𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐁𝐘, 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐱 𝐭𝐯𝐝

- ²⁵ IN WHICH PILLOW FORTS, CHEESE PUFFS AND IGNORING YOUR ISSUES IS ICONIC

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* chapter twenty five ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

❛ the one in which pillow forts, cheese puffs and ignoring your issues is iconic. ❜

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The recording cut short as it ended, leaving a small crackling sound that descended into silence. Scott and Stiles sat opposite one another on the floor of Scott's bedroom, stashes of money laid out between them. It was dark out, and the rain pattered against the window harshly, only reminding them of the melancholic issues sprawled out for them to solve.

Stiles leaned forward and clicked off the radio, "You ever made a wire transfer?" He asked Scott quietly, fiddling with his hands.

"Never had enough money." He shrugged.

The boy nodded his head, lips tight, "So, you didn't understand a word of that, either?" His voice was slowly losing the excitement it had possessed a few hours ago, now filled with another round of dread at the thought of having to figure more of the puzzle out; he wanted to be a detective, but when it was his friends on the line and every single idea led to a dead end, he was getting sick of it.

Scott ran a hand through his hair, "I don't understand any of this. Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?" He asked, stressed.

"Someone wants you dead, dude. Badly." The werewolf let out a heavy sigh as he finally started collecting the money, putting it into the duffel bag they had found it in. Stiles watched him, his eyes widening incredulously, "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"

"It's late." He commented, "We've got the PSAT's in the morning."

"No, I meant the money. Five hundred thousand dollars, Scott...you know how much money that is?" Disbelief and anticipation riddled his reasoning.

"It's five hundred thousand—"

Stiles interjected, "—It's half a million dollars, Scott. What are you gonna do, just slide it under your mattress?" His hands grabbed Scott's wrists to stop him and for once, the boy had a thought in his head that did not align with their heroic and moral ethos. He wanted to keep the money to himself—for the both of them—to help with their finances.

Scott looked empathetic but firm, "I have to talk to Derek. The money's his."

"You mean his and Peter's..."

"What does that mean?"

Stiles scoffed as he ran a hand through his hair and stood up, resuming his usual, anxiety-induced pacing with his hands on his chin. He knew what he was thinking was wrong, but was it so bad? Taking two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and giving it to two needing teenagers for saving the lives of tens of people? He thought it was justice; he didn't get paid for all of the medical bills his super-heroing caused him to have. Maybe taking money from one of the people who had helped leave him in such debt was vengeance.

"I mean, maybe we should proceed with caution."

"You don't think we should tell Derek?"

"No. No," His shoulders dropped as he exhaled, "No, of course we have to tell him. I'm just...I'm just saying, some of that money is Peter's, right?"