The New Normal

Chapter Twenty One

"What are you feeling?" Tyler questioned sincerely, his expression the most serious I had seen all night.

I smiled at him, a big, genuine smile. "Happy."

Tyler's expression softened and maybe it was the lighting or the cold, but I could have sworn a blush rose to his cheeks. He stared at me some more and I stared right back. He leaned forward and brought a hand up to my lips and his thumb gently glided across them. His hand smelt like a mixture of sugar and tobacco and I felt as though I did not want to move, not even slightly as his hand touched my face. "You had some sugar still on your lips."

"Oh," I replied stupidly, pulling back slightly as his hand dropped.

We were silent the rest of the game.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Juliet?" Brody barked out.

We were standing in the parking lot by his car, the game was over and almost everyone had cleared out. Tyler was in the parking lot across the street, his back towards us as he was having another cigarette. After the game, I tracked down Brody to talk to him, but evidently was not going too well. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to leave him alone."

Brody rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh. "He's a big boy, Juliet. I'm sure he can spend a night alone."

"I get that," I said, trying to reason with him. "But he was in a mood for the past little while and I wanted to make sure he was okay and then he wanted to do something with me but I said I was going to your game and then he decided to tag along."

His jaw clenched and his hands were in fists. "Oh, I know he's been in a mood for the past two bloody weeks because that's all you can talk about is Tyler."

I stepped back, annoyed that he was making such a big deal over this. Brody and I weren't even a couple, we weren't official, we were just going to Homecoming together. If we were together, I'd understand why he'd be upset that I brought another guy to his game, friend or not. "Why are you so angry? We just started talking and hanging out like two weeks ago and you're acting like I'm the Whore of freaking Babylon. I'm sorry I brought him to the game, but I'm not sorry I was there for a friend who clearly needed someone."

"Jesus Christ, Juliet," Brody snapped. "If you don't see how much that guy has a thing for you, you're even stupider than I thought."

I jerked back as if I had been hit. "Excuse me, what the actual hell is that supposed to mean?"

Brody let out a vicious laugh. "Come on, like you said, we just started talking two weeks ago. Did you really expect that I was secretly pining after you all these years and didn't say anything?"

I took another step back, feeling like an idiot for falling for his charm and kindness so quickly. "I d-didn't t-think anything like that, I just thought maybe you actually liked me."

"Please," Brody rolled his eyes. "Everyone outside of your little friend group knows that you're an easy target. Just ask Blake, it took you, what? Less than a month before you slept with him?"

My heart sank to my stomach. Of course Blake would tell the whole world about that. But I would not apologize for my past. As much as he hurt me and apparently spread my information to the whole school, Blake was my first love and yes, I probably should have waited longer than a month, but I was young and in love. At that time, I thought Blake and I were meant to be. It didn't make me an easy target, not only because I hadn't slept with anyone since but because it was none of anyone's business who and when I had slept with someone.

Not bothering to respond, I turned on my heel and walked to Tyler's car.

As I walked away and out of Brody's view, tears began to spring to my eyes. Not only did the whole school think I was easy, but Brody was simply using me to get some - it made me sick. Now, I had no date to Homecoming and the first guy since Blake that showed interest in me, hurt me, not physically, but emotionally. And that was enough for me to conclude, I never wanted to date again.

I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before I approached Tyler and cover up my hurting with a smile. "Ready to go?"

Tyler faced me and dropped the cigarette he had been smoking on the ground. He looked at me, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said, shooing off the question. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit," Tyler growled and grabbed me on both my arms, studying my face. "You've been crying. What did he do to you?"

Feeling defeated, I placed my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me, hesitantly. I stayed there for a moment and then sighed. "It's nothing worth talking about, just take me home."