It's been six weeks and Stiles hadn't changed much, his father threw himself into work. They rarely said anything at dinner- they rarely said anything ever. Mostly just sat staring at each other his father grip on the bottle tightened as he stared at Stiles. His mother died six weeks ago and he was just in the beginnings of his final year in middle school; Scott had a asthma attack recently so lacrosse practice was even more boring with his mother being worried about him playing. Not that Stiles or Scott for that matter ever left the bench but with his number burning a hole on his back he couldn't quit now. Walking around today was a game day and Scott again was benched, well they both were. Today he struggled to tie his tie; away games the sports teams wore dress clothes. His father wasn't around to help so early this morning Stiles dropped in on a McCall argument to get help with his tie.
"The boy is perfectly fine, if he's not on that field tonight I am not sitting through another game of him doing nothing! I have work to finish so I can move on, Melissa!"
"You were not there! That attack was a big one and I won't have it happen in the middle of a game when I can't get to him! He's sitting out and that's final!" Melissa rushed out of the room and nearly ran Stiles over as she came up the stairs. "Stiles! How did you get….?" she shook her head probably not wanting to know the answer, Stiles had his ways. She looked down at him struggling with shaking hands and she took hold of his hand and lightly moved it leaning on the wall her head beside a baby photo of Scott smiling too wide with several missing teeth. Stiles jumped when he heard the door slam from downstairs, Melissa didn't even flinch while she talked him through the steps. She flicked his nose when he wasn't paying attention before finishing it and checking the space between his neck and the tie, no need to choke.
"Thank you." he said and walked back downstairs while she stood watching him, Stiles didn't notice but his mouth was twitching and he was tapping his fingers against his side. Melissa noticed and she looked up the stairs Scott was probably at the same place he was stuck with his tie. "Scott?" she called up to him. "You're gonna be late." she called stepping down the stairs after Stiles. He was sitting in the living room with his book bag she could see the boy's hands trembling. "When was the last time you slept….through the night." she added before he could respond.
"What's today?"
Melissa sighed and looked at him, "Friday." Stiles' eyes went wide for a moment as he figured it was best to lie.
"Tuesday." lie, he hadn't slept since last week. Or at least slept well, he normally got home after practice and shoved anything he could down his throat to eat and pulled the bottle from his father's hands and moving him if he could carry him to his room if not the couch.
Scott saved him from Melissa's knowing glare, Stiles was a bad liar she just patted him on the back and walked over to fix Scott's tie. His father was worthless all Stiles could think about while he waited. They were too grown to be driven to school they'd take the bus. Melissa kissed Scott on the head, telling him she'd be at his game no matter what. Stiles walked past her and Melissa coughed, "Excuse me, Stilinski." her head was tilted when he turned back to her. Stiles smiled a little and walked back over to his friend's mom, she gave him a hug he needed and didn't smell like alcohol or musk. She repeated the forehead kiss before telling him the same thing. "I'll be there will bells on." she smiled patting Stiles on the back. "Twenty-four hours always." Stiles stopped and looked down then back at her and she winked, he walked to the bus repeating what she said. Stiles could swear Melissa's voice was hopefully different when she said it he could almost hear his mother.
School went by and Coach on the bus gave this speech, from a movie. Scott and Stiles talked about Television the bus ride, but when they got off Stiles drifted into his own thoughts in the parking lot he fanaticized seeing his mother's red car with the bobble head black cat on the dash sitting off to the side like 's. She got there even before they did, She held out Gatorade for Scott and glared at the back of Stiles when he walked past. But she caught up with him and handed him his water, no sugar for him. "Your welcome." she smiled and walked back to the stands. Turning around he looked for his father but his eyes landed on the beautiful strawberry blonde hair not far from she didn't even look at him but Stiles told himself she was here to watch him though when his stick got knocked onto the floor he remembered who she was actually here for.
The game came and went with Jackson scoring four of the teams nine points, Scott and Stiles sat on the bench not even watching the game after awhile, Scott was playing with his lacrosse stick and Stiles was- he was….drifting. Her face the last time she spoke to him, cold and quiet. His shoulders were the only thing that let Melissa behind him know he was breathing. Staring at the grass in front of him he didn't even hear, "Look out!" black.
The ball hit Stiles square in the eye, and he didn't hear or see anything until he was sitting in the back of the ambulance. Melissa waving a bright light in his eye, the only one he could see out of. "Ow." he groaned and she smiled at him holding an ice pack on his face until he took it and held it. "Not deadly just bruised for a few days.
Coach walked up to him, really closer to his face than he needed. "Stilinski! Get the magnet off your face! Didn't you hear McCall? He McCalled for you." he looked around for a laugh but Melissa blinked staring at him and Stiles was not in the mood to laugh. "Tough crowd." he mumbled walking away.
Melissa drove Scott home first, which was shocking but she had him bring a bag out to the car before she drove Stiles home.
"You go upstairs, change and lay down. I'll bring you up another ice pack." she was coming in. He had no idea what state his father would be in. But he followed her instructions and opened the door and took to the stairs.
"Melissa…sorry- hello." he heard his father hiccup, crap he was drunk. He changed his clothes and came downstairs to an amazing smell- actual food.
"Bowl, Stiles." Melissa smacked his hand as he reached for the spoon in the chili. She handed him a handful of chips before she left the kitchen. He heard his father grunt and slow moving groups of steps, he picked up his chili and walked into the hallway. She was moving him upstairs, Stiles would have did it. "Ice pack, Stilinski." he jumped and walked back into the kitchen to grab a ice pack and sat down to eat- by himself.
His mother was against them eating in different places, the table or don't eat.
Melissa came back in and checked his eye before sitting down with him, "What about Scott?"
She shrugged, "I will teach him to find something to eat if it's the last thing I do. He can fend for himself tonight." Stiles stared at her blinking, bull crap. "I left Chili for him and heating instructions." she smiled and patted his hand. "Stiles, you eat everyday? Sleep evernight? Right?" she asked and Stiles lowered his head blowing on the warm chili. "Stiles- I can get you to a doctor so he can give you something for sleeping and this Chili should last for a week- you can make a warm sandwich. Dip it with chips- the note tells you how to heat it. I'll bring something else…Thursday." she looked at him for awhile and Stiles just kept eating.
"Can I be excused?" he asked and she nodded taking his bowl and watched him run up the stairs holding the ice pack to his face. He laid facing the wall in his room, he fell asleep and the cool ice melting against his face felt very nice against his warm body.
"Mom!" he shouted jolting from bed, "Mom!" he called and looked around his eyes taking longer to adjust. No one was coming, he laid back down just as the door cracked open. He pretended to just sleep, Melissa came in and took his ice pack and felt his forehead and under his jaw her cold hands made his eyes flutter. "Oh Stiles." he heard her sigh and get off the bed. Leaving him to actually sleep a little more before he rolled over and looked out the window watching the sun come up.
He heard his father walking around and leave for work, it was Saturday he'd watch TV all day. But when he left his room he heard talking and people downstairs. His head felt like a bus was dropped on it, "Stiles? You get back into bed or I'm body slamming you." he heard and turned with his tooth brush in his mouth to look at Scott and his mother standing in the hallway.
"Whuu-?" he asked and Scott nodded toward his room, Melissa with a smile waved him back toward his room.
"Come on, sleep a little more." was she here all night because she must have known his eye only closed for so long.
Stiles complied and laid down and Scott hung out with him for awhile he watched the boy play video games and for some reason the sounds put him to sleep.