THE ENTIRETY OF MY WEEKEND had been spent hauled up in my bedroom with the curtains drawn and tv off. I'd stayed buried beneath bedsheets with nothing but a few books that I'd made only pitiful attempts to read, only venturing downstairs a handful of times to fill my belly and grab some refreshments. I was trying to pretend the outside world didn't exist, sure, but I was still hungry.

Grandma had made numerous attempts to coax me out out of bed, but my thoughts felt safer in the darkened corner of my still half-empty space. I'd been surprised - but grateful - for the fact she hadn't pushed for an explanation of what had happened that night. Especially considering the mess that was left by the unnamed creature and the werewolf, Derek Hale.

Werewolf.

He was a werewolf and I was now certain that Scott was too.

Despite the uncertainty that surrounded me, I knew I couldn't hide away forever. And I didn't want to. My friends might not have needed me - they might have been able to handle this on their own - but whether they liked it or not, they were getting me. Because friends didn't turn their back on one another just because one had turned into something unexpected.

I'd dragged myself out of bed earlier that evening and gotten myself ready to head to the lacrosse game taking place at school. I didn't know what was weirder to me, Scott being a werewolf or the fact that he could actually play lacrosse now. Both seemed ridiculously unimaginable.

Gently weaving through the crowd I scan the bleachers in search of somewhere to sit. There aren't many options.

I spot Allison amongst the masses and we share a small smile and wave, but when I notice that she seems to be sitting with her grandpa, I look for somewhere else. We hadn't gotten to know one another as well as I would have liked, but there was still time for that.

There's Erica and Boyd, but from the way the blonde with newfound confidence angrily glances my way, I can tell it wouldn't be the best idea. I wondered what, if anything, Derek had told them of our interactions.

And then I see her, a familiar face. Slowly, some of my worry seems to fade away as I notice Mellissa McCall engaged in brief conversation with Matt. I make my way towards them, hesitant as I dare say, "hey, Matt!" It surprises me when I get a grumbled greeting in reply before he moves off to the side, camera in his hand and seemingly directed towards Allison. I'd rejected him once at a birthday party in the eighth grade — this was the first he'd spoken to me since. I'd learned long ago that he didn't take rejection well, but hoped he'd grown out of that.

"Mind if I sit here?" I beam, my smile warm. It's strange that someone else's mother feels more like home than my own. Melissa is a comfort to all that know her. "Of course, sweetheart. Take a seat." I wedge myself between her and the stranger to the other side of me and try my best to ignore the fact that I can feel Erica's eyes on me the whole time.

"I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Scott is co-captain of the lacrosse team," I tell her, shaking my head as an amused smile begins to form. The Scott I left behind was uncoordinated and often debilitated by his asthma. It was good to see him like this. Less restricted.

"Oh, you and me both, honey. I wish I knew his secret." Melissa jokes it return and my smile falters, but I try not to let it show. I have no doubt she would still love him with the same passion even if she knew the truth, but the idea of her finding out still causes my heart to ache.

"We'll have to have a proper catch soon," she adds, and I smile as she places a hand on my knee. "It's so good to have you back. Those two idiots missed you a lot."

It's nice to hear, especially from Melissa. I nod, wrapping my arms around my frame to try and combat the cold. "Yeah, I missed them too. Kinda felt like I was missing two of my limbs."

It was true. They'd been such a a huge part of my life that being without them had left me feeling somewhat incomplete. Friends are they family you get to choose, and I'd never stop choosing them.

"Woo!" Melissa and I shout in unison as the game sets to begin, and as we do I notice both Scott and Stiles glance up towards us. They'd tried to speak to me several times over the past few days to no avail. I'd needed the space, the time to process it on my own. I let out a breath as I glance between the two; Scott on the field and Stiles on the bench. Scott nods and I nod back, a sort of silent acknowledgment that everything is ok.

A laugh bubbles to the surface, my smile the brightest it's been since I got back. It didn't matter if Scott was a werewolf and it didn't matter if Stiles suddenly turned into a pumpkin overnight— they were my friends. No matter what came our way, I knew that we would be ok in the end. We had to be.

The game isn't going well. The other team seem to have a secret weapon in the form of a player named Eddie Abramowitz, otherwise known as the abomination. As another player is injured by the towering male, I hear coach shout out for Stiles. "Stilinski! Where the hell is Stilinski?!" I wait for him to jump up, eager for his shot on the field ... but there's no sign of him anywhere. It's not long before I spot Boyd stepping up to the challenge, much to the delight of Coach. If anyone can match up to Abramowitz, it's him.

"I'll be right back," I tell Melissa as my eyes search for my best friend who is nowhere to be seen. I can't explain the feeling that washes over me, but something tells me to look for him. I search the school high and low and come up short, only leaving one place I've yet to check: the swimming pool. "Great," I mumbled to myself, realizing I'm at the opposite end of the building. My feet move faster as an overpowering sense of urgency over takes. For all I know he could be fine, but something is telling me otherwise.

I enter the swimming building and the first thing I see is Erica, face-down and eyes shut. I rush towards her instantly and feel relief when I get a pulse. "Erica," I say her name once, and then once more after that. She doesn't reply. It's then I hear a loud splash and turn around to see Stiles dunk Derek under the water before swimming frantically towards the edge of the pool. "Stiles, what the fuck?!" 

It's then I notice the creature from only a few nights before circling the pool. It's without much hesitation that I jump in, the sound of Stiles voice yelling, "Scott!" as I dive under the water and straight towards Derek. Cautious hands reach out, delicate fingers gripping onto the fabric of his shirt as I attempt to pull him back towards the surface, but he's too solid and I'm not strong enough on my own. Bubbles leave my mouth as I let out a frustrated cry, and I'm relived when I see Stiles dashing toward us.

Together we get Derek afloat, and I watch him carefully as he takes several needed breaths, his darkened eyes catching glimpse of me in confusion as my arm stays wrapped around his waist. I tell myself I'm aiding in the efforts to keep him up, but at this point I'm certain it's all Stiles.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asks, grumpily. Though he seems a little surprised that I'm no longer afraid of him. It could be the fact that he currently has no sharp teeth or claws. "I came to find Stiles." I reply and look away, certain I've been staring a little too long.

"Great, now we're all stuck in there while that thing is out there." He acts like it's my fault and I really don't know what I did to make him dislike me so much. I scoff and let go of his frame, swimming a few inches away. I splash him with my hand and he lets out a low growl. Stiles doesn't look impressed as he gets caught in the crossfire.

"You're welcome," I mumbled, knowing I didn't rescue him, not really. But I had tried. He could at least be grateful for that. "Why is Stiles holding you up anyway?"

"I'm paralyzed." He pauses, then quickly adds. "Temporarily."

My eyes widen, and dart across the way towards the lizard-like creature that continues to circle us. "Wait, you're tell me that thing can... paralyze people?" I gulp, loudly, grateful when I see it hiss and pull its claw away as it touches the water. It seems frightened of it. If it has a weakness, maybe it can be beaten.

"Yup," Stiles replies with a hint of dread.

Could it be anymore terrifying?

"It's afraid of the water," I tell them, slowly swimming closer to get a better look.

"Cassia, stop!" I expect it to be Stiles that yells first, but to my surprise, it's Derek. I shake my head and float in place. I'm not dumb enough to get any closer. "Why would it trap you somewhere it can't get to you?" I ask the question quietly, mostly just thinking out loud.

But there's no time to question it any further, and soon I'm snapped from my thoughts by the sound of Stiles and Derek being plucked out of the pool and thrown onto the slippy, wet floor tiles that surround the clear mass of water.

It's Scott - he's here. I watch on in amazement as I see him for the first time in his wolf form. There's still a feeling of uneasiness, but after seeing Derek in all his werewolf glory only nights ago, it doesn't seem quite so terrifying now. Maybe I could get used to this; a new normal.

I push myself out of the pool and sit at the edge, and look over to notice that Derek is slowly able to move the fingers on one hand. Scott crashes into the mirror, grabbing a piece of glass as he rolls back into a ready position. The creature catches glimpse of itself in the reflection and all-too-easily flees the scene.

"Are you guys ok?" Scott asks, transforming back into human form as he makes his way closer. The boys nod, as do I. "Yeah. Yeah, we're ok." I gasp, eyes bewildered as I let out a laugh of disbelief. "So this is life in Beacon Hills now, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." He laughs in return, helping me to my feet. Before I know it were all outside, and Erica is conscious once again after missing the whole thing. She stands with Derek on one side while we all stand on the other. I don't interject, I just listen to them talk and try to get a better grasp of the situation. This was new to me, there was no way I could just jump in all guns blazing. Even if part of me wanted to.

"It's called a kanima." Derek finally gives the creature a name, and I wrack my brain trying to think of where I've heard it before. I come up short, but assume it must be from a book I've read before.

"You knew the whole time?" Stiles sounds agitated and I can't really blame him.

The older werewolf shakes his head. "No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection."

"It doesn't know what it is." Scott adds, as I rest my back against Stiles jeep, pulling the hoodie he'd given me more tightly around my short frame. The rest of my clothes were still soaking wet, and the thin red material was the only thing giving me any kind of warmth.

"Or who," adds Derek.

I listen in as Stiles asks what else he knows before Scott questions, "but it's like us?"

He begins to explain. "A shapeshifter, yes. But it's not right. It's like a..."

"An abomination." It's Stiles that fills in the gap, finds the right word. I watch on carefully as Derek slowly nods and then turns to leave with Erica in tow.

Scott moves forward, desperate. He's scared, I can tell. And how could he not be? This was so much for anyone to handle, and he seemed to be carrying the brunt of it upon his shoulders. "Derek. We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents."

"You trust them?" The question from Derek comes angrily, leaving me slightly confused. The Argents? What did they have to do with this? And why did he seem to dislike them so much?

I glance at Stiles and raise an untamed brow in question. He simply gives me a look that lets me know he'll fill me in later.

"Nobody trusts anyone," Scott begins, "that's the problem. While we're here arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier and faster than any of us, and it's killing people! And we still don't know anything about it!"

"I know one thing," insists Derek, and the shift of tone makes me take more notice than ever before. "When I find it, I'm gonna kill it."

The rational part of my brain is telling me to just let him go, but the other part is pestered by a question it's desperate to know the answer to.

"Derek, wait!" As I call out his name, I ignore the baffled stares from both Scott and Stiles and push myself off the jeep, taking quick strides to catch up with him.

I hate the way that my heart seems to pick up it's pace as he turns to face me. I barley even know him at all, yet he appears to have quite the effect on me.

"What?" He quizzes me and takes his own step away from Erica, who watches us with envious eyes. I don't quite understand what she seems to be envious of, considering he walks beside her without hesitation and when he looks at me, it's like he can't wait to be far away from me.

"What Scott asked you the other night, was it true?" I have to know. In the midst of everything else, it'd been the one question I couldn't seem to shake.

His brows furrow, lips pressing into a firm line. "Was what true?"

"Was it your plan... to- to turn me next?" I shiver as I ask the question, a slight gust of wind nipping at my still dampened skin. It would be easier to understand if he said yes, at least it would explain why he kept popping up unexpectedly. But it wasn't the answer that I wanted.

"No." He shakes his head and let's out an exasperated sigh, almost like he's mad at himself and not me this time. "No, you weren't part of any plan."