-Cascade Hills High-
“Yo man, what are we gonna do?”
Sam lets out a grunt as he takes another bite of his lunch and those words go in one ear and out the other. His mind has been rumbling with what had happened with Quin all week. It was all bullshit if you asked him and now they were forced to sub. It was already around lunch time and his irritation hadn’t worn down in the least bit since the beginning of this week. Practically everyone also was giving him a wide berth like he was an angry dragon about to blast the head off of anyone who dared cross his path. It was not like that wasn’t a possibility but for some reason, it made him even more annoyed.
“Sam.”
“What?!” He finally snapped at whoever was talking to him.
His voice was a bit louder than he realized as a hush fell over the whole cafeteria. Everyone was trying to not look like they were eavesdropping but were doing a terrible job at it. A heat glare from Sam was enough to make them go back to minding their own business. His table was looking at him with mixed looks of fear and nervousness. Aiden who had been calling to him had a hurt look on his face that made a guilty pang stick in Sam’s heart.
“Fuck, sorry Aiden.. what is it?” Sam said with a sigh as he tried his best to pull back his anger.
Aiden seemed to scan his face for a bit before replying. What he was looking for Sam wasn’t not sure.
“Colton was trying to ask you what should we do?” Aiden said softly.
Colton in question seemed to sink back like a child who had been scolded. Sam let out another sigh as he trained his expression into a neutral one so as not to keep putting his friends and teammates on edge.
“We do like we always have, kickass. There’s no fucking way we are going to lose to those assholes.” Sam said with a confident smirk.
It was pure arrogance on his part but it worked. The rest of the team all grinned like maniacs and let out little cheers except for Aiden who was just giving Sam a pointed look. Aiden wasn’t led by simple pride and arrogance, he knew how difficult the match today was going to be without Quin cause he knew the team’s strengths and weaknesses like the true strategist he was. He also knew that Sam knew. Sometimes Sam wished that Aiden didn’t know him so well as he likes the simplicity of just believing in his own lies sometimes. His disappointment set Sam right back into a bad mood and made him look away to scan the room in hopes of a distraction. His gaze locks with someone a few tables over and the frown on his face deepens. Kyle had already turned away from him but the look he gave Sam made the back of his teeth ache.
The expression was almost smug, something that he’d never seen on the smaller boy’s face like he was amused by their situation that he’s sure the whole school knew about by now. Sam had been being ‘good’ as he had only shit to handle but that little look pissed him right off.
“Samuel no.” Aiden hisses out, grabbing him by the arm before Sam can move.
“Let go Aiden.” Same hiss back, the heat in his eyes was now burning a hole into Kyle’s back.
“Whatever you are thinking of doing, don’t. You are already on thin fucking ice and we have a game tonight remember?” Aiden responses.
Sam sneers at that statement but Aiden is correct. Normally Sam was untouchable, captain of the football team, popular (and handsome obviously), and who his parents are, he’s practically a god here. No one dares to get in his way, whether it be students or teachers…. well there were a few. Alex was one of the biggest pains in his side, annoying little punk who made it his life goal at the time to piss Sam off. And now there’s Kyle who under usual circumstances wouldn’t even dare look in his direction was now acting bold.
It really aggravated him.
“Sam..”
“Alright Aiden relax!” Sam finally gives up as he really doesn’t want to get into an argument with Aiden.
Aiden was one of the few people who also didn’t back down from Sam. But unlike the others Sam actually liked Aiden and for whatever reason Aiden was one of his real friends. God only knows how they have stayed friends even if they were neighbors. Sam just turned back to his friends and drowned himself in a discussion on battle plans for tonight, after like Aiden said they had a game to win.
A few tables over Kyle turns away again from Sam’s table, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Seriously he’s acting like such a baby about all this!”
Kyle turned to Alex who was across from him with an annoyed scrunched-up expression on his face. Katherine and Kristen who were also seated at the table were pointedly ignoring his complaining for what could only be the 12th time this week so far about Sam’s sour attitude.
“Well, you know that today’s game is against Mountain Oak Academy. Which Sam has a rather nasty rivalry going with the other captain.” Kyle said with a sheepish smile.
Alex frowns a bit more at that, it was rather common gossip of the quite honestly hostile rivalry that Sam and Rafael have. It all started in the first game the two had against one another. Rafael is bigger than Sam, something that riles the other boy up like no other. The first match against them was borderline embarrassing because of how badly the Cascade Hill team did. There was much gossip about it being due to Sam’s arrogance of thinking him untouchable, back then Sam was less… aggressive. But since then it was like it was his personal vendetta against everyone to make sure everyone knew he was a bit tough guy or something.
“Like that’s a good excuse? Who gives a damn about his beef with Mountain Oak? Honestly, I think Rafael is fine!” Alex said stubbornly.
At that, both Katherine and Kristen side-eyed him harshly as they both vividly remember the positively venomous expression on his face when one home game Rafael was flirting with Melody. The only reason Alex is ever slightly okay with the other boy is due to how angry he makes Sam on a regular basis by even just saying his name.
“Well, that’s not all. I hear there will be a recruiter from the college team showing up as well. Ridgewood I believe?” Kristen says casually
Everyone turns to her mixed with both shock and confusion. Ridgewood University was a pretty big deal around Cascade Hills due to its athletic program. It made people always pretty surprised how much was actually in Cascade Hills considering that it was still a ‘town’ by government standards. This was mostly due to its very dense rural environment and very limited urban areas. It was probably larger than most towns in Massachusetts but it was mostly due to the large forests that wrapped through it.
“How do you know that there is a recruiter today?” Alex asked with a raised eyebrow to Kristen.
Her expression seems to pinched a bit as she recalls her memories.
“My brother’s.. friend is the recruiter.”
Alex and Kyle nod in understanding as this wasn’t news that Kristen’s brother was older and graduated from Ridgewood. For Katherine however, a small piece of a puzzle seemed to click in her head as she looked at Kristen. Kristen doesn’t show anything off her face but Katherine can feel in the back of her mind that this friend… that Kristen is referring to must be a hunter or at least someone who is in the know about the truth of their fair town. Katherine doesn’t let it show on her face but she makes a mental note to ask Kristen about it later. They then dive back into their own conversation and the day continues onward.
By the end of the day, most of the school was buzzing about the game. Sam was still in a rather poor mood but reeled it in as he got to the locker room and their couch came in for his usual pregame speech. Couch Forbes was a bit of a hard ass by many of the player’s standards but he definitely knew how to hone a winning team. He gave them all a stern look before he began.
“Alright boys, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how to play tonight. You all know what’s at stake and who you are playing. I don’t want to hear any half-ass excuses or whining. We are here to win this and I expect as much! Am I clear?”
The entire locker room roared with yells and affirmative howls. Very true to our mascot, the Cascade Hill Wolf. The whole team had a fiery look of determination and wide wild grins on their faces.
“Good, happy hunting boys.” He said with a dismissive gesture of his head.
They cleared out of the locker room and directly onto the field. It was a full house which wasn’t odd at all for home games but even then there were even more people than seats!
“…Oh man it’s a full house today..” One of the players, Jaime said nervously eyeing the cheering crowd around him.
Jaime was nervous however more than just due to the crowd, he was the reserve player who was subbing in for Quin today. Normally he was playing games without issue but subbing in for Quin wasn’t something he had expected to happen. He’s never played again Mountain Oak, only watched from the bench and couldn’t help but feel that gut-deep uneasiness.
“Don’t worry about that Jaime. Come on it’s game time.” Aiden said as he motioned to the rest of their group.
They had strategist over this match for weeks now, ever since they heard about it in fact. The real problem that came from Mountain Oak is that each individual player had a flexibility that was unreal. Sure there were weaknesses but each player seemed to cover for one another making that weakness particularly nonexistent. And their play style is rather unpredictable. Sam however was still very confident that they could win even with that in mind.
And so the game begins…
The first two quarters are a back-and-forth brawl, at one point Sam’s team would be ahead only for a while and then the scale would turn in Moutain Oak’s favor. However, in the third quarter, things shifted. It wasn’t a sudden thing, but something that slowly built up. A missed pass that looked for sure to go to someone on Sam’s team but then shifted slightly. Goal kicks that veered off towards the end. With each miss or mess-up, Sam’s anger grew which affected the team.
“What the fuck are you all doing out there?!” Their coach yells as he pulls them aside and a break is called.
Sam had practically a dark cloud hanging over his head which made no one want to even look in his direction. The rest of the team looked like a mix of frustration and exhaustion.
“I-it’s not us coach! We just-” Jaime says.
“Get your shit together. All of you.” Coach Forbes stresses, giving Sam a pointed look.
Sam was positively boiling in anger at the craziness of the situation. He knows for sure it isn’t him, it couldn’t be obviously. He practically storms back onto the field and just gives gruff orders to make sure to pass the ball to him and him alone. The rest of his team was looking at him a bit unsure but no one dared to refuse with how he was at the moment. The next quarter began with a shrill whistle and they all went back on the field. However something caught Sam’s attention just before the start.
It was Kyle, and he was looking dead at Sam.
As if his anger wasn’t already boiled up, something in the look in the other boy’s face was..taunting. He was in the far end, a good distance away from the field and just barely noticeable by the bleachers. It was actually surprising that Sam was able to see him given everything that was going on, but as soon as he noticed him, it was like he couldn’t stop.
The world seemed to narrow down, and a cold shiver goes down his back. Sam almost stumbles in shock at the sudden feeling, him being nervous of that little runt? It was impossible, and all that did was just make him more angry.
“-Sam watch out!!”
That was all he heard before a force slams into him and knocks him clean on his back. The fall knocks both the wind and the football he had out of his hands. A flash of hot pain travels up from his elbow as he fell on his side.
“Sam! You okay?”
Having the wind knocked out of him made his world narrow a bit so hear could just barely hear his name being called and the sound of people surrounding him. He didn’t think this would hurt quite as much since he’s been tackled before but this time felt like he slammed into a wall. His sense slowly returned to normal as he tried to move but lets out a loud hiss as soon as he tried to move his left arm.
“Fuck..!”
His coach and the school nurse was already at his side by this point. Karen gives a frown as she gently touch his arms and watches his expression.
“…It’s sprained.”
And that was the nail in the coffin that set ice in Sam’s veins. He was going to be benched and at this point, his team had no way of winning these without him.
“No, no. I’m fine!” He said desperately.
“Don’t be stubborn, you’re benched Sam.”
Those words felt like a death sentence to Sam as he looks back at this coach. As he is helped to stand, he can’t help his gaze wandering. It was almost as if he was stuck in an out-of-body experience. His team tried to look hopeful but those lines were only paper thin. The crowd seemed to be a mixed hush of anxiety and disappointment, everyone at home knew how big a part of the team Sam was. It was as he was brought off the court that he felt that cold feeling again.
Like he was being submerged in an ocean of ice-cold water.
His gaze then fell onto another, there standing just out of the corner of his vision was Kyle yet again.
This time however was completely different. The world around seemed to slow to a crawl around them. Sam’s full focus narrowed down to Kyle.
Kyle was smiling.
It wasn’t a kind smile, it was mocking and vicious. He was just standing there but no one else seemed to notice him, only Sam. He then mouths something before turning his attention back to the game as Sam’s coach subs in as a replacement for him. Sam was like a doll as he was led to the nurse’s office, seemingly too shocked to grasp his situation. But slowly but surely he comes back to himself as he replays the words that Kyle mouthed at him.
A rage greater than a bonfire swelling up in him.
You lose.
-
“Kat! Kat, hey Kat~!”
Katherine let out a long sigh as she looked up from the book she was reading to see Alex stumbling over to her as graceful as an over-eager dog. His eyes were practically shining with whatever he wanted to talk with her about but she’s pretty sure she already has a good idea of what it was about. Alex almost goes over the table in his rush before seating himself opposite her, out of breath.
“D-id you hear about the-”
“About the game? Yes, Alex, you and practically the whole school have been talking about it.” Katherine answered without missing a beat.
The disastrous game vs Mountain Oak had been the highlight for the whole morning, everyone and anyone was talking about it. Fortunately, Sam wasn’t in school probably due to his injury, because no one wanted to even think about how he would be if he was in classes. So without that pressure, students felt free to whisper about it.
All freaking day it would seem. Katherine wasn’t a sports person and didn’t really care too much about it. But she did know that yesterday was more than just a game against Mountain Oak, it was also a chance for the team to show off and get some player interest for scholarships. But given how the performance was, she doubts that would be happening at any point.
Alex on the other hand looks rather smug about the whole thing.
“Man, I kind of wish I could see Sam’s face right now…He must be pissed.”
Katherine rolls her eyes at Alex’s clear vindictiveness.
“I know you have a grudge against Sam but don’t be so happy about someone else’s fall. After all, it’s not just Sam who was affected.”
Which is true, while Sam tends to be the face of the football team that doesn’t mean he’s the only one there. Not all of the guys are assholes, Aiden being the principal example of that. Alex seems to pout at being called out before he looks out a huff.
“I mean, yeah. But let me just be a little petty okay? It’s been a long time since Sam was brought down a couple of pegs.”Alex said before digging into his food.
He then noticed a few things around their table before turning back to Katherine who had gone back to reading her book.
“Uh where’s Kris and Kyle?”
“Kristen called out today, family business. Kyle was here earlier but left after a bit.”
Alex seems to frown at that.
“Ah so if Kristen is not here we aren’t good enough? " He says rather dramatically.
Katherine gives him a look with a bemused smile on her face.
“Oh don’t be so dramatic. He stayed for a bit and we talked but um, I think he had to go do something.”
Katherine explained rather vaguely but Alex just nodded as he went into a long-winded conversation about the game. Katherine is half paying attention as her mind goes back to her interaction with Kyle.
She didn’t tell the whole truth to Alex. Her short interaction with Kyle was …odd. Maybe even a bit more so than normal. She was alone at first, given that her class had ended up a bit early since she just finished a test. She went to greet him as normal but something set in that made her words almost die in her throat. It seems as well that he felt the same as he froze for a second before sitting.
There was a smell about him that didn’t make sense to her. Like a spicy burned ash and something dark. She has been working with Nathan, Eric, and the rest to hone in her senses. So that she doesn’t have a panic attack again or something equally mortifying. And so far that has been working wonderfully, however, there were certain cases where that didn’t work.
Such as in cases where there are smells that are too strong.
The stench coming from Kyle felt both weird and dangerous, making her heart skip a beat and something deep in her recoil. Fear built up before she could even realize and it took Nathan’s calming techniques to help her get herself under control. He smelt like fire, some powerful and violent which was ridiculous cause Kyle was a shy guy. And to make matters worse, she couldn’t even look at him as soon as she gazed at him once, she had to look away. Something else was there, she didn’t know what but there was something else in him.
And it was scaring the shit out of her.
“Oh um, I gotta go.”
Was all he mumbled before quickly clearing out and leaving. The smell disappeared as soon as he was a few feet away which made Katherine let out a sigh of relief. The tension bled out of her so quickly that she almost thought that maybe she had imagined it. Pulling herself back to the present, she distracted herself with whatever string of thoughts Alex was going on.
She did her best to push the strange incident to the back of her mind. As the day went on, she saw Kyle again but the strange feeling from before didn’t return. Everything was normal. It gave her some kind of catharsis as all afternoon she had been keyed up thinking that maybe she was losing her mind. Given that Kristen wasn’t there and Nathan was in only her morning classes, she didn’t really have anyone to talk to about this. But everything was okay now and the day continued on as normal. At the end of the day, Katherine, Alex, and Kyle even met in front before their separate walks home. Katherine felt nothing odd or different about Kyle then which further cemented that she was just seeing things.
“See you guys!” Kyle says as they reach the point where the trio would separate.
“See ya!” Alex yells with a wild wave.
Katherine is more poised with her goodbye, giving Kyle a smile and a small wave. Now she couldn’t help but feel silly at even humoring the idea that Kyle was… well whatever she thought he was. Her life has been ..oddly normal outside of the werewolf thing honestly not much has changed even though it’s been a month and a couple of weeks now. She wasn’t complaining though, she had more than enough things to be worried about.
“Yo, earth to Katherine, you there?”
She jerks out of thought as she notices Alex has already started walking again before noticing she has stopped.
“Coming!”
Running off to catch up, she didn’t feel the pair of eyes that were following her. Off in the distance, there was a figure watching her intensely. The gaze was both cold and curious, it remained on her as she disappeared down the street.
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