KNOTS. OHMYGOD, KNOTS, ARE YOU EVEN -
SEE, STILES GETS PRESSED INTO RESCUING THESE FIVE SQUIRRELS TANGLED UP IN THIS KINDLY OLD LADY’S YARD, OR - OKAY, MORE LIKE HE VOLUNTEERS, BECAUSE THOSE THINGS ARE DAMN ADORABLE - AND HE SPENDS AGES CAREFULLY WORKING HIS FINGERS THROUGH SOFT FUR AND WIRES, BECAUSE THIS IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN A GORDIAN KNOT, EVEN THOUGH ONE OF THE SQUIRRELS IS SOME KIND OF DARK-FURRED, RED-EYED MUTANT THAT KEEPS GLARING AT HIM, LIKE, ‘HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME,’ OR SOMETHING.
IT’S FREAKY BUT ALSO WEIRDLY ADORABLE, SO STILES DELIBERATELY PETS IT ON THE HEAD WITH A SINGLE FINGER, AND SNATCHES IT AWAY WHEN THE SQUIRREL SNARLS (HOW CAN SQUIRRELS EVEN SNARL? ALTHOUGH, WELL, ADMITTEDLY, IT’S AN UNBEARABLY CUTE MINI-SNARL), WHILE MOST OF THE OTHER LITTLE SQUIRRELS TREMBLE IN AN INTIMIDATED MANNER. THERE’S ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE THE SQUIRREL VERSION OF BAMBI, WITH BIG, WET EYES AND ODDLY CURLY FUR ON TOP OF ITS HEAD, AND ANOTHER THAT SEEMS KIND OF ZEN, IN A DEADPAN KIND OF WAY, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS THIS GORGEOUS, GOLDEN-TINGED FUR AND BERRY-JUICE STAINING ITS MOUTH LIKE LIPSTICK, AND FINALLY, THERE’S THIS OLDER, TRICKY-LOOKING SQUIRREL WITH SHARP, NARROW EYES THAT KEEPS, LIKE, SMIRKING AT STILES AND TRYING TO MOLEST HIS WRIST, OR SOMETHING, ALTHOUGH MAYBE STILES IS JUST LOSING HIS MIND AND IS ANTHROPOMORPHIZING SQUIRRELS AFTER AN HOUR SPENT DETANGLING THEIR TAILS. THEIR INCREDIBLY SOFT TAILS. THAT STILES IS KIND OF GOING TO MISS TOUCHING, WHEN THIS IS DONE.
FINALLY, THEY’RE FREE, AND THEY ALL SQUIRREL AWAY, EXCEPT FOR THE DARK SQUIRREL THAT GLARES AT HIM AND MAKES THIS TINY SHOVING MOTION AGAINST STILES’S LEG, LIKE IT WANTS TO SHOW STILES WHO’S BOSS, AND THAT STILES REALLY SHOULD JUST GTFO.
“WHAT, DON’T YOU TRUST ME?” STILES ASKS IT. “I JUST SAVED YOUR FURRY LIL’ ASS.”
AFTER A VERY UN-SQUIRRELLY GROWL, THE DARK ONE BOUNDS OFF AFTER ITS BUDDIES WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN OVERLY ACROBATIC DISPLAY OF LEAPING AND TWISTING IN THE AIR (WHAT THE HELL? DID IT ESCAPE FROM A CIRCUS, OR SOMETHING?), AND MEANWHILE, THE TRICKY, WRIST-MOLESTING SQUIRREL STOPS AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE YARD AND… AND LEERS AT STILES, OR AT LEAST, IT FEELS LIKE IT’S LEERING.
THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE WEIRDEST DAY EVER.
BUT IT’S NOT AS WEIRD AS THE DAY, ABOUT A WEEK LATER, THAT STILES STARTS NOTICING HE’S BEING FOLLOWED.
FOLLOWED TO SCHOOL (STILES CATCHES GLIMPSES OF IT DISAPPEARING AROUND CORNERS AND BEHIND PARKED CARS IN THE SCHOOL’S PARKING LOT), FOLLOWED HOME (HE SEES THE END OF A BLACK TAIL SNEAKING PAST HIS WINDOW), FOLLOWED TO SCOTT’S HOUSE (HE HEARS A SOFT, SCAMPERING SOUND ON THE ROOF OF HIS JEEP WHEN HE SETS OFF), AND FOLLOWED TO THE GAS STATION (THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS).
FINALLY, ONE NIGHT, STILES DELIBERATELY LEAVES HIS WINDOW OPEN WITH A BOWL OF PEANUTS ON THE SILL, AND SURE ENOUGH, THE SQUIRREL ENTERS AND SITS THERE, NIBBLING RESENTFULLY AT A PEANUT AND GLOWERING AT STILES ALL THE WHILE, LIKE IT’S STILES’S FAULT THAT IT’S HERE, AND THAT STILES USING PEANUTS TO LURE IT IN IS PART OF SOME NEFARIOUS CONSPIRACY THAT CAN ONLY LEAD TO STILES SKINNING IT ALIVE, OR SOMETHING.
“HEY, I JUST WANTED TO SEE THE FACE OF MY STALKER,” STILES HUFFS. “Y’KNOW, FOR A SQUIRREL, YOU SURE DO HAVE TRUST ISSUES.”
THE SQUIRREL BRISTLES AND GROWL-CHATTERS AT HIM, BUT GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT’S STILL GOT ITS FRONT TEETH BURIED IN A PEANUT, IT’S NOT EXACTLY INTIMIDATING.
“YEAH, YEAH. I’VE GOTTA DO MY HISTORY HOMEWORK, SO LEAVE WHEN YOU’RE DONE STALKING ME FOR THE DAY, ALL RIGHT?”
THE SQUIRREL LEAVES WHEN IT’S DONE STALKING HIM FOR THE DAY, LEAVING A TRAIL OF PEANUT SHELLS ON THE SILL.
IT’S BACK THE NEXT NIGHT, THOUGH.
FOR REFERENCE, HERE, HAVE SOME SQUIRREL!DEREK BEING ANGRY AND DEFENSIVE AFTER STILES HELPS HIM, BECAUSE ALPHA-SQUIRREL DOESN’T NEED OR WANT ANYONE’S HELP, THANKS:
DUMBASS. JUST LEARN TO TRUST THE BOY WHO LIKES YOU.
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
2087
jbbartram-illu
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
