Shadows // Stiles Stilinski x Male OC

3

As I drove home through the heavy rain, I decided to take a shortcut to avoid the worst of it. Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" played on the car radio, its rhythm blending with the sound of rain hitting the windshield. I couldn't help but sing along, the lyrics resonating as I navigated through the stormy night.

Lost in the music, I heard my phone ring. Fumbling to grab it, I accidentally let it slip under the seat.

"Shit", I say leaning over reaching for my phone, when I looked  up I saw a figure standing in the middle of the road. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes, my heart racing as the car skidded to a stop just inches from the person in the middle of the road. "Fuck!" I yelled out loud, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Breathing heavily, I realized how close I had come to hitting them. Rain pounded against the car, blurring my vision as I stared ahead, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The figure stood frozen, drenched in the downpour, and I could see their silhouette through the streaked windshield.

Taking a deep breath, I turned off the radio and stepped out of the car, my thoughts racing as adrenaline coursed through my veins.

"Are you nuts? You almost killed me!" the person yelled, and at that moment I realized it was Alexander, the new guy from my school.

"What are you doing standing in the damn road?" I yelled back, incredulous.

"My car broke," he said sharply. "I need help, genius! You know what? Forget it!" He turned his back on me and started walking towards his car.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I yelled desperately. "I'm sorry! Look, get in! This is a shortcut, nobody comes down this road. You'll drown—" My voice trailed off as I noticed the car he was driving: a really old, creepy hearse. "Is this old man Ravenwood's car?" I asked, trying to keep my nerves in check.

"You're one of them, aren't you? What are you? The All-American jock star, prom king... jock," Alex scoffed, his tone sharp and his eyes narrowing.

"Look, can you insult me in the car?" I said, attempting to lighten the mood. "It's getting a little Titanic out here. You know, I never understood why Leo had to die in the end. Why couldn't they take turns? 'You float on the wooden thing 10 minutes, I'll float on the thing 10 minutes.' She kept saying, 'I'll never let you go, never,' and then she lets him go!" I started mumbling

"If I get in the car, will there be more of this fascinating conversation? Because I'd rather drown," Alex said, his annoyance evident in his tone.

When he finished speaking, I hurriedly ran to the passenger side door and swung it open, gesturing for him to get in. However, Alex ignored my invitation and walked around the car, choosing instead to slide into the back seat. His body language was tense, arms crossed and jaw set, clearly indicating his irritation and reluctance to engage further.

"I can't believe you told me the ending to Titanic," he said, clearly irritated.

"You've never seen it?" I asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror as I settled back into the driver's seat.

"No," he replied, still fuming.

"You really are from out of town," I laughed, shaking my head as I started the car."Hey," I said, handing him my jacket to dry himself off.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking it.

"You know where you're going?" he asked, still sounding a bit annoyed.

"I think so," I replied, trying to sound confident.

I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Hey, I'm sorry about those clichés in class, but I'm not one of them," I added, trying to make amends.

"Clichés?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"People who once were human, but for whom absolute popularity has corrupted absolutely," I explained with a grin.

"Hmm, bet you're real proud of yourself thinking that one up. You probably dated one of them," he shot back.

"You cut Lydia like a surgeon," I noted, impressed.

"Years working with the bitch virus," he joked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"No cure yet, huh?" I joked back.

"We continue to research and hope," he replied, a hint of humor in his voice.

"You been to a lot of schools?" I asked, curious.

"Yeah," he said simply.

"That must be nice. I've only ever lived here," I said, a touch of wistfulness in my tone.

"Must be nice," he echoed, his voice softening slightly.

"So, where y'all lived?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Pretty much every state that seceded from the Union," he replied, grabbing a book and starting to read. "Moved around since I was four, after my parents died."

"I only have my dad. My mom died last spring," I shared. "How did it happen?"

"Fire," he said quietly.

"Frontotemporal dementia," I said, stumbling over the words. "Ha, ha, that was a dead-end conversation on a road going nowhere," I laughed awkwardly. "I must have missed the exit to 'fascinating,'" I mumbled awkwardly.

I noticed the book he was reading. "Bukowski? He any good?" I asked.

"Define 'good,'" he replied, and we both chuckled. After that, there was a silence in the car until we arrived at the gates of the huge property he lived on.

"I can drive you to the house," I offered.

"This is fine," Alex said, getting out of the car in front of the gates. It wasn't raining anymore.

"No, I don't mind," I insisted.

"Look, I appreciate the ride, but I don't feel like being a haunted house attraction today," he said, starting to walk away.

I ran after him. "No, I--Now, that's fairly rude and not true at all. Perhaps it's because we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Stiles Stilinski, by the way," I said, smiling.

"You're Stiles Stilinski?" he asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"Oh, my God, you mean Stiles Stilinski drove me home?" he said sarcastically.

"You've heard of me?" I asked, hopeful.

"No," he replied rudely.

I chuckled. "I like your  necklace." I say "And your tat, too. I mean, uh, also."

"Thanks," he said, walking through the gates without looking back at me.