Chapter 6 - Tyler

Steven felt horrible because he could understand James’s frustration. When your angry, really angry, control of your strength can escape you. People like Steven and James could end up hurting someone more then they meant to. The only solution was to avoid fighting all together, but sometimes it found you anyway. Steven wanted to do something, anything, but he wasn’t aloud, he couldn’t be a friend to James.
He had to be cold and emotionless. He couldn’t help his friend even though it tore him up inside. Steven looked away from the bathroom door; the teacher he had gotten was now dragging Tyler down the hallway by his arm.
“I don’t care what your opinions are! You had absolutely no right to harass another student like that! What would have happened if you had tripped and stabbed him in the eye?” She shouted. Tyler didn’t say anything. “ And I don’t care if you were just horsing around! Do anything like that again and you could be expelled or possibly sent into Juvenal hall! Do you want to leave your mother alone with that man? I am fully aware of you living situation.”
Tyler looked like he could cry, the teacher continued to drag him down the hall without stopping. Living situation? That perked Stevens curiosity. The door to the bathroom opened. James stopped, looked Steven straight in the eye, and walked down the hall as if trying to ignore him.
His right hand was bleeding from the broken glass.


* * *
“ I can’t believe this.” Jane said in the principles office, shaking her head. “ I know it’s hard to believe that one of our students- Students! Were the hell were your teachers?” Jane shouted interrupting the man facing them. James head snapped up. He had never heard her curs before. “ Wa- I swear every time something bad happened to my son at this school it was because a teacher wasn’t watching their students!” She screeched interrupting him again.
“ Well…either way Tyler will be severally punished and made an example out of. I am also positive that if anything like this were to happen again all James would have to do is stand up for himself and the offender will leave him alone.” The principle said. “ HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO STAND UP FOR HIMSELF!” Jane exploded. “ A school is a safe place to learn! NOT a boxing wring. If you can’t provide that then I’m pulling my children out of your program, and don’t think that I’m not going to go to your superintendent about this!” She yelled.
“ But ma’am I’m sure if- James doesn’t use his fists to fight back because he has to set an example for his sister, and he may not be quick with words yet but at least he’s not hiding like a coward! So don’t you dare tell him to fight back when he’s already doing his best!” Once that was said Jane yanked her son to his feet. “ Good day to you sir!” And with that she dragged James out of the principles office and slammed the door.
“ Holy crap” James thought as his mother drove him home. He had never seen her so angry in his entire life. The car ride was silent, and as Jane parked he car, she took a breath to steady herself. “ Why don’t we fix your hair?”

* * *
Steven walked down the dirt road of the local trailer park. He had heard that Tyler lived hear. All of the trailers were soft colors. The owners lawns were well kept, the cars looked like they had been washed, and everything was neatly placed. It seemed out of place for Tyler to be living hear.
Steven froze at a shoe crashed through the inside of a window and flew a few inches by his face. “ Now look what you’ve done you little shoot!” A man yelled. Steven looked at the trailer were the shoe had come from. The building was green and not as well kept as the others, but it didn’t look different from them either. The man inside the trailer was still yelling.
“ You disagree with me so much? Then get out!” Steven watched as Tyler kicked open the door. He had an urn in his hands. “ Tyler?” Steven asked. The boy froze. “ This is none of your business!” He shouted at Steven.
Tyler ran into the woods and Steven followed from a safe distance. What exactly was going on? Eventually Tyler stopped in a clearing when he thought he had lost Steven. Tyler knew these woods well. No one would be able to find him once he hit the trees, at least no one who was normal.
As soon as he was sure that Tyler had stopped Steven kicked it indo high gear, soundlessly ran around the area were Tyler was and walked quietly forward when he knew he would be directly in front of the boy. Tyler hadn’t seen him approach. Hw was looking down at the urn with a sad expression on his face. Tyler’s head snapped up when he heard a twig break.
“ The hell? How…? “ Tyler said glancing behind him. “ I told you it’s none of your business!” Tyler was right, this was none of his business, but all the same, Steven stayed were he was. “ Why would you care!?!” Tyler nearly shouted. “Because… you already get enough crap from me, you don’t need it from your father. It’s not right.” Steven replied. Tyler’s expression changed from anger, to sadness, and back to anger again.
It only lasted a second but it was still there. “ Shut up! You don’t know anything about him!” “ I know enough.” Steven said. Tyler stood there speechless. He didn’t know what to say next.
“ what’s in the urn?” Steven asked. “What do you think?! Why would you care?!” Tyler yelled. Tyler looked back at the urn. After watching Tyler’s face Steven couldn’t help but find something familiar about his eyes. Then it clicked. Memories of one of the darkest times in his life came rushing back to him. “What!?! What’s that look for?” “ … That’s your mother, isn’t it?” Stevens face was an expression of pain and understanding. “ What would you know!?!” “ My mom is dead.” Steven said.
There was a pause as Tyler stared at the urn. “ They don’t know do they?” Steven said. “ …No.” Another pause. “ No one even bothered to tell me until my dad picked her up from the morgue were the was cremated this morning.” Tyler said.
Ouch. “ What did she have?” Steven asked. “ …breast cancer…She couldn’t handle the Chemo and died in the hospital.” Tears pricked at Tyler’s eyes. He didn’t know why he was telling Steven this; but at least he was someone who would understand. “ He never told me what was happening! Because of him… She died alone!” Tyler was practically crying.
Steven swallowed, his throught was starting to ache. “ maybe…he didn’t want you to watch.” Steven said. “ Shows what you know! My dad hated her! They were getting a divorce!” Tyler’s shoulders shook and he ran. Steven stood there for a moment before falling to his knees. He honestly wanted to scream.

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