Emotional Tethers

Chapter 1 - Group Projects

It was the first day of sophomore year, and although everything seemed perfectly normal in Beacon Hills, it didn't look that normal. In the small Californian town, nothing was normal. Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski were best friends since first grade, and since that day, both boys had thought of doing everything in their power to have a normal school year. They were both sixteen and heading into what seemed to be something that they never thought would be happening.

"Come on, Stilinski. It's time to face sophomore year. Or does Malia have you distracted?" Scott asked.

Malia Tate was a girl who moved to the small town when Freshmen year came around and immediately caught Stiles' attention. He didn't know if it was because she was beautiful or if he liked her. But he was obsessed with her since then, and now they were starting a new phase of their lives.

"Don't be stupid, Scott. Come on, let's go," Stiles said as both went out.

Across from Scott's house, Lydia Martin stepped out of her own house. Scott elbowed Stiles as they looked at the young girl. Lydia looked up from where her eyes were on the ground and saw the two boys. She smiled and waved at them. Stiles pushed it away as he got into his Jeep while Scott mouthed sorry to the girl.

"Stiles, that was rude," Scott said.

"I don't know the girl even," Stiles said.

"Come on, dude. You've got to be kidding me. It's Lydia Martin. My neighbor since Well like forever. Her mom and mine are best friends, and they spend time together. She's tried hanging out with us as well, but you have always been too good for her," Scott said as Stiles thought of it all.

Maybe he did know the girl, but he didn't recall ever officially meeting her. She may have been in the same school as them, but Stiles didn't know a thing about the 5'3, strawberry blonde, green-eyed girl. Stiles looked at Scott, shrugging his shoulders as he drove off. Scott knew for a while that Lydia liked Stiles, but she didn't know how to approach him. With her last failed relationship, she was also extremely careful who she had gotten herself involved with.

Driving to school, Lydia saw as everyone had arrived for the first day. She saw freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Teachers arrived and she saw how her mother also arrived at work. As Natalie Martin was the school counsellor, it became difficult that Lydia would get bullied about that as well. She exhaled, parking her car while it seemed like everyone was already talking. She stepped out of her car, and instantly, everyone looked at her. Lydia shook her head as she got her books out of the car and grabbed her bag.

Seeing as a group of boys were talking, acting out the lacrosse game, she felt as if someone bumped her, causing her books to fall out of her hands. She exhaled as she went down to pick them up. Jackson Whittemore and his crew were people that Lydia didn't bother to argue with. She felt a hand resting on her shoulder as she looked around and found her best friend, Allison Argent, behind her. She smiled as she finished picking up the books (with Allison's help) and stuffed them all in her bag.

"Scott!" Allison yelled, causing her boyfriend to look at her.

"If you don't talk to that jackass of a Jackson, at least help the poor girl. Did you get hurt?" Allison asked as Lydia shook her head.

Alongside Scott stood Stiles and the fact that they drove to school together made it less hard for Lydia. She knew that when Scott would leave the house, so would Stiles. So, it made it easier for her to go around her day knowing that they would always be together. Lydia mumbled something like 'leave it' to Allison before she went inside the school.

"What does Allison want you to do? Jackson is an ass and this chick What's-her-face is nothing of you," Stiles said as Scott looked at his best friend, which he had given up hope at this point.