Based on the red string of fate legend. The legend states that people are connected by a red string (tied together by the gods). This thread is attached to your little finger or ankle, People are all connected, destined to develop a great friendship, fall in love, or help each other in some way.
It was 3 AM when Stiles fidgeted with the spare key Lydia had given him to her front door. His body ached and shivered while he forced his teeth into his bottom lip to keep from crying out until he finally got the door open. He gasped quietly while shutting the door silently and swiftly. The brown haired, lanky teenage boy pressed both of his palms to the front of the door in exasperation of safety. He attempted to turn the flashlight on his phone, realizing it was dead and having to walk up the stairs blindly. It took all the effort he had to breathe in and out. His fingertips touched the edge of the door handle, allowing Stiles to reveal the only sight he had been hoping to see the past few days.
Lydia was wrapped in a blanket, curled up at the edge of her bed whilst looking out her window, which towered over her driveway. Her long, red hair sat messily on top of her head while Allison and Scott sat beside her, the three of them comfortably entangled.
"Hi guys," Stiles rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, making odd noises such as "ah" and "um."
"Stiles," Scott stood, crossing the short distance to his best friend. "God, where have you been? You’re a mess I’m- I’m surprised you’re- I’m so happy to see you here. Alive."
Allison followed after Scott, wrapping her arms safely around her friend. “We need to clean you up. We’ll take you to Deaton in the morning-” she sighed and gave a tired smile “I am glad you’re okay, Stiles. You are okay, right?”
"Yeah, yeah I’m alright I’m- I just need to get some rest- I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Meet at the clinic around noon?" he nodded to the pair.
"I’ll text you. Goodnight, guys." Scott gave Stiles one last hug, then Lydia. Allison did the same, kissing the top of Lydia’s head before meeting Scott in the doorway and disappearing into the shadows. It wasn’t until Scott and Allison had gotten into the car, the headlights shining outside of Lydia’s bedroom, that the two had said anything.
"Lydia," Stiles broke the silence, speaking with such a kindness it could break your heart "Lydia, I am so- I am so sorry" he knelt to the ground in front of her, whispering. "I couldn’t call you. My phone died, and well, as you could probably tell considering my absence the past few days, I-"
"Stiles-" she spoke calmly, her voice begging him to stop. "You are here. And you are safe. And…" Lydia’s hands found his face, tilting his gaze up to hers. Her eyes caught his. She didn’t know what else to say. The thought- the words were there- but she couldn’t form them. Her sigh seeped through her words "and you should take a shower. C’mon," she began, taking his hands in hers to help him stand.
"Wait," he frowned "no, wait- I have to tell you something…" his whisper falling through the air. It was quiet for a few moments while the two of them stared at one another. Whatever it was between them, it was both old and new- like a candle you forgot was already lit. Their lips hadn’t touched since Lydia was smart enough to stop Stiles’ panic attack with the gesture, but it felt like it. To some degree, it had felt like they were tied together by the red string of fate, but it was never spoken upon. Maybe they were scared their words would be the pair of scissors to cut the string. And Stiles hadn’t had the time to keep both his head and heart in place, which is why he stuttered in front of the 5’3, strawberry blonde, green-eyed girl. "It’s Malia," he continued "it’s- that’s why I’ve been gone- I was. I was trying to help her I…"
Lydia’s eyes suddenly became all sorts of innocent. They were wide, curious, and hopeful. Her heart ached but her head screamed. A pang of jealousy swam through her. She shook her head, giving him a smile, and crossed her arms. She moved over to the window, wanting to scream. A part of her wanted to throw a fit, to thrash her hands against his chest and feverishly cry out to him; but the majority of her knew it was wrong. It had always been wrong of her to feel a way, and to not be sure of it- to dismiss it time and time again, but want to selfishly act upon it when a problem faced her. “You don’t-” she returned to her previous spot in front of him “um, you don’t have to apologize-” she looked up at him, huffing before speaking more clearly “Stiles, you do not have to apologize.”
They looked at each other for a long time, just staring. Her fingertips traced the shape of his arm before finding his hand, holding it momentarily and letting it go. The back of Stiles’ hand pushed Lydia’s loose hair over her shoulder, a finger tip beckoning her own hand on it’s way back down to his side.
Lydia looked away and started toward her bathroom, turning on the light and facing the tub. She let her head catch up to her heart, coming back to reality, trying to decide if a bath or a shower would be better for Stiles’ injuries. “Stiles-” she started to call out, turning around to see him leaning against the doorframe.
"Hm..?" he questioned, ignoring the immense amount of pain weighing him down.
"Shower or?" she gathered a towel and a first aid kit, prepping whatever she would need to help him get through the night before meeting up with Deaton tomorrow.
"Uh, yeah probably..." he tried to smile, lifting himself from the wall and to the bathtub.
"Okay" she nodded, walking back into her room and sitting at the edge of her bed again.
After a moment, the water fell from the showerhead. Lydia looked up slightly, and then sat up straight. Stiles removed his sweater slowly, his body shaking slightly in the mirror. Lydia bat her eyes and tried not to stare through the crack of the door. She caught herself smiling at the freckles and the moles on his back, and then cringing at the terrible damages to his skin. She turned around, folding herself up and looking at the clock.
"Lydia?" It was 3:45AM when Stiles peaked his head out of the bathroom door. "Were you planning on using the first aid kit?" he assumed.
She looked over her shoulder and nodded before getting up and walking over to him. “Just sit wherever,” she stated, grabbing everything she would need.
Stiles sat on the floor beside Lydia’s bed. She knelt in front of him, just a towel wrapped around his waist. Her eyes looked over every part of him, seeing what needed to be attended to before starting with obvious marks of a supernatural creature on his chest. She dabbed at the edges of the wound before putting patches of gauze full of ointment over it.
"So, I assume after the weekend you had, you’ve discovered a vampire by now?" she joked quietly, giving him a small smile while her attention was on a slash over his cheek and jaw.
Stiles laughed gently underneath her touch, his eyes meeting hers. They smiled kindly together while Lydia continued applying a few butterfly stitches to the damages on his cheek. “Nope, none of those just yet. I’ll keep you updated, though.”
They sat quietly until she finished. “Are you feeling alright? You’re staying here, tonight, by the way. And don’t try to fight me on it” she spoke while they both stood and moved around the room.
"Yes, a lot better. Thank you, Dr. Martin." He walked back into the bathroom, did not try to fight her request, and came back out with his boxers and a clean t-shirt on. She turned the light off, a lamp on the bedside table shining subtly.
"Um," he started, his eyes following her as she crossed the room to her dresser drawers "which side do you- where do you usually…?" he pointed to the bed.
She kicked off her socks and pulled a t shirt far too big to fit her frame out of the drawer, glancing over to him “I like to sleep on that side,” she pointed to the half of the bed closest to the window “turn away” she warned once before replacing her shorts and tank top with the large t shirt. Stiles quickly closed his eyes, opening them once he felt Lydia sit in the bed. He looked over her new choice of clothing while she turned off the last source of light in the room.
They lay side by side, facing one another. They stayed quiet a long time again, and although Stiles thought she might have been sleeping, his voice still called out to her in the dark. “Yes?” she whispered back. “Is that… Jacksons shirt?” She nodded first before realizing he couldn’t see her. “Yes.” She pursed her lips, holding her breath.
Stiles wanted to ask if it was to punish him for running after Malia, but he knew better. It was not a fair fight for either of them to be upset that the other would feel a certain way about someone- and that is why they never mentioned it. You can make a call out into the night, but if it is never day, what use is it?
Lydia’s hand found Stiles’ under the covers when she spoke again “I’m trying,” she whispered, attempting her words again “I’m trying to tell you that, it’s- it’s okay. It’s okay for you, because, it’s okay for me.” She squeezed his hand, let it go, and turned over to her other side, expecting her words to have cut the red string.
Stiles thought through her words before lying beside her so that they fit together under the covers, his arm carefully holding her to his chest. He kissed her shoulder, nodding, the both of them exhausted, slipping into sleep.
Scott and Lydia did their best not to attract attention while the alpha pack lingered in the bar. "I'm surprised they're here," Scott whispered "I thought they-"
"Thought what, Scott?" a man stopped beside the table, looking straight ahead while sunglasses shaded his eyes "that we would have moved on to a different town already?" Lydia squealed quietly and folded her hands together, not looking upward.
"What do you want?" Scott's voice was low, calm; he didn't want an outburst; not here. If this alpha wanted Scott, it would be a different time, a different place, that they would fight.
"Well I want you to join my pack, Scott. It's as simple as that," the man folded a stick in his left hand, gliding it to his right and handing it to the girl.
"How do you know my name?" Scott kept his voice as steady as possible, not wanting to raise his heart beat. He couldn't sort through the anger or the confusion inside of himself.
The man shrugged "I've been finding out lots about you lately, that's all- but how rude of you, not asking for my own name..." the man smirked "but that's alright. It's Deucalion."
The girl beside him leaned over, speaking something quietly in his ear; something about the time was all Scott could understand while he wasn't fully focused.
"Well it was nice to meet you, but I really have to get going. Be seeing you soon." Deucalion took his folded stick from the brunette in one hand and her arm in the other, meeting the identical boys at the door.
"stay here!" Scott spent just a few seconds in shock before looking at Lydia and jumping up from the table to run after them. "Wait!" he yelled, his feet resting on the rocks outside of the bar. "What do you want with me?" Scott took a leap of faith on the next part "if you're a pack of alpha's- why do you want me?" his heart raced for the answer, scared of what it would be.
"Because," Deucalion spoke, taking his glasses off and facing him. Instead of the smug and patient look the man had before, a cold a bitter determined one was now in Scott's face "I can not have you defeating me. Goodbye, Scott."
The next morning, the four of them woke up with a vague plan; to prepare for danger and to search for clues. Lydia was standing behind Allison, braiding her dark wavy hair as Stiles ran through the important details for the day.
"An archery lesson never hurt anyone" Allison nodded in agreement, standing up when Lydia tied the end of her hair.
"What about me? I need to learn something" normally Lydia would've had an annoyed tone to her voice, but every word was filled with worry.
"I'll teach you something when you get back, don't worry. Ready?" Allison looked at Stiles.
...
"WHOA! what- is... what is this?!" Stiles some how managed to tangle himself in the bow, his arms holding it awkwardly.
"Okay wait hold on," Allison shook her head and laughed while playing his hands properly on the bow "now the most important part of holding the bow is the alignment of your elbow" she pushed Stiles' tensed arm down so that his elbow was aligned with his shoulder.
"Wait!" Stiles tried to protest with a confused and uncomfortable face, moving his feet around in the damp grass, softened from last nights rain.
Allison waited patiently for him to relax, and once he stood still she carefully placed the arrow rightfully with the bow and in Stiles' hands. While Lydia and Scott had left the hotel, they had wandered a few minutes into the thick line of trees around it. The birds hummed when flying above them and the branches fought through the wind.
"Aim for the tree, and try not to move your hands..." Allison directed Stiles and watched the arrow fly from the bow almost in slow motion. She could tell right away that it wouldn't hit the target.
They tried again for a few hours until Stiles was descent enough to shoot ten in a row.
...
"This is the place?" Lydia folded her arms across her chest, trying to swallow down the nerves.
"Yeah," Scott let out a huff, his eyebrows raised "this is it. Ready?" he looked at the girl, waiting for her green eyes to look at him.
She faced him and nodded once, unbuckling her seat belt and getting out of the car.
The ground was soft and the air smelled slightly of rain. Scott walked beside Lydia, holding the door open for her. It was a little after noon, so they had decided to get food while they were here.
Lydia walked straight to a booth, wanting to avoid confrontation with the room full of strangers. She looked thoughtfully at each face, but no one in her dream- or vision- had showed up.
"Hungry?" Scott asked, sliding a menu in front of his friend. He gave her a small smile. Although Scott and Lydia weren't very friendly, Lydia became someone he needed to protect. Not just for Allison because she's her best friend, and not just for Stiles because he'd been in love with Lydia since the 3rd grade, but because over time, Lydia had become a friend of his own.
"Yeah- starving, actually!" she smiled and looked down the menu, licking her lips. Her stomach was begging for food. They each ordered and gave their menu's to the waitress.
"So..." Scott spoke quieter now "anything?"
"Nope" she shook her head and bit on her bottom lip. Maybe it was just a nightmare, maybe Lydia was no help at all.... but she didn't want to accept that. She wanted- she needed to help in some way.
When their food came awhile later, and Scott was just taking another bite of his cheeseburger, Lydia covered her mouth and tried not to yell.
"What?" Scott lowered his voice, staring at Lydia.
"They're here..." she spoke as if she were stepping on glass. "A blind man and the girl."
Lydia wrapped a towel around her skin, tucking the corner of it under her arm and brushing through her wet hair. The air was still thick and hot from the shower. Lydia opened the door with the relief of cold air before walking over to her suitcase to grab a pair of clothes.
Stiles glanced up at her once before looking back at his phone, only to look at her again. "Uh" he stuttered, attempting to speak.
Lydia rolled her eyes and went back to the bathroom to change.
It was getting late when the room was quiet and everyone was sitting or laying down, either watching TV or on their phones. Lydia turned the light off beside the bed. She sunk down under her covers, her strawberry blonde hair sprawling across the pillow.
"Yeah, then you have to do that-" Stiles was looking over Scott's shoulder, explaining how to play a game.
"before I do this?" Scott asked, confused.
"Yeah, before you do that, otherwise you'll be trapped." The two watched the game carefully.
Lydia watched Stiles carefully, smiling slightly at his concentration. She tucked her hand under her pillow, closing her eyes and falling asleep.
One by one, everyone fell asleep. The lights were out and the only sound in the room was the air vent, making a steady noise through the darkness.
"Why can't we just go get him?!" two identical boys shouted at a blind man, confused.
"Because," the man stood carefully with purpose in anger "this is too important to not wait for the right time."
"And what exactly is the 'right' time?!" the twins continued.
A girl with angry, bright red eyes paced the floor, her toe nails clicking with each step.
"What does it matter?" the girl shouted back at the twins, scowling "this isn't your plan, is it?"
The twins eyes began to glow like the girls in a feverish red; they became one form and ran for the girl.
Lydia woke up screaming, with the same heated atmosphere as when she had gotten out of the shower before she went to bed. Her heart was pounding while Stiles shouted her name, holding her close to his chest.
"Lyda! LYDIA!" he gripped her wrists, sitting next to her on the blanket. "Lydia, look at me!"
Lydia stopped suddenly, gasping for breath. She looked up at the boy with his concerned look as he let go of her hands gently. Scott and Allison were sat in front of her, not sure what to say.
"I know why they're here" Lydia whispered.
"Why who's here?" Stiles soothed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, confused. He looked at his friends across from them.
Scott shrugged, shaking his head.
"Who, Lydia?" Allison got no reply, so she took Lydia's hand in hers and asked again "Lydia, what are you talking about?"
"The alphas" she looked down at her friend "they're coming for... Scott..." Lydia's eyes met Scott's; she stared, scared for his life.
Stiles sighed "well, so much for a non werewolf summer."
As the rain poured down against the windows of the jeep, Scott continued to drive with Allison sleeping in the passengers seat. Stiles and Lydia sat next to each other in the back. Stiles slept soundly while Lydia looked out the window, doodling on a pad of paper.
"...An animal attack in a local bar just days after the attack in our neighboring state..." The announcement came through the speakers. Scott turned slightly to meet Lydia's eyes. He looked back to the road and turned the radio up slightly. It continued to cut out, but he managed to catch the location of the bar.
"Can we at least find a hotel first?" Lydia begged, not wanting to spend the next hour in an unfamiliar bar.
...
When everyone agreed to investigate in the morning, they continued driving until they found a hotel. Scott handed Stiles his car keys after parking, opening the trunk, and taking everyone's belongings out. Lydia rolled her suitcase in shortly behind Allison, coming to a stop at the counter.
"There's got to be a connection, though... and how is it that they're going in the same exact direction we are?!" Stiles exaggerated his tone of voice while he and Scott waited for the girls to check in.
"I really don't know, Stiles." Scott shrugged "they've got to be coming to Beacon Hills soon, though..." he thought about his mother back home, worried for a moment. He wasn't there to take care of her if something happened; but he knew she would be smart enough to protect herself somewhat without him there.
The quartet rolled their suitcases into the large elevator while Allison held out the room keys "There's four, so we each have one. We're staying for two nights... and we're all sharing a room" she rushed the last part in quickly as the 'ding' of the elevator rang, getting out as quickly as she could.
"What?!" Lydia's face contorted, walking to their room. "How is that-" Allison unlocked the door, holding it open for them, waving her hand for them to come in.
There were two beds with white comforters and pillows and a pair of arm chairs with a small coffee table facing a TV.
"Allison..." Lydia started laughing, started "you're not serious, are you? I am sharing with you, right?" she walked into the room slowly.
Stiles tilted his head to Scott after Lydia's remark, shrugging. They were best friends, it would be no problem at all to share with Scott.
"Yeah, that's fine." Allison wasn't expecting to sleep with Scott, because she knew Lydia would react the way she did; she had a small amount of hope, though.
"...and then I called Derek and told him everything..." Scott and Stiles sat in their swim trunks on the beach, watching Lydia and Allison dance around in the water.
Scott shook his head, contemplating what to say next. He looked out to Allison, feeling his heart thump when her she let out a laugh and a huge smile from far away "no, not right now... I was thinking we could do a bit of searching on the way around our trip. Let's enjoy our summer while we can, Stiles."
Scott ran straight for Allison, picking her up and carrying her over his shoulders, running in to the water.
"SCOTT! S-STOP!" Allison laughed, stuttering at the cold, salty water splashing up against her pale skin. She thrashed around before Scott let her on her feet. She squeezed his hands, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips.
Stiles walked over to Lydia, lingering by her side before crossing his arms and letting the water wash up over his feet.
"Hey" Lydia smiled, looking at him from the corner of her eye.
"Hey" he said back, smiling too. They stood there for a few minutes, the breeze flushing against their cheeks.
"I remember the last time I was on a beach," Lydia started, searching for the end of the water in front of them "I was with my family, and Jackson came along..." Stiles frowned and chose not to say anything, not wanting to interrupt or ruin her vulnerable moment. He let his hands fall to his sides as she continued "...I can't remember ever being happier than I was that day."
"Did you want to go for a walk?" Stiles spoke softly, still not looking at her "just along the shore..."
Lydia looked right to him for the first time in these past few minutes, nodding. They walked side by side, their toes sinking slightly in the sand, leaving imprints behind them.
Stiles watched Lydia's hair swim behind her through the warm air before meeting her eyes. "I know you're worried about what happened earlier today... but I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I need you to know you will be safe, Lydia."
She glanced up at him while they continued to walk, first slightly upset. Then she realized how honest he was being. She knew Stiles would never let her get hurt.
She started to realize all of the little things about Stiles; about his constant need to figure out the mystery, his very cheesy and very stupid jokes... she remembered the times in elementary school when he'd sit by her quietly and color in the same coloring book, or when he saved a seat for her at lunch and wouldn't let anyone take her spot. Scott, of course, sat on the other side of him though.
She shook her head, smiling slightly before looking down at their hands. They were just inches from each other, and Lydia broke the space between them, tying their hands together as one. She felt happy, and warm; she felt safe, something she hadn't felt in awhile "Thank you, Stiles."
"You saw a wolf? you're sure... nothing... weird about that particular wolf?" Stiles traced the expressions on the teenagers faces. He was hoping for the truth.
Alice looked at Finn, and Finn hesitated to speak "well..."
"Well...?" Scott waited patiently.
"I... We know it sounds crazy..." Alice looked down at her cup of coffee and Finn finished her sentence, leaning closer to Scott "we think it was um, a werewolf..."
"Really? what would make you think that?" Scott asked calmly, needing all the answers he could get.
"It had these red eyes... and it wasn't fully animal shaped... it could walk on it's hind legs..." Finn whispered, shaking his head and finishing his breakfast "anyway, we're just glad everything is okay. Thanks for being concerned."
"Yeah, of course... just one more thing. How do you get to the park from here?"
...
Pulling up to the park, Scott observed the area. There was lots of open space and sunshine, tall trees planted thinly through the area, and farther to the right, he spotted a small scene of police men and yellow caution tape.
"Hey..." Allison searched Scott's eyes when he turned to look at her in the back seat, next to Lydia.
"Just for a couple of minutes, okay?" Allison spoke softly, glancing back at Lydia with both of her head phones in on full blast.
"Yeah, of course..." Scott tied his hand with Allison's and kissed her cheek "This is a beautiful park, isn't it?"
She smiled, happy to enjoy these moments "it is..."
Once they reached the police men, all they could see was a small splatter of blood and torn imprints from a wolf's paws. Scott's eyebrows furrowed, shaking his head. There's something else here, he thought. He could feel it. He walked around the trees, tracing the trunks with his free hand before he saw it; a triskele carved higher up in a tree between two branches.
"Looking for something?" a stranger called from behind them.
Scott turned and looked, puzzled. Was this the werewolf?
The stranger stared at Scott momentarily, only to reveal his red eyes "you should go."
"Allison," Scott spoke quietly "get in the car. I'll be there in a minute."
"Do you need something? why are you playing investigator?" the stranger began to walk in a different direction before looking at Scott.
"I heard about the incident... was that you last night?" Scott followed.
"No, it wasn't me... I'm not from here. Just passing through..."
"Why are you passing through?" Scott waited a minute, wanting to structure his next question calmly "why is someone looking for revenge here?" Scott whispered.
"I'm trying to gather more information. How many packs they've found, how far they've gone, who's joined them," the stranger said, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening "It's the alpha pack....they're coming. They've been traveling the country, looking for alpha's. They leave that mark to let us know."
"Let us know what? that they're here? why, what are they doing?" Scott stopped, completely confused.
"I don't know. I have to go.... be careful, wherever you go." the stranger jogged to a pair of friends, who Scott could assume were the stranger's pack.
Scott walked back to the jeep, not sure what to think. He sat in the drivers seat and took out his phone, dialing the familiar number.
"Hello?" the man answered.
"Derek..." Scott started the car, buckled his seat belt, and made his way down the road "something's happening."
Stiles looked over to see a sleeping Lydia. A pillow was tucked comfortably against the window and under her head where she fell asleep last night. He smiled and brought his eyes back to the road. He thought about last night.
"Lydia we've barely been in the car for an hour! and I'm the one driving, aren't I?" Stiles looked at the impatient girl in the corner of his eye.
She folded her arms across her chest, staring at the road in front of her. There were thick trees on either side of the car, and the warm sun sunk past them while the moon began to rise in the sky.
An hour later, Lydia tried again, speaking as kindly as she could. "Stiles?"
"Hm?" Stiles listened to her while peeking in the mirror at the back seat; Scott and Allison were fast asleep, Allison laying her head in his lap and Scott holding her hand. They breathed peacefully, in sync.
"Can you please, turn down the radio? I'm tired..."
Stiles nodded, smiling slightly. Lydia could be really sweet when she wanted to. He turned the radio down and changed the station to a quiet song, one with acoustic guitars and pianos.
"Good morning, everyone!" Stiles chirped, parking in front of a small diner. Everyone was slow to wake, rubbing their eyes and awaking from dreams.
"Breakfast?" Scott's morning voice asked, his stomach growling.
"Yum!" Allison smiled, being the first to get out of the car. She was the biggest morning person Scott knew. He followed short behind.
Stiles turned off the engine and put his keys in his pocket. He couldn't wait to get back on the road so he could get some sleep while Scott drove. "Come on, Lydia. Let's go eat."
"This place better have chocolate chip pancakes" Lydia practically crawled out of the car, walking with Stiles into the diner.
...
A half hour later while Lydia was eating her pancakes, they started to talk about where to go next.
"We should stop at a beach if we can find one and then possibly a hotel for a night. A shower and a bed sounds really nice," Allison finished her omelet and toast and rested her silverware on the plate.
Just as Scott was going to say how great of an idea that was, a waitress turned up the volume on a TV hanging above the bar counter.
"Animal attacks proceed to occur up and down the eastern side of California, but this is the first time anything has occurred in Nevada, Janet." The live reporter talks to his coworker and anchor of the news channel. "The small park in Reno, Nevada had always been a favorite place for family on the weekends until 16 year old's Alice and Finn approached a nightmare they say was a wolf." A small interview of the teenagers is shown before the reporter speaks of the minor injuries Alice and Finn have and reminds us all that he will keep us up to date.
Stiles looks around at his friends, thinking the same thing they all were: what. the. hell.
When the waitress comes by to take the finished plates of food, a door opens and a bell rings with it.
"Oh my God," Lydia whispers, grabbing Stiles' arm "look! look who just walked in!" she whispers, leaning toward the table, scanning the faces of her friends.
A broken armed Alice and Bruised faced Finn smile to their locals in the diner before seating themselves at the bar.
Scott and Stiles nearly trip over their feet while rushing to the sides of the teenagers.
"Scott!" Allison attempts at pulling him back, sighing in defeat. She looks at Lydia, who is wide eyed and terrified. "Oh, Lydia," Allison moves to the other side of the table grabbing her friends hands "It's going to be okay, I promise, we'll be okay..."
"I thought we went on this trip to get away from this supernatural stuff," the green eyed girl's breathing became heavy and her lips trembled before a tear escaped "Allison, I can't, not again, please..." Allison held her best friend.
A Teen Wolf fanfic about Scott, Allison, Stiles, and Lydia going on a road trip for the first part of their summer.
While Allison and Scott are thrilled to get away from Beacon Hills for awhile, Stiles is nervous about the idea of spending the next few weeks with Lydia and Lydia would much rather be home. When Stiles and Lydia know how much this means to their best friends, they agree to keep an open mind.
"Are you excited?!" Allison smiled wide to Lydia.
"Well, not particularly so..." Lydia raised her eyebrows, confused as to why Allison would think the road trip she had planned would be any fun. Not with a crowded car, anyways.
"Oh, come on! it will be great. I'll have Scott and you'll..." Allison's voice trailed off while letting go of Lydia's arm. She hopped in her car and started the engine, not sure how to make the next part sound appealing to her best friend.
"Have Stiles?" Lydia's green eyes showed no excitement as they made their way down the road.
When Allison pulled up to Lydia's drive way, she put her car in park. "It's going to be a lot of fun, I promise. You'll be surprised. Just give it a chance?"
Lydia took a long sigh, nodding her head and getting out of the car "okay! okay. I'll give it a chance. I'll see you at 8!" she shut the door and walked up the porch of her home.
Allison smiled, content, and made her way home to finish her packing. She was glad Lydia was going to be open about this. After everything that has happened this year, Allison really needed this road trip, and to be surrounded by her best friends would make it that much more fun.
...
"Stiles, I thought you would be thrilled!" Scott rolled down the window of his best friends baby blue jeep, enjoying the summer breeze.
"I mean I'm happy about it! but this is going to be the only time I have to prove myself to her..." Stiles took a big breath, slowing at the stop light in front of him and turning to his best friend.
"Look, Jackson's gone. You'll be fine" Scott smiled, not seeing the problem Stiles was.
"He left days ago, Scott! but yeah, it will be fun. No werewolf situations to worry about. Just some friends and a relaxing car ride."
Stiles parked his car when they reached Scott's house, walking up the driveway and inside to the kitchen.
"Allison really needs this- we all need this!" Scott paused, grabbing an apple and taking bite "...she'll really appreciate you coming along, Stiles."
...
later that evening, when the sun was just starting to cover the tops of the houses in Beacon Hills, Scott finished packing the last of everyone's things into the back of the jeep that would be his home for the next couple of weeks.
"Are we all set to go?" Scott brushed his hands off on his jeans before taking Allison's hand and climbing in to the back seat.
"I think so. Ready, Lydia?" Allison smiled at Lydia in the front seat, with her sun glasses shading her eyes and her strawberry blonde hair falling over one shoulder.
"Yep" Lydia smiled faintly while buckling her seat belt and sitting straight up with perfect posture.
"Bye Ms. McCall!" Stiles waved before getting in his car, cranking the radio and driving down the road.
"Hey! Hey... hey so I think I found some stuff on our lead from earlier I-" he continues to type, excited about his work, hardly looking at her before she pulls his chair out from under the desk to face her.
"whoa this could end nicely" he smiles, grabbing her hands, just for a second before Lydia snatches them away.
"Stiles, when are you ever going to take me on a proper date?" she folds her arms across her chest, raising her eyebrows. Stiles was surprised. He had been trying not to seem so excited about the fact that Lydia finally had mutual feelings for him. He didn't want to scare her away.
"You've been spending so much time with Scott, and I know he is your best friend..." she hesitates, frustrated. Lydia paces around the room until she reaches the opposite end of Stiles. "Can't you make some time for me!? every time I want to come over, or I want to go do something, you're either busy being the detective or hanging out with Scott." She stares at him, genuinely pouting, not like the fake pout she makes when she wants something.
He stared at her for a minute before standing up, still watching her from across the room. "I didn't think you would want to spend too much time with me... or, not yet anyways..." he questions her.
"Well, I do" she leans back against the wall, brushing her feet against the soft carpet below her, staring him down. Stiles smiles, shaking his head, laughing slightly. "What... what is that smirk, Stiles?" Lydia asks, her frustration continues rise.
Without saying anything, Stiles crosses the room, cradling her cheek in one hand and her waist in the other, and before Lydia can argue, he kisses her full on the mouth.
As Stiles opened his eyes, they swept across her figure. He admired her strawberry blonde hair curling down her back and shoulders; some of it even on his own shoulder. He admired her big and bright green eyes. He admired her soft pink lips. There wasn't a thing he did not love about her.
A moment later, Lydia turned to her other side, pressing her forehead against his chest. "Good morning" she said still half asleep, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling slowly against his. A breeze swept through the room and birds began to chirp. Stiles rested his hand behind her head, smoothing out her hair and looking out the window. "I've never been so happy.." the words slipped out of his mouth, meant to be a simple thought. Lydia smiled affectionately into his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes smiling.
"Ah, I meant for that to uh, stay in my head... sometimes I say things and it's like I don't even know how it happened and-" Lydia leaned up, pressing her lips against his. They fit perfectly together; not just their lips, but their traveling hands tied together, their steps when they danced.
When they kissed, it was like time stood still. The breeze from the morning whirled around them and the birds continued to chirp and the warmth of the sun covered them while they kissed... and although this is what Stiles had been waiting for since the 3rd grade, it was also what Lydia had been waiting for. All the time she wasted wanting to be loved the way Stiles loves her, and to finally have these moments she had been waiting for, it was a true happily ever after in their eyes.
well I'm on my way to the first one, thanks! haha. how's the rehearsals?
I stopped in front of a big building, very foreign and new to me, a part from the one time I've visited before. I was living in the states for awhile after I spent a few years in England as a kid, and I wanted to spend a bit longer here for college, so I applied for the University of Manchester.
I settled into a seat toward the front, brushing my hair back and taking my coat off. It was not nearly as cold in here as it was outside.
An hour later, I was scribbling notes and glancing at the clock, struggling with the slow pace of the time.
"You're going?" he frowned, looking at me with a confused expression. I was just as sad as he was.
"Yeah," I nod, looking down at my feet and kicking them against the lush grass "to America."
His eyes widened, totally incapable of handling the news "America? That's so far, Pray!"
"I know! but, we'll see each other again, I know it. I promise it!" I smile, giving him a hug.
I sighed at the idea of little Zayn and I when we were kids. Glancing down at my notes and catching back into the professors final words, I realized how far off topic he had gone.
"Have a nice day, see you all next week. You'll want to read the new couple of chapters." I opened my phone, smiling at the new message awaiting.
from: Zayn
They're going. Just long and repetitive but it needs to be done :)
I reply while making my way toward a bench close by. I had another class in a half hour before I could go back to my apartment.
to: Zayn
Sorry, I was in a class! but yeah, it's gotta be done. When are you finished for the day?
I opened my book and began reading the chapters I needed to finish for next week. Intro To Human Body I sigh, already knowing I'll have a hard time with this. So many things I come across, I don't even want to know how I'll have to come to understand it. I shut the book, tapping my fingers to the cover when my phone buzzes again.
from: Zayn
In a half hour. Wanna hang?
to: Zayn
Yeah; I don't have any classes tomorrow, so sounds good. My place? I'll be home in like an hour. You can eat whatever, yeah?
I trudge along the grass again toward my second class. It's only a few minutes from here, so I walk inside and find a good seat quick enough. I put my hair up in a pony tail, ready for the next hour ahead of me. I write my notes neatly, glad the professor is talking slow enough to do so. The hour fly's by and I smile at the idea of getting to spend time with Zayn.
I climb into my car and drive down the road, turning the radio up. The traffic isn't bad, so I get to my apartment soon enough. I carry my books inside and look around for Zayn; the lights are on but I can't find him.
"Zayn? are you there?" I rest my stuff down on the coffee table beside the couch, looking out the large window open to the collection of lights in the city.
I slip off my shoes and coat, playing with the scarf around my neck when I realize the shower is running. I laugh, rolling my eyes.
"Really?" I shout through the crack of the bathroom.
"Oh c'mon, Pray! I've been working all day. By the time I get home I'll be too tired. I'll be out in a minute, okay?"
I shut the door and go into my room, changing into sweat pants and washing off my makeup in the kitchen sink, considering the circumstances. I splash more water on my face when his voice comes out of nowhere.
"BOO!" he shouts. I jump, banging my head against the cabinet.
"wha- ZAYN!" I turn around, throwing the nearest thing next to me.
"An apple... nice one. I think I'll be okay, though." He smirks, walking to the TV, flipping through the channels.
"A movie, yeah? did you eat something?" I grab two cokes and some snacks, resting them on the table before sitting beside him.
"Nope!" he grabbed a bag of chips, eating a few and tilting them toward me. "So how's the school work going?"
"Eh," I laugh a little "it's alright. I'm worried about one of my classes, though. Science, really. I've never liked it much."
"Hm, I could probably help, I was good at that." he opened both of our cans, handing me my own before taking a sip and stopping when Easy A showed up.
"I'll think about the offer." I smiled, resting my head against his shoulder and falling asleep to the movie.
-
A week later, I was taking my quiz, completely lost. Wish Zayn was here, I keep thinking how easy it would be if he was. It's only ten questions, but they're ten questions I didn't know well. I wrote my best answers and left when the class was over. I paced around the grass, partly to waste time until my next class and partly to decide if asking Zayn for help would bother him or not. I took out my phone, starting a new message.
to: Zayn
is it too late to ask you for help?! aha :p
I got a reply once I sat, waiting for my next class to start.
from: Zayn
Of course, yeah. Six o'clock, Starbucks?
to: Zayn
Sounds good, meet you there then. Thanks!
I type quickly before the professor begins to speak. I write notes and tap my pen to the desk quietly when there's nothing else to keep me occupied. I run out to my car, resting my things in the passengers seat and riving a few miles down the road for Starbucks. The green lit sign catches my eyes while I pull into the parking lot. I carry my book along with me into the coffee shop and set it on a table in front of Zayn.
"You're early" I smile, going into the line for a hot chocolate. I watch it sprinkle out side and a street light or two turn on before it's my turn to order. "One large hot chocolate please! thank you." I go to the end of the counter for my drink, paying the barista before sitting beside Zayn, who's curiously looking through the Science book.
"So what are you studying in here right now?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Just the few few chapters. I took a quiz today, but that's no use, it went badly. So let's start with chapter four then?" I sip my hot chocolate and flip around the pages until chapter four is in front of us.
We take turns talking about things, moving quickly to the next if it's clear I understand something already.
"But that makes no sense" I say, frustrated. I tap my finger to the side of the book before resting my palms against the table, sighing and reading over the information again. I feel his hand slip into mine and bite my lip at my heart rate going.
"It's simple" he explains it again, in a different way then before, making it easier to understand.
"Well that makes sense. Why didn't you say that the first time?" I ask, still aware of our hands comfortably together.
"I don't know, I hadn't thought of it" his eyes search mine while I smile. I look out the window, frowning at the rain pouring down in buckets.
"Well that's going to be fun to run through..." I close my book and slip on my coat, forced to let go of Zayn's hand. "Thank you so much, Zayn. I'll see you soon, before you leave for your tour, right?" I stand up, buttoning my coat.
"Yeah, we have a couple of weeks... no problem, Pray. You're fine getting home?" he asks, putting on his own coat and walking us toward the door.
"Yep, have my car. Thanks again." I give him a hug before running out toward my car. I run through the puddles and pavement with my boots hugging my feet, drenched in the water quickly. I start the car and look through the window, seeing Zayn doing the same thing. I laugh a little, feeling my heart leap again. I want to leave, I want to go home and get away from the rain, but I don't want to leave. I want to stay here. I get out of the car, walking toward Zayn's, unsure why. He does the same thing, meeting me in the middle.
"This is going to be very dramatic and movie like," he laughs a little "but I don't care much."
I feel his lips touch mine before his arms wrap around me gently, pressing his forehead to mine. I rest my hands against his chest, feeling his heart beat as quick as mine. I pull away and look at him through the rain.
"I love you, Pray" he kisses my cheek, tangling our hands together for a moment before winking and running back to his car.
I clutched my chest, searching for the air I needed to go on. It almost felt like everything had gone still. The rain falling outside made no sound against my window pane, the cars driving by were silent; the only sounds clear to me were the struggles escaping my lips from the pain working through me. My hands fumbled against my skin, finding my shoulders, clutching tightly. I slid down from the white sheets and comforters on the bed, sitting on the wooden floor, pulling my knees up to my chest. I sat still with the tears welling over in my ocean lit eyes that went in and out of focus, staring at the rainfall outside. For hours it seemed, I sat here watching the rain and the change of color in the sky. It wasn't long until I fell back, holding myself still, staring out the window at the stars painted above me.
"You're all I wanted..." I whispered to myself, the first words before the line went dead and I felt myself fall, into this never ending stream of emptiness.
"Come here," his soft voice called in the night, holding me close. He kissed the top of my head, cradling me like a child. "It's going to be okay, I'm not going to leave you, love" I sobbed into his chest, the tears hitting slowly. "Never?" I whisper back, dabbing at my tears hitting his angel like skin. "Never..." he rocked me slightly, brushing my hair through his finger tips, pressing his lips to my forehead.
I woke up in a daze, sitting up and looking around in darkness. "Niall?" I whispered, swallowing hard. My heart came alive for a minute, before I reminded myself of reality. I frowned, waiting patiently for a few minutes before my heart went numb again. I sighed, staring down at the wooden floor. I traced the patterns of the pieces, thinking about how long I must've been sleeping. I debated the idea that I fell asleep around four in the morning, thinking I slept through the entire day. That means, an entire day he'd gone through without me. I looked up at the clock I had been oblivious to; 8 PM exactly. He'd be on stage soon.
Standing carefully, I felt my balance question my movements while I made my way into the bathroom, staring the water in the shower. I wanted to feel something, even if it was just the water against my skin. I removed my clothes and put them in a basket with the rest of the dirty ones before pushing the curtain back and crawling into the shower. I stood for a few minutes, scrubbing my skin clean until my muscles ached and my body protested, plopping down to the bottom of the tub. It was so much colder down here than it was standing up, sort of like how I felt. I laid my legs out, stretching them. I decided while I was down here, I might as well shave. I held my hand as steady as I could, but I continued to shake; I made a note to eat after this. I slid the razor against my skin gently, occasionally slipping from my unsteady fingers and causing a cut to surface. Once I finished with that, I cleared my skin of the blood, waiting for it to heal enough to not run over my pale, shaking legs when I stood. I peeked out of the curtain to see the time; 8:20. He was definitely on stage now. The shampoo sat in my tangled hair for a few minutes before I rinsed it out and turned the water off. I dabbed at my legs with a towel, being careful not to get the blood rushing again. I brushed through the knots in my hair, watching the fog from the shower calm on the mirror, revealing my face.
I nearly dropped the brush at the sight; I was as pale as a ghost, with dark, purple circles under my eyes and chapped lips. I looked sick. I probably was sick, to be honest. I turned away from the mirror, braiding my hair back. I walked back into my room, letting the towel fall to my feet. I opened a dresser drawer, covering myself with a large sweater. it smelt too much like him, so I tore it off and simply wrapped my blanket around me, walking past my door and down the hall of my flat toward the kitchen. I searched through everything, but nothing sounded good. In fear I'd pass out if I didn't get something to eat, I went back to my room, dressing myself in a pair of jogging shorts and a t shirt. I didn't bother with difficult shoes, so I slipped on a pair of TOMS, grabbing my keys on the way out the door. I walked cautiously down the stairs and outside. It wasn't terribly dark, and I made it to my car fine.
Staring the engine, I buckled my seat belt and turned the radio off straight away. Nothing. that's what I liked the sound of right now. I drove a couple of miles before spotting a McDonald's.
"Two chicken sandwiches and a fry, please" I clear my throat, realizing how raspy it sounded.
"That will be 2.97, miss. First window, please." I followed the girls' instructions, stopping at the first window. Forgetting my purse, I rummaged through the change in my car.
"2.97, plea... oh," I looked up, handing a young girl with a gentle face the money "you're, aren't you...?"
"Yes," I placed my hands in my lap, lacing my fingers and taking a big breath "that's me."
"I-I'm sorry, I'm just such a big fan of One Direction, and you're just so pretty..." I cringed at the sound of the name, then gave her a skeptical look, almost having to stop myself from laughing. Was she seeing the same person I was, with the dark circles and pale skin, the vacant look I must have?
"That's very nice of you, thank you" I looked at her, not wanting to be rude; but what would I say? 'oh, actually we broke up last night and I'm a mess and I would rather not talk about it'?
"Here's your food," she leaned over the window, placing it in my hands gently. We stared at each other for a minute; I felt compelled to sit here a bit longer. No one was behind me, and she looked like she had more to say "I work a few nights a week. Take care, Taylor."
I rested my food in the passengers seat, driving on and back toward the flat. It was weird for a stranger to know my name, to say it like we were old friends. It was even weirder that she said it so knowingly, like I was supposed to get something from it. I smiled slightly anyways, saying goodbye.
I parked my car soundly, locking the doors and going back inside, holding the warmth of the bag close to me. I slipped off my shoes, sitting at the kitchen table and unfolding my food. I ate as slow as I could on my first sandwich, but once I got to the second, it was gone quickly. I nibbled on a couple of fries before standing and grabbing a coke from the fridge. I took a sip as I walked back, then suddenly felt strange. My stomach doubled, and before I decided how I felt, I was running to the bathroom. I slipped on the tile, falling close enough to the toilet. I held my hair out of my face, beginning to throw up.
"ugh" I groaned, gripping the sides of the bowl, continuing being sick. He held my hair aside, rubbing my back gently "do you want anything?" he watched me closely.
"Yes," I whispered, feeling my shoulders shake at the idea "you, Niall. I want you." I climbed up to the sink, sitting on my knees and feeling weak again like I had before. I cleaned my face and splashed water against my cheeks, whining at the ache on my heart again. I sat back on my heels, pressing my forehead to the cold marble of the counter and resting my palms on my thighs, crying again. I sighed, gripping the counter top, looking up at the clock. 10 PM; he'd be getting off stage now, probably having a laugh with the boys. The boys. I closed my eyes and held my stomach before turning and throwing up again. I was now feeling mentally ill, because this was not from the food this time.
Niall's POV
I woke up the next morning with a massive headache and a raging heart. I looked around, remembering I had drank a beer or two and fell asleep on the couch. I knew instantly how much I would regret that, considering the hammering in my head. I swung my legs over the side of the couch, holding my head in my hands, staring at the ground. I felt empty, like part of me were missing. Anything to eat sounded good right now, so I walked through the tour bus and stopped in front of the boys who were already eating breakfast. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with cereal before covering it in milk.
"Niall, what the bloody hell...?" Louis whispered. I felt the boys' eyes on me, but I continued to eat anyways, ignoring his comment. I ate quickly, then regretted it, because a stomach ache now added on to the uncomfortable pain this morning. I made my way to the back of the bus and into the bathroom. The sunlight peered in brightly, bothering my head even further. I swung the curtain shut and started the shower, taking off my clothes and stepping in. I winced at the pounding of the water against my back. The sunburn I had earned stung across my skin.
"Sit still, will you?" she laughed, smoothing out the lotion on my burned skin. I jumped at the touch every time she added more. "Niall! please, stop moving..." she finished my back before sitting in front of me, putting more on my shoulders and chest. I felt my heart run away, watching her curly brown hair brushing the side of her cheek and her blue eyes concentrating on me.
I sighed, shaking my head and washing my hair. I turned the water off and wrapped a towel around me, picking up my dirty clothes and putting them in a bag with the rest of the ones that need to be washed under my bed. I grabbed a tank top and a pair of shorts, throwing them on and putting a pair of Supras on my feet. I followed the rest of the boys outside and into the sun. Slipping on a snap back, we went to an area back stage where the meet and greet would be held. I gave my best smile in the pictures, listening to each fan intently, not wanting to ruin anyone's time meeting us.
It wasn't long until show time, when I was standing back stage, fidling with my ear piece and microphone.
"Show time, Nialler." Liam came by, patting my back and getting ready to run on stage. The lights went down and the audience went crazy; I jumped around a bit, then ran straight to the stage. We've done this show so many times before, it was easy to sing my parts and interact the best I could with our fans. Everywhere I looked, though, I could see her.
"Guess I like the way you smile with your eyes, other guys see it but don't realize that it's m-my lovin'..." I wink at her, blowing a kiss and seeing her smile from the audience.
I shivered at the thought, continuing on with reality, walking center stage for my solo.
"Shut the door, throw the key,
don't wanna be reminded, don't wanna be seen,
don't wanna be without you, my judgement's clouded,
like tonight's sky..."
I frowned, bringing my mic away from my lips. I turned away, letting a tear escape and wiping it as fast as it fell. This pain was unbearable.
Taylor's POV
I paced back and forth, looking over to the packet of razors I had just bought, sitting on the counter in the bathroom. The numb feeling had me going crazy; I couldn't do it any longer, I needed to feel something, anything. I had no one to distract me, nothing to do; I was out of school for the time being and I didn't have a job. I stopped, turning, looking at the shiny objects waiting for me. I went into the bathroom, turning on the water and stripping myself of my clothes. I walked to them slowly, picking them up in my hands. They shined slightly from the light in the room. I sighed, sitting in the bathtub, letting the water run down my back and through my hair. I looked at them again, reminding myself why I was doing this. I was stuck in this feeling, I couldn't pull myself from it. I kept thinking how I wasn't good enough, that had to have been the reason why... but if I get a different feeling going, I might be able to distract myself from those thoughts.
I rested the pile of them in a corner, keeping one in my hands. I scanned my skin with my eyes, needing to decide where to start. I wanted to do my wrists, but everyone would be so aware of that, I couldn't do it. I settled for my skin right below my shoulders, where my t shirts would cover enough. I rested the metal to my skin, brushing it back and forth gently before pushing it against my skin and sliding it smoothly.
"AH!" I dropped the metal, staring at my shoulder. It drew it out of me quickly, slipping down my arm and falling into the water at my elbow. It swirled around in the water, swimming in patterns. "Okay" I whispered, picking the razor up again. Each time was much easier than the last; I dug it as deep as I dared, pulling out after a two inch line surfaced. I sighed, feeling better. It's not because you're not good enough, I reminded myself, saying it over and over again. It's distance; it's fear. It's nothing you, or he could have a hold on.
I rinsed the metal and waited for the red to disappear before placing it beside the rest of them. I got out of the shower, dabbing at my shoulder, drying my skin. I looked up at the mirror, watching the fog fade away like the day before. I looked the same, just new, different, with these cuts. I went to my dresser, changing into a t shirt and sweat pants. I went into the kitchen, making myself a cup of hot chocolate and gathering a plate of cookies. I walked to the living room, plopping down the couch and beginning to eat. I hadn't listened to the news or watched any TV for that matter, so I turned it on and scrolled through the channels, stopping at an entertainment channel.
"Musician Niall Horan, from One Direction, said to be depressed?" a short video of Niall comes onto the screen, turning away from the audiance and shaking his head. "Could it have something to do with his long time girl friend?" a picture of my own face flashes by, with my hands intertwined with his.
I tossed the remote to the side, staring down at my hot chocolate before resting it on the coffee table. I collapsed back on the couch, looking out the window, watching the streets become darker. I hugged a pillow tight to my chest, closing my eyes and drifting away into sleep.
"I hate her! she does not deserve him at all!" a girl whispered to the side, but caught my ears anyways. Niall turned around, examining the girl "don't call yourself a fan of mine if you're not going to respect the people I spend my time with!" the girl was scared, stepping back and swallowing. We walked on but all I could hear in my head the rest of the day was 'she does not deserve him'. The worst part was, it was true.
I sat up, pulling my hair out of my face. I stared down at the empty plate with cookie crumbs, the empty cup of hot chocolate, and suddenly I was disgusted with myself. I sat up, running to the bathroom and kneeling down in front of the toilet. I pulled my hair back into a bun, and began to throw up. How could you be so stupid? How could you have ever thought you did deserve him? again and again I was sick, until I couldn't anymore.
Suddenly, the words came running in my head. "I work a few nights a week. Take care, Taylor." I got up from the tile and cleaned my face quickly, brushing my teeth and running for the door. I grabbed my keys and ran outside, jumping in my car before Paparazzi could ask any questions. I pulled down the road, driving cautiously until I reached the McDonald's sign, lighting up in the night. I parked and walked inside quickly, looking behind the counter for the familiar face.
"Can I help you, miss?" I looked at the lady, not sure what to say. I stood with a blank expression until the gentle face I remembered came into view.
"Hi Taylor, I get off of work in a few minutes, do you mind waiting?" she smiled, happy to see me.
"Yeah, sure" I nodded, then walked over to an empty seat, looking out the window. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, but it was nice to simply observe and not have to worry about anything. A couple of minutes later, she sat in front of me. It wasn't until now that I got a proper look at her. She seemed really nice; maybe a couple of years younger than me. She looked like me in some ways, with her curly brown hair and her blue eyes; except her eyes were a baby blue, not an ocean blue, like mine. She had a small sort of freckles splattered across her cheeks and her nose. I felt even crazier than I had the rest of this week, sitting here in front of a stranger.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, not wanting anyone to hear us. For that, I was grateful. I didn't know how to respond, though. "Alright, well let's start with the easy stuff. I'm Emma."
"And I'm Taylor, but you already know that. It's nice to see you." I held out my hand, she shook it gently, then folded her hands together on the table. "I don't know why, I felt compelled to come here, um..." I looked around, seeing some people glance our way "but I don't feel comfortable here. Did you want to go to the park or something?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Just lead the way." We stood, walking outside and to our cars. Once I was ready to go, I checked to be sure she was behind. She followed me down the street for a few minutes before we reached the park.
We walked side by side until I found a nice bench sat facing the road, but far enough away for comfort. I sat down, watching the people walk by and the cars go around us.
"I would talk to a friend about this," I started after a few minutes of silence "but, I don't want to worry anyone..." I whisper. She doesn't say anything, she just keeps listening. I can't be sure if she's already figured out what's wrong, but I don't want to tell the whole story, so I just go on with the simple stuff. "Niall and I, we um... broke up, and I've been having a really hard time with it, because... well he's my best friend..." I look up, promising myself I won't cry. "We took care of each other, it was our job. When one of us were sick, the other would be there. When one of us were sad, the other would be there... except now," I look at her, into her soft blue eyes "now he's not here, and..." I whisper, not sure how to finish. I look across the street and shiver at the wind. I bring my arms up to my shoulders, rubbing them from the cold, but I wince when my fingers reach the damaged skin. I keep watching the drivers, seeing some of them tired, some of them happy. Their headlights made different colors shade across the pavement.
"Look, Taylor!" he gasped, holding me tightly, jumping around in his seat like a little kid "it's snowing..." he smiled brightly. I smiled, excited for the first snow fall. "It is" I kissed his cheek gently.
I frowned, seeing the exact same picture Niall and I were in, only I was with Emma this time. "We sat here a lot" I bit my lip, sighing. I felt an arm link with mine. I didn't bother looking, because I knew it was hers. I hadn't had much human interaction apart from her, and suddenly, I just started to cry, The tears streaming slowly.
Niall's POV
We filed into the hotel we were staying in for the night at about eleven o'clock. I knew the boys would go out and do some exploring, considering we were in New York, but I simply wasn't up for it. I rested my suitcase gently to the side, slipping off my shoes and sitting on the corner of my bed. A small knock announced itself against the door before a smiling Zayn appeared.
"Hey, Niall..." he sat beside me, observing the room as if waiting for me to speak "hey man, are you okay? we're worried about you." He genuinelly looked concerned, and I didn't doubt that they did care, because I know they do.
"I... I just..." I ran my hands through my hair, giving a big huff. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't say it.
"It's okay, we can talk about it later... get some sleep, okay?" he hugged me slightly before leaving quietly.
I stood, pacing back and forth, closing my eyes and trying to think. I was tired, but I knew I wouldn't fall asleep unless I was exhausted and had no time to think about everything. I pulled my phone out, needing something to distract me. I looked through my replies, only to be surprised. Could it have been that obvious? there were all sorts of "are you okay"'s and "what's going on?"'s. "We love you, Niall!" was there a lot, too.
@NiallOfficial I love you guys, I'm alright, don't worry.. x
I sent the tweet, then went through the rest of my phone. Her number was right there, I could dial it, she'd probably answer... I fumbled with the numbers, pressing send. I held it up to my ear, but a ring or two later, I hung up, terrified. I slipped off my shoes and climbed under the covers, not bothering to take off my jeans or my shirt. I cuddled into the covers and looked through the pictures on my phone. The majority of them were just us out to eat, to a movie, sitting on our bench...
"What are you doing?" I laughed, situating myself on the bench while she threw the fall leaves on the floor, making a giant pile or yellows, reds, and browns. She was snuggled in one of my sweaters, with a hat comfortably sitting on her head and a pair of boots hugging her feet. "C'mon!" she ran to me, tugging at my hands. I followed her to the pile that nearly came at waist length. She turned us around and had us fall backwards, our hands tied together.
I woke up from the dream, looking around for her; except she wasn't there. I wondered how long it would take for me to realize that. I decided I couldn't handle it any more, and the first chance I had to see her, I would talk to her.
Taylor's POV
I sat in the middle of the cold floor in my bathroom, rocking myself back and forth while deciding what to do. The cutting generally helped... it was a short lived relief, but it helped. Throwing up only made things worse, and it made me weak. I weighed the reasons before starting the water and taking my hair down. I hadn't bothered to look in the mirror any more, because I knew I'd only be scared at what I would see. I took out my phone and started a quick text.
to: Emma
I'm going to take a shower, but i left a key under the mat for you. I don't have a lot of good movies so bring what you want... :)
I pressed send and rested my phone on the bathroom counter before sitting on the tub and grabbing a razor from the pile in the corner. My hand shook slightly while I drew fresh cuts on the opposite arm that was not marked yet. Maybe when Niall gets home... I keep going, slipping slightly, then starting a new one ...maybe things will be okay. I start to feel better just at the idea, but by accident, something happens; I jump at the feeling. It's not the same as the other process had felt. It's stronger and it hurts much more. I try to scream, but nothing comes from my lips. My vision went in and out, from normal to incredibly blurry and unstable. I fell back slowly, looking up at the ceiling, laying my arms out in the warm water. I can feel my hair dancing around my head in the water. I focus enough on my brittled arm to see what I had done; the metal must have slipped in my hands, because there's a large opening on a vein and it's surrounded in blood, painting in swirls around my arm, taking in the water around me.
"Taylor?" I hear her call my name. I try my hardest to keep my eyes open. It's important for her to hear what I have to say. "Where are you? I brought some good movies... are you-" a loud sound hits the floor before she comes running. "TAYLOR! Taylor, oh my gosh, Taylor look at me!" she hovers above me, taking my head in her hands "can you hear me? everything's going to be okay..." I keep staring at her, struggling to get the words out that I need. She fumbles in her pocket, dialing a number.
"Em..?" I whisper, or at least I think I do.
"Excuse me, I need an ambulance here right away, please," she shouts the address into the phone "alright, thank you, goodbye... c'mon, let me wrap you in a towel... what do you need?" she talks so softly.
"Tell Niall..." I swallow while she grabs a towel and helps me sit up enough to wrap me in it, holding me in her arms.
"Tell him what, Taylor?" her voice shakes, but she keeps going, never leaving my eyes. I hear the sirens calling outside.
"I love him, and I'll keep waiting... Em?" I tilt my head, blinking, trying to finish what I need to say "tell my family the same thing, please..." I reach my hand to her, closing my eyes. She squeezes my hand and I nod slightly when I can to let her know I'm still here.
The ambulance comes rushing up the stairs, and before I know it, I'm lifted as if I'm the lightest thing in the world. I hear Emma rushing behind us.
A doctor or two help Emma up into the back of the ambulance after I'm settled. I keep forgetting where I am and what's happening, but I just keep looking out the windows, staring out at the stars. Emma grabs a hold of my hand again and makes a call on my own phone.
"Hello? this isn't Taylor, but, this is a friend of hers; she's on her way to the hospital" I squeeze her hand as best I can to keep myself awake, not wanting to fall asleep. She dials again, speaking softer into the line "Hello? is this Niall? I'm a friend of Taylor's, well... she's on her way to the hospital... she says she loves you, and she'll keep waiting."
Niall's POV
I set my phone beside me slowly, not sure what to do. She was in the hospital? why was she in the hospital? I stood, pacing back and forth, looking around, so unsure of what to do. I'd have to fly to London to see her. I almost wish this happened a week ago, so I would be so much closer. Another knock at my door. What time was it? 6 AM.
"Niall, are you ready?" Harry peeks his head in, then opens the door further "what's wrong?"
"She's in the hospital, Harry!" I scream, regretting it right away. "She's in the hospital, and I'm a twelve hour plane ride away from her!" I walk over to him, looking at him like I'm a lost child "what do I do, Harry?" I whisper.
"We're gonna get you there, don't worry," he hugs me tightly for a minute "c'mon, get your things I'll go tell the boys." He leaves the room and shouts down the hall for the guys.
I pack everything back into my suitcase and check to make sure I have everything before brushing my teeth and changing quickly. I roll my luggage with me out in the hallway and shut my door, standing outside of Paul's room.
"Boys, what's going on?" he looks at us, meeting my eyes after scanning the bags in my hands.
"Taylor is in the hospital, Paul, I need to fly home to see her, please! I can go there for a day or two and be back in time for our next show I promise..." I look at him, helpless because he's my only chance.
"Hm..." he gives me a long look, sighing "alright, just, c'mon let's get you to the airport!" he pushes us along the hallway, getting us to the elevator. I press the button and we wait patiently while Paul makes a phone call. When the doors open, we file outside through a back door to the car. I set my luggage in the trunk and get into a seat, watching through the window. I wave to some fans while we pull out and continue our way to the airport.
I'm worried because Taylor is in the hospital, but I still have that feeling of hope; there's something in me that tells me she's alright, so I stay as calm as I can. We reach the airport soon enough, and I give all of the boys a good hug before running toward the enterance with my bag. "Good luck, Niall!" Liam shouts.
After waiting in a fifteen minute long line, I get a ticket to the earliest flight to London and hand over my luggage. Once I'm basically empty handed and I've gone through security, I check the time for the flight; 1:30. I have enough time to get something to eat. I look around at all of the airport food and settle for McDonalds. I get some sort of breakfast, something I've never had there before. I'm almost finished with it when I take a seat by the doors I'll go through to get on the plane. I look around and continue to wait patiently when they've called my flight and section number. I settle into my seat, closing my eyes and falling asleep for the long flight.
It was an early morning and a long day ahead. We had just gotten out of the x factor, getting ready for the tour, when we released our book, "Forever Young". Our first signing was today, and we had been waiting at a table with bottles of water for ten minutes before they let in the first line of fans. It was incredible, really, how many fans we had; we never thought we would ever get this far. The appreciation and love is incredible.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you!" I smiled to fans while they went down the line, signing their books and having a small conversation. It was nearly time to finish up when I was caught off guard.
"Hi!" Harry exlaimed first, saying hello to the girl. She smiled big "hi, Harry! it's really nice to meet you; can I touch your hair?" she laughed when he nodded a yes, touching his curls.
"Hello, Niall," she gave another big smile. Her eyes lit up, a beautiful blue, and her brown hair fell nicely to one side "how are you doing? I baked you some cookies" she rested a small bag of chocolate chip cookies between us.
"Cookies? are you serious, thank you!" I looked down at her book, signing my name and looking back up at her. She just had such pretty eyes. I scribbled my phone number in, sliding the book over to Liam, giving her a wink.
"Honestly, Niall?!" Liam looks at me after signing his name. He's clearly seen my added note.
"Oh my gosh," Louis starts laughing, turning toward me "yes!"
"At least Louis appreciates it" I laugh.
When we finished the signing and got up to leave, I checked my phone. One new message.
from: unknown
What a way to give me your phone number! haha!
I laughed, shaking my head.
to: unknown
Are you regretting it? I need your name, girl!
I waited patiently, wanting to replace the "unknown" with whatever her name was. We sat in the car, driving on our way to tour rehearsals. Another message awaited me.
from: unknown
It's Taylor. This is quite the opposite of how it usually goes, Niall!
I edited the contact quickly before replying.
to: Taylor
I wasn't going to let you go! what would have happened if I regretted not doing it?
We got out of the car, going inside an unfamiliar building for the tour rehearsals. We had done a couple already, but today we were going to pick our set list and work on new things. I opened the conversation again.
from: Taylor
Well, hopefully you won't. : )
I smiled, almost positive I wouldn't.
I woke up, looking around for the time. We should be landing in an hour or two. I kept myself busy with looking out the window. It was weird to see yourself hundreds of feet in the air, knowing the ocean is right below you. I watch everything moving by, until I'm finally seeing land. I sit and await the arrival.
"Passangers may exit the plane at this time, thank you for flying with London airlines and have a nice day." the voice comes from somewhere above me while I make my way down the plane's isle and through the walk way. I get to the building, running my way through it, and stopping at the pavement outside. It's pouring rain, but I run through it anyways.
"Taxi!" I shout, waving my hands around with one foot in the road. I catch one after the first two tries, plopping in the car and wiping my hair of the wet mess it was in.
"Where to?" he asks, looking through the rain for the appropriate time to go.
"The closest hospital, please" I pray that that's where she'll be. I put on my seat belt and peer through the windows. It's storming, a hard rain falling from the sky that's painted a dark grey. I look at the clock in the car; 8 in the morning. What an awful morning, I think. I feel my heart pounding in my chest. I haven't seen Taylor in months, and I was scared of what I'd find laying in the hospital bed.
"Here you are, good luck..." the man says, smiling slightly at me like he knows all about my situation. I give him some money and thank him, waving before running through the hospital doors. The white tiles are clean and squeaky. The walls are painted a light blue, with different sorts of pictures or awards on them. I walk a few more feet, finding the desk, asking for Taylor. After I'm given the directions, I start running, ignoring the doctors when they ask me to stop and see me passing by. I stop when I reach the door; I knock quietly before opening it slightly.
"Tay..?" I whisper. I crack the door open and see a sleeping beauty resting soundly. I glance around, seeing Taylor's mum looking over toward to her and a stranger I've never seen.
"Niall" her mum whispers. I come closer, sitting in an empty seat by her, looking at Taylor "how have you been?" I ask quietly.
"Quite fine a part from this," we keep talking quietly. I glance over to see the stranger sleeping; now that I have a good look at her, she almost looks like a younger version of Taylor. "what about yourself?"
I shrug, meeting her eyes for a moment "I'm fine... Taylor and I, we had a sort of, erm... fall out," I look back to Taylor, watching her chest rise and fall slowly "our time a part was really hurting us, so a few weeks ago we sort of decided it might be better for us..." she looks at me like something's now making sense. "What is it?"
"Do you know what happened, Niall?" she continues speaking quietly. I shake my head, waiting for her to go on. "She hasn't been answering phone calls or messages all week, no one knew what was going on but..." she looks over to the stranger, then back to me "but this girl, Emma... shes been talking to her for these past weeks; she said, she knew Taylor was sad, she had been talking to her about things..." she looks at me, showing me that I'm the 'things' they talked about. "Well anyway, they were going to watch movies or something; Taylor left a key outside her door for Emma, and when she walked through the house, she found Taylor in the bathtub..." I stared at her, but she didn't finish. I got up and walked carefully over to Taylor's bed, kneeling beside her. I brushed the back of my hand against her cheek, pushing her hair away from her eyes. A few minutes later, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around slightly before finding me.
I smiled the best I could for her; she smiled back, too. I shook my head and began to cry "I'm so sorry," I felt her hand reach for mine, kissing the back of it "I thought it was better for us..." I looked up at her, taking in her face. Her eyes lit up just like they did the day I met her. She shook her head and moved her hand from mine to my cheek. I leaned into her hand, closing my eyes while she wiped at the tears falling.
"Niall," her voice wasn't full, but it wasn't weak; just gentle. I looked at her "you are what's best for me." She kissed my forehead.
"We're best for each other," I corrected her, giving her a small smile "you're all I've ever wanted, Taylor."
___
A huge thank you to Emma, for helping me through the process of writing this!
I really hope you liked this, thank you for reading. :)
The fog settling on the windows helps keep me entertained while I trace my finger against the glass. The rain was falling hard outside, thunder and lighting erupting in the sky. It was 1 in the morning, and even though I was tired and my bed was waiting just a couple of feet away from me, I knew all I would be doing is staring at the ceiling, so I sat here instead.
I had been without Joe for four months; and I have not slept a single night comfortably since then. He had shows to perform half way across the world, and while he made his way back to the states, I still was unable to reach him just yet. He should be on a plane in a few hours, on his way home, into my arms...
I got butterflies just thinking about how close he was now, struggling with the idea of waiting another ten hours before feeling his strong arms around my waist, or his soft kiss on my lips. Four months- it had been four whole months. I smiled brightly just at the idea of him finally waking up beside me.
The street lights shined brightly by my family's house against the autumn leaves piling in the streets and on the grass. I stood, going into the bathroom to wash my face and brush through my hair. I needed some sort of rest, and if it meant tossing and turning, that would be better than nothing.
I turned off the bathroom light, cracked open the window slightly to hear the rain, and huddled under the fluffy white covers on my bed, sinking into the best sleep I could manage.
Joe's POV
"Almost there, man!" Kevin shook my shoulder, giving me the last hug before I left my family to fly to Chile.
"Thanks, Kev... yeah, soon..." I waved to my family, going to my own plane. After I settle everything and I'm finally in my seat, I look out the window, watching below as people file onto their planes. I put in my headphones, drowning myself in music. I wondered what it was like for Danielle, to be on tour with us and not get to do much of anything. I'm sure she was happy to wake up to Kevin every morning, though, and that made me jealous.
I took out my phone, sending a quick message to her...
to: Consuelo
On the plane... see you soon :)
I pulled down the small table in front of me, folded my arms and closed my eyes with my head in my arms, fell asleep quickly.
Two hours later, I was in Chile and on my way to the particular happiness I had been missing. When I pulled up to her house, I parked the car and walked up the steps, knocking gently on the door.
A minute later I heard the touch on the other side of the door and the quiet turn of the knob.
"Joe?" she whispered, cracking the door just enough to see me. She pushed her way through, skipping down the steps and into my arms.
I held her tightly, swinging her around and smiling, kissing her again and again until we were fully convinced the waiting was over.
Later that night, we were cuddled in her room, whispering so that we wouldn't wake her family.
"I missed you so, so much" she looked up at me, playing with my hair.
"I love you," I kissed her forehead, pulling her close so she could rest her head on my chest "so, so much!" and for the first time in so long, we both fell asleep soundly.
When we reached the Pub, I park the car and lock the doors. My dad led the way with Greg shortly behind while Belle and I walk side by side at our own pace.
"Their food is good.. they've got sandwiches and burgers," I tilt my head to see her in the sunset "watcha hungry for?" I intertwine our fingers, leading us inside.
"Um, chicken," she laughs, taking her sunglasses off before we enter. The four of us sat at a table while the waiter placed four menus down.
"I'll be back in a few, take your time." She runs off to bring another group of people to their own table.
I already knew what I was ordering, so instead I leaned over Belle's shoulder to point out what I've had before. "They have chicken sandwiches, or just plain chicken..." I look at her and laugh when she nods at the idea of chicken fingers. "Alright, sounds good. We can share my fries... what are you getting, Greg? Dad?"
"Fish and chips" Greg pats his stomach, closing his menu and looking at our dad.
"That sounds good, I'll have that too, actually." We set all of the menu's to the edge of the table.
"So when are you going back? don't you have a show in a couple of days?" my dad looks over to me.
"Yeah, I just wanted Belle to visit for a few days, but we're flying back soon." The waitress comes up with a pad and pen in her hand, scribbling down our orders and leaving again to get our drinks.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from, Belle?" Greg takes off his coat, hanging on the back of his chair.
"I'm from New York, but I live in Hawaii right now with my sister, Abigail, my brother Jake, and my aunt Claire." she smiles, sitting up straight. It makes me happy that she's feeling better as the time goes on.
"That's nice, Niall told me that... do you like it in Hawaii? it's so different from the city, isn't it?" the waiter stops by while Greg continues, resting our drinks down and a basket of fries in front of me. I slide it across the table so it's reachable for Belle.
"Yeah, it's very different but I like it. I'm with my family and that's really nice; plus I was with the boys for awhile, too, and they have been really great friends." She flips the cap of the ketchup up, getting us a reasonable amount for our fries.
"Oh yeah, those boys are a riot. How are they doing? they miss you yet?" Dad laughs because he knows that, even though we spend so much time together, we still generally enjoy each other's company.
"Yeah! well we'll be together again soon, but they are doing fine. I think we all decided to visit family and stuff for these few days we have." When our food finally comes, we're eating and laughing, occasionally looking at the score of the game.
"AND HE SCORES!" Greg erupts in cheers, finishing his second beer and starting on the water he ordered.
"they're still behind by two, though, Greg!" Belle laughs, finishing her last chicken. She looks up at the game and waits for the next goal.
"IT'S STILL A GOAL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT THEY'RE ONLY HALF WAY DONE!" Greg's obviously still happy, while he sits with a giddy grin on his face for the next few minutes.
"Alright we've gotta get goin' after this game, though, that alright Niall? I need to work tomorrow." Dad stirs his straw in the empty cup resting against his palm while he too watches the game.
When the game finally ends and the team has lost, Greg is clearly upset, because he whines about it for as long as we'll hear. I pay for the food and toss a tip on the table, waving to the waiter.
"Was the chicken good?" I swing an arm around Belle's shoulder, while she wraps one around my waist.
"It was, thanks for the suggestion!" giggling, she looks up at the stars in the sky. It must be nine o'clock.
"I mean, they could've gotten another goal they really could've!" Greg continues on, probably annoying my dad, so I rush to the car and unlock the doors.
"C'mon Greg, just relax we'll put on some tunes okay?" I start the car, buckling my seat belt. While I drive carefully down the road for Dad's house, Belle plays DJ, changing the channel when Greg protests to the song being played.
It's quiet apart from the songs playing quietly. I roll down the windows enough to get a breeze going by. Awhile later I pull into the driveway, getting out of the car for a minute.
"It was nice to see you, dad," I hug him tightly for a few seconds and give him a pat on the back "I love you."
"I love you too, Niall, have a goodnight."
"Goodnight, Greg," I hug my brother "love you, alright?"
"Okay, love you too, Niall..." he let's me and follows dad inside.
I get back into the car, driving toward home again. I rub my eyes, yawning.
"Niall?" Belle's voice calls questioningly. "Yeah, babe?" I glance at her. "Can I drive?" she smiles. I smile and look for a good place to stop before pulling over by the beach we went to the other day.
"I'm only letting you because I'm tired and I trust you..." I say before shutting my door and putting on my seatbelt.
She looks at the road carefully, relaxing after a few minutes. I watch the road with her, then turn to look at the stars outside. You can see so many of them out here. When we pull into the driveway, Belle puts the car in park but doesn't turn off the lights. I look over to her to see what she's doing, but all I see are her warm blue eyes looking back at me. I feel my heart take off when she moves closer. I move after her, placing one of my hands against her cheek and another in her hair before our lips meet. She wraps both of her arms around me, resting her forehead against mine. I kiss her lips gently, then her neck a few times before going back up to her lips. I keep my eyes closed for a few minutes, giving her little kisses between her own to me, before we both realize how tired we are.
"bed time?" she whispers, laughing slightly. I laugh too, before we agree to call it a night.
