SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG. This chapter was supposed to be out like a week or two ago, but things got hectic with midterms and Halloween, and then my husband and I had a mass cleaning day where we then put up our Christmas tree (which I'm both loving and hating myself for) then I decided to finally finally put up decorations in our apartment that we've been living in for 7 freaking months. But then AC: Valhalla came out and I just HAD to play it. So, yeah. Sorry again.

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Reviews:

Captain Boshtet: Yep, you were very close on the fox form thing lol. I plan on giving her more interactions with Scott's dad too, so hopefully, you and everyone else will enjoy those, especially since I want to expand on his redemption/not totally a redemption. As for Sara's powers, more is coming, don't worry. I have a lot planned on that front and some of it is alluded to in this chap.

Now, onto the interlude between seasons 3a and 3b (my personal fave).

"Don't ya know I'm dangerous?

Fire burnin' in my blood

I got this handled, I don't need rescuin'

You can call me a princess all you like

'Cause you love to keep me helpless by your side

But that ain't what I want, I'ma show you"

Queen by Loren Gray

The following Monday after the lunar eclipse, I walked through the halls on my way to class. It was strange to see everyone so normal after everything that had happened, but I kind of liked it. With all the craziness, it was nice to have a semblance of normalcy. And as the days passed, Isaac and Allison continued to get closer, Ethan and Aiden sort of disappeared, Riichi slowly got used to not having Cora around, he had also decided to start working at the vet clinic with Deaton to put his healing skills to good use and work to strengthen his powers, and Scott and I acted like Deaton hadn't said anything about his potential feelings for me. I didn't mind the last one too much because if Scott didn't want to talk about it, I didn't plan on dwelling on it.

I did keep an eye on the three surrogate sacrifices though considering Deaton had said their experience would have side-effects. But none thus far had manifested to what I could see.

When I turned the corner, I ran into someone, causing me to drop my book and notebook.

"Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry," the girl said, kneeling to pick up her things while I grabbed mine. She seemed frantic and super embarrassed which was kind of adorable. "I-I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's okay, you're fine," I said calmly, closing my opened textbook and stacking my notebook on top of it before picking them up. "I wasn't exactly paying attention either." I eyed her for a second. I didn't recognize her, and there weren't too many Asian girls in the school besides me, but there was something about her that seemed familiar. "Are you new here?"

A blush crept up onto her cheeks as she picked up her things. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm a people watcher. If anyone's gonna notice a newbie, it'll be me." I stood up, fixing my messenger bag on my shoulder. "I'm Sara. You?"

She stood too, hefting her things in her arms. "Kira." She looked down at a slip of paper in her hand then glanced around the hall. "Sorry, It's my first day and I think I'm lost. Can you tell me where Mr. Harris's classroom is?"

"Mr. Harris doesn't teach here anymore actually," I told her. "I guess they haven't officially changed the roster. It's still the same class though. Just go down this hall, take a left, you'll find it about halfway down on the left-hand side." I gestured in the direction I told her to go. It was the opposite way she had been planning to go.

Kira sighed with a look of relief. "Thanks so much. You're a lifesaver."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't count on that. The substitute while they find a replacement isn't exactly the best. At least he doesn't insult the students though."

"Did Mr. Harris really do that?" Kira asked, frowning.

"Yeah, sometimes I wondered why he was even a high school teacher if he hated us all so much." I paused a moment. "But, um, I should probably get to class. If you want, I can give you a tour at lunch. The staff isn't particularly attentive to new students. Or students in general."

She looked embarrassed and sheepish again, shaking her head. "Oh, you don't have to. I don't wanna be a bother."

Oh, my god, why do I always befriend the puppies? I realized. I then gave her a smile. "It's no bother. It'll give me an excuse to avoid some people, so you'd actually be helping me out just as much as I'd be helping you."

"Thanks."

"See you at lunch. Meet me outside the cafeteria which is on the second floor." With that, I left the new girl's side, continuing down the hall to my class.

Once lunch rolled around, I expertly avoided Scott and Stiles's gazes when I left them to meet up with Kira. There was something about her that made me automatically like her, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't a romantic attraction or anything like that, not that it'd be bad for that since she was seriously pretty, but something was drawing me to her, sort of like a kinship for a lack of a better term. It made me want to get to know her.

Kira and I ate and walked through the school, chewing on our sandwiches as we went. I showed her where all of her classes were located along with the gymnasium, locker rooms, auditorium, lacrosse field, pool, and library. I also made sure she knew where my locker was in case she was looking for me, and hers was just right down the hall anyway.

It had been a while since I had met someone new, like truly new, not knowing of or about them for months or years before actually getting to know them. It partly raised my hackles and partly felt fun. And Kira could rival Scott on level of sweetness.

We settled outside at one of the picnic tables once the tour was finished.

"So, I don't mean to be nosy," Kira began slowly, "but I'm going to ask anyway. Who are you trying to avoid?"

I wanted to laugh. She seemed so awkward and innocent. "A few people really," I answered. "My ex is one. We're in the same friend group. It's kinda recent and just a little awkward at times."

She grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I said shrugging. "It's only so weird because the girl he started liking is also in our friend group which makes a few of the others a little weirded out."

"Oh, that's bad." She shook her head, still frowning. "Don't tell me she was like your best friend or something?"

"He was, actually," I corrected. I wanted to laugh at the thought of a hunter being my best friend. Even though Allison and I had become decent friends, I doubted it would ever reach that level. She had done too much damage for me to ever want to reach that point. "I feel worse for her ex who is close with my ex and me. And I feel like her ex might like me, but I really don't want to have that conversation, so I'm avoiding him, too."

Kira opened her mouth to say something then closed it, trying to process what I had just said. Granted, I was a little confused by my own words as well. "Okay, I'm gonna be honest and say that without names or faces, what you just said was a little confusing," Kira finally decided. She then quickly shook her head and waved her hand. "I'm not asking for names or anything. You don't have to tell me."

I chuckled a little. "Honestly, for some reason, I feel like I can tell you anything and I have no idea why. Even with my ex, I struggled with being one hundred percent open, and we had been best friends for years before we started dating."

"I think it's 'cause I'm a girl," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Every girl needs her girl best friend to confide in with things guys just don't understand." I supposed that made sense. Even though Lydia and Allison were relatively close to me, I hadn't divulged all my secrets to them; although, that may have partly been because of past experiences with them. But something about the explanation still didn't fit completely. "Is there no one other than your ex?"

"Like I said, we're all in the same friend group. To make it brief, there's a lot of history. So right now, I'm basically on my own until I'm done avoiding them. It's a little awkward sometimes."

Try a lot awkward. Boyd had finally started sitting with us- thankfully, since we were getting a little worried about him closing himself off after Erica's death -and between him, Stiles, and Scott uncomfortably eyeing Isaac and Allison while they not-so-subtly flirted, Lydia not fully confronting Stiles's feelings about her, and Scott painfully avoiding any topic about me and him or him and Allison, it was a little much.

Kira's eyebrows lifted a little as she looked up at me. "Wow, well, if I may be so bold, I will happily be your friend. And I'm not just saying that because I don't have any here."

I laughed and she laughed along. "I will gladly be your friend," I said. "We can survive this cursed school together."

Her smile froze then slowly dissipated. "Wait, cursed?" she repeated.

Raising an eyebrow at her, I asked, "Did you not do any research about where you were moving to?"

"No. It was all so sudden to me, and I kinda forgot to do it. It's like my parents flipped a switch one day and decided we were moving."

Hm, strange. I leaned forward on the picnic table. "Let's just say little Beacon Hills has Mystic Falls-level problems."

Kira seemed to understand the Vampire Diaries reference thankfully. "What did my parents get us into?"

"A nightmare," I answered, then backtracked. "Well, sometimes. Most of the time Beacon Hills is perfectly fine and maybe a little boring. Just don't go out on a full moon. You'll want to avoid the crazies."

"New York was like that, too. Did you know the moon is where they got the word 'lunatic' from?"

"I have a feeling you're full of some interesting facts." She just seemed like the type of person who had a bunch of random knowledge. Then someone slid onto the bench next to me, and I looked up to see Boyd. "What are you up to?"

"Sorry, but I really had to get away from Isaac and Allison," Boyd said, setting his backpack on the ground by his feet. "I'm assuming this is the table for avoiding them?"

I shrugged and said, "It half is. I'm on Team Avoidance, and she's on Team I Just Showed Up And Don't Know What's Going On." I gestured to Kira who sat across from me. She smiled and waved when Boyd turned his gaze from me to her. "Meet Kira. She's new. Kira, this is Vernon Boyd."

"I just go by Boyd." He stuck out his hand and smiled. "Welcome to Beacon Hills."

"Thanks," Kira said, her voice small as she shook his hand.

"I'm surprised Scott and Stiles haven't run yet, too. What'd they do to finally get you to run away?" I asked.

Boyd groaned and rolled his eyes. "Scott and Stiles aren't there either, they hadn't even tried, like they took a page from your book, but anyway, Allison told Lydia that she felt a slight chill and was thinking about going to her locker to get her jacket. Completely offhandedly, not even really paying attention to what she was saying, didn't mean anything by it, and you wanna know what Isaac did?" I looked at him expectantly. "He took off his scarf and gave it to her while wearing his big, dopey grin. You know the one he gets. Like when a dog successfully does a trick and wants a treat."

I snorted and slapped my hand over my mouth, trying my hardest not to burst out laughing. It was truly the best description of Isaac's smile I had ever heard. It took a few seconds for me to be able to speak without bursting into laughter. "That's why he's Moon Moon on my phone."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad," Boyd agreed. "And it's worse than you and Scott dancing around each other ever since Deaton implied you two had a more profound bond."

While briefly taken aback by the fact that he had been told what Deaton had said, likely by Isaac or Stiles because they're both little shits, something else stood out more. I narrowed my eyes and my eyebrows pinched together. "Was that a Supernatural reference?"

"Maybe. I wasn't gonna mention it."

I put my face in my hands, leaning on the table. "Oh, my god, no, stop."

Boyd and Kira shared amused smiles with each other, silently chuckling while I was in internal agony.

Tuesday afternoon after school, I swung by the vet clinic, arriving at the same time as Scott. We both paused, looking over each other as we made eye contact on our way to the front door.

"Hey, Sara," Scott greeted first, awkwardly waving. "Do you need something?"

"Oh, uh, I just need to talk to Deaton about something," I answered with a shrug. Why is this so weird? I asked myself. It was fine between us the day after the eclipse, but now it's like we're both so focused on what Deaton had announced. I guess the novelty of succeeding has worn off.

Scott nodded, the corners of his mouth dipping ever-so-slightly. "Right. I think he's scheduled for surgery for the next half hour if I remember correctly, but you're welcome to wait."

"Great." I gave him a thumbs up then scolded myself when Scott turned to walk towards the door. A thumbs up, really?

I followed Scott inside the vet clinic. An older woman sat in one of the waiting chairs reading a magazine. It must have been her animal being operated on. I was about to sit in one of the chairs when I remembered something.

"Wait, Scott?" I called before Scott was going to go past the barrier to go to the back rooms.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Can I schedule Simba's next check-up while I'm here?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." He moved around the barrier to the desk with a laptop sitting on it, unlocked it, and pulled open a calendar. "When were you hoping for?"

"Sometime next week if anything's available." I picked at my jacket sleeve, glancing around. "It'll probably be my dad bringing him in, so anytime is fine."

Scott absentmindedly nodded and said, "There are openings for eleven next Thursday or two o'clock on Friday."

"Uh, Thursday's good." I pulled out my phone and made a quick note to remind myself to tell my parents.

"Great, so you're all set." Scott pushed back the chair and stood, looking at me. "Check up for Simba on Thursday at eleven."

I grinned and nodded. "Great."

"Great." It was silent for a moment before he gestured behind him. "I should probably go see if Deaton needs any help."

"Right, yeah, of course. I'll just. . ." I pointed to one of the chairs. "I'll be here." I scurried over to one of the waiting chairs across from the barrier and Scott went to go check in with Deaton. I glanced up at the other person waiting and noticed a small smirk gracing her face. I rubbed my temple and leaned on the arm of the chair, pulling out my phone to play games on my phone while I waited.

Twenty minutes later, Deaton came out to the waiting area. He smiled at me and motioned for me to wait a minute then he turned to the woman. "Mrs. Bettcher?" Deaton said. The woman looked up from the magazine and set it down. "I'd like to keep Olly overnight for observation if that's alright, but for now, you're welcome to go see him."

The woman, Mrs. Bettcher, gave him a relieved smile and stood. "Thank you, Dr. Deaton."

He waved her on back and waited until she was out of sight to turn to me. "Poor dog had a tumor, but I don't think it will be growing back." Deaton had a playful smile on his face.

"Riichi?" I asked quietly.

Deaton nodded and said, "I've been teaching him how to heal specific impairments rather than everything all at once. He's doing quite well for someone who has only used his powers for major things. But I have a feeling you're not here to talk about your brother."

"Well, your feeling is correct. I was wondering if you might be able to help me with my own powers." He was about to respond, but I quickly continued. "I know I should probably ask my mom, but while we are repairing our relationship, I'm just not quite there yet. You've been helping guide me for years."

A reassuring smile spread across his expression. "Of course, Sara. I assume you mean more on the spiritual or subtle aspects and not the more physical aspects?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

"I'd be glad to help. I've also been trying to impart some wisdom on Riichi, so maybe learning together will help as well."

"Thanks, Doc."

On Wednesday, I was coming to the end of my rope of patience. Being around Isaac and Allison's sexual tension wasn't fun, even if I had no romantic feelings for him. They hadn't kissed. They hadn't gone on any dates. They were avoiding the topic even though they were totally into each other. And honestly, I needed a distraction from it. A new friend like Kira wasn't cutting it. There weren't many options for getting a distraction in a town like Beacon Hills, leading me to one idea.

Before Physics, I slid into the spot next to Danny instead of my usual spot next to Isaac. Isaac hadn't arrived yet anyway.

"Hey, Danny," I greeted with a grin.

He eyed me skeptically. "Sara." I understood his skepticism considering how often we talked, not to mention I had never sought him out.

"What do I have to do to get your help acquiring a lovely fake ID for me?" I asked in a low voice.

"Considering you've never asked me for help on literally anything, not even homework, telling me why you want one should just about cover it," Danny answered. "Aside from the actual cost of the ID, of course."

"Of course." I nodded a little and took in a deep breath, glancing around. How should I word this? "I need a distraction after breaking up with Isaac. Especially after seeing him and Allison getting closer." It wasn't the complete truth and it made me sound like I wasn't over the breakup even if I was, but I knew Danny would buy it more than the whole truth.

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that'll do it."

"So the ID?" I asked again.

"Have you ever been to a club before?"

My face fell. "Uh, no."

"A bar?"

"No."

Danny considered me and my answers for a moment then said, "I'll take you out."

"What?" I blurted.

"I'm not going to give you an ID then toss you out in the world with no idea what to do," Danny explained with a small smile as if he was amused. "You'll probably get it confiscated right away. This Friday at ten, meet me at Sinema with one-fifty. And send me a photo of you with a plain backdrop, preferably white or blue. Here's my number." He scribbled his number on a piece of paper, tore it from his notebook, and handed it to me.

"Thanks, Danny."

He nodded. "I know a thing or two about breakups and rebounds." Oh, right, because Ethan was sort of missing. "Wear something hot. You'll have guys lining up to be your perfect distraction. Or girls if you like them, too. It's a mixed club."

"Liking girls seems like it'd be so much easier than guys," I said with a sigh, "but unfortunately, I'm straight. If only it actually was a choice." Danny snorted, smirked, and shook his head, and I stood from my seat. "Thanks." I then scurried over to my usual spot and sat down right as Isaac and Scott walked in.

On Thursday at school, Kira invited me over for dinner that night. She seemed super embarrassed about it but said she had told her parents about making a friend and they told her to invite me over for dinner because they wanted to meet her first friend in Beacon Hills. I was flattered more than anything and agreed.

After school, I drove Kira to her house. I pulled up to the curb outside of a one-story, modern Japanese-styled home. "Cute," I said, looking at it.

"Don't be surprised if it seems a little empty," Kira said.

"You literally just moved to town." I gave her a deadpan look. "If there are still boxes lining the entryway, I wouldn't be surprised. I think you seem more nervous about this than I do."

"My parents are just super embarrassing," she said, picking at her skirt.

Why do I always seem to pick out the shy friend? I asked myself. First Isaac and now Kira. Then on top of that, she's a puppy like Isaac and Scott. For fucks sake, do I attract them?

I nudged her with my elbow. "Well, are you gonna show me in?"

That got her to smile again and we climbed out of my car. She led me to the front door and unlocked it, walking inside. "Shoes or no shoes?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

"Shoes are fine." Kira and I walked further into the house. She looked around a little, probably looking for her parents. "They're probably out. How about a grand tour? Payback for giving me a tour." She's so awkward it's both hilarious and endearing.

Half an hour later, Kira and I were chilling in her room when we heard the front door open.

"Kira!" a feminine voice called.

"I'm assuming your mom is the one from Japan?" I remarked as we got off her bed. She had mentioned earlier that she was half-Korean and half-Japanese but had been born in New York, unlike her parents who immigrated.

Kira nodded. "It's the slight accent on my name that gave it away, huh?"

"Yeah, it's the same for my mom. Perfect American accent until they say one word, and you're like oh, right."

I followed her out of her room and to the kitchen where two adults were unloading groceries and putting them away. They heard us walk in and paused what they were doing, turning to us and smiling. Kira's mother was beautiful and looked to be in her late thirties, early forties. She stood shorter than Kira by about two inches. Both were dwarfed by Kira's father who was about the same height as Derek.

"Mom, Dad, this is Sara," Kira introduced, gesturing to me.

"Hello, Sara," her dad greeted, taking a few steps forward and holding out his hand. I shook his hand with a smile. "I'm Ken, this is my wife Noshiko. Welcome to our home."

"Thanks for having me," I replied. "It's nice to meet you."

"Are you alright with salmon?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm definitely not picky." Unless it was Isaac's stupid Twizzlers or weird chocolate combos.

About an hour and a half later, Ken served miso salmon, rice, and sauteed broccoli, carrots, and edamame at the dinner table. I sat next to Kira and across from Noshiko. It felt like Kira's mom had been eyeing me since she first laid eyes on me, but she was never rude, thankfully, only quiet and contemplative.

The moment I bit into the food, I wanted to moan at how delicious it tasted, but I thankfully didn't do that. "Wow, this is amazing," I said.

Ken grinned, pleased with himself. "Thank you. I made my own recipe for the glaze after spending time in Japan. I'm glad you like it."

"My mom will kill me if I don't at least ask for said recipe," I added with a small laugh. "I will trade you her super secret ikameshi recipe for it."

A small gasp left Kira. "Your mom makes ikameshi?"

"It's her favorite thing to make, but she refuses to make it for anything less than a special occasion."

"Hm, I don't think any of us have had ikameshi in years," Noshiko said thoughtfully. "It's not exactly a common dish in New York. They're more into Chinese food or New England food."

"And pizza," Kira chimed in helpfully. She looked at me. "If you're ever in New York City, you have to go to John's Pizzeria. They make the best pizza I've ever had, I swear. They cook it in a coal oven. It's absolutely delicious."

I smirked and raised an eyebrow. "The coal oven or the pizza?" That made her laugh then turn back to her plate.

After a few moments, Noshiko asked, "That's an interesting necklace. Where'd you get it?"

I glanced down at the kunai necklace resting over my red tank top. Usually, my button-downs hid it, but I hadn't buttoned it up. Even though the craziness with the Darach and the Alpha Pack had ended, I still wanted to wear at least one of my tails, so the other one had been hidden away in my room.

"I was thrift shopping a few months ago," I lied easily with a smile. "Found it along with some cute shirts. I consider myself lucky. Not everyone finds cool things when thrifting."

"Thrifting can be so much fun," Kira said. "Especially with friends and you're trying on all the super gaudy stuff from like the eighties. Ooh, maybe we can go some time."

Her enthusiasm was adorable. "Between some clubs and a bowling alley, going shopping is one of the few things to do here if you're not outdoorsy or active, so sure. And some of the local shops are interesting, too." I'd especially like actually going out and doing stuff with friends for once. Most of my time was spent studying or dealing with supernatural problems, and even before then, Isaac didn't get much time to go out and do things because of his dad.

"One of our first concerns when moving halfway through the semester was Kira making friends," Ken said, "so I'm glad she found someone with similar interests."

Kira's face dropped. "Dad. . ." She trailed off, slightly groaning at him being embarrassing.

"What do your parents do, Sara?" Noshiko asked, moving the conversation along.

There were so many ways to answer that question. "My mom is a therapist and my dad's a painter," I replied.

"Oh, that's an interesting combination. Any siblings?"

"I. . . had a brother, but he died." I almost said 'have' but that would've been bad considering to the world he was dead. He even had a headstone in the cemetary for closure or whatever from his supposed death. Not like it had ever brought my parents or me closure. "His name was Riichi."

Noshiko looked saddened by the news. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Can I ask how?"

"Mom," Kira cut in, eyes widening and grip tightening on her fork.

I shook my head and waved my hand. "It's alright," I reassured. "It's natural to be curious." It seemed a strange question to ask for some people, but Noshiko seemed like the type of person who spoke first and thought later. Sort of like my own mother. In fact, Noshiko seemed to have a lot of similar mannerisms as my mom, such as quietly observing, eyes darting around, and always looking like she knew something you didn't. A wiseness beyond their years. "He died in a fire about seven years ago. Maybe you heard about it. The Hale House fire?"

"I remember reading about that," Ken said, picking up his cup of tea. "It made national news. Such a tragedy. We also heard they finally discovered the culprit."

Hmmm, so the parents had done their research on the town, but Kira hadn't, and they still decided to move here. "Yes, they did, just this year actually. A woman named Argent." I noticed Noshiko's hand still at the name. "I'm a little surprised people are still moving here after how crazy this town seems to be. It's like a beacon for trouble."

"Ha, that's funny." Kira grinned and chuckled, trying to lighten the mood that seemed to be growing tenser. "'Beacon' like Beacon Hills."

I nodded but kept my eye on Noshiko. "I've gotta ask, what drew you here of all places? A small town in California doesn't seem like it holds much of a candle to the Big Apple."

Noshiko gave me a polite but strained smile. "My family has ties to Beacon Hills that spans several generations, but I also have some business here," she answered. "If everything goes as planned, we won't be here for too long." I could tell it wasn't the precise answer, but she didn't seem to be lying.

"Yes, because that's exactly what my new friend wants to hear," Kira said, looking deadpan at her mom.

Noshiko slyly shrugged. "I'm only being honest."

Ken turned the conversation back to a better topic. "So, other than bowling and shopping," he said, "what else is there for kids to do for fun around here?"

"My friends and I mostly just get into trouble." I paused and rethought that statement. "Well, if I'm being honest, it's really only two of them who are getting into trouble. The rest of us just kinda watch in amusement or play video games or go out to eat. If you spend any significant amount of time in this town, you'll hear of Scott and Stiles doing something or other."

Ken nodded in slight amusement at my answer. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're good guys and have good hearts, but something about them just attracts trouble, you know? They could go to the movie theater just to, you know, go watch a movie like a normal person and something would go wrong, I guarantee it. I guess some people are just built like that. It's pretty entertaining."

Kira used her napkin to wipe off her mouth then set it down, pushing out her chair. "I'm going to use the bathroom. Don't scare her away, please." She looked at her parents with a stern look before getting up from the table and leaving the room, leaving me alone with the two adults.

"So, you're a kitsune?" Noshiko asked the moment her daughter wasn't in hearing range.

Wow, she wasted no time at all, I thought.

"How could you tell? Was it the obvious tail?" I ran my fingers over the necklace. Since she had recognized it for what it truly was, I assumed Noshiko was a kitsune as well which explained why she seemed so much like my mother and why Kira seemed so familiar despite me not knowing her at all. And with Noshiko's willingness to talk about it in front of Ken, I figured he either was aware of her status as a supernatural creature or was also a kitsune, but the latter seemed unlikely.

Noshiko tilted her head. "You're definitely not very old."

"I'm seventeen."

"Truly?" I nodded in response. "Hm, which one of your parents is a kitsune?"

"My mom. Does Kira know you're one?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, not yet."

I gave her a long, thoughtful look before asking my next question. "What really brought you to Beacon Hills?"

"I was drawn here. I'm assuming you know why."

My blood ran cold at the simple thought of the tree trunk in the woods. It had caused us so many problems. "The Nemeton." Part of me could tell Noshiko wasn't telling me the full truth, but I decided against saying anything. Foxes weren't quick to trust. Even with other foxes.

"Precisely."

Friday night finally arrived, and I was giddy and nervous. I had never been clubbing before, so choosing my clothing was pretty difficult. The difficulty only increased because of how much dark, casual clothing I own which wouldn't suit me in a club where I'm trying to get noticed in order to get laid. And the last time I had done something similar, Erica had been the one to choose my outfit, not me. It made me miss her.

Finally, I decided on a bright red bralette, high-waisted black shorts, and the only heels I own. While putting on red lipstick, I looked forlornly at my beanie, silently repeating in my head how I shouldn't wear it to a damn nightclub. Erica's wise words of "No beanie" repeated in my mind.

I met up with Danny out front of Sinema, and he let loose a low whistle. "Almost didn't recognize you without the hat. You clean up nicely, Todd," he said with a smirk.

"I'm not even going to try and pronounce your last name, Danny Boy," I replied as we got in line. "If I do, I'll probably butcher it, and I'll never hear the end of it."

"That's a wise decision." He reached down and slipped something into my hand.

I glanced down at it, seeing the picture I had sent him on a very well made ID. After a quiet sound of appreciation, I pulled out the wad of cash and put it in his hand. "You're the best," I told him.

"I know." Danny put the money in his pocket then wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer and talking quietly. "Now the trick is to be confident but not cocky. Act like you've done this before and you couldn't be bothered. If you seem nervous, that's when they'll question it, okay?"

"Okay," I mumbled. I could do that. My standard attitude was a severe lack of interest whether I cared or not.

The bouncer barely looked at our IDs before letting us by.

Upon entering the club and making our way to a tall table to stand at, I looked up at Danny. "That was it?" I asked, leaning on my arm against the table.

"Yeah, the bouncers here don't care much as long as no one causes any problems," he answered, looking around the crowded room. "But they will turn away anyone who doesn't at least flash an ID, whether obviously fake or not. My advice was general advice, not just for the door. You don't need to show ID at the bar, try not to drink too much, and have fun." He flashed me a grin. "If you need me, I'll be around."

"Wait, what?" He didn't reply, slinking into the crowd of dancing bodies. "Danny, don't leave me. Get back here!" I glared in his general direction since I couldn't see him anymore. "Ugh, I need to stop befriending lacrosse players."

"Hopefully not all lacrosse players."

I barely heard the words over the loud music and turned my head to see an incredibly attractive guy coming up behind me, resting his arm on the table next to mine. He stood about the same height as Isaac and had a sharp jawline and strong cheekbones. Even in the lighting, I could tell how beautiful his blue eyes were. Fuck, he's so attractive it hurts.

"Let me guess, you're one, too," I responded, fully turning around to face him and trying not to let him in on how attractive I found him.

A grin spread across his stupidly attractive face. "She shoots, she scores," he said. "But since I've never seen you at Devenford, I'm going to assume Beacon."

I eyed him with slight skepticism but figured he probably had a better handle on who was here illegally than I did, especially if he went clubbing often. "You assume correctly. Although, now I'm wondering just how many underage people are here."

"Try not to think about it too much. It stops you from having fun." He bit his lip briefly, looking over me. "Can I buy you a drink?"

I glanced around, contemplating his question, and spotted Danny happily dancing with a hot guy. I really wanted someone to dance with, too. Anything to get my mind off everything that had been going in the past few weeks. And it wasn't like I could get drunk anyway, so a drink wouldn't be bad to kick things off with getting to know the guy in front of me.

I shrugged and smiled. "Sure, why not? I just hope you don't turn out to be a total creep."

"I guarantee I'm more fun than a majority of the people in here." He gestured to our surroundings.

I raised an eyebrow. "That didn't answer whether you're a creep or not, but we'll see."

He shot me a wink. "Do you know what drink you want?" he asked.

Considering the only alcohol I've ever had was wine, no, I did not. "Um, surprise me?" My nose scrunched up with an awkward smile.

He chuckled quietly and leaned closer. "I'll be right back, beautiful," he assured then disappeared into the crowd towards the bar.

Thankfully, he wasn't gone very long, only a few minutes. He set down an orange-ish red drink with a lime wedge in front of me. "Strawberry-flavored vodka and pineapple and cranberry juices," he said. "You look like someone who might enjoy something a little fruity."

"You're not wrong," I replied, picking up the glass. He sipped on his own drink as he watched me try mine. While it was a tad bitter, probably because of the vodka and cranberry, it tasted quite good.

The guy looked at me expectantly with a sly smirk. "Well? What do you think?"

"It's not bad."

"Not bad?" he repeated. He shook his head and smiled. "Alright, I'll take that. So, can I get your name, princess? But if you don't wanna give me your name, that's fine. I can just call you 'princess.'"

Was this guy made in a lab or something? He seems almost too perfect. "Sara, and what should I call you?"

"Well, every princess needs a prince, right?"

I almost choked on my drink. "You have a very high view of yourself."

"And why shouldn't I?" he asked, leaning on the table.

I bit my lip and shook my head. "You're fishing for a compliment. I'm not falling for it." Even if he totally did deserve said compliment. Like seriously, it looked like he was carved from stone. Whereas I called Isaac "Apollo," I wanted to call this guy "Adonis" because damn, he was fine.

He didn't seem too put out as he stared directly into my eyes. "You say more with your eyes than you do with your words anyway."

"And what are my eyes saying, hm?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink.

"You like what you see."

My eyes narrowed the slightest bit. He definitely had a high view of himself, even if it wasn't unfounded. "So what if I do?"

"Then all you have to do is reach out and take it," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Take a chance. That's why you're here, right? You've obviously never been clubbing before, so I can only assume you needed a distraction. I will happily pledge my services as your chosen distraction for this evening."

While I felt like I should be miffed about him pointing out I had never been to a club before, I was more focused on the second half. He was right. That was the whole point of me going out tonight with Danny. Then standing in front of me was an attractive, charming guy who seemed interested in me. And I definitely liked having his attention. So why was I hesitating?

A brief thought flashed through my mind but I shoved it away just as quickly. I knew why I was hesitating, but I didn't want it to be.

"Just this evening?" I asked.

He laughed, and it was a nice laugh. "Cheeky. I like it. And if you like it, I wouldn't be opposed."

"Dance with me."

"And bossy."

I shrugged and held out my free hand expectantly. "What can I say? I know what I want." And at that moment, I wanted a fun time. No supernatural problems. No friendship problems. No parental or sibling problems. Just me and a hot guy.

He slid his hand into mine and led me away from the table. Moving his hand from mine to my waist, he leaned closer to my ear and said, "My name's Brett."

Dun dun :P

I apologize for nothing lol.

And just so we're clear, I do not approve of breaking the law or underage drinking, but if you are a minor and drink when underage, please be responsible about it and do it with people you trust.