Change on the Rise [On Hold]

03. Second Chance at First Line (Part One)

BEACON HILLS HIGH SCHOOL - GIRLS LOCKER ROOM

Scottie was leaning with her back against her locker, only half-dressed in her lacrosse practice gear, with a T-shirt on, staring at nothing with a dazed expression on her face as she processed the fact that Alec's mother, Chrissy Argent, was one of the Hunters who attacked her and Danica during the full moon over the weekend. Stiles, having just finished getting ready for practice, was walking across the room when she saw Scottie and stopped to talk to her.

"Did you apologize to Alec?" Stiles asked and Scottie, still in shock, nodded weakly.

"Yeah," Scottie replied in a dazed tone.

Stiles wasn't satisfied by the short answer and looked at her with a slightly exasperated expression. "Is he giving you a second chance, or...?"

Still dazed, Scottie nodded again. "Yeah."

Stiles was excited on Scottie's behalf at the news and tried to encourage Scottie to feel the same. "Yeah? All right! So, everything's good?"

Scottie shook her head weakly. "No."

Stiles frowned in confusion. "No...?"

Scottie started to come out of her overwhelmed haze and tried to explain what she learned, still unable to make eye contact with Stiles. "Remember... the Hunters? His mom is one of 'em."

Stiles gaped at Scottie in shock. "His mom-?

Scottie ignored Stiles' words and continued to speak. "-shot me-"

Stiles cut Scottie off to ask for clarification. "Alec's mother-?"

Scottie continued to ignore Stiles' interruptions and finished her sentence. "-with a crossbow."

Stiles, flabbergasted by the news, repeated herself dramatically now that Scottie had finally stopped speaking. "Alec's mother?"

Scottie, now officially snapped out of her daze by this conversation, yelped at Stiles impatiently. "Yes! His mother!" Seeing that Stiles was just as shocked as she was, Scottie began to actively panic again. "Oh, my God-"

Stiles wasted no time trying to get Scottie to stop freaking out by comforting her. "No, Scott. Snap back!"

After a moment, Scottie finally snapped out of it and looked Stiles in the eyes, though she was still frowning with concern.

"You okay?" Stiles asked. Scottie nodded and Stiles sighed in relief.

"Hey, all right? She didn't recognize you, right?"

Scottie thought for a moment before slowly responding. "No... N-no, I don't think so..."

Stiles nodded patiently and continued. "Does he know about her?"

Scottie's eyes widened when she realized she had no idea if Alec knew about his family's status as Werewolf Hunters and began to panic again. "Oh, yeah, I don't know! What if he does? This is gonna kill me-"

Stiles forced Scottie to look at her and spoke to her in a reassuring voice as she cut off her trail of thought. "Okay, just focus on lacrosse. Okay?" She picked up the rest of her lacrosse gear and thrusted it into Scottie's hands. "Here, Scott. Take this. Take this, and focus on lacrosse for now, okay? That's all you gotta do, yeah?"

Scottie took a deep breath and reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Lacrosse."

Stiles nodded in encouragement and firmly patted Scottie on the sides of her arms with her hands as she punctuated her next words. "Here. We. Go!"

Scottie and Stiles turned to leave the locker room, with Stiles accidentally tripping on her own feet and nearly falling to the floor in the process.

LACROSSE FIELD