Please Don't Forget Me

Chapter 9 - The Consequences of My Own Actions

The drive they shared to school was quiet as neither of them really knew what to say to one another. But Stiles couldn't help but feel happy about the familiarity of the situation, Lydia back in his jeep, heading to school with him just like they used to do. Before they'd left, He'd texted Scott to let the pack know to meet them at school. Once they got there and parked up, Lydia immediately seemed to freeze from seeing the outside of the school. "Hey? Are you okay?" He asked her gently as she kept her eyes glued to the school, her expression a worried one. "Erm I think so I just...it definitely feels weird to be here. But this feels normal? Did you usually take me to school?" She asked him, turning to him briefly as he met her gaze. "Erm yeah I did, I'd pick you up from your house early and we'd go together." He gave her a small grin as she paused for a moment like she way about to question it but thought otherwise and remained silent. He watched her carefully, suddenly a little worried that this might be all a little much for her. "Lydia are you sure you want to go? We can go back home now if you like? I don't mind. If this is all too much for-" he turned towards her more but she shook her head at him, cutting him off. "No no I'm fine, I am...I think it will help me to be here and you Stiles can't miss anymore days off." She seemed determined but Stiles couldn't help but worry about her. "Okay...but if anything happens? Anything at all? You come to me and we'll go home okay? I don't care about how it will affect my attendance." He gave her a reassuring smile as Lydia nodded in agreement, before returning her eyes back to the school.

Just as he was about to get out the jeep, she spoke again, "Stiles I erm-can kinda remember something...were we ever here at night?" She asked him suddenly as he turned back towards her. "At night?" His mind flooded with all the times they'd been there at night, it was definitely too many to count. "Erm yeah, loads to be honest, do you remember anything more specific? There has kinda been a lot." He asked her with a slight smile as she seemed to think hard for a moment. "I-I um I'm not sure but...I remember being scared...running from something? I think Jackson and Allison were there." As soon as she said it, he knew exactly what she meant and his heart sunk slightly. It felt so long ago now, back when they were all so young and naive, back when the Alpha, Peter Hale, was the worst of their worries. "Oh, erm yeah...that was when we once got trapped in the school at night by Peter...it was me, you, Scott, Allison and Jackson who got stuck in there...it was early, during sophomore year, when Scott was newly bitten. I don't think you barely knew who I was back then." He chuckled sadly as she looked down at her lap for a moment. "I remember...but only in pieces. I remember the emotions from it really...being scared, being upset, being confused by it all...your hair was so short then." She concluded with a small smile, changing the subject suddenly, as he let out a little laugh. "Ha erm yeah...yeah it was." He couldn't help but chuckle that she even remembered what he looked like back then. "I didn't even know that you noticed my existence back then." He scoffed as she gave him a sad look, "of course I did." Her curt response surprised him as he couldn't help but be captivated by her eyes as he met her gaze. Maybe she noticed him more than he thought she did back then.

"I thought you only noticed Jackson back then..." he joked darkly, looking back suddenly at his steering wheel with new intrigue, as it almost hurt to talk about. "Yeah...It seems that I was pretty naive, i thought I was in love." She stated bluntly as he quickly looked back towards her, what she said catching his attention as he couldn't help but feel a little relieved that she seemed to remember how bad Jackson actually was. But before he could say anything more, she spoke first, "w-we should probably head inside now...i don't want to be late on my first day back, do I?" She said light-heartedly, cutting the moment completely as he felt a little confused. "Oh, right, yeah come on." He agreed quickly but he couldn't help but wish they had been able to continue the conversation more. It seemed like she was finally starting to open up to him. Once they got inside, the pack were already there to meet them at the lockers. Naturally, Kira was the first to greet the strawberry blonde girl as she gave her a big smile, rushing up to her. "Lydia! Oh my god! It's so good to see you! You look amazing, as usual!" She complimented her as Lydia gave her a small smile, "oh thank you! I won't lie, it's a little weird to be back." Stiles stood closer to her, almost protectively, as he looked around the halls. He noticed some people were already staring at her. "Lydia! How are you doing?" Scott was next as he asked her with a genuine smile. Lydia seemed to immediately relax upon seeing him, like when seeing a familiar face in a bush crowd of strangers. Stiles couldn't help but feel a little jealous of his best friend as him and Lydia easily fell into conversation, but he knew it was because she recognised him from the start. Scott was never someone she had to get to know again or re-remember, or be unsure of, just someone she had to recognise. He wished she felt the same about him, but instead he was someone she had to learn to trust, someone to believe instead of remembering herself. He knew it wasn't Scott's fault, she met him through Allison, Scott was on the team, and she knew of him first, way before when he was just still Scott's lame dorky friend. Oh how times had changed since then.