Bend The Rules , Stiles Stilinski ² ✓

[ 10 ] trouble in paradise

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

4 DAYS LATER

"Get back to your seat!" Finstock yelled at one of the lacrosse players, as the cross-country team, which included Aspen, made their way to a meet that half the teenagers on that bus should not be bothering with, not after what had happened.

Scott and Stiles occupied the back seat, while Aspen sat in the seats in front of them, her elbow rested up on the window, her eyes fluttering open and shut out of fatigue.

"Yo, Scotty!" Aspen heard the sound of Stiles' voice, talking to Scott who was in a similar fatigue state to her. "Hey, yo! Scotty? Still with me?"

"Yeah, sorry." Scott mumbled, "Uh, what's the word?"

"Anachronism."

"Something that exists our of its normal time." Scott answered.

"Nice!" said Stiles, encouragingly, "Okay, next word- incongruous."

"Uh, can you use it in a sentence?" asked Scott.

"Yes. Yes, I can!" Stiles replied, "It's completely incongruous that we're sitting on a bus right now, on our way to some stupid cross-country meet, after what just happened. Incongruous."

"Out of place, ridiculous, absurd." Scott said defeatedly.

"Perfect." said Stiles, "Hey, wanna know what else is incongruous?" he added that last part as he tapped Aspen's shoulder, making the brunette turn around.

"Hmm?" she mumbled unenthusiastically.

"The fact that you've been ignoring me for like— four days!"

Aspen internally damned the world, her entire life even. Stiles wasn't wrong, she had been distancing herself more than usual from the one person she needed most.

But what he didn't know is that everything she was doing, everything that she plans on doing, is all for him.

"I've not been ignoring you..." she said, unconvincingly.

"Right." Stiles rolled his eyes, obviously not believing her either, "And Scott's totally gonna pass his SAT's."

"Hey," Scott objected defensively and offended.

"Stiles," Aspen said softly, trying to convince him of something she wasn't even convinced of herself, "I'm fine, I've not been ignoring you, I've just been... overwhelmed."

Stiles sighed defeatedly, he knew it must've been a lot for her, finding out her brother was alive all this time, and that the mother and father she grew up with weren't her real parents.

He didn't know the whole story though.

Aspen couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth about her real father. She was almost ashamed of the reality of it all.

"Fine." Stiles sighed heavily, giving a longing look at his girlfriend who he just prayed would be okay. "But stop shutting me out, okay?"

His words were like a knife impaling her heart, like Ace and Deucalion were just twisting it in further every time Stiles would show her an ounce of love.

Because she knew there were only so many ways this was going to end, and none of them were pretty.

Aspen gave him a weak nod, and a small smile, before turning around and resting her hand on her hand, with her elbow rested up on the bus window, as she gazed out of it, watching the roads and cars pass by, wishing for a way out.