Prelude

Chapter 24: Old School Meets Stiles

Almost over night, it was suddenly cold and fall had settled into Beacon Hills. Gone were the shorts and tank tops, replaced by sweaters and jeans and knit caps. Lacrosse games were filled with steam rolling off the field and blankets covering laps. True to her word, Guinevere went to every game, usually sporting one of the boys' jersey number on her hoodie as she watched from the stands, sat among Erica, Lydia, Malia, Stiles' dad and Scott's mom. Scott found it slightly awkward that Guinevere was such good friends with his mom but Isaac seemed to find the whole situation rather comical. Stiles didn't mind that Guinevere got along with his dad, he figured they would have to meet at some point given not only his track record but hers as well. 

That was why he was allowed out of the house (he was still grounded) Friday night to take her on a date. He showed up on her porch steps at 6 p.m. with flowers in his best khakis and nicest flannel, a Star Wars shirt on underneath. She opened the door in a pair of skinny jeans and a flannel of her own, smiling at him happily and he stopped breathing for a few seconds. 

"Hey." She greeted, smiling and eyeing the flowers with excitement. "Are those for me?" 

"Hey." He managed when he finally started breathing again. "Yeah, they're for you." He held the bouquet out to her and her smile widened as she moved to hold the door open more. 

"They're beautiful. Why don't you wait inside while I put them in some water?" She suggested. He swallowed and nodded, walking inside. It was like when he used to have a crush on Lydia except amplified ten times. 

"Nice shoes by the way." She looked down at her Converse as he slid his hands into his pockets, noticing the matching ones on his feet and smiling. 

"Back at you." He gave her that lopsided grin she liked so much and her heart skipped a beat as butterflies took up residency in her stomach. She put the pretty yellow flowers in a Mason jar and left them on the counter so she would remember to take them up to her room when she got home, admiring them one more time before she walked around the counter. "All ready to go." She smiled at him, biting her bottom lip.

"Let's roll out." Stiles nodded, holding the door open for her. She grabbed her phone from the table by the door and slid it into her pocket as she walked out of the house. 

"Thank you." She said politely. He nodded at her and then moved to open the car door for her too. "What do you know? Chivalry isn't dead." She smiled at him as she climbed into his Jeep. 

"Just dormant in the current generation." Stiles replied, making her laugh as he walked around to the driver's side. 

"Alright, Mr. Perfect Gentleman. Where are we going?" She asked as he pulled out of her driveway. "Wait, are you going to be all cliché and tell me it's a surprise?"

"Only if you want me to. I personally think that not telling you is a form of sabotage."

"Do tell." Guinevere drawled, looking at him with curious and bright eyes that made his stomach flip as he glanced at her, driving down the street.

"When you tell certain people 'it's a surprise', it gives them anxiety and works them up and put's them on edge even if it's something like a new puppy. Plus, by not telling them what it is, you create the feeling like they're going to have to be ecstatic for whatever the surprise is so they don't hurt your feelings and then they feel ingenuine when they actually are happy with the surprise and they think their reaction is forced." 

"You're in psychology, right?" 

"Just observations." Stiles smiled at her as they stopped at a stop sign. 

"You're smart." She announced, looking out the window. "I bet people probably tell you that all the time but you're like a freaking genius." Stiles blinked at her in complete surprise. He cleared his throat and started driving again.