Payment (revised)

Chapter 1

Welcome to Payment pt. 2
Just like with the first chapter of Payment (1) this gives you a backround to Stiles life and the main story doesn't really start until next chapter. Hope everyone who reads likes it (aka leave comments tell us what you think) lots of love Anna and Casey

Edited: 5/7/20

Edited: 5/19/23

The sun beat down on Stiles's back as he hurried, unnoticed, through crowded streets. He scrunched his shoulders up to his ears, resigning himself to the peeling sunburn he'd have on his neck for weeks. That, accompanied with the blisters on his feet, already made for a bad day.

Not that he ever really had good days.

Stiles just wanted to get home without having another set of bruises painted on his skin.

But nothing was ever that easy.

A cruel, familiar chuckle reverberated from down the street. Lampposts quivered with the vibration. Stiles knew better than to turn around and look as he quickened his pace through the city.

The decrepit buildings, and vulgar people were what Stiles found familiarity in. Another few blocks, and he would reach the rundown shack him and his father called home. Not that they could afford to live there much longer. Nonetheless, if Stiles could make it there before the voice caught up with him, he would be safe.

Safer.

The boy and his father did what they had to in order to scrape by. After Stiles's dad had lost his job at the police department, he sunk into a depression. That's when the drinking started.
In the span of a week the duo had been flat broke.

All the remaining money they had saved up was spent on cheap whiskey. The luxuries of the life Stiles had previously lived didn't prepare him for what his life became, and there were few things he indulged in.

The exception was his education. Even then, he only went to class in order to get away from his father.

Of course, when this all started, Stiles did have to drop out of school so he could look for work. For a while he took jobs down at the docks, unloading crates from the cargo ships that came into the harbor.
He had started out determined. Ready to do whatever it took to keep him and his father afloat. But the job began to take a toll that Stiles hadn't expected. Black bruises had littered his arms, and there was still a phantom pain in his newly healed shoulder.

Some of Stiles's kinder colleagues had seen him struggling, and would help out when they could. The boy had never been, how one would say, physically inclined.

But it rarely took Stiles long before he found himself in trouble. He ran his mouth too much. It was a habit of his he had a hard time controlling, and he could never escape the consequences of his own actions.

At first, what became his tormentors, used to call out to Stiles as he passed by. They would shout lewd things that made Stiles want to disappear, getting louder and more confident as time went on.
Stiles sucked it up for a long time, and focused on avoiding his co-workers instead of confronting them.

To get away, Stiles used to seek out hiding places. No one would be able to find him, just as he wanted.

But the interactions began to escalate beyond Stiles's control. Crude words turned into sharp pinches and light groping.

That was when Stiles put his foot down. He was not a toy to be played with.

The boy went after his tormentors with vigor, they hadn't stood a chance. He lashed out at them until, finally, they left him alone. But Stiles knew that wasn't the end of it. He had no doubt that should he find himself in trouble, they would be there.