Danny walked towards school with only one bag this morning. He was a little irritated with Coach for not stopping the tryout early. How many tryouts did they need? They were in the middle of lacrosse off season. As predicted, it poured sheets of rain and turned the field into a massive swamp. Coach held an umbrella over his head and wore a warm raincoat while whistling at everyone. He would have preferred running rather than standing in the goal and freezing to death. Didn't the school have safety regulations about dangerous weather? With all the chaos in town, sports were the last thing on anyone's mind. When he arrived home, he stood in the shower until the hot water disappeared, feeling chilly until drying off. Danny hoped Coach would figure out the freshmen were hopeless; they would only be good for keeping the bench warm during cold games.

He pulled his yellow sleeves down as he approached the school, noticing the dark bikes in the same parking spot. They must have arrived early again. Danny realized he had been running late this morning. After turning into a drenched rat, he wasn't eager to leave his warm bed and go to school. For the next few days, he was going to pretend he had a bad cold, but he had a feeling last night was the end of it. He didn't think Coach was too impressed with the new benchwarmers. None of them stood out, and he could faintly remember not having to move while standing in goal. The balls would bounce off him, not reach him, or miss to the side. The Cyclones were lucky they had decent starters and subs to cover games.

Walking straight to the vending machine, his dollar slipped inside slowly. He looked over the snacks and decided on a pack of pop tarts. Danny watched the spring unwind and stop with his pop tarts still attached. "You have got to be kidding me," he muttered, pressing the button again. The machine took his money and refused to give it back. "That was my only dollar," he moaned, wondering if he should try shaking it. He didn't have time to go through the breakfast line before class started.

"What's up?"

He turned quickly and jumped at the sight of Ethan. "Don't do that. I'm half asleep."

Ethan grinned and looked over Danny's shoulder. "Getting food? Can I have some?"

"I would if the machine wasn't broken."

"Oh, I know how to fix that," Ethan insisted, grabbing the edges. "You just shake it, and it falls off half the time."

"That never works," Danny began to say, hearing the pop tarts smack the bottom. He narrowed his gaze at Ethan with a questioning stare. Did he really just do that? That machine had to weigh a ton. "I would ask you to teach me, but it would probably fall and crush me," he explained.

"Alright, maybe a little luck and practice," he replied, opening the pop tarts. "Chocolate? Not very healthy," Ethan muttered, sliding one into his mouth.

Danny shook his head with a smile and grabbed his remaining breakfast. "In my defense, I don't get to eat chocolate often. The other flavors taste like shit too."

"I can believe that since this tastes like shit."

"It's probably left over from last year."

"I don't think it'd make a difference."

Danny forced himself to eat, knowing he'd be starving later. "So, where is Aiden?" he asked, sitting on a lunch table.

"Hell if I know. He's probably with that one girl. I forgot her name."

"Lydia?"

"Yeah, he was talking about her this morning. I don't understand my brother. We just moved here, and he already wants a girlfriend," Ethan said with a shrug, leaning against the wall.

Danny chewed the rest of his pop tart, watching Ethan eat regardless of the taste. He found this situation slightly amusing. They were both going to the nurse later from food poisoning. It was going to happen, and neither of them seemed to care about the consequences. "You guys are new here, so I'm just saying, don't mess with Lydia. My best friend used to date her, but he moved to London in early summer. She's been searching for a guy to replace him which means she has been single for a very long time."

"I tried to warn him."

The bell rang loudly, beginning school. Danny watched Ethan wince until the ringing stopped, but he kept quiet. He was the same way on most mornings and hated any noise. "I don't want to go to class," he complained, balling the wrapper up. He threw it into the trash can without moving, smirking at Ethan.

"You offered to show me around. I think we could get away with it," Ethan suggested as he looked to the clock.

Sliding off the table, Danny shouldered his backpack and debated. Could he afford to miss chem with Harris? The teacher's monotone voice spoke in his head and made the decision for him. "Yeah, I'm down with that. I need to go to my locker first and put my stuff up." he agreed, leading the way. "It seems you found the cafeteria."

"I actually followed you. I saw you in the hall. My brother decided to leave me by myself. I spend way too much time with him. You're the first person that I've actually talked to."

"That's pretty pathetic, man," Danny teased, chuckling. He held the door open for Ethan and started down the hallway. "Did you beat the rain yesterday? I was out on the field and heard you leave. The rain came pretty quick."

"We got home before getting completely soaked, but we weren't going the speed limit. It sounds like you had fun at practice."

"So much fun," he mumbled, stopping outside his locker. Danny opened it and thankfully didn't have the same difficulty with his lacrosse bag. He shut the metal door back and turn to stare at Ethan. A few seconds passed where he didn't say anything like he was surprised. In those few moments, Danny thought about the embarrassment he could have suffered if he hadn't spoken to Ethan in the library. He would have missed out on a new friend, and he wanted to keep it this way. "Where do you want to go first?" Danny asked, glancing to the floor.

"We can walk wherever. I'll just watch."

"Alright," Danny agreed, walking down the hall. Acting like a tour guide would make him feel stupid anyway; Ethan could observe with his own eyes. "How do you like Beacon Hills so far? I've lived here my whole life, boring right? I like it here though. We live in a small town, but something is always going on. I know I'll have to move out for college, so I have to enjoy it while it lasts," he confessed. He stopped outside the gym and peered through the window. A class was underway with Coach whistling at several students. "That's Coach by the way."

"I think it's really nice here. I know Aiden is thinking the same. We needed a fresh start, you know what I mean? We learned about the town's checkered past after arriving, but what can you do? Any town will have its problems. You can never predict what can happen. I learned that a long time ago," Ethan stated, following Danny to the glass. "That's your Coach?"

Danny nodded at Ethan's answer. "This will be my third year dealing with him. He's insane. I don't think he has a teaching license, but he knows what he is doing." Leading the way once more, Danny listened to Ethan laugh about Coach. They both grew quiet while walking past the classrooms. Getting in trouble on their second day of school would be very sad. He watched Ethan scan the lockers and classrooms, keeping quiet and letting him memorize the halls. As he turned right, Danny pointed to another set of double doors. "That's where the pool is, and there is another entrance to the gym in there."

He led the way and showcased the entire first floor. Most of the classrooms were located there, so they didn't speak very much. It was risky walking around without hall passes. Danny knew their last principal didn't take kindly to wandering students and hooked up cameras to monitor them. Thankfully, the old man resigned, and their previous principal returned from his vacation. Continuing in silence, he came to a stop at the first staircase. "The second floor is designed the same way. Art, music, and other electives are up there. We can walk around some more or go outside," he suggested.

"Let's go outside."

There are many exits located around the school, and most of them are unlocked. "Any of these exits lead to the path. The sidewalk wraps around the school and makes it impossible to get lost," Danny added, holding the door open. After Ethan passed through, he made sure it closed softly behind them. Coach was holding P.E. in the gym today, and it gave them the opportunity to never be found. Nobody would take a stroll down to the bleachers while class was going. He took them the long way to the fields, allowing Ethan to see the campus. It wouldn't be long until he learned his way around. Danny only got lost once as a freshmen.

Birds chirped loudly in the forest that bordered the back of the school. The humidity grew worse as they walked, so he rolled up his sleeves. The sky cleared and promised mild weather which made him feel at ease. Danny hated the dark and stormy clouds, promising horrible practices with Coach. His eyes shifted to Ethan and tried to think of something to say. They were nearly to the fields, yet they were walking quietly like they barely knew each other. Both of them just met, but earlier they had been talking so easily. Did they both run out of things to say? He knew he could normally come up with something; his mouth struggled to form words. Rubbing his left arm uncomfortably, Danny spotted the fields and stopped. "That's the soccer and football field. Both teams have to share the field."

Ethan remained quiet and started to walk towards the bleachers. He pulled out his phone and started to text someone. The sun dried the silver seats that morning and allowed him to sit without getting wet.

Danny frowned and wondered if he did something wrong. Had he given Ethan the wrong impression? He looked down to his shoes before following him to the bleachers. "Is everything okay?" Danny asked, hoping Ethan gave him a simple excuse. He might be nervous about moving to a new town or tired from waking up this morning like him.

"I saw the police talking to the principal this morning. I didn't mean to overhear, but I was getting stuff out of my locker. They found a third body last night. What do you think it means? They are about our age," he mumbled, sliding his phone into his pocket.

Danny's eyes widened, and he sat down next to Ethan quickly. "What do you mean they found another body?" he asked, rubbing his right knee nervously. "I'm sure the police are going to find out who's behind this. They protect us, and you have to go looking for trouble to find it. I'm sure it's going to be okay. I really hate for you to move here and bad things to start happening again," he tried to reassure.

Ethan nodded at him, seeming very troubled. "What has happened in the past though? I just want to know. My Dad is curious, but I know he wouldn't make us move again."

Pausing at his question, Danny stared at the soccer goal down on the field. He shook his head with a sigh, realizing he couldn't keep anything secret. "Right after freshmen year began, a mountain lion started to kill people. It was mainly homeless people. My friend, Jackson, ran into it and barely escaped. He wouldn't tell me anything about it, but the police report made the news. He was renting a movie with Lydia, and it killed the worker, almost him, and trashed the store. It burst through the glass window and disappeared into the forest. The lion turned up in the school parking lot, and Mr. Argent managed to kill it," Danny explained, rubbing his jeans. "A few days later, his sister was found with her throat slashed. There was no trace of wild animals anywhere."

He turned his head and watched Ethan, seeing that he wanted to hear more. "They found her at the ruins of the Hale house. It turns out she set it on fire and killed the entire family. Derek Hale…and I think his uncle survived. They held the funeral for her last year. The hype about it was nuts. I honestly thought nothing else would go wrong. People started to get murdered again in the fall. I can't remember how they died though. There was a rumor that they were paralyzed and couldn't move while the monster slowly killed them," Danny persisted, realizing that his hands were sweating. Wiping his jeans, he shot Ethan another look.

Ethan seemed stunned by the bloody history and scooted closer. "How do you know so much? You can stop. I can tell it's bothering you to talk about it."

"No, it's fine, really. Nobody acts like it, but we are all worried about the new deaths. Anybody could tell you about what happens here. I'm sorry that you moved here during this. Beacon Hills is not what it seems to be. Do you want to know the person behind the murders last year? It was a guy named Matt. He went to this school, played on the lacrosse team, and we talked a couple times. You would have never known that he was capable of killing so many. He killed a couple; strung the husband in a tree and suffocated the wife while she was pregnant with her child. I went to his funeral even though he tried to kill me. Isn't that ironic? I was at a club, and he paralyzed several guys on the dance floor. The last thing I remembered was something scratching my neck before I couldn't move from the neck down. I was lucky so many people helped us get to the hospital. Matt drowned in a river, couldn't swim," Danny explained, looking away from Ethan.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and he turned to watch Ethan. Ethan seemed guilty for asking; he hadn't been expecting such a dark answer. Danny smiled slowly, feeling the genuine comfort from his touch.

"Danny, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I didn't mean for that. Are you okay? I feel really bad," Ethan apologized.

"It's okay. I told you because you wanted to know. I just feel like anybody should have the chance to know. Thanks for listening. You're the first person that I've actually told. I feel better. I think I've been dwelling on it for awhile even though Matt can't hurt people now."

A loud whistle shocked both of them, and they stared at the source with surprise. Coach stood on the sidewalk with his arms crossed. "Danny! You're supposed to be in class right now. What are you doing out here? You know what, I don't want to know. You and your boyfriend better be at cross country practice, or you'll both have detentions! The bell just rang by the way!" he shouted, continuing on his way.

Danny felt Ethan's hand drop to his side, stunned by Coach's teasing comment. He hoped he wasn't blushing of all things, and he felt like hiding and never coming out. Fearfully, he stood and looked back to Ethan, seeing him smile. "We better get to class," he stammered, walking to the stairs.

"I thought we weren't going to get caught. I guess I'll see you at cross country. I will bring Aiden too," Ethan insisted, going down the stairs in front of him.

Gripping the rail, Danny watched as Ethan reached the bottom and began to walk towards school. He honestly felt mortified despite Ethan's response. Why did Coach have to find them? They would have been in deep trouble if it had been anyone else, but why did it have to be Coach? Feeling a pit form in his stomach, he descended the metal stairs slowly. A weight had been removed from his shoulders and replaced by a new one. Sometimes he couldn't keep friendships because other guys were uncomfortable around him, and it was just something he couldn't help. He didn't try to make them nervous. They couldn't act the same around him for whatever reason. That's why he missed Jackson already; Jackson would defend him from the other guys in the lockeroom even though it was embarrassing. He had to step up this year because Jackson wouldn't be around to stick up for him.

By the time he stood in the locker room, his thoughts created at least ten different ways to respond to this morning's nightmare. He felt terrible for dropping so much depressing information in Ethan's lap. What had he been thinking? Was that the way to welcome someone to town? He spilled all of Beacon Hills' dark secrets within ten minutes. Was he an idiot? Danny leaned against the tan lockers, sighing in frustration. His gaze narrowed as he heard Stiles and Scott having another stupid conversation, so he listened in and felt his spirits rise.

"I looked everywhere. It's like he just walked away and left his car, his dog," Scott muttered.

"Okay, could he be a virgin maybe? Did he look like a virgin?" Stiles asked.

"No, definitely not. Deaton makes me have sex with all of his clients. It's a new policy," Scott teased, pausing. "No, I don't know if he was a virgin, and why are you talking like he's already dead? He's just missing."

"Missing and presumed dead. He's probably a virgin, Scott. You know who else is a virgin, me! I'm a virgin. Okay, do you know what that means? It means my lack of sexual experience is now literally a threat to my life. Okay? I need to have sex like right now. Someone needs to have sex with me like today! Someone needs to sex me right now!" Stiles urged, slamming his locker.

Danny stared at Stiles and prevented himself from laughing. He couldn't fathom what they were really talking about, but it was too hard to resist. "Alright, I'll do it," Danny exclaimed.

Stiles whirled around and screamed in surprise, watching Danny with a curious gaze. "What?" he spluttered.

Smiling at him, Danny knew this was too good. "Come to my place a nine. Plan to stay the night. I like to cuddle."

Glancing back to Scott, Stiles didn't know what to say for a few moments. "That is so sweet of you. Are you kidding?"

"Yes, I'm kidding!" Danny said forcefully, walking away in disbelief. He sometimes wondered if Stiles was gay deep down or just incredibly stupid. Stiles asked him so many times if he found him attractive, and it just made him cringe in agony. Having sex with Stiles was not a pretty thought.

"You know, you don't toy with a guy's emotions like that, Danny! It's not attractive, alright?" Stiles shouted back.

Danny set his bag down and turned when Isaac entered the room. He hadn't seen Isaac yesterday. Isaac was supposed to help with tryouts, but he never showed at school. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his practice jersey; at least the cross country jerseys didn't have sleeves. Lacrosse pads baked all of the players, and he was the one that stood in goal and didn't run around. He stood straighter when he heard Coach exit his office, berating Isaac for being late.

"I'll remind you all that cross country is not optional for lacrosse players! I don't need you to turn into a bunch of fat asses in the off season!" he reminded, gesturing at one of the boys.

Sliding his shirt off, Danny stopped as Coach stared at him for a few moments. None of the lacrosse players were fat because Coach saw to that. They ran countless fitness drills, and Danny doubted it was possible to gain any weight over the off season. They only gained weight in muscle. Even then, Danny was on the skinny side with lean muscle covering his body.

"So, work on that," Coach mumbled, retreating back to his office.

He stuffed his shirt into his bag and changed into his jersey and lacrosse shorts. The guys were clearing out and putting ear buds in their ears for the running. They had to run several miles at each practice because cross country comprised of long distance running. Danny developed a suitable pace during his first lacrosse preseason, and it managed to keep him with the pack of runners. He never fell behind; if he did, it told him he was not pushing hard enough. Glancing around the locker room, he went outside with the others. Did the twins skip, or were they already outside? He didn't see them come in earlier.

A breeze blew by and rustled the tree limbs. The crowd of runners stood near the forest trail, and he watched the boys walk over to the approaching girls. Rolling his eyes, Danny stretched by himself and scanned the group. He was about to give up when he noticed the twins walking to the front. One of them wore the maroon jersey while the other wore a black warm up jacket. Danny wondered which was which. He'd have to ask Ethan if there was an easy way to tell them apart. Stretching while everyone gathered, he watched Coach walk towards them to begin the run. They were supposed to complete the trail in a certain amount of time, and he had a feeling the stragglers would be cut. Coach already explained not wanting fat asses on his team.

Hearing the whistle, Danny took off and ran faster until he hit his pace. He would slow when an incline appeared then sprint when the path went downhill; that was how he survived preseason every year. Danny ran near the front of the group and spotted the twins sprinting way up the path with Isaac trailing behind them. How were they going so fast? McCall broke through the group and began to sprint quickly after them. All four were out of sight in the first minute. Coach just needed the four of them to compete at the future meets. What was going through their heads? Wasn't this practice? He couldn't believe they were left behind so easily. Pushing the thought from his mind, Danny focused on maintaining his pace, and others gradually started to slow behind him.

Danny spotted a ponytail to his right as two girls caught up. Some of the girls actually knew how to pace themselves. Most of the guys were falling behind because they sprinted at the very start. The breeze cooled his skin, and he was thankful for autumn's chilliness. Frowning as a girl surpassed him, Danny turned his attention back to their surroundings. He chose a small landmark in the distance and told himself to reach it, selecting a new one when he passed a log or colorful tree. Choosing a large tree next, he noticed the trail curved around it and forced his body to get there. His lungs were starting to burn, but he told himself to keep going. The run would only take longer if he slowed.

His gaze moved to the dirt path, watching the ground. A scream echoed from up ahead and made his head snap to attention. The girl paused at the curve and was holding her hands to her face. Danny ran faster, forgetting his wish to stop. As he reached her side, he stopped and gawked at the tree. "Oh my god," he muttered, moving closer slowly. A boy was strapped to the trunk with blood dripping from his neck, splattering all over his clothes. Danny could tell the boy was dead from his pale skin and lifeless expression. Leather wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting deeply into it. They just discovered the fourth murder.