The Boy Behind The Glass • Stydia

4. loosing game

C H A P T E R • F O U R

Lydia had been sucker punched.

Or at least, that's how it felt when she was told her mother was selling the mirror - Stiles' mirror.

"Y-you can't!" Lydia cried, staring in horror at the woman standing before her.

Natalie at least had the decency to look shocked at her daughters outburst upon her announcement, but she didn't seem the least bit remorseful.

Mrs Martin sighed heavily. "Lydia—"

"No! I don't want you to! I want to keep the mirror, it's mine now," Lydia protested, voice high and hysteric. She was panicking, afraid of being alone again because school hadn't started yet and Stiles was the only person she'd met since they moved. She was his friend, and he was hers. "Please, mum, don't sell it. I want to keep it, I—"

"Lydia, the day we moved in you said you didn't want it. What's changed?"

Lydia opened her mouth, the words 'I met Stiles' on the tip of her tongue. She snapped her mouth shut with a audible click. She couldn't say that, she couldn't tell her mother that. Not after the last incident that occurred when Lydia first tried to show her parents Stiles when he was standing in the mirror. Of course, Lydia looked like a complete idiot when her parents stood in front of the mirror and couldn't see the boy standing there. Lydia had been angry and confused, ignoring Stiles for days because she thought he purposely made her look foolish.

Lydia should have expected it, really. Stiles had said before Lydia was the only one that could see him because no one else would understand. It was no surprise when Stiles vanished from intruders eyes when Lydia forced her parents to look in the mirror.

"I didn't do it to make your look stupid, Lydia. I've already told you this," Stiles had said. "I just don't want anyone else to know about me. When they find out about me, they try to hurt me, or they leave. I don't want you to leave."

Lydia had taken his words into consideration and finally realised that Stiles was lonely and scared, just as any eight year old would be if they were locked in a world, completely alone and his past isolated.

"I just like it, okay? I really like it," The eight year old huffed. "Please, mum, let me keep it. Please!"

Natalie crumbled under the desperate gaze of her daughter. She sighed, sounding annoyed, but none the less resigned. "Fine, you can keep the mirror."

*

Lydia started 3rd grade the following week. It was strange, to say the least, as she thought she was going to be the only new girl. But she wasn't, there was also a new girl called Heather, and a new boy called Isaac. Lydia had thought they were siblings when she first saw them, both being blonde and curly, but they had quickly looked at each other like confused strangers and Lydia learned to keep her mouth shut.

She met her teacher, Mrs Wheeler, who was all smiles and soft tones. Lydia made friends with Heather, who also being new, was easy to cling to and get to know. At first, Lydia had felt like a bit of an outcast. She was a ball of riddled anxiety, the fear of being alone and isolated clawing at her. It made her think of Stiles, stuck in those mirrors, with no one but Lydia to speak to when she was there.

Earlier that morning, Stiles had looked heartbroken when Lydia told him she was going to school. He'd masked his sadness quickly, though, and while his mask of happiness and excitement was kind, Lydia could still see the strain in the smile he presented.