Old Scars, Future Hearts

51

Marika leaned against the bleachers while Scott and Stiles spoke. Stiles was trying to reassure Scott. "Of course you're still the team captain. You got your grades up just like Coach told you to, right?"

Scott gave him a nod. "Yeah, but he never told me I was back on the team. He just told me to show up at tryouts today."

Stiles shrugged. "We got bigger things to deal with anyway. Did you tell Argent yet?"

"Ah. I texted him, but he didn't get back to me."

Marika frowned at her friend. "You told him his psychotic sister was back from the dead in a text? Wow, Scott. That's peak genius right there."

He turned to her and shrugged. "I didn't have the money to call France."

"My gods you're idiots." She glanced to see her brother waving her over. "Dima's calling. Enjoy practice. Do me a favor and kick their little freshman asses, please."

Marika waved goodbye to the boys and walked towards her brother.

The bell rang and as Marika and Dmitri were walking to math, they saw Malia walk into the classroom and exit almost immediately. Dmitri took her shoulders and led her back into the classroom.

Malia shot him a frown. "I hate math. It's pointless."

"Math is essential to the important parts in life," he told the werecoyote.

"To what?"

"Knowing how to tip at restaurants," Stiles said.

Lydia frowned at him. "And other less important things like medicine, economics, engineering..."

"Tipping," Stiles interrupted.

Marika rolled her eyes at their arguing and Mrs. Fleming began class. "All right, volunteers to the board. Lydia, Diego, Malia."

Malia glanced up and frowned. "Um... I didn't volunteer."

Mrs. Fleming gave her a small smile. "You did now. To the board."

She and Lydia talked with each other while Marika and Dmitri sat back to take notes.

As soon as it did, Malia, Kira, Marika and Dmitri made their way to the lacrosse field.

The siblings noticed a kid who was showing everyone up; including Scott. The kid was doing well at everything; running, goal, and every position imaginable.

Malia frowned at Kira. "What's wrong with you?" She turned to look at Marika. "Can you relax? I can practically see the steam coming from your ears."

"That'd be a sight to see," Dmitri said, earning a swat from his sister. "Hey! Be nice."

Kira frowned. "Me? Nothing."

Malia turned back to her. "You reek of anxiety. And it's distracting. What's going on?"

Kira bit her lip nervously. "Scott and I sort of had this thing happen. But it wasn't much of a thing. And I'm starting to think it never was anything at all."

"What do you want it to be?" Malia asked bluntly.

"More."

They turned back to watch the field and the freshman was still kicking everyone's ass. Kira asked, "Isn't the captain supposed to be one of the best players on the team? Or good?"

Marika frowned, seeing her friend. "Yes and yes. What in the Hera is going on?"

"Holy Hera?"

"Hey, just because I say something doesn't mean you have to say it."

"But-"

"Stop."

Suddenly, the game clicked with the boys and Coach cried, "That's my boys! Those two are like sons to me."

"Yes!" Kira cheered loudly.

As soon as the freshman wonder walked up, he performed a twisting maneuver. "That was luck!" Malia cried. "Do over!"

Dmitri nodded and pointed to Malia with a smirk. "Yeah, do over!"

Coach made his way over to them and said, "Sweetheart, there's no do overs. This is practice. Caldwell, I thought you remembered that."

"Oh, I do, Coach. But I want to see my friends kick their little freshman asses." He glanced at his sister to see a frown. "Don't deny you want to see that too."

Marika sighed, rolling her eyes.

Malia said with determination, "Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles."

Coach smirked. "I'll take that action. Hey! Get back in there, Liam."

The boy did so and Scott ran a second time and flipped Liam. The latter stood, but it was obvious he was in pain. The boys decided to take him to the nurse and Marika and Dmitri hopped down to follow.

After examining him, the nurse said, "He has a bad sprain. It'd be best if he were to go to the hospital."

They took him to the hospital to make sure he was okay. Scott talked to Kira before they took Liam to the hospital.

When they got there, Melissa walked up to them. Scott smiled awkwardly at his mother. "Uh... Hi, Mom."

Melissa smiled at Liam as she wheeled him away. She leaned down and said something to him that Marika and Dmitri couldn't hear.

Marika glanced at her friend. "I'm not sure what you mom is gonna do, but it won't be good. However, I know she'll help however she can."

They left and Stiles turned to Scott and Dmitri. "Marika and I have to get going. We're gonna help Malia study."

Scott replied, "Sure. I want to check on him anyway."

Marika turned to her friend. "Scott, it wasn't your fault. That is unless you purposefully injured that poor freshman."

He lowered his head. "I don't know."

Stiles frowned at his friend. "Scott, if you had used any wolf power, that kid wouldn't be limping; he'd be crawling back to the other half of his body."

Scott shook his head. "If I hadn't been so worried about being captain, he wouldn't be hurt either."

Dmitri patted Scott's shoulder. "You are still half-human, Scott. It's okay to do things for yourself every once in a while."

"You don't."

"I do too. So does Mari." He turned to his sister. "I'll talk to Chiron, give an update."

Marika nodded. "Keep me up to date."

"I will."

Stiles and Marika left and drove to his place after they'd picked up Malia. They studied for about an hour and Malia decided she was done. She slammed her book shut and kissed Stiles.

Marika cleared her throat and looked between them awkwardly. "Focus, you two."

"Hey, we're not finished yet," he said.

"Maybe you're not, but I am," Malia replied.

"Okay... I promised you Marika and I were going to study. Then we can get back to that. Like, so much... What's with all the highlighters anyway?"

"Green is for what I understand, yellow is for what I'm working on, and red... Red means I don't know what I'm doing." Stiles pressed a gentle kiss to her lips as she continued. "Also, Lydia's notes are really confusing."

Marika looked at the notes and frowned. "What in Zeus' name is this?"

Stiles took the notes from Malia's hands and frowned. "This isn't math. What is this?"