Author's Note: So this chapter is about the double date! I was really excited to hint a bit about Lydia and Stiles' past. Also this chapter is really big for Scott/Stiles and Lydia/Allison friendship stuff. Enjoy!

They sat at the table together. It was awkward. Stiles knew it wasn't going to be a picnic. Scott was shy, so was Allison, and Lydia was pretty much incapable of having a civil conversation with him. Stiles had thought he picked the right place. A burger joint that would be familiar and non threatening but also fun. He thought he'd psyched Scott up. But nothing was happening.

"How long have you two been friends?" Allison asked Stiles, breaking the silence.

"Me and Scott?" Stiles could have kissed Allison for pulling the conversation out of a lull. "Since kindergarden. We met on the first day of school."

"You're not telling them the best part," Scott interjected. "Some kid was picking on me and Stiles told him that his dad was the sherif and that he would have him arrested if he ever messed with me again."

Allison laughed. The corner of Lydia's mouth turned up. Stiles ducked his head, suddenly a bit self conscious.

"And you, Lydia?"

Lydia shook her head, like she didn't want to talk about it.

"Lydia moved to Beacon Hills when we were in third grade, right?" Scott asked. Stiles tried to recall if this was true.

"First, actually." Lydia responded, not unkindly. "I wasn't in your class then, but the next year and pretty much every year after that I was."

"Right," Scott nodded, giving Lydia a friendly smile. "I remember! You sat between me and Stiles in fourth grade."

"Yes," Lydia's smile tightened. "I was the one who passed your notes to each other."

"But then that would make you the girl who-"

It was at this exact moment that Lydia kicked him in the shin. Hard. Stiles let out a grunt as pain coursed through his leg.

"Sorry," Lydia said through gritted teeth. "Stiles, do you want to pick something out on the jukebox with me?"

Lydia darted out of the booth before Stiles could respond and Stiles had to practically limp to follow her across the diner.

"What the hell was that?" Stiles asked her.

"Allison doesn't know," she told him, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

"That the date is fake?" he asked. "Yeah, I know that."

"No," Lydia hung her head. "She doesn't know what everyone at school thinks of me. She doesn't know why I haven't had friends. She doesn't know that I'm the girl who sent you an embarrassing Valentine's Day card complete with an original poem. Which is one of the most humiliating things I've ever done and of course you don't even remember it. So please... shut up about it."

Lydia turned her attention to the jukebox. The bright lights and shining CDs reflected onto her skin and her hair. And at this moment, it was hard for Stiles to understand how he possibly could have forgotten a thing about her.

"Okay," he said. "Sorry. For bringing it up. And for forgetting."

Lydia fed quarters into the machine and purposefully punched the faded buttons in.

"Thanks," she said, glancing up at him. "I still don't like you, though."

"Why not?" Stiles asked, unable to keep the complete and utter aggravation out of his voice. He had been polite, he had apologized, he'd dressed up to show her he respected her. What else did she want?

Lydia just rolled her eyes and turned on her heel.

Lydia felt bad. This date was not supposed to be about her and Stiles. This date was supposed to be about Scott and Allison. And what had she done so far? Acted like a surly child and stormed off because she was embarrassed about something that happened when she was nine? Lydia was way better than that. She was not going to let this stupid jock get the best of her.

Scott and Allison were making small talk but it was clear that both of them felt kind of awkward. Lydia didn't blame them. It's not like she would know what to do on a real date. But it was like she could see the gears turning away in both their minds, desperately trying to think of the right thing to say. And it's not like she and Stiles had given them a very comfortable environment in which to talk. Which was kind of the whole point of this double date thing in the first place. Well, most of the point. And maybe this was mostly her fault. Crap.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Lydia announced, hopping out of her seat and praying that this would work. She shot Allison a glance. Without a thought, Allison followed suit.

"We'll be right back," Allison headed for the bathroom and Lydia shot a look at Stiles that hopefully said: do something.

"What's going on?" Allison asked, making sure that no one else was in the bathroom with them.

Lydia knew that there was nothing else to do but come clean.

"This date is a set up. We're only here because Stiles knew Scott liked you and I knew you liked him and we wanted to help you guys get together."

"So you don't like Stiles?" Allison asked, eyes widening.

"I kind of hate him," she replied. She braced herself for Allison to storm out or accuse her of being a liar.

"Then why did you agree to go out on a double date?"

"Well," she said. "I kind of didn't know it was happening until it was already a thing and knew you liked Scott and I wanted to help and- I've never had a friend like you before and I just wanted to do the right thing. I'm sorry I lied. Can you please forgive me?"

For a minute, Allison just stared at her. Lydia prepared for the worst. But before she knew what was happening, Allison had pulled her into a huge hug.

"Never lie to me again, okay?" Allison asked.

"Okay," Lydia agreed. Unable to believe her luck.

Allison pulled back from the hug.

"And you're a really good friend."

Lydia teared up against her will.

"So how exactly did you get you get roped into this?"

"Dude," Stiles tried his best to calm Scott down but nothing was working. Scott had spent the whole night discretely wiping his sweaty palms on his napkin. He was on his third. "You need to chill out. She's a girl. The worst thing that can happen is that she's not interested."

"You don't think she's interested?" Scott was panicking.

"I didn't say that," Stiles tried to assure him.

"But you think it's a possibility?" Scott's voice went up an octave like it always did when he was nervous.

"She'd be crazy not to be into you, man. We just need to get you two talking about something you both like. I bet she's just as nervous as you are."

"Yeah, right," Scott scoffed. "She's probably in there telling Lydia how stupid she thinks I am."

"If anything," Stiles said. "Lydia's telling Allison how stupid I am."

"She really doesn't like you," Scott said.

"I've noticed," Stiles grumbled, tearing his napkin to shreds absentmindedly.

"That must really bother you," Scott said.

"What?" Stiles crushed the tiny bits of napkin in his hand. "Bother me? It doesn't bother me? Why would I be bothered?"

"Well, well, well," a shadow was cast over their table. "If it isn't Brokeback Beacon Hills. Out on a date, you two?"

Stiles looked up to see Jackson Whitmore giving them his smuggest smile. Cora Hale was on his arm, with a similar look pasted on her face. This was definitely not going to help Scott's stress levels. Or Lydia's.