The boys had gone home on their own that night, after Liam had mostly healed and Mason had promised he was feeling fine. She had downed six coffees before lunch break started and ensured her bat stayed firmly in place in her backpack. Katherine followed the two of them through the school for the classes they shared, just as she always did. But something we different now.

Anxiety flooded her body on and off again, but it wasn't the usual kind. Normally for her it was cold, trembling hands and a prickling up the front of her body that alerted her something was going very very wrong. She found herself constantly looking over her shoulder now, for what she wasn't entirely sure.

Every little noise at night made her flinch. She couldn't go around corners without taking a quick look around them first. Scott, Malia and Lydia informed her that the Hellhound they encountered had been killed, but she honestly wasn't sure if that made her feel better.

What, in their chaotic little town, could kill a Hellhound?

As the school day rolled to an end she found herself chewing on the skin around her nails while standing patiently outside the boys change room. Liam had recruited Brett to help him run drills with the new freshmen players that had joined the team, wanting to get them ready enough to have a shot at being a first line player just like he had been.

Just like Scott had been.

She knew he was struggling with the idea of the graduates leaving them. Of them being in charge of the town, whether anyone believed they were or not. Because Katherine knew that no matter what, if bad things were starting to happen again, Liam would hold himself responsible, just as she would herself. If people died on their watch she would have a hard time forgiving herself for it.

The change room door swung open and Liam grumbled his way out out with a frantically rambling Mason — "you guys are gonna do so well I promise I believe in you I've seen you all on the field it's gonna be great" — slung over his shoulder. Liam dropped him on his feet which was apparently startling enough to make him silent. He looked ready to complain but stopped himself as he met his friends eyes because Liam wasn't watching him anymore.

His eyes were focused on Katherine, which had her raising her eyebrows. "What's wrong?" He asked her softly with furrowed brows, moving forward until he could gently hold her upper arms in his hands. "Whats going on?"

" 'm just anxious," she shrugged, allowing herself to slump into his arms for a moment.

"How come?"

"No idea."

"Okay," was his answer. He just gave her a light squeeze and asked, "do you want me to drop you off at home before we start then?"

"Hell no," Katherine snorted, pulling her head back just enough to make a face at him. "Lori said she was going to be here and I am not missing out on that."

"I have snacks in my bag, we can shit talk if that's on the table," Mason offered with a faint smile from beside her.

Grinning, Katherine let go of her boyfriend to throw herself at Mason in a tackle-like hug. "Fuck yeah."

They didn't make it to the blue back doors before they were stopped outside the councillors office, and her anxiety immediately curled into annoyance at the sight of the new guidance councillor herself. Ms Monroe.

"There you are," she beamed at them. Katherine just folded her arms over her chest and moved to walk away, but Mason hooked an arm around her shoulders and held her in place. "I've got openings tomorrow if you're willing to talk," she hummed pointedly at Liam.

"I've got nothing to talk about," he shrugged awkwardly.

"He has lots to talk about," Mason corrected him with a generally unhelpful slap on the back.

"We all have lots to talk about," Ms Monroe cut in carefully with a polite smile. "I don't want any of you to be starting your Junior year with burdens." She tilted her head. "And Katherine, if you want to continue the conversation we had the other day—"

"—I don't," Katherine cut her off. "But thanks for the offer."

Ms Monroe nodded once. "How about 2PM," she suggested, redirecting the conversation to Liam.

"That's my study period," he blurted out with a shake of his head.

"Which is why I suggested it." Monroe handed him the sheet of paper. "Just take the form and think about it, okay?" Katherine fought the urge to snap out don't tell him what to do, and decided to simply pick at a loose thread on her shirt. "Remember you three, I have an open door policy, okay?"

"Okay," Katherine repeated, though if sounded a lot more like snarky Chandler Bing rather than a genuine answer.

Because of it, Liam swapped places with Mason and ushered her down the halls and out the doors while they left Mason to smooth things over. He was the only one who could have a normal conversation with her, anyway.

The moment they were outside with the doors closing behind them, he let her go while simultaneously turning her to gave him. "I'm good," she grumbled after a moment. "I'm good, I promise. She just..."

"Bugs you?" Liam guessed.

"I was gonna say talking to her feels like putting my patience through a fucking lawn mower but yeah, we'll go with she bugs me."

"Who chewed your head off?" A familiar voice asked from behind her that had her grinning.

Brett was walking up the small path from the parking lot with his lacrosse bag gripped in one hand, the other one open as she did what she did every time she saw him now. She sprinted to him and threw herself into the air before clinging to him like a baby sloth. "Kat—Jesus," he grunted, dropping his bag to grab her with both hands.

"I've been over this with Liam already," she hummed into his shoulder, "I'm actually not cat Jesus. I'm not cool enough"

"Shut up you weirdo," Brett rolled his eyes. He gave her a gentle squeeze then set her down.

She grinned at him.

There was a softness in his eyes as he looked down at her that made her heart lurch, but she knew exactly what it wasn't and couldn't fault him for it. She felt it too.

The what ifs that races through her mind when she thought about him, about what she could've allowed into her life by making him a part of it. But that's all they were, the what if's.

Just possibilities.

Just her mind throwing questions and ideas at the universe and hoping to get an answer for them. And she had gotten her answer. Liam had gone to hell and back to make sure she was safe, and she knew full well that she was never going to walk away from him. But those damn possibilities...

"How're things with Owen?" She asked after a moment of silence, of just looking at him.

Brett cleared his throat as if he'd reached the same mental conclusion she had. "Really good," he answered softly, the faint smile crossing his face being enough proof that her guess had been right. "He's amazing."

"And insanely attractive," she pointed out with a growing grin. "Like seriously. It's ridiculous."

That had him smiling. "You'll be happy to know Lori's here," he hummed.

Immediately, she'd jumped back and clapped her hands loudly. "By guys! Have fun with the throwing the ball in the net or whatever!"

And then she was running. Sprinting down the gap between the two buildings and across the lacrosse field until she reached the bleachers where Lori was sitting there, grinning. Immediately Katherine leapt up the steps and all but tackled her friend off the bench.

Lori let out a laugh as they went tumbling down with her taking the full impact of the landing. "Nice to see you too," she grinned.

Katherine beamed at her. "I've missed you." She took in Lori's dark shirt and black zip of sweater, the jeans and the black boots, and felt her heart settle in contentment. "What did you get up to this summer?"

"Oh you know, this and that...I took some karate lessons...just the usual."

"Where'd you take karate?" Masons voice chirped from behind them.

From there they continued chatting until the team was walking across the field with Liam and Brett at the back. The introduction they have to the freshmen was something she genuinely couldn't listen to as she was paying more attention to her two friends around her, but it seemed to make sense to the teenage boys waiting.

When they started, Katherine tuned out the clashing of sticks until she heard Brett yell, "and that's called a perfect hitch," and found Liam laying in the grass with his eyes narrowed.

This could be incredibly bad, she thought. Horrible, one might even say.

From then she tried to pay attention, but it was incredibly painful to watch as Brett continuously had Liam sprawling in the dirt from one maneuver or another that even Katherine found to be annoyingly good. She could understand why Liam had hated him.

She found herself chuckling as he hollered, "be sure to watch your back!" A pause, and then more softly, "especially when your partner's a dick."

"Corey has been practicing all summer to play goalie," Mason grinned from beside her as she watched Corey walk up to the net. "He's actually getting pretty good."

From there, she watched Corey dive into the grass as the ball soared over his head and into the net.

Mason bit down on his lip.

"The season doesn't even start until next week at least," Lori offered awkwardly.

"Thank god," Katherine and Mason said at the same time.

She glanced over at him, noticing the raised brows she was getting. "What? He's really bad...not as bad as stiles but still bad, you know?" She huffed. "I love him and you know that but good lord."

Just moments after that they ran the drill again, which only ended in the three of them crumpling into a mass inside the net. She could easily hear a bone breaking from where she sat. "Which one was that," she cringed.

Lori had a fist covering her mouth. "I think it was all of them."

She could briefly hear Brett taunting Liam, and there was a brief flash of gold that had her grimacing, but she knew not to step in. He could handle himself.

Right up until the practice ended she was on the edge of her bench, gripping tightly until they all stalked across the field. Then she jogged off without a word to the other two, knowing they understood.

Katherine waited right outside the change room door and watched as slowly, the freshmen all trickled out until there was only the sound of rapid breathing coming from inside. That was when she ducked inside.

As the door closed behind her she heard the sound of fist meeting metal, the sound of it warping beneath superhuman strength, and grimaced. Liam was snarling to himself, words she couldn't understand, as he tried to get his anger under control.

Clearly, it wasn't working.

As soon as he'd stoped growling he began trying to fix the locker door, which was bent in the shape of fists and scratched. She only emerged when the top of the door hit him in the head as he tried to work on the bottom of it. "Not the brightest thing I've ever seen you do," she murmured. "Unfortunately, not the stupidest, either."

"I lost it out there," he said quietly, staring down at his clenched fists.

"I know," was all she said back.

He turned to her quietly, and she just opened her arms to him. He walked into them without a moments hesitation. Katherine held him as tightly as she physically could, her chin set on his shoulder.

Then he was pulling away from her and ripping the busted door off the locker, shoving it beneath the bench he then sat on. The change room door swung open, Mason and Corey appearing just seconds later.

"Hey guys," Liam chirped as he began tying his shoe. "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you two," Corey snorted.

"History test," Mason explained with raised brows. "Tomorrow. We need to study."

Katherine had to stifle a laugh as Corey went  to lean on the end locker door that was coincidentally missing, and wound up half inside it.

"That's probably a good idea," Liam nodded rapidly. She heard the slight scrape of metal beneath his feet. "Since I have no idea what it's on."

Corey just rolled his eyes. "It's on Mussolini and the role of fear-baiting in the rise of fascism. We can study together."

"Can we take the test together?" Liam asked, his smile awkwardly hopeful.

"Guys," Mason whispered quietly.

When they looked at him, he nodded to the floor where a trail of blood led to the showers. Very slowly they followed it until they were met with the sight of an adult sized skinless body sprawled on the floor. It's face was entirely gone, not even a hit of a feature to look at.

Katherine immediately felt the familiar prickling and tightness in her chest and had to stumble away. "Oh hell no," she breathed out. The heel of her hand dug into her chest. "Absolutely not."

She heard Liam send Mason and Corey off to investigate something, which she briefly felt bad about, only to sit herself down on the floor by the sinks and bury her face in her knees. Nausea rolled through her, bringing cold sweats with it.

"I'm here, Kat," Liam's voice murmured quietly, and then his hands carefully set on her shoulders.

She was going to throw up. Except she couldn't, because there was no time for that, because a freshman student was laying brutally murdered in the change room showers with an unknown killer on the loose.

Great.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

Her mind cleared briefly, just enough for the words here we go again to swim through.

Shakily, she hauled herself up onto her feet and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Come on, we've got shit to do."