The Wild Side | Stiles Stilinski | One

23 - Werewolf Stakeout

It took Allison several minutes to calm down to the point where she could control her breathing once more. I pulled her over to the lab station closest to the door, forcing her to sit up on the counter and lean her head against the wall. It was another few minutes before she stopped crying, or muttering words like "why" under her breath.

"We have to go out there, Scarlett," she pleaded once she'd composed herself. "I can't let him wander around the school by himself. He's gonna get himself killed."

"Allison, you're not going anywhere," I said sternly. I laid a hand on her arm, as if it were heavy enough to anchor her to the desk. "Trust me, Scott's much better off knowing you're here instead of out there where you could get hurt."

"He could get hurt, Scarlett! He could die!"

"I know."

"A-and you don't care?!"

"Of course I care!"

Allison recoiled, and I forced myself to take a deep breath. I hadn't meant to snap at her. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know, that I couldn't explain why it had to be Scott out there instead of us.

"Scott's my friend," I continued, in a much softer voice, "and I know how much you care about him. If it were up to me, he wouldn't have gone out there at all. Okay? But he is out there, and since we're not leaving him behind, we have to wait here and stay safe until he comes back."

"But what...what if he doesn't come back...?"

Her eyes were brimming with tears again, her lips pressed into a thin line in hopes of holding herself together. I did the same, rubbing my thumb over her arm.

"Scott's gonna be fine."

"Just—why?" she sniveled. "Why would he think it was a good idea to go out there?"

"I don't think he thinks it's a good idea. I think he's just trying to keep you safe."

Allison let out a watery sob, which I assumed was supposed to be a sarcastic laugh. "Then why won't he tell us the truth? Scarlett, you know he's lying to us! Why would he lie if he wanted to protect us?"

"Because..." I bit my lip, trying to choose my words carefully. "Sometimes, I think...the less people know about something, the safer they are. Sometimes they're not, obviously, but...sometimes it's just better to not know what's going on."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ever heard of the phrase 'ignorance is bliss'?" Allison scoffed, a frustrated tear slipping down her cheek, and I tried again. "Look, whatever Scott's gotten himself into, it's obviously pretty dangerous. He probably thinks that the less we know, the less trouble we'll get into."

"Trouble?" she repeated derisively. "We're locked in the school about to be murdered! I don't care about the trouble! I just want Scott safe!"

"And that's exactly how he feels. If you were a part of something dangerous, if you knew Scott could get hurt, wouldn't you try to keep him out of it?"

Allison sagged, her chin dropped down to her chest as she answered to her lap. "Of course, I would."

"Then you know," I said with a soft smile. "I know you want to go out there and be with him, but Scott's always gonna put your safety first."

"Do you really think that?" she asked, looking up through her eyelashes.

"Absolutely." I slid the hand on her arm down to hold her hand. "Even after this, after all of this, I stand by what I told your dad. Scott's just trying to do what's right. Everything he's doing right now, he's doing to keep you safe, to keep all of us safe. He may be a little stupid sometimes—incredibly stupid—but...he means well. He's sweet, and sincere, and I know he cares about you more than anything. Scott's a good guy, even if he does occasionally get mixed up in slightly dangerous situations."