Don't Take Yourself So Seriously

The knife was steady in her hand. Kinsey brought her arm back and swung forward, letting it go at exactly the right time. The blade hit the middle of the target, slicing through to the other side. A friend of her dad's whistled, cheering her on.

There was a big field behind Kinsey's house. Her dad had a couple junker cars out there, but they mainly used the space to set up targets. Three wooden structures were set up in the grass, scrapes and tears from all the weapons. Bullet holes broke chunks off one block.

Kinsey's dad had a cigarette between his lips, as he always did, and was pointing his gun at the ground. He had closed down the shop that day since the hunters had been on high alert. Now was a better time than ever to clean up his daughter's skills.

“Dad, I don't want to do this anymore.”

There Kinsey went again. Always complaining about hunting. It was so completely unlike her father. He grew up with a .45 in his hands and a knack for shooting arrows. Kinsey was good with a gun, but she refused to touch them anymore. Her father, on the other hand, slept with one under his pillow. It was his best friend, his ally.

Her father looked over at Kinsey, taking in her flustered appearance. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and her hair was a mess. It wasn't enough. His own father would work him over until his hands were bleeding and he could recite every beast known to man.

He took a drag, letting the smoke go slowly. Kinsey kept watching him, getting more and more angry as he wouldn't respond. “Come on, kid. You've been here for ten minutes. Stop your whining.”

Kinsey threw down the knife in her hand. It was really the only hunting experience she could stand. Throwing knives was a bit fun, honestly. There wasn't a boom or an explosion. It wounded and didn't kill. Kinsey never felt lethal when she threw them.

“Stop calling me a kid, goddammit!”

The family friend let his gun fall to his side, watching the little girl curse intently. Kinsey's father threw his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out with his foot. “Watch your mouth.”

“Oh, I forgot you were such a saint as a kid. Bet you never cussed. I'm just the devil.”

That was not from him. That attitude, that impulsive nature, that need to throw all the cards on the table. It had to be what her mother was like as a kid. “Girl, I swear to G-”

“I don't want to hear you repeat everything you've said a million times to me.”

“Shut you mouth, kid. If you want me to treat you like an adult then stop acting so damn immature,” he barked at her, a vein popping out of his head. “Do as you're told. Get a damn gun, shoot the damn target, and close your damn mouth! You got me?”

Kinsey huffed, arms resistant at her sides. Her father glanced back at her, eyebrows raising. It was a stare off at this point. First one to look away was the submissive ones. They were like dogs.

“HEY MR. ARCHER!”

Both people broke eye contact as a scrawny boy came running on to the field, yelling out to grab their attention. Stiles was initially surprised to see Kinsey playing with any kind of weapon, but he was too happy at his good news. He stepped in her line of view of her dad, a big smile on his face. Kinsey was still too pissed to comprehend his entrance.

Stiles was running up to her, a gym bag bouncing along his back. Kinsey expected to smell some rank jerseys, but there was something different.

“King,” Stiles interrupted, saving Kinsey and her father from shooting each other. “I feel like a complete douchebag for screwing with your feelings yesterday.” Stiles side-eyed Mr. Archer, hyper-aware of the loaded gun in his hand. “I wanted to make it up to you.”

Stiles unzipped his gym bag, and Kinsey dropped her knife to the ground. It landed blade first into the grass.

“You got me fireworks?!” The entire bag was loaded with everything she could possibly want, in ever color she could hope for.

“My dad busted some kids who were setting mailboxes on fire. I stole it from the evidence lockers. Please, say this makes up for it. I don't want you to be mad at me.”

“Of course!” Kinsey admitted, although it was likely she would have forgiven him in time.

“OK, good because I have more news. Scott made co-captain!” he shouted. Kinsey raised an eyebrow. “And I made first line, baby!”

Now, Kinsey was too shocked to stay mad at Stiles or her dad, who watched the two intently. Stiles was such a bench warmer that he was the unofficial assistant coach. Her eyes grew big and she smiled wide. “Congratulations!” Stiles picked her up by the sides in a hug and spun around a couple times before Kinsey realized what he was doing. He put her down, a little dizzy himself. They epically high-fived afterwards, but Kinsey couldn't help but want to be picked back up in a hug.

Kinsey's dad was eying Stiles down. The other hunter motioned for him to use his shotgun, but he waved it off. When Stiles didn't notice his discomfort, he cocked his gun back. Stiles whirled around, gulping. You never touched this man's daughter in front of him.

* * * * *

Kinsey wished her family was like others. She wished they'd play board games and watch movies together. She wanted them to yell at her when she got home late. It was against anything natural in this world for them to want her to kill. Both of her parents were fine with it, thinking it was justified. Kinsey's basic personality wouldn't let her do it, though. She had to get that from one of them. But sometimes she felt like she was adopted.

Chris Argent and Kinsey's dad sat at a table in the Argent's garage. Kinsey stood in the corner, pouting that she had to come. It was the first official meeting she was forced to go to. They were making the undercover werewolf a full fledged werewolf hunter.

Kate came strutting in, her voice cutting through Kinsey's thoughts. "Do you want another night of kicking through the leaves in the woods?"

"I prefer to think of it as another night of keeping innocent people from being killed," Chris said. Kate walked around the table and picked up a gun, pointing it at Kinsey to see how it fit her. "That list now includes our kids."

I could tear you in half right now, Kinsey thought as Kate tilted the gun in her face. Kinsey stared at her, scowling.

"We know it won't try going after them," Kate said.

"It won't have a target on the full moon," Chris stated.

"How come?" Kinsey's dad asked.

Kate poked Kinsey with the gun, and Kinsey slapped it away. "The alpha struggles just like any other werewolf on the full moon," Kinsey informed them. "It'll be unfocused, which is why you're bringing extra enforcement, like your teenage daughter who doesn't want to hunt a human being."

"Someone's been reading up on the target," Kate said, smiling. Her grin made Kinsey squirm. She walked farther away from Kinsey, leaning on the wall. "But sweetie, you have to stop associating them with humans. They're dogs."

"I'm sure there's tons of them out there living normal lives, not killing anyone. The alpha isn't, but I'm sure the two betas are keeping safe."

"And we don't hunt those people," Chris said, diverting Kinsey's attention.

Not all of you follow the rules, Kinsey thought, staring at Kate. "Are we supposed to be catching Derek tonight?" Please say no.

Kate had begun cleaning her gun. "He's smarter than that. He won't be out tonight. There's cops everywhere."

The other hunters stopped small talk when Victoria Argent came through with cookies, serving them cookies while talking about death. She chomped happily on them, surely fantasizing about bathing in werewolf blood. That woman left even more of a chill in Kinsey's spine than Kate did.

"Uh, do you guys mind if I'm a bit late?" Kinsey suddenly asked.

"Hot date tonight?" Kate jeered, smirking at Kinsey's glare.

"No," she assured, annoyed.

"There's no boys allowed," Kinsey's dad interjected. "Not until she's married."

"Never stopped me," Kate snorted. Kinsey's dad glared.