☼ 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ☽ 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐈

Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Charlotte adjusted her hair for the hundredth time that morning, squeezing her ponytail so her hair was tight against her skull. She kicked at the dirt as she waited for coach Finstock to give the go ahead.

"Since when do you do cross country?" A voice chimed from behind her, making Charlie whip around. Stiles stared at her expectantly, Scott stood slightly behind him.

"Good morning Stiles, Scott" She waved. "Since now. I enjoy running so why not?" Charlotte questioned, Scott and Stiles nodding their heads. "Yeah, makes sense."

The girl opened her mouth to respond to him when Coach blared his whistle loudly, making the girl spin on her heels and get ready to sprint off, a frazzled Issac catching Charlotte's attention, and apparently Scott's too.

"It's them." He pants, shoving Scott off and running full speed towards the pair of twins. "Issac! Wait!" Scott yells, but it was too late.

Charlie rolled her eyes and began to break into a light jog, ahead of most of the group, but nowhere near Issac and the twins. Charlotte rounded a corner, watching as Scott sped past her, clearly going to see where the three went, but the girl kept on jogging.

She could feel her muscles relaxing as she ran, breathing in the fresh air and silence that met her. Charlotte had always loved running, like it was the one moment she didn't have to focus on anything else, and she embraced the feeling with open arms.

Charlie rounded another corner before stoping abruptly, her heels digging into the soft dirt,

Another dead body, except this time, it lay right in her path.

The air grew thick around her, like she couldn't breathe, her body trembling and her ears ringing as she stared, petrified. A few other students all stopped as the caught up, staring in horror at the scene before them, all horrified.

The girl could feel her heart against her chest, the rest of the students moving around her as she stood still, like she was frozen. She reached her hand up to her face to cover it when a hand grabbed her shoulder, startling her.

"Hey, hey! It's just me." Stiles said, holding his hands out in front of him like he was worried. Charlotte looked up at him, her eyes swelling with tears and her body shaking.

Stiles stared at her, his brows knitting together as he watched her carefully, a feeling of empathy filling his brain. The boy slowly stepped closer and put both his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay Charlotte?" He asked warily, the girl shaking her head in response, falling into him.

The hug took Stiles by surprise but he didn't push her away as Charlotte clung to him for dear life, trying to slow her breathing. "Why is it always me?" She mumbled into his chest, Stiles reaching his arms up to rub her back.

"I know, it's okay." He whispered, leading the girl over to Scott and Issac without letting go of her, worry written all over his face.

The four stood together, watching on wearily as the students crowded around, Charlotte hiding her face. "It's him isn't it?" Stiles questioned, looking to the two werewolves for a response.

-✵-

After a few long minutes, Stiles father came barreling through the crowd of students. "Back up! Everyone back!" His partner yelled, Stiles letting go of the girl and running over to his father to talk to him.