Hi readers :). So there's a few of you receiving the alerts now, so I don't feel quite as silly leaving these notes. Thank you so much for putting this on alert. I was honestly surprised on Sunday morning when I woke up to like 20 emails in my inbox for this, so I send virtual hugs to all of you, especially the people who reviewed. This chapter of the story takes up after the current season's story line.

This story is called Circles, and I still intend to let the characters skirt around one another, but some of the circles implied are already in the show, so that's part of where the title comes from. This story is supposed to be canon compliant at the current time. Assume, though, that the Alphas have been dealt with and the Darach has been taken care of.

I'm not sure you do this on this website, but I've never cared much for rules, so this chapter is also dedicated to GorditaBossinova who was my first (ever) reviewer. Much love your way. Now on to the good stuff. xxx

II

Three Years Later

Lydia was lounging by the pool, letting her body soak in the heat. Scott and Allison were playing around in the deep end of her pool, splashing each other with water and Stiles was inside getting sodas for everybody. After the drama of Junior year, Lydia was enjoying the time she had to herself to just relax and spend with friends.

"Lydia, come in! The water's so nice," Allison called to her.

"I'm enjoying the sun. Besides, if I wet my hair I would be ruining two hours work, and that simply wouldn't do," Lydia replied, flipping onto her stomach and pulling her hair forward to reveal her porcelain shoulders. Allison smiled at her and then gasped when Scott splashed her right in the face.

"Hey!" Allison protested.

"You never said the game was off," Scott teased her.

"Oh you just wait," Allison told him and jumped on him, surging water towards him and pushing his head under.

"Hey! If you kill my best friend, you undo all the work Lydia and I just did to save his sorry ass," Stiles' voice floated out through the doorway he had just stepped through. He had one hand on his hip and a tray balanced on the other. Lydia smiled at his joke. Over the course of the past year she and Stiles had formed a steady friendship while solving the mystery of the Darach. Now all was said and done, she had found that she actually liked him for who he was- a quirky, interesting and smart person who made her smile at least once a day. Lydia had found that in lieu of Scott and Allison getting back together, Stiles had been the one she had turned to on more than one occasion when she needed some time away from the books to just hang out. Stiles- while still admiring her on the most basic level- had lost the nervous disposition he had once held around her and treated her as an equal and a friend. He was also one of the only people who rivalled her in academics, which was saying a lot. Stiles had moved towards her while she was lost in thought, and selected a drink from the tray, before bending to her level with a flourish and saying, "a drink for the lady."

"Thanks," Lydia replied, taking the drink from him with only a slight brush of fingers. She grabbed the wedge of lime from the rim of the glass and sucked on it, before taking a sip of the drink itself. It was a Lemon, Lime and Bitters- her favourite- and it was freshly mixed. Lydia gave Stiles a direct and special smile she reserved for only the truly deserving, and he dimpled back at her before placing the try of drinks on the low table next to Lydia's lounge, pulling off his shirt and jumping into the pool.

The late summer sun had started to set, and there was a definite chill in the air. Scott and Stiles were sitting at the kitchen island chopping vegetables and Allison was at the bench slicing up strips of chicken and tofu. Lydia was currently preparing the boiling water for the egg noodles they planned to mix into the dish. The others were always amazed at how well they worked together, but Lydia had considered why this was and had come to the conclusion that it was because they all balanced each other out. Scott was impulsive where Stiles was measured and (despite the ADHD) patient. Allison was idealistic where Lydia was jaded. They all worked well together because they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and worked to the best of their abilities. And, despite their differences, they all honestly and genuinely liked each other.

Lydia's strawberry blonde hair was pulled up into a bun on the top of her head to keep it away from the food, and she had donned a cream coloured merino wool sweater to keep her bare arms and shoulders warm. Despite the warm weather of the day, California had a trend where it dropped it's warmth at night in favour of cool breezes. Her deft hands moved quickly and she carefully separated the noodles with her fingers before dropping them into the water to soak for a few minutes. Allison had started frying off the meat and tofu, and both Scott and Stiles were bringing their cutting boards around to place on the bench next to the stovetop so that Allison could add the vegetables when she was ready. Lydia left the bowl of noodles to soak and quickly rinsed her hand, scrubbing around her nails to ensure they were clean. Scott and Stiles quickly followed suit. Lydia had turned back to her preparations and was fishing a colander out of one of the drawers when a hand was suddenly placed on her lower back. She shrieked with surprise and promptly dropped the colander onto the floor causing a loud, metallic crashing noise. Lydia heard Scott and Allison spin around to check on her. The hand quickly removed itself from her and gently touched her shoulder, spinning her around. Frightened green met concerned golden brown, and Lydia realised that it had been Stiles who had unintentionally scared her.

"I'm really sorry Lydia," he was apologising, stroking one of her arms. "I was just going to ask where the plates are so I could set the table. I honestly didn't mean to scare you."

Lydia caught her breath, shook her head and smoothed her sweater down before smiling at Stiles and saying, "it's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm not hurt, you just gave me a fright. The plates are in the cupboard under the vase on the kitchen island." Stiles looked her over, his gaze skating down her legs and back up to her eyes before he was satisfied. He pulled his arm back, and turned to set the table. Lydia smiled at Allison before bending to pick up the colander and rinse it under the water.

The food was resting on clean, white plates and sending swirls of steam up into the air. Lydia, Stiles and Allison were sitting at the table and Scott was brining over a pitcher of water. Lydia was absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair around her finger when she looked up to see two pairs of concerned eyes on her. A line formed on her forehead, and she let out a frustrated huff of breath as Scott sat down and began pouring water into glasses.

"Look, I know you didn't mean to scare me, Stiles. I'm really okay. But the fact that you think that I'm not shows me how much you care. So I'm going to forgive the pitying looks you're giving me graciously, and we aren't going to talk about this again, okay?" Lydia told her friends. Allison shook her head and smiled a little. Stiles was frowning at her, but he let it go and gave Lydia a look that plainly said that the discussion wasn't over just yet. Scott picked up a fork and looked to Allison who said, "well, we should eat before it gets cold. Dig in." They all did.

Half empty plates brought conversation, and school was on everyone's mind as of late.

"My dad told me that I got into the AP English course I wanted, so I'm happy. I'm just ready for this year to be over so we can leave all this Werewolf drama behind," Allison said, reaching for Scotts hand under the table.

"I passed everything last year pretty well, but I'm still in average people classes. I'm just happy that we're back together," Scott smiled back at Allison. Lydia felt the green monster come back in under her skin in that moment, but forced a small smile. Letting go of Jackson had been hard, and living with the reminder that she was alone had been one of the most trying things she had ever had to go through. With her best friend busy in a relationship, Lydia had realised how much time she had spent with Jackson over holiday periods. It was easier with time, but there was still a small hole in her heart where she carried the loss she was living with.

"Well, I finally talked the administration into putting me into AP Chem and Physics, so I hope the teachers are ready to have their classes turned upside down. What are you taking, Lydia?" Stiles jerked Lydia of of her reverie.

"Huh?" she sounded dazed and rude, but she moved her gaze to him.

"I asked what subjects you were taking this year," Stiles reiterated.

"AP Chem, Physics, English, Geometry and French. Then I'm taking a long distance course to study Arabic. I tried to get into a university level course for mathematics, but the school said six subjects was already too many," Lydia said distractedly. She had been looking at her nails for three seconds when she realised that the conversation had not continued. Lydia looked up to find one smirk and two wide-eyed gazes staring at her.

"What?" she asked bitchily.

"Lydia? How smart are you, exactly?" Scott asked her.

"In what context?" Lydia questioned him.

"In terms us mortals can understand," Scott joked.

"I have an IQ of one hundred and sixty-seven, I speak five languages fluently, I can read and write in eight and I have an eidetic memory," Lydia summarised. Scott and Allison just looked at her.

"An IQ of 160 is genius level. Just in case you didn't know," Stiles helpfully supplied. His smirk had become a smile; a full-blow, dimple popping smile. Lydia had realised some time ago that he was the only person who knew how smart she really was. She had never told him her actual scores, but somehow he had always seen that she shone brighter than the people around her.

"Then why do you act like an airhead?" Scott blurted. Allison gave him a you-should-really-stop-talking look, but he continued with, "honestly. If you're seriously that exceptional, shouldn't you like, be in a gifted school or something. Seriously. Why would you choose a public high school?"

Lydia had given the matter a lot of thought. Her mother had actually offered her a gifted school option when her parents first got divorced. But, despite all her mother's reassurances that she would fit in better, Lydia had decided that she would prove her mother wrong and fit in perfectly at a normal school. In her first year at Beacon Hills, Lydia had moved along the social ladder quickly. Jackson had become a rising star on the Lacrosse team, and- not long after the first semester had begun- he had finally, finally asked her out on a date. They had gone to the movies, and he had kissed her, and it was totally perfect. And it had been perfect for a year. But then Scott had become a Werewolf, and Jackson had retreated into himself like a snail into it's shell, and Lydia had been left alone. Her new friend Allison had been caught up into Scott and all her other friends had become bored with her one-track, Jackson-obsessed mind. And then everything had become dark for a while. But- like a comet crossing the sky- everything had lit up again. She and Allison were both single for a summer, and they had grown on their own terms. Allison had immersed herself in France, and Lydia had immersed herself in maths. She had completed several of the electives for her first year of university and when she and Allison had finally had time to catch up, the Alpha pack had showed up and the Darach had started sacrificing people and it had become one big mess. But, now it was over, Lydia was a much stronger person because of it. And in the end, that was why she had chosen to go to a public high school. Lydia could get whatever she needed academically by taking AP classes and correspondence courses, but going to school with geeks would never have given her the life experience that Beacon Hills did. If she had gone to the school her mother had wanted, she would probably be a demure, quiet math whiz who had a demure, quiet boyfriend. They would hold hands and discuss theorems. But nothing more. Through all the trials and time, she had friends who were not only ten times more interesting, but actually accepted her for what she was without being exceptional themselves. She had- in her own way- outsmarted her mother, who, really, had only wanted her to go to a good school to prove that she was a better parent without her husband. Lydia looked up at her friends faces. Allison, calm and compassionate, but dangerous if you crossed her. Generous and warm-hearted Scott who honestly was a good guy and a protector. Stiles. There wasn't really any way to describe him.

"Because there are less hot boys at smart schools," Lydia told him. Scott laughed out loud, Allison bit back a smile and Stiles shook his head. And, in their own way, that was how her friends accepted who she really was.

Allison and Scott had left apologetically after Allison received a text from her father saying that he wanted to talk to her before she went to bed. Stiles had stuck around, helping Lydia to stack the dish washer and wipe down the benches and table. They worked in companionable silence for the most part, Stiles occasionally humming the notes to some song. Lydia was putting the detergent into the tray, when Stiles turned to her and asked her, "why did you really choose to go to a public school. You know that anywhere you went you'd have your pick of guys. Why Beacon?"

She knew he would ask. Stiles always saw through the bluster she put on. He understood her neuroses. She had always put it down to his ADHD. But it was more than that. Stiles understood her on a core level.

"Honestly? I was a naive fourteen year old who wanted to prove her cow of a mother wrong about me. But I was right about one thing- I learned more at Beacon Hills than any first-class school could have ever given me. If I hadn't chosen this path, then I know for a fact I wouldn't be as strong. Or as fashionable," Lydia answered him, trying her hardest not to snark.

"I think you're wrong, Lydia. You are the strongest person I know. But you are a force to be reckoned with. You always have been. Remember that party before freshman year started? At Greenburg's house? You were feisty even then," Stiles told her, honest and blunt as usual. Lydia didn't quite know what to say to that. She did remember that night. More than one detail that he didn't know, too. But she had sworn herself to secrecy after Jackson had admitted he liked her. And, in the end, it didn't matter.

"I was, wasn't I? Good to know I haven't lost my touch. Now get out Stilinski. I need to finish reading an essay on particle physics before I go to bed, and we have school in the morning," Lydia had put up the walls again. She had realised too late that they had been down far too much around Stiles recently. But Stiles only smiled, accepting her as she was and nodded, picking up his phone off the counter where he had left it earlier and heading towards the front door. Lydia followed him and stood in the door frame. Stiles got into his beat-up blue Jeep, and reversed out of her driveway. He paused for a second and waved at her. Lydia lifted one elegant hand in reply and Stiles drove off down her street, stealing away into the night.

Lydia closed the door with a light 'snick' and turned the lock, before checking the rest of the doors on the lower level of her house. She the padded up the stairs and into her bedroom's en suite, stripping off slowly to take a shower. She switched the water on to hot, and started to wash her hair. Stiles got her (as much as she hated to admit it) more than Jackson ever had. But she was sworn off men. After last year, she just wanted to concentrate on her studies. She had an unspoken rule that even though boys were fun, mathematics was forever more elegant and important in her life. Lydia shook the thoughts of Stiles from her head as she began to shave her legs. Tomorrow was the first day of school and she was ready to finish her Senior year, graduate, go to Berkley on a full scholarship for academic merit and win a Fields' Medal. That was her life plan. And nothing ever stopped Lydia Martin from getting what she wanted.

P.S. I really, really love constructive criticism, so if there's something you think I haven't got right I'd love to know. Seriously, I want this to be a really effective writing practice, so don't hesitate. It's all helpful.

P.P.S. I have a Stydia Martinski playlist, so if you'd like me to include a list of the songs in the next chapter, let me know :) x