eleven

    Winnie's lips parted, the drawing fluttering out of her grip to the floor as her eyes met Isaac's. "Holy shit."


"Although I'm flattered," Isaac came further into her room, "but it's a little strange since we've met only once."


"Where did you get this from?" Winnie asked after picking up the drawing.


"Erica," Isaac said. He wore a leather jacket and an expression that made him look more mysterious than he really was. "She said she picked that up before we spoke in the woods. So, Winnie, what gives?"


"What I drew wasn't illegal. You on the other hand are in my house." Winnie set the drawing on her bed but returned her attention to Isaac. "I don't know this floor plan, so I'm genuinely curious of how you got in."


Isaac held a slight grin, "Locks on the panels to the pool roof were old."


A laugh left her lips, making her think of him losing his footing and falling into the pool. "Interesting."


"I would've expected you to threaten to turn me in for breaking and entering," Isaac admitted.


"Breaking and entering is the least of your worries, Isaac."


He lifted a hand, "Fair enough."


Winnie watched Isaac, her hand starting to shake at her side. She flexed her palm, trying to push the shining away. She didn't want Isaac to see.


A soft silence took hold, each wondering how much one knew about the other.


"So," Winnie began. "How's life as a fugitive?"


"I see what you're doing, Winnie." Isaac took a glance around her room before stopping closer to her than before. "Distracting me isn't going to get you very far."


"How far can it get me? Just so, y'know, I have a rough idea-"


"Winnie."


Winnie closed her mouth, knowing Isaac wasn't up for her level of sarcasm. Still, her hand quivered.


A thud came from below, the front door closing.


"Shit, that's my dad." Winnie panicked, still rubbing her hand as it tremmored. She looked to Isaac, "He can't see you here. He'll recognize you from the news."


"Winowna!" Aaron called up the stairs.


"I'm serious, Isaac," Winnie said. "Hide!" She switched spots with him, going to the hallway to meet Aaron. "Beat you home," she said with a smile that was beyond fake.


"I guess you did," Aaron replied. "School tomorrow, right?"


"Yep, I'll see you in the morning." Winnie had a hand on each side of her door, praying that Isaac was out of sight.


Aaron ran a hand down his jaw, noticing her mood. "You and Allison seemed to get along tonight. That's really good, Win. I'm happy about it. Friends'll make it easier for you here."


"Yeah, Dad." Winnie gave a soft nod, wanting to deal with Isaac.


Aaron took a step back, able to tell she was volatile. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."


"Night," Winnie said. She waited until he was out of sight before going back into the room and shutting the door. "Okay-"


Winnie fell silent as Isaac backed out of the closet with a changed expression.


She rubbed the base of her neck. "You, uh, you didn't find my underwear, did you?" She stepped back, knowing Isaac didn't appreciate her sense of humor at the moment. "I can explain," she said as she cradled her drawing hand.


"You can explain this?" Isaac looked over his shoulder to her, able to hear Winnie's heartbeat sky rocket. "How the hell can you explain this?"


"In length." Winnie twitched in pain, the movements of her hand out of her control.


Isaac looked from the drawings in her closet to Winnie. "What's wrong with your hand?"


"I, uh," Winnie glanced down to it, her fingers curled inwards as it shook. "Please, Isaac just listen." She held up her other hand, able to sense his unease. "I'm not dangerous."


"Something gives me the feeling that's not completely true." Isaac motioned to the closet, "What the hell is that in there?"


Winnie's legs nearly gave out from the pain, her eyes squeezing shut. "I'll explain, just give me a second." Unable to take it, she went to her desk and quickly opened her sketch pad and grabbed a charcoal pencil from the vase she kept them in.


On edge, Isaac went over to her as Winnie's shaking hand moved violently along the page. "What the-" He angled himself, looking to Winnie. 


The girl's eyes looked vacant; glazed over as she drew with talent Isaac had never seen before.


Isaac's head shot up, an inhuman wail echoing across the town. His eyes were wide, "What the-" he looked to Winnie's drawing and then to her.


Winnie dropped the pencil, walking away from his gaze and beginning to pace her room.


Isaac narrowed his eyes at the drawing, a girl kneeled on ice with a wolfsbane flower in front of her as her mouth was open. "Is that Lydia?"


"You should go."


"You're kidding, right?" Isaac held a bizarre look. "All of this, and you're saying I should leave without an explanation?"


"Yes, yes that is exactly what I'm saying." She took the drawing from him only to get her wrist grabbed. "Isaac-"


"Winnie, come on," Isaac said as he held on to her but without much force. "How did you do all of these? How do you know any of it?"


"I just draw it, I don't know." Winnie pulled a little, trying to get her hand free. "I don't control it."


Isaac's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"


"Exactly what I said. Please, I'm not a bad guy."


Isaac let go, "What are you?"


"I'm not doing anything, I just have a talent. It's-" she glanced to her bookshelf, "look, have you ever read a book called 'The Shining'? It's a classic, by Stephen King."


Isaac shook his head, "No, but I think I saw the movie. I don't really remember."


"How about this?" Winnie went past Isaac, opening the top of her dresser underneath her tv. "I've already had a really long day and I need to go to sleep without a werewolf in my room." She held out a copy of The Shining to him, "Watch it lightly, then come find me the next time Derek lets you off the leash."


"You're mean when you're cranky," Isaac said with a light laugh as he took the movie from her.


"I'm mean when a werewolf interrogates me in the middle of the night," she before she offered a smile. "What way are you leaving? Pool roof or would you like me to walk you downstairs? Front door is always nice, unless you want to try the window."


"Is your dad going to see me?" he asked as he glanced over his shoulder towards the door.


"No, you'll be fine." Winnie went out first, having him follow her. Checking around, she went down the stairs quietly.


"Sorry about grabbing you by the way," he said as Winnie opened the door. "If I hurt you, I didn't mean to. I'm still trying to control my strength."


"It's okay, you didn't hurt me." She leaned on the door, giving a soft smile. "I'll see you later."


"You're not going to call the cops on me, are you?"


"I'd rather call them on my father." She hesitated, "Nevermind. Um, so watch the movie and then come find me. Oh, and don't get killed by hunters or caught by the police."


"Good advice," Isaac replied as he stepped down the small porch. "Goodnight. I'll watch it," he said as he motioned to the movie.


"Night, Isaac." Winnie waited in the doorway, one foot in the house and the other on the porch. "Remember, don't get killed."


"I'll try my best," he told her with a light smile.


Winnie stayed in the half in half out state, watching Isaac leave for the abandoned substation.


She'd had a werewolf climb through her pool roof, had hidden in her closet and she'd told him to watch a scary movie lightly.


"God this place is weird," she muttered as she stepped back inside.


She would find out just how weird Beacon Hills was.


¥¥¥


Erica stood at her locker the next morning, taking a deep inhale. She smirked, turning around to find Scott McCall.


"Two's not enough for Derek," he said. "I know he needs at least three. So who's next?"


Erica, flawless in every way, scoffed as she shut her locker. She turned back, walking up to him. "Why does there have to be a next when we've already got you?"


"Who's next?" Scott asked with a raised voice.


Erica smiled before completely ignoring his question. "You know, I never knew what I looked like during a seizure until someone took a video of me once and put it online?"


Scott shook his head, "I don't care."


"It happened during class," she insisted on the story. "I started seizing at my desk and everyone was saying how they should put something in my mouth until some genius reads the card on my key ring telling them not to 'cause it could break my teeth."


"Erica," he said to try to get her to stop.


"Do you know what happens next?" Her sadness wiped into anger. "I piss myself. And they start laughing." She walked closer, backing him to the lockers. "You know, the only good thing about seizures was that I never remembered them." She rose her voice, "Until some brilliant jerk-off,"


"Allison?" Winnie walked up to the denim skirted Argent, glancing over to see Scott hit a locker with Erica. "Everything okay?"


Allison stayed quiet, holding her books as Erica put a hand on Scott's face and get up in his personal space.


Winnie's eyebrows lifted, seeing him not only not push Erica away, but looked over to them. "Maybe we should go," she softly said.


Allison lightly nodded, "yeah." Stepping back, they left down the hall together.


"If, um, if it's any consideration, he didn't seem into it," Winnie offered.


"It's none of my business," Allison replied in a wavering tone. "We're not really together anymore."


Winnie didn't respond with anything but a nod, already aware that they were together, and perfect for each other.


¥¥¥


Winnie tucked a wave of hair behind her ear, her opposite hand decked with charcoal dust as she sat cross legged out on the back deck behind the pool. In leggings and a pullover Denver Broncos hoodie, she had one of the pull strings between her teeth as she drew a tree.


A hand reached out, tugging out one of her earbuds.


Winnie jumped, the other falling out as she dropped her pencil. Finding Isaac, she stood up with a changed expression. "Hi."


Isaac, in a leather jacket with a curved smile, wiggled the copy of the movie. "Thanks. I liked it. It was super, super creepy and left me questioning everything." He set it down on the table, watching her. "Nice tree," he said.


"Thanks," she softly replied. Winnie stood stiffer than she had the night before.


"So, you're like Danny Torrence?" Isaac asked, noticing she was different.


"Sort of, but it's a little different. I'm more developed since I'm older and have more experience," Winnie told him.


"He didn't draw in the movie," he said.


"That's more my thing," she explained. "Each one is personalized. Mine is art, my uncle's was an imaginary friend."


"Like Tony?" Isaac motioned with his finger, "That one?"


"It was actually a teenage guy in the mirror that was super small, but yeah. And his name was Tommy." Winnie's heartbeat jumped when he took a step forward, causing her to take one back.


Isaac lifted an eyebrow, "Is everything okay?"


"I don't know," she said. "Is Scott okay?"


"Winnie-"


"Last night, I had to convince you I wasn't bad," Winnie said. She flipped to a page, in her leather covered sketch book, angling it toward him with an image of the Hale pack brawling with Scott at the ice rink. "Maybe I should've asked if you were a bad guy first."


"I was just doing what Derek wanted me to."


"And you were fighting Scott, the good guy. Some girls are into the bad guy thing, but I don't want to be around the real kind of bad guy. I didn't get that vibe from painting or drawing you. It was bright and something innocent. Now you're wearing leather and attacking Scott McCall because a guy who bit you said so." Winnie shut her sketch book and collected her things. She brushed a wisp of hair out of her face. "You should go."


Isaac bit back a reply, only nodding. "Yeah, alright." He swallowed, backing off. "You should get that pool roof fixed," he told her before leaving the Jones' property.


Winnie pinched the bridge of her nose, hesitating before retreating into the house.


She wanted to think differently of Isaac, but a bad guy was just that; bad. 

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