REMINDER: Please read all songs! If you don't you may miss out on major plot lines.
Jackson stands outside the run down apartment building, having pounded on the door to let the boys know he was there. He turns back round and sees a homeless man perching on the side of his car.
"Hey, you, bum - Yeah you, move over. Get your ass off that Porsche." He strides over to the man and shooes him away.
"That attitude toward the homeless is exactly what Kira is protesting tonight." Scott sighs and folds his arms, Stiles following him out of the door. Scott rolls back his camera and zooms into Jackson's face.
"Close up, Jackson Whittemore. Our ex-roommate, who married Alison Argent, of the Hunting business, then bought our building and the lot next door from his father-in-law, in hopes of starting a cyber-studio."
"Kira is protesting losing her performance space, Not my attitude."
"What happened to you? What happened to your heart and the ideals you once pursued?" Stiles yells, getting up in Jackson's face.
"The owner of that lot next door has a right to do with it as he pleases." Jackson steps back from Stiles, cringing.
"Happy birthday, Jesus." Scott growls.
"The rent" Jackson holds his hand out as if to collect their debt.
"You're wasting your time"
"We're broke!" Stiles yells, still fuming.
"And you broke your word - this is absurd"
"There is one way you won't have to pay."
"I knew it." Stiles grumbles, turning his back on Jackson.
"Next door is the home of Cyberarts, and now that the block is re-zoned, our dream can become a reality." He chuckles, pointing at the building across the street. "A state of the art, digital, virtual interactive studio. I'll forego your rent and on paper guarantee that you can stay here for free- If you do me one small favour."
"What?"
"Convince Kira to cancel her protest."
"Why not just get an injunction or call the cops?"
"Yeah I did, and they're on standby but my investors would rather I handle this quietly."
"You can't just quietly wipe out an entire tent city and then watch 'It's A Wonderful Life' on TV!" Stiles joins the argument again with his snappy retort.
"You want to produce films and write songs? You need somewhere to do it! It's what we used to dream about.Think twice before you fuck it up." Jackson opens his arms to the grotty street. "You'll see - the beauty of a studio that lets us do our work and get paid. Just stop the protest and you'll have it. You'll see." He grins wickedly, striding back to his Porsche. "Or you'll pack."
Back in the apartment, when the two had time to cool off, Scott shrugs on his jacket.
"Where you going?" Stiles asks, still plucking his guitar.
"Kira calls."
"Dude! You're such a suck up!" Stiles hops onto the rusty table in the centre of their apartment.
Scott rolls his eyes. "I don't suppose you'd like to see her show tonight?" Stiles shrugs. "Or come to dinner?"
"Zoom in on my empty wallet" He lies back on the table and puts his arms behind his head.
"Touché."
Scott pauses before leaving, thinking of Stiles' past. His last girlfriend, Heather, had left him a note telling him they had AIDS, before killing herself.
He didn't go out much anymore.
Scott shook his head, not bothering to try, and fail, and getting his best friend out of the house. He left, walking into the cold, to hunt for Liam and go help an ex girlfriend.
One song glory, one song before I go
Glory, one song to leave behind
Find one song, one last refrain
Glory, from the pretty boy front man
Who wasted opportunity
One song, he had the world at his feet
Glory, in the eyes of a young girl
A young girl, find glory
Beyond the cheap colored lights
One song, before the sun sets
Glory, on another empty life
Time flies, time dies
Glory, one blaze of glory
One blaze of glory, glory
Find glory in a song that rings true
Truth like a blazing fire, an eternal flame
Find, one song, a song about love
Glory, from the soul of a young man
A young man, find the one song
Before the virus takes hold
Glory, like a sunset
One song to redeem this empty life
Time flies and then
No need to endure anymore
Time dies
A knock on the door interrupts Stiles' daydream. He sighs, jumping up and slamming the door open.
"What'd you forget?"
"Got a light?"
A young, red-headed girl stood at his door, holding a candle slyly. Stiles was shocked to see her standing there and not Scott.
"I know you." He states as she wanders into the apartment. "You're-
You're shivering"
"It's nothing,they turned off my heat. I'm just a little weak on my feet. Would you light my candle?" When Stiles didn't say anything she laughed. "What are you staring at?"
"Nothing" He shook himself. "You look familiar..." The girl looks as if she is about to fall over. "Can you make it?"
"Just haven't eaten much today. At least the room's stopped spinning. What?" She rolls her eyes when she sees Stiles staring.
"Nothing." He busies himself lighting her candle. "Your smile reminded me of-"
"I always remind people of... who is she?"
"She died. Her name was Heather."
"It's out again." She says turning round abruptly. "Sorry about your friend."
Stiles takes the girl's pale hands in his and lights her candle once more. "Well..."
"Yeah...?" She bites her lip, looking up at him with sly eyes. "Ow!"
"The wax. It's-"
"Dripping! I like it between my-"
"Fingers." Stiles chuckles nervously. "I figured...Oh, well. Goodnight." He turns to pick up his guitar and she goes to leave, a pout on her face, disappointed that he hadn't played along with her flirting. When she reaches the door, she checks her pockets, a panicked look on her face.
"It blew out again?" Stiles says impatiently, when she walks back in.
"No. I think that I dropped my stash."
"I know I've seen you out and about" Stiles ponders, ignoring the girl's comment.
"When I used to go out. Your candle's out"
The girl groans in frustration. "I had it when I walked in the door. It was pure! Is it on the floor?"
"The floor?" The girl slides onto the floor, shaking her butt in the air. Stiles couldn't stop himself from staring.
"They say I have the best ass below 14th street. Is it true?" She says seductively.
"What?"
"You're staring again."
"Oh no. I mean you do-You have a nice- Uh, I mean-You look familiar." He quickly changes the subject and drops onto his hands and knees to help the girl.
"Like your dead girlfriend?"
Stiles tensed, but brushed it off. "Only when you smile, but I'm sure I've seen you somewhere."
"Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club? That's where I work - I dance"
"Yes! They used to tie you up-"
"It's a living." The girl is still hunting round Stiles' floor.
"I didn't recognize you without the handcuffs." Stiles tries to joke, but the girl just keeps searching for her smack. "Why don't you forget that stuff? You look like you're sixteen"
The girl stands up and balls her hands into fists. "I'm nineteen! But I'm old for my age... I'm just born to be bad." She winks and turns to search some more.
"I once born to be bad." Stiles grumbles. " I used to shiver like that."
"I have no heat I told you."
"I used to sweat-"
"I got a cold."
"Uh huh" Stiles sighs at her lame excuse. "I used to be a junkie."
"Now and then I like to-"
"Uh huh"
"Feel good" She runs her hands up her thighs and winks.
Stiles suddenly spots it. "Here it- um..."
"What's that?" She looks up eagerly. Stiles hastily shoves it in his pocket.
"It's a... candy bar wrapper..."
The girl holds up her candle, that's out once again, and shrugs.
"That was my last match."
She shoves the candle into his hands and holds them in her tiny ones.
"Cold hands."
"Yours too." She holds one up and kisses it. "Big. Like my father's." She pulls him up suddenly. "You wanna dance?"
"W-With you?" Stiles says nervously.
"No. With my father." She rolls her eyes.
"I'm Stiles."
"Stiles?"
"Stilinski."
"They call me Lydia Martin." She whispers in his ear. Gently, Lydia plants a kiss on his lips, using that as a distraction to pull her powder from his pocket and wave it in his face, skipping out the door.