A new chapter a day later? Well, don't get used to it lol. let's go forward and meet Stiles' aunt.
September 8th, 2009
Aunt Liz is two years older than his dad, Stiles knows this for a fact, but when he spots her waiting for him as he rolls his suitcases out of the airport, he can't help but think it seems like the other way around. His dad always looks so tired, his eyebags have eyebags of their own and he always comes back from the station looking like the world is weighing him down, while Aunt Liz is practically glowing with her warm smile that refuses to be overshadowed by the Sheriff's uniform she's wearing.
"It's good to see you, Stiles," she greets him with a hug tight enough to let him know that his dad probably explained exactly why he was being forced to move in with her for the year.
"You too Aunt Liz," he says and it's not a complete lie, he still loves his aunt even though he's being forced to be here, "Where's Care?"
"Already left, but you'll be seeing her after class," she explains, reminding Stiles that he arrived on everybody's second day of school instead of during summer break, "we'll stop at the school to finalize some things and you'll start tomorrow."
They stash his luggage in the trunk and get in the cruiser. Stiles hardly gives much thought to the police car since he was used to hitching rides on his dad's cruiser sometimes, instead focusing on Aunt Liz's questions about his life - boring, busy, still no girlfriend thanks for asking - and getting some answers of his own - no new interesting cases, Care's not dating either, he'll be living in the attic bedroom he usually stays in during visits and no she doesn't mind him cooking - while they make their way to the school.
Mystic Falls High School isn't as loud as his school - his old school - but that's probably due to them arriving after classes have already started given the mostly empty hallways. The finalization of the registration process goes smoothly, or at least he thinks so since they end up leaving in less than an hour. The drive to the house is more silent, the fact that he just signed up for school somehow makes everything feel more permanent, and he doesn't notice they've arrived at the house until Aunt Liz is knocking on his window from the outside.
It's a bit less of a struggle than expected to climb up the stairs with two large suitcases, a carry-on, and his school bag, and they get him settled into the attic bedroom - his bedroom - with as little fuss as possible, especially since Stiles knows Aunt Liz is taking time out of her work day to help him with the sudden move. At least she won't have to drive him around for long, his Jeep is getting shipped over and will arrive eventually, he can tag along with his cousin until it arrives.
"I think we should talk," Aunt Liz says from the doorway, stepping into the room and taking a seat on one edge of the bed before patting the space by her side.
"Sure," he holds back a sigh and stands from where he'd been crouched while opening one of his suitcases, walking backward into the side of the bed to sit down.
"I don't want you to think of this as a punishment," she starts in a firm tone, "it's a big change and it might take some time to get used to, but none of us want you to be miserable, Stiles."
"I know that," he huffs but refrains from rolling his eyes, "I'm not miserable, I just-" didn't think he'd give up on me, he thinks but doesn't say it, "I don't deal well with changes."
"Don't I know it," she chuckles, "Remember when you were ten and we decided to repaint the room as a surprise? I swear you slept on the living room couch in protest for a whole week until we agreed to paint it back."
"No one can sleep with such an obnoxious yellow on their walls!" He reiterates what he remembers saying at the time, his mind not changed at all, "Care wanted me to suffer, you just don't admit it because you were in on it."
She shakes her head with a smile and stands up, "Never change, Stiles."
"Scientifically impossible due to cell replacement, but I'll try my best," he quips with a grin, earning a light slap on the shoulder that ends with Aunt Liz's hand staying on it and squeezing slightly.
"You're wanted here, Stiles," she reminds him before stepping away toward the door, "don't forget to fix yourself some lunch, there's leftovers in the fridge and the take-out menus are in the usual place."
"Thanks, Aunt Liz."
"It's so weird without you here dude," Scott's voice tells him over the Skype call, "Jackson's being even more of a jerk."
"Didn't think that was possible," Stiles scoffs, clicking out of the video call to pull up his research tabs, "anything interesting happening?" It would be just his luck if the town finally decided to be interesting right after he left it.
"Uh, there's this new girl in our year, Allison Argent," his friend informed him, "she actually turned up on the first day but you were leaving so I didn't bring it up."
"Allison huh?" He lets his tone turn teasing, "on a scale from weird Becky from journalism club to my strawberry-blonde goddess, how hot is she?"
"Pretty up there," Scott sounds completely besotted, "she looks like… Snow White or something dude, and she's got these dimples when she smiles-"
"Okay lover boy, did you even talk to her?" He rolls his eyes and closes a tab that tells him exactly why the thing he saw in the woods couldn't be a bear, mostly due to the fact that if it was he would be dead.
"Lydia and Jackson flocked right up to her," Scott admits with a sigh, "She did watch tryouts though! I kinda sucked even after all the training, but Coach still let me on the team. Got a feeling I'll ride the pine 'till the end of the season."
"No attacks?" Stiles is sort of impressed, even being on the bench is still better than Scott managed last year.
"Nothing major," his friend replies, "kind of had to sit out by the end, but at least I was free from Jackson's cup-checking."
Stiles winces at the memory of the bully's famous groin shots, "if Danny wasn't on the team, I'd think being a douche and being good at the game were somehow related," he grumbles and closes yet another tab, "how's the clinic?"
"Hm? Same as always," comes the response a while later, "sorry, I gotta go. Have fun!"
The disconnected call tone chimes before Stiles even opens his mouth to answer.
"Sure will Scotty," he mumbles and closes the Skype window before moving away from the computer and getting back to the suitcase open on his bed. He'd put away most things - the PS3 was in a corner to take down to the living room later along with a couple of towels and his bathroom things for the downstairs bathroom - but some of his clothes still needed hanging or folding.
A couple of knocks on his door make him look up right as it opens and a blond hurricane walks right in, squealing in a pitch so high it'd probably make a chihuahua pee on the spot.
"You're here!" Caroline drags him into a hug that's way more energetic than he's feeling at the moment, especially since she keeps bouncing up and down, "I can't believe you get to stay all year!"
"Neither can I," he tries to return with some enthusiasm but it mostly comes out sarcastic, "miss me?"
"Always," she squeezes him once more before letting go and turning her eyes to his suitcase. He sees the exact moment she realizes what's in it from the little frown that appears on her face along with how she scrunches up her nose in distaste, "This is a crime, and now that you'll live here you can't escape the fashion police!" she smirks victoriously at him while picking up one of his plaid shirts.
"What's wrong with plaid?" He whines, grabbing the shirt from her hand, "It's comfy."
"Well, you can be comfy and not look like a lumberjack," she informs him in a superior tone, "I guess it'll do for the party though."
"Party?" His brows rise in question, not having heard of any sort of party.
"There's a bonfire party today, it's a back-to-school thing," she explains, "you're coming, right? I can introduce you to everyone!"
"Care…" he looks from his suitcase to his cousin's cheerful face and sighs. He doesn't want to go straight into a loud - and probably alcoholic - meet and greet with his future classmates, but she won't leave him alone unless he gives her something to work with, "look, I don't feel like partying, but we can go shopping on the weekend and I'll let you pick three new looks for me, alright?"
"Five looks and two shoes," she quips right back, not looking too bothered about his refusal to go, the sneaky blonde.
"Four looks and one pair of shoes," he bargains and knows he's won when she grins at him, or is it the other way around? He doesn't feel like much of a winner.
"Deal," Caroline declares triumphantly, "I've gotta get ready, Bon's picking me up in an hour, see you after the party!"
"Bye Care Bear!" He calls at her retreating back with a shake of his head.
It's the smell that drags him out of his room later that night, one he would usually get in a fight with his dad about but here just makes him speed down the stairs in search of the origin, "are those burgers?" he calls into the house while walking to the kitchen.
"Told you, works like a charm," Caroline's slightly surprised voice greets him as he walks into the kitchen, but it's the girl by her side that has Stiles grinning and rushing forward for a hug.
"Cinnabon!" He squeezes the shorter girl close, she freezes for a moment and he almost backs away before she hugs him right back with a chuckle and the same enthusiasm.
"Where was this reception when I came home?" Caroline grumbles but her slight smile tells them she's not being serious.
"You didn't have burgers," Stiles teases once they separate, rushing to open the paper bags on the kitchen table, "please tell me there's curly fries."
"As if I'd forget," his cousin rolls her eyes and grabs a seat at the other side of the table along with Bonnie.
"So, how was the party? You're back early," he asks, unwrapping his burger and promptly biting into it.
The two trade looks the way he knows he and Scott do sometimes before Bonnie speaks in a grave tone, "There was an attack, so we had to leave."
"Some sort of animal got to Vickie Donovan," Caroline clarifies, stealing one of his fries, "we sobered up on the grill before coming."
"Huh, that's weird," he mutters with a frown, "glad you're alright, how's Matt?"
"In the hospital waiting for news," his cousin shrugs, "he'll keep us updated."
"What's weird?" Bonnie asks, looking curiously at him.
He wipes some sauce from the corner of his mouth before explaining, "It's just that, there was this weird animal attack in Beacon right before I left, and now there's one the day I got here."
"Coincidence," Caroline rolls her eyes.
"Spooky coincidence," Bonnie points out.
"Maybe I'm just a bad-luck charm," his tone is mostly joking but Caroline still kicks him under the table, "Ow, Care!"
"Don't be stupid," she chides before smiling at Bonnie, "so, are you up for a shopping spree? Stiles gave me free rein to get him four new looks this weekend!"
"Sure," she looks at him with a mix of amusement and pity that tells him he'll probably come to regret his recent life choices, "Saturday is game night though, and cheer practice in the afternoon, so it'll have to be Sunday. Are we inviting Elena?"
Stiles tries not to make a face at that, but Caroline definitely notices something even if she doesn't say anything about it.
"She'll probably be busy with Stefan, and you know what I think about her fashion sense," Care points out with some venom, making Bonnie roll her eyes and piquing his interest.
"Stefan?" He doesn't remember anyone by that name from his visits.
"New student," Bonnie explains before looking at Caroline for the details.
"Stefan Salvatore," she recites as if reading a report, some humor filling her eyes, "lives at the Salvatore Boarding House with his uncle, moved away as a kid, military family, Gemini, his favorite color is blue and I've been reliably informed that we're not gonna happen," she sighs.
"There goes the June wedding," Bonnie jokes, making him chuckle and Caroline groan in annoyance.
"He probably wasn't good enough for my baby cousin anyway," Stiles points out, making her preen slightly at the comment even while she frowns at his form of address.
"I'm a month away from seventeen, I'm not a baby!" she pouts.
"Sure aren't Care Bear," he winks and gets back to his burger just as they hear the front door squeak open.
"Is that Bonnie's car up front?" Aunt Liz calls into the house and Bonnie stands up.
"That's my cue," she tells them as they hear footsteps approaching the kitchen, "my dad will wonder what's taking so long."
"Good to see you girls safe," Aunt Liz tells them when she makes it to the kitchen.
"Thanks, ma'am," Bonnie smiles and they say their goodbyes before Aunt Liz walks her out. She comes back to Stiles almost finished with his burger and Caroline stealing some of his curly fries, earning herself one to the face that she makes a point of eating too.
"So…" Stiles drags out the word, giving Aunt Liz an innocent look, "what attacked Vicky?"
"Probably some wild animal, we haven't identified it yet," Aunt Liz gives him a stern look, "don't go prying into it."
"Scout's honor," Stiles grins.
"You were kicked from the scouts," Caroline points out.
"It's the intention that counts," he rebuts with mock offense.
They end up talking some more about the attack, enough for Stiles to learn that Caroline saw her bleeding from the neck, but Aunt Liz cuts the subject short with questions about his readiness for school the next day, which sends Caroline on a rant about teachers and which ones he'll love or hate, especially since he's mostly taking AP classes and that puts him with Mr Tanner who's apparently a grade A asshole. He's looking forward to it, anything is better than another year full of undeserved detentions with Harris.
It's only when he's getting ready to sleep that he takes out the bandage the nurse put on his side at the hospital, wiping away some dry blood with a wet towel only for his eyes to widen at the sight of a completely unblemished patch of skin with no bite wound in sight.
Weird.
I linked an AI-generated image of Stiles' bedroom to the chapter in Ao3 but this website doesn't let me do that so oh well. If you'd like to see it, just search up this story name or Yumeori on Ao3 and you'll find it there.
Any thoughts or guesses? I'm happy to read them!