Everyone's Got Problems

[xknomex]

any chance of an update soon?

don't worry if you cant. was just wondering

[wrongturntaken]

Thanks for asking, i'm not sure at the mo. I might write a bit now but it might take a while, or it'll be a short chapter! lol. I'm also working on a one shot so if i don't get a chapter of this up tonight, i'll try and put the oneshot up. It's called 'The awkward reunion' just to give you a titbit, lol.

Hopefully it won't take long to finish!

Thanks so much for asking! If you do pester me, it encourages me to write, so don't worry about doing it! lol

[xknomex]

I'll look forward to whatever you post and whenever it gets posted :D

xxx

[Taniya_K]

Ditto! I'll read whatever and whenever you post!

xoxo

[susanf6230]

Love this story, please update soon. Loved your One-Shot

[wrongturntaken]

This is a bit of a weird chapter for me, kind of filler, but i wanted to give you something because i probably won't be updating often or at all for the next 3 weeks due to uni work.

Chapter 21.

The loud sound of a door slamming caused Tyler to jump back from her, “I have to go,” he said quickly.

“Tyler, stay,” she begged.

“I can’t,” he answered her softly before standing up and making his way to the door.

“Are you going to see your Mum?’ she asked him caringly and he shook his head. “How is she?” she changed the question; trying to keep him there as long as possible.

He looked at her, his eyes still full of sorrow.

“Tyler?” she pushed worriedly.

“She died, Tess,” he told her before turning away and leaving the room.

She followed him as she heard her father’s voice. “Tess?” Aden called up the stairs as she watched Tyler run down them, wiping his hands with his face to try and swipe away the tears.

She saw Aden at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Tyler venomously as he came down. “Don’t,” she commanded her father as she saw him about to open his mouth and he looked at her in confusion.

Tyler turned around when he was at the bottom, “Thank you,” he said quietly and she nodded her head courteously before he glanced at Aden and left the house.

“What was that about Tess? I thought you two weren’t getting on?” Aden asked her.

Tess hesitated; Tyler had asked her not to tell anyone anything of what he had just told her. That was the condition of him telling her and she knew he’d done something huge by doing that. Breaking his trust in her was not an option as she knew it would lead to terrible repercussions. So she kept quiet, hoping that Tyler would realise what he needed to do eventually.

“Nothing, Dad,” she sighed, “I’m going to bed, good night.”

Aden watched her walk back to her room, his mind on Tyler, he could tell something was different but he couldn't tell what, but Tess's concerned look was all he needed to see, to know that Tyler was probably in trouble.

*

Tyler sat on the beach, sitting close to the shore as the breeze blew gentle and warm on his face. He glanced upwards and looked at the overpowering stars; he wondered briefly what they had done to deserve their place in the heavens, their dominating position over the rest of Earth; and their twinkle as though they knew something you didn't. Perhaps they did, they viewed the actions of humans wherever in the world yet seemed to pass no judgement. Admired by humans for merely shining, perhaps it was in silent worship to our own sun for life that people look at the stars in awe. Was there somewhere among those stars that God sat as a judge; passing sentences and rewards down to deserving people? Tyler scoffed at the thought; he wasn't so sure he believed in any kind of God.

He thought perhaps the stars were watching him now and laughing as he brought the sweet smelling alcohol to his lips. He had drunk so much as to not care about the taste anymore and as he looked out in the ocean he thought maybe he could do what his Mum had done and run into it. Never stopping until fate took him. Run until his feet didn't touch the ground but still refuse to swim. Maybe it was the perfect escape, an ease only known by those that had the courage to do it. Yet did it take courage, or selfishness? She had left him. Left him. Alone. Scared. Scared because now there was nothing to hide behind, he had to face these feelings, feelings he'd been keeping hidden for the past seven years.

When he had been in Tess's presence he hadn't realised the consequences of the words spilling out of his mouth. Yet when alone, he immediately regretted telling her. The shame that came with everything he'd seen, everything he felt he should have stopped. He would have to face her again, but for now the alcohol was a temporary solution to the pain.

"Hey mate, what's up?" he looked up to see a face he recognised as Jimmy Green, the person he had bought the pills off that had killed his mother.

"What does that even mean?" Tyler slurred, "'What's up?' I mean, it doesn't even make sense! What about what's down?"

Jimmy sat down slowly, "That would be what's going down?" he told him wisely and Tyler got the impression he was stoned.

Tyler laughed, "What's going down?" he repeated. "My life, my life is going down..." he took another swig of the bottle.

"Sounds like you need something to lift you… up… as it were…" Jimmy said and lit up a spliff. "Want one?"

Tyler looked at him, "Nah, mate you're alright," he declined.

"Looks to me you need something to numb the pain," Jimmy commented.

Tyler held up the alcohol bottle in demonstration and Jimmy laughed.

"Alcohol is for teen angst," he told him. "You want a real kick, you'll try this. Isn't the hard stuff but we can ease you on to that if you're willing?" he held out the spliff to him.

Tyler looked at it, then to Jimmy. He was too drunk not to believe in the truth of what Jimmy was telling him.

“You’ve smoked before, right?” Jimmy asked him as he took the spliff cautiously.

Tyler laughed slightly, “Yeah, but only tobacco.”

“Don’t worry, it’s the same, just better.”

*

Tyler and Jimmy had been sat on the beach for Tyler didn’t now how long; the tide was now washing against his feet, but he still had no desire to move.

“Have you ever wondered…,” Tyler stopped short of asking his question.

“Wondered what…?” Jimmy asked him indifferently.

“If… if you were gay?” Tyler got the words out and shook his head at them.

Jimmy let out a shallow laugh and began nodding his head, “Who hasn’t? It’s the rules of modern society that you actually have to question your sexuality. The truth is though; you know, whether you ask or not, you’ll always know the answer.”

Tyler smiled, no one else had ever put it that way before and he felt an ease spread through him, due partly because of the weed and partly because he seemed to have gotten an answer to a question he hadn’t dared speak aloud before.

“I better go,” Jimmy said eventually as he stood up to leave, “My Dad will be wondering where I am.”

Tyler nodded in acceptance of the words but didn’t look at him.

“Shouldn’t you be getting home now too, it’s late?” Jimmy said, a slight bit of concern etched into his voice.

Tyler laughed. He laughed so hard he thought his insides would burst out and when it had eased he felt the pain in his stomach.

“What’s so funny?” Jimmy asked him, chuckling slightly to himself too.

“Nothing,” Tyler shook his head but still smiled, “I just don’t have any reason to go home.”

Jimmy narrowed his eyes, “Well, you could always sleep?”

“Sleep!” Tyler exclaimed, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll go home and sleep. See you at school tomorrow,” he added and watched Jimmy leave before heading back to his house.

*

“Hey, Tyler,” Tess said gently, approaching him as he stood at his locker.

“Hey,” he answered, shifting uncomfortably as his head banged and a surge of guilt ran through him as he remembered what he’d said to Tess a few weeks ago. That he’d never do drugs. At the time he had considered it the truth but last night... that feeling was amazing, he couldn't forget it, because it was the only thing that had ever made him forget everything else. It seemed to take all his pain away and nothing seemed so bad anymore. He liked it.

“How are you?” she asked him, stroking his upper arm with her hand in a friendly way.

He shrugged and showed her a weak smile, “I’m okay.”

“You know you didn’t have to come to school today?”

“What else would I do?” he answered her rhetorically and she nodded before a brief awkward silence encompassed them. “Did you tell anyone… about my Mum, I mean?” he asked suddenly.

“No,” she shook her head. “…but I think you should. You should talk to someone about everything, Tyler. You shouldn’t have to go through this on your own.”

“Stop it, Tess,” Tyler said sadly. “It’s just too much at once.”

She nodded her head understandingly. “Where are you gonna live now?”

Tyler had thought about this over and over the previous night, he had no family and no real friends that he could stay with but he wasn’t about to tell Tess that, “I’m gonna stay at the house until the bank repossesses it and then a mate has said I can stay with them.”

“Okay,” she said softly with a small supportive smile, “You know if you’re ever stuck for somewhere, you could go to the Drop In centre, there are loads of people that could help you.”

“It’s alright, Tess, I’m fine, seriously,” he told her. He could tell her the real reason that he didn’t want to go to the Drop In centre now that she knew everything else but he couldn’t bring himself to, to bring up yet another painful memory.

They stood there for another minute or so, both wishing the bell would ring even though they weren’t saying so.

“Can I ask you a question?” Tyler asked suddenly.

“Sure,” Tess nodded.

“What are we, at the moment?” he asked cautiously.

She sighed, “I still like you... but what you did… I can understand it now… but it doesn’t change the fact that it was cruel and it hurt like hell… so I think its better if we’re just friends… for now anyway.”

Tyler nodded, “I am really sorry about what I did. I had no right to do that, I just…”

Tess placed her hand on his shoulder, “I know,” she said softly.

“Friends, sounds good,” he said with a small smile, “It’s probably better for me too, I don’t think I’m ready for a relationship. Telling you everything changed things and I have to figure out what that means,” he said with a maturity that even surprised him.

“Good,” Tess told him. “But will you at least consider talking to someone?”

“Tess…” he complained.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t stand the thought of you carrying this around on your own anymore,” she said.

“Fine,” he shook his head from side to side slowly, “I’ll think about it.”

Finally, the bell rang and they parted in separate directions, each wondering what the other was thinking.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway... Please comment! x

[Taniya_K]

I loved it, like always! Gosh, I really feel for Tyler! I loved that bit at the end when he was remembering telling Tess that he would never do drugs. And about not being ready for a relationship. He is sooooo adorable!

I really really really do hope he talks to someone about it. Of course, I would say I hope it's Aden, but I've got the feeling that Tyler would ran a mile from him if he even tried to approach the topic of talking!

Cannot wait for more. I understand about uni and all, so good luck with it and I'll be waiting for the next update as patiently as I can.

xoxo

[LAURZY!]

That was brilliant!

I really hope he does talk to someone soon! prefably Aden lol

I love how Tess seems to know whats best, she reminds me alot of Belle!

Great update

Good luck with ll your uni stuff hun!

[xknomex]

Once again that was AMAZING!!!!!!!

poor poor Tyler. I really feel for him.

I love how you showed us his thoughts etc.. I'm glad he spoke to Tess but I agree he should talk to someone!!!

I hope the reason he doesn't want to go to the drop in centre isn't too bad

Brilliant update! Thanks for updating I know your busy with uni etc

xx

[emma_2006]

Great update

Awww Tyler needs to talk to someone soon

I loved it at the end when they both agreed to be friends it was so sweet

Cant wait for more

Good luck with your uni work