The Wild Side | Stiles Stilinski | One

14 - Movie Night

One of the things I resented most in life was the fact that I had to organise my schedule around everyone else's, just because I didn't have my own car.

Allison had spent the afternoon at Lydia's house so we could work on chemistry together and discuss design ideas to finish off her bedroom. I promised that when the time came, I'd help her paint the walls, move the furniture, and put all her things away. We were still debating colors after dinner, and just when I went to drive her home, Mom snatched the car keys from my hands with an excuse about grocery shopping. At that point, Lydia had jumped in, offering to drive Allison home in the Beetle. So, only slightly bitter, I'd climbed into the back and let Allison take shotgun.

When we got to her house, I climbed out to hug her goodbye, and attempted to take her seat up front. But Lydia had raised her hand, stopping me in my tracks and gesturing to the backseat once more.

"Um, why?" I asked. "You got an imaginary best friend more important than me?"

"No, but I do have a very corporeal boyfriend to placate."

"Lydia," I whined, stamping my foot on the pavement. "Come on! You let me get in the car without a third-wheel warning? You know I hate that!"

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen. We're just going to the video store and then you can lock yourself in your room, as usual, and take your mindless personality quizzes for the rest of the night, or whatever you do on that laptop all day."

I glared at her as I climbed into the car. I didn't have the energy to argue with her, partially because she was right, but I did bang my head against the headrest a few times in retaliation as we pulled back onto the street.

I wasn't sure if Lydia realized, but being locked in a moving car while Jackson and Lydia argued about movies was almost as bad as sitting in one their dates. At least they were usually happy on their dates, but they never, ever agreed on a movie to rent. I might as well have been a civilian in a war zone.

The battle began the moment Jackson stepped into the car. Jackson wanted a sports movie. Lydia wanted a romance. Jackson wanted an action film. Lydia wanted a comedy. I wanted to punch the both of them. It might have been endless, if we didn't eventually reach our destination.

"Now, Hoosiers is not only the best basketball movie ever," Jackson was still reasoning when we pulled into the parking lot. "It is the best sports movie ever made!"

"No."

"It's got Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper!"

"No."

"Lydia," he pleaded, in a tone that screamed of his waning patience, "I swear to God you're gonna like it. Come on, Scarlett, back me up."

"You're joking, right?" I asked, glaring at the inside of my eyelids. "I'm not joining this discussion unless you want to rent Remember the Titans."

"Oh my God! Will you shut the hell up about your stupid football?"

"No."

"No," Lydia echoed to Jackson, and then again at me in the rearview mirror, "and no."

Jackson snapped. "I am not watching The Notebook again!"

Lydia smiled patiently, as if she were dealing with a petulant toddler who wouldn't share his toys. After a few seconds, Jackson crumbled under her gaze. He ripped off his seatbelt and threw the door open, muttering profanities under his breath.

"Wha-chh!" I mimicked, snapping my wrist like a whip.

Jackson glared at me with as much force as he could muster. He reached past the passenger seat to jab a finger in my face, then slammed the door hard enough to make the windows shake. I watched through the window as he stormed up to the store and trudged inside.