Gallop.

Her alarm was loud and disorientating as Lydia stretched out her arm to shut it off. She hazily opened her eyes and sighed as she continued to stay in bed. She had been dreading today, she knew why. 3 months. It had been 3 months since her best friend had died and it still wasn't getting easier; yet today she had to act happy and care free and it was slowly killing her. She eventually pushed back her covers and sat up, pulling his jumper's sleeves over her hands before sleepily rubbing her face, her feet dangling off her bed; legs exposed from her PJ shorts. She reached out for the framed photo of her and Allison that she had set on her bed, it was from the end of summer and she remembered Stiles taking it at a party; it was Lydia kissing Allison's cheek, arms wrapped around each other, smiles everywhere. She opened her mouth as if to say something but decided against it. She traced her fingers of the glass and sighed again, trying her hardest to push away the sadness that was threatening to spill over. The sun streamed through the thin white curtains and Lydia gently placed the frame back into position. She finally pushed herself up from her bed and walked over to her mirror; she had a spot about to show on her chin and her hair was doing that incredibly annoying half wavy half straight thing she hated and the bags under her eyes hadn't gone away. "Well," she said with a hint of defeat, "This is as good as it's going to get now."

~*8*~

Stiles sat up groggily to the sound of some overly cheery pop song on the radio, he rolled his eyes before switching stations and pushed himself up out of his bed. His eyes straying to the picture on his wall of him and Allison; it was a total spur of the moment when they actually got to be teenagers for once of her on his back; both soaking wet after the impromptu water fight but it was a reminder that she may have been gone but the memories weren't. He knew today was going to be hard for Lydia. For everyone really, 3 months had felt like 3 centuries and it had not been easy in any shape or form. He shuffled towards the shower and let the hot water wake him up before getting dressed. He hurried down the stairs, shirt undone and hair still wet with one baseball boot in his hand the other in his mouth as he stumbled over steps.

"You alright there?" His Dad asked from behind the newspaper, a small smile on his face.

"Oh yeah I just don't want to be late. I told Lydia I'd give her a ride to school." He said dropping both shoes and doing up his shirt.

"School doesn't start for an hour..." his dad said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yeah I know," Stiles said quickly as he shook his hair out and pulled on one shoe, "I need to go pick something up." He continued with ease.

"Well have you had breakfast?" His dad asked as Stiles slung his back pack over his shoulder.

"What do you think I'm picking up?" Stiles said with a smile as he headed out the door. "Love you!" He shouted over his shoulder as he let the sunshine warm him up.

~*8*~

Lydia examined herself in her mirror; the wine red crop top hugged her in all the right places, exposing a cm of stomach before her denim skater skirt finished it perfectly. The necklace that Allison had gotten her from France hung low and finished the look. She had straightened her hair and twisted the front two pieces behind her head. She gave a small smile in approval before heading down stairs. She slipped on her shoes and planned on sneaking out unnoticed as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Lydia, Honey?" Her mum called from the kitchen, Lydia cursed silently as she backed up a few steps into the kitchen. Her Mum was sitting there nursing a cup of coffee, her dressing gown draped over her shoulders. Lydia glanced at the clock and noticed how early it was; an hour until school starts. Frankly, Lydia just wanted this day to be over with.

"Hey Mum," she said with a small smile, "Stiles is giving me a lift to school." She said quickly seeing her Mum's eyes crinkle a little as she smiled; even as she got older her Mum was still beautiful.

"Okay, see you at school sweetheart." She said as Lydia was about to back up out the door but changed her mind as she quickly strode back in and kissed her Mum on her head.

"Love You Mum." She said with a small smile as she finally walked out the house.

"Oh and Lydia!" her Mum called causing Lydia to stick her head back around the doorway, "Happy Birthday!" Lydia sighed as she opened the front door and stepped outside. She saw Stiles leaning on the front of his jeep; phone in hand not even realising she had appeared. She knew she was early and had planned to walk over to his and grab breakfast on the way but here he was; unpredictable as always. She saw his eyes glance up as she shut the door and saw the smile that appeared on his face, it was like sunshine breaking through the grey fog of grief that so often clouded her vision.

She heard him clear his throat and that's when his horrendously out of key rendition of Happy Birthday began; despite herself Lydia smiled as she walked towards him. When he was finished he pulled out a small pink cupcake with a single lit candle on and held it in front of her with an expectant look on his face. Begrudgingly she blew it out and he handed her the delicious treat.

"I haven't even had breakfast yet." She said arching a perfect eyebrow at him.

"I have that covered to;" he said pulling out a brown Starbucks bag from the Jeep Hood behind him along with two take away cups. "The breakfast of champions."

"I expected nothing less of you." She said with a small smile, the most she could muster in her current state.

"I know that it's um especially hard for you today;" he said scratching the back of his neck nervously, "But I um... I kind of wanted to say try to enjoy it I guess?"

"I know Stiles." She said finally able to give him an actually smile, she stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek making him blush, "I really do appreciate it."

"Okay." He said shyly not meeting her eyes. He had been her rock; hell he had been everyone's rock after it happened; but especially to her. When she had phoned him up crying at 4 in the morning her was there at her side instantly, when she stood at the funeral, his was the hand she held on to for dear life, when she broke down in the middle of the hallway when she saw the memorial to her he was the one who drove her down and spent the day watching movies with.

"So where do you want to eat breakfast?" She asked deciding to make the effort for him.

"I have an idea." He said with a smile as he got into his car.

~*8*~

"I've never been at school so early." Lydia muttered as Stiles dragged her down the empty corridors, the sun streaming in showing Lydia the light particles that floated in the air all around them.

"I don't think anybody ever has." Stiles said with a laugh as he pushed open a door Lydia had never been through before.

"Where are we going?" Lydia asked as she narrowed her eyes at the boy in front of her who was starting on the steps.

"Trust me." He said with a small smile, "It's totally worth it."

"It better be." Lydia muttered as she followed Stiles up the stairs. A few minutes later Stiles opened the door in front of them basking them in the warm sun. Stiles stepped out and opened his arms out wide with a proud grin on his face, Lydia had never been on the roof; hell she didn't even realise the school's roof was this nice. There was wooden panelling on the floor and shelves' overflowing with colourful plants despite the time of year, then at the end of the roof was a beaten up sofa with a coffee table in front of it. "What the holy hell." She muttered under her breath as she looked around, a small smile on her face.

"The gardening club use it. Pretty cool huh?" he said walking towards the sofa and sitting down on it.

"I... how do you know about this?" She asked sitting down next to him, she was aware of his arm around the back of the sofa and almost wished he would move it to her shoulders but he didn't. Ever since Allison Lydia had pulled back slightly; not because she blamed him in any shape or form, but because she felt guilty for enjoying being alive when her best friend wasn't.

"I know people." He said with that infuriating smirk as he handed her a cup, she took a sip and smiled. Of course he knew her coffee order. "Okay, so I have a muffin and a croissant, which one do you want?"

"I don't mind." She said taking the muffin making him laugh.

"You don't mind huh?" He questioned as she took a bite making him laugh.

"Go away." She said jokingly.

"You're stuck with me now Lydia." He said as he took a sip of his own drink. They looked out over Beacon Hills in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the company of each other before Lydia spoke.

"I feel bad being happy today." She said slowly looking over at him, she expected some sort of physical reaction but she got nothing,

"I know." He said simply, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his legs, "We all feel bad when we're happy. We think we're not allowed to be happy anymore."

"Why?" Lydia asked quietly, "I mean she wouldn't want that so why do we feel like this?"

"Because we can't help it..." And that's when it dawned on Lydia, Stiles had been through this before in so many ways, Erica, Heather, Boyd, his Mother and now Allison. "I guess... I don't know." He said with a shrug as he looked over at her. "I think we all need to try though. For her."

"For Allison." Lydia said as she nodded and held up her cup as if to toast her best friend, Stiles followed as they both looked up. She knew her best friend was watching over her and hopefully she would be proud. Of course she'd be proud, it was Allison.

"For Allison."

I still can't believe Allison is really gone. What about Ally A saves the day?! I hope I did this justice... Also I just published the first of some Percy and Annabeth oneshots in the same style as this so it would be cool if you checked them out as they were my first OTP and I've suddenly had serious feelings over them. Anyway I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reading!