Anchors; Theo Raeken [2]

five; confessions, tears and pizza

"I don't care. Do whatever it takes to take her out of the game. Do you understand?"

Theo followed the voice over to where the Devenford Prep players were stood on their side of the field as they all waited for the game to begin. His eyes focused on a man surrounded by a few of the Devenford Prep players, the remaining ones didn't seem interested in what the man had to say. The three players around the man nodded their heads, eager to appease him or truly happy to do as he asked; the latter, Theo guessed based on the three's scents.

"That's him, right? Ava's old coach?" Scott asked from beside him, having clearly heard the rising voice throughout the vast open space.

"It looks like it." Theo agreed tensely, not at all liking the way the man's eyes were narrowed on where Ava stood with Corey and Nolan. "Creep."

"He can't still be upset about the car incident, it's been like over three years." Scott, ever the forgiving person that he was, said with his eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "She couldn't help it."

Theo felt eyes on him and he could feel as well as see Mason looking at him in his peripheral vision.

Scott also felt the human's eyes and turned to him curiously. "What is it?"

Mason looked away from them momentarily watching his best friend on the field. He sucked his lips together, looking unsure whether he wanted to reveal something or if he probably shouldn't. Mason sighed before looking back to Scott. "I'm guessing Ava told you that the reason she trashed his car was because of some red cards or something like that."

"Um, yes, that's exactly what she said." Stiles said, having leaned away from his conversation with Malia and Lydia so he was nearly lying across Theo's lap trying to join the conversation. "A bunch of red cards and the guy benched her apparently, that's what she told us in the showers, right, Scotty? Why do you make it sound like that's a lie?"

"It's not a lie, not really." Mason said, his scent turning uncomfortable. "She did get benched but not for whatever reason you're thinking. The coach couldn't handle the fact she was a girl and better than most of the other players even when she was the youngest one and let's just say he had a grudge with her before she wrecked his car and would try and do whatever he could to get her to quit or find a reason to kick her off the team."

"And I take it the rest of the team weren't much help either?" Scott asked, having picked up on the vindictiveness coming off the three Devenford Prep players. "She also blamed Brett, if I remember right."

"Brett... was always a sore point for Ava, I guess. But he was the only decent guy on the team from what she told me and what we've all seen." Mason explained.

"And here I thought she hated him." Stiles mumbled.

"More like, she hated that she couldn't hate him after he saved her." Mason said looking pointedly at Theo who knew what the human was referring to.

"Saved her from what?" Scott asked.

"Now, that I can't say." Mason told them. "But she'll tell you when she's ready. It's not easy to talk about or hear."

A whistle pierced the air and everyone's attention was drawn back to the pitch where the two teams were facing off against each other, the moon rising overhead in the sky.

•••

"Are you okay?" Corey asked Ava when she came out of the girls locker room where he was waiting for her.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Ava asked rhetorically, as she can Corey started heading out to the field where the boys were gathering around Coach for his pep talk. "I'm fine, Corey. Honestly. Just a bit nervous, I guess."