◤ chapter three: ❛ opposing
figures ❜ ◢

✧

          COOPER DIDN'T KNOW WHY HE KEPT AGREEING TO THESE TYPE OF THINGS. Honestly, if he thought a tattoo parlor with Scott and Stiles was a shit show, a party had to be even worse. Like honestly, they looked like they had never stepped out of their houses before, of course they were going to fail with the party vibe, so why in the world did he think coming along for this when Scott invited him was a good idea?

Oh, right. He just loves to torture himself with dumbasses while also getting drunk off his ass even though Julia said that it was never good to place himself in a vulnerable position when he was still learning control and there would be hunters coming to get him because apparently sirens were a hot commodity. Well, guess what Julia, he needed a drink after learning that the birds and the deer could be a sign of something worse – which was totally not what he wanted when he came looking for advice, thank you very much.

But now he had it, and everyone else had it, and something worse was something he wanted to forget, so the party. And it was a party Cooper didn't even know would be fun or not because it was for Stiles' friend and Stiles kind of seemed like one of the most vanilla people in the world so Cooper didn't exactly have high hopes.

At the end of the party, a party was still a party, and booze and hookups always took his mind off of everything else, so why not?

Although, Scott didn't look too enthusiastic himself. And here Cooper thought he was supposed to fill the role of the complainer in the group, but whatever. Who cares, honestly? He can give it up for Scott this one night.

"What?" Stiles questioned when he saw the deflated look on Scott's face. Parties were supposed to be a fun thing that got people excited but Scott looked like the exact opposite and Cooper wasn't really fairing any better because he had a lot of doubts about the party. Stiles was the only one remotely excited for this.

"What do you mean what?" Scott asked back, and he genuinely looked confused like he didn't know he was projecting how much he did not want to be there. It made Cooper's lips twitch up at how oblivious the boy could be about everything. That obliviousness was not doing anything for keeping him alive though, and Julia would have a heart attack if she knew that Cooper hung around someone like this.

"I mean what, and you know what," Stiles said to that, and Cooper was about to have an aneurism with how they were avoiding what they really wanted to ask the other.

"What what?" just kill him already, please.

"That look you were giving!" Stiles pointed him, finally saying what he had originally meant in the first place. Thank God because Cooper was about to shoot himself.

"I didn't give a look..."

Cooper couldn't help but snort at that. God, this boy. "Yeah, you did," he said with amusement laced in his tone because even though dumb and dumber made him want to die sometimes, they were also good for some entertainment.

"There was a distinct look, Scott," Stiles nodded in agreement.

"You weren't even trying to hide it," Cooper chimed in again, because he felt like it was necessary to point that out, "So if you were trying to hide it, well...better luck next time."

"What look?" Scott asked exasperatedly, as if he really did not know what the two were talking about and it caused Cooper to giggle a bit.

"The look that says the last thing you feel like doing right now is going to a party!" Stiles explained the look he was projecting onto the world very loudly, it was practically a scream in Cooper's ear with how loud it was.

Scott sighed, shrugging a little. "It's not that," he disagreed, "It just seems weird, going to a different high school's party..."

"You're kidding, right?" Cooper asked him, "Please tell me you're kidding because that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. People go to other school's parties all the time. I do it all the time. It's not like it's a big deal or anything, so lighten up."

Stiles groaned, seemingly done with Scott's behavior about this, much like Cooper if he wasn't also so amused with the situation. "God, one drink, all right? You'll be fine! I went to nursery school with this girl, okay? She promised to introduce us to all of her friends. So tonight, no Allison, no Lydia. Tonight, we're moving on."

"What do you have to move on for, Stiles?" Cooper questioned, "It's not like you were the one dating Lydia. I mean, well, I guess you can say you're moving on from your very obvious crush – mind you – but like you didn't date."

"Thanks for rubbing it in, Cooper," Stiles grumbled and Cooper flashed him a smile.

"Anytime," Cooper replied, because riling Stiles up gave him so much joy. Really, riling up anyone just gave him pleasure like nothing else.

"You know what, Stiles? You're right," Scott nodded, having processed the words.

"That's right I'm right!" Stiles cheered and Cooper shook his head at the pair.

"Moving on," Scott nodded, as if trying to convince himself that this was a good idea and totally something he could do.

"Onward and upward!"

"Let's do this," Scott, now amped, repeated.

"You two trying to amp yourselves into making out with girls to get over other girls makes me very glad that I don't do relationships," Cooper broke in, looking over at the two who looked very unimpressed with him, "Just thought you should know..."

"Well, great. That's exactly what we need to hear, you're so helpful," Stiles sarcastically said.

"I know. I just thought it would be nice for you guys to know that you make me feel good about my life choices, because you do," Cooper continued, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Stiles turned to his friend. "Remind me again why you invited him?"

Scott could only shrug, trying to say in his defense, "Cooper likes to party, I thought it would be nice."

"Well, you thought wrong, Scott," Stiles told him and Cooper rolled his eyes.

"I'm a delight to be around, thank you very much," Cooper said, a little defensive though he wasn't too serious. He knew how to take a hit and turn it into a joke. It's what he was good at. Besides, it's just pay back for all that they've put him through in his opinion.

✧

ONLY ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER THEY ARRIVED, STILES WAS DRAGGED AWAY – PROBABLY BY HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND – LEAVING COOPER WITH SCOTT. It wasn't that he was making a conscious decision to stay near the werewolf, more like the werewolf was making a conscious decision to stay near him because he didn't want to be alone. Which, yeah, was a little annoying because he just wanted to go off and make up with the first cute boy that he saw but it's not like he could do that with Scott tagging along.

But whatever. He's had parties where he just hung out with friends rather than try to get some action and he can do it again because he was a nice person and Scott looked like he needed some company. So, well, what are friends for than to sacrifice some good ass to hang out with a lonely werewolf who was still not over a breakup?

"So," Cooper took a sip of some cheap beer which made him grimace a little at the taste. He was worth more than this, thank you very much, and he had been spoiled for too long to enjoy this shit. But it had a good affect after a while, so he would endure it. "How exactly are you not over Allison yet?"

Scott frowned at him, not liking that question at all. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you broke up a few months ago, and I don't know, Jackson and Lydia are totally over each other at this point but you're still clinging onto little 'ol Allison," Cooper explained to him, "Seems like you should be over it by now."

Scott blushed a little, as if embarrassed, and Cooper thought he should be, at least a little. They broke up, he shouldn't be wishing on stars for them to get back together but instead face reality. And the reality was that they broke up. Cooper thought it was fairly simple, honestly. Danny said they couldn't sleep together anymore and you don't see him all butt hurt over it.

"There's still a possibility of us getting back together. It was more like a break over summer," Scott defended himself, "And I love Allison."

Cooper hummed, unconvinced. "Look, I know you don't wanna hear this, but if you loved each other as much as you claim, you wouldn't have broken up. There would've been no need for a break, but there was, so maybe you should take that as a sign to start looking for love in other places. Or to not look for love at all, but a distraction."

"No disrespect, but I'm not like you Cooper. I can't just do casual," Scott told him.

"It's not for everyone," Cooper agreed, "So maybe not a distraction, but you can just take a break. Focus on yourself and not on Allison, because it looks like you've just been focusing on her and revolving your life around her. Stiles said you got that tattoo because of her. Well, partially at least. That shits weird. No offense, obviously."

Scott shrugged. "It's not that easy, I guess. I love Allison and I can't imagine never loving her, so I can't just move on. I want to get back with her."

"God, you're a mess," Cooper groaned, "I'm so glad that I'm not a hopeless romantic like you because that shit sounds exhausting. Come on, Scott, you might always love Allison but that doesn't mean you can get back with her. Maybe you should move on. She's probably done that already."

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore," Scott told him a bit quiet, and Cooper knew that he struck a nerve with that last bit, but he felt like it was needed to drive the point home.

"Alright, but just think about it," Cooper agreed, because he really was trying to be the nice friend who tries to better their other friends. But, well, maybe that role wasn't meant for him to fill. Oh well, at least he tried. "I'm gonna get another drink. You want one?"

Scott shook his head. "I can't get drunk," he admitted.

"That sounds like a terrible existence then," Cooper deadpanned, "Alright, I'm off."

If Scott didn't want his help, fine, that only meant he could go and get drunk and maybe get some nice action.

✧

COOPER DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT DEREK. With everyone else, he had clear feelings about them. Lydia was still kind of his friend so he liked her, and Scott was pretty nice if a bit oblivious, and Stiles was annoying but overall fine. Allison was very untrustworthy and a shady bitch with a shady family, so he didn't really like her. But Derek? Well, he hated Derek's pack for wanting to kill Lydia and Jackson and also kind of him too because any of the three could have been the kanima, but the dude was helpful.

So yeah. It was complicated to say the least.

But he had to agree with Derek about the marks on Allison and Lydia's arms, because apparently some crazy bitch branded them and it was supposed to mean something? Yeah...Cooper didn't buy it.

"I don't see anything," Derek informed them, and Cooper nodded in agreement because yeah, there was mark but whatever. Cooper had plenty of his own scars.

"Look again," Scott urged.

"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Derek asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. And yeah, maybe Cooper really didn't want either of the two to be found because neither were helpful and both tried to kill him. Especially Erica. She was a fucking bitch and Cooper never wanted to see her again.

"It's the same on both sides! Exactly the same," Scott said.

"Yeah, whatever. Jackson and I have matching scars on our legs from when we went to the river and slipped and fell and to make me feel better Jackson did the same thing to himself. Doesn't mean anything," Cooper spoke up, because that felt important to add.

Everyone but Derek shot him a glare but he didn't care. He was right. Derek, instead, looked back at the bruises on Allison and Lydia and concluded, "It's nothing."

"Pareidolia," Lydia said and then explained herself when everyone gave her a confused look, "Seeing patterns that aren't there? It's a subset of apophenia..."

Scott sighed, turning to Derek, "They're trying to help."

"These two?" Derek asked, "This one, who used to me to resurrect my psychotic uncle – thank you – and this one, who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack?"

"Okay, all right, now, come on...no one died, alright? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay? A little mangling, but not death! And that's what I call an important distinction," Stiles said, as if that made the situation any better.

"It's really not actually. If Allison was brought to court she would still be convicted for attempted murder, so still not good," Cooper informed him, eyes traveling to Allison.

"My mother died..." Allison whispered, as if that was supposed to garner their sympathy and make everything bad she had done in the world automatically right.

Derek scoffed. "Your family's little honor code killed your mother, not me."

"If you think your mother dying makes you every bad decision you made justifiable, you are wrong," Cooper told her, not caring that he sounded cold and uncaring, "Cry me a river, Allison, because I honestly don't give two shits that your mom died when she tried to kill me right after I learned I was a siren. If anything, I'm cheering."

"Cooper," Scott reprimanded him when Allison looked down sadly.

"What, Scott?" Cooper turned to him, "Are you going to tell me to apologize because I hurt precious Allison's feelings? Well, too bad, because I won't. She needs to hear it."

"That girl was looking for Scott," Allison spoke up, her face now stoic and cold, "I'm here to help him, not either of you."

"Good, because I don't want your help," Cooper told her being brutally honest. He could sometimes get along with her, but he could never forget everything she and her family had done to his.

"You wanna help? Find something real," Derek added insult to injury, and yeah, maybe he liked Derek a little bit better after this because at least they had some common sense and weren't blinded by her pretty eyes.

(They weren't even that pretty, honestly.)

They all watched Derek go to leave and Scott stop him to say something else before the Hale man walked out of the door. Once he was gone, Cooper sighed and stood up himself. It wasn't like he wanted to stay in the classroom full of tension after saying that he didn't care about Allison's mom dying because she was a hunter bitch who wanted him dead and he also didn't trust a single thing about Allison because of her own hunter nature.

"Well, I have class. Goodbye," and with that, he left them all behind.

author's note
hi as a general rule, no allison hate even though this chapter had a lot of it from cooper. his opinions are not my own because i do like allison as a character (although some parts of her were sketch when family was involved) but cooper is a character who is free to have his own opinions about other characters that might not vibe with everyone else. allison and her family are hunters and cooper was almost killed by allison's mom and gerard used jackson as the kanima for his own personal gain which cooper isn't willing to forgive or forget.

but don't hate on allison or cooper because of how allison is portrayed here or because of cooper's feelings towards her. they are valid so just leave it. thank you xx