How Will I Know? {Stiles + Malia}

Chapter Four.

I was upstairs getting ready for my... thing tonight and I heard a knock on the door. I checked my phone to see the time and I cursed under my breath. It read, 6:59. "COME IN." I yelled, and couldn't myself from laughing. He was a minute early, pretty much right on time. I don't know why, but I found it kind of funny. I straightened out my green and black tee-shirt and checked myself out in the mirror. Tee-shirt; check. Shoes; check. Pan-.. I forgot pants. I chuckled and ran to my closet and grabbed some skinny jeans and I was halfway done pulling them up and I saw a figure in my doorway.

"Oh, my God, Tyler." I screamed and ran into my closet and slammed the door. I was so embarrassed I could barely finish pulling up my pants. "First date and you're stripping for me already?" He was smirking, I could feel it. I just ignored that he called it a date again.

"Now I don't want to come out." I looked down. I heard footsteps coming closer to the door and he opened it and I looked up at him and he just smiled. "Malia, I didn't see anything. You're fine, now let's go." He said and guided me out of the closet and we walked outside together.

He didn't have a fancy car or anything, it was just a blue truck, but it was cute. I went to open my door but he stopped me and opened it for me. "I open the doors, missy!" He exclaims. "And if I ever don't, which I probably won't, you stand outside the door and wait for me to open it."

While we were in the car, I was thinking about how much of a gentleman he was. Other than the slightly creepiness that he knew where I lived and I didn't tell him, he seemed really sweet. I was just unsure about it, but I felt safe anyway.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously. He smiled and looked at me for a second and then looked back at the road.

"Look, I know it's not a date, but I'm hoping maybe it will be in the near future." I was kind of surprised he admitted that, considering I haven't said anymore about it.

"That doesn't answer my question, Tyler." I kept on, curiously. He looked over at me again, but didn't say anything. Instead, he just shook his head.

I didn't insist on knowing any longer, he wouldn't budge anyway. I looked out the window to the empty road, no other cars, just trees and open road.

Stiles told me that one of the reasons he couldn't wait to get out was because he actually missed the loud sirens that he used to hear off in the distance and the rush of cars on the busy streets of the big city he lived in.

He didn't want to live in a small town, and I couldn't blame him, I didn't either. But here we both are in the same small town, Timberwood, New Hampshire.

He always told me, "When we're together after we get out of here, we'll go somewhere big... together." I believed him all that time, but I guess I shouldn't have.

"Malia, are you okay?" Tyler asked. We were stopped, but still in the car. I'd hardly realized it, I hope we haven't been sitting her too long. "Yeah, uh.. sorry." I forced a smile.

He got out and opened the door for me. He reached for my hand and I didn't deny him. He intwined our fingers and it felt beautiful, but weird. Like my hand should be in someone else's. Some else like Stiles.

I had to get over it. He didn't love me and he hurt me, but yet, he's the only thing I could think about.

We walked from his car to the entrance of the fair and when we got there, he paused. He smiled at me, "I hope you like the fair, my lady." He said with a wink. I nodded and giggled.

"So, we basically know nothing about each other," I said kind of questionably. I wasn't going to add anything else, I didn't even know why I said it. Did I actually want to get to know him?

"And yet, you still let me take you with me." He said with his signature smile. He smiled a lot, but I didn't mind. It was beautiful. Perfectly aligned and white.

"I did, I did." I smiled back. A real one. Not an uncomfortable smile, a natural smile, which I didn't give very often.

"Are you glad you did?" He asked me. He was trying to hide the small ounce of insecurity he had. I squeezed his hand gently, "Yes, I am." I said with that same smile again.

"Do you like cotton candy?" He questioned, walking up to a food stand. It looked kind of like a trailer, like one of those metal ones. Except it was painted in bright neon colors with flashing lights around the top. I nodded, instead of answering him verbally. I was engulfed in the beauty of the neon lights and paints.

"One bag of cotton candy please." He asked the woman inside the trailer politely. Then he paid and started eating it.

"What? I thought that was mine!!" I laughed and pouted. He opened his mouth in surprise and gasped. "Oh, you wanted some too?" He said with a wink.

"Isn't that why you asked if I liked it?" I said, grabbing a ball of cotton candy in my hand and shoving it in my mouth. "Uh, no. I was just curious." He winked again and nudged me with his elbow.

We walked around the fair laughing and joking with each other, stuffing our faces with cotton candy and other foods we gathered on the way. We rode a couple rides and just enjoyed each other's presence. I thought to myself how this actually happened, how we actually became friends. We only just met, but we acted like we knew each other for years.

"I had a great time tonight." He smiled as we stood in front of my front door. "We should hang out again." He added.

"For sure." I smiled back.

We stood there quietly in a comfortable silence for only a minute. Then, he leaned in to kiss me, or at least I thought he did. Instead, he kissed my cheek and we shared one last smile that lasted as he walked back to his truck and drove away.