Bane of My Existence

Station

Wednesday, May 23rd

Days pass, Stiles and Lydia take turns dressing Celia's gash until she's able to do it herself, sponging the dried blood from her side. Scott, miraculously, begins to feel better almost immediately and is back in classes come Monday. The three of them alternate attending classes and looking after Celia to deter any suspicion with too many absences. Lydia naturally takes on a doting role, relieving Stiles of his duties once it's time to switch, but he doesn't go easily.

"I can stay," he says each time without fail. "I'll get the homework from someone..."

Celia smiles, able to prop herself now.

"I'm fine Stiles, go."

His eyes are filled with the same worry as the night of the incident but he's confident in Celia's judgment. He moves quickly, taking her face in both of his hands and kissing her hard.

"You call me if you need me. Promise?"

Celia nods, stunned into silence. As Stiles leaves, he acknowledges Lydia awkwardly and her face says it all. Her eyes are pulled wide and her mouth turned in a delighted half smirk, half frown. Listening for the front door to close, Lydia sits at the foot of Celia's bed.

"Don't-" Celia says.

"I told you! I told you he liked you! Especially because Scott said... No one ever wants to listen to Lydia..." Her talking speeds up and devolves into a ramble.

"Scott said what?" Celia tries to expand on anything else Lydia might know but she continues ranting.

Once she's done, Celia waves her off. "It's probably just a trauma bond."

Lydia snaps her head, looking directly at her.

"Don't say that! You don't believe that."

Celia is silent again, gently tracing the perimeter of the gauze square under her shirt.

"It all just happened so fast. We've all been best friends for years, but then Emile goes missing and suddenly he won't let me out of his sight."

Lydia just stares blankly.

"Maybe he's seizing the moment, realizing how short life is and all of that. And this is scary. We don't know who or what did that to Emile. It's not so ridiculous that he might want to keep an eye on you, to get through it."

Celia rolls her eyes, "There's nothing more romantic than heartbreak."

Lydia sucks her teeth, "I'm serious, Celia. You're always so nihilistic."

This makes Celia laugh, and eventually Lydia does too, the mood in the room lightening.

— —

Thursday, May 24th

Celia brushes her freshly washed hair in the bathroom mirror, strands curling around her fingers when Stiles' ritualistic arrival buzzes through the intercom.

"Good morning," Celia chirps into the speaker.

"Celia?" His robotic voice echoes back.

Celia walks back to the bathroom, frantically looking for something to do in the time it takes for him to come upstairs. Upon her opening the door, he's holding his hands out as though he expected her to immediately collapse into his arms.

"What are you doing up?"

Celia lifts her arms in a shrug then lets them slap against her legs.

"I'm going to class."

Stiles narrows his eyes, head tilted like what she said doesn't sound right.

"I feel fine. And I've missed too many days." She emphasizes.