Title: Underneath It All
Rating:
T (hard T in some chapters)
Summary:
Melanie Crowe wanted to do two things: join the lacrosse team and conquer sophomore year with her best friend by her side. Then she had to go and get nosy and put herself in the middle of an adventure she could only dream up. Werewolves she can handle. Hunterss she can handle. Learning that she may cause her friends' deaths? That may take a little longer to get used to. She always had a fascination for the supernatural but she never imagined that her fixation would suddenly become her worst nightmare.

Follows show plot with deviations starting from episode one.

Ship: Erica/OFC; side: Isaac/OC (not a love triangle) Scott/Allison, Jackson/Lydia, one-sided Stiles/Lydia
Genres:
Supernatural, Romance, Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Mystery, Angst, Suspense
Warnings: Eating disorder, body dysmorphia, mentioned suicide attempt, depression, semi-graphic violence


ACT ONE

Chapter 1: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

"Er-ri-caaaa!"

Three pleats of a honking horn punctuated the name that was stretched out that cool January morning. It was a morning that held a bright blue, cloudless sky. It was a morning that looked as if it belonged on a postcard or in a photograph. It was a morning of new beginnings.

It was the morning Melanie Crowe was going to kick Scott McCall's ass.

"Erica! Put your rear in gear!" Melanie yelled, honking the horn to her truck again. She sat in the driveway of the Reyes house, staring up at the window that overlooked the garage, waiting to see if Erica was finally ready to go to school. Melanie's fingers twitched against the steering wheel as she waited. If Erica didn't hurry up she'd leave her behind and get to the ass kicking that kept her muscles tense since she woke that morning.

Well, nerves played a part in that as well but Scott was the scapegoat she needed to put an extra pep in her step. For that day was the first day back at Beacon Hills High after the New Year and she wanted to start it off on a good foot. Last year's disaster was not going to repeat itself. The first remedy to that vow? Finally joining the Beacon Hills Cyclone lacrosse team. She may have had a set back last year but this year was hers, she could feel it.

Melanie's hand hovered over the horn once more, ready to disturb the peace again when, finally, the window flew up and Erica Reyes stuck her head out. "I'm not ready!" she called. "I have nothing to wear!" If her tousled blond hair and the large, gray sweats hanging off her body were of any indication, she didn't plan on leaving the house at all. And if Melanie weren't best friends with her, she would give in and let Erica stay there.

But they were best friends. And Erica was going to school whether she liked it or not.

Pumping the handle, she pushed open the door of her truck. It emitted an elongated creak, sounding much like her grandpa's knees when he tried to get up from his rocking chair. Once her feet here on the driveway, she closed her door, pulled her backpack through the lowered window, and then headed straight into the house. Even if it weren't unlocked she had a spare key made her for. How else was she going to have ease of access when Erica suffered through one of her 'I hate the world' meltdowns? And besides, what kind of friend knocked? At least, that's what Stiles always said.

That was the same thought that went though Melanie's mind as she barged her way right into Erica's room. Sure, there was the chance that Erica could be in the middle of changing but that was a slim chance. Erica preferred the privacy of the bathroom; even when they had to change for gym class Erica opted to do so in the bathroom stall. Dropping her backpack on the ground, Melanie surveyed her friend who had flopped down on her bed. Erica's blond hair splayed out in all directions beneath the pillow she'd pulled down over her face. Oh, this wouldn't do. With a click of her tongue, Melanie yanked the pillow upwards and lightly bopped Erica on the head with it. "You can't hide out here forever, Eri," she said.

"Who says?" Erica replied. She grabbed the pillow and held it against her stomach; Melanie knew she was trying to hide her thicker waist. It was still a source of contention for her. "If it was just you and me things would be fine." Erica's voice took on a wistful tone, one that made Melanie's face soften. "We could hide in a fort and...and watch RuPaul's Drag Race all day."

"While I love the sound of that, we do need to go," Melanie said. She grasped Erica's hand and attempted to pull her up but Erica's body flopped around as she acted as a counter weight.. "Eri, come on! I can't try out for lacrosse without you. I need you there."

Erica groaned, "No you don't."

"Yes I do," Melanie insisted. Her words a simple grunt as she strained. "I need your support." With a hefty pull, she managed to bring Erica up into a sitting position. Her round eyes, nestled within dark circles, gazed up at her, dull.

"I'm only going to bring you down." Erica tugged at a loose thread in her bright colored quilt. It resembled the tiles that ran through the Reyes home. "You have a real shot at making it. Your social stock will go through the roof. Then what? Epileptic Erica is just going to mess it all up for you." She sighed. "You're better off without me."

"Hey." Melanie knelt in front of the bed, taking Erica's hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. "You listen to me. I'm better with you. Got it? Without you...I'm like peanut butter without it's jelly. Macaroni without it's cheese. Liver without it's onions. ...Yogurt without it's eggs!"

"...You're so weird," Erica managed to say through the effort she put into keeping a strange face. Melanie caught the sparkle returning to Erica's eyes. She grinned in triumph, leaned forward, and kissed Erica on the forehead. A little flutter took off in her stomach at the contact but she attributed it to her victory.

Grumbling, Erica got off her bed. Melanie took her place and Erica pushed hangers aside in her closet. "Are you seriously going to try out for the lacrosse team again?" When Erica got an affirmative mhm as a response she continued, "Coach Finstock didn't even let you try last year. What makes you think this year will be different?"

"Well, for starters, any time I could I practiced as much as I possibly could to get in better shape." In fact, when Melanie wasn't stuffing her face with junk food over the holidays she spent the rest of her time at school. It was almost like she hadn't left with the rest of the student body, she became so focused on making the team. She ran up and down the bleachers, she pushed herself through a series of grueling sit-ups, push-ups, planks, russian twists, and even wall sits which she absolutely despised. But she kept her eye on the prize and did anything she could to improve her game. Scott and Stiles came out some days and they helped each other train and gave each other pointers; how to hold the stick better, taking a proper shot, and even tested their reaction times. her stick smacked the ball out of Scott and Stiles' hands more than they held onto them. It wasn't the high-powered opponent she wanted but beggers can't be choosers and if she were to make the team with anyone, it would be those two. When they showed up anyway! "I'm a hell of a lot better than Stiles is so I have that leg up. And, I have the principal on my side this time." Melanie reached into her pocket and pulled out a crinkled, folded envelope. "As he and I noticed, nowhere in the rules does it say a girl can't try out for a male sports team. And since we don't have a female lacrosse team, male lacrosse is it."

Erica sighed. "...By that you mean you called the principal nonstop until he gave in to listen to you?"

"...Maybe."

Erica grunted, read the letter, and then handed it back. "Are you sure you want to deal with Jackson again after last time?"

Melanie tucked the letter into the front pocket of her jean jacket. Did Erica need to remind her about last year every time? If Erica wanted no part in it, then Melanie didn't want a part in it either. Fair's fair. ...But she would have been fine if Jackson left her alone! She hasn't been the first person to split their shorts in the world, for crying out loud. "Whittemore can suck a dick for all I care. I am making the team this year and that's that." She scoffed. "In fact, Scott was supposed to help me practice yesterday but he never showed. And when I tried to call him he didn't answer. Which is why we need to get to school, so I can kick his ass for standing me up."

Erica paused, holding a shirt up to her chest. She tilted her head and regarded her dark haired friend. Licking her lips, she asked, "…You're still into him, aren't you?"

"What? Me? Pfft. No. Psh! I'm over that. I've been over that." Melanie waved her hand as if waving away the notion. "This is just business." That's exactly what it was. Just business. She wasn't rushing to the school just to see the guy that always seemed to have a smile ready for her. The guy who always listened to her when she rattled on about a creature she read about. The guy who always seemed to have an extra Snickers bar with her name on it. Not at all. "I just think it's lame that you say you're going to do something and then you don't do it—and are you seriously going to go with that shirt and those pants?"

"What's wrong with it?" Erica looked down. Melanie grimaced at her choice of matching a brown shirt and white pants. She tugged on the ends of her hair and bit her lip. Melanie could practically see the gears turning in her head as she worried her lip between her teeth.

"Uhhh..." Pressure built in Melanie's face as she held her tongue. Shit. Erica hasn't been one to take any sort of comment since The Incident. If only that jackass hadn't taken out his phone and recorded her. It was tiring, treading lightly on eggshells and reconstructing her initial thoughts to soothe Erica's worries. But she did it without complaints. If Erica needed a little extra love and care so be it. "It's...not the best look."

"What were you really going to say?"

"...You'd look like an Oompa Loompa without the tan."

Erica released her lip from her teeth and tried to give Melanie a stern look but it didn't last long. Soon her face split into a smile and she found herself giggling. Sighing, Erica tugged the shirt over her head and went for another one.

"Listen, Eri, forget what happened last year, alright? Forget all those other years. Forget everything except you and me. That's all that matters. You and me. As long as we're together we can start over and make things right and make this year ours." Melanie held out her hands. When Erica didn't walk towards her she wiggled her fingers and lifted her eyebrows, prompting Erica to finally grasp her hands. "Don't let anyone else into this brilliant head of yours. You may have a condition, but that's okay, because it doesn't define you. It's how you react to it that defines you. Okay?"

"That sounded so lame."

"Doesn't make it less true. Besides, I can pull it off can't I?"

Erica rolled her eyes. A second later her lip began to tremble and she sniffed. "I just want to be like everyone else," she admitted.

Melanie smiled. "I know. And this year you can be like everyone else. Because this year is ours to do what we want with it—" she slung her arm around Erica's neck and gave her a squeeze—"And what I want to do with it is have you by my side for every single moment so when we're old and gray we can laugh about all the dumb stuff we went through and the dumb stuff we said as we rock in chairs on the porch and drink purple Kool-Aid."

A content sigh pushed out her nose as she thought of that first day they met, ages ago. Melanie had moved to Beacon Hills with her parents a couple of weeks into the first month of fourth grade, of whom were longtime friends of Erica's mother. Their moms had met at summer camp years ago and stayed in touch ever since so when they moved it wasn't long before the two families met up. A play date had been set up for them by their mothers but they didn't get along right away. Melanie was into Pokémon while Erica was into Barbies. Melanie liked to rattle off on all the scary books she'd read whereas Erica held her interest in Batman comic books. Melanie liked strawberry ice cream, Erica preferred chocolate. Anything and everything had them butting heads. They fought all day long over what they were going to play, when they were going to play it, and who was going to play what part. The one thing that settled them down? Lunch time. A lunch that was accompanied by butterscotch cookies and purple Kool-Aid, what they both quickly found out was their favorite snack. How a friendship formed from there, Melanie still didn't know, but she wouldn't trade Erica for the world. What Melanie lacked Erica filled in the gaps for her. When she needed to slow down and relax, Erica was there. And when Erica needed a confidence boost or a taste of independence, Melanie was always there to provide. They just fit.

"Okay," Erica said, taking Melanie out of her fading thoughts. "Let me just pick...something."

Melanie bounded down the stairs whereas Erica took her time as they headed down to Melanie's waiting truck. They passed through the kitchen where Mrs. Reyes sat, a newspaper folded perfectly next to her plate as she took a sip of steaming black coffee. Her eyes lifted as the girls passed through and wrinkled in the corners when Erica pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek.

"Good luck today, sweetie," Mrs. Reyes said, giving Erica's arm a squeeze. "Everything will be fine."

"Sure, Mom."

"You have my number? In case anything comes up..."

"Yes, Mom."

"And you have Mrs. McCall's—"

"We're going to be late." Erica grabbed a brown lunch bag off the nearby counter-top and followed Melanie out to her truck. Melanie threw her bag in through the open window and climbed unceremoniously into the street. As she started the engine the radio turned on with a blast of sound, making Erica jump. Chuckling, Melanie turned down the guitar solo filtering in through the speakers and then changed the station all together.

"...sheriff's department announced that the other half of a body previously located in the Beacon Hills Preserve, has been found. The body has not been identified at this time. Two joggers had earlier called in a report of finding half a body yesterday afternoon and the police spent the night searching for the other half. Police are working to identify the body of the twenty-year-old girl..."

The volume lowered. Melanie turned to Erica as she removed her hand from the knob. "You don't want to hear more?"

"Not this early. Don't you go jogging out there?"

Melanie nodded and backed out of the driveway. "Sometimes, yeah."

"And you've never seen anything?"

"It's not like a body was just strewn across the road, Eri. Bet whoever killed someone would at least try to hide it."

"How many paths are in there?"

"I dunno. Twenty?" Melanie shrugged. "Those are the official ones anyway." Sometime while on a jog in the preserve she'd go off in any direction she felt like at the moment. Taking the path was boring sometimes. But, no matter how far off the mark she went, she somehow always knew the way to get right back where she stated. She'd never been lost a day in her life due to always being able to find North. If she were a Girl Scout, she'd get some sort of navigation badge.

Erica hummed. "Must be nice being able to go somewhere on your own."

"It's not all that it's cracked up to be, really." Melanie pressed on the brakes at a stop sign. She smiled sheepishly when Erica was flung forward.

"Easy for you to say."

"We're planning on going to the beach this summer, aren't we?"

"Yeah, planning. But Mom'll never let me go."

"Yeah she will. You just have to ask."

"There's no point. I couldn't do anything. I'd have to swim with a buddy or…or be watched using a curling iron or anything else I'm not allowed to do."

"It's five months away. That's enough time to show your mom that you can spend some time away and be fine. When was your last seizure?"

Erica's nose wrinkled. "Four months ago?"

"See? Between now and then I bet you won't have any and then we can cross off everything on your bucket list." Melanie grinned. "This year'll be great. You'll see."

# # #

Beacon Hills High School was buzzing by the time the two girls arrived on campus. Shrieks and screams of glee pierced the air every now and then of those that recognized their friends. Groups formed on the grounds as a quick catch-up session went on before first bell. Turning off the truck's engine, Melanie turned around to open the back window and pull her backpack through. She struggled a little when her lacrosse stick got stuck but she managed to wiggle it out and drop it onto her lap.

"So, there's no way I can talk you out of this?" Erica asked, eyeing the newly laced lacrosse stick. "Not even reminding you of the concussion?"

"I wouldn't have gotten a concussion if Stiles could aim for shit," Melanie replied, her eyebrow popping up. It accentuated the scar running near her hairline; she could tell, she'd stared at it long enough in the mirror as he wished she could bash Stiles's head in. The one time he had a decent shot and it busted her head open. Blood dripped down her face and when Stiles wasn't panicking he was throwing up, being no use to Scott who tried to stop the bleeding while trying to keep her seated an also trying to call his mom. It was a clusterfuck of a day. And all she had to show for it was a puffy scar and random throbbing in her forehead if she was particularly stressed. She made a mental note to get him back for that.

"Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Melanie leaned over and kissed Erica's cheek. "You're the best. So, remember, because of tryouts I can't drive you home today."

"I know. I have a doctor's appointment anyway." Erica popped open the passenger side door and got out of the truck. "Good luck finding Scott."

"You don't want to come with me?"

Erica didn't reply.

"Eri, they don't bite. It's just Scott and Stiles."

Erica nodded. "Exactly. See you inside." Slinging her bag over her shoulder she waved at her friend, ducked her head down, and headed into the school at a fast pace.

Melanie sighed, watching Erica walk away. Studied the hunch to her shoulders, the rapid pace of her stride, the strict path of least resistance she navigated each and every morning. If it weren't for that YouTube video she could have the old Erica back. If it weren't for a bunch of jerks. A year had passed since then but it may as well have happened yesterday. Alas, this was the Erica she had now and if that meant that she would have to hold her above the rough sea that's high school then she would.

She would hold on for dear life. Because Erica was worth it.

Heaving her own bag over her shoulder, Melanie's blue eyes scanned the grounds for two familiar faces. Her first attempts at looking around yielded her no results; she mentally cursed for being stuck with genes that kept her from growing past her five-foot-two stature. It was one thing for people to jokingly rest their elbows on her head, it was another when she couldn't see past a sea of people. Hiking her bag up her shoulder, she set forward.

She bobbed and weaved between the incoming students, muttering "excuse me" every now and then as she stepped in and out of people's way. One person, gesturing wildly, made her sidestep and stumble over her own feet. "I meant to do that!" she said, her arms stretched out to the sides to keep her balance. "Totally did that on purpose. It's a new jig!" She continued her strange side-step, dance combination, pulling in confused looks of passersby up until she was forced to stop due to crashing into someone.

"Oops! Sorry, Isaac!" She flashed a smile up at him but he'd already ducked his head and continued on his way. How as it possible that someone as tall as Isaac Lahey could look so small? She didn't give have time to formulate an answer for she finally spotted the two she was looking for and made a beeline for them. If only she had timed her entrance better, that way she didn't have to deal with the secondhand embarrassment of Stiles being rejected by Lydia…again. She grinned. Some things never change.

"You're the cause of this, y'know," Stiles was saying to Scott as Melanie sidled up to them. She rolled her eyes. Even Scott didn't seem to agree with him. As if Scott was the reason that Stiles was overzealous about is never-ending crushing on the one and only Lydia Martin. "Dragging me down to your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association."

"You're a nerd because it's embedded in your genes—sorry for you and your future children," Melanie said, patting Stiles on the shoulder.

"Hey Mels," Stiles and Scott greeted her in unison. Stiles, smartly, ignored her jab.

"That's all I get?" she demanded, her once jovial smile of greeting turning upside-down in an instant. Scott's eyebrows furrowed. "'Hey Mels'? How about 'Hey Mels, sorry I forgot to come over last night and help you like I promised. I was a being a big asshole instead'." She twisted her mouth to the side and squinted as the seconds ticked by. Finally, as if a light bulb appeared over his head, he gasped. "Mhm," she hummed.

"Oh, man! I'm sorry! I totally forgot!" Scott gasped. "See, Stiles and I were—"

"—Were just talking about the upcoming lacrosse season," Stiles jumped in, slapping Scott on the shoulder. Melanie's squinting was replaced with a look that was purely incredulous. "Yeah, should be an interesting one. You're going to try out again, I see," he continued, nodding at the stick attached to her backpack. "Very brave of you."

Melanie snorted. "It's very brave of you wouldn't you say?" Reaching out, she pinched Stiles's cheek between her forefinger and thumb and said in a babyish voice, "Wittle Stiles wants to join the big boys this year, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, that's the goal," he replied, slapping her hand away. With a wink he added, "Whether it happens on or off the field first is the question."

"Ew," Melanie uttered, making a face while Stiles smirked. "Didn't need to hear that."

"I'm sorry. I'll try talking over you next time. The words will take longer to reach your ears." He waved his hands over the space above her head, mocking her short stature compared to his.

She blinked, her head tilting in confusion. "Wait…that's possible? That's an actual thing?" she asked.

Stiles's lips parted, an expression appeared on his face as if he had seen it all at that point. Scott chuckled and shook his head. "He was being sarcastic, Mels," he offered up.

"…Oh," Melanie said quietly. She hoped that Stiles would drop the subject—it wasn't the first time she had straight up believed his sarcasm—but of course, this was Stiles, he didn't know when to drop anything that wasn't a lacrosse ball.

Stiles threw his arms into the air. "Really. Really. Still can't quite catch up on that? You're-you're a real genius there, Crowe. S'not like you've had seven years to get used to it. No, not seven long years. Never passed tests along the way. I should get you a translator, in fact. I'm sure Google would back me up on this."

"Shut up, Piles!" Melanie's cheeks burned red and her nostrils flared as Stiles shook his head, rubbing a hand over his short hair. He didn't have to rub it in! It wasn't like they were attached at the hip or anything! And was it bad that she didn't want to believe that anyone would lead her astray? She didn't think so. Frustrated, she had begun to draw her hand back to strike him when Scott pushed through the two of them.

"Okay, settle down." Sighing, he turned to Melanie. "I really am sorry, Mel. Something came up and I forgot. But maybe you didn't need my help. I'm sure you'll be great on your own. You're really good." If she hadn't known them for years she would have carried the argument on but this was Scott McCall. One look in his puppy eyes and anyone would give up any argument in a nanosecond. Seven years later and Melanie still fell for it. Her once embarrassed flush turned to a bright blush at his compliment.

"Thanks," Melanie replied, sounding as confident as she could muster. She bit her lip. As much as she wanted it she knew it would be an uphill battle to be taken seriously. Not just by Coach Finstock but by the other guys on the team as well. Especially Jackson Whittemore. She would have to convince him to take her seriously if she ever wanted a shot at becoming a member of the team. Hell had a better chance of freezing over first. "Hey, did you guys hear about the dead body?"

"We—"

"No, we didn't hear a thing," Stiles said. Scott blinked up at him.

"Nothing?" Melanie's eyebrow rose. "Your father's the sheriff."

"Right. Yep. Yep. That's what he is." Stiles nodded so much he resembled a bobble-head. "Well, y'know, uh…he doesn't exactly share work with me. You know that saying, keep work at work and all that. Gotta keep things separate to run a happy household."

Melanie squinted. "What about that time you got grounded for—"

"That doesn't count."

"What about—

"That doesn't count either."

"And the time—

"None of it counts, Mel, alright? None of it. Just…just forget it."

"…Wait, forget which part? The dead body part or the part where you snoop?"

"All of it!" Stiles's arms flailed as he wiped at the air. "Forget all of it."

Forget it!? How could she just forget that half a body was found? And that Stiles Stilinski of all people didn't want to talk about it? The same guy that tried to convince his dad to let him have a cadaver for show and tell. The same guy that once gave an in-depth report on the stages of decomposition for freshman biology trying to tie it back to the brief anatomy. The same guy that once that once threw a decomposing rat at her when he convinced her and Scott to check out an abandoned warehouse with him? …Okay, that one didn't exactly fit but she wasn't going to let that one go any time soon.

The hair on her arms stood up. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked around for the source of her onset discomfort. She turned towards the school doors only to see Erica staring at her intently. But as she lifted her arm to wave Erica slipped into the double doors. Weird.

The peal of the bell jumpstarted the sluggish students around the school. The three turned and joined the masses as they all herded inside. No matter, she could always talk to him later. It wouldn't be hard; Scott and Stiles weren't exactly the most popular kids in school. In fact, if Lydia's list from last semester was of any indication, they were three spots away from the bottom of the list. Greenberg had the unlucky fortune of holding onto the bottom rung for the third year in a row and Erica sat one step above him.

Melanie sat somewhat comfortably a few spaces above Scott and Stiles. Maybe it was because she once gave Lydia her extra hair tie when Lydia's broke, saving her from some sort of fashion disaster. She didn't know. She and Lydia weren't what people would call the best of friends. The two spoke when they needed to but otherwise kept to themselves. When Lydia soared to the top of the social food chain in middle school Melanie fell behind due to her rapid growing fascination with greek mythology, thus solidifying herself into the Trifecta of Losers, as Jackson called herself, Scott, and Stiles back then. All because they tended to be the last one's picked up for one reason or another. Not that it mattered to her, she was in good company.

"Mels, I really am sorry," Scott said. He pinched the sleeve of her shirt to keep from being separated in the surge of students. "I know I should have called. I just got busy. I wouldn't purposely forget you."

"I know." Melanie tucked her hair behind her ear. "Figured you had a good reason."

"You're not mad at me, right?"

She shook her head, a soft smile curling her lips. "Of course not."

He smiled. "Cool. Good. So…good luck today."

"To you too! Your ass better get on the team. Stiles's too. I don't want to do it without you guys, after all the practicing we've put in."

"No pressure." His lips held a smile of his joke but his eyes remained dull, filling with worry. She patted him on the arm. You got this.

Homeroom was a quick affair, going over their expectations for the rest of their year. Taking the PSAT and preparing to think about where they wanted to go to college if they so choose. A few club announcements were made as well and soon they were shuffled off to their first class of the day. Melanie had English with Stiles and Scott, thankfully. Unfortunately, Erica wasn't in the class with them but having any sort of familiar face was better than nothing.

The class started off with the teacher talking about a dead body being found in the nearby woods, which got the class tittering with questions, of course. Even Melanie's interest was piqued. Things like that didn't just happen around Beacon Hills (okay, maybe it did. Dead bodies were common place but finding half was a whole new can of worms.) Not since the Hale House fire years ago. The shell of a home still sat on wooded land in the area in the city. No one dared to get close, rumor had it that mountain lions took up residence in the home and would let you know if you stepped on their territory. Glancing over her shoulder, Melanie gauged Stiles' and Scott's reactions. They seemed to find the whole thing a joke.

Whatever.

Not long after the announcement the teacher directed their attention to their syllabus. Melanie hummed a tuneless song as she looked over the reading assignments, test dates, and—the most important part—the excuse policies. Melanie had begun to circle that section when the door opened and the Vice Principal entered with a tall girl by his side. Her hand stilled, her eyes drawn to the new girl. Her breath rushed out all at once. The girl, so immaculately dressed with wavy, long dark hair and a hint of a red hue to her cheeks was introduced as Allison Argent and she took the empty seat behind Scott. Again Melanie looked over her shoulder, watching as Allison settled in her seat. Her eyebrows furrowed when Scott turned and gave her a pen.

How odd.

Giving her head a shake, Melanie turned back around to the front. If only she had turned sooner than she could have ignored the look of pure awe in his eye. Like she was the best thing he had ever seen. She ignored the pang of...something that punched her in the stomach and tuned back into class.

After a boring lecture about Kafka's Metamorphosis, the bell rang signaling the end of that class and the start of the five minute break to get to their next one. And so that class morphed into the next which melted into the next. Only Melanie wasn't paying that close attention to the day. She didn't need to, anything she missed Erica could fill her in on later. Besides, the closer to lacrosse practice it got the more anxious she became. By the time the last bell of the day rang she bolted out of her seat as if she had been electrocuted.

Melanie left the room and made a beeline for her locker. Yanking open her locker door, she tossed her books in, making sure not to disturb the digital camera sitting on the top shelf. She closed her locker door—and jumped in startled fright when she saw she wasn't alone.

"Geeze—warn a girl!" she said as Allison lifted her head to look at her. "You're so damn quiet! Like a ninja."

"Thanks…I think," Allison said, slowly closing her locker door. She hiked her bag up her arm and adjusted the scarf around her neck. A moment later she squeezed her eyes shut and laughed; dimples popped in her cheeks. "Sorry, I keep forgetting this part. I'm-I'm Allison."

"I know," Melanie replied. Allison blinked. "You got introduced at the start of English class. Kinda can't miss a name that's an alliteration." She also couldn't miss a girl who was very easy on the eyes.

"Oh. Right, right. I forgot. Obviously. Sorry."

"Hey, no worries, it must get tiring trying to remember who you have and haven't met yet. It's a big school. We got so many new people last year, it took me half a year to figure out their names. I just kept calling everyone 'Hey You'."

Allison laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What happens if you were addressing more than one at once?"

"Oh, that's when you get specific. Things like 'Hey You, with the long hair! No, not you, you! With the braces! The purple braces! Yeah! ...Got any gum'?" She shook her head, chuckling all the while. Last year felt like a world away. Leaning her shoulder against her locker door, Melanie glanced at Allison's half smile. She remembered wearing one just like it years ago when she had first arrived in Beacon Hills; skinned knees, droopy socks and all. Though Allison had a massive leg up in the looks department, it couldn't be easy transferring in to a new high school, let alone a new high school in the middle of a semester. "I'm Melanie, by the way," she introduced herself.

It didn't seem as if Allison had heard her because her head was turned and she was smiling at something. Melanie tilted her head and searched for the object of Allison's attention. No, not something. Someone. Her breath momentarily caught in her chest. Scott McCall. Her eyes bounced between the two like ping pong balls and she swallowed. That oh-so-familiar pang of something punched her stomach again. It was getting old. Clearing her throat and shifting her weight, she had begun to move out of the way when Lydia Martin herself approached.

"That jacket is absolutely killer," she told Allison, one leg popping at the knee to shift her to a comfortable stance. "Where'd you get it?" Melanie wanted to wave her hand in Lydia's face and ask if she were invisible but there was no point. She already knew the answer and she didn't need Lydia of all people reminding her.

"My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco," Allison replied.

San Francisco, huh? Melanie hummed. The only other places she'd been to California were San Diego and Los Angeles. Utpoias compared to good ol' Beacon Hills. Why would someone want to move from San Francisco of all places to here? It would be a culture shock, to some. What San Francisco had in upscale buildings and exquisite shops Beacon Hills replaced with quaint diners and Mom and Pop shops and a nature preserve.

"And you are my new best friend," Lydia said in approval. Right when Melanie was about to walk away she found her path blocked by Jackson. Her eyes jumped up to the ceiling when the two leaned in for a kiss. Her muscles twitched with her suppressed urge to shove her way through them but the she would start the semester off on the wrong foot with him and, unfortunately, she needed him on her side. It was a uphill battle but one she was willing to fight. Even if it meant avoiding his elbow.

"So, this weekend, there's a party," Lydia continued once she peeled her lips away from Jackson.

"A party?" Allison repeated. Melanie noted the shift of Allison's weight. the way her fingers clutched the bag hanging off her shoulder, the tension piling in the corners of her mouth. Small movements to some but it was the story that the little movements told. Allison may as well have had the word anxious written on her forehead.

Jackson nodded. "Yeah - Friday night." He stretched out his arm and rested it on the locker above Melanie's head, still ignoring her. She wondered if she tickled him in the armpit if he would notice it. She bit her lip, quelling the temptation that rose in her. One little poke couldn't hurt... "You should come."

"Uh, I can't. It's family night this Friday," Allison declined, "Thanks for asking."

But Jackson pressed, "You sure? Everyone's going after the scrimmage."

"You mean like football?"

Jackson laughed. "Football's a joke in Beacon Hills. The sport here is lacrosse. We've won the state championship for the past three years."

Melanie's face twisted into an expression of disgust as Lydia ran her fingers though his hair all but cooed, "Because of a certain team captain." Gag me with a spoon. She just didn't get what Lydia saw in him. Besides, if he hadn't been pulled up from JV to Varsity when he was a freshman, the accolades wouldn't stick. But she had to give it to him, he was a ruthless player on the field. A power forward that could knock anyone and anything out of his way. Until now.

"Well, we have practice in a few minutes," Jackson continued, "That is, if you don't have anywhere else—"

"Well, I was going to—" Allison started.

"Perfect - you're coming," Lydia interrupted, grabbing Allison's hand and dragged her behind them, leaving Melanie behind.

Allison glanced at her over her shoulder and gave a little wave. Melanie waved back, stunned. Jackson had gone out of his way to be nice to someone? She pinched herself to be sure was wasn't dreaming; the brief sting of pain told her she was, indeed, awake. Interesting. She shoved her hands into her jacket pocket, her fingers brushing against the smooth surface. The disbelief didn't last long as she gripped the envelope. Her golden ticket. Because in a few short minutes she was going to be trying out for Beacon Hill's lacrosse team too. She grinned and hurried along, rushing to catch up to Stiles and Scott.

She couldn't wait to see the look on Jackson's face.

# # #

"What in the world do you think you're doing on my field, Crowe?" Coach Finstock's loud, grating voice jarred Melanie out of the focus that she had built up as she adjusted the pads on her shoulders. Whirling around, she caught a glimpse of the strained look on Erica's face bleachers for support. It was quickly overshadowed by the thundering expression on Coach's face being shoved into her vision as he towered over her.

She didn't take into consideration the look on Coach's face. It wasn't pretty.

Her body shook beneath his imposing stance but she managed to lift her chin and did her best to keep the nerves out of her voice. "T-Trying out for lacrosse," she replied beneath his stern gaze. "Sir," she added for good measure.

"I thought I told you last year that I would have no girls on my team!" His voice carried so far across the field that everyone stopped to see why he was yelling. Melanie's skin burned, whether that was from everyone looking at her or from the fact that a grown man was yelling at her she couldn't differentiate.

She had a fight ready that morning when she was all fired up over Scott forgetting to meet her. It was nice and articulate and to the point but now, beneath his gaze, words failed her. So, gulping, she reached a hand into her helmet and withdrew the letter. The paper shook and wavered in her unsteady palm as she handed it over.

"Th-the p-principal says you c-can't stop me from t-trying out," Melanie stuttered as Coach snatched it out of her hands. "H-he says there is no rule that a girl can't try out for the team." His eyes cut to her as she spoke and she squeaked out a timid "Sir" at the end.

"Coach! I'm not going to have some…some girl ruin my chances of another championship just because she wants to stretch out her dyke legs," Jackson spat, storming off the field.

Coach didn't respond right away. His face was hidden by the paper in his hands. Melanie looked over his shoulder to see Stiles and Scott approaching with their own gear. Her eyes then swiveled over to Erica whose eyebrows were furrowed together and a look of concern was etched across her features, making her angry acne turn a little bit redder. Melanie made a mental note to find a better cover up for her.

"Coach!" Jackson barked.

"Just let her try, Coach." For a minute Melanie didn't know who the incoming voice belong to. She searched a couple of faces on the bench—they turned away from her as if they didn't want to be involved—and then she finally found one person who stared back at her. Isaac Lahey. She hadn't even noticed he was on the field, let alone knew that he could speak. Imagine that.

Turning back to Coach, she noticed that he was staring at her. His jaw clenched so hard she was sure she would hear it snap in different places. Tension in the air pressed down on her shoulders and wrapped around her throat, slowly constricting. She began to hum, an involuntary sound that she seemed to produce whenever she was in a stressful situation. And getting stared down by Coach Finstock was the definition of stressful.

"—Fine!" he hissed, throwing the paper back in her face. "Suit up and get in line." Gasping in surprise, Melanie started to turn away to do as she was told only to let out a yelp with Coach grabbed onto her ponytail to stop her. "Only don't go crying when you break a nail, got it?"

"Got it," she replied, grimacing underneath the pressure being placed on her scalp. Coach let go of her hair and turned his attention to his newest victim, Scott.

Sighing, Melanie turned back to her equipment when she felt another hand on her hair. "Ow! Okay, can we not do that?" she asked, this time coming face to face with Jackson.

"What, are you on your period or something?" he hissed.

"Uh…no. Not for another…week and three days," she quickly calculated.

For a second Jackson's eyebrows furrowed, his eyelids squinted, and a look of disgust appeared on his ace. But it disappeared a moment later as the fire in his eye ignited once more. "Shut up, dumbass. If you want to be stupid enough to try out, you go right ahead. But I will not let you ruin our championships chances just because you got the idea that you can throw your tits aside and play. This is a sport, not some baking competition, get it?"

"What does baking—?" she started but Jackson's grip tightened on her hair which silenced her words. Breathing harshly, he lowered his head until his mouth was next to her ear.

"I'm only going to say this once: I don't care that you're a girl. If you're in my way, I'll take you out of it. Got it?"

Melanie turned her head, looked him in the eye, and said as steadily as possible, "You'll have to catch me first."

He expelled a harsh breath through his nose and stomped off. Rubbing the back of her head, Melanie went to grab for her gear again. The sound of footsteps on metal made her look up to see Erica rushing down to her.

"Don't," Melanie said, stopping Erica before she could open her mouth. "I can handle it, Eri."

"They can't just put their hands on you like that," Erica hissed, lowering her voice.

"It's-it's fine," Melanie replied, brushing her hair back out of her face. "It's fine. I can handle it, really. I just want to show them what I can do."

"Yeah, but it starts here and ends where? With you in the hospital?" Erica demanded. Melanie's mouth twisted to the side. "Mellie, be reasonable."

"I am," Melanie replied. "I'm out here showing everyone that a girl can do as well as if not better than a guy. I've wanted to play lacrosse for Beacon Hills High for a long time. You know this." She paused. "I want this, Erica. I really do. Why are you stopping me?"

"I don't want you to get hurt," Erica replied, briefly grabbing at her wild hair. Their efforts at taming it that morning didn't seem to hold. "You're the only friend I have. I can't...I can't do this without you." Erica motioned around her; Melanie knew what this was supposed to mean.

Melanie clapped Erica on her shoulder with her glove. "I'm not going anywhere, Erica. I will always be here for you, no matter what."

"Promise?" Erica held up her pinky. Melanie took off her glove, locked their pinkies together, and nodded.

"Promise."

"Crowe! This isn't a tea party!" Coach yelled. "Get in line!"

Melanie widened her eyes and sighed. Erica smiled a small smile and went back to the bleachers, sitting at the far end away from Allison and Lydia who had just showed up and sat down. Melanie shook her head and put on her helmet. As she locked it beneath her chin and peered out between the bars on her cage she locked eyes with Isaac. He was the first to tear his eyes away, grabbing his stick and got in line. Shaking out her nerves as best as she could, she grabbed her stick and joined the back of the line only to lean past everyone to see Scott in goal.

What in the world was he doing in goal? She blinked, as if the fluttering of her eyelashes would wipe away what she was seeing but still Scott stayed. He didn't see a speck of field time last year and now Coach suddenly put him in goal!? A few players ahead of her she spotted Jackson and another player hitting each other on the arm. She spotted their nearly-perfectly white teeth flashing beneath the cages on their helmets. A few seconds ticked by and then it clicked. Easy shot, she surmised. Her gaze went from them to the smirk on Coach's face and back over to Scott. She bit her lip. Please do well, please do well, please do well.

The whistle sounded and soon they were throwing balls in Scott's direction. The first one smacked hi on the helmet, knocking him over, causing a groan and a few laughs to pepper trough the spectators. Melanie bit her lip, silently urging Scott to get up. Thankfully he did and he seemed okay.

...Or, more than okay if the next throw was of any indication. He caught the ball easily, almost as if he knew where it was going before it was thrown. She wasn't the only one surprised. She could see Scott's smile from all the way at the half line. Even Coach was gobsmacked. Scott wasn't the best player on the team but suddenly he could catch? He had been second line last year for a reason…right?

Another player took a shot. Scott caught that too, almost with little effort. On the sidelines Stiles let out a high pitched cheer of astonishment. Shot after shot Scott caught, his net being in the right place at the right time. More students trickled out to the fields to see what was going on and what the cheering was about.

Finally it was Melanie's turn. She bounced up and down on her toes to get herself pumped up. She flashed a thumbs up sign to Erica, fixed her grip on her lacrosse stick, and stepped forward…

…only to have Jackson slap his lacrosse stick across hers, keeping her back. She opened her mouth to protest but he glared at her. It was enough to keep her rooted to the spot as he growled under his breath, ready to take Scott on. Seeing that look in his eye, she felt bad for him. She wouldn't want to go up against him when he looked that crazy.

Jackson charged the goal and took a shot…only for Scott to catch that one too.

"Yeah! Go Scott!" Melanie cheered along with others on the sidelines. Jackson shot her a withering glare and then turned his stare over to Lydia in the stands who held his gaze.

Amidst Stiles cheers of "that's my best friend!" and the applause on the sidelines Melanie yanked off her helmet and squinted across the field. As much as she was impressed by his display one nagging thought shot through her mind:

How did Scott McCall suddenly get so good?


a/n - So, what did you think? This is my first foray into the Teen Wolf fandom and I know I'm a bit late starting in but I just started watching the show two days ago and I'm all caught up and this idea came to mind. Erica was a character I loved right away and as I watched the show I wished she had a supportive friend thrown into the mix so that's how this story started and snowballed from there. I need more supportive female relationships in my fanfic-reading life.

While Underneath it All follows the events of the show starting from episode one, there will be deviations from it to go along with what I have planned for this story. That means it's not a straight up rewrite with an OC thrown in, she has her own plot and things going on around the basis of the show that I hope you all enjoy.

Thank you for giving this first chapter and my story a chance. Please let me know what you think of it so far, especially with my character. All constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy~

~Musings

*Revised 6/20/18*