𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍, derek hale ✓

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

┏━━━━⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆━━━━┓

ONE MORE FOR THE BOOKS

"OKAY LADIES, THIS IS IT! REMEMBER; WE'RE OUT FOR BLOOD!"

Three weeks had passed since that fateful evening, and presently, Emerson had corralled her team of starting players into a circle for their pre-game pep talk.

They'd made it to the state finals, up against a team from a private school in Mendocino. Vaguely, Emerson remembered this had been their opponents first year back after a large doping scandal hit media outlets, resulting in a temporary ban. These were known cheaters that they were up against, and it was a mighty good thing that Emerson didn't like to lose.

Plus, they were playing on Beacon County turf thanks to Coach Brinley winning the heads-or-tails toss up. Instantly, they had a leg up against their opponents who were coming from out of the area.

The residents of Beacon Hills and other towns within the county showed up, clad in various shades of maroon and white that mimicked the girl's uniform colours. Emerson had a lime green captaincy band around her left bicep, her hair pulled back and secured with a thin headband.

"We're running a false nine, yeah?" Keeley Jeffries, their right winger, asked from her place next to Emerson.

"If Adriana's ready, we will," Emerson nodded, looking to the girl fastening her cleats in front of her. "Otherwise we do the standard 4–3–3; s'what we're good at, and it gives us pace."

"Nah, let's false nine these bitches," Adriana huffed, tightening her own ponytail. She was normally their striker, a solid kick too, but this strategy would optimize the scoring even more. "I'm in it if you are."

Emerson smiled. "It's settled then," she said, earning a chorus of hollers from the girls around her. For most of them, this was their final game before moving to the college league— the excitement and sheer desperation was clear. 

The Avery girl was soon called up by the referee for the coin toss, to decide which team would have the starting pass. It was against the captains, and the Mendocino girl looked like she wanted to skin Emerson alive.

Luckily, Emerson practically fed off that type of violence on the pitch.

She won the coin toss by choosing heads, because wasn't it always the right answer, and began her march toward her rightful spot in the centre of the field. With a minute to spare, she took the time to easily spot Elizabeth and Hannah in the stands, directly behind the Beacon Hills bench.

Emerson gave them a wave, Elizabeth all but jumping out of her seat to reciprocate. The Prescott woman was clad in her deputy attire, having just gotten off work early enough to speed to the location of the match. But when her guardian used her finger to gesture down the rows of bleachers, she followed with curiosity.

"You got this Emerson! Show 'em who's boss around here!"

Her jaw physically dropped at the sight of Isaac in the stands, sporting maroon face paint on his cheek that depicted the number ten. Her mouth opened and closed, words momentarily failing her. Especially when her gaze drifted to the imposing figure, clad in a leather jacket, seated right next to the Lahey boy.

Isaac showing up to her game was one thing, because yeah, she'd offhandedly mentioned it during their tutoring session two weeks ago when they'd just qualified for it.

But Derek?

Emerson never thought she'd see Derek at a school soccer game, much less the soccer game that was for her team. She hadn't seen him since that night in Deaton's office, and yet there he was, with Isaac and looking like it was no big deal for him to be there.