There were many things in the world that Lydia Martin disliked, she disliked when her brand new heels were scuffed, she disliked when the boy she hooked up with asked her when he was going to see her again, she dislike the taste of tea – but there weren't many things that she hated, but what Lydia Martin did hate was being stood up. Maybe because Lydia was never stood up, or maybe it was because looking like a fool was a job for the people on a lower level than her, but she hated it and rightfully so.

Her eyes scanned the restaurant for the door, watching as each person walked in with a smile on their faces, getting ready to be seated for a date or for a family dinner. How sweet.

By now her usually bright green eyes had probably narrowed and filled with spite and aggravation and the natural upwards curve of her lip had probably flipped to a frown, she didn't really care though. Her eyes move away from the door and down to her phone, picking it up and texing her boyfriend, Jackson, furiously. She was officially pissed.

Seriously, Jackson?

Where are you?

We had plans!

Hello!

"Ma'am, are you ready to order yet?" The waitress came up to her and asked, a look of sympathy on her face.

"No, give me a few more minutes? He should be here any soon, I promise," Lydia turns to the woman, not paying attention to who walks into the restaurant, not that she would even know who they were either way.

This was Stiles' lucky day, he and Scott had made the lacrosse team again, although Coach said Stiles was "lucky" and that "if Greenburg wasn't such an idiot" he "wouldn't have had a chance in hell", but he took it and he may or may not have left that part out to his dad. Every year the Stilinski's and the McCall's would go out to eat around the first few weeks of school and this just happened to be the night.

When they walked in Stiles was taken back to see a girl sitting by herself and not just any girl, the girl.

"Dude, dude, look," Stiles said as he elbowed Scott in the ribs and pointed over.

"Is that Lydia?" Scott asked as his head turned to see where he was looking.

"You would think those new werewolf eyes would make you stop asking such stupid questions," Stiles whispered sarcastically before shaking his head. "Yes, that's Lydia, I bet she's waiting for Jackson."

"Jackson?" Scott said as he turned back to his friend in a confused look. "I saw Jackson after practice with Chelsea, over heard him tell Danny that he was taking her out and that him and Lydia were on a break."

"Does she know that?" Stiles asked concernedly as he looked back over at the girl who was now getting looks from everyone around her and even the waitress who was explaining that she couldn't keep the table waiting much longer. "Dude, dude," he slapped Scott's shoulders as he began to walk away. "Cover for me."

Scott turned to face the boy in horror as he and the two parents started to walk to their table on the other side of the restaurant while Stiles was heading over to Lydia's table.

"Aw, sorry, babe! Traffic was horrible! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Stiles loudly pronounced as he walked up to the table, everyone nearby, including Lydia, looking up at the boy. He gave her a soft smile and clumsily slipped into the chair – he didn't think this one through.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lydia hissed once the boy sat down, leaning in close to him. "You're one of Scott's loser friends, I can't be seen here with you." She said in a disgusted tone, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

"Yeah well Scott's loser friend is trying to save you from the embarrassment that your boyfriend – which you should check up on is still that – actually went out with another girl instead of showing up here with you," he whispered back, as he opened up the menu. "One fake date isn't going to kill you, Lydia. Plus, do me the honors of letting you fake break my heart at the end of the night, I've waited my whole life for it." He gave her a small crooked smile. "And its Stiles, by the way."

She pursed her lips as her eyes scanned him, trying her best to read him but realizing there wasn't any harm in just one dinner, after all he was right Jackson wasn't going to show and it was better to look like she was okay rather than show that she was stood up, but she'd never admit that.

"Ah, looks like her company finally joined," the waitress said with a smile as she walked up to the pair, looking between them and showing relief of not having to kick Lydia out of the restaurant for holding a table and no ordering anything. "Are we ready to order?" The two nodded and ordered their dishes, Stiles thanking the waitress as Lydia kept her eyes focused on him.

"Stiles? Is that your real name?" Lydia asks as her head turns slightly.

"Uh," he coughs before taking a sip of water, soon realizing he would have to actually interact with Lydia the girl who had never said more words than "go away" or "who are you?" to him. "No, actually, it's just a nickname I never really liked my real name so I just go by Stiles."

"Interesting, very interesting." She said as her features softened, her fingers on her straw as she swirled it in her drink. "Why Stiles?"

"It's what my mom called me whenever we used to play around, I guess it kind of just…stuck." He was blushing now, his eyes watching her carefully. He didn't want this moment to ever end and the little third grader inside of him was nothing but full of excitement.

"That's cute, my grandma used to call me Ariel when I was a little girl," she blurted out, not really realizing what she had said. It wasn't that Lydia didn't like to be open with people, it was that she didn't want to be, but something about Stiles made her feel okay with the whole situation.

"Because of the red hair?"

"No, because whenever I get into the water I magically grow fins on my feet," she teased with a stern look on her face as she stared at him. They stared at each other for a moment both of their faces like stone, but it was as if both of their brains switched on and they both started to laugh at the same time, shaking their heads at each other.

The sound of her laughter rang through his ears as if an angel had just sung to him, it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. It was full of life and jest, and it was the first time he had ever heard her actually laugh. Stiles would pass her in the hallway and hear a high pitched giggle or forced chuckle come from her mouth, but this was a genuine laugh – it was perfect.

The waitress came by and dropped their food off, Lydia nodded her head at the woman to thank her before her eyes moved to look down at her phone which was now buzzing from Jackson calling her. She looked up at Stiles for a moment and felt her stomach churn and shook her head, quickly pressing the decline button and putting her phone into her bag.

Stiles and Lydia talked and ate and talked some more through the course of their "date", it almost felt like they had known each other their whole lives – well they mostly did but Lydia still swears she didn't know Stiles until that year.

"Come on, Lydia, we were in the same class together! Third grade, Mrs. Applebaum? I sat next to Alexa…your best friend."

"Uh," Lydia held up a finger to protest. "You mean ex best friend."

"Yeah, whatever. I just can't believe you don't remember that." She shrugged her shoulders watching as the waitress came over and put the bill on the table, thanking the two and leaving with their then empty plates. Stiles grabbed it before the woman even walked away and opened the bill with open eyes. Holy shit was Lydia an expensive date and well, frankly being jobless didn't help Stiles either.

He pulled out some crumpled dollars from his pockets and Lydia watched with arched eyebrows, trying her best to not chuckle at the boy who obviously seemed like he was trying to pool together the last penny in his pocket to pay for the meal. She tried to reach over to grab it and Stiles just shook his head, his pride too big to even let her think about paying for it.

"I'm only ever going to be able to take you on a date once, let me at least pay." He said as he put the money plus the tip into the folder and left it on the table. "Ready?" He asked as he stood up. Lydia noticed how much taller he was than her at that moment, his almost six-foot stature towering over hers even in her heels. She grabbed his hand once she was next to him and Stiles was a bit taken back.

"We still have to act like we're a couple," she said simply as she pulled him towards the front door of the restaurant. Stiles waved over to the three that he had left earlier in the night and they just simply rolled their eyes as they were finishing up their night as well.

The two ended up in the parking lot and Stiles walked Lydia over to her car, his free hand moving to the back of his neck and rubbing it slightly.

"I'm sorry if I creeped you out or anything, Lydia, I just knew where Jackson was and I didn't want you to -"

"Thank you," she said as her eyes looked up at him. "I don't need an explanation. I just want to say thank you." Standing up on her tippy toes she gave the boy a quick kiss on the cheek before turning on her heels, walking to the door of her car and opening it. "I'll see you around, Stiles."

"Ye…Yeah, I'll see you around, Lydia." He says as he waves, stumbling backwards away from her. He turns on his heels and sees his dad, Melissa and Scott all waiting for him; he walks towards them with a goofy grin on his face and the sound of Lydia's laughter ringing in his ears. Deep down, he couldn't wait to see her again.