Chapter 17: Sinners and Saints (Valentine Special)

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Melanie chirped as she entered the kitchen that Tuesday morning. She grinned from ear to ear as she surveyed her parents who sat at the table, quietly sipping their coffee. Her eyes roamed over to the large flower bouquet that sat in a vase in the middle fo the table. "Nice flowers."

"Thanks. Your father bought them for me," Arabella replied. "From my own store so I knew they were coming," she added with a tight smile. Melanie ignored it. He always bought from her store because fo the discount. She should have expected it. "But they're lovely."

"They are," Melanie agreed, looking over the bright hues fo the red, yellow, pink, purple, and white flowers. "Anyway!" She clapped her hands together. "Reservations are for tonight at seven. Don't be late and dress to impress."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Laurence asked. "Valentine's Day isn't always about being romantic. We'd love to spend time with you too."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You two need some alone time," Melanie replied. She reached down and scratched between Nova's ears, who was curled up between Laurence's feet. He was chewing on a large bone that had a bow attached to the top of it. She smiled at the sight, it was a good little bit of relief in the tension-filled house. She nearly smacked into it when she woke up that morning but she forced a smile on her face and vowed, that despite everything, it would be a good day. They say to fake it until you make it for a reason, whoever 'they' are. "You like your present, don't you boy?" she addressed Nova.

"Speaking of presents…" Laurence reached beneath the table and picked up a bag stuffed with tissue paper. Melanie took it and eagerly dug through the tissue paper.

Her fingers brushed against something hard and she pulled out the gift to squeal and do a little jog on the spot. "Awesome! Thanks!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the noise cancelling headphones. She wrapped her arms around her dad's neck and squeezed tight, kissing his cheek. She then rushed over to her mom and kissed her cheek too. "Well, I'd stay but I gotta give Erica her gifts and begin my deliveries. This is gonna be the best day ever, I can already tell!"

# # #

"Hey hey!" Melanie trilled as she burst into Erica's bedroom. The door flying against the opposite wall didn't even make her flinch. She could barely contain her smile. It was so wide she was surprised the ends didn't touch her ears. "Happy Valentine's Day! Do you want your presents now or at school? I suggest you go with the first once because I can't wait for you to see it!" She started bouncing on her toes as Erica turned around in her computer chair.

"I guess I'll go with now then," she said with a teasing smile. "Mom and Dad are taking me out of school early anyway." She got off her chair and dropped down on her bed, heaving a large sigh.

"Yeah? You don't seem so excited," Melanie commented as she sat down on the plush mattress herself.

"It's always the same," Erica grumbled, grabbing a pillow and clutched it to her chest. "They try to talk me up and everything but…by the end they always take jabs at each other about how I'm…I'm me."

"And there's nothing wrong with you," Melanie said firmly, caressing Erica's dry hair. "Your parents are spending too much time throwing blame at one another for something that has no blame. You're not broken or anything. You have a medical condition, that's all. It doesn't define you."

"No…the video on youtube does."

"Erica Alexandria Reyes, you stop that right now. People are picking on you only because you allow them to because they can see it gets to you. You gotta keep your head up and march on and pretend that you're stomping on pepole's faces along the way because who the fuck cares?"

She sighed. "I'm just so tired of being a joke's punchline."

Melanie shrugged. "So change the joke," she stated. Then she reached over and slapped Erica on the thigh. Erica cried out and grabbed at her leg while Melanie snickered and waved her gift bag in Erica's face. "Now open your damn present!"

"Okay, okay!" Sitting up, Erica took the bag from her and pulled the ribbon off of it. Setting that aside, she reached in and pulled out the box that sat in it. She gave it a tentative shake and then removed the lid. Her mouth fell open as if she were screaming silently. A few seconds later the scream filled in and she pulled her gift out of the box. "Mel! These are gorgeous!" she gushed, turning the leopard print heels around in her palm.

"Look in the left shoe," Melanie prompted, bouncing in anticipation. Erica tilted the shoe and held out her palm. Her eyes widened when a silver ring tumbled out into her palm. "It was my grandmother's. She said to give it to my best friend because her best friend gave it to her."

"Aww," Erica cooed. She pressed her lips together, her smile wavering. Melanie blinked as Erica turned her head away and brushed her sleeve against her face. She flung her arms out and wrapped them around her best friend's neck, squeezing her tight. "Thank you," she whispered. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

Melanie had to bite down on her lip to keep from stating "I'm the only friend you've ever had". She liked having her friend cry out of joy, not something that she had said without thinking. Melanie hugged her back and kissed the side of her head. "And you're the best friend I've ever had." She used her thumbs to brush away Erica's tears as she slid the ring onto her left hand. "Isn't that supposed to be on your other hand?"

Erica shrugged. "We're going to get married anyway," she replied, sniffing. She waved her hands around her eyes and then leaned over to reach under the bed, revealing a large bag.

Nearly tearing it out of Erica's grasp, Melanie yanked open the stapled-shut opening and then tossed the tissue paper atop of it into the air. She shoved her arm in, sticking out her tongue in an exaggerated manner, and then laughed as she pulled out a Build-a-Bear. "Aww, it's so cute!" she gushed, turning the light colored bear around in her arms. "Is it you?" she asked while tugging on the bottom of the t-shirt it was wearing with a large heart bedazzled in the middle.

"Kinda," Erica replied, a flush appearing on her cheeks. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Melanie stated, hugging the bear to her chest. "I'll even sleep with it so it's like I'm sleeping with you." She bumped Erica's arm with her elbow and kissed the top of the bear's head.

"There's more," Erica prompted. Melanie's eyebrows jumped up as she dug into the bag again. "I know it just looks like playing cards but they're made out of flash paper. Like magicians use. I know it's a bit weird but I thought you'd like it. Cause you used to make card castles when we were kids, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Thanks so much, Eri." Now Melanie was the one to brush the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Okay, enough of that. Let's get going! We have a school to help spread love around."

By the time the girls arrived at school Beacon Hills High School looked as if Cupid had thrown up all over its halls. Paper hearts were tapped to the classroom and locker doors. Red, white, and pink streamers hung from the ceiling and dipped low above the students' heads. A few of the teachers got into the holiday excitement as well, wearing red dresses or red ties. Even Mr. Harris joined in, though the extent of his participation was simply having the corner of a red handkerchief sticking out of his pocket.

Students who were part of the Student Life Committee skipped up and down the halls carrying single flower and flower bouquets in their arms, delivering them to those that trickled in early that morning. A few of them had costume wings attached to their backs to depict being cupid while some of the boys opted to carry around a Nerf bow and arrow.

Excited chatter flitted up and down the halls as girls gushed and cooed over flowers and boys stood by, fixing their hair and licking their lips. Those that didn't receive anything looked on in envy and whispered to one another.

Melanie smiled and clasped her hands together at the sight. If people forgot about the attacks that had occurred even for a second then she would call her plan a success. She would have jumped in the air and clicked her heels at her success if she didn't run the risk of knocking over the table and flowers nearby that she needed to organize and send out.

"Wow. Wings and all. You must love this holiday," Stiles commented, sidling up to the table. His thumbs were hooked in the straps of his backpacks and his eyes surveyed the colorful table.

"I do! It's the best," she gushed. "Oh! Wait!" She held up her finger, signaling for him to stay put as she ducked beneath the table. She sorted through a few of the flowers until she finally found a white rose. "Here ya go!" she said, whipping out with flower and attached note with a flourish.

"I – wow," Stiles uttered, taking the flower. "I didn't expect…this is so nice but who could have–?" He stopped spinning the thornless rose between his fingers and grabbed onto her arm. His eyes were wide and wild with possibilities. "Is this from – did Lydia send–?" He sucked in a breath, letting go of his arm to press his fist against his mouth and then blew out. "Wow, okay, this–"

"Stiles." Melanie carefully pulled his hand away from his mouth and patted the back of it, "sweetie. Come back to reality. Lydia didn't send you that. I did."

"Oh." He visibly deflated and she rolled her eyes. His eyes shifted back and forth between her and the flower. "I mean oh!" He corrected himself as she pursed her lips. "That was very sweet of you Mels. I love it." She remained unfazed. "I really do."

"Mhm," she hummed, crossing her arms although a small smile appeared on her face. "Have you seen Scott? I have one for him as well." She turned this way and that as she spoke to see if she could spot him first. All she got were blank stares in return from students who were still half asleep trudging to their lockers.

"Oh, he's looking for Allison."

She twisted her mouth to the side. "Why am I not surprised?" she murmured.

"Hey, I thought you two were friends now."

"We are. I guess. I'm just saying they're pretty obsessed with one another," she explained while shifting her gaze to the flowers around her. She dragged her finger against a rose petal. "But it's whatever. Just let him know I have his flowers. I have a million other messages to deliver."

"Did you get any?"

"I don't know. I never took any orders that were for me." She fell silent and then her body jolted as if she had been struck with electricity when, in fact, she had been struck with a memory. "But!" She motioned Stiles closer and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Jackson bought a dozen red roses for Allison."

"What? Why?" Stiles demanded, his fingers clenching around the rose. It began to bend under his grip.

"If I knew why Jackson did the things he did I'd win a Nobel Peace Prize," she deadpanned. Stiles snorted, his lips pulling back in the corner. "Maybe he's just being nice for once."

"If he wanted to be nice he'd buy you something."

She clicked her tongue. "I'd be offended if you weren't right. Still, it may not be a big deal. Let's just…wait and see." She shrugged. "It's Valentine's Day. What can happen?"

Apparently a lot could happen. From the time First Bell rang it was open season for Cupid. People were pairing up left and right and giggling over who knows what. For a while Melanie wondered if everyone had Beacon Hills High had been replaced with pod people but that was unlikely, even she had to admit to that. Werewolves were one thing but aliens were another.

But she had a blast delivering the flowers to people and seeing the looks of joy and surprise on their faces. It made her heart swell with pride knowing that she was responsible for it. Especially seeing the look on Erica's face once she saw the dozen red roses that Melanie delivered.

"You didn't have to do this," Erica gushed, pressing her nose in the middle of the flowers. "You've already done so much."

"I know that. But I wanted to." Melanie smiled. "You deserve the world."

And while the smile on Erica's face and the lasting glow on her cheeks put her in a good mood it didn't last. Her mind was still on her parents and how their relationship seemed to be stuck in an eternal rough patch. They had gotten married out of college. They defied the odds. Why was it falling apart now? What was going on that they couldn't work it out like all their other fights?

Melanie, mind still a fog, traded in her wings to get her books for French class. She settled into her desk and got her notebook out, ready for class. She tapped her shoe against the empty chair in front of her to a rhythmic beat and twisted a pen between her fingers as she waited.

"Hey Cupid." Melanie blinked and smiled up at Isaac as he passed by her and dropped down in the seat behind her. "Having fun?"

"I got to miss some classes to deliver flowers," Melanie replied, turning in her seat to rest her arm atop of his desk, "I'm having a blast."

"I don't doubt it," he said, his words slightly strained due to him leaning over to get his nooks out of his bag. "Did you, uh, get anything?"

"Nope," she said with a shrug. "But it's cool. The faces on those who got the flowers is good enough for me."

"So…I guess you don't want this?" He asked, sitting up straight and holding up a CD case. The clear front displayed the words For Mello – Mix CD written on the front. "It's not much. Just some songs I thought you'd like."

"Oh! Thanks, Isaac, that's very sweet of you," Melanie gushed, taking the CD case from him. She turned the case around to read the track listing written in his large and pointed handwriting.

"No, the flower was sweet, er, nice of you," he commented, running a hand through his hair. "You didn't have to."

"Neither did you," she replied, waving the CD.

They smiled at one another and settled into their seats as more students trickled in. Melanie set her CD case aside and then waved at Allison as she slipped in through the door, a flower clutched atop of her books. Her lips twitched at the sight of the red rose but then pulled back into a smile as Allison sat down in front of her.

"Who's that from?" Melanie asked, lifting her chin to point at it.

"Scott," Allison replied, spinning the rose between her fingers. She lightly touched the petals and then sighed. Melanie's mouth twisted to the side. "It's sweet but…with everything that happened…"

"Mabe…it's a peace offering," Melanie suggested. She scratched behind her ear and brushed her hand against her nose. "I mean…you guys never really were friends. You kinda just…jumped at each other."

Allison pushed a breath-like laugh out of her nose. "Yeah…"

"Maybe this is good for you two. You can get to know each other by, I don't know, actually talking?"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Allison said with a laugh. She set the rose aside and turned around in her chair, resting her chin on her arms. "I just think…I still need more time. I mean…I don't feel I can trust him, y'know? But I do wish we can be friends one day. Scott's…he's a very good guy."

"Yeah, I know," Melanie sighed, resting her cheek on her palm. Allison's eyebrows twitched and Melanie cleared her throat. "So, are you doing anything special for today?"

Allison shook her head. "No. Actually, do you want to have lunch with Lydia and me today?"

"Considering my lunch date for the day is abandoning me for her parents, sure," Melanie replied. "We can have a female empowerment thing. Who needs boys on Valentine's Day?" She heard Isaac snort behind her and she pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. "Solidarity and all that stuff."

"Well…" Allison dragged out. Now Melanie's eyebrows twitched. '"Things are weird between her and Jackson lately. I want to cheer her up."

"Retail therapy's not working?"

"No."

"Wow. Things must be bad. He didn't plan anything?"

"Not as far as I know," Allison replied. Melanie grunted. Shouldn't have gotten him that flower then, she scolded herself. And to think she wanted to be nice to him for once only for him to turn around and do something so…so Jackson-y. "She's very…not Lydia. I dunno, I think just spending time away from him would be good. As much as she can anyway. Especially today. I don't think he has anything planned for her."

"Well, we'll make sure she has a good time," Melanie promised.

"Thanks. I know you two aren't exactly the closest friends—"

Melanie waved her hand, brushing aside Allison's words. "That doesn't matter. No one should feel shitty on Valentine's Day. It's not all about loving someone you're dating. It's about loving your friends and yourself too." She sighed. "It's sad; people always forget that part."

# # #

Erica's face held a grimace as she tugged on her dress here and there. Her shoulder straps didn't sit right, the skirt didn't hold onto her waist in a good way, and her red lipstick only seemed to make the dark circles under her eyes stand out. She tried using concealer and foundation but nothing she had worked, despite her best efforts. And while her makeup covered up the redness of the acne dotted across her face she still felt as if someone could visually play connect the dots if they looked at her.

"Erica, sweetie, come on. Your father's waiting for us," Mrs. Reyes said as she smoothed down her skirt with her hands.

Erica locked eyes with her mother in the bathroom mirror. Her mother's blonde hair was pulled back into an easy, sleek ponytail. Something Erica's hair would never be able to do no matter how much gel she put into it. And her mother's dress perfectly hugged her curves in all the right places. She was radiant in red. Erica felt like a large inflamed pimple in comparison.

"He's the one who left us, I'm sure he can wait five minutes," Erica mumbled, surveying her makeup in the mirror. She lifted a hand and lightly brushed it against the acne across her forehead.

"You don't want to be rude. Your father still loves you, you know," Mrs. Reyes commented. She sighed and crossed her arms as she watched her daughter. "And please, stop touching your face. You know it's only going to make your acne worse."

"Funny, I thought the medicine was doing that." Erica finally turned away from the mirror and regarded her mother. "Can I please switch to different medication."

"You know nothing else has worked, sweetie," Mrs. Reyes said, stepping forward to caress her daughter's hair. "This is the only one with results. When you take it," she added, giving her daughter a pointed stare. Erica looked away. "Would you rather be healthy or have clear skin?"

"Mom, I'm in high school," Erica stated, the short sentence saying more than her brain could come up with. Surely her mother had to understand how hard being in high school was, especially now. Surely her mother could recall a time where she was in high school worried about the same things as her daughter.

Mrs. Reyes sighed, smoothed down her hair and said, "And none of this will matter once you leave. We shouldn't keep your father waiting any longer. Come on." She placed her hands on Erica's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Stop looking in the mirror. Your reflection isn't going to change."

Erica turned away from the mirror and begrudgingly followed her mother out of the bathroom and to the main floor of the café. They used to visit the café a lot when she was younger. When they were a happy family. It was the same place that her parents announced their divorce. Erica remembered the exact table they were sitting at, the exact time of day, and the exact meal she was eating when she had been delivered the news. Why would they possibly want to come back?

"There she is," Mr. Reyes said with a small smile. "I started to think that you had climbed out of the bathroom window."

"I wouldn't be able to fit even if I wanted to," Erica grumbled, sitting down and placing a napkin on her lap. She clasped her hands together and rested them atop of her lap, ignoring the exasperated sigh that wracked her mother's body.

"She's just joking," Mrs. Reyes said. Erica licked her lip and pressed them together. They stung where cracks had formed. "It's very nice of you to ask us out, Julian."

Erica scoffed. Mr. Reyes only talked to them when they needed a briefing on a case that he was a part of just so they could stay up to speed and around holidays and Erica's birthday. Otherwise all was quiet on his side. Sometimes she even forgot he existed until he came back around for one reason or another. How often was he around his other family or were they just there to keep up his family-man image?

"I wanted to make sure you two were doing well," Mr. Reyes replied, pulling his glasses to the edge of his nose as he peered at the menu in his hands. Not that he needed to look at it, he ordered the exact same thing every time he went to the café.

"We're fine," Mrs. Reyes replied, her words stiff. "We're getting by. When you left you didn't exactly leave us destitute. I can care for Erica and I have been." She reached out for her glass of champagne and took a sip of it. After she put it down she dabbed her napkin against her mouth. "Just like before."

"Come on, Alicia, don't be like that. You know that I still love you both," Mr. Reyes said, removing his glasses from his face entirely. "It's Valentine's Day after all. About el amor." He set his menu down and reached beneath his seat for a silver box with a large red ribbon attached to it. "I hope you like it, Princess."

Erica accepted the box and tugged on the ribbon. It slid through the loop and popped open easily. She ran her cracked fingernails underneath the rim of the box and popped the lid off. She pushed aside the tissue paper inside and gasped. Her mouth hung open as she pulled the lacey black mini dress out of the box and held it to her chest.

"It's beautiful, Dad," she said. Turning the dress around, she flipped the top of it back to look at the take. A rock fell into her stomach when she saw the size. She swallowed and smiled as best as she could. "it's, um, it's not my size. But…but it's okay—"

"I told you what her size was," Mrs. Reyes said with a roll of her eyes. "You can't even remember that?"

"I have many sizes to try and remember, Alicia. It is a little mistake!" Mr. Reyes defended. Erica winced and carefully put the dress back into the box. "She can always lose a little weight to fit into it, yes? That is what she always says, she wants to lose weight."

"Erica's fine," Mrs. Reyes hissed. "The medicine may have put some extra weight on her but she's still beautiful."

"I never said she wasn't, Alicia! I'm saying that maybe she would be happier if she could lose a few pounds."

"It's the medicine that's doing it! It's not as if she's sitting around stuffing her face."

"Well then, maybe you should changer her medicine. She would look a lot better and smile a bit more."

"Julian!"

Erica's eyes swung back and forth between her parents as if she were watching a tennis volley. Her heart pounded and her palms flooded with sweat. She swallowed the lump in her throat and licked her lips. Her mother had spent so much time trying to tell her that she was beautiful but then her father said the opposite. Has her mother been lying to her the entire time? Melanie too?

She placed her hand on her stomach and pinched. Her skin rolled between her fingers. Her shoulders dropped. Her fingers twitched on her lap and she had to cross her legs to keep from getting up and going to the bathroom. There was no point in going now; she'd only end up hurting her throat due to having an empty stomach.

Erica almost threw herself at the waiter's feet when he arrived, stopping her parents from speaking. She picked up her menu and quickly scanned the menu. While her stomach growled, she forced herself not to go straight for the burger which was her usual first choice in restaurants. As good as they were she didn't want the extra weight sitting on her.

"I think…I think I'll just go with a chicken caesar wrap. No dressing, please," she said and then closed her menu. "And may I please have a diet coke?"

"You don't want anything else, Princess? It's on me," Mr. Reyes said with a small smile. "Eat as much as you'd like."

"I'm not that hungry," Erica replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "But thanks."

"So, Princess, you have a dance coming up soon, yes?" Mr. Reyes asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, winter formal." She pulled her lower lip into her mouth just thinking about it. She had avoided it for so long but it was inevitable now. The talk around school was shifting from normal coursework griping to what dresses had been bought, where manicure appointments had been booked, and who was doing their hair. Something that brought joy and excitement to the other girls only brought stress to Erica. At least that's what she was blaming her new crop of acne on.

"Are you excited? I know how much you looked forward to formal last year."

Last year I hadn't gained twenty pounds. The thought shot through Erica's mind before she could stop it. It only made her bite down on her lip, the brief pain a sort of punishment for letting the offending thought invade her mind. But she had no control over it. It was louder and much more aggressive than her normal thoughts. It demanded attention.

"I guess," she mumbled, playing with the straw in her water. Her ice clinked against the side of her glass.

"So, who is the lucky young man that is going to escort you?"

"There isn't one," Erica replied, stopping her sentence before she could finish it with, "because no one would want to take a fat blob to a dance."

"Well then they are estúpido. They will be missing out on taking a real catch," Mr. Reyes declared.

If I'm such a catch why aren't I enough for you to stay with Mom? But Erica kept her lips pressed together and forced a smile. It briefly disappeared as she thanked the waiter for bringing her the diet coke she had ordered. She wrapped her lips around the straw and pulled the sweet drink into her mouth. The soda fizzed and bubbled on her tongue and while she liked the taste of it it just wasn't enough.

She wished she were old enough to drink.

# # #

Coach Finstock kept his whistle tight between his lips, his cheeks puffing up with every blow. He stood by and surveyed the part of the team on the field as they ran drills and took shots on goal. The rest of the team sat on the benches and watched and waited. The quarter finals game was in two days and it didn't come as a surprise to anyone that Finstock was on an obsessive streak to beat their opponents.

Isaac just wondered why he was still there for practice. He wasn't on first line; neither were any of the other players that sat on the bench with him. If Finstock had his way he'd keep the first line players in the game the entire time. He huffed. He wanted to get out there, to sprint along the grass and knock anyone out of his way and feel power course through him that was absent off the field. He wanted control and Finstock was holding it out of his reach.

"Why are we even here?" a teammate, Matt, asked. He passed his stick back and forth in his palms as he waited, more for something to do rather than actually using it.

"My thoughts exactly," Isaac grumbled.

"I get why Greenberg isn't playing 'cause he's, well, he's Greenberg—"

"Hey!" Greenberg protested from Matt's other side.

Matt ignored him and continued speaking, "—but the rest of us? I could be developing pictures right now."

"Yeah, well, my alternative is digging holes for dead people so I think this is a good improvement," Isaac commented. He shifted so his chin rested in his palm as he watched Jackson take a shot on goal. It bounced off Danny's stick handle and flew into the air. The two battled for the ball of which Jackson managed to get and fling into the net.

"That's it, Jackson! That's how you score!" Coach Finstock cheered, punching his fists into the air. Some of the boys on the team patted his back and slapped his helmet as he walked back to his starting place. Finstock blew his whistle again and turned towards the bench. "Alright, everyone gather around. Except you, Greenberg. Go stand over there. I don't want to be anywhere near you. You might infect me like you did with the others on the team. Thanks for that."

Isaac stood behind the other players, waiting for whatever it was he was going to stay. He easily towered over the other players so he felt no need to be close. Besides, it wasn't as if anything Coach was going to say pertained to him. Even so he wasn't in a rush to go home. Being greeted by an empty house wasn't exactly his ideal way to end the day.

"Listen up. Quarter finals is this Friday and we're going to win it. There's no losing option. I don't even want to talk about the L word. We're going up against a tough team but we can beat them. Jackson took them down almost singlehandedly last year." Isaac glanced over at Jackson to see a large, smug smile appear on his face. "But this year- this year we have Jackson and Scott holding the front line. We'll be unstoppable!" Jackson's smile fell from his face and he kicked at the dirt beneath his cleat. "But just in case one of you breaks, I don't know, something as pathetic as a pinky in the game we're going to run some drills. I'll call out your names and throw a ball and like dogs fighting over a toy you're going to try and get the ball and score a goal. Danny, you're in goal on this side. Greenberg, get in goal on this side. I can't stand the sight of you right now, infecting my teammates like that. How inconsiderate of you."

Once Greenberg and Danny got into place Coach Finstock called out names and threw a ball, catching people off guard as they sprinted for the ball to score a goal. Naturally Jackson and Scott were called first causing the rest of the group team to call out their support for either one, Stiles being the loudest as he cheered for Scott.

Isaac couldn't help but watch and wonder just how Scott got so good overnight. One day he was wheezing as he ran up and down the field, getting knocked over by a few hits. He wasn't the worst on the team but he wasn't the best either. And then he suddenly became good. Better than good, he was great. Isaac worked hard to get to the condition he was at and yet Scott made it there in one day and became the star of the team.

It just didn't make sense…

"Let's go, Lahey! Get your head out of the clouds!"

His whole body jerked at the sound of hearing his name called and he looked up. The ball arched through the air and bounced off the ground once. Wind grabbed at Isaac's clothes as he sprinted for the ball. His long legs gave him the advantage and he managed to pass Matt as they tore onto the field. Isaac dropped his stick and scooped up the ball, cradling it as he ran for the goal that Danny was blocking.

Matt came in front the side and slapped his stick against Isaac's, trying to knock the ball out. Isaac tightened his grip on his stick. He dug his shoes in the ground to stop and change direction, his calves tensing at the sudden stop. Matt continued to try and check Isaac; a few times he even managed to knock him off balance but Isaac held on.

When Matt got the ball Isaac gritted his teeth. His chest puffed out with every heavy breath he expelled. There was no way he was going to let someone who joined the team for something to do beat him. Lacrosse was his life, not just some sport. It was one thing he knew he was good at. He could feel it in his soul. And maybe, just maybe, if he played well enough he could make first line and his father would come to one of his games.

Matt couldn't stand in the way of that chance.

Isaac let his body take over as Matt charged towards Greenberg in goal. The cheers and screams from his teammates fell to the wayside. The sound of his heart beating in his chest pushed out any sound that reached his ears. He took off after Matt, keeping his eyes on his sprinting teammate. He watched as Matt took a shot at goal. Greenberg blocked it and threw the ball up into the air.

Isaac pounced.

He managed to reach up and grab it despite Matt trying the same. Their sticks slapped together amidst their midair grappling but Isaac was the successful one in the mini fight. The ball dropped into his net and he kept it close to his body as he ran, turning to the side to block out Matt. Sweat dripped down his temples beneath his helmet as he ran and dotted his forehead. He kept his arm out, holding Matt at bay. His lips twisted into a smug smile. Matt was good but he was better.

Grunting, Isaac spun around Matt, took one step, and shot the ball at the goal. The white ball sailed past Danny's outstretched lacrosse stick and smacked against the net behind him. He shoots, he scores! Isaac punched his fists into the air in triumph as his teammates cheered from the sidelines. He then curled his gloved hand into a fist as best as he could and bumped it against Matt's.

"Nice shot, dude," Matt congratulated him. "I thought I had you there."

"You almost did," Isaac admitted, pulling his helmet off his head. He let out a breath and added, "But almost isn't close enough. Try again next time."

Matt rolled his eyes and led his way back to the bench as Coach Finstock blew the whistle again. Isaac looked over his shoulder and watched Stiles and Melanie run for the ball that Coach threw. Stiles reached it first and, instead of going for a shot on Danny he started taunting her, bouncing from side to side as if trying to fake her out on which way to go.

For a second her shoulders dropped, she hung her lacrosse stick down by her knees but then she slapped at his net with the head of her stick. The ball popped into the air and she caught it, dodged around him. He was hot on her heels but before she reached the goal she stopped altogether and ducked. Stiles, not anticipating it, stumbled over her and crashed to the ground giving her enough time to stand, set up her shot and take it. It bounced off the ground and straight back into the goal past Greenberg's net. She briefly celebrated and then held out her hand to help Stiles to his feet.

A smattering of applause came from the teammates on the sidelines. Isaac looked down at his hands and stayed quiet. Experience taught him it was much simpler to keep his head down and keep quiet. It would all blow over much faster and leave less damage in its wake.

Practice ended with more matchups going toe-to-toe with different combinations being thrown in to simulate the team they would be playing at the end of the week. Jackson saw the field more often than anyone else. Isaac was surprised he faced off against his captain. There was a reason Jackson had earned the name, he dominated the field. Isaac did his best to hold him off, he even managed to move past him a few times but Jackson always came out on top. Even when he looked as frail and sickly as he did.

Jackson wasn't one he tended to compare himself to. Having grown up across the street from his classmate he saw Jackson in all walks of life. He had an intimate view in what made him tick. And while Isaac knew a fair amount he couldn't say he wanted to be Jackson. Yeah, Jackson had money and the looks and the cars and the popularity but his attitude and his outlook soured it. Like a ruined oil painting. He would take Jackson's brazen drive and talent on the field, though. Maybe then he could finally please his father.

"Game's Friday night. It's the quarter finals. If you even want to dream of continuing our streak you'll show up and play like your hearts are about to explode! Got it?" Coach Finstock said, his eyes wide and wild. "I want you pushing yourselves out there. I want you passing out! I want you throwing up! I want your bags of flesh strewn over the benches. I want to win! Now get out of my faces. Especially you, Greenberg, quit breathing down my neck!"

Isaac followed the herd of players to the locker rooms where they hooped and holler at one another in efforts to pump themselves up for the upcoming game. Isaac brushed past them and went straight for the shower, opting for the brief relief of the cold water on his head, ridding him of the layer of heat that radiated off his reddened, sweat-slicked skin. By the time he got out of the shower he was the last one in the locker room. Everyone else had left to go home or celebrate the holiday in some capacity.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Isaac left the locker room and headed for his locked up bike. Once he got it free he swung his leg over the bars and took off. Beach Hills High School grew smaller the further Isaac rode away but he didn't head straight home. There was no point. His father wasn't there and they didn't have anything in the house to eat. Not anything he could make without permission, anyway.

His legs burned by the time he reached the edge of the woods nearby but still he kept going. He drove around tree roots, rode over dry branches and twigs on the ground and navigated his way to his destination. A pond-like body of water. He squeezed the brakes on his bike; his rear wheel skidded across the loose dirt and rocks beneath the tire. He tossed it aside, removed his bag to drop it to the ground, and went straight up to the water's edge. The woods was a sort of sanctuary to him before the half dismembered body had been found. He and Camden spent a lot of time there.

"Come on, Ike, it's not that much further," Camden called over his shoulder, his voice a laughing lilt as he forged ahead. His long legs covered a lot of ground, making Isaac have to work harder to keep up. "Come on, come on! Move faster, slow poke!"

"Slow down!" Isaac begged, running after him. "I can't…I can't move that fast."

Camden stopped in his tracks. He ran a hand through his hair and peered back at his brother. Isaac's gait immediately slowed and his limp became more prominent. Isaac looked up at his brother, his eyes wide as he waited. Had he done something wrong?

"Your leg still hurting?" Camden asked. Isaac nodded, wringing his hands together as he still approached his older brother. "Yeah, you really took a tumble down those stairs."

"Dad pushed me," Isaac grumbled.

"Come on, Ike, Dad wouldn't do that. I'm sure he tried to help you."

"He pushed me."

Camden sighed and then motioned for his brother to come closer. Once Isaac stood in front of him and knelt and lifted his brother's pants' leg. He grimaced at the sight of the black and blue mess that was his knee. His nose wrinkled but he relaxed his face before Isaac could see his reaction. "That's not too bad," he said. "I've seen worse." Isaac stared at him, his lip stiff in an incredulous manner. Chuckling, Camden stood and ruffled his brother's long hair. "Hey, bud, I'll show you how to skip rocks."

Isaac's lips parted and his eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, shuffling forward.

"Yeah. It's easy. All you do is pick up a flat rock and…well, let's find some first." Camden shoved his hands into the pockets of his Beacon Hills High letterman jacket and started flipping rocks over with his feet. He would hum every now and then, a tune that Isaac heard a lot whenever his brother was home from overseas. When he wasn't shut up in his room, that is. Any time Isaac could spend with his big brother was time he cherished. Camden wasn't around that much anymore.

"Is this good?" Isaac asked, picking up a rock.

Camden looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "No, it needs to be flatter. Like…like this one." He reached down and picked up a rock, brushing dirt off the surface. He paused to tuck his dogtags into his shirt and then picked up another rock. Once standing at full height, with a jerk of his head, he motioned Isaac to come closer. "See, you hold it in your hand like this. It needs to nestle in between your finger and thumb. You bring your arm back and flick your wrist, like this." Camden reached back and effortlessly flicked the rock across the surface of the water. It bounced six times before sinking. "Easy peasy."

"Wait, how do you do it again?" Isaac asked. He flipped the rock over in his hands.

"Like this, bud." Camden crouched next to Isaac and positioned his hand the right way. "And now you bring your arm back like this…and flick it." He guided Isaac's arm back and then forward as he threw the rock. It bounced four times and then smacked against the water, sinking below. "You did it, Ike!"

"Yeah, but you helped," Isaac replied, although the pride wasn't lost in his voice.

"Of course! I'm your big bro. I'll always be around to help you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Ker-plunk! The placid surface of the water shattered as the ripples from the rock Isaac threw stretched towards the shore. He brushed the single droplet off his cheek and blinked his burning eyes. His chest swelled as he took in a breath and then let it out. His hand went up to his neck where it followed the ball chain necklace down to the tags that hung on the end. He rubbed his thumb over the faded inscription on it. He had memorized it ages ago.

LAHEY
CAMDEN V.
574-08-XXXX
B Positive
N/A

"You promised," Isaac whispered, his stare never breaking from the surface of the water. Light wind brushed past his ears. He swore, nestled deep within the wind he could hear his brother's laughter.

# # #

Night had fallen ages ago; twinkling stars dotted the night sky and the bright moon bathed the darkened streets in silvery light but still Melanie didn't move from the driver's seat of her truck. She couldn't move. Her muscles kept her rooted to the spot; her fingers gripped the steering wheel. It was her lifeline. She was sure if she let go of the bumpy steering wheel she would break down completely.

Her nose was stuffed and her eyes burned but she refused to let the tears fall. She took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. She breathed in again and let it out once more. The lump in her throat broke as she swallowed it, making her breathing a little bit easier than before. She had stopped shaking long ago and now felt strong enough to look at her phone again.

Slowly removing her hands from the wheel, she picked up her abandoned phone from the passenger seat and red the message on it again and again and again. Only when the words started to blur due to the tears lining her eyes did she lock the screen with her thumb. She sniffed and brushed her arm against her eyes, removing the tears that waited to fall over. She let out a heavy breath again and lifted her phone to her face but stopped at the reflection that was now on the screen.

A red eye.

Heart jumping into her throat, she pumped the handle on the door of her truck and launched herself out of the seat. Her feet barely touched the ground before she flew up the sidewalk and the front porch to the house she was parked in front of. Her fist hammered on the door as she glanced over her shoulder. Right as the door swung open the pair of red eyes disappeared into a nearby brush and Melanie squeezed her way in through the gap.

"Melanie, what on earth—?" Mrs. Reyes managed to gasp at the sight of the frazzled young girl. Only when she turned her blue eyes to her did Mrs. Reyes's face fall and her eyes softened, unshed tears lined her own eyelids. "Oh dear. I heard. Are you alright, sweetie? Can I do anything?" she asked as she gathered the trembling girl to her body to give her a hug. Melanie buried her face into Mrs. Reyes's chest and held her tight. "I was just on my way. Do you want me to take you to—"

"No!" Melanie's reply was muffled due to her face being pressed into Mrs. Reyes's body. "No, I don't…I don't need to go." She rubbed her arm across her eyes again as she leaned away from the older woman. "I just want to see Erica. If that's okay."

"Yes. Of course. I'll let your parents know you're here. You're welcome to stay the night. I insist, in fact." Mrs. Reyes sniffed and dotted the back of her hand against her steadily red-growing nose. "But if you change your mind I can come back for you."

"I know. Thank you." Melanie detangled herself from Mrs. Reye's arms and ran up the stairs. Bursting into her best friend's bedroom she was greeted with the sight of Erica lying haphazardly atop of her comforter. "Eri," she breathed, sagging against the door, using the handle to keep her up.

"Mellie!" Erica cheered. She tried to use her arms to push herself up into a sitting position only to fall over. "Whoopsie!" she trilled. "Come lay down with me, Mellie. The room's spinning."

"Eri, what did you do?" Melanie asked, sitting down on the edge of Erica's bed. "Are…are you drunk?"

"Just a teeny tiny bit," Erica replied, holding up her thumb and index finger. "I had some of mom's wine after lunch with Dad." She giggled, her cheeks flushing red. "She was soooooooooo mad. But Dad was mean. This is his fault. He was so mean. I don't like him."

Melanie reached back and gently ran her fingers through Erica's hair, swallowing the lump that threatened to form again as she peered down at her intoxicated friend. "But that doesn't mean you should turn to drinking."

"You weren't around. I had nothing else to do." Erica tried to sit up again, this time using Melanie's knee as leverage. "This is what happens when you're not around. I do dumb stuff. I always need you around, Mellie. You're like my guarding. My angel. You're the best."

Melanie sighed and briefly touched her palm to her forehead. Her troubles could wait; Erica needed her at the moment. Now if only the weight on her chest would get the memo. "Okay, let's get you to bed," she announced, standing so she could pull back the comforter. "You need some sleep."

"No! You're leaving!" Erica whined. "I don't want you to leave."

"I'm not leaving. I'm staying here tonight," Melanie replied. "I'll be right next to you. But you need to get some rest."

"You'll stay the night?" Erica rolled over until she was at the head of the bed. Her glassy eyes stared up at her best friend.

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." Melanie pulled the covers down as far as she could and the lifted Erica's legs so she could lift the comforter back up to her chin. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Erica's forehead and she snuggled against her pillows.

"You're the best. The best friend." Erica reached out and wrapped her arms around Melanie's neck. As Melanie started to pull away from Erica's tight hug Erica grabbed her face and kissed her. Melanie's eyes popped open and she had to grab onto the headboard to hold herself up due to Erica's sudden strength. Once she pulled away she brushed her nose against Melanie's and muttered, "I love you so much."

"Yeah…I love you too, Eri," Melanie mumbled, pulling away from her.

Erica dropped her arms and peered up at Melanie. Her head tilted and then her eyes widened. "That was bad!" she gasped. "That was bad. I shouldn't have done that."

"No, Eri, it's fine," Melanie replied. "Just…next time you kiss me…make sure you've gargled mouthwash first." She tried to laugh but her body didn't work that well to bring forth the sound. Erica didn't seem to notice as a peaceful smile appeared on her face and then her face relaxed as sleep took hold of her.

Melanie crossed over to Erica's window, kicking off her shoes as she went. She learned towards the glass, her nose barely touching it as she looked outside and then up and down the street. No glowing Alpha eyes in sight. Thank goodness.

She grabbed onto the curtains and yanked them shut before taking off her socks as she walked back over to the bed. Pausing briefly to turn off the light she then climbed into bed. Her head hit the plush pillow and her body melted into the mattress, her tense muscles relaxing almost instantly. Erica's soft, steady breathing filled the air and she focused on that sound to help herself relax enough to get into an uneasy sleep.


a/n - Guess who's back? I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I hadn't had a lot of time to write lately but I recently put in my two weeks at one of my jobs so I should have a lot more time freed up to write some more! This is a chapter that details a deviation I talked about before. Showwise this chapter would be part of the Wolf's Bane episode but, to go with what I have planned, the episode is going to be stretched out. You'll understand in the next chapter. I can't wait for you guys to see what I have in store for the rest of the season, it's gonna be good!

So what did you think of this chapter? We got to see through the eyes of Melanie, Erica, and Isaac on this special day. Each one of them is dealing with something that brought them down. For Erica it's her father and her parents' divorce, for Isaac it's the aftermath of his brother's death, and for Melanie, well, you'll see what's got her down in the next chapter. ;) And Erica kissed Mel! (Well she was drunk, but still). Wonder how this will play out. :)

Also! Another deviation of sorts was that I know that Matt and Isaac had known each other since he was involved in the season two near drowning incident and was basically explained to not be close after it happened, but I wanted Isaac to have some sort of relationship with people on his lacrosse team so Matt was it. And considering how season 2 goes it only made sense that Matt was the one.

I want to thank you all for being so patient with me and the time it took for em to update. Please read and review! I'd love to know what you all think!

~C.M.