BTSI #8

Been a little bit since I posted an update, so here you guys go! Enjoy!

Scott couldn't help another glance up at his friend. Stiles was engrossed in his homework – so much so that it didn't even look natural for the normally distracted teen. Did he even notice Scott staring at him? Surely not. He would've said something if that were the case, right? Stiles was never one to keep quiet about something that bothered him, but then again, Stiles also didn't seem quite himself.

Scott still had a hard time wrapping his head around it all. After school got out, he did what he could to convince Stiles to go investigate further into the case, but Stiles brushed off the idea and instead invited Scott over to his house so they could study and catch up on homework. So, there they were, sitting like normal everyday teenagers, working on school in Stiles' bedroom. Once or twice Scott tried bringing up something about the case, but it never went anywhere. It seemed that any interest Stiles once had in the strange attacks had faded altogether, and Scott couldn't tell if it was his own fault or if something was really up with his best friend.

"Look man," Scott said at last, finally unable to take the silence. In all the years they'd been friends, there was rarely ever a moment of silence between them. It just wasn't right! "I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously. I understand if you're upset with me, just let me know what I can do to make it right."

For the first time in at least an hour, Stiles looked up from his schoolwork to meet Scott's line of sight. The expression plastered on his face wasn't one of frustration or annoyance. Stiles just seemed… confused.

"I'm not mad at you, Scotty," the teen assured him. "You're my best friend. Sure, you may get under my skin from time to time, but that's what friends do. Friends also don't linger on the past, so it's all good, man. I've barely even thought about it, to tell you the truth."

"Really?" Scott found that a little hard to believe. "You seemed pretty upset yesterday. Are you sure you're not mad?"

"Sure, I'm sure. Yesterday…" Stiles frowned. "I was being a bit of a psycho. I should've slowed down and listened to reason. Hate to admit it, but you were right, Scott. Anyways, isn't it about time we learned to grow up a little? Stop running off on wild goose chases and just ace a test for once?"

Scott couldn't help a little smile. Stiles was right about that. Highschool was passing them right by, and before they knew it, they'd be entering that crazy thing called adulthood where they'd have to go to college, get jobs, maybe even start a family. It would certainly help if they could learn to keep up with their responsibilities before then.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Guess I just never expected to hear those words coming out of your mouth." Scott chuckled, nudging his friend's shoulder. "You better not be going and growing up on me."

Stiles offered a grin in return, finally looking a little more like himself. "Nah, man. You know me. I haven't matured a day since I entered the sixth grade."

"Believe me, I know," Scott assured his friend, feeling a little comforted now that Stiles was at least showing some sense of humor again. "Just have to make sure."

"Yeah, yeah." The freckled teen just shook his head as he returned his attention back to his homework. "What are friends for, right?"

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Stiles groaned, straining against the ropes holding him in place. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn't manage to loosen them. That man – creature – whatever he was – certainly knew how to tie a good knot. It didn't look like Stiles would be getting out of these.

It hadn't even been a day yet, but somehow, he felt like he'd been there an eternity. His ADHD certainly didn't help anything. With his usual dose of Adderall, all of this being tied to a chair with no way of moving and nothing to distract him would've been pretty bad. Without it, it felt like a form of cruel torture.

Any normal person may have given up on struggling with the ropes after the first few hours, but not Stiles. If he didn't move or do something to keep busy, he was sure he'd go crazy. Anytime he sat still, even if it was just for a few moments, he felt like he was trapped crawling within his own skin. He just needed to feel something - do something – even if that meant rubbing his wrists and ankles raw and bloody. At least then he'd have something to keep his mind occupied.

He knew how bad that sounded, and he wasn't normally one to resort to inflicting pain on himself, but there was just a point at which the pain was worth it. There was no telling how long he'd be here if Scott didn't even know he was missing. That could mean many more days of this exact thing: sitting stationary for hours or days at a time with nothing but his own ADHD mind to distract him.

Stiles almost wished Auburn would come back just so he could have a little change in scenery. At this point, he couldn't care less if the creature returned to torment him. There wasn't a whole lot worse he could after leaving Stiles alone for so long with only his thoughts.

He sighed, closing his eyes tightly shut. "Come on, Scotty. You gotta know something's up by now. Just come find me."

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