Monstrous ➙ Theo Raeken

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Clarissa could feel her anxiety skyrocket as she watched the game begin. The players began lining up on the field so that they could take each other down in the spirit of charity. It was a good cover for the bitter rivalry that ran deep within the seams of Beacon Hills and Devenford Preparatory School's long history. Watching her brother step up behind Scott on the field was hard for the auburn-haired chimera to watch. She no longer had eyes on Mason and Corey, but she could still vaguely smell the burns that still lingered on his arms and the pitter patter of his nervous heartbeat.

She could see Nolan on the field next to her little brother and she made a mental note to have Brett get the other teenager off of the field first. She barely knew the young boy, but she was reminded of Corey when she had looked into his sad eyes in the library. It was the same type of feeling that she had gotten when she took Corey under her wing and she couldn't help but feel like her growing list of people to save would bury her alive.

The auburn-haired girl watched warily as Devenford was the first to take the ball, Delcan running after his boyfriend to attempt to steal it from him. It was almost like a bloodbath between the players from the first whistle.

Devenford was easily winning, gaining points before the other players could attempt to block them. The clock kept ticking slowly and Clarissa couldn't help but feel like the sound was tearing holes inside of her head. It was like the clock was a timer until the moment that the eighteen-year-old would need to fight for her life to keep the people that she loved safe.

"Something isn't right." Clarissa murmured lowly as she watched Kira begin to play more aggressive as the timer kept counting down. She watched as the normally clumsy girl took down men that were twice her size left and right, leaving their groaning bodies on the grass as she moved down the field towards victory. "Kira is a good player but she's not usually this aggressive."

"It pains you on the inside to compliment the girl, doesn't it?" Evelyn teased the auburn-haired girl before turning to watch as Scott pulled Kira to the side. "But I'll agree with you, I don't know her well, but she seems more agitated than normal."

Clarissa nodded hesitantly before looking around at the crowd again for anymore anomalies that sent her nerves on fire. Kira playing aggressively and becoming more harshly than normal could put a wrench in their plans.

She could see Josh and Lori creeping underneath the bleachers, checking peoples' shoes for blood, but she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched from the other side of the field.

She turned her head discreetly towards the news vans, eying the teenage girl that was on top of one of them. Malia wasn't looking in her direction but someone over there had their eyes glowering into the side of her head.

"We might have a bigger problem than Kira." Clarissa declared discreetly as she finally noticed the woman that was watching them with a smug smile plastered on her face. The auburn-haired chimera didn't recognize the woman at first because she had never seen her before, but then she noticed the similarities between the woman leaning against a tree and the girl that was ripping a wire off of the news van. "We have a party crasher."

"Want me to go help the little strumpet?" Evelyn questioned lowly, nodding towards where Malia was unaware of her mother's presence near her. "I know that I'm supposed to help Josh and Lori, but we need those cameras taken out."

"Go." Clarissa shook her head in affirmation, looking towards the unsuspecting teenager who had no idea that the shark was circling like blood was in the water already. "We can't afford to lose Malia right now. Take out those vans and make sure she doesn't get herself killed."

Evelyn looked at Clarissa with a meaningful look that the younger girl couldn't decipher before turning away to slip through the crowd unnoticed. The auburn-haired chimera watched her friend until she could not see her anymore and turned back towards the game with a newfound sense of worry.