Chapter Twenty-Two: Please Just STAY
Lydia tossed her spray paints into her bag and looked over her shoulder. "Shit," She muttered, noticing a cop car coming towards her. It wasn't Stiles' car. The lights were off, though. Maybe they didn't notice her.
She put her skateboard down and slung the bag over her shoulder. Lydia knew a shortcut that was out of view, but she wasn't fast enough.
The cop car slowed and pulled over right next to her. The window rolled down. "You're badass, you know that?" A deep, familiar english accented voice said. Isaac wiped the blonde curls from his eyes.
Lydia's heart stopped pounding and she gave him a smile. "I guess you could say that," She laughed. Lydia looked around the plain, abandoned area they were in. "What are you doing here?"
"Huh?" He said and looked around. "No reason. Just..." Lydia gave him a look. "It's a long story."
Already walking to the other side of his car, Lydia shrugged. "I got time." She threw her bag into the back of the vehicle and sat down in his passenger seat. Isaac raised his eyebrows at her and she innocently smiled back at him.
Lydia buckled her seatbelt and Isaac started driving automatically. "Scott ditched me today to go on a date with Allison, as you probably already knew," Isaac said. "So I had to find this old baby and drive myself places today." He rubbed the dashboard and then put his hand back on the wheel.
"That still doesn't explain why you're here," Lydia commented. Isaac rolled his eyes and grinned.
"Bloody hell, Lydia, nothing gets past those keen senses of yours, do they?" He said sarcastically. Lydia grinned. "I wanted to see where Scott decided to take her. I followed them and was almost caught so I aborted the mission. I took the wrong road and now here I am. Happy?"
"Sure," Lydia said. "But did you really have to follow them?"
Isaac tilted his head. "As a matter of fact, yes."
"Why's that?"
"What's with all the questions?" Isaac asked.
Lydia shrugged and sat back into her seat. "I'm bored. Stiles has been MIA and Allison's with Scott. These questions are just simply for my entertainment."
Isaac flinched at the mention of Stiles. He hadn't seen the man in days and his annoyance with him was still high. It didn't help that Stiles' girl was now in his car and boy, Isaac really wanted to let it all out and tell her.
"Do you know anything about that?" Lydia asked, hopefully looking at the blonde haired man. "Is Stiles upset with me? Did I do something to make him mad?"
Isaac really wanted to tell her exactly why Stiles was not talking to anyone. He knew she didn't deserve to even think that it was her fault. God, she deserved the truth.
"No, of course he's not," Isaac told her. "It's probably just a Stiles thing. He's weird."
Weird was one way to put it.
"Oh," Lydia said and bit her fingernail. Isaac sighed and looked out the window.
"Where do you want me to take you?" He asked her. Lydia shrugged and rested her head against the cool glass window.
"I don't wanna go home just yet," She said. "Can you take me to Stiles' place?"
"Are you sure you–" He cut himself off. Let the girl go where the girl wants to go. "Alright."
"Thank you," Lydia said and ran a hand through her hair. Isaac nodded.
"It's no problem, really," Isaac said, offering her a sincere smile.
—
Lydia walked up to Stiles' flat and tried the door. It was locked. She knocked once and waited. No one came. She tried again. No response.
The strawberry blonde reached into her pocket and pulled out a metallic key. It was a copy of Stiles' door key.
"Where'd you get that?" Isaac asked.
"Stiles had it made for me," Lydia told the blonde. Isaac rolled his eyes. He had never got a key and he had been friends with Stiles since highschool.
Lydia put the key into the keyhole and the door opened. She walked in and the older boy followed behind her.
"Stiles?" She called. Max trotted in and brushed against her legs. "Hi, Pudge," She said and bent down to pick the bulldog up in her arms.
Isaac gave the dog a rub on the head and the canine growled at him. Isaac groaned. "What'd I fucking do to you?" He asked exasperatedly.
The dog nuzzled into Lydia's hair and chewed on a few strands. Isaac made a grossed out face and walked farther into the apartment.
"He's not here, Lyds," He told her. Lydia sighed and sat down on the couch.
"Then I'll wait," She told him.
"Are you sure—"
"I'll be fine, Isaac," Lydia said with a laugh. "What's the worst that could happen? I'm just waiting for Stiles to come home."
"I guess," He said and started to head out. "You got my number if you need another ride, right?"
"Yes Isaac."
"Okay, see you later," He said and left the flat, locking it behind him.
—
Stiles rubbed his face and glanced up at the television. The bar was playing a football game that only a few people gave an actual shit about. Everyone else was either drinking, passed out, or leaving with someone they didn't bother to get to know.
"What are you doing here?" Someone asked. Stiles looked over his shoulder, noticing Liam sitting down next to him.
"I don't even know at this point," He responded and took another swig of his whiskey.
"Who ya hiding from?" Liam asked and motioned for the bar tender to come over. She gave Liam a seductive look and puckered up her chest as he told her what kind of drink he wanted. She swayed her hips as she walked over to the mixing area.
"Everyone at the moment," Stiles told his friend. "I fucked up but I was just trying to help."
"Ah," Liam said, "Me and you are more alike than you think, Stilinski. That's always my problem. I try to help people with their shit and it backfires."
"I guess," He responded. "I tried helping my girlfriend out but ended up cheating on her in the process. One point to Mieczyslaw, am I right?" Stiles sadly joked.
Liam snorted at the mention of Stiles' full name. He had only heard it once before and that was back in highschool.
"You should be talking to her right now," Liam said, "Not here."
"Probably," Stiles muttered. "But I'm actually more of the ignoring the problem until it eventually goes away type of person."
Liam rolled his eyes. "You always were."
Stiles sadly smiled and finished his drink just as Liam got his. "I haven't seen you lately, where've you been?"
"I've been around," Liam said. "I've been trying to fix things with Hayden, but getting to her has been hard. Her best friend Corey won't let me talk to her. My buddy Mason's been trying to distract him for me, though, so that's good."
"You got a lot on your plate," Stiles said. Liam chuckled.
"That's an understatement, Stilinski."
"Have you tried to go out with someone new?" Stiles asked him. "C'mon, test the waters out when you have an opportunity like this! There's a whole world out there! Do you really just want to stick to Hayden forever?"
"I'm not you Stiles," Liam muttered. "I can't get over a girl and mess around with another as quick as you do."
Stiles processed what his friend had said and he slowly got up. "Screw you Dunbar," He said. "I was only trying to fucking help."
"Sit back down Stiles," Liam sighed, "I'm sorry for saying shit like that. And don't get pissy with me, okay, it's been a rough day."
"Have a nice night, Liam."
"Stiles," Liam called but he was too busy putting on his coat and leaving the small bar to notice.
Stiles walked across the parking lot and got into his jeep. He drove home.
—
Stiles stopped walking as soon as he saw Scott standing on the other side of the hallway near his apartment door. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came to talk to you," Scott told him. "Can we please go inside?"
"I don't want to talk," Stiles told his friend. "I'm not in the mood."
"Then we'll do it out here," Scott said louder, "So all your neighbors can hear what you, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, do on your spare time!"
"McCall, not fucking now," Stiles grit. "Go home. Go bug somebody else. Lahey's probably still up. Go spend time with your partner."
"I had a date with Allison today!" Scott said, ignoring him. "And it was fucking terrible! The whole fucking time I felt guilty and I couldn't enjoy a single second of it because of YOU."
"Poor Scotty," Stiles mocked. "You should go home and sleep the terrible date off."
"I really fucking hate you, do you know that?" Scott yelled. "You always do this shit and I feel helpless because I can't tell anyone! I couldn't tell Allison about what you did because she's too loyal to Lydia, something you're not by the way!"
Stiles clenched his fists. "I'm not going to explain myself to you—"
"I didn't ask you to."
Stiles took a step closer. "What do you want me to do then, huh? Admit that I did something horrible again? I know what I did Scott and I know what it looked like—"
"You fucking kissed Cora," Scott said. "You cheated on Lydia, the best thing that you had going for you."
Stiles' apartment door slowly opened and both men looked over. Lydia stood there, dog in her arms, and tears running down her face. Her mascara was all down her cheeks, black everywhere. It was like slow motion. She dropped the dog, who landed alright on its chubby legs and waddled back into the flat.
Stiles quickly looked at Scott, who looked petrified, and then back at the girl who he had hurt. "Lydia, Lydia please just listen to me, Baby. Hear me out—"
"Hear you out?" Lydia said, her voice raw and ugly. "Y...You have to be kidding me."
Stiles took a step towards her and she stepped back. He reached out to her and she shrank into herself. "Don't touch me, Stiles Stilinski or so help you God."
"I'm sorry," Scott said, not really knowing who he was apologizing to.
"You've been gone for a week," Lydia choked out, her eyes narrowed in sadness and anger. "I waited for a simple call or text but I got nothing instead. For a week I thought that I was the problem, that I did something. So I came here and waited all. fucking. day. for you."
Stiles stared at her and felt his own eyes starting to leak tears. Scott was already slowly backing up from the scene in front of him.
"You know," Lydia sighed and let out a silent cry. "I could stay here and yell at you until we both start crying oceans but quite frankly I just want to go home. So here," Lydia took out his key from her pocket. "You can have this back." She jammed the metal into his hand and his fingers closed around it. "Have a nice fucking life Stiles."
Lydia barged past the two men and quickly jogged down the stairs of his apartment complex. Stiles narrowed his eyes at Scott and then ran after her.
—
Lydia ran outside and into the rain. It was pouring out and she was glad that she had already called Isaac to pick her up a few minutes prior to her encounter with Stiles.
"Lydia! Fucking hell, just wait a minute!" Stiles yelled. He almost slipped as he ran out of the building.
Lydia dropped her black bag and let go of her skateboard. She wasn't sad anymore. Lydia was filled with anger, just anger.
"Get away from me!" She yelled and faced him. "Don't come near me! Don't go to my house! Don't go to the diner when I'm fucking working! If you see me on the streets go a different way! I don't want you in my life anymore, Stiles. I'm cutting you off."
"What?" He said under his breath.
"This is what you want, isn't it? No attachments to anyone? That's why you kissed Cora, isn't it? Because you love the feeling of being free and not tied down to anyone?"
"What? No! Of course not! Lydia I fuckin'.... I was trying to help you!" Stiles told her.
"Yes, thank you so much Stiles for kissing Cora. That helped me A LOT."
"She has all the papers that I had on you from my case," Stiles told her, using all the strength that he had left. "I kissed her to distract her so I could grab the paper that had your real identity on it, Lydia. I was trying to help you—"
"Did you get it?" Lydia asked.
"Well....no...but—"
"Because you're full of shit," Lydia grit out. "You kissed Cora because you wanted to, not to help me, but just for you. End of story. Now please, leave me alone. I'm done. We're done." She began to walk away. "I mean it. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. You were bad for me from the beginning."
"Don't say that, Lydia, because I...I love you, okay? I fucking love you," Stiles said, his voice quavering. "So please don't...don't fucking leave me. I love you and I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I'll own up to it, just don't go." He began to cry. "Lydia, please just stay. We can talk it out. I'll do anything, give you anything, just stay."
Tears rolled off her cheek and mixed with the rain droplets. Isaac's truck pulled up to the two and Lydia shook her head. "I'm done," She whispered and grabbed her stuff.
Stiles got down on his knees. "Lydia PLEASE stay. I'm begging you, now. This is me begging you to come over here and talk to me about this. Don't just walk away."
Lydia opened up the door and threw her stuff into Isaac's backseat.
"Walking away is the cowardly thing to do you know," Stiles said. He eventually stood up once he realized Lydia wasn't coming. He wiped his cheeks and looked over at Isaac.
"What a fucking friend you are," He yelled.
"Leave Isaac out of this," Scott said from the doorway.
Lydia didn't bother looking at Stiles as she got into Isaac's passenger seat. She didn't bother looking at him as Isaac drove away.
Stiles walked past Scott and slowly back into the building.
"Stiles—"
"I think it's time to leave," Stiles told him. "Now, McCall. I'm not asking you again." He looked up at all the people who had gathered in the lobby. "Show's over people. Go back to your fucking wonderful lives."
Stiles trudged up the stairs and didn't say another word to anyone or anything.
••••
Writers Note:
All you guys r like:
Longer chapter cuz like think of it as the season finale DUN DUN DUN
i dont know if i made the last scene emotional enough cuz I'm just staring at my screen like this while reading it •~• but idk if thats because I'm a cold hearted bitch or because I'm tired or both
Anyways, please vote and comment!!!
-Alison