Gather The Ashes || Stilinski || Book Three

Twenty-One

COACH KEPT SIERRA a lot longer than she originally thought.

He had said he needed her help only during her math class, to review some plays. However, Sierra also was forced to miss her last class of the day—the period where all her friends were present and Mr. Yukimura stood at the front of the room. Coach kept making excuses, even calling in Scott after school to watch past games on tape with Sierra.

Sierra wasn't amused in the slightest, but she understood Coach's nerves. Tomorrow was the first game and however it played out would dictate the tone of the season. Add in that they were playing against Devenford Prep, aka the team that crushed them during their scrimmage, and Coach Finstock was ready to explode.

He finally let her and Scott leave after they assured him they'd arrive early in case there were any glitches before the game, but the damage was done.

Sierra didn't arrive home until after five, ruining her plans with Stiles that were meant to take place right after school.

Due to the chaos from the deadpool, Sierra had never given Stiles his anniversary present. With the idea of a free afternoon, she thought it would've been the perfect chance. Though the way her life ran, she should've expected some type of obstacle—even one in the form of a crazed lacrosse coach.

Determined to make most of the rest of the day, she self-consciously double checked her appearance and grabbed his present off her desk before heading across the lawn to his home.

After thinking for weeks about the perfect gift for Stiles, Sierra finally decided to pick something straight from her heart.

She remembered how he always used to wear a wristwatch wherever he went, as it was a gift from his dad on his sixteenth birthday. Unfortunately, due to supernatural circumstances, the glass surface ended up cracked and the mechanisms were broken. Stiles, heartbroken over the incident, always wanted to get it fixed, but never had the money.

Now Sierra didn't have a job or the heart to ask Jemma for some cash. But, visiting her grandmother over the past summer reminded her of a box stashed away in her closet in Beacon Hills. In it, was a small box filled with her money from every birthday she ever had. She had more than enough to pay to get the watch fixed.

Adding a more personal touch, she had the workers engrave a small message before she gave the rest of the money to Jemma to help with hospital bills. It read, "Every second, I love you more. ♡ S"

Sierra knew the saying seemed cheesy, but believed it fit the way she felt about Stiles while mixing in a pun. It was perfect for him.

Noah greeted her when she knocked on the front door, gripping the small box tightly in her hands. "Good evening, Sierra," he smiled merrily. "You know you don't have to knock; you're always welcome anytime."

Sierra returned his kind gesture, stepping inside as he opened the door wider. "I know, but I still feel like I'm invading your personal bubble," she explained her reasoning behind the formality. "I don't wanna be rude."

"Stiles invades your personal bubble all the time," Noah joked, walking with her towards the kitchen. "If anything, you should take away the key he has to your house."

Sierra raised her eyebrows. "You know about that?"

Noah scoffed, "He has keys for everything—even one of the police cruisers, though he doesn't know I know about that."

Sierra chuckled, "You do have a point." Noticing his official attire, she commented, "Surely, you're not going back to work tonight. You deserve a night off."

"I appreciate that, thank you," Noah replied with a grin. "But with Parrish tailing Peter after what he did to Meredith, I'm covering some of his paperwork. I was about to head out before you knocked."