Scott McCall's Arc

Chapter 6 of 9

Scott jogged onto the field and felt Kira and Lydia watching from the bleachers behind him. The new transfer was already running drills. Malik Kane. Quiet. Sharp. Coach was losing his mind on the sideline, yelling that Malik was the only one with eyes on both ends of the field. Scott watched him closer than the others did. Malik moved like he'd already seen the play. Stiles came up beside him, breathing hard. "Tell me you're seeing this too," Stiles muttered. "Thirty seconds in and he's reading us like a book." Scott nodded once. He didn't want to say the word out loud yet. During the run, Stiles got too close on a cut. Malik brushed him off the ball without even looking back. "There's a reason the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror," Malik said flatly, already gone. Stiles called after him, offended. Scott just tracked Malik down the field. Something in his stride was wrong. Too smooth. Too sure. The scrimmage started. Scott lined up across from him. He went in low for a clean tackle and they collided hard. Malik twisted as he fell. His ankle bent the wrong way. The whistle screamed. Scott pulled back fast, guilt rising in his chest. "I didn't mean—" Malik shoved himself up, cursing under his breath, unable to put weight down. Scott and Stiles ducked under each of Malik's arms and helped him off the turf. Coach was yelling something about benchings and grandchildren. They ignored him. Halfway to the nurse's office, Stiles glanced down at the spot Malik had been standing. The grass was scorched in a small, perfect ring. He nudged Scott. Scott saw it too. At the nurse's door, Malik finally looked up. His eyes flashed gold for half a second, then steadied. He saw Scott catch it. Neither of them spoke. Scott helped him through the door and stepped back into the hall. He had his answer now. Malik wasn't human. And he had just put him in the building, hurt, with five nights left and two friends still marked.