School had ended almost an hour ago, but Tyler sat on a bench outside the front doors, her homework spread around her. A pencil hug from her lips as she stared down at her chemistry notes. She was a few sections behind, but chemistry came easily to her.

Tyler glanced at her phone and stifled a groan. Aunt Ellen had texted her. Hey still at work but I'll be leaving to get you soon! She unlocked the screen and opened her maps, putting her aunt's address in.

"Is this a freaking joke?" she muttered to herself. The house was almost three miles away on the other side of the Beacon Hills Preserve. She didn't exactly feel like lugging all of her stuff through three miles of woods.

With an audible sigh, Tyler closed her chemistry book and tossed it to the side, closing her eyes. She pulled her headphones off and listened. She heard birds singing sweetly to each other, the sound of cars driving by, and grass being crushed under feet.

She tried to focus harder, tuning out sounds she didn't want to hear. Slowly, she picked up on the heavy, labored breathing of the boys lacrosse team. If she listened really closely, Tyler could hear their hearts pounding, slamming against their ribcages. But one heartbeat stood out, louder and slower than the others.

"You're in my chem class, right?" Tyler almost jumped out of her skin as she whipped around with wide eyes. Before her stood one of her classmates. She looked Tyler up and down with curiosity and brushed a lock of vibrant red hair away from her eyes.

"Yeah," she managed when she felt her heart sink back into place after it had jumped up into her throat. "You're, uh..."

"Lydia. And you're the new girl." She smiled.

"Tyler."

"Yeah." Tyler shifted uncomfortably under the other girl's gaze. "What are you still doing here?"

"I was working on a lab. But why are you still here?"

"Waiting for my aunt to pick me up." Tyler started to organize her belongings, pushing her notes into the textbook before dropping them in her bag. "I don't really know how to get back to her house yet. I've only been in town a few days."

"Well, I suppose you could wait with us for your aunt. You look a little lonely over here."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Us?"

Lydia turned her head. Tyler followed her gaze over to where the lacrosse team was practicing. A girl sat on the bleachers across the field, watching the boys run plays.

"Will they make you wait long?"

Lydia smiled, "Not if they know what's good for them."

"I mean, I guess." She said somewhat reluctantly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She fiddled with the sleeve of her sweatshirt anxiously. She wasn't expecting anyone to really talk to her today, much less offer to hang out with her while she waited for her aunt.

"Let's go then." she said as she started to walk away.

The wind picked up as they walked and Tyler paused, her heart jumping once again into her throat. There was that scent again. She wanted to tell Lydia to forget it and sprint through the woods back to her aunt's house, but it was too late now.

"Tyler, this is Kira." Lydia said with a smile. She turned and looked at the girl. "Tyler's in my chemistry class and I told her she could wait for her aunt with us."

Kira smiled. "If she's not here by the end of practice, we could give you a lift."

Tyler forced a smile, but she felt her heart pounding. Strange smells assaulted her nostrils, and a little voice in her head was screaming for her to run. She felt her whole body tense. "Maybe." The wind blew again.

The girl flinched as the shriek of a whistle rang through the air.

"McCall! What do you think you're doing daydreaming?"

The girls turned around and saw a boy laying in the grass. He sat up and pulled his helmet off, rubbing his head. "Sorry coach."

The coach rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath. "Okay, okay, you know what? Water break. McCall! Keep your head out of your ass, okay?"

The boy stood up and started walking toward the bleachers. Two other lacrosse players flanked him, taking off their helmets as well. They whispered to each other, but Tyler couldn't hear what they were saying. They all stared at her.

"Tyler, this is Isaac, Scott, and Stiles." She turned to look at the last boy she'd named. "Can you drive her home later? Kira and I are going shopping."

There was a moment of tense silence as they all eyed each other. The strange smell from earlier assaulted Tyler's nose, and at least one of the people she was standing with was the source.

Finally, Stiles smiled. "Sure. No problem."

"Slight problem." Tyler said, holding her hand up to cover her nose. "You guys reek."

"Yeah well, I'll shower first."

Tyler felt herself relax as the tension of the situation diffused. In Cape Hatteras, she'd always had a tough time making friends, let alone keeping them. No one ever approached her; they knew the stories about her family. She heard them whispered through the halls, saw people glance away to avoid eye contact.

But no one knew about her in Beacon Hills. Tyler smiled to herself. Here she could have a brand new start. Before she could respond, the shriek of the whistle tore through the field.

"Oi!" the coach screamed, his face turning red. "Do you three need a special invitation? Get back on the field! A water break isn't an invitation to flirt with bystanders!"

Tyler bit back a laugh as the three boys made their way back onto the field, leaving her with Lydia and Kira.

"So," Kira asked, "where are you from?"

It was an innocent enough question, but Tyler felt herself tense again.

"Uhm, I lived in North Carolina. Most of my family lives there."

"So then why did you leave?"

"I got expelled."

An uncomfortable silence followed, and Lydia quickly shifted topics. They talked until the boys had disappeared from the field into the locker rooms.

Tyler watched as Lydia and Kira drove away and smiled, sinking back down onto the bench. It was nice to talk to someone without having them freak out.

As she stood in the parking lot, Tyler's ears twitched at the sound of a vehicle approaching. A jeep pulled up in front of her with Stiles smiling in the driver's seat. Beside him sat his friend Scott McCall, and Isaac's face popped up from the backseat. The smell from earlier filled her nostrils again.

"Tyler?" Stiles prodded, "You still need a ride?"

"I, uh," she tried to form coherent sentences, but she couldn't concentrate. It's Scott and Isaac. Something's wrong about Scott and Isaac. "Actually I think I'll just walk. You guys smell. I didn't realize I'd be sharing the back with your sweaty lacrosse crap."

"Hey! We showered." Stiles said, feigning hurt.

Isaac raised a hand. "I actually take offense to that. I am not sweaty Lacrosse crap."

"But seriously," Stiles said, ignoring Isaac, "it's getting late, and we really don't mind giving you a ride."

"I don't-" but she was cut off by someone honking. Tyler looked over and saw her Aunt Ellen sitting in her car, waving. "My ride is here, but thanks anyway!"

Before they could respond, the girl darted to her aunt's car. She whipped the door open, jumped in, and the three boys watched the car peel away. Stiles looked at his best friend, who was still staring after the slightly beat up Accord as it pulled out of the school lot.

"Anything?" He asked.

Isaac and Scott exchanged glances. "I don't recognize that scent."

"Me neither," Scott said as Stiles shifted back into drive, "but it doesn't smell entirely human."