So, prompt fic! College bound. :) This chapter is really just an introduction, backstory to the main three getting to college. Enjoy!
Growing up in a small town is not everyone's cup of tea. While the adults might see the security of it, able to let their children grow up in a place where the dangers of a big city are few and far between. In a small town, it is not uncommon for the kids to have a few more freedoms than a big city kid may have; such as staying out later at a younger age (as long as your parents knew where you were, and you weren't alone, of course). In the small, California town of Beacon Hills, it is no different.
Everyone knows everybody else, and there's a general sense of community in the town. The one grocer is open every day from before work until late night. The few gas stations in town are open most of the day, with the one on the highway into town open twenty-four hours. There's the bakery that gives everyone one free cookie on their birthday, and the salon across the way that everyone goes to. The video rental is always busy on Friday and Saturday nights, with sporadic business throughout the week. There are three different mechanics, but they all get good business between each of them having stronger abilities with different problems. The flower shop gets busiest around Valentine's Day and Christmas, but is never low on customers. The diner is known for it's homemade ice cream and apple pie, which everyone gets at least once a week. There are two schools in town, the elementary and the high school. Students go to the elementary from kindergarten through sixth grade, and then graduate up to the building that houses both junior and senior high students. Town square is where everyone gathers on the Fourth of July for fireworks, bar-b-ques, and many different craft booths. Christmas sees the entire town lit up in white lights; and, New Years' is spent at home. Everyone is friendly, at least face-to-face. A small town is not unknown for its share of drama.
What would be considered the greatest downfall of a small town, however, would be the fact that everybody always knows everyone else's business. That was how, when Stiles Stilinski was ten years old, their old neighbor was waiting on their doorstep with food and a heartbroken expression when he and his father got home after his mother passed away in the hospital. That was how only minutes later, both of his best friends, Scott McCall and Derek Hale, were knocking on the front door with their mothers behind them.
The next week and a half had both Scott and Derek staying at the Stilinski house, never too far from Stiles' side. They were there as he tried to pretend that he was okay, as he tried to focus on making sure his dad was going to be fine, and as he finally broke late one night after John Stilinski had gone to bed. They let him cry, neither one quite sure what to do other than be there for him. None of them said anything about it the next morning.
After that, things slowly started to go back to normal; or, as normal as the Stilinski family could get without one of their members. Stiles spent a lot more time over at Scott's or Derek's as his dad started to pick up more hours at work, to try to keep busy and away from the liquor bottles after he and Stiles had a tear-filled conversation about it. John Stilinski was always there for his son when Stiles needed him, despite being busy with work. Sometimes, he would be more absent than either of them would like, but that never mattered when Stiles really needed him.
Stiles and Scott spent a lot of time over at the Hale house, which was out in the middle of the woods and played home not only to Derek, his siblings and parents; but, a few of his aunts, uncles, and cousins as well. Derek was a year older than the other two, but after he had stopped Jackson Whittemore from picking on them when they were in kindergarten and he was in first grade, the three of them became inseparable.
Beacon Hills walked on eggshells around both Stiles and his father for a long while afterward, but eventually, it was the same slow-paced, friendly place that it had always been before. Of course, anyone who knows anything about small towns would be able to tell that was when something was going to go wrong again.
It was about three years after Stiles' mother had died when he was home alone, making something simple for himself and his dad for dinner while trying to ignore the sinking feeling that something was wrong. He had no idea what it was or what it could be. All he knew was that something in his stomach was not settling right. Tapping his fingers on the kitchen counter while waiting for the water to boil, Stiles kept glancing over at the phone on the wall. After a few moments, Stiles crossed the room to it and picked it up, immediately dialing the number that would get him straight through to the phone on his dad's desk at the station downtown. Stiles bounced one leg on the ball of his foot, tapping his fingers on the phone receiver while waiting for the sheriff to answer the phone. "Please answer, please answer," Stiles mumbled as he chewed on his lower lip, glancing over toward the pot on the stove to make sure it wasn't boiling. He let out a heavy breath when his dad answered the phone and cut off the man's typical phone greeting by saying, "Dad, is everything alright?"
"Stiles?" replied John, setting down the pen in his hand. "What? Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. S'just... I felt like... like something was wrong. I dunno. I'm sorry for bothering you."
"Don't apologize, kiddo." John ran a hand through his thinning hair and shook his head, though Stiles could not see him. "I'll be home really soon, okay? I've just got to sign off on one more paper and then I'm gone."
"Yeah, alright. Okay. I'll see you when you get here." Stiles wet his lips and nodded with an inaudible sigh. "Be careful."
"Always am."
Stiles reluctantly hung up the phone and sighed, resting his head on the wall for a moment before he went back over to the stove to add the noodles to the boiling water (actually remember to turn the temperature of the burner down that time). The teen idly stirred the noodles in the water only to jump and splash himself with a bit of the water as there was a series of rapid knocking on the back door just off the kitchen. "Wha-?" Stiles half-way asked himself as he set aside the spoon and went over to the door to open it. The moment he did, he found himself with an armful of Scott. "Scott? What's...? Oh, my god. What happened?"
When Scott had pulled away from him, Stiles found that his best friend was sporting a black eye and bloody lip, his eyes holding a fear that Stiles had never seen before and never wanted to see again. "St-Stiles," Scott stuttered out, seeming to have a hard time getting a handle on his breathing.
Stiles' eyes widened as he led Scott to a seat at the kitchen table before looking around for the extra inhaler they kept at their place just in case Scott stayed over and forgot his (it had happened one too many times before). He turned off the stove as he continued to look, rushing back to Scott's side a minute later when he found the inhaler in the table that was in the hallway. "Here," Stiles said, handing it to his friend while sitting down in the other seat. "Scott, what happened?"
"H-he's got... mom. My mom, Stiles." Scott's already pale face seemed to blanch even more at his own words and Stiles sat there shocked for a few moments before he scrambled up to rush to the phone, knocking over his chair and running into the wall in the process, nearly knocking the phone off the wall.
Stiles redialed his dad's number and glanced over at Scott as he rushed through an explanation, telling his dad to get over to the McCall's house, getting a nod from Scott in response to let him know that he was right in his assumption of where Melissa was. "Dad, hurry," Stiles insisted before he hung up the phone, not wanting to waste more of his dad's time. "C'mon, let's go up to the bathroom." The first aid kit was there and Stiles could clean Scott's split lip while trying to figure out more of what happened.
It was not the first time that Scott had shown up with unexplained injuries; but, Scott had always shrugged and laughed off any questions about them. That time, he remained quiet but followed Stiles up to the bathroom. "It's my fault," Scott said in a quiet, broken voice after a few minutes of silence that allowed Stiles to clean the cut on his friend's lip before the two of them sat on the floor next to the bathtub. "I told him I didn't want to go to his place anymore."
Stiles' brow furrowed in confusion as he looked over at Scott, but his friend was staring a spot in the floor hard enough to wear it thin while picking at a hangnail on his thumb. "Your dad?" Stiles asked softly after another moment when it finally clicked what Scott was talking about. Scott nodded once and Stiles inhaled sharply as he balled his fists on either side of him, glaring over at the wall in front of him. He had never liked that man, but now he finally knew why. It made him want to do things he would never voice. He pushed that aside, though; because at the moment, his friend needed him. Stiles absentmindedly wet his lips before he spoke again. "It's not your fault, Scott. You didn't... you didn't do anything. Your mom's going to be fine. Dad won't... Dad won't let anything happen to her. You know that, right?"
Time seemed to go by slowly, but soon enough, Stiles and Scott were both on their way to the station. They had their hands clasped between them, mostly for Scott's comfort as he started to grow more distressed whenever Stiles moved too far away. They never had a chance to call Derek, but they knew they would afterward.
Once at the station, Scott let go of Stiles to run over to his mother and hug her tightly. She had some bruising on her face, but otherwise seemed fine; and, she laughed softly when Stiles rushed over to hug her as well. She hugged both teens tightly, refusing to let go until one of the deputies stated that she and Scott were needed to make their statements.
Stiles refused to leave the station as they made their statements, and he sat next to his dad in the main hallway. "They're going to be okay, right?" Stiles asked softly, wringing his hands together in his lap, fidgeting in his seat.
"I think they will be," replied the sheriff with a nod. He knew it would take time, but Melissa and Scott had each other. Eventually, they would be okay. "They're going to stay with us for a while, alright, kiddo? Scott's really going to need you, and Derek." Stiles nodded a little and John reached over to gently squeeze his son's shoulder. "Why don't you go call Derek? Just ask him to go to the house; Scott should be the one to tell him."
"Yeah, okay," Stiles nodded and bit his lower lip for a moment before he got up and let himself into his dad's office to use the phone in there.
A few hours later found John, Stiles, Melissa, and Scott arriving at the Stilinski house. Scott was nearly asleep in the backseat next to Stiles, but could not let himself fully rest enough to fall asleep. There were lights on inside, letting them know that Derek was there already; and, when they went inside, they found the older teen waiting in the living room on the couch, texting his sister. Derek had made some hot chocolate when he had gotten a short call from Stiles stating that they were leaving the station, and the mugs were waiting on the coffee table that had been moved out of the way. There were sleeping bags and pillows set up on the floor, much like they had been after Stiles' mother had died.
The adults went into the kitchen to talk quietly and give the teens some space, while the three boys took their places on the floor. That time, Scott had the sleeping bag in the middle. They sat in silence for a long while, sipping on the hot chocolate that none of them particularly wanted but helped them feel a little better all at the same time. That specific hot chocolate (the kind with the mini-marshmallows and a little bit of cinnamon mixed in) was only used when things were bad. Eventually, Scott began to talk quietly. He told them about how his dad had never really been mean until sometime after the divorce, when he started drinking. He had been staying over at his dad's the first time the man hit him; but, his dad apologized, said it was an accident and that it would never happen again. Of course, it was a lie. Every time, though, he apologized; and, Scott believed him.
When Scott had finally told his mother about why he hated going over to his dad's, she nearly had a breakdown and refused to let Scott over there anymore. His dad had gotten mad and showed up when Melissa was at work. She had shown up not long after her ex-husband and distracted the man from their son, telling Scott to get out of there.
After that, Scott tried to change the subject, so his friends followed suit and they discussed anything that came to mind that did not involve Scott's father. It did not take too long before the three of them were laying out on the floor to fall asleep, Stiles and Derek each hanging on to one of Scott's hands. They woke up each time that he did from a nightmare, providing comfort and soothing him back to sleep. None of them said anything about it the next morning.
Things slowly went back to normal in Beacon Hills, and Scott returned home with his mother a few days later. People walked on egg shells around them for a long time, many offering words of what they hoped would be comfort. No one really knew how to handle the fact that one of their own was awaiting time in the state prison. Teachers gave Scott easy A's for a long while, but eventually, they stopped and started treating him just like before. Scott smiled easily and never let anyone know how much it bothered him that his dad was like he was. He was there for his mother a lot, bringing her dinner every night that she worked late.
Scott and Stiles spent a lot of time over at Derek's over the next few years; but, that changed when Derek was sixteen. He started not showing up when he was supposed to meet up with his friends, and would show up late, apologizing profusely. Eventually, he explained to them that he was seeing someone, someone older and it had to be a secret. Stiles and Scott agreed to keep his secret, and neither one told a soul that Derek was seeing Miss Kate, the substitute teacher for their algebra class.
Somehow, though Stiles was never exactly sure how given that everyone in town knew everyone else's business, that secret never did get out. At least, not until Kate tried to kill the entirety of the Hale family. Stiles, Derek, and Scott had been at lunch, talking and laughing with one another when they saw Sheriff Stilinski walk into the room. Everyone froze and the loud chatter that filled the room died out. Nobody knew why John was there, but nobody thought for a moment that it was a good thing he was. The sheriff frowned a little as he walked over to the table where his son and his friends were, sighing once he reached it. "Derek," he said slowly, trying to think of the best way to do this. "I need you and your siblings to get your things, please." Derek tensed visibly and nodded a little, looking across the cafeteria to where his older sister was sitting with her older friends. "I'll wait for you out front."
Stiles and Scott reluctantly stayed where they were as Derek went to go talk to Laura and the two of them got their younger siblings from a few other tables. Confused and curious chatter filled the room once the Hales left, and Scott shared a worried expression with Stiles. Neither one of them were able to focus throughout the rest of the day, and after classes were over, they met Melissa out front since she was supposed to take them home that afternoon. However, she ended up taking them to the Hale house, instead. "Derek is still at the station with his parents and Peter," Melissa told them as she drove down the long, familiar drive way. "But, Laura is home with the other kids and some of the other adults. I'm sure he'll fill you in whenever he gets home. You can leave your school things in the car; the bag at your feet has your guys' clothes and stuff, Stiles."
"Okay," Stiles replied softly, nodding a little as he wet his lips.
Stiles' inhaled sharply as they pulled up to the Hale house. One corner was police taped off, and it was noticeably darker than the rest of the house, as if someone had set fire to it. Neither one of them said anything after saying good-bye to Melissa, walking up the front steps to the house they had spent a lot of time at. Laura opened the door before either one had a chance to reach for the handle and surprised them by tugging them both into a firm hug. "Mind helping me make dinner for the little ones?" she asked them with a somewhat forced smile as she pulled away, the expression growing more sincerity when both boys agreed.
Neither one of them asked what had happened, though they both itched to. It was a conversation for them to have with Derek, after all. They were done with dinner and half-way through washing the dishes as Eli, the youngest of Laura's brothers, kept watch on their elementary-school aged sisters and cousins in the television room, when Laura perked up a little and looked toward the doorway. "They're home," she said, setting aside the plate she was drying before rushing toward the front door, opening it before her parents, Uncle Peter, and Derek could reach it.
Derek's gaze immediately snapped to Stiles and Scott over Laura's shoulder when they stepped into the main hall, each one wearing a small, reassuring smile. They still had no idea what was going on; but, whatever it was, they would get through it. They always did. Derek, Stiles, and Scott made their way upstairs to Derek's room after his parents both said their hellos, hugging each boy before going into the television room to join their children. Peter just nodded at them in acknowledgment before joining the others.
Stiles, Scott, and Derek all sat on Derek's bed, neither one saying anything for a long while before Derek finally started to explain what was going on. "I guess, to tell the whole story, I have to start at the beginning," he said slowly, absentmindedly wetting his lips. He seemed nervous to explain, but he had permission from his family. Both Stiles and Scott's parents knew, anyway.
The younger two remained quiet as Derek carefully explained about the supernatural and how his family was mostly made up of werewolves (Scott fell into a fit of nervous laughter while Stiles just said, "I knew it"). Once Scott seemed to come to terms with the information, and Stiles was done asking questions (for the time being, anyway), Derek went on to explain about the Argents and how they were a family of hunters. Kate was, apparently, one of them; and, she had been using Derek to get to the Hale family. She had tried to burn the house down with the family locked inside. She had not counted on Peter having not been inside since he was out for a walk. The man had shown up just after Kate and her hired help lit one corner of the house on fire. Peter knocked out all of them and put out the fire before he called the police, and she was arrested. She was going to spend the rest of her life locked up in a mental hospital (because anyone ranting and raving about a family of werewolves had to be crazy, right?). "I nearly got my family killed," Derek said softly, his gaze not moving from a spot on his bedspread.
"Derek, no..." Stiles said softly, brow furrowing a little as he shook his head. "It's not your fault."
Stiles knew he could say it a hundred times, but getting Derek to believe it would be another story all together. The three of them sat up talking until late in the night. Derek told them more about the werewolves, and everything that had been said to Kate, everything that Kate had lied to him about. Eventually, they all fell asleep on Derek's bed, and that time, Derek was in the middle. None of them said anything about it the next morning.
Kate Argent and her attempt on the Hale family was the talk of Beacon Hills for a long time. Thankfully, Derek's name was not dragged in on the gossip, as his name was never released because he was a minor involved in the case. It took a while before Derek started to let go of the guilt that ate at him; but, even then, it was more of him just pushing it aside instead of letting it go. He never quite trusted people the same way again, but the good thing was that he no longer had to lie to his best friends about the "camping trip" his family took once a month, that coincidentally coincided with the full moon.
The next few years seemed to pass in a blur of activity and stereotypical high school moments until Stiles and Scott found themselves having to say good-bye to Derek, who was going to college across the country. It was a private school in Savannah, Georgia that specialized in arts and sciences majors. Derek had gotten a full ride between his baseball scholarship, academic scholarships, and a grant that he was given. He was going to major in architecture with a minor in Latin. Benton Academy of Arts and Sciences was going to be an adventure of a lifetime, Laura insisted to her brother as she finally got him to agree to go. He was not sure about going so far away from home; but, once both his friends insisted he should go if he wanted to, he finally sent off the letter stating he would be there for orientation.
"So, we'll see you at Christmas, right?" Stiles said, rocking back and forth on his feet as they stood in the airport, waiting for the announcement that Derek's flight was leaving. He and his dad had made a road trip to the school a few days prior to get his things to the campus; but, he would actually be flying out to move in that afternoon. "And Thanksgiving?"
"Yeah, I'll be there, Stiles," insisted Derek with a soft laugh and one of those half-smiles he was known for.
"Good, 'cause Scott and I would just go there if you tried to flake out on us." Stiles nodded with a smirk as Scott nodded, too. "Food and all."
That year was one of the hardest. Derek missed the younger two boys a lot, though he busied himself with school work and a few friends he made on campus. None of them were anyone he got really close to, not even the few werewolves he ran into. Scott and Stiles made the most of their senior year, Scott getting a girlfriend (though it did not last longer than a few weeks), and Stiles became friends with Lydia Martin, finally getting over his crush on her. Stiles somehow managed to graduate the top of his class (he swore he had no idea how that happened), and both he and Scott got enough scholarships to go anywhere that they wanted for college. "Wherever we go, we're going together," Stiles insisted with a nod as he and Derek walked one of the paths in the woods a few days before Derek was due back in Savannah to prepare for being an RA in one of the dorms that fall. "We've got so many options. I just dunno which one's better."
Derek had to leave before finding out what Stiles and Scott's final choice of school was, and he did not get much of a chance to talk to them after that. So, it came as a surprise when a few weeks later, he went to go meet the group of freshmen that would be living in the hall he was overseeing, he found Scott and Stiles in the ranks, both of them with amused smirks on their faces. "Oh, come on," laughed Stiles with a smile as he ran his hand through his hair, which he finally started to grow out after having kept it short since his mother died. "Like we would really go anywhere else."
"Can't be rid of us that easily, dude," Scott said with a dopey smile and a shake of his head.
"You two are idiots," replied Derek with a heavy sigh, though his lips were upturned slightly in a way that let the younger two boys know that their friend actually was happy to see them.
Scott could barely contain his excitement as he shifted from side to side, ignoring the way the other people that were going to be on their floor seemed confused by the conversation between the three of them. He guessed it was understandable, because looking at them, no one would ever assume they were the best of friends. "It's gonna be like old times. The three of us, together!"
So, whatcha think so far?