her mind since birth and shakily raised it to her ear. Riley dashed for the closet and hid behind her clothes.

"What's your emergency?"

Another bang!

"M-my dad's try-trying to r-rape me. P-please help me," she cried, trembling horribly when she noticed the lack of sound.

"He's he-here."

A hand grabbed her leg and pulled her out, making her release the most terrifying high pitched scream the operator had ever heard.

Riley snapped herself out of it. What was the point remembering the past? The future's all that mattered.

She was too ignorant at the time to know that the past and the future were always intertwined.