I don't even know what this is, just ahhh give it a chance I guess. Probably a one shot.
Erica was ten, when she first talked to him, well, really talked to him. That probably wasn't much of an accomplishment to most, but to Erica-that was everything. Being well, different, she could hardly even talk to the girls in her class, much less a boy! She was always a shy one, and learned to like to stay in the shadows. Though, being an epileptic since the age of four? It wasn't really a great way to stay 'low key'.
And she was ten when she realised she loved him.
Erica managed the best she could to lose attention, which is why she sat in the hallway eating her lunch that day. It was something she'd been doing since third grade, the arrival of Lydia Martin had only added to the stress of being 'the freak'.
Sitting in an inset in the hallway, up against the door of an empty classroom, she peered around. It was a hall dedicated mainly to storage, and the instance of someone walking by wasn't too probable.
It was empty.
Just how Erica liked it.
Taking a bite out of her peanut butter sandwich, a tentative voice sounded. "Well, are you sure you're alright? You've been quiet all day…"
Erica jumped and looked over the wall, wondering if someone were trying to talk to her.
Nope.
It was two boys, probably in her grade since it was her ages lunch hour, though she couldn't make out the faces.
"Cos, um, we can go home, ya know? Well we can ride our bikes to my house and play a video game or something! And don't worry, it wouldn't be against the law or nothing cos my mum," Erica noticed the other boy take in a sharp inhale, "said that your dad said that we could hang out today if you didn't wanna be here!" the first boy added all very quickly with a wheeze, before taking an breath from his inhaler.
Scott McCall. Erica recognised him immediately from the inhaler. He generally always had a hard time catching his breath, and often sat out in gym class with Erica-not that they ever talked though. They just shared the mutual bond of being teased.
So if that's Scott McCall, Erica pondered, then that's gotta be-
"Stiles?" Scott asked, interrupting her thoughts.
The other boy was far more interested in tugging on the strings of his backpack than holding a conversation however, but he snapped his head up at Scott. "What? Sorry, I'm fine. Really." He said rather unconvincingly, before staring back at the ground.
Scott frowned and kept walking. "Well, do you-um- wanna go to lunch or something? That kid Matt got a new comic book he said he'd show us, or you could try to sit by Lydia!"
"I don't care… " The other boy shrugged. "I don't really like Matt, and I'm not really in the mood to get my heart broken." He said with a forced air about it.
Erica pursed her lips. She'd always been too scared to talk to Stiles, but she'd never seen him like this, he was always so friendly, not quiet.
"Stiles," Scott put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop staring at the ground. "You're never this quiet, we can just go to my house ya know? And I know we aren't girls, but um, if you wanna talk about it, we can. Or you can talk about it with my mum,"
Stiles took in another sharp breath.
"Ooh! Or," Scott continued excitedly, "you could like go talk to that woman who writes down everything you say while you sit on a couch or something!"
Stiles grew rigid. "I don't want to go to a counsellor Da-Scott." The line sounded rehearsed, like he'd said it before.
There was an awkward beat.
Scott blinked and shrugged. "Okay, well, look, I know your Dad's always busy with his job so if you're ever bored you can just hang out with me-hey! Ya know one day we should be cops! We could like stop all the bad guys and well I mean we could get shot and die at any second but, if we become ghosts we can beat up the bad guys when we're dead!"
Stiles breath grew unsteady and Erica watched him closely. He was trembling and fussing about with the collar of his shirt. "Sc-Scott, can you-can you just stop talking?" he asked harshly, though his face showed more fear than anything.
Scott flinched and resembled an actual kicked puppy. "I'm…just trying to help. My mum she uh, she said-"
"And can you stop talking about your m-" Stiles paused for a split second, blinking quickly and tugging with the neckline of his shirt. "-her?!" he corrected. "Alright? I don't care okay about your-look, I get that you're trying to help-"
Stiles stopped talking and rubbed his forehead, his breaths quickening. "S-sorry," he started timidly, but Scott cut him off.
"No! Ya know what, I won't help! You haven't been any fun lately and even though you're mom died doesn't mean you can always be a jerk to me!" The fifth grader yelled, crossing his arms.
Erica let out a quiet gasp.
That was right.
About a weeks ago Stiles' mum had died after being "sick for a year", according to her dad at least, and today was his first day back at school.
Stiles' chestnut eyes pricked with tears and began breathing a little heavier.
"Stiles…I'm… I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" Scott attempted, but embarrassment overtook him. Stiles didn't say anything, just trembled, so Scott ran off nervously, but Stiles didn't even seem to notice.
Panic stricken, the fifth grader threw off his backpack, and staggered to the wall. Sliding down against one of the lockers, he clenched his chest, gasping for air. His breath was jagged, painful almost.
Erica dropped her sandwich into her bag and crawled out of her cubby. She didn't want to embarrass him, but she wanted to make sure he was okay. Stiles always seemed so nice, so Erica crawled up to him.
Stiles head was in his hands, he was shaking now and Erica could tell he was crying. And he was muttering things to himself, along the lines of 'it's okay,' and 'just breathe Stiles'. But Erica nudged him anyway. "I-I-I'm f-ine S-s-cott, g-go –way." He sputtered out through gasps for breath.
Erica nudged him again, worried now.
"Scott?" Stiles whipped his head up. His face was red and wet from tears, fear evident in his eyes.
And his eyes.
Erica had never really noticed them before, and granted this probably wasn't the best time to do it, but they were actually quite pretty-for a guy that was. And he was cute up close, really cute.
"Erica?" he asked in confusion.
And time stopped.
Erica blinked.
He called her Erica. Not "Epileptic Erica" or "SezErica" (kids were cruel), but Stiles Stilinski called her Erica.
And that's when she fell in love with him.
"Are you okay, Stiles?" She asked timidly, sitting down next to him.
Stiles shrugged. "W-what are you d-doing here?" he said through choked breaths.
She shrugged as well, embarrassed, and opened her mouth. "Are you alright?" she asked.
He wiped his face with his sleeves, sniffling and shaking still. "I-I'm f-fine I'm just h-having-"
"Do you um, get panic attacks?" Erica asked quietly, recognizing the signs she would get instead of a seizure on her 'better' days.
Instead of responding, Stiles was letting out jagged, unsteady breaths, which were starting to sound guttural,
Erica didn't get them often, but when she was in deep, like he was right now, he dad would snap her out of it by doing something shocking. Like giving her a random present or something.
But Erica didn't have any random presents.
So she decided she'd make up something shocking
(But, she may have gotten the idea from a movie.)
And so, she kissed him.
(It was a really good movie, okay?
Right on the lips.
(But, in the movie the couple had been arguing)
And what did he do?
He went limp, and fell against her.
(So this probably wasn't one of her best ideas.)
Erica yelped, "Stiles!?" No response.
"Oh no, I killed him! My first kiss was so bad it killed him! I gave him cooties and killed him!" She buried her head in her hands.
An hour passed (though it was actually only a minute, time just goes by slower when you're little), and Stiles sat up, blinking his eyes in confusion. "W-What's going on?"
"Stiles!" She yelled, hugging him. And then, she felt incredibly awkward, and Stiles did too a bit, not sure why a girl he didn't really know was hugging him.
"Y-you were having a panic attack." She said pulling away.
Immediately, Stiles cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he looked away.
There was a beat.
Erica licked her lips and looked at him. "Do you, want me to go get the nurse or something? She's really nice and helps…helps me when I need it." She added quietly.
Stiles's eyes flashed with panic and fear. "No! Please, please don't tell Erica! Please don't tell anyone! They'll tell my Dad, and then, and then he'll make me stay home from school and-just please don't tell!" he pleaded.
"Okay, okay, I won't tell!" Erica said, a little frightened at his intensity. Wasn't it every kid's dream to stay home from school? "Why though?"
Stiles licked his lips, and returned his gaze to his hands. He didn't want to tell her that his Dad drinks, and that if he were to go home he'd just be another reason to take the next swig of alcohol. "Just promise!" He begged. "Like pinky promise me."
"Ok… I pinky promise…" Erica said quickly. "Do you get them a lot? Panic attacks?"
Stiles gulped and wiped his eyes again. "J-just since my m-yeah lately." He said quietly. "B-but they're n-not usually this bad so y-you don't have to tell anyone."
"I won't… I get them too sometimes. But not a lot just sometimes." Erica said, but she wasn't even sure why she was telling him this.
Stiles frowned. "Yeah, they aren't fun."
"I'm sorry about your mom." Erica said finally, and Stiles' breath hitched. "Is that why you get them?"
Stiles didn't say anything but wiped away some fresh tears, so Erica continued. "Y'know, my Dad said she really loved you! Said he would see you two in town…" Erica said with a smile. "I only wish my mum loved me like that."
Stiles blinked back tears and looked at her sadly. "I guess." He then whispered something along like lines of "I gave her stress." But Erica didn't quite understand.
"Do you talk to Scott about it? Your Mom?" she asked curiously, and Stiles looked at her like she was ridiculous.
"What? No! We're not girls!" he huffed.
"Well it sounded like he wants to talk to you about it…" Erica shrugged innocently. "If I had a friend like that, I would!"
"Hey what, were you listening to us or something?!" Stiles looked at her accusingly, tears gone now.
"No! Well, not on purpose!" Erica retorted. "I was here first!"
Stiles paused. "Well-wait, what were you doing here anyway?"
"I eat here." She admitted, a little embarrassed.
Stiles looked at her in disbelief and for a while didn't speak. "Every day?" To which Erica nodded. "Why? Don't you get in trouble?"
"No," she shook her head, "no one ever notices."
At the comment, Stiles looked guilty, as if he really felt bad. But Erica might have been confusing that with the past events… "Well, I can eat with you sometime." He said finally, with a chipper smile.
Erica's heart swooned. "Really!?" she gushed. "Well, how bout right now? My lunch is right over there!" she suggested excitedly.
Stiles looked away sheepishly. "No, I mean I would, honest! But, I don't really have a lunch today, that's why I didn't really want to go to lunch with Scott." He said quietly.
Erica paused, then stood up and scurried over and grabbed her bag, dragging it back to him. "Here," she pulled out half of her sandwich and handed it to him, "take half of mine! I never eat most of it anyway." She smiled. "Go on," she pressed, noticing Stiles' apprehension. Oh he was so cute when he was unsure of things!
And that was their first date.
Well, only date, yet.
They sat comfortable with one another, until an inhaler sounded as well as Stiles name.
Stiles jumped up, "Hey, I think that's Scott. Wanna ask him to sit with us?" but when he turned back at Erica she had slipped away back into her inset in the wall, and Stiles could no longer see her.
Scott appeared round the corner though, and asked Stiles if he were okay, and they both gave an apology.
Stiles looked around curiously, before suggesting they just go back to his house, admitting he didn't really want to be at school.
And that was their first date.
Well, only date as of yet.
Erica never got his attention after that, he hadn't gone to school again till the next week and by this time was fully alright again to go and get his heart broken by Lydia Martin every lunch period.
So he never came back to her hallway.
But that day went down in her diary as "The Best Day in My Life."
She had her first kiss (though some could dispute it wasn't real), and her first date, and realised she loved Stiles Stilinski,
And today six years after that day, Erica had to watch him climb the rock-climbing wall, and then Finstock yelled that she would be climbing with him.
Their first interaction in years!
Her heart was swimming with butterflies.
Erica just hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself.
