THERE'S A FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY as Erin and Evan Young make their way down the halls of Beacon Hills High School for the very first time. It feels both familiar and unfamiliar in the very same breath. In the last three years this was the fifth school the duo had found themselves enrolled in. First days were now like a perfect repetition; a scene they'd memorized down to the last second.

"Are you ready for this?" Erin checks in on her brother as she locates her allocated locker, opening it up to place any books she won't need until later.

"Yeah. I mean, I think so. It can't be any worse than it has been before, so..." Evan trails off with a shaky sigh. It would take too much energy to wish for a good senior year, so he doesn't bother.

"Well, you're a senior now— maybe you'll have more mature classmates." It's an attempt to bring him some reassurance, but they both knew maturity didn't always come with age. All they had to do was look at their father to know that.

"Yeah, maybe. Hopefully." It's said with little conviction; he'd lost faith in people a long time ago.

"Okay, well then if that's the case, I'm not opposed to a little violence. If anything I have a lot of frustration I'd be happy to let out." She's joking. Kind of. The smile on her face growing as she watches him laugh. He had never been just her brother, he was her forever built-in best friend.

An arm slings around her shoulder, and he guides her in the direction of her first class. "As much as I appreciate that, maybe this should be the year that I stick up for myself, instead of having my little sister do it for me."

The bell rings as she slips out from under his brotherly embrace, turning to face him. "I'm all for that, actually. But the offer is on the table if need be. Now, go get 'em senior!"

She gives a slight pat on the shoulder and tries not to let worry creep in as he hurries off in the opposite direction.

Turning on her heels, golden curls sway as she makes her way towards English class. Just as she nears the door, Stiles approaches with a boy she's not yet met, but whose heard so much about her.

"Erin— hey...uh," Stiles begins, and instantly Scott can sense his nerves. They hadn't seen one another since diner, and since Erin had caught him talking about her on the phone. "This is Scott. Scott, this is Erin— my, uh, my new neighbour."

Confusion strikes the boy with puppy-dog eyes and a slightly crooked jaw, before he finally realizes who it is he's meeting— the girl Stiles had been complaining about for days on end. "Oh— oh! Hi."

Erin can't help but to notice how warm his smile is as he gives an awkward wave, and in turn she gives him a nod in acknowledgment. "Hi." It's brief, but it's not terrible. He gets a warmer reception than most.

There's not much time to say anything else. Within a matter of seconds, eager students push forward to enter previously empty classrooms.

Erin does her best to try and sit as far away from Stiles as humanly possible, but somehow only ends up directly behind him, one seat to the left. In front of her sits a redhead girl who glances at her a little too long before she takes a seat. Naturally, Erin holds her gaze the entire time in a subtle power-off, not one to be easily intimidated.

Lydia Martin can't help but to notice the polished appearance of the new girl that sits behind her. Or the way that Stiles keeps briefly glancing back towards her.

He's about to ask how her first day is going when suddenly everyone's phones seem to beep at the same time, the sound followed by that of high heels against tiled flooring.

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." Miss Blake, the new English teacher enters holding her phone in one hand, demanding the attention of each and every student.

Erin finds it a little odd that she's went to this much effort, but is silently impressed by the attention-grabbing entrance.

"This is the last line to the first book we're going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

Reluctantly, Erin switches her phone off and sets it aside, hoping there will be nothing to miss within the next hour.

With a quiet sight she neatly sets out her papers and pens, highlighters to the side in the order she thinks she might need them. Paying very little notice when Scott McCall is called out of class.

The two teens in front of her seem familiar with one another, and as they engage in quiet conversation she continues with her work all while listening with a careful ear. She simply can't help herself.

It sounds pretty boring. Something about a dog named after a handbag suddenly turning feral. It's what happens next, however, that makes the conversation seem a little more concerning.

When the first crow hits against the classroom window, it seems like it may be a simple coincidence; a freak accident. However when she tucks strands of flowing, golden hair behind her ear and glances outside, her breaths deepen when she notices the flock of birds heading right towards them.

"What the—"

As the second hits, Erin moves quickly in an act of self preservation and places her desk on its side, using it as a shield as sits her back against the wall. It keeps the majority of the birds away as the classroom descends into utter chaos, Stiles Stilinski leaping into action to protect Lydia Martin like it's his utmost natural instinct.

"Get down, everyone!" Miss. Blake's voice is almost lost in the midst of everything else, but a few hear it.

"Ow," Erin mutters to herself, hand quickly moving to swat away the bird that manages to reach her, squawking in her face as it relentlessly tries to peck at her. Eventually it's heart seems to give out and it falls to the ground before her, and as it does she can feel the blood that trickles down her face.

The room begins the still, silence finding it's way back in. One by one the students get to their feet, examining the mess of feathers and shattered glass that's left behind. Stiles places a hand on Lydia's back and glances over at Allison to check they're both ok. It's only when he sees the blood on Erin's face that he hurries towards her, reaching out instantly. Another new but slightly unfamiliar natural instinct.

"Shit— a-are you okay?" Gentle fingertips graze the side of her head, avoiding light crimson droplets as they do.

Erin bats his hand away with a little more harshness than is intended, but she's simply used to dealing with things on her own, and certainly doesn't like to seem like she's weak in any way shape or form.

"I'm fine." It's the truth, she is. Nothing a wet paper towel and a plaster won't fix. But she's confused, to say the least. In her time spent travelling the world with her father and brother she'd seen some strange things, but nothing quite like this.

"What was that?" She's more so asking herself the question, but she aims it at him too. "Flocks of birds don't just randomly fly into glass windows like that."

"I-I don't know..." he tells her, taking a step back. He can't help but to feel a slight unease at the way she looks around, as if she's searching for a deeper answer. He gets the feeling her family could get a little too close to the truth about the town of Beacon Hills. And she gets the feeling he knows more than he's letting on.

"Yeah, well considering a group of crows is called a murder, it's not looking too promising, is it? I'm calling my— dad?!" Features falter with surprise when she sees him enter the room, and soon other parents follow, hurrying towards their slightly traumatised children.

Mr. Young moves quickly to his daughters side, putting on the display of concerned parent for the benefit of everyone but Erin. "I'd ask if you were okay, but we both know you'd rather I didn't."

It's rare, but at least this time they agree on something. Her father keeps her near as he inches closer in attempt to listen in as Sheriff Stilinski converses with Mr.
Argent, but nothing much seems to come of the conversation. Everyone seems equally as baffled.

"I told you, sweetheart. There's something off about this town. If I can find out what it, we're sitting in some big money." Jason Young's eyes flicker with greed, and it sickens her how he's driven by selfishness.

But for the first time since they arrived, she now knows with certainty that this isn't going to be a short stay. It's something that makes her happy, but that also fills her with dread.

"Wow, dad— I think you might actually be right for once. Bravo." Her tone mocks, curiosity kicking in. She wishes to find answers to the mystery that is Beacon Hills too, though she doesn't desire what he does.

She simply can't ignore the burning need within her to investigate. To seek out the truth, no matter how dark it may turn out to be.

————

The events from earlier that day had left Erin Young feeling exhausted, yet still she couldn't let her thoughts settle. Sat on the middle of her bed, laptop open in front of her, she finds herself researching every strange event that seemed to take place in Beacon Hills over the last few years. It was safe to say there was more than she bargained for.

In the middle of jotting down some key events into her notepad, she's distracted but the sound of someone calling out her name. The girl is soon filled with annoyance when she realizes it's not coming from within her house, but rather from the window across the way.

"Erin! ... Hey, Erin? Are you in there?"

"Stilinski," she mumbles to herself as she pushes off the bed and pulls down the pyjama top that had seemed to roll up. She pushes her window open further and gives him a death stare. "What?!"

He blinks, seemingly baffled as to why she seems so irritated. "Uh— my friend Heather is having a party on Friday, she said I could bring a few people and I just wanted to see if you and Evan might wanna come. Y'know, might be a good way to meet some new people."

An amused laugh is ushered his way. "No."

He waits for a brief second, thinking there's more to come, but there isn't. Her answer is simple, to the point.

"Oh my god! Seriously— what did fun ever do to you?" He retorts, eyes widening in disbelief.

A flawlessly defined brow is raised. "You actually think hanging out with you and your friends would be fun for me? I could think of a million and one other things I'd rather do."

Stiles' chance to respond is disrupted by Evan walking into his sisters room to see what the commotion is all about. He smiles when he sees Stiles across the way, and slowly walks closer to an irked Erin. "What's, uh— what's going on?"

"I was just asking if you guys wanted to come to a party on Friday but your sister is being a total bit—" Stiles stops himself before the word comes out, awkwardly trying to think of something else, "—bah-humbug about it."

"A party? Sure. We'll be there." Evan insists, despite how nervous the thought of a social gathering makes him. If he's ever going to step out of his comfort zone, he knows that now is the time to do it. As a senior in his last year of high school.

Erin's eyes widen as she glances towards her older brother, seething. "Excuse me?! We? Absolutely not."

"We'll be there. She'll be there," Evan repeats with a knowing smile.

"Yeah?" Stiles questions, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. He tries, and fails, to play it off. "Cool."

"I don't know why you sound so sure about it, Evan. I'm seriously not going." demands the girl. Another laugh of disbelief follows.

"Come on, we both know there is no way you're letting me go alone." Her brother plays on her protective nature, and as she realizes he's right, a loud scoff echoes around the room.

"Fine! I'll go. But I'm not happy about it." As she says the words, Erin storms out of the room, away from the two boys. It's only when she gets to the top to the stairs that she stops and turns back.

"This is my room. You leave," she tells her brother, holding the door open for him. As he walks past she can't help but to notice the amused smile on his face. She says nothing, simply slams the door shut behind him.

"And you!" Her tone holds warning as she makes her way over to the window, and low and behold Stiles is still standing at his, trying to keep his own amusement at bay— but it's impossible. He does, however, try to ignore how cute she looks when she's mad.

"No more conversing through my bedroom window, okay? It's kinda weird. Not to mention completely invasive."

"You got it," he nods, not sounding very convincing.

Erin rolls her eyes and reaches up to pull her window down, concerned that this may become a bit of a habit.

"See you Friday!" He calls out before being blocked from her view.

"Not if I kill you before then," she mumbles to herself, only half-kidding.