As I'm standing in the kitchen, still being angry about Scott, I hear the front door open. I turn, ready to storm over to the front door and yell at Scott. I stop when I see that it's Stiles.
"Scott?" I hear Mom call. She walks around the corner.
"Stiles," my best friend corrects, smiling awkwardly.
"Did you let him in?" Mom looks at me.
"I was in the kitchen." I shake my head.
Mom nods and looks down at Stiles' hand. "Key," she exclaims.
"Yeah, I had one made so ..." Stiles waves the key through the air. When did he get a key to my house?
"That doesn't surprise me," Mom says. "It scares me, but it doesn't surprise me."
Stiles looks at me and drops his bag on the ground. I can hear metal inside and I arch an eyebrow.
"What is that?" Mom demands. She points at the bag.
"Uh, school project," Stiles lies.
"Stiles, he's okay, right?" Mom asks.
"Who? Scott?" Stiles looks between the two of us.
"Yeah. Emerson says he's just having a hard time with the breakup, but ..." Mom trails off.
"Yeah," Stiles agrees. "Totally. He's okay. He's just ... dealing."
"He just doesn't talk to me that much anymore, not like he used to," Mom admits sadly.
"He doesn't talk to me that much anymore either, Mom," I tell her. I hate to see her so sad.
"Well, he's had a bit of a rough week," Stiles tells us.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Mom says. "Yeah, um ... okay, uh, be careful tonight."
"You too," Stiles returns.
"Full moon," Mom states.
"What?" Stiles and I both near-yell.
"There's a full moon tonight." Mom looks between us. "You should see how the E.R. gets. Brings out all the nutjobs."
"Oh." Stiles nods along.
"Yeah."
"Right."
"You know," Mom keeps talking. "It's, um, actually where they came up with the word 'lunatic.'"
Stiles stares dumbly at me as Mom walks out the front door. As soon as the door is shut behind him, he picks up the bag.
"Is that for Scott?" I point to the bag.
"It is," Stiles says wryly. "Hey, listen, he hasn't been home yet, has he?" I shake my head. "He knocked Danny down at practice today."
"What?" I say again.
"He knocked Danny down. Hard," Stiles tells me as we walk upstairs. The steps creak underneath our feet. "Then, when I asked him about it, he said that he didn't – he didn't care if everybody hated him."
I open my mouth to tell him about Scott and Lydia, but Stiles just keeps talking.
"That's not the worst part," Stiles informs me. He stops at the top of the stairs and swings around to look at me accusingly. "The worst part is that not one, but two of my best friends lied to me."
"Stiles -" I start.
"No," he cuts me off. "Lydia came over to ask Jackson if Danny was okay and her lipstick was – it was messed up and Jackson pointed it out and Scott – Scott had it all over his mouth. He kissed her, Emerson, and you knew it."
"I wanted to tell you -" I can feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes. Stiles turns and opens Scott's door.
"I asked you why you were so angry and you didn't say anything," Stiles fumes. My thumbnail finds its way to in between my teeth and I start to gnaw nervously.
"I'm sor-" I start again.
"Don't apologize," Stiles says irritably, stepping into Scott's room. He flips on the lights and jumps back, yelling out, "Oh my god! Dude, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you weren't home yet."
"I came in through the window," Scott answers darkly. Stiles drops the bag on Scott's floor.
"Okay," Stiles says. "Uh, well, let's get this set up. I want you to see what I bought." Stiles squats down and starts to ruffle through his bag.
"I'm fine," states Scott. "I'm just gonna lock the doors and go to bed early tonight."
"You sure about that?" Stiles sounds doubtful. "'Cause you've got this kind of serial killer look going on in your eyes, and I'm hoping it's the full moon taking effect 'cause it's really starting to freak me out."
"I'm fine. You should go now. Both of you," Scott tells us.
"I'm not going anywhere," I decide, making myself comfortable on his bed. I scowl at him angrily. "You clearly can't be left alone."
"Right. Because I'm 'a terrible person.'" Scott glowers at me.
I want to tell him he's not a terrible person, but I can't. I'm too angry. I turn away. The threat of tears still isn't gone.
"I'll leave," Stiles volunteers. "Well, look, would you just ... at least look in the bag and see what I bought? You know, maybe you use it, maybe you don't. Sound good?"
Scott stands up and walks over to Stiles. As he bends down to look in the bag, he never takes his eyes off of Stiles. He reaches in and picks up heavy-duty chains.
"You think I'm gonna let you put these on and chain me up like a dog?" Scott demands.
"Actually, no," Stiles says candidly. He lunges forward, grabbing Scott's arm and handcuffs him to the radiator.
"Stiles!" I shout, jumping up from Scott's bed.
"What the hell are you doing?" Scott growls and lunges at Stiles. He pulls on his arm, but he can't get free. Stiles stretches his arm across the distance between us and pulls me behind him.
"Protecting you from yourself," Stiles responds. "And giving you some payback ... for making out with Lydia."
YOU ARE READING
Transformed (Incomplete)
Fanfiction"Don't be afraid of change. You might lose something good, but you'll gain something better." Emerson McCall is a pretty average high school student. She has one friend she shares with her brother, Scott, and between the two of them, she has all she...
