Inferno - Stiles Stilinski

Chapter 40

"You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called 'voluntary apnea.'" Stiles explains.

After the events of the station the other night, Mr. Stilinski set up some guidance counselor meetings for Stiles, and the only way he agreed to go was if I went with him.

So... here we are.

Talking to Ms. Morell.

I'm gazing off into nothingness, while Stiles is fiddling with the netting on his lacrosse stick, also not looking at our counselor as he continues.

"It's like, no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in... that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's-it's actually kind of peaceful."

"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?" Morell asks.

Oh yeah, that also happened...

Matt is dead.

Don't worry, it wasn't me... sadly.

I was too busy having a mental breakdown over my mother being scared of me...

But after he ran out of the station the other night, he was found, head in a small stream, drowned.

"I don't feel sorry for him." Stiles verbalizes my exact thoughts.

"Can you feel sorry for the nine-year-old Matt who drowned?" the counselor rephrases.

My boyfriend scoffs, putting the lacrosse stick horizontally across his lap, "Just because a couple of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim, doesn't really give him the right to go off killing them one by one." he glances at me, "And, by the way, my dad told me that they found a bunch of pictures of Elizabeth on Matt's computer ok... MY girlfriend. And not just of her, though. I mean, he photoshopped himself into these pictures—stuff like them holding hands and kissing. You know, like he had built this whole fake relationship. So, yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what sent him off the rails, but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train."

I tense at the mention of the pictures on Matt's computer, some of them were extremely private, like ones of me in my room, wearing only a towel, I felt so violated, I still haven't reopened my curtains.

I guess Morell noticed my discomfort, because she swiftly changes the subject, "One positive thing came out of this, though... right?"

That's another thing that happened... Sheriff Stilinski was reinstated, meaning he got his job back, like I knew he would.

"Yeah. Yeah... but I still feel like there's something wrong with us. I don't know. It's just like, tension when we talk. Same thing with Scott."

He's not wrong. Since that night, Scott kinda secluded himself and isn't talking to anyone like he used to. I'm not either... the only reason Stiles and I are still interacting normally is because he followed me that night and held me while I cried and wouldn't leave until he knew what was wrong. He couldn't exactly do that with Scott. I mean I tried to get him to talk, but he wasn't budging. Saying he just needed to be alone for a while, which I understand...

"I see you've clearly talked to Elizabeth," She smiles, motioning to me, "But have you talked to him since that night?"

"No, not really..." he admits, messing with his netting again, "I mean, he's got his own problems to deal with, though. I don't think he's talked to Allison, either... but that might be more her choice, you know?"