The feeling that she forgot something important didn't leave Marlow. But life had to go on. It was another school day and another time the weird feeling wouldn't let go of her. She was sick of it. But it was in the back of her head, just way too far in the back of her head. In a place where she couldn't reach that memory of what she was supposed to remember. That feeling came back every time she walks past that blue jeep or past locker 1075.
The young werecoyote leaned against her locker and sighed. Riley joined her. She looked at her best friend concernedly. "Okay, what is going on?"
Marlow got back up. "I have this weird feeling. There is something in the back of my head, and-and I just can't reach it!" she whispered sternly. It was driving her insane. No matter how much she tried to recall what was missing, it just wouldn't come to her mind.
Riley shot Marlow an empathetic look. Then a smirk crept up on her face. "You wanna investigate?"
Marlow narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out whether or not that would be useful. She finally decided that it didn't matter if it would be useful or not, at least she'd get that damn feeling out of her head. She smirked back at Riley and nodded. "Let's go."
She pulled Riley out of the school doors, only to be dragged back inside by Mrs. Martin immediately. "I have told you guys a million times, you can save Beacon Hills after school. You can't miss any more classes, especially you Riley," she warned as she pushed them back inside.
Marlow sighed as Mrs. Martin left. She was right. Even if something was missing, it could wait until school was over. It couldn't have been that important if she forgot it in the first place. She shared a look with Riley, then shrugged. "Guess it's gonna have to wait," she told her. She nudged her best friend as Coop walked up to them. "By the way..."
Riley shook her head. "No. I've already told you, I need time."
Marlow stared intently at Riley. "And I've told you, this is Beacon Hills. He will find out. Sooner than later."
Riley growled under her breath. She knew Marlow was right. But she couldn't bring herself to confess to him. Not just yet. She needed more time to let their relationship grow. She brought her hand up as she saw Coop coming their way. "Later. After school. Now, shh!"
"Hey, babe," Coop greeted as he kissed Riley on the forehead.
"Hey, sweety," she greeted back with a pained smile on her face. Marlow could tell it wouldn't be easy for Riley to confess her being a witch to Coop, but it had to be done if she was hoping for a future with him.
"Hi, Coop," Marlow greeted sweetly, hoping to relieve some of the awkward tension.
Coop smiled at her. "Hey, Marls."
Riley put her hands on Coop's shoulders. "Hey, uhm. I've gotta tell you something after school, alright? Meet me at the library?"
Coop started blinking nervously. He seemed upset. He shoved his hands in his pocket. "Okay. I gotta get to class. I'll see you later!" he told her. He rushed off, leaving a puzzled Riley behind.
"Weird," Marlow remarked, her eyes narrowed. Coop had been perfectly fine the past couple of months. And Marlow had been betrayed enough to see the signs when someone was acting suspiciously. She was willing to give Coop the benefit of the doubt though.
"See?" Riley asked, pointing after her boyfriend. "That's why I don't wanna tell him. What if he just walks out on me? I love him, I wouldn't be able to handle it if he broke up with me."
Marlow put her arm around her shoulders as she guided Riley to their next class. "It'll be alright. I'm sure of it," she told her best friend. Even if she was suspicious, she didn't want to rattle Riley's nerves even more.
Coop burst through the bathroom doors and locked himself in one of the stalls. He tried to control his breathing. He looked at his claws and thrust his palms against the stall door. A growl escaped his lips. He drew his hands back when he saw the claw marks left on the door. He breathed in and out. His claws finally retracted.
He sighed in relief. Usually, he would easily be able to control himself. He had been born a werewolf after all. But something about Riley's tone made him nervous. He wanted to tell her the truth. He did. But he was afraid of how she would react. He grabbed his bag off the floor and exited the stall. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized that he would have to tell Riley sooner than later.
That same night Mason called Marlow to the library. When she arrived he was there with Corey, Liam, and Scott. She walked through the door, watching as Mason and Corey threatened Liam and Scott with a chair and a fire extinguisher. She raised her hands. "What the hell?"
The boys lowered their weapons yet Marlow could feel that everyone was still tensed up. "They were here. The Ghost Riders," Mason said.
Scott's eyes widened. "Here? Just now?"
"I thought they left when the storm left," Liam said.
Marlow walked up to the boys. "I don't think so. Mr. Yukimura said they don't just leave. I just..." she threw up her hands. "That's most of what I remember. I can't reach the Yukimura's."
"I think you're right because two of them were right up there," Mason said, pointing up at the second story of the library.
"What were they doing?" Scott asked.
"We didn't see when they came in. We only saw them when we turned invisible," Mason replied.
Liam stepped towards Corey. "You brought him into this?"
"Okay, okay!" Marlow chimed in. She walked up to the boys and walked in between the two. She put her hand on Liam's chest, trying to hold him back. "Try and pocket that toxic masculinity until we've solved the problem."
Liam sighed and looked at her. There was something in his eyes. It was as if he calmed down just by looking at her. Marlow shook her head. The feelings welling up in her were the ones she had been trying to shake off for months. That's why she had been bickering so much. The more she bickered, the less likely those pesky romantic feelings were to show back up.
"He was trying to protect me," Mason chimed in. Possibly because he sensed the awkwardness. Marlow and Liam kept looking at each other. Marlow didn't want to take her eyes off him but she had made her choice. She walked over to Mason and Corey.
"Uh, they didn't seem to care about us. They, they walked right by us," Corey added.
"Then what happened?" Scott asked.
There was a beat of silence as the boys began to think. "Uh... Then they just jumped down and left," Mason finally said.
"That's it?" Liam asked.
"Yeah," Corey replied. There was clearly some frostiness between him and Liam and that puzzled Marlow. They had never truly seemed like enemies before.
"They didn't take someone?" Scott asked. "There was nobody else in here?"
Mason shook his head. "No."
"It was just us," Corey added.
Marlow narrowed her eyes at the banister. Maybe the Ghost Riders had taken someone. And maybe whatever she couldn't remember was also taken by the Ghost Riders. She sighed. It made no sense. She could feel that Riley was right. Sophomore year wouldn't end as peacefully as they had thought.
Marlow and Riley settled into the bleachers to watch Coop at Lacrosse try-outs. Well, Riley was watching Coop. Marlow was still more or less pining for Liam. Riley knew it too. She glanced at Marlow and smirked. "You know, he has a girlfriend, right?"
Marlow was ripped out of her thoughts. Her eyes widened. She quickly narrowed them as she looked over at Riley. "What are you talking about?"
Riley chuckled and shook her head. She looked out onto the field. "You are pathetic. And I say that with a lot of love in my heart."
Marlow scoffed. "I'm pathetic?" she asked, a chuckle escaping her lips. She shook her head and turned her gaze back to the field. She discreetly pointed at Coop. "Did you tell him?"
Riley opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. She looked over at Marlow. "I tried." she started, then broke off. "I got scared, alright? I started to tell him. But then..."
Riley broke off once more. Her gaze fixed on Coop. Marlow may have thought that she understood Riley, but she really didn't. She never had to tell any boy or girl her secret. The only loved ones she had to break it to were Stiles, her dad and Mason and she had obviously known them well enough to trust them at that point.
Marlow smiled faintly. She squeezed her arm reassuringly. She thought she understood Riley's predicament. She really did. But at the end of the day, all of her loved ones accepted her afterward. She had no idea if that would be the same with Riley and Coop. "I get it. Just remember..."
Riley sighed and rolled her eyes. "This is Beacon Hills," she said. She looked over at Marlow. "Yes, I know," she added. She nodded and looked out at the field. "I'll tell him. After school."
Marlow flung her arm around Riley's shoulder and squeezed her tightly. "I believe in you, girl," she said. They broke apart. "And I trust that Coop will love you the same after you tell him."
Riley nodded. "I hope so," she said. She looked at Marlow. "Now, when are you going to tell Liam that you're still in love with him?"
Marlow bit her lip. She applauded Riley's ability to tell it to you like it is. Her bluntness. But there were certain things even she didn't understand. She had made a stupid mistake when she broke up with Liam. And then he slipped out of her fingers. "I see the way you look at him," Riley told her.
"It's not that easy, Ri. He's with Hayden now. Because I broke up with him. Do you think I would still have a place in the pack if I broke them up? Or tried to?" Marlow turned to Riley. "I don't even know if he does still have a thing for me. I was pretty mean to him."
"Oh, he does. Marlow, trust me when I tell you, that boy down there," she pointed down at Liam. He was looking up at them, quickly turning away when Riley pointed his way. "He has a thing for you. He's in love with you."
Marlow looked down at Liam, nearly letting out a frustrated cry. She wanted to be with him so badly. But maybe it wasn't meant to be. "Now, maybe he's in love with Hayden too. Maybe he isn't and he's just pretending to be because he's afraid of hurting her feelings. But he does still love you. I don't think he ever stopped. I think Hayden came at the right time for him, just when he needed a pick-me-up. But, he never stopped having feelings for you."
"Then what do I do? Because I don't want to hurt either of them," Marlow said. And she really didn't. Even if Hayden did annoy her and Liam hurt her feelings by immediately getting with her, they still seemed happy together. And they had been through a lot. Who was she to try and break them apart when she had let Liam go in the firs place?
Riley stared at Marlow intently. "But don't you deserve happiness too?" she asked. Marlow looked up at her. "You are so hellbent on making everyone else around you happy. And making sure they're safe. And in the process, you completely neglect your own needs."
Marlow bit down on her lip. She knew Riley was right. She was unhappy. But what was she supposed to do? If finding happiness for herself meant ruining it for others, then she didn't want it.
That evening Riley was talking to Coop. Marlow stayed away per Riley's orders. She could only hope that Coop would love Riley enough to accept her for who she was. And that he wasn't secretly someone shady who wanted to hurt Riley.
Marlow had been staring at the space on the wall next to her room for what seemed like hours. There was something off about it. It was like it wasn't supposed to be empty. But she didn't know what could be behind it. But her feelings usually did not lead her astray. Her hand traveled towards the wallpaper, almost as if she wasn't in control.
"What are you doing, honey?"
Marlow gasped. Her hand shot away from the wall. "Mom!" she yelled, turning around to face her mother. "You scared me."
Claudia laughed. She walked up to her daughter. "I'm sorry, sweety," she said. "I didn't mean to."
"It's okay. I'm just a little on edge." Marlow told her.
"What are doing?" Claudia asked. "Is it something supernatural?" she added in a low whisper.
Marlow snickered. "Mom, you don't have to whisper. We're not being watched by the government."
"Okay, okay. Sorry," Claudia said. "But is it?"
Marlow laughed once more. It continued to amaze her how cool her mother reacted to hearing that her daughter was a werecoyote in contrast to her dad. He nearly fainted, she embraced it with open arms. Though, the more Marlow thought about it, the more she realized that she didn't even really remember telling her mother. "Kinda. There is something stuck in the back of my head and I just can't get it out, you know?"
Claudia nodded. "Any idea what it might be?"
Marlow shook her head. "I think there might be something behind this wall. It's driving me insane."
"So you wanted to rip off my wallpaper?"
Marlow's jaw clenched. "Maybe." Claudia crossed her arms in front of her chest. Marlow smiled at her. "Sorry."
The doorbell rang. Claudia sighed and went to open it. Marlow turned back to the wall. She wasn't wrong. Something about it was off. "Marlow! Marlow!" Riley yelled as she ran up to her.
"What? What is it?" Marlow asked as she grabbed her best friend by the shoulders. She looked rattled and Marlow didn't like when Riley looked rattled.
"I have to tell you something. It's about Coop..." she replied, trying to catch her breath.
Marlow's phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was a message from Mason. "Can you explain on the way to the school? Mason needs us." Marlow asked. Riley nodded. Marlow wanted to know what had happened with Coop. She was ready to jump if he had hurt Riley. "Are you okay?" Marlow asked. Riley waved her off. "Okay, let's go then."
"Liam!" Marlow yelled as she pulled the boy back in front of her. Liam and Corey were fighting. Liam didn't trust Corey. Corey didn't care. Mason was pissed. Rightfully so. What was Liam thinking attacking his best friend's boyfriend?
"What? What is it?" Liam asked annoyedly.
"What is up with you not trusting Corey?" Marlow asked.
Liam gave her a look. "What's up with you having trusted him from the start? We know virtually nothing about him."
Marlow growled. "I know him. And so do you. He's just a lost kid who needs friends. People who love him. There is not a bad bone in his body," she told him. Marlow wasn't an easily trustful person. She didn't let just anyone into her inner circle. She had felt a stinge of distrust for Corey when he joined Theo, but she also quickly realized that Corey was just in need of a friend. She softened up. "Just trust me on this, alright? Can you do that?"
Liam sighed. He looked up at her. "Fine."
"Now, go talk to him. Let him know you trust him and that you can be friends." Marlow pleaded. She needed to know that all of her boys would be able to get along. Especially because there was next to no way that Mason would leave Corey and Marlow didn't want to see Liam and Mason have a falling-out.
Liam's gaze lingered on her. She sighed. Liam turned to talk to Corey. "Liam, wait!"
Liam turned around once more. "What is it?"
"Uhm..." Marlow started. For a second, she thought that she would be brave and confess what she truly felt. But reality hit her once more. No, she couldn't do it. She shook her head. "Nothing. Sorry."
Liam stared at her intently. "You know if something's wrong, you can just talk to me, right?" he asked. "I mean, I am your future Alpha after all."
Marlow smirked. A small part of her wanted to smack him in the head, but she held back. "Don't push it, boy. That fight isn't over yet," she reminded him. "Now, go talk to Corey."
Liam nodded and rushed off. Marlow closed her eyes, trying her best not to cry. Riley and Mason rushed towards Marlow. They started talking over one another, so fast Marlow couldn't understand a word they were saying. Her eyes widened as she raised her hands. "Okay, okay!" she yelled. Her best friends stopped talking, trying to stay calm. "Now, one more time but slowly."
"Riley just told me. I can't believe it!" Mason said frantically once more.
"What is it?" Marlow asked again. Riley had been quiet on the whole ride over. Marlow was so wrapped up in the boys' drama that she completely forgot to ask her what had happened with her and Coop.
"It's about Coop. I've been trying to tell you," Riley replied. She looked practically shell-schocked and at that point Marlow expected Riley to tell her that Coop was a serial killer. "He's a werewolf."
Marlow stared at them wide-eyed. "What?" she asked. She let that thought sink in, then narrowed her eyes. "What?!" she yelled. She was expecting so much. Him cheating on her, him hiding more illegal activity than his daily habit of smoking weed, him being an actual murderer. But a werewolf? Right under her nose? And she didn't smell him out? Either she was slipping, or the drama between her and Liam was getting so much to her that she had lost her wariness of people.
"Yes! Well you know, I finally told him after I chickened-out again yesterday. So I told him that I'm a witch and about you guys and Beacon Hills in general and then he was like, not reacting at all. Which isn't weird necessarily but then he was like 'Thank, God because I've been wanting to tell you for a long time' and then he showed me his golden eyes and then I didn't say anything and ran away," Riley explained without once taking a breath.
"Uhm," Marlow said. She sighed, throwing up her hands. Truthfully, it didn't even shock her at that point. Beacon Hills was a literal beacon for the supernatural after all. "Okay, well, like I said. This is Beacon Hills. I guess it doesn't surprise me anymore."
Riley and Mason had calmed down severely. Riley nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, he's a werewolf you know. Everyone's just kind of a werewolf in Beacon Hills."
Marlow pulled Riley into a side hug. "Come on, Riley," she said. "I mean, isn't this a good thing? He's a werewolf. I doubt he'll leave you now."
Riley nodded. "You're right."
"Now," Marlow started, releasing Riley from their hug. "Go talk to him. Don't just leave him hanging. I was rooting for you guys and I still am."
She lightly pushed Riley forward. Riley smiled at Marlow. She nodded, then faded away. Marlow breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that that's handled," she said. "Let's go look for our squabbling boys."
Mason shot her a sympathetic look. Marlow raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You still want to be with him, don't you?" he asked. Her heart skipped a beat. She was afraid more people would notice her feelings if she wasn't careful. She would have to start shutting them out. "Don't," Mason said. Marlow looked to the floor. "Don't try to brush them aside."
Marlow wrung her hands. She looked up at Mason. "I can't hurt them. I won't."
Mason sighed. "I know. All I'm asking is that you don't sidetrack your happiness to keep everyone around you happy."
Marlow stayed silent. Mason and Riley knew her. They were her best friends and always would be. She loved them so much. And she knew they were right. But she was going to keep everything as peaceful as possible. Even if she got nothing in the process.
Riley faded into the kitchen of Jordan's apartment. Jordan was at the sink, washing dishes. He jumped when he spotted Riley behind. "Oh, God!" he gasped. He leaned against the sink. "Sorry, still getting used to all of that," he told her. Riley waved him off. He tilted his head. "Everything okay?"
"Sure. You know, I'm doing better in school, my friends are all alive and well, my boyfriend's a werewolf..." she rambled.
Parrish's eyes widened as he struggled to keep the plate he was cleaning in his hand. "Say what now?!" he asked. He had barely gotten used to having a witch niece and still hadn't coped with forgetting his witch sister or that he was living in a supernatural beacon town.
Riley sighed and walked past him into her room. She needed to figure out what to say to Coop. She didn't want to lose him. She really did love him. She pushed open the door to her room, jumping back when she saw Coop sitting on her bed. She shrieked. Coop jumped off the bed, raising his arms in a calming motion. "Don't freak out!"
Jordan ran into the room, gun drawn. "What's going on?!"
Riley and Coop jumped back. "Jordan! It's just Coop." Riley yelled, putting a hand up to her heart.
"Oh, uhm," Jordan mumbled. "Sorry."
He ran off like a child. Riley sighed. Sometimes she wondered which one of them was the adult in the house. She turned to Coop, ready to rip off his head. "Don't freak out?! How do you expect me not to freak out when you break into my room, knowing full well that I have a Deputy uncle?" she asked angrily. Coop closed his eyes and sighed. "How did you get in here?"
"You didn't lock your window," he answered, somewhat child-like.
Riley's mouth hung open as she looked for the right words. She didn't know whether to be happy that he hadn't instantly wrote her off as soon as she dashed or to be angry at him for just sneaking into her room like that. "So you climbed into..." Riley sighed. She waved him off. "I wanted to talk to you."
Coop shot her a nervous glance. "I guess this is the part where you dump me."
Riley's heart skipped a beat. She shook her head. "No," she chuckled somewhat nervously. "I wanted to tell you that I'm totally fine with you being a werewolf. I mean, why wouldn't I be? I'm a witch. My uncle's a Hellhound and most of my friends are werewolves, werecoyotes, Beasts, and Banshees. So, I can't exactly shun you for being the same."
"So, I'm still your guy?" Coop asked. The smile on his face practically made her melt. She really did love him so much.
Riley chuckled. She started blushing. She planted a kiss on his lips. "Yes, of course," she assured him. Coop smiled at her, then pulled her in for another kiss. Riley held on to the kiss, onto Coop. Something sinister might be lurking around the corner once again. And if that was the truth, then she wanted nothing more than to enjoy her last moments of peace. She pulled back, pulling her shirt over her head as Coop closed the door.
Marlow and Mason met up with Liam and Corey in the library. The boys were already abuzz about something before their friends walked through the door. "Guys, what's going on? Did you make up or not?" Marlow asked, raising her eyebrows at Liam. She knew Liam wasn't a bad person, just a bit paranoid. Like herself.
Liam rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yes," he replied. "And not just that."
"We found something." Corey chimed in. He held up a blank card. "It was stuck in the banister."
Mason walked up to him and grabbed it from his hand. "It's just like in physics. It wasn't there until you saw it. Then it became real. It's Schrodinger's cat. The quantum state of a superposition. To see something is to change its very existence. It changed reality."
"I still don't get it," Corey told him.
Marlow raised her hand. For once she related to Corey's cluelessness. How did Schrodinger's Cat facture into the Ghost Riders? "Yeah, me either."
"What do you think it is?" Liam asked Mason.
"It looks like a library card. Except it's blank," Corey said.
Marlow narrowed her eyes. She jumped back as Liam snatched the card out of Mason's hand. He jumped over the front desk and sat down in front of the computer. "What are you doing, Liam?" Marlow asked.
He swiped the card through the card reader that was attached to the computer. Marlow narrowed her eyes as a file appeared on the screen. There was a picture of a boy. But Marlow had never seen him. At least she thought so. "Jake Sullivan," Liam said.
"He was in the physics lab last night," Mason said.
"I completely forgot about him," Corey told them.
"Me too," Liam added. He turned to his friends. "We have Spanish together."
"Oh, my God. I have Algebra with him," Marlow told them. She hated feeling like some bad guys on horses could just erase people from reality like they mean nothing.
They looked back at the desk. The formerly blank library card was adorned with Jake's information once more. "They erased him," Mason said.
Liam turned to Corey. "Your hunch was right."
Marlow's eyes widened. "Holy crap," she mumbled. The pieces were finally starting to fall together. Her gut was right. She wasn't going insane. She didn't need a psychiatrist. She needed to find a bunch of horse-riding maniacs. Only she wasn't missing something. She was missing someone.
