Everything Old Is New Again

Twenty Four

"Tyler Grey give that back." I whisper trying to grab the diary he held in his hands. He shook his head laughing to himself. "No way. I got a hold of Cassidy Andrews diary, I'm not letting it go."

He waved it high in the air blocking me from reaching. "I swear to god Tyler..." I start before Mrs.Trenton shushed us. "If you kids holler one more time you'll both have to leave. This is a library miss Andrews. I expect more from you."

I give her an apologetic look. "Sorry Mrs.Trenton."

Tyler chuckled to himself as he brought my diary back on the table.

I snatched it back, placing it in my backpack. "You almost got us kicked out you asshole." I role my eyes giggling a little myself.

"What do you have in there? I'm just so curious." He said resting his head on his arm.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out."

Tyler rolled his eyes as Sydney came over and joined us at the table. We all decided to meet after school in the library to start studying for end the year exams.

"Sorry got held back by Grace and Fiona. Did you know Grace and Jonah are back together? I may have been stupid to go back with Ashton but Grace is equally as stupid if she thinks Jonah is gonna change. Anyways, what'd I miss?" she said sitting down grabbing her laptop out of her bag.

"Oh nothing, just Cassidy almost getting us kicked out." I gasped kicking him from under the table.

"That's because you decided to steal my diary and tease me with it."

Sydney shrugged. "Eh you didn't miss much. It's mostly just about Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and her secret book she's been writing. Oh there might be a couple pages about you in there but I didn't get a chance to look them over."

Tyler smirked looking at me. "Oh really?"

My mouth dropped. "You read my diary?"

"Yea when you were over at Tyler's the other night. I found it and couldn't help myself" she simply responded back.

"Do either of you understand the meaning privacy?"

"You should've seen it coming. By the way does Elise get the wand of power yet or does that happen in chapter 4?"

"You guys are horrible." I said laughing slightly to myself.

We stay for about an hour helping each other with flashcards and memorizing our notes we have written down.

"We should head out. The kids will be home soon." We all gather our things and head out to the parking lot.

"I'll see you later?" Tyler nodded giving me a quick kiss.

Sydney and I made our way back home right when the kids walked in throwing their backpacks on the floor like always.

I try to get them to bring their backpacks to their room or at least put it on the bench by the door but of course they don't listen.

"Cassy can we stay the night at grandmas?" Dylan pleaded.

"I'll call grandma and see if that's ok."

"Yes." Dylan said bringing his fist in front of him like he just won the lottery.

I laugh dialing grandmas number. "Hey grandma. The kids wanted to see if they can come over to spend the night tonight. Are you up for visitors?"

We talk back and forth for a couple minutes, both Jenna and Dylan looking anxious to see what she says.

"Ok will do. Thanks grandma." I hang up clearly taking too slow for Jenna and Dylan.

"What'd she say?"

"Can we?"

I nod. "Yes but you have to finish your homework first."

They cheer running to grab their backpacks.

"What are you gonna do tonight?" Sydney asks.

"Tyler said he has a surprise for me. All he mentioned was to come over at seven." I shrug.

Sydney nodded sitting on the couch. "Nice. I'll be here playing the x-box. Dylan got me hooked on this stupid game. I have to get to level ten to win the space star in the galaxy of victors."

I roll my eyes heading upstairs to get ready having no clue what those words meant.

...................

"I present to you the Tyler special. Also known as Kraft mac n cheese." I laugh grabbing the bowl out of his hands.

"Sounds amazing." We each start on our bowl making chit chat as we eat.

"How kids get entertained with the simplest of things amazes me. I just don't understand."

"I don't either." I laugh explaining how Jenna spent 2 hours collecting rocks in a bucket just to set them on her dresser and never touched them again.

"So I wanted to talk to you about something." I gaze at him confused. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is absolutely perfect." He smiles before pulling out a small box holding a beautiful ring with a simple jewel in the middle.

"Tyler what's that for?" I ask suddenly feeling undeserving of him.

"It's a promise ring. Cassidy you are such an amazing person and one day I want to make it official and spend the rest of my life with you. Considering we're only 18, I want to give you this. As a promise that I will always be with you. Standing in your corner cheering you on. I promise to be the best boyfriend you could ever imagine. I promise that I will never leave you. I love you."

A tear slips down my cheek in awe. "Tyler I don't know what to say. You didn't have to do this."

He nods smiling at me, his cute dimples popping through. "I know, but you deserve it. You deserve everything you want in life. And I'll be here to give it to you."

He pulls out the ring placing it on my finger. "Do you like it?"

I couldn't say or do anything but nod. Now tears are spilling out one by one. "It's perfect." I say admiring the simple band with a small diamond sitting on top.

He pulls me in giving me a slow kiss caressing his hands around my waist. I wrap my hands around his neck kissing him back.

He pulls away placing his forehead on mine looking down at my ring.

"It looks better on you then it did the mannequin."

I laugh. "I love it. So much." I look up at him can't help but wondering why. Why did something so traumatic happen and then this? With what happened I didn't know that I could ever be happy again. I didn't know if I could enjoy life knowing that my parents aren't here to watch it. I wouldn't even have thought in a million years that I would be with Tyler. Sure we had little fling before he left but we were kids, I didn't know that it would turn into something that finally gave me a reason to be happy. A reason to go through life without feeling sorry for myself and my siblings and terrified that something bad would happen again. But I was wrong.

Life can be a roller coaster that's for sure. But I wouldn't have it any other way.