The four friends all sip at their coffee cups, enjoying the warm day with the sun shimmering in through the window. Stiles takes a seat next to Lydia, whilst Scott and Allison claim the other sofa for themselves and the start giggling softly to each other.

"Guess who text me while Scott and I were getting the coffee," Stiles grins and Lydia shrugs.

"No idea. Who?" she starts to get an uncomfortable feeling in her chest at the way he's smiling. She doubts that he would be like this if his dad had text him.

Instead of answering, Stiles takes out his phone and turns it around, much like he had done when showing Lydia the Facebook status about Scott and Allison, so that she could read the screen.

Sophia – You have yet to text me and ask me out, so I thought I might speed up the process ;) Wanna hang out after school Monday? X

Stiles – Sorry I have lacrosse tryouts after school Monday. Rain check?

Sophia - How about I come and watch you play and then we go out afterwards and we can hang? X

Stiles – Sure, sounds good. Dinner?

Sophia – See you Monday x

Lydia forces a fake smile as she gets to the end of the texts. She's so mad that this 'Sophia' girl can watch his lacrosse practice, something that's very important to him, and she can't. She's even more infuriated that Sophia gets to go out with him for dinner afterwards as well.

"So you're going on a date with her?" Lydia swallows hard and Allison turns her attention to their conversation at the mention of a date.

"Yeah looks like it," he nods and smiles, "She seems nice – better than Malia seemed. I think this might be okay"

"That's great," Lydia lies her ass off, "I really hope it is" Another lie.

Allison gives her a quick apologetic glance and Lydia shrugs at her, acting as if she will easily get over it and that it's not a big loss. It is, however, a huge loss and she wants to burst into tears right there and then.

They all sit around and chat for hours. Stiles and Scott eventually start a huge Xbox war with Ally on Scott's team, cheering him on and Lydia on Stiles'. They get really into it, the girls screaming in delight whenever their 'team-mate' kills the other player and groaning loudly when they get killed themselves.

Being a school night for most of them, Scott drives Allison home at around 6:30pm. This leaves Lydia and Stiles alone together again, but this time she doesn't feel comfortable. All she can think about is Sophia and how she's going to be out with her Stiles.

"Lydia, I think you need to go home," Stiles tells her and she looks over at him. He smiles sadly at her and purses her lips in embarrassment.

"It's okay if you don't want me here, I'll find somewhere else to go. Allison's dad will probably have me, he's pretty fond of me," Lydia rambles, gathering her shirt in her fists and playing with it nervously.

"No, Lydia it's not that I don't want you around. I would let you stay here all week if that's what you wanted," he takes her hand and un-coils her fingers so that she releases her shirt.

"You would?" she gazes into his eyes, yet again, and can see the sparkle behind them.

"Of course I would," he laughs slightly and then the corners of his lips drop a bit but not completely, leaving a hint of a smile there still. "I just think that you need to patch things up with your Mom. You need to tell her how you feel and listen to how she feels…"

"Stiles it won't work like that," Lydia buts in, "I'll say one thing and she'll cut in with her opinion and we will just end up getting into another huge fight," she sighs heavily.

"I doubt she will now that she knows you're willing to leave," he insists, "Just try it and I promise, if you get into another fight, my door is always open for you," he smiles softly and she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him into an embrace.

"Thank you so much Stiles," she whispers to him and he squeezes her gently.

An hour later, Lydia is sitting in the passenger side of Stiles' Jeep outside her house. The lights are on downstairs, showing her that her Mom is home. She kind of hoped that she would be out so she could do this another time.

"Hey, I'm only fifteen minutes away. Call me for anything and I'll be here as soon as I can," he reassures her and she breathes out and smiles thankfully at him.

Lydia exits the car and slowly heads towards her door. She turns one last time to look at Stiles, she doesn't know why. Maybe because she needs a little more reassurance and she knows he can deliver. He nods at her, silently telling her that she's got this and then backs the Jeep out of her drive and turns the corner. Now she can't change her mind.

She takes the spare key out from underneath the second plant pot on the right, the one her mother always leaves it under, and opens her front door. Within seconds Natalie is stood in the hallway with her arms folded over her chest.

"Mom… I," Lydia tries to think of how to start but then she breaks down into tears. Her mother soon does too, rushing over to her daughter and pulling her against her into a hug.

"Lydia, I'm so sorry," Natalie sobs, brushing Lydia's hair behind her ear and then pulling away to look at her face.

"I'm sorry too," Lydia smiles, hugging her Mom again. "I think we should talk about some stuff"

They talk for ages, discussing the things they believe should change in the house and their relationship with each other. They agree that they need to spend more time with each other and also that Lydia's mom needs to care more for her daughter and actually seem concerned about what's wrong with her. However, Natalie firmly disagrees with less time at work and even suggests that she gets some overtime so that they have extra money to do more things.

"No Mom, overtime defeats the whole purpose. How are we supposed to do stuff together if you aren't here?" Lydia points out.

"Okay, no overtime," Natalie nods, seeing Lydia's point.

They find out more about each other's lives in the hour they talk than they have in their whole lives together. Lydia even tells her about Stiles and how she feels about him.

"I just… I really like him and it's the first time I've felt this in a long time," she admits, "Now it's over before it even started"

"You don't know that sweetheart. When I saw you two together, he seemed like he really loved you. I've never seen any of the other guys you've been with look at you that way," her mom insists and Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, Mom, that's because all they wanted was sex"

"Exactly. And Stiles doesn't look at you like that because he wants more from you," she laughs and Lydia sighs.

"He just wants to be friends. That's why he's going on a date with Sophia tomorrow night," Lydia sadly tears up a napkin sitting next to her and makes a pile on tiny tissue scraps.

"Who's this girl?" her mom asks curiously.

"Just some girl that asked him out. I'm not sure who she is; I don't think I know her," Lydia shrugs and her mother hums. "What?"

"He didn't ask her out, did he? She asked him. Doesn't that tell you a lot?"

"No because you didn't hear what he was saying. He said it felt different with her from the last girl he went on a date with and he thinks this one will be okay," Lydia argues and she doesn't know why. She wants to believe her mom and think that Stiles really does love her, but she doesn't.

"Look, maybe I'm wrong and he does want to just be your friend. What do I know, It's been a while since I was a teenager right? But I seriously think he likes you and that this date won't lead anywhere so don't worry," Natalie rubs her daughters shoulder as she stands up. "I'm going to bed; I have to work in the morning. Goodnight sweetheart"

"Night Mom"

Lydia hopes that her mother is right about the date part. She doesn't want Stiles to get a girlfriend, not unless it's her.