Falling For You | Stydia in Reverse

Chapter Sixteen

"Lydia, are you sure you're alright?" Allison calls out to me as I hobble off of the school bus and out into the fresh, warm air. I place a hand across my forehead to act as a shield as the sun temporarily blinds me.
"I'm fine," I reply as my crutches dig into the uneven dirt ground. Even though it had been three weeks since I'd left the hospital, I was still getting used to my crutches, mainly because I was one of the most uncoordinated humans beings to ever exist. Regardless, I had still chosen to go on the senior camping trip. It's my final year of school, I'm supposed to be making memories and having fun with friends, not to mention the fact that my mother had been worrying over me like crazy. I needed a getaway.

And now this getaway stood before me in the form of a humid destination filled with old wooden cabins. I'd prefer to be at a five star hotel, or - you know, just a place with an indoor toilet. But I couldn't complain, I wanted ever so desperately to be a normal teenager again. No more pitied looks, or people asking me if I'm okay every two minutes, normality was the plan. Isaac drops my bags in the cabin I'll be sharing with Allison, Kira and some girl from my biology class. Just as I settle down on the uncomfortable bed that puffs dust into the air at every movement, the teacher comes to round everyone up for canoeing. Due to my sprained ankle, the teacher asks me to stay behind. I stare up at the ceiling, playing with a strand of hair as I wonder what to do. There was no reception out here, and I'd of course forgotten to bring a book. A quiet knock on the cabin door disrupts my thoughts as I wriggle out of bed and walk over to the door. I open it and am startled to see Stiles standing before me, a smile spread across his face as he leans against the door frame. "Hey Lydia. Guess what?"
"What?" I ask, his smile infectious as I feel a curious grin spreading across my own face.
"I found an activity you can do, you know, with your leg." Stiles fiddles with the collar of his red plaid shirt.
"Stiles, it's alright."
"Come on, Lydia." He whines, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me forward slightly. "You can't let us have all the fun without you."
"Stiles-" I begin to protest.
"No."
"But-"
"Don't make me carry you Lydia Martin, because I'll do it!" He declares.
I scoff. "You're not going to-" and then a squeal escapes my lips as Stiles picks me up in one swift movement and swings me over his shoulder. "You've left me with no choice."

***

"What the hell is this?" I ask as I stare up at the contraption above me.
"A flying fox," Stiles replies excitedly, his eyes following the two people strapped together being hoisted up seven metres off of the ground and soaring through the air and off into the distance.
"I'm not doing that," I protest, taking a gulp.
"Do I have to pick you up again?" Stiles gives me a pleading look.
"Fine," I bite my bottom lip as he helps me over to the instructors.

They strap us facing each other in what feels and looks like an adult baby carrier. Our bodies touch as Stiles smiles at me brightly, his face dangerously close to mine. All I can think about is his lips, the chance I had to kiss them at the prom. No - I'm not thinking about prom, or doing anything romantic with Stiles for that matter, I reprimand myself. We're hoisted into the air, and as my legs dangle below me my breathe fastens as I notice just how high in the air we are.

"Lydia, it's cool. Nothing bad's going to happen," Stiles reassures me.
"I know, I'm just having flash backs of being afraid of heights."
"What happened to you?" He asks, worried.
"Nothing, I watched a documentary that terrified me as a kid," I say as I squirm uncomfortably. Stiles laughs. "What?" The 'Discovery Channel' can be very traumatising you know."
"Well, I can guarantee you that everything will be fine, I promise." Stiles takes my hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

A countdown is given before we're soaring through the air, like birds in flight, the wind pushing my hair back off my face and tickling my cheeks. I can't help but squeal with excitement as I watch as we fly over an abundance of trees. I'm no longer afraid, I feel like I'm on top of the world, like if this flying fox never ended I would be content with soaring forever.

Suddenly we're pulled to a grinding halt, and I look over confusedly at the rope that continues on for another dozen metres until its descent to the ground. We're only half way through the ride when it's broken down. I let go off Stiles hand quickly and begin to look around, my legs flailing as I begin to freak out. "Lydia, it's alright, calm down," Stiles looks around too, although his calm tone frustrates me.
"Calm?! How can I be calm when we're stuck seven freaking metres in the air, with nothing to support us but some clothe and a rope?" I yell, the fear evident in my voice.
"Maybe we could try and cut the rope?" Stiles suggests, looking for an instructor but seeing none in sight.
"And do what, fall to our deaths?" I scream sarcastically, my documentary based fears now seeming not so irrelevant.

"Okay, we just have to apply some weight to the left side, then the cord will go over the kink and we'll be safe to go again."
"Are you sure?"
"Do you trust me?"
I look Stiles in the eyes for a moment, my heart beat slowing down. "Yes."
"Wrap your legs around me," Stiles instructs.
"Excuse me?" I ask, feeling embarrassed.
"Just do it, it'll work." I reluctantly take Stiles advice and wrap my legs around his waist, his body radiating with warmth against my thighs. "Well, this isn't exactly how I expected our relationship to go, but I've got to say it is quiet kinky," Stiles smirks.
"Don't even," I warn, suppressing a laugh.
"What, the rope has a kink in it!" Stiles shoots back, before using our combined weight to swing us back and push forward. His plan works, as we propel safely to the ground.

"I can't believe that happened," I exclaim as we get out of the harness, my body aching.
"You sounded like my wife up there," Stiles replies as we begin to walk into the open field.
"What?"
"We fight like a married couple, it's cute." He looks over at me and smiles, a look of pure adoration in his eyes. "Can I talk to you about something?" He asks, Stiles face suddenly growing serious.
"O-of course," I stutter, taken aback by his sudden change in mood.
"Stilinski!" Coach interrupts us and waves over Stiles.
"I'll be one second," Stiles says to me, before jogging across the field to where Coach is. I'm about to follow him over when I'm given a huge fright by a hand tapping my shoulder.

I turn around to see Isaac standing behind me, his eyes not on me but on Stiles. "Hey Isaac," I say awkwardly, feeling guilty although I know I have done no wrong.
"Hey, I've been looking for you for ages, where have you been?" He sounds out of breathe, and now that I look up at Isaac I notice a thin layer of sweat beading his forehead and sticking his blonde locks to his face.
"With Stiles."
"Are you okay?" Isaac steps forward suddenly, a look of terror in his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why are you acting so weird?" Isaac's sudden movement has startled me and as a reflex I've stepped back, causing a sharp pain to shoot up through my sprained ankle.
"Because I know who hurt us, who attacked you that night and left you for dead." And then Isaac says the three words I dread the most, the words I never thought I'd hear. "It was Stiles."