Lydia's Cousin -1-

Battlefield

Stiles Pov.

Sits next to Laney who is now sticking either with me, Lydia or Scott,in the guidence counsellor office, as I tie my lacrosse stick

"You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's call voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding" I say softly.

"But when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's actually kind of peaceful" I say.

"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?" Miss. Morell says, looking at me and Laney.

Laney stiffens, causing me to hold her hand.

I let out at breath and looks at Miss. Morell "I don't feel sorry for him"

"Can you feel sorry for the nine year old Matt who drowned?" Miss. Morell asks.

"Just because a bunch of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim, doesn't really give him the right to go off killing them one by one" I say, looking at her "And by the way, my dad told me they found a bunch of pictures of Laney and Allison on Matt's computer. And not just of them though. I mean he photoshopped himself into these pictures"

Grips Laney's hand as she looks down "Stuff like them holding hands and kissing, it was worse for Laney he basically replaced me with him when we were imtimate. You know, like he built this whole fake relationship" I say, looking at the Miss. Morell.

"So yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what sent him off the rails, but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train" I say.

"What about you Laney?" Miss. Morell asks, looking at her.

"I've been having nightares since that night" Laney says, looking down, playing with my fingers having having not getting a good night sleep since that night.

"One positive thing came out of this, though" Miss. Morell says looking at me "Right?"

"Yeah" I say, looking down "Yeah, but I still feel like there's something wrong between us. I don't know. It's just, like, tension when we talk. Same thing with Scott"

"Have you talked with him since that night?" Miss. Morell asks, looking at me.

"No, not really. I mean, he's got his own problems to deal with, though" I say, holding my lacrosse stick in my hand.

"I don't think he talked to Allison, either. But that might be more her choice, you know" I say "Her mom dying hit her pretty hard. But I guess it brought her and her dad closer"

"Jackson? Jackson hasn't really been himself lately. Actually the funny thing is, as of right now, Lydia and Laney are the ones who seem the most normal" I say.

"And what about you, Stiles?" Miss. Morel asks "Feeling some anxiety about that championship game tomorrow night?"

"Why would you ask me that?" I say, looking at her "Uh, no. I never actually play. But hey, since one of my teammates is dead and another one's missing, who knows, right?"

"You mean Isaac" Miss. Morell says, smiling at me slightly "One of the three runaways. You haven't heard from any of them, have you?"

"How come you're not taking any notes on this?" Laney asks looking at Miss. Morell.

"I do my notes after the session" Miss. Morell says, looking at the both of us.

"Your memory's that good?" I ask.