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Boyd and Erica had always been the outcasts. The epileptic girl and the fat kid. What could they say? Outcasts always gravitate towards each other.
Their paths first crossed in Algebra, Boyd's favorite class. Numbers he could understand, people not so much. His seat was towards the front of the room despite wanting to be tucked away in the safety of the back of the classroom. He often thought of how wonderful it would be to change his last name to something starting with a Z so he could finally be seated somewhere in the back and away from everyone else. Yet those were just fantasies that would never come to be. Changing his last name would be like kicking dirt on his family.
Erica's assigned seat was near windows where the sun shined brightly on her long, blonde hair. He'd have to have been completely oblivious not to notice her. She was a quiet girl, yet he never thought she'd give him the time of day, just like everyone else.
Boyd remembers the day clearly. It happened on an unusually warm November day at exactly 2:38pm. There was a loud clatter and Erica was on the ground. There were a few gasps and "Oh my God"'s being shouted but after the initial shock wore off, the laughter commenced. Then, phones were being whipped out left and right to record her at her most vulnerable moment. Boyd did the same, but used his to dial 911.
He rushed towards her, pushing classmates out of the way to get to her. She looked absolutely helpless, lying there on the cold ground, convulsing uncontrollably. He removed his hoodie, which was something he'd never do. His hoodies were his security blankets that shielded him from the stares and the cruel remarks about his weight. But right at that moment, Erica needed it more than he did. Boyd gathered it up and slid it underneath her head, while also turning her on her side. The paramedics rushed to the school in a matter of minutes, taking over where Boyd left off. One of them, a young man with a short, dark beard, gave him a clap on the back, thanking him for his quick actions before rushing out of the room with Erica in a gurney, who was now clutching his hoodie so hard, her knuckles were white.
That same afternoon, he visited her at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. The staff wouldn't let him see her until Erica's parents gave him the green light. Escorted by her father, Boyd walked through the winding white halls. He heard her mom's soft voice through the dingy curtain, "Your friend is here to see you."
Erica's mom looked just like her daughter, right down to the same long, blonde hair. She peeked through the curtain and let him in. It was clear Erica had been crying.
"How're you feeling?"
"I just made a fool of myself, again, in front the entire class. Yeah, I'm feeling peachy." As soon as she says it, she knows it came out way more harshly than she intended.
"Right, sorry," Boyd says and looks down at the floor.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean that. I'm just exhausted," Erica says, hoping he'll understand. And he does. He tells her not to worry about it, and goes quiet once more. "How did you know what to do? Everyone always thinks they know best and try to shove pencils between my teeth, thinking that will help."
"My sister had epilepsy. I took care of her a lot. I learned how to deal with them."
"Is this yours?" She asks, holding up the hoodie. He nods and steps forward to take it from her without saying a word. "My parents told me you were the one that called the ambulance. I wasn't expecting you to come see me, no one ever does. Thank you. Really, I mean it. Thank you."
It was genuine and heartfelt, something he'd never experienced before from someone outside his family. That was all it took and just like that, he smiles at her and she smiles back at him. That was when and where their friendship began.
The following week when Erica is back at school, most people have moved on from Erica's epileptic fit onto some kid named Jared who ripped his pants while bending down to pick up a piece of paper. That gives Erica the opportunity to get back into her regular school life as if nothing happened. Now when she walks by Boyd in Algebra, she smiles and gives him a quick wave. They can't wait to see each other in the classes they have together and when they're apart, they count the hours until they're back together again.
During lunch, they've got each other. Boyd no longer sits by himself, wishing someone, anyone, would eat with him. Erica is always there and actually looks happy to be with him. With each other to rely on, they can take on anything.
As time went on, Erica's epilepsy had gotten worse. Before, her fits would have two, even three month stretches between them. Now they were coming at least once every month. The scariest one happened at Boyd's house when they were working on homework after school. Erica brought them a snack and she tasted that horrid copper taste on her tongue. She knew it was coming, but didn't have time to prepare. The plate she was holding shattered on the ground and she fell in a heap, the corner of the coffee table nicked her head just past the hairline. There was no time for Boyd to react and to stop her from hurting herself. Blood was everywhere on the carpet and on his hands while he called 911 once again. He panicked at the sight of blood, not knowing it looked worse than it really was.
He was at her side at the hospital, just like he always was. Erica was crying out of frustration. She was tired of always being in and out of hospitals, tired of the epilepsy, tired of this card life had dealt her.
"I hate it," she said through her tears.
Boyd brought the back of her hand up to his cheek, "I know you do."
Before she was released, Boyd excused himself to use the restroom. Just a few seconds later, a voice came through the curtain. It was deep and booming, asking to be let in. Erica didn't recognize it but assumed it was a new doctor and gave him permission.
There stood a man without scrubs, looking extremely out of place. He went on a spiel about how he knew about her and her illnesses and ailments. He promised her a way out, a way to be rid of hospitals and doctors for the rest of her life. All he needed was a little bit of her time.
Despite his reassuring words, this mysterious man made Erica feel anything but at ease. Yet, what he was promising was extremely alluring. She let him know she understood what he was saying, but needed to think about it. She had already made a decision but wanted to talk about it over with Boyd first.
"Who are you anyway?" She asks before he disappears behind the curtain.
"Just someone trying to help. I'm Derek. Derek Hale," he says and smiles, trying to look friendly but it serves just to makes her even more nervous than she already is.
She swears she sees his eyes glow red for a second but it's impossible. Erica chalks it up to being exhausted and her eyes seeing things that aren't there.
Erica drops by at Boyd's house unannounced as soon as she's released from the hospital. His mother lets her in and she makes a beeline upstairs to his bedroom. She knocks on his door frantically and once Boyd sees her, he thinks something is wrong. She goes on and on about Derek and what he told her about "fixing" her.
"Do you even know who he is? He could be a serial killer for all you know," he tells her.
"A serial killer wouldn't be wandering around in a hospital," she says and smiles. "I don't know what it entails, but I want it, Boyd. Whatever it is that he's got, it's a cure and I need it. I can't go on like this," she says and her eyes are brimming with tears. "And when I see him again, I want you to be with me."
He sighs, "Of course. You don't even have to ask."
Erica throws her arms around his neck and whispers into his neck, "Thank you. I'm finally gonna be normal."
They don't know how, but when they're both ready, Derek finds them. He lured them into the woods and until they reach an old, burnt down house. The house looks like even a small gust of wind could knock it down at any second, but they go in after him anyway. Boyd is scared but he doesn't tell Erica. He can feel his heart beating hard in his chest, yet Erica is ecstatic. She trusts Derek to give her a new life, however it may be.
Derek stops in what used to be a living room and turns to them. "You chose well. I hope you know that." He looks directly at Boyd and continues, "That goes for you as well."
He doesn't understand what he means and neverminds it. Erica looks up at Boyd and smiles, "We're ready."
The last thing they see before blacking out are Derek's glowing red eyes.