Lizzie Saltzman (the_broken_one) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2020-07-07 22:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, ~2020 july, ~~lizzie saltzman (the_broken_one), ~~stiles stilinski (sarcasticfriend) |
Who: Lizzie & Stiles
What: It's everyone's fault but our own
When: July 2
Where: By the lake
Warnings: Language.
Status: Completed gdoc
This place was beyond boring. It was Summer. Lizzie was supposed to be in France. Spain. Maybe England. All while her mom recruited for the school. But no. She was stuck in Backwater Midwest with a bunch of misfits from everywhere and nowhere. And Hope and Landon. God! She was in Hell!
She hadn’t heard from Harry since that night they were together. Not even for a booty call. That annoyed the piss out of her. If he thought she was a one time thing she was definitely not going to give him the time of day. Bastard. Maybe her feelings were hurt a little, but Lizzie would be damned if she admitted that. Even to herself.
Being hurt and pissy made Lizzie a little dangerous to be inside. She knew this. She and her mom were guests in the house, and she couldn’t let herself lose control. Since she was feeling a bit more snippy than usual today she stood by the lake, staring out over the water. And thinking.
Hope hated her. Lizzie thought maybe they could be friends after Hope had saved Josie, but no. Hope thought it would be a good idea to pick on Lizzie instead. And of course Landon took Hope’s side. Jerks. That hurt.
Harry Hook. They’d slept together. She’d gotten grounded for being out too late. And not a word from him since. That was insulting.
Her hands formed into fists at her side as she reached out with her power to lift some stones into the air about waist high. With a sneer and a flex of her hands the stones shot forward across the surface of the lake, skipping no less than seven times each.
***
Lizzie wasn’t the only one not having the greatest time. Stiles wasn’t either. This place sucked. He still wasn’t sure why he was even here. Why couldn’t the powers that be just leave him alone. They screwed with the other version of him enough. Why bring him back again? There were so many questions going through his head. He knew he would never get answers for them.
And then there was the lastely conversation that he had with his dad. It hadn’t been the greatest and it wouldn't have been so bad if a girl hadn’t decided to butt into their conversation. The whole thing was frustrating.
So, here he was walking with no destination in mind. He just didn’t want to be stuck at home. He had thought about looking for a job but then changed his mind. He wasn’t in the mood. He wasn’t really in the mood to deal with anyone.
He had been at the lake before when he first arrived in Madison, but he hadn’t been back until today. Apparently he was in a lake visiting mood and apparently so was somebody else. He stopped and watched as the blonde tossed rocks out into the water. That wasn’t what got his attention, though. It was the fact that she was doing it with magic. Should he say something? Should he just turn around and leave her alone? “Hi.” Apparently he felt like saying something.
*
Lizzie spun around when she heard the voice. The absolute scowl on her face smoothed to just a frown when she saw someone she didn’t know. A guy she didn’t know. His gender alone made him suspect, but Lizzie having a weakness for handsome members of the opposite sex kept her from being outright hostile to him.
“Hi,” she said back in a flat tone. “Am I in the way or something?” Because she knew damn well she hadn’t been doing anything wrong.
*
When she spun around, Stiles put his hands up a bit to show that he wasn’t going to do anything to her. Just in case she felt the need to chuck a rock his way.
“No,” he said with a shake of his head as he lowered his hands. “I just thought I would say hi. I could leave you alone. You were here first.” He didn’t need to stick around. He could find somewhere else to go.
*
Lizzie realized she was being a bitch. Her entire posture relaxed as she sighed and shook her head. “No. Sorry. Just caught me in the middle of hating in my mind.” She pushed her hand through her pale, almost white hair. “It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. There were quick meditation techniques she had learned to do to get her temper under control...lest she demolish a kitchen again. She used one of them now so when she reopened her eyes she was able to drum up a half smile.
“Lizzie,” she said by way of introduction. “And I fucking hate it here.”
*
“Oh. What are we hating?” Stiles asked, curiosity peaked. “You hate a lot, huh? Doesn’t that get tiring?” It was a valid question. It seemed like it would take a lot of energy to hate a lot. He’d rather spend his energy on other things.
He stayed quiet and just watched as she obviously tried to calm herself down. When she finally opened her eyes and smiled her half a smile, he smiled back.
“Stiles and I hate it here too.” He had been stuck in this damn place for months now and he hasn’t found one thing he’s liked about it so far. At least he now knew it wasn't just him. Lizzie hated it here too. He was no longer alone in the hate. “I don’t even know why I’m here.” If he had a choice right this moment, he’d go home. Home had Scott and he didn’t feel alone back at home. Here. Here he felt very alone.
*
Lizzie just shrugged. Was it tiring? Yes, yes it was. But it was better than the alternative. Being severely bipolar sucked, but it got dangerous when the highs hit and you wielded magic. So getting tired was a good thing. Not that she was going to share that information. She didn’t like telling people how broken she was.
Stiles? Ok. Probably his last name. Lizzie nodded in acknowledgement which became commiseration. “It’s stupid, isn’t it.” More declaration than question. “Why bring us here? What purpose does it serve other than to prove you’re some badass mystical thing that can control people like an ant farm.” There was another deep breath.
“How long have you been here?” Lizzie assumed he was new. She was pretty sure she would have noticed him by now. He was cute. Lizzie definitely noticed cute. Then again, she’d been avoiding everyone for a while now.
*
Okay, so she didn’t seem to care for that part of the conversation so he left it alone and jumped right on in with hating this place.
“You could say that.” Stupid seemed like a good enough start when it came to Madison. But then when she really got going, he couldn’t help but nod his head since it was a lot of the same questions he has had when it came to being here. “I wish I knew the answers. Especially the answer as to why I”ve been brought here and sent back home and brought here again? For what point and purpose?”
“Three months.” So, he was still kind of new, but not totally new to this place. “Three long, boring, lonely months.” Sure, he had hung out with Malia a few times and Kate once, but it was still pretty lonely most of the time. “And I take it you’re pretty new around here?”
*
“You were here before?” Curiosity was enough to smooth away the last of her frown. Her brows lifted as she tilted her head. “That’s weird. I mean, I’ve seen people talk about that stuff online, but I didn’t give it much thought.” Lizzie’s brows came back down but more in thought than grumpy. “It’s almost as if there’s some...pattern...but I can’t back up enough to see it.” She let out a huff of frustration.
“Not long,” she said. “Not even two months. My mom’s here.” Which was great, but she wished Josie were here. Her twin helped her keep her emotions in balance, and now that she wasn’t darkside Josie Lizzie really wanted her here. “There’s other people I know, but they’re assholes.”
*
“Apparently! Someone keeps telling me the things that happened to me while being here and it’s weird to hear. Because I don’t remember any of it.” Not only that, but it still bothered him that other people seemed to know him, but everyone here was mostly a stranger to him. “I don’t think I would have given it much thought, either, but since it has apparently been happening to me…” He just ended the sentence with a slight roll of his eyes. The whole thing was ridiculous. This place was ridiculous.
“Yeah? That’s cool. My dad is here. Apparently he’s been here for years but do I know anything about those years? NOPE. He didn’t even say anything to me when I first spoke on the stupid network.” He was seriously starting to feel disowned and it hurt. “There’s an asshole from my home here too. I guess we’re just not allowed to get away from them.
Talking about all this stuff was starting to piss him off again. He walked over to where Lizzie was, grabbed a rock from off of the ground and threw it as hard as he could into the lake. “I really hate this place,” he repeated.
*
Lizzie would have been heart broken if her mom hadn’t responded when she got here! Her lips parted in shock as her eyes widened. And it would have been even worse had it been her dad! That was awful! “Why won’t he tell you anything? Did the other you piss him off or something and he’s taking it out on you?” What the fuck was wrong with people here?
She watched Stiles chuck the rock and her heart kind of went out to him. She understood his hurt and frustration. “It’s not fair,” she said. A gesture of her hand lifted another rock, and a sharp, abrupt twist pushed out some energy to send it flying across the surface of the water. “Why do they get to be happy? Why does everything go their way?!”
*
Stiles shrugged. He really had no idea why. And he ditched the network after some girl decided to butt in. He wasn’t going to argue with some stranger. “And I quote, I haven’t seen you around much. And then I got told that he hasn’t been in the right frame of mine since he lost me a few months ago.” He had been done with it all after that. He hasn't exactly been in a good place either. Less so the more he was told about the other him. “Which means I haven't been gone long since I’ve been here for months.”
He grabbed a few more rocks and tossed another one. “It’s really not,” he agreed as he tossed the second rock into the lake. He stopped for a moment as he watched Lizzie magically toss another rock at the lake. “I don’t know. I would say maybe we get to be happy, too, but after what I’ve been told...I don’t know if that’s a real possibility.” He wasn’t holding his breath for a happily ever after. He tossed his last rock before grabbing some more.
*
If her dad had said that to her Lizzie would probably bring the place down for as out of control as she would get. She didn’t handle hurt well at all. People just accused her of being a spoiled brat. Only her family and M.G. knew the truth. She liked to keep it that way.
“Sounds like your dad needs a reality check,” she grumbled. Instead of chucking another rock with her magic she was picking them up physically. No sense wasting a lot of energy that she’d have to siphon from someone later. Lizzie had a pretty good overhand. Not quite as good as with her magic, but she did have a strong arm.
“Yeah, well I have yet to see any of this happy.” There went a rock. “Hooked up with a guy, and yeah,” another rock, “it wasn’t anything more than a booty call, but then he never talked to me again.” Fucking Harry Hook! But Lizzie pointed at Stiles. “And if you so much as hint that a phone goes both ways I will peg this rock off your head.”
*
The whole situation sucked and it hurt and he really didn’t know how to go on from this point forward when it came to his dad. Or this version of his dad.
“I want my dad, from home, not...whatever this version of him is.” He noticed Lizzie stopped using her magic and started picking up the rocks and chucking them the old fashioned way. He wondered why she stopped.
Stiles listened as Lizzie explained what had happened to her and it sounded pretty shitty. He was about to say something, but then quickly closed his mouth and put his hands up in defense when she turned on him. “I wasn’t going to say that. Promise. I had that line said to me from that girl who butted into the conversation.” He paused for a moment before continuing on. “I was going to say whoever that guy is sucks. You seem pretty cool.” Sure, he barely knew her and they had only been talking for maybe fifteen minutes, but she seemed cool enough to be around. “His loss,” he added.
*
That almost sounded like it could come directly from her. The look Lizzie gave Stiles as she paused her rock throwing was one of understanding and sympathy. She missed her dad, sure, but she couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have him here and him be different from the dad she knew.
“People need to mind their own business,” she said emphatically. This was between Stiles and his dad. They should talk, sure, but it wasn’t right that someone got themselves involved.
It was a huge relief to be told by someone that she seemed cool. It hit her hard enough that it brought tears to her eyes. They didn’t fall. She kept that much control over herself, but it was overwhelming. “Thanks,” she said quietly. A tight, but honest smile curved her lips. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.”
*
Stiles saw the look and it made him think that he was meant to meet her today. She seemed to be in the same boat as him when it came to the whole parent thing. And hating this place. He could actually imagine them becoming really good friends. If this place allowed it to be so.
“During that conversation, yes, I agree.” Whoever that girl was should have kept her words to herself. It had nothing to do with her.
He tossed another rock and then looked over at Lizzie. It looked like she might actually cry. Was she going to cry? “You’re welcome,” he said with a smile. “Sometimes it’s just nice to hear. Plus, I’m pretty good at knowing if someone is evil and I don’t get the evil vibe from you.” He glanced back out at the lake for a moment before turning his attention back to Lizzie. “You don’t need a hug, do you? Because I will give you one if you need it.”
*
“Sometimes.” Her family told her that all the time, but it was different hearing it from someone else. The last person who had said as much had been G.W. And Sebastian...shit. Fucking Harry Hook! She wasn’t going to let that ruin things at the moment. The memories were shoved to the back where they belonged.
“I’m not evil,” she assured Stiles. No, her sister had gone that way. Josie was normal again, but of the two of them, everyone had expected Lizzie to be the one to go bad. “I’m just a bitch with a short temper.” She could admit that much and it had the benefit of being a warning and true. She wasn’t threatening him. It was just her way of trying to let him know she had problems.
The offer lifted her smile, however, and she chuckled. “I don’t need a hug.” She kind of let that hang as she shrugged a shoulder.
*
“Only sometimes?” he asked.
He did believe that she wasn’t evil. He would have gotten some kind of feeling off of her if she was, so that he believed. The bitch thing, he wasn’t sure about. He didn’t know her well enough yet to say yes, that statement was true or if no, she was being too hard on herself. “Noted. Lizzie has a short temper,” he said, trying to make light of it. “Just remember that the temper won’t make me go away.”
She looked good with a smile on her face. “Okay, you might not need it but you might want it.” For a moment, he thought about just throwing his arms around her and hugging her, but he also didn’t want to get tossed into the lake by her powers either. So, he decided he’d wait for her to answer first before doing anything.
*
“I don’t hear it that often, so yeah. Sometimes.” Lizzie shrugged like it was no big deal, but it actually was. She knew she didn’t deserve to hear it as often as she’d like, but she’d be damned if she showed throat to Hope.
She was a bit surprised to hear he wouldn’t run. Lizzie blinked. The only person who had ever said that to her outside of her family had been G.W. But Stiles had just met her. Time could change his resilience. She was willing to wait and see, however. Stiles seem cool. And cute.
She chuckled, but was impressed. He was being nice. Not creeptastic. Lizzie appreciated that, regardless of why he was being this way. But instead of answering verbally, since he was obviously willing, she decided to go right in for the hug.
*
“I don't hear it often either.” But he knew he had people who cared about him, so he didn’t need anyone to really say those things to him. It didn’t matter.
He had seen the way Lizzie looked at him after he told her that he wouldn’t run away from her. She kind of reminded him of Malia. Maybe that’s why it felt like he and Lizzie were connecting pretty fast.
Stiles had been ready for Lizzie to say no, so when she stepped closer and put her arms around him he was a little surprised. He eventually did wrap his arms around her and held her close. Hopefully it made her feel a little bit better.
*
It did make her feel better. Lizzie would always love hugs from her family, but sometimes hugs from a new person were the best...and Stiles gave good hugs! As a matter of fact, they were good enough to get those tears that had threatened before to start falling now, and her shoulders shook a little as she tried to hold them back.
*
As Lizzie began to cry, Stiles just kept holding her close and didn’t say anything. But once she was done, or it sounded like she was done, he pulled back only a little and locked eyes with her. “Feeling better now?”
*
She swiped a finger under her eyes when she pulled back, and nodded to Stiles. “Yeah. Thanks.” As a rule, Lizzie didn’t cry. She especially didn’t cry in front of people she’d just met. These were strange times which required one’s personal rules to be broken, apparently.
However, she needed to save face. After a sniffle she smiled, a nice smile, and squeezed his bicep. “You got some guns going on here. No wonder you give good hugs.”
*
“You’re welcome,” he said with a small smile. He didn’t let go of her right away, though. He kept his hands on her shoulders for a moment before finally moving them. Hopefully letting it all go like she did right now will let her not be so angry or sad for the rest of the day.
Now that she was smiling and not looking so sad, he did think that she was kind of cute. “Uh,” his mind kind of went in five hundred different directions. He never really was used to anyone complimenting him so it always threw him off when anyone did it. “Thanks?” He gave her a lopsided smile before adding in, “if you ever want anymore hugs, just ask.” And now he was staring to feel pretty stupid.
*
“Definitely,” Lizzie said with a smirk that was more in keeping with how she usually was. And it wasn’t just because Stiles was cute...and apparently kinda ripped...but there was something magical about hugs that made things ok if only for a little while. Lizzie didn’t let many people that close, but Stiles had earned her trust now.
“So I think I’m done with rock therapy for the day,” she said. “Maybe we could move on to coffee and ice cream?”
*
“Me too.” Helping Lizzie deal with stuff had let his own frustration subside. He didn’t need to put any anger or hurt into tossing rocks out into the lake. He was good. For now. “I’m all for ice cream.” He put his arm out so Lizzie could hook her’s to his and said, “let’s go.”
*