Off Limits

Chapter 6 - Gaining Perspective

Stiles leant against his baby blue jeep with ease until he saw Scott trot over to him, hand in hand with Allison before he turned to her, kissing her sweetly on the lips and then waving her goodbye as he ran over to the jeep. Stiles stood up as he got closer, he was confused. Scott was alone. "Hey bud!...Erm w-where's Lydia?" Stiles asked carefully, afraid he was going to get his head bitten off in response. Scott gave him a tight lipped smile as he went to open the car door. "Oh. Yeah, she's not coming. This guy Jackson offered to take her home instead." he replied calmly as he hopped in. Stiles got in his seat, turning on the engine as he tried to not let the information bother him. Jackson must be the guy that she was stood with, Stiles concluded quickly in his head and he immediately felt a tad worried that that roided' up, angry, and possessive oaf was driving her home. "Ah. I see." Stiles replied quietly, his voice monotone as they drove out of the carpark. A brief silence fell upon the two as he drove, the sputtering rumble of the engine was the only thing that was being heard as the meandered through streets. Scott kept his gaze strictly to his own window as he let his own thoughts swallow him up. Stiles opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, they were devoured by the insatiable silence that sat around them like a bad smell. He longed to speak out, to ask him whether they could even trust this guy with Lydia? whether she was still mad at him? But he remained silent.

As they reached Scott's house, small rain drops began to fall around them as it appeared that the clouds above had opened up once more, the drops were small and fine as they created little wet splashes on to the metal parts of the jeep, making little thuds as they removed the dirt and dust that gathered there. Once he parked up, the boys sat in silence for a moment, each one desperate to speak but neither willing to go first. Stiles sat stiffly, his body tense as his mind ran wild. The rain began to get heavier as the little droplets turned into bigger ones, making echoes throughout the vehicle as they sat in it. Stiles hated the silence, he struggled with it. Silence like this usually meant that he had royally fucked up and he wasn't prepared to deal with the consequences. "D-do you want to stay for a bit?" Scott spoke softly as he turned his head to him finally, his lips slightly upturned in a smile as he did so. Stiles heart felt like it had been lifted from the worry that his bestfriend hated him. "Of course I do you dummy." Stiles joked back at his friend as a big grin rested on his face. Scott smiled back in return, his perfect teeth showing in his uneven jaw. "Can i ask you something first Scott?" Stiles quickly questioned him as he saw him reach for the door handle. Scott's smile faded slightly, he knew that when he called him by his proper name that it was usually a serious matter.

"Shoot." Scott said coolly as he awaited his question. Stiles inhaled deeply before he spoke. "Are you mad at me?" He asked him swiftly as he waited with held breath. Scott turned to him fully now, his eyes brighter and his smile returning as he looked at the tall boy more intently. "Are you serious? No. Of course I'm not. Why would you even ask me that?" Scott replied hastily as he chuckled slightly which only helped make Stiles feel more at ease as he let his body relax more. "Well erm... you know that stuff that happened today at lunch...with Lydia. I thought I had pissed you off." He said solemnly as he looked towards his hands as they stayed gripping the steering wheel. Scott scoffed at him, making him snap his gaze back to him in an instant. "Stiles don't be daft, you're my best friend, my brother okay and yes i was slightly frustrated at the situation earlier but it doesn't mean that I'm mad at you. If anything I think Lydia and Allison were the ones who were pissed off at you. To be honest, I'm more confused, i don't understand something." Scott said simply, his tone dropping slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows together in thought. "What don't you understand?" Stiles asked patiently as he awaited a response from the tanned boy, his fingers drumming the steering slightly with light taps. "I don't understand you and Lydia." Scott stated honestly as he met Stiles' gaze, and Stiles felt his heart plummet to the bottom of his body.

He stared at Scott briefly before turning his attention back to the windscreen, watching as the pavement became a dark grey from the rain outside. He breathed deeply, a slight irritancy developing inside of him.  He didn't understand all the fuss. He didn't understand why it was such a big deal. "I thought we talked about this Scott. I know it hurts you that we don't get along but we just...don't. I can't force myself to like someone." Stiles stated coldly as he avoided his burning gaze. Scott shifted slightly in his seat as the jeep seat squeaked slightly in protest. "No No i know, i get that, i do. But i know you Stiles, and i know that sometimes you hate how well i actually do know you. I know that you absolutely suck at meeting new people and it does take you ages to warm up to them and while you do, you just stick this cold, sarcastic asshole front on - which i know is only there to cover up how terrified you are to actually open up to someone new and to let them in. Because...you think they might leave you...and i get that, i know you struggle...but i need you to try harder because, this is my little sister man. She's apart of my life now and you are both very important to me, and it's important to me that you both get along." Scott spoke quietly and Stiles could hear that he was getting slightly upset.

He knew Scott was right and he hated it, he really seemed to forget how perceptive Scott was at times and when he said stuff like this, it really threw him off. Stiles swallowed harshly as he took in everything he just said, the air in the jeep feeling like it was being sucked out and the air suddenly becoming too warm and crowded. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, as he gripped the steering wheel again with both hands, this time a little harder than before. He hated that Scott saw right through him at times like he was invisible. He was right, he wasn't trying hard enough to give Lydia a chance, he never really gave her one as he decided that he didn't like her as soon as she walked through the door. Stiles suddenly felt cruel, he hated that he had to act this way just to make sure that he was okay. Meeting new people made him nervous, to the point where he would think about meeting them weeks beforehand, stressing himself up to the max just to prepare for a meeting between two people that others probably didn't think twice about. He hated himself.

He remembered when he first met Allison. How much he struggled just to say a few words to her because, not only was she a new person, she was also a very attractive female person, and at the time, 15 year old pubescent Stiles, who had a buzzcut and magic trait for being invisible to girls, panicked the first time a girl voluntarily spoke to him first. He would laugh at the awkward memory now as he looks at how Allison is with him now. She was like the sister he never had and he adored her, she was one of his best friends. But Lydia? she was different, completely different. And yes, even though he would never be caught dead saying it, she is a very attractive girl, and it was the first thing he noticed about her but there was something else. Something that he felt when he first met her, that terrified him and made him bring up his protective walls full of sarcasm and angst and even now he couldn't pin point what it was but he knew better by now than to not listen to his gut feeling.

"Okay. Scott i promise i will try. You're right i haven't been trying enough and it's wrong and selfish of me and I'm sorry. i didn't even think about how this would affect you. So yes, i will try." Stiles finally spoke, his voice steady and kind as he watched a small genuine smile break out on Scott's face. "Thank you bro!" he smiled happily as he reached over, bring Stiles into a big hug before quickly changing the subject. "So... lets get in before the storm really kicks off yeah? I'm absolutely starving!" The boy protested as Stiles chuckled at him. As quick as they could they hopped out of the jeep, slamming the doors hastily as they ran to the front door to evade the rain, Scott using his hoodie as protection as he used it to cover his dark hair all the while, he moaned and groaned with every rain drop that hit him. Stiles, however, he liked the rain. It felt rejuvenating on his skin, like it was washing away all his stress and worries. He stared up at the dark sky, rain running down his face and flattening his usually spiky hair to his forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.