The New Normal

Chapter Nine

"So you felt nothing?" Ariel questioned in disbelief.

I nodded my head in confirmation. "Nothing, not even a little spark. And it didn't help that he practically attacked my face."

When Ariel said nothing to further the subject I shrugged my shoulders and hugged the pillow that was beside me. "When I first came back, I was so excited to see him and everyone that I didn't realize how much has changed. Once it hit me and that excitement died down, I realized something was off."

Ariel looked at me skeptically and I rolled my eyes. "I know you think I'm nuts for thinking it but Ariel, something is not right. I feel like Blake is hiding something and is trying to cover it up by acting as perfect as he can. And by perfect, I mean awkward."

Without giving her a chance to talk, I continued on. "But my new therapist did say that after a dramatic change, relationships either thrive or falter because one or both parties have grown. I think it's faltering and we are just trying too hard to go back to normal that it's making things worse."

My friend eased her shoulders that were tensed the whole time we spoke of the date and Blake and she nodded her head. "That is true. Remember how my mom was married to someone other than my dad before Chad and I were born? Well, she told me that the reason they divorced was because she had a horrible miscarriage and ever since then, the whole relationship dynamic changed. It wasn't anyone's fault but after that loss, it was hard to go back to normal, if it were even possible."

I blinked in surprise. That was the only helpful thing Ariel has said since we've been talking about Blake. The whole time she kept saying it was in my head but now she was actually agreeing with me.

"Now, enough about Blake," she grinned, standing from the couch. "We have a party to prepare for."

I stood up beside her and inspected the living room, looking at all the furniture and breakables we'd have to move. "What is this party for?"

Ariel tilted her head to the side and shrugged. "Senior year?"

"Makes sense."

An hour later Tyler was helping me clean up the living room in silence while Chad was cleaning the kitchen and Ariel and Blake picked up food. I was sweeping the crumbs that was under the couch until Tyler had moved it. Minding my own business, I swept it up into a small pile when Tyler crept up behind me, placing a hand on my waist, causing me to flinch and him to lean forward to get more Lysol Wipes. "Sorry, I just need one mo-"

He stopped and put the container of wipes down. "We're all out."

I handed him the broom and said, "There's more in the cleaning closet upstairs, I'll go get them."

Without waiting for a response because I wanted to avoid any interaction with him - I am in no mood to deal with his rudeness today. I jogged up the stairs, down the hall, and to the closet. I rummaged around to find the wipes and I finally located them on the bottom shelf. Grabbing them, I started to run down the stairs. "Found them!"

Tyler waited at the bottom of the stairs, his hands resting on the top of the broom and his chin resting on top of his hands. His piercing green eyes stared into my brown ones and I felt myself hitch my breath and the next thing I knew I was tumbling down the stairs. My body crashed onto Tyler's and the picture frame that was hung on the wall behind him fell on my head, then Tyler's as we flew backwards.

I felt Tyler's body under mine squirm and he brushed my hair behind my ear. "You're bleeding."

I gulped as I stared down at him, seeing blood emerge from where the picture frame hit his head too. "Y-you're b-bl-bleeding too."

He took the same hand that moved my hair and touched his head, wincing. "I'll be fine. Let's get that blood off of your face, it's starting to creep me out."

I got off of Tyler and he stood up as well and inspected me up and down. From my now wild hair and bloodied up face, to the bruise that lingered on my elbow from hopping Tyler's gate last week. I did not look good.

He led me to the downstairs bathroom and Chad caught us on the way there. He look between the two of us and grinned. "So, uh, did things get kinky?"

Tyler smacked the side of Chad's head and let out an annoyed sigh. "Shut up."

We continued to go our way to the washroom and Tyler gestured for me to sit on the sink counter. He grabbed some hand towels and soaked one with warm water and cleaned the blood off of my forehead and started to clean it out with antiseptic. "Does that hurt?"

I nodded my head slightly. "Stings."

"Do you feel nauseous or dizzy?"

"No," I said quietly. "Do you?"

Tyler chuckled at put down the towel. "No, I was just checking to see if you had a concussion."

I picked up the other hand towel and started wiping the blood off of Tyler's forehead. "Well, I was just... seeing if you had a concussion too."

Tyler chuckled again and had a resting grin on his face, simply smiling at me, lost in thought. I bit my lip as I looked up at Tyler, unsure what to do. After a few seconds, Tyler snapped out of whatever he was thinking about. His eyes darkening and smile faltering, he tossed me a Hello Kitty band aid from the box on the counter - probably Ariel's. "Cover up that gash on your head before it starts to bleed again."

Without saying anything else, he stormed out of the washroom, slamming the door behind him. I sat there and absorbed what just happened and finally shouted back, "YEAH, WELL, COVER UP YOUR GASH BEFORE YOU LOOK LIKE A WALKING DEAD EXTRA!"