The Sons of Ipswich: Tyler's Secret

The Sons of Ipswich: Tyler’s Secret

Chapter 1

The dormitory door slammed and Tyler looked up from his laptop to see his best friend and roommate, Reid Garwin.

“Fuck,” Reid muttered, throwing himself down onto his bed.

“What?” asked Tyler.

“I just saw that Sarah girl, wearing nothing but a towel,” Reid moaned, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Tyler laughed, although the sound was brittle and forced.

“Why are you laughing, man? It’s not funny – I’ll be awake all night now.”

Tyler shook his head and turned off his desk light. Reid was his best friend, but sometimes he just couldn’t stand Reid’s obsession with the opposite sex.

“And you know what really sucks? She’s probably into Caleb.”

Tyler rolled his eyes in the darkness and crawled into bed, hoping Reid would just shut up.

“It’s not fair, man!” Reid was starting to whine now. “Just because he’s the oldest…he gets to Ascend first, he gets the best grades, he’s the best swimmer…and he gets all the girls!”

“He gets the best grades because he stays awake in class, Reid,” Tyler muttered.

“Shut up, man, whose side are you on?”

Tyler didn’t answer. It was sort of an inane question anyway – Tyler was always on Reid’s side.

*          *          *

“It’s not right using on each other, Caleb!” said Tyler, barely containing his anger.

“Aw, tell it to Reid,” said Caleb irritably.

Tyler spared the eldest one last look before he ran after Reid. He hated it when Reid and Caleb fought – he always felt that urge to protect his friend, but he always came off looking worse for it. He didn’t know what Caleb and Pogue thought of him, but he knew he probably seemed like some stray, pathetic puppy, always tailing after Reid, desperate for any sort of attention.

“Hey – hey, Reid!”

“Don’t talk to me, man” Reid hissed, grabbing his jacket off the back of a chair.

“Look, let’s just get out of here –”

“What do you think I’m doing?” the angry blonde spat.

“I’ll drive,” said Tyler quickly.

“No way, baby boy, I’ll drive.”

“But –”

“I know, I know… it’s your car.”

“No, I just meant – you’re a little upset right now. I should drive.”

Reid stopped and looked at Tyler, his eyes finally changing from black to their normal cool blue. Tyler fidgeted under his older friend’s gaze. His eyes always did something to him….

“You know,” said Reid slowly. “You always take care of me, don’t you?”

Tyler felt his breath catch in his throat.

            “What do you mean?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

            Reid smirked. “You’re always defending me – to Caleb, to Aaron… it should be me that protects you, not the other way around.”

            Tyler let out a shaky laugh. “Well someone’s got to look after you.”

            Reid shook his head, looking slightly guilty. “I know, but…I’m older.”

            “Oh yeah, by…what, a month?” asked Tyler, relaxing slightly and grinning.

            Reid shrugged. “I guess we have to look out for each other.”

            “Yeah…,” said Tyler, resuming the walk to his Hummer. Reid followed him and, without a fight, got into the passenger seat.

            “So,” said Tyler, once they were a few minutes away from Nicky’s. “You were right…Caleb got Sarah.”

            “Yeah, whatever. She wasn’t really my type anyway,” Reid muttered, resting his head dejectedly against the car window.

            Tyler couldn’t help but laugh.

            “Oh, be quiet, man. I’m serious.”

            “Yeah, then what is your type?” Tyler asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

            “Who knows? I just know all the girls here are whack. I gotta broaden my horizons, find something new.”

            Tyler gripped the steering wheel tightly and swallowed. He hated ambiguous statements like that; the kind that his mind played with in hopes of finding some hidden meaning that was never there.

            “I envy you, man,” said Reid, sitting up. “I mean, you never really talk about girls.”

            Tyler swallowed again and readjusted his hands – they were starting to slip on the wheel.

            “It’s like you’re immune or whatever – like they don’t affect you.”

            “They affect me –” said Tyler quickly. “I just – you know, control it better.”

            “Right,” said Reid.

            Tyler swallowed, then asked quietly, “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “Nothing,” said Reid, glancing at him.

            Tyler bit his lip. He couldn’t believe this was happening now. “You meant something. What did you mean?”

            “It didn’t mean anything, dude, chill out.”

            “Don’t tell me to ‘chill out’, you meant something!” Tyler yelled, turning to glare at the blonde.

            “Dude, watch the road!”

            “Fuck the road, we’re not gonna die!” Tyler shouted.

            “Tyler, what the fuck is your problem?” Reid yelled, grabbing the wheel.

            “I don’t have a problem, get the fuck off!” Tyler screamed, shoving Reid back into his seat.

            “Tyler! What the hell, man?”

            Tyler grabbed the wheel and hit the gas pedal, leaning forward and clenching his jaw. He suddenly hated Reid, he hated him! His eyes were gleaming, black as ink, and suddenly they were speeding faster than a racecar back to the dorms. In no time at all, the Hummer screeched to a stop in front of the dormitory, and Tyler turned towards Reid, who was gasping in his seat.

            “Get out,” Tyler ordered.

            “Tyler – what –”

            “Get the fuck out!” Tyler screamed, the car door bursting open. Reid scrambled out into the street, then turned back to Tyler, but he was already driving away.

*          *          *

            “Tyler.”

            Tyler kept walking, ignoring Reid’s voice behind him.

            “Tyler!”

            Tyler clenched his jaw and sped up. Suddenly, he walked into something invisible and sprawled backwards, the contents of his messenger bag spilling onto the floor.

            “Shit!” he moaned as the bell rang. Tyler sat up and began to stuff his books and loose papers back into his bag before Reid caught up with him. Unfortunately, he soon heard the other teen’s footsteps stop right behind him.

            “You had that coming, you know,” said Reid quietly.

            Tyler didn’t say anything, waiting until the hall was clear of other students. Reid laughed softly above him.

            “The silent treatment is so old school, man.”

            Tyler stood up and brushed off his school jacket and pants, then hesitantly took a step forward with his hand outstretched, feeling for the invisible wall.

            “I’m not taking it down ‘til you talk to me,” said Reid, still behind him.

            “What, then?” asked Tyler, spinning around. He had expected Reid to look angry, or maybe even amused, but certainly not sad.

            “Where’d you go last night?” asked Reid, his blue eyes searching Tyler’s.

            “I stayed with Pogue,” Tyler muttered looking anywhere but at Reid.

            Reid smirked. “Good. If you stayed with Caleb, I would’ve been really jealous.”

            “God, don’t,” Tyler muttered, then turned away.

            “Don’t what?”

            “Don’t say shit like that.”

            “Like what?” asked Reid, following Tyler. “Dude, don’t make me use on you.”

            “And what would you do to me?”

            “I’d make you tell me what the fuck is going on with you.”

            Tyler turned and faced Reid. “What if I don’t know what’s going on with me?”

            Reid stared with one eyebrow raised, then threw his hands into the air in frustration. “Tyler… shit, man, we don’t keep secrets from each other.”

            Tyler didn’t say anything.

            “Maybe it’s time we started,” he whispered finally.

TBC. Please see The Covenant, even if you’ve heard it’s bad….I loved it. Review please.