𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗻𝘁

Slow Motion

"Scott, where the hell are you?" I finish leaving the voicemail and hang up.

The door swings open and Scott walks in, his boxers leaving a trail of water droplets on the floor behind him. The smell of chlorine fills my nostrils and I grimace.

"I don't wanna ask," I shake my head, "but why are you partially nude and...wet? Wow... there was no way I could have worded that without it sounding wrong."

"I think I slept walked? I ended up in some middle aged mans pool." He grabs a towel out of his hamper and starts drying his hair.

"That isn't concerning at all." I respond sarcastically, throwing clothes onto Scott's bed. "Here is an outfit, you don't have time to shower, I don't wanna be late for my second day of school."

I walk out of the room and start heading down the stairs. "Today is block schedule, right? Then I have no classes with you today, but I will see you at Stiles' house after school."

✿

The warmth of my sweatshirt forces me to fight sleep as I sit in my boring math class. I jump and snap back to reality when I hear a whisper come from behind me.

"Maeve!"

I turn around and stare at Stiles, who's face is only about 2 inches away from mine.

"So, I was thinking-"

"You smell good, like mint." I cut him off, feeling the need to share my observation, as I had never noticed the smell before.

"Thanks! Anyways, I was thinking that you could see if Lydia wants to come over to my house with you today. If I can just get her to notice me, maybe I can-"

I roll my eyes and turn back around, shutting out Stiles' words.

Of course, it's always Lydia.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn back around. "Stiles, just ask Danny to the party okay? Lydia is bringing Jackson."

I know, I know, Lydia is going to dump Jackson at the party, but I just don't want Stiles to get hurt. I love Lydia, but sometimes she has no mercy. It's brutal - some of the ways I've seen her reject a guy.

"Whaaaaat? Where'd you get the idea that I like Danny?" Stiles responds, scratching his head.

"Stiles, you told us."

"Oh, yeah." he pauses for a second, "You know just because I'm asking Danny doesn't mean I'm giving up on the perfect," his head turns towards Lydia and he raises his voice, "amazing Goddess, Lydia Martin!"

"Who the hell is this dude?" She looks at me while raising one eyebrow.

"Better luck next time Stiles." I smile and grab my bag as the bell rings.

"Are you driving me home?" I walk side by side with Stiles, who is digging through his lacrosse bag, desperately trying to find his keys.

"Yep. You're coming to my house, right?"

"Yeah. As long as you promise me there is no rotting ice cream in there like last time." I tilt my head and look at him judgingly.

"No I swear, that was a one time thing." I continue staring, "Okay, it was a four time thing." He admits.

"Don't make it a five time thing." I reach into my bag and pull out a granola bar. "I didn't see you eat anything after practice this morning."

"Maeve, you are the best! I was starving." He snatches the bar out of my hands and rips it open, not worrying about the crumbs he's scattering on the tile flooring.

I count each tile as I walk on it, making sure I don't step on the cracks. Sometimes this messes up the flow of my walking, but I don't really care. I remember I used to do the same thing at the mall that I used to go to a lot as a child. One, two, skip, one, two, skip, I repeat it to myself a lot.

"Hey, earth to Maeve? I know you're busy 'one, two, skipping' right now but at this rate, Scott will make it to my house before us." Stiles throws his arm around my shoulder and forces me to walk at a normal pace along side him.

The school doors click open and the smell of rosewood trees fill my nostrils. Every sense of mine has seemed it's been on high alert. Smells are now undeniably strong, and noises are loud as ever. I listen attentively as a couple argues, trying to get the inside scoop.

My attention is brought back to the Jeep when Stiles unlocks it, and a small beep comes from the car. I reach my hand towards the door when I notice Jackson cutting through the line of cars leaving, and heading right towards Stiles without looking.

The feeling was inexplainable. Everything was in slow motion, like how Scott described lacrosse.

✿

"Holy shit!" Stiles managed to croak out in a high pitches scream, "That was... insane!" He raises his arms up into the air, as if he were cheering for someone, and I realize mine go with with his.

I look up to my right and and notice my fingers interlaced with his, my cold fingertips pressed against the back of his warm hand. When his left arm lowers, taking my right arm with it, my eyes don't lose focus of our hands. He subconsciously rubs his thumb along the back on my hand, trying to warm it for a few seconds, before swiftly letting go and jumping into the drivers seat.

I don't move for a moment, trying to process what just happened. Stiles and I have held hands before. Plenty of times when we were kids. I think we stopped at around the ages of 14, and haven't since. Not until now. I guess Stiles never stopped being used to it, as he treated it like second nature, not even phased.

ew, I think, that was a weird feeling. I'm gonna push it to the back on my mind and pretend it didn't happen.

"Anyways," I exhale, "I think maybe we need you to do some of your infamous research, Stiles."

"Oh trust me," he pulls out a bottle of adderall pills, "I'm on it."