Wrong Answer, Dumb-ass [ 1 ] (Thiam)

Chapter 031

Seeing the incoming call from Scott this time of night is no surprise to him, with his best friend being back in town for Liam's sixteenth, Stiles has been hoping they'll be able to get the chance to hang out before Scott's flight back to college which'll no doubt be sooner rather then later, grabbing his phone from his littered bed covered in food wrappers and strewn clothes that he wore earlier on in the day, Stiles answers the call with a cheerful, "hey Scott."

"I can't fine Liam, and mum won't tell me anything about where he is, other then he's safe."

The enthusiasm Stiles feels when seeing Scott's number appear on his screen, quickly fades away into the back of his mind, and is quickly replaced by annoyance, running a hand through his hair which is getting a little too long to handle, he kicks the covers off his legs and walks around his food, trying to find something to wear. "Why can't you just take her word for it, that Liam is okay, she wouldn't lie to you Scott, not about this," he tries to comfort as well as rationalise. "Besides I just remembered you mentioned about having a date night with Malia, don't blow it off because of something minor."

"Stiles, what if it has something to do with Theo? What if Theo's attacked him, and is now going to send him to his witch of a mother?"

Yanking on a pair of jeans he found buried underneath a pile of washed clothes, Stiles stares at his phone which now rests on his desk next to the keys to the jeep, every so often the duo clashes and it appears to be one of those times where Stiles can't get through Scott's overly thick - lopsided skull; they'd never told Scott the true extent of Yandal's attack, Liam made them promise to keep quiet about it, especially about the rape. As a single child growing up, Stiles never truly understood the role of playing big brother; at school he used to see siblings interacting, fighting and protecting each other against bullies, but he never really understood the relationship between them, then when Liam turned up all those years ago, something just kind of clicked. "I'll drive over, pick you up and then we can go from there, it's Liam dude he couldn't have gone far."

Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he listens to the police scanner set up in between the drivers seat and passenger seat, Stiles keeps his eyes peeled for any signs of Liam, or even Mason or Hayden who he usually hangs out with if he isn't with Scott, Stiles or even Lydia for tutoring, that being said Stiles has grown curious about Liam not hanging around with Jessica anymore, all Lydia says when he brings the subject up is that something happened at a coffee shop when Liam first met Theo.

As he pulls up in front of Scott's house, Stiles catches a glimpse of something in his peripheral, turning his head to clearly see what caught his attention, he notices Scott already walking towards him swinging a bat lazily in his right hand, shoving open the drivers side door and rounding the vehicle until he's facing Scott, Stiles grows uneasy about the increase insinuation of violence, "dude, why do you have a bat?"

Scott glances down at the wooden weapon he 'borrowed' from Melissa earlier on, when he found it resting up against a wall in her room, "incase Liam's in trouble, you have a jeep the least I can have is a bat."

"Look, just because I ran Matt over that one time in the warehouse because he was being a physco, doesn't mean Roscoe is a weapon," replies Stiles whilst feeling slightly annoyed,  walking back around his jeep and opening the door a little too harshly he says. "Just get in so we can find Liam and calm your nerves, it's late we don't need any unwanted attention from your neighbours, because metaphorically speaking if Liam is in danger, my dad won't appreciate chasing after us because your neighbours think were up to something."

For a while they drive in silence, focusing their eyes on the road in front of them, behind them the sun casts an orangey glow as it nears the brink of nightfall, it'll be dark soon and that'll only add to their list of problems, one the sun goes down they'll have to rely on Liam possibly crossing the road in front of them in order to see if he's near or not, "and you're one hundred percent certain that Melissa didn't tell you who he's with or where he's going?"

"I'm sure, all she said was he'd gone out for a surprise birthday celebration with a friend," replies Scott, anxiously rubbing his face.

"Any ideas about where he could be? It's not like Beacon Hills is filled with places to celebrate a birthday unless you're going to a club," and from his own experience, Stiles knew that - that didn't always end well, however it's the catalyst he needed to come out to Noah about liking both girls and boys.

Obviously Scott shrugs to the response, he hasn't got a clue as to where they should even start, resting his head against the passenger door window, he watches as trees and houses pass by them in a slow blur, they're going well under the limit Stiles usually prefers but for this situation it's needed. "Other then knocking on everyone's door, I really don't know where to start."

"Jeez Scott, that really cuts it down...not," turning down another road that'll lead them to drive through the Preserve, Stiles turns the lights on illuminating everything around them.

"I've not had chance to think Stiles, just give me a break!" Scott yells out angrily, slumping down into his seat, and crossing his arms over his chest like a child throwing a tantrum.

Gritting his teeth angrily, Stiles doesn't hesitate to steer the jeep to the left quickly, almost causing them to drive up a small embankments on the side of the road, maybe it's the fact he's tired of playing these games with Scott, or maybe it's because he's got his head screwed on correctly but Stiles has finally had enough, "you want a break, is that what you want, then I'll give you one because I'm going to speak, and you're going to listen. This boy is sixteen and has already seen the horror this world has to offer, when he moved in with you he believed he'd be getting a taste at freedom, but that freedom comes with a set of rules created by both you and Melissa, strangling him."

"Stop-"

Shoving a finger violently against Scott's chest, Stiles continues on with his rant. "Don't do this, don't do that, has this person been checked by the police, this person is dangerous because I don't know them blah blah blah, you think you can keep him safe but you could even keep him safe in his own goddamn house," yells Stiles as he nears a dangerous line he knows he shouldn't cross. "The only person that kept him safe when he needed someone like you there, was Theo - the person that has only ever tried to help him, and you wanted him to just leave Liam like he was nothing, and for what? So you could say 'I told you so,' and make yourself seem like the hero?"

Repeatedly Scott yells at him to shut up, and that he doesn't understand the extent of everything going on, which of course is a lie, because since day one Stiles has always been there with them, and although they're facing a small hiccup now, that won't stop him from finding Liam and putting Scott back in his place, starting the engine once more  Stiles glances back at Scott, seeing that he's now worn himself out. "You've got a lot of explaining to do later to Malia, if we find out Liams actually okay like Melissa said."