HORNS « STILES STILINSKI »

IX. BOTTLES & BEAUTIFUL EYES

"Why should I apologize?" Scott asks.

"Because you're the guy." Stiles tells him, and I almost smile. "It's what we do."

"But I didn't do anything wrong." Scott says.

"Then you should definitely apologize." Stiles replies, making me shake my head. "See, any time a guy thinks he hasn't done anything wrong, it means he's definitely done something wrong."

"I'm not apologizing." Scott insists.

"Is that the full moon talking, buddy?" Stiles asks.

"Probably." Scott answers, nodding. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"Because, Scott, something's gotta go right here." Stiles tells him. "I mean, we're getting our asses royally kicked, if you haven't noticed. People are dying. I got my dad fired. You're gonna be held back in school. I like someone who has intimacy issues." My eyes widen. Stiles just said he likes someone who has intimacy issues. "And if on top of all that, I gotta watch you lose Allison to a stalker like Matt, I'm gonna stab myself in the face."

"Don't stab yourself in the face." Scott tells him.

"Why not?" Stiles asks.

"Because Jackson's here." Scott replies.

And just like that, I turn to look at Jackson, as the reality of the situation washes over me. I watch as Lydia hands Jackson a glass of punch. But there's only one thought on my mind.

I'm going to have to kill someone to save someone else.

"HERE." LYDIA APPEARS, WITH a glass of punch out for me, but I shake my head.

"I don't want anything." I tell her, and my eyes look behind her. Scott and Stiles were standing across the pool, and my eyes meet with Stiles'.

"This is really good-" Lydia starts to say, but I cut her off.

"Does it have alcohol?" I ask her, bluntly, and she nods.

I snatch the glass from her hand, and down it all in one gulp, handing the glass back to her.

"Keep them coming." I tell her, still looking at Stiles. She follows my gaze, and nods back at me.

"With pleasure." She replies.

"JACKSON'S HERE." I SAY into the phone, in a monotone.

"As expected." Gerard's voice comes through. "But we can not do anything in a party full of teenage kids."

"So, what am I supposed to do?" I ask him.

"Find out who's controlling him." He tells me, hanging up.

I remove the phone from my ear. sighing, as I down another glass of punch.

"So, this is what we're doing now?" The voice comes from behind me, making every muscle in my body to freeze, as I get stuck in my spot, not even turning around to face the voice. "Drinking our problems away."

I don't say anything. Just trying to figure out how I was hearing the voice of my dead first love.

He slowly walks around me, finally coming into my view. I look at him, my eyes wide, as I was in complete disbelief.

"Cole?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Hey, A." He replies, a smile on his face, as a tear fall down mine.