Tyler Kingsley's Story

The light from the window beamed blindingly into the cold lilac colored bathroom. It had been another long night. Ellie rubbed her eyes open, she had slept on the cold floor with her face pressed against the toilet seat...again. She felt faint and woozy, she had eaten so much the previous night that it took her hours to throw it all up. She examined her body which was basically fully exposed, she wore her baby blue bra and underwear from Victoria Secret. Her body was red with a slight tinge of purple, she hadn't realized how cold it was until now. She scrambled to her feet and glanced into the full length mirror that hung on the back of her white bathroom door and sucked in her stomach. She had abs, half from being athletic and half from being so skinny, she smiled, pleased with her appearance. She locked eyes with her reflection for a moment, a feeling of disgust overcame her. The vision grew blurry and she teetered forward having to catch herself on the door. She shook her head and took a deep breath “Come on Elle” she encouraged and pushed herself off the door regaining balance.

She wandered into her light blue luxurious bedroom that had windows taller than Ellie covered in silver drapes. The room had a large kingsize bed with a silver duvet and canopy, a sitting area with a couple chairs on top of a multi-patterned rug facing a tv and a fireplace, a workspace with her dual screen computer and finally a walk in closet the size of a regular childhood bedroom. She walked into the closet and ran her fingers between her clothes thinking about the investigation and the party from a couple weeks back. The night was blurry, she hadn’t drank but the drugs she took were something else, Tyler always dealt the best. All she remembered was waking up next to the toilet as per usual and hearing cop cars rolling in. A boy had been killed. About time something interesting happened in this town.

She slipped into her leather leggings with a burgundy sweatshirt. She put on her usual gold hoops and a chain with a camera pendant, just then her phone buzzed. She walked into her room and belly flopped onto her bed to answer it “Hello?”

“Elle, what the hell did you tell the cops?”

Ellie pulled the phone from her ear and glanced at the screen Tyler. She sighed and replied “Nothing Ty, I just said I remember seeing you before the party and that’s it. It’s the truth”

“Why?! Why use me as your alibi…for fucksakes Elle I’m already undergoing so many questions…you had to say my name didn’t you?”

“Don’t be so dramatic Ty, anywho I’m hungry. Kisses!”

Ellie hung up and made her way to the kitchen when her phone dinged for an income text message it was from Beatrice Fuck…what does this girl want?

It was in regards to the party, Ellie wanted a recap of that night too…did she spend the night with B?

To: Beatrice
Message: Okay, I’ll be at the café if you want to talk…

Ellie grabbed her car keys and jumped into her glossy red BMW convertible and zoomed off to the café. She walked in and saw Alby talking with Scarlet, seemed serious I’ll have to have Scar update me later. She ordered a vanilla latte and sat near a window admiring the gorgeous day.

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Tyler groaned as Ellie hung up the phone, she always avoided these situations. The cops had just stopped by his house for the fourth time this week, asking numerous questions in which most were irrelevant and redundant. Tyler walked into his kitchen that looked like it belonged in a hotel rather than a home. It was massive with two stoves, a large fridge two people could easily hide in, an island with a dozen stools and a pantry the size of a closet. He grabbed an apple off the fruit tray on the counter and took a bite. He was exhausted, the festivities of last night had taken a toll. He was hungover and feeling grungy. His parent’s had hosted a gala downtown which as per usual called for an after party. At least half the town had attended but the fun was cut short when the cops rolled in. Regardless, he managed to escape the chaos and hit up a strip joint downtown. He had gotten a private room with a few friends and drank the night away.
Tyler scrolled through his phone, he needed fresh air and a friend. He tapped on Isabella’s name.

To: Bells
Message: Hey can we meet up? Park date? If you’re not to hungover lol

As he hit send another message rolled in, it was from Beatrice. Another order I presume? He frowned when he read the message, he could use some money right now but the text was not for business purposes.

To: B
Message: Yea I guess, where you at?

Just recently had people started talking to Tyler again. Everyone avoided him and his family like the plague. The investigation that lasted two years had nearly come to close until a boy was found dead. Of course the cops blamed the Kingsley’s right away but evidence had not surfaced, regardless they remained under questioning and showed up “out of the blue” numerous times a week.

Tyler grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way out. Fresh air felt nice as he began wandering the town.

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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B walked down the street with a certain amount of attitude and aggression in her step. Although B was a bit of a head case and walked like a punk out of an 'Emo' music video. She was an incredibly genuine person and her friends were held in high regard but when she tried to think about it, she didn't have many. Tyler only bothered with her for the drug money, she was pretty sure of that, the only trust and loyalty within their friendship was that he wouldn't cut her drugs with anything or rip her off- other than that there was nothing. Sure there were a couple of kids around the town she messed around with and hung out with, she was quite aware nobody really trusted her or liked her- they all thought she was nothing more than the substances she kept putting in her blood but still, it was so much worse than anyone of them knew. Scars on her arms from needles, organ damage from pills and all kinds of crazy things but the benzodiazepines mixed with all the alcohol she drank and her antidepressants, she figured it'd probably be the death of her one day if she didn't cut it out but she was an addict- it just wasn't that simple and it never would be.

To: Ellie
Thanks. I'll meet you there.

She turned around and headed down the high street towards the local coffee house, looking up at everything around her for a moment. The café wasn't far from her home and within a couple of moments she was opening the door and gritting her teeth about the annoying bell that went off upon her entry. She saw Ellie sat by the window and taking a deep breath so she'd be calm enough to avoid an argument with this girl because she really didn't ever know where she stood with her and walked over.

Her and Ellie had been at each other's throats since they'd met but there was something about Ellie that Beatrice kind of admired and was drawn to- probably the fact she had the guts to piss Beatrice off all the time. She sat down with her and leant back in her seat once she had.

"How are you doing then?" She asked a little casually but also quite awkwardly- she felt like she was testing the water before she dived into the ocean, she just never knew what she was going to get with this girl. She quickly text Tyler back.

To: Tyler
I'm at the café with E, feel free to join us or I can meet you after. Just let me know ASAP.

[center]Isabella groaned loudly as she rubbed her head. What the hell happened last night she thought as she sat up in her bed while rubbing her eyes. Her long chocolate brown hair fell just above her belly button. She wiped the drool off of the corner of her mouth as she heard her phone go off for the third time. She looked down and noticed Tyler's name pop up in her phone. Park date sounds great to me.She crawled off her bed and walked towards her closet pulling out a black pair of jeans and an off white shirt. She ran into the bathroom as she texted Tyler.

To: Ty
Message: Hey Love, Just woke up of course I am hungover I don't even know how I got home last night?! I will meet you in the park at our bench in an hour I have to wash off all the alcohol and sweat. See you soon!

She turned the shower on hot and stripped out of her long white T-shirt and boxers. She jumped into the showering shivering as the water hit her body. As she washed her hair flashbacks of yesterday came crashing down her on. The police came to her house again. They asked to look around. Of course stubborn Isabella asked for a search warrant and they didn't have any. She could feel them following her, the detectives. She already talked to the police officers and gave her statement multiple times. A loud vibration caused Isabella to snap back into reality. She washed her hair out and finished rinsing off her body. She shut the shower off and got out wrapping a pink fluffy towel around her small frame.

By the time she was done getting ready she had twenty minutes left. She ran down the marble stairs that lead to the foyer. Her parents were never home anymore. Isabella practically owned the house she lived in. Living in such a big house by yourself can get very lonely. If it wasn't for her friends she would have gone mad already. The drinking and counseling helps a little. As she walked towards the door she grabbed her black peacoat. She wrapped it around herself, grab her bag phone and keys and left.

She pulled up to the park shortly after and walked to the last bench at the end of the lake. That is where her and tyler usually met. She pulled her phone out and pulled her headphones in waiting for tyler to show up.

In that moment a flashback of the rendezvous kicked in. Although she barely remembered that night she did remember Beatrice, in fact she remembered four exact moments. Arriving at the party, Tyler giving her ecstasy, a woman (was it Beatrice?) and waking up in the bathroom. The time in between was a blur but she could easily guess what happened. Ellie began to focus deeply on her mug as she listened to Beatrice ramble on and ask questions. Her vision began to fade as thoughts of what happened swam around.The foam in her latte began to dissipate, this frustrated her as the foam was the best part.

Silence lingered between the two, the sounds of the cafe seemed louder, she could hear her heart pounding. Finally Ellie glanced up, it had been a couple minutes since either of them had spoken. Her head swarmed with lies, she could see the honesty in Beatrice’s eyes but honesty was not her angle. “I didn’t see you. For one I don’t linger in the shadows among you weirdos and your face is not one I care to admire.”

She could hear the harshness in her voice and she immediately questioned it, she never understood her snappy attitude towards Beatrice. Her attraction towards the girl was highly resisted, she’d hooked up with girls in the past but at least she had class. Her vision began to narrow on Beatrice's specific features, her beautiful eyes, her lips, the smoothness of her skin. She wanted to give in but discomfort kicked in. She glanced over at Scarlet who had just gotten up to pay for her order. “Look, I know as much as you okay? I had one too many martinis and the rest is a blur. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful...if I’m being honest the only people I saw you converse with is Ty and Sam”

Ellie chugged the rest of her coffee and got to her feet. As she tucked her chair under the table she said “Tyler is your best bet but avoid saying his name in the interview. The guy has enough problems already.” She smiled weakly and let out a small sigh.

She walked over to Scarlet and gave her a hug with a small hello. She glanced back at Beatrice, she felt bad for lying but it was for the best...well not really but it was for the good of her reputation. “How are you?” she asked Scarlet.

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As Tyler wandered the town he entered his usual alley and pulled out a joint. In the alley he had a clear view of the road but was well hidden in the shadows, this was his only safe zone in the town due to being constantly watched by the cops. He leaned against the cold stone wall of the bakery and took a puff of his blunt feeling the effects immediately. In that moment his phone buzzed announcing incoming messages from B and Bells.

To: B
Hey! I'll meet with you later, text me time and place

He finished his joint, tossed the butt onto the ground and made his way to his favourite spot, the park bench he and Bells always met at. The day radiated pure bliss, the sun shone brightly and the clouds were puffy and white. Tyler loved walking around and admiring the scenery, he loved how the trees danced in the cold breeze and how the infrastructure complimented the town. His eyes were slighted glazed, he felt good and at peace despite his morning.

From afar he could see Isabella sitting on their bench jamming out to some tunes. He snuck behind her and tugged her head phone out of her left ear "Hey tinker bells" he greeted and swung his leg over plopping down next to his bestie. "So rude awakening, cops showed up 'up of the blue' for a 'surprise' inspection. You'd think they'd give it up at this point...anyways how's you?

OOC: Sorry my post is so short , busy day"

"I party all night, I laugh till I cry,"

Laugh Till I Cry | The Front Bottoms || Kids Just Wanna Dance | Emily's Army || Drown | Elizabeth Grace

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Beatrice didn't believe her. She was trying to hard to sound convinced but then making excuses- she wasn't being straight with B and she could see straight through it and honestly, it pissed her off but Beatrice grit her teeth and sighed. She looked at Ellie with a slightly tense jaw and tried not to notice how unique and attractive she considered the girl to be and she could have sworn she remembered seeing her dressed up at the party. She could have sworn they at least spoke.

"Please don't insult my friends again Ellie- there's nothing weird about them, a lot of them are your friends too. She reminded with a slight sigh or irritancy.

"Okay. I'll talk to him and of course I won't mention him. I'm not mentioning anybody that isn't myself. I'm not dragging my friends into this shit, no one needs this kind of crap in their life and Ellie- if anybody says anything about me, could you do me one favour and say I hadn't taken any drugs? I was just really pissed right," She told her with a sigh. She then let go of the stress and resorted into her slightly ironically arrogant self. "Alright deary, always a pleasure," She chimed as a farewell as Ellie wandered off to great Scarlet who Beatrice glared at with distrust, bitterness
and ancient resentment before exiting the café and checking her phone as it sprung to life with a text from Tyler.

To: Ty
Thanks Ty. I'll text you when I know.

That done, she realised she needed to talk to someone who would understand so much better than a school rival and favourite 'frenemy'. She needed to talk to the one person, she could really call a one hundred percent reliable friend- Alby.

To: Alby
Hey A, I can't remember shit about this party the other week. Could we meet up later to talk about it? I think I'm actually losing my shit over this.

B would be the first person to admit Alby was a weird one but so was she and she figured that's why they'd always got on so well. If she had a friend she trusted, it was Alby. Forgetting one very important thing, she told him basically everything about her life- her bisexuality, her cock-ups, her prides, her secrets- he was the one friend she trusted with those kind of things and right now, she was glad to know she had somebody on her side. If he'd seen her at the party, which he must have- there's no way they'd have been at the same party and not had at least one drink together, he'd tell her anything he'd heard or knew. Maybe he'd be able to help her calm down a bit too because right now, the stress was starting to make her skin itch or was that just the withdrawal symptoms?

[center]Isabella hummed to the beat of the music. Her eyes scanned the landscape in front of her. She tensed as she felt someone behind her, before she could turn around her headphone were tugged out of her ear. "Hey tinker bells" Tyler said as sat down next to her. She rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. "Hey Mr. King." she smirked as she pulled her legs under her on the bench. She turned towards him and looked him up and down as he talked. Once she heard the word 'cops' she zero'd in on what he was saying. "Call me paranoid but I think one of the detectives is following me again. They came to my house last week and since then they haven't bothered me. It's starting to freak me out."She let out a shaky breath and looked down at her hands that laid in her lap. They were shaking again. I need a drink she thought as she used her right hand to grab her left to stop the shaking. "Anyway, I honestly don't know how I got home last night. I remember going out and then to a party but the rest is like a blur. She felt a vibration coming from her pocket. She looked at the name on her phone and it was her counselor. She panicked and pressed decline on the call. She didn't want Tyler finding out about her counseling. The police always questioned her where she was that night and yet she couldn't tell them the truth. She was with her counselor. Isabella placed her phone back into her pocket and smiled up at Tyler. "whats been up with you Ty?"She didn't want to ask tyler what he was doing that night. One he probably wouldn't tell her and two if he did tell her it would probably be a lie. So she just kept the question to herself.

The birds in the park hummed the same old tune, the scene was familiar, Tyler liked that. He loved his and Isabella's traditions of meeting at the park, the horror movies and their conversations. In between all the secrets and lies he felt that his relationship with Isabella was his only truth. When she spoke of the detectives his eyes dropped from her gaze as he noticed the shaking in her hand. He wanted to grab it and calm her down but comfort was not his expertise, nor did he deem it necessary. Instead he simply replied "If you have nothing to hide put your worries to rest" he knew this was a lie. Everyone in this town had some secret, some hidden truth, he for example had hundreds, some so dark that the devil himself would applaud him.

Just as Isabella had received an income call, Tyler received a text from B. He dreaded meeting with her. Everyone around town always sought him out after a party. It wasn't his fault they couldn't remember their affairs, he didn't control their alcohol or drug consumption and yet he had all the answers. Tyler kept tabs on his customers for business reasons solely, he was already in enough trouble with the feds he didn't need someone ratting him out.

He ignored Isabella's hurry to decline the income calling, he did not see who it was from nor did he care, Tyler was not one to get involved in the affairs of others, especially his closest friends. He took a breath and thought of the previous night, this was the second time Isabella had mentioned her concerns. Usually Tyler would let it slide but he decided to focus on the topic "Nevermind about me, same old. How do you not remember last night? You weren't even that bad, I was with you basically the whole time...minus your three adventures to the ladies room. My driver is the one that took you home, as for how you ended up in your room I don't know. Ooh actually maybe you could ask Ellie for your suddenly loss in memory. I saw you and her go to the ladies room at the same time...did you guys take drugs or something? I mean I know you don't talk to her much but pfft, never mind what do I know. I've never seen you take drugs so that was a foolish thought. I'm sure your memory will surface shortly along with your memories of that night, not last night but you know that night. Don't worry...I won't ask. I'm sick of discussing it anyway. Anything your particularly worried about though? You seem on edge."

The houses surrounding Ellie's car quickly became unfamiliar. It's not that she never saw this part of town but she never visited it willingly. She glanced at her surroundings feeling a little lost damn music, now I'm really going to be late. A feeling of discomfort churned in her stomach, being late was unlady like, improper and rude.

She pulled over, put her car in park and grabbed her cellphone which sat on the passenger seat. She hesitated for a moment before entering her password and calling her mom "Hi mom! I'm so space headed I missed my turn, I'm going to be a little late." Her mom sighed on the other end and replied in a harsh tone "Are you trying to embarrass me and your father? You know Andy was always prompt she would never dishonor our family." Ellie rolled her eyes and glared through her windshield at her mothers comment "Dishonor? Mom. I'm going to be like two minutes late, well five now it's not a big deal...anyways I just wanted to give you a heads up"
"Fine, I'll lay out a nice dress for you, sneak through the back so our guests don't see you in whatever god awful clothes you went out in." Before Ellie could reply her mom had already hung up.

Ellie dropped her phone not paying attention to where it landed and placed both her hands on the steering wheel. She gripped it tightly and narrowed her eyes in furry. She took deep and heavy breaths before screaming out "AAAAARRRRGGGG fuck." She took another small breath and pressed her fingers against her temple to calm down.

Ellie slid her foot back to the gas peddle but felt something beneath it as she did so. She peaked under, saw her cellphone and grabbed it. She stared at the black screen, she felt numb, she didn't want to go through this. She shook her head and reentered her passcode. She tapped on the GPS and was all set to go when she saw a familiar face up ahead. Ellie's eyes grew wide in disbelief. She minimized her GPS app and launched the camera function. She zoomed in on the two individuals standing in a doorway, the zoom function confirmed her thoughts. She snapped a couple pictures and dropped her hands down to her lap to really examine them. It was obvious. It was Alby and Sam...Sam...kissing.

Ellie's head snapped back up at the duo, she was shocked. Sam was a good friend of hers, she knew he was gay but she didn't know he was dating someone. She felt insulted and hurt to be out of the loop. She shook her head "I'll have to confront him later."

Finally Ellie zoomed off and headed home. She snuck through the back door as her mom had suggested. She heard awkward laughs from the living room and headed straight to her bedroom. Her mom had laid out a dress for her...pink...Ellie groaned.

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Tyler narrowed his eyes at Isabella's bruise. He knew she was klutz but the damage seemed serious. When she started to laugh Tyler also let out an awkward chuckle. Whatever I'm sure it's fine he thought to himself.

When she got up and extended her arm towards him, Tyler took her hand willingly. He liked holding hands with her, he wasn't a romantic guy but hand holding with Isabella was different then all the other girls. The only hand holding he ever did would be leading a girl to his bed or limo or alley or bathroom, wherever to have that much needed rendezvous. He started thinking about all the girls, all the nights and then that first time. He smiled at the memory and welcomed it. It was one of the only good memories he had at the age of 16 before the investigation launched. His mind then became cluttered with the thought of the investigation, it made him nervous and uncomfortable. His high was now reaching his peak so the paranoia became uncontrollable. Tyler glanced around him quickly, he could see individuals leaning up against trees admiring the details, some typing on their laptops while sitting on a park bench and some just plain staring, he felt like they were all watching. His heart began to race but finally his mind returned to the present and he remembered Isabella's question.

He felt his keys in his pocket and was about to offer driving but had recalled his walk to the park, his car was at home. He opened his mouth to answer Isabella's question but was confused at the sudden empty space next to him. He came to a halt and glanced back, Isabella had fallen behind. "Come on Bells!" he encouraged with a smile on his face.

Isabella always vented to him, he liked that, he liked being in the know but today she seemed off. He wanted to pry and shake her. He wanted to tell her that life is not that hard and to just smile and laugh about it, but he knew it was useless. He walked up next to her and hooked his arm with hers "You drive and I'll buy" he chimed.

Ellie lay on the cold bathroom floor staring up at her ceiling. The room was spinning slightly as she felt faint and weak. She could hear her parents downstairs discussing the matter, their voices echoed through the vents. "Do you think she's covering something up?" she heard her mother say and a long pause followed. One of the gentlemen cleared his throat by the sounds of it and replied "Ma'am, there's just a hole in her story...I know it was just the two girls venturing so maybe Ellie is telling the truth, but we've inspected that bridge hundreds of times, those wooden boards shouldn't have collapsed." Ellie's heart began to race feverishly whilst skipping a beat here or there, she could feel sweat roll down from her forehead. "We'll keep investigating quietly and with your permission we'll have eyes watching Ellie, something doesn't seem right." A moment or two of silence passed and Ellie hadn't notice she was holding her breath until she let out a huge huff. She sat up slowly and glanced around, she began wiping tears from her cheek and took small breaths to calm herself.

At that moment Ellie's phone chimed announcing a new message. She reached inside her dress pocket and pulled it out, it was from Sam.
To: Samarama
Hey! Yes, let's meet please, need to escape my house. Meet you at the lake in the park?

On that note she shuffled to her feet and made her way over to the bathroom window. She slid it open and sung her leg over the edge and began to climb down the wall using a vine support that went from the lawn to the roof. Once she reached the bottom she tiptoed across the lawn and jumped into her convertible and sped off.

When Ellie arrived at the park she made her way over to the lake and sat down on the freshly cut grass. She loved the scenery here, the lake in it's cool blue was filled with roaming ducks, trees surrounded it and flowers grew in all sorts of places. She took a breath and began twirling her thumbs trying to avoid thinking about her recent interrogation.

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Tyler took a couple strides ahead of Isabella and opened the door for her, walking in after. He shoved his hands in his pockets awkwardly, he didn't like being in public, people always stared and whispered and being high didn't help his paranoia. He walked over to the counter and ordered a cookie and tea for Isabella and an espresso for himself.

He went over near a window and sat down at a cozy table. He didn't feel like talking all of the sudden, being here made him slightly uncomfortable today. When their order was announced Tyler rushed over to claim it. He placed the cup of tea in front of Isabella and smiled, she looked happy. He took a swig of his coffee and cringed at the taste. He glanced at the label and sighed in annoyance. "They gave me the wrong order" he mumbled. Tyler hated confronting people, even in these circumstances. He got to his feet and walked up to the counter "Hey man sorry to bother you but this isn't what I ordered. It's under Tyler and the name scribbled on here is Declan"
The barista lifted a brow at him and replied "I would never mess an order, enjoy your coffee freak. Be happy we're serving a burnout like you."
Tyler blinked a couple times in disbelief, it was a good thing his high made him so chill or else he would have ripped him a new one. He glanced around the shop until he spotted Declan patiently waiting and walked towards him "Hey, Declan right? I think they gave me your coffee" he said handing it over.

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There were many familiar faces in the cafe but none that Declan was in the mood to talk to. He could go talk to the group of cheerleaders and validate his reputation of being a sweet talker. Sit with his football team and hang back with barbaric men only thinking about sex, booze, and football. But Declan didn't want to do any of that. He simply just wanted to order his coffee and go to the gym until this day was over. His dad would be home late and Declan could always swing by someone's house or a party if he came home early. Declan wasn't in the mood for a second beating today.

It was Declan's turn now to order his coffee. He thought about ordering something like a Soy Machiatto but he was in the mood for a nice strong black coffee. Declan went up to the register and made his order taking note of the cashier girl. He made sure to flirt with her a bit and get a number written down on his receipt even though he was more interested in the barista boy. Too bad that would only make his beating today look like nothing. Football was everything in his family and Declan wasn't allowed to screw that up.

Declan had been waiting on his order when someone came up to him with a cup in hand. Declan looked up and recognized him instantly. Tyler Kingsley. The man had a reputation in their small town but Declan didn't really care for the rumors. He didn't care for any rumors unless they were about him. "Hey, Declan right? I think they gave me your coffee" Declan gave him a kind smile before putting his hand around the cup and taking it. He looked at the label and took a sip. Mmm black... Exactly how he liked his coffee. "Thank you, Tyler." He grinned at him but then noticed he had no cup of his own. "Were you able to get yours?" He asked. "I could buy you another one."

Ellie jumped slightly at Sam's arrival, she had not heard him coming. ”Hey.” She straightened up properly but felt herself slouch in discomfort as he commented on her dress. She hated pink. She hated her mother for being so demanding. She hated dresses. She wanted to throw up again but she took a breath and recomposed herself.

She examined Sam for a moment and focused her energy on him, pushing all other thoughts aside. She began to ponder her and Sam's friendship, she had known him for years but lately she felt betrayed by him, especially since she saw him and Alby together. She wanted to confront him calmly, ask him why he hadn't mentioned it. His silence about the relationship had confirmed her suspicions, their best friend status was coming to an end, she couldn't trust him anymore. After all they'd been through. She was there for him when he came out to his parents and he was there for her when her sister died. Going through such events meant an unbreakable bond. But she felt his selfishness, she became hostile and cautious as she waited for him to say something.


“So” she said finally, her tone both awkward and suspicious “what’s new…”

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As Declan grabbed the coffee from Tyler he glanced around to make his way back to his table but noticed it was empty with a scribbled napkin laying in sight. He lifted a brow in confusion Okay bye then... he thought. Tyler turned on his heel and refocused his attention on Declan when he offered to buy him another coffee. He smiled politely and said “Yea sure, if you can convince them to give me the right coffee...they’re not too fond of me here. I have a bit of history with the female baristas if you know what I mean.” He chuckled awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair.

He felt the energy of the room, he felt people staring at him. He shoved his hands in his pants pocket and swayed back and forth, the high was wearing off. “You go to my school right? I’ve seen you around before...I think we’ve worked together on a project…then again I'm pretty bad at remembering people or I confuse names and faces... he rambled and squinted his eyes in uncertainty, he felt awkward. Everyone in this town always judged him or never gave him the time of day so making new friends was never easy for Tyler.

Ever since Ellie stormed off on Sam life had been interesting. When she arrived home that night her parents were furious for her running out on the cops, calling it disrespectful and dishonoring her late sister. On top of that grades were sloping down and she had lost 5 pounds she desperately needed to keep. Needless to say she was looking like hell, little sleep and lack of food sure didn't help.

Ellie stepped through the doors of the gala, despite her mental insanity she appeared confident and to those who didn't know her, healthy. She wandered over to the buffet and stared at the chocolate covered strawberries, they looked tempting and her stomach longed for nutrition but her hips protested. Ellie sighed feeling as though she was deflating but quickly recomposed herself when a benefactor approached her "Miss Holland! Pleasure to see you again, I saw your volleyball game last week and must I say you are unstoppable." Ellie smiled and began to play with her loose curls, twirling them as she replied "Mr. Flander it is an honor to see you again this year. Have you donated? It’s for a good cause you know." The man chuckled "Why of course my dear! I'm always here to support the extracurricular especially of this towns star pupils. Have you heard? Rumors are spreading that you are in line for three scholarships from three separate Ivy Leagues! Keep up the good work." Ellie stared at him in a fake flattered fashion, of course she knew about the scholarships but she couldn’t care less, money was never an obstacle.

As the benefactor wandered off Ellie scanned her surroundings. She spotted Scarlet and Beatrice speaking with Sam, the sight of Sam made Ellie sick to her stomach. No good useless trader… she thought bitterly. She felt excluded from her usual world, Scarlet had been avoiding her or so it would seem and she hadn’t made contact with Beatrice since their talk at the café but that was normal. Seeing Scarlet and Sam converse made Ellie hate Scarlet and her thougths raged with fury Doesn’t she know Sam is a good for nothing asshole who will expose your secrets and make your life hell? What is this, is Sam going to tell Scarlet about my health and try to get Scarlet on his side…he would do that…that jerk. Fuck. Huh. Wait second, I should seek out Alby, tell him what I know and threaten exposure. Ooh yeah, that’s a good idea. You better watch your back Sam.

Daggers in her eyes, she felt determined. She stared at the entranceway of the gala awaiting Alby’s arrival.

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The last couple weeks had been increasingly more stressful for Tyler. Cops seemed to linger more often, question upon redundant question was asked and silent whispers filled the air. For some god awful reason the cops had been questioning him about events he didn’t even know about. Calling him a suspect and making his case even worse than it actually was. This made Tyler nervous, the cops clearly wanted him locked up but luck was on his side for his attorneys were the best in the country and were determined to clear his record.

No matter, Ty felt good today, well as good as he could. The gala had been something to look forward too and with the help of his parent’s money he hoped it would go by smoothly and people would drop the rumors.

Tyler wandered into the gala and sought out a waiter carrying filled champagne flutes on a tray. He grabbed a glass and pounded it back, he needed something to loosen him up. He cringed at the glass when he realized it was non-alcoholic ”Fuckers”he muttered. At that moment he felt curious eyes examining him, call it paranoia but for once it was in the right place. He glanced around and noticed a young woman, possibly in her early twenties, staring at him. Tyler lifted a brow and was ready to run off when she approached him ”Tyler Kingsley, correct?” Ty stared at her blankly unsure if he should respond honestly or at all. He gave a small awkward nod ”Ooh how delightful” she chimed and grabbed his hand to shake it ”Andrea Palmer, I’m a reporter and a little birdie informed me of your case, although only half of it is public I must say I think you’re innocent and the system is corrupt. May I ask you a few questions?” Tyler shrugged in response, he didn’t care for the media but if a reporter believed his innocence then he ought to give her some answers. “Is it true that you are the prime suspect for the killing of about a month ago?” Tyler rolled his eyes “Yes, because of my history they think I’d be capable of such an act. What they don’t believe is that I don’t even know the individual who was murdered. To be honest I have a prime suspect of my own.” The woman looked intrigued “Do tell.” Tyler glanced around and spotted Sam, something about Sam lately made him feel uneasy. He lingered too often and asked too many questions. He didn’t seem to have much or any knowledge of Tyler’s past but he sure was a curious one. Something about Sam seemed to say I had a motive, and after Tyler’s encounter with Ellie a couple days ago he believed it. Ellie had approached him about Sam saying he was not to be trusted and the guy had plenty of skeletons in his closet. Ellie had no reason to lie did she? “I’ve said more than enough already, but yes I’m innocent. I may have been involved in some reckless behaviours but my hands are clean in terms of murder.” As he spoke his eyes were locked on Sam and the reporter didn’t fail to notice so she gave Tyler a small nod and wandered off.

Tyler kept his focus on Sam as he leaned back against a wall and pondered the last month or so. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a flask filled with whiskey. He took a small swig and shoved it back into his pocket, he needed to get drunk as tonight would be like every other.

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Sam hadn't been alone for long when Scarlet appeared. He resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at her comment. He didn't know if she was joking or not. Knowing her, she probably wasn't. He was committing a mortal sin just by being attracted to guys- all the lying and so on just got him a place on the VIP list. "You know me, Scarlet, that's all I'm ever doing," he replied jokingly. His phone buzzed with a text, but he ignored it. He mightn't have been Scarlet's best friend, but he also wasn't going to be plain rude to her either. "You look nice," he said.

And then Beatrice appeared, already talking at him. He laughed and held up his hands. "Somebody's eager. Yeah, he was interested in some of the art- I think it could have been one of your pieces, actually." Behind the two girls, he spotted Ellie. They hadn't spoken since their fight, and he didn't want to. Not with how quickly she'd turned on him. He hadn't told Alby what had happened. Their time together was short enough, and he didn't want to spoil any of that. He turned his attention back to those in front of him.

"Anyway, how are you two lovely girls? Scarlet, excellent work on the decoration- I had training this afternoon, so couldn't make it to help out, I'm afraid," he said apologetically. For once, training wasn't a cover for being at Alby's. With the tournaments starting to loom, their coach wanted them training as much as possible. And while that did cut in on his time with Alby, it was better than being at home.

He didn't miss Ty's stare, even as he spoke to the woman. Sam got the impression that Ty knew something he wasn't supposed to, and that made Sam uneasy. Everything was making Sam uneasy these days. Every time a text came in, he was afraid that it was someone asking him about him and Alby. Every time he saw his parents, he was waiting for them to demand the truth from him. Every time a police officer walked past, he was waiting for them to stop him and either arrest him or start into the questioning. Things like this made him glad for the extra training, glad for the extra time spent running.

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Declan was completely and utterly miserable at this event. If it wasn't a requirement for the team to be here, especially Declan, he wouldn't have bothered showing up. Of course Declan was forced to come thanks to being the star quarterback and his father showed up as well which would definitely make this night one to remember. Declan had to confiscate his flask but his father was still obviously tipsy from drinking before they came and an utter embarrassment for him as he bragged about his soon with a slurred speech and tripped around the room. His father didn't even need to show up considering the event was just an art fundraiser.

Declan eventually ditched his father and went on to do what was expected of him. He went around the room doing his best to sell some of the art. Most of them simply wanted to talk about his sports career and scholarships which Declan found a bit annoying. He rather hated having to talk about himself all the time like he was some perfect super star. Declan was anything but perfect.

Eventually he grew tired and left the parents he was speaking with. He scanned the room of students hoping there was at least someone here he could tolerate and make it through the night with before his father made a huge mess of things. Ellie was the first laid eyes on but she was already leaving. Next was Tyler. He locked eyes with him for only a moment before moving on. Declan hadn't seen him since that day at the coffee shop when he bought him a coffee after they confused their orders. Declan obviously found him attractive but he knew better when it came to crushing on straight men and keeping his sexuality a secret.

Declan found a small group of three clustered together and Declan instantly recognized each of them. Scarlet was among them and the only reason he even made his way over their after grabbing two glasses of champagne in order to uphold his reputation. He stepped into the group with his typical heart melting smile. "Good evening, ladies..." He handed a glass to Beatrice and Scarlet before acknowledging Sam Hawkins with a nod. "Sam." His attention went back to Scarlet as he glanced down at her. "You look breathe taking as always, Scarlet."

The last two weeks Alby had spent either drunk or high, which was rare for him outside of a party. He liked the occasional beer with dinner, or a smoke on the balcony, but it was nothing like this. He was unraveling. The pressure of his lies was dragging him down, and he felt like his secrets were written across his forehead.

His life was coming apart.

The cops were watching him out of the corners of their eyes, Scarlet seemed to be everywhere he looked, he was seriously beginning to worry about Bea, and things with him and Sam had been...off, lately. Not bad, just...different. He figured it was all in his head, his latest secret, sitting heavily in his gut. He needed to tell someone. He tried telling Bea, more than once, but then he'd remember how much she hated Scarlet and he'd whimp out.

Standing in front of the mirror in his apartment, he thought he looked sick. His eyes were a little sunken in, his skin was too pale, and he was pretty sure he was sweating. With a sigh he wiped his forehead and then pressed it against the cool glass. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten.

A text from Bea came in claiming she was going to be late, and Alby tried not to laugh because so was he. Finally he picked himself up and finished dressing. Slacks, a lilac button down which he actually tucked in, a nice jacket to go on over it. He usually liked these galas - he could be anyone he wanted for the night. Prim and proper and the kind of kid his father would have actually claimed.

The thought made his stomach twist and Alby actually almost threw up. Which would have been interesting, since he was pretty sure there was nothing to throw up. He sighed, tried to fix his hair, and then finally left the apartment. By the time he reached his destination, most people were already there.

He ran his hands through his hair and glanced around the room as soon as he entered. Of course, he saw Sam first, surrounded by a group. If it had just been Bea, he would have happily made his way over. But it wasn't. Alby's throat closed as he realized Scarlet was over there, and for a moment he panicked, but then he realized that she had no idea he was dating Sam, there would be no reason for her to spill their secret, so he relaxed. Declan Cain was over there too, and Alby was not a fan of him, so instead of trying to steal a few moments small-talk with his boyfriend, he just avoided the area altogether. At least until he caught Ellie's gaze, which wasn't exactly friendly. Fantastic.

Ellie grabbed a glass of the non-alcoholic champagne and sipped it as investors and interested parties created a revolving door of conversations with her. She greeted each individual politely and encouraged donations, as Captain of the Volleyball team it was her duty to ensure the school had a good reputation. Some encounters however were not as expect, instead of the usual dull conversations of the year previous many asked intrusive questions in relation to the boys death and the investigation. These questions consisted of: Did you know him? Where were you that night? How has the investigation impacted you? Someone told me you're a prime suspect, is this true? Have Ivy leagues revoked their offer since you're being accused as a killer?

Although uncomfortable, Ellie kept a bright smile on her face and did not break her composure. Her parents always taught her to be polite, bullshit if you have to and never give out personal information unless a prince is involved and wants to marry you.

Through the dull minutes that passed Ellie finally spotted Alby the moment he wandered into the gala. She gave him a moment to inspect his surroundings before excusing herself from the benefactors and approaching him as they locked eyes. With a fake smile plastered on her face she greeted "Hi Alby, it's lovely to see you again. Don't worry I'm not going ask you to get me a coffee" Her poor joke made for an awkward start, she giggled uncomfortably and then gestured to her side "Shall we? There's a few things I think you and I desperately need to discuss. For the sake of your well-being andSam's I'm sure you'll have no problem hearing me out."

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Leaning back on a wall observing his surroundings, Tyler was slowly getting drunk. His tipsy attitude made for a huge grin on his face and those passing by made awkward eye contact before fluttering off in a sea of whispers. He examined the group surrounding Sam consisting of B, Scarlet and Declan and debated joining the conversation. The thought of interacting with his peers made him oddly nervous and uncomfortable which called for another swig of whiskey. He reached inside his coat pocket to pull out his flask again when he felt something he'd forgotten about, a small plastic bag. He peered inside and chuckled, inside the bag were a few leaves of Salvia. Salvia being a powerful semi legal hallucinogen was on of Tyler's favorite. On the drug, perception of realty and the universe were emphasized greatly and although blacking out and mild memory loss was common, he didn't care. Tyler stared it briefly pondering the idea of getting drugged at such an event, of course life and interactions would be easier which made for a quick and stupid decision.

He paced over to the men's washroom, it was empty at the moment but he decided to get into a stall regardless. He pulled out the plastic bag and opened his bottle, he crushed a couple Salvia leaves and put them in his flask. He took a large swig, large enough to basically empty the damn thing and wheezed at the burn in his throat. He placed the flask back inside his jacket pocket and flushed the toilet as a cover in case anyone had walked into the bathroom. He recomposed himself as best as he could, the effects were already settling in and it didn't help that he was already tipsy. He made his way over to one of the sinks and began washing his hands and the water pouring from the drain was tripping him out. He played with it, splashing and analyzing, whilst mumbling repeatedly "What does it mean?"

Ellie carefully observed Alby as she spoke and noticed his quick glance towards Sam. Her lips curled into a smile, she wanted to shout their secret and run off into the sunset. She loved this, she loved seeing him sweat and by the look on Sam's face he knew what was about to happen.

Ellie tugged on Alby's arm and dragged him behind a pillar so Sam couldn't see them. She smiled awkwardly at Alby trying to collect her thoughts and figure out what she wanted to say. She could feel the energy and the awkwardness between them. In a mildly sarcastic tone she said "You and I never really got the chance to get to know each other. Isn't that sad? I mean considering you and Sam are so close I thought maybe you and I could build a fun little relationship." She didn't break her focus, staring into his eyes like staring into his soul, trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible she reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone.

"One thing about me dear old Al is that I hate secrets and I hate threats. But what does that have to do with you? I mean it's not like you have any secrets right?" She unlocked her phone and swiped to the picture, she turned the screen towards Alby and smiled devilishly. "I have plenty of copies, you see Sam is out to destroy my future, if done so I will return the favor and make sure your love gets shot to hell. I'm sure he told you of my condition that little worm is untrustworthy. That being said, tell your boyfriend to back off or else I'll blast this to everyone at school, homophobic scouts that will never give him a scholarship and of course his parents. Are we clear? Good. Toodlez"

She shoved her phone back into her purse, flipped her hair and walked towards the direction of the bathroom. She glanced over at Sam's little group and shrugged innocently.

At that moment her mind turned to Beatrice, she had been so focused on her and Sam she had completely forgotten. She felt an awkward shiver go down her spine as her piercing eyes seemed to examine her face. Ellie turned her gaze and wandered into the bathroom. She set her purse on the counter and stared at her reflection in the mirror, visions of that night began dancing in her brain. It's like her mind was mocking her, mocking her crush, mocking her actions and mocking her appearance.

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The bathroom surrounding Tyler became like a fun house. The wall's seemed slanted, the ceiling appeared to be pulsing and the water pouring from the tap sounded like it was singing. Tyler glanced down at his feet, the floor beneath created wave like bumps, making it difficult for him to stay balanced. Tyler dropped on all fours and began crawling, smacking the floor to make the waves stop. He fell on his back and stared at the popcorn ceiling in a daze.

The ceiling transformed into a starry night with shooting stars and a dim lit moon. Tyler reached up with his left hand as if trying to catch one of the stars. His focused was broken when the voices from the gala chimed in. He glanced over at the bathroom door which through his eyes looked like castle doors. Tyler felt as though his body was being elevated as he got to his feet. His head was spinning and his surroundings were confusing but he felt happy and like he was in a storybook.

Tyler opened the bathroom door and peeked outside. The gala looked like a castle, everyone appeared to be dressed in medieval costumes, paintings on the wall were animated like those in Harry Potter, the curtains framing the windows appeared to be dancing, the music sounded classical and the room was in pure gold.

Tyler walked in trying to be as casual as possible. In his eyes he was dressed like a Prince and this gave him the idea that he needed to find a princess. He turned a full 360 and began singing love songs completely off tune. Animals from the paintings such as birds seemed to be flying out and landing on his shoulder singing along. Tyler began floating around the gala, he bowed at every woman he passed and between his song shifts he would exclaim "Isn't it a lovely day!