It's 4 a.m. in the morning. We are going to a field trip. By we I mean Me and Tyler as Archie and Millie decided to bail on the last minute. But it's okay, they have a lot going on.
After Julie's death, I have never seen the 'Happy Mille'. The Mill with whom I used to be friends with. But I don't blame her, if something would have happened to my mom then my life would have fallen apart too. And with having no dad I would have to beg people to adopt me.
Yes I have no Dad. My dad died when I was four due to cancer. Since then it have only been me and my mom. My mom had done everything to cover my dad's place and also play her role as my mom. She have done an amazing job.
She works at a small tech company which is doing okay and she have been making enough money for us. She have my whole future planned. Me going to Yale is her's dream more than mine. She acts a little extra sometimes but it's completely understandable at last it's my future, her only daughter, her only family.
Anyways I do not have to leave the house until 6:30 but I decided to wake up early so that I could study as much as possible. I need to work really hard this year to keep up with my grades in order to get into Yale. Yale is everything.
It's 6:45 and Tyler has not yet come to pick me up. He is usually the one who loves to be early. But he is late today.
Ding!
That's my phone. It's a text from Tyler
'Outside your house'. The text said
"Bye mom."
"Bye honey. Be safe."
I left my house and saw Tyler's Jaguar. He loves cars. Like madly.
"Hey, how are you late today aren't you excited for the trip?" I said as I wore my seatbelt. Something seems off about Ty, he is not all cheerful as he always is.
"Not feeling good." Ty replied. Ofcourse he is not feeling well. He eats too much of outside/junk food. I know that his mom is a doctor but that doesn't makes him untouchable from germs.
"You should stop eating junk food, you know?" I told Tyler.
He gave me a nod and started to drive us towards school from where we will leave for the field trip.
We have reached school. Our journey to school was quite. I tried to start conversations but Ty kept it short. Did I do something wrong?
"Everyone get on the bus and give your attendance to Mrs. Ross" Mr. Sheikh ordered.
Me and Ty headed towards the bus. "Hi! Ty let's sit together on the bus and probably make out. What say?" A girl asked Tyler with whom he did makeout on Archie's party but Tyler just ignored her words and hopped on the bus. I followed him. Arch and Tyler might be nice to me and Mill, well Archie is not nice to Mill but you know what I am saying, right? They are a dick for everyone else.
There were two columns in the bus. One side had three seats together and the other side had two. Me and Ty sat somewhere in the middle on the two seated column. Ty's mood was very upset and I had to know the reason why.
"Ty, what's wrong? You have been so silent since the morning. Is there something wrong?" I interrogated Tyler.
"It's nothing. I am just feeling a little sick." Tyler answered without even looking at me. He was lying. It's obvious.
"If you are angry with me just say it but don't act like this it makes me feel like shit. This attitude might work with others but not with me." I stood up from my seat to give Tyler some space that he clearly needed but then there was a strong grip around my wrist.
"Please don't go. It's not you. I am just having a bad day. Just be by my side. Please." Tyler begged. I haven't seen him like this since Julie's funeral. I remember how hard he cried that day. But what's the reason this time. I won't ask him more questions in this state but I need to know.
We listened to the weekend on our way to the park. Basically we were going to clean the river and spread awareness about the causes of having a contaminated river.
Cleaning a river is not that much fun and with Tyler being quiet it's getting boring. "So what's the exact reason Mill did not come here. I am sure there might be a good reason because there is no way you came without her." I tried to start a conversation with Tyler
"She is not feeling good." Tyler replied in a dull voice. He was not all jolly today but when I asked about Millie his expressions changed. I might be wrong or overthinking a lot here.
"Both brother and sister feeling sick. I think flu is in the air instead of love." I chuckled. Tyler gave a small smile back.
"And talking of love. I heard about Reggie and Mill."
"What did you hear about them?" Tyler asked as if he has been given a shocking news.
" How Reggie punched you and Mill slapped him back and then Arch punched Reggie until Mr.Sheikh seperated them. I kind of feel bad for poor Reggie." I replied to Tyler.
"Don't you dare feel bad for that dickhead. He is full of shit and he got exactly what he deserved and please try not to take his name in front of me ever again." Tyler's face was gushed with anger. I know Reggie was wrong to hit Tyler but why was he this angry on him. Tyler rushed away from me and joined the guys from the football team while I decided to hang out with the cheerleading girls.
It's around seven and it's dark. We are now doing the bonfire it's the last thing we are doing before going back to school.
Tyler is standing alone and talking with someone on the phone. I decided to give him some company.
"Mill please take care of yourself and have some rest. Don't eat any junk food and only eat what Sam have ordered the cooks to cook and also call mom and let her know you are okay. Okay? Byee." Tyler hanged up the phone.
"What happened to Millie is she actually sick?" I asked Tyler.
"Hmm." Tyler let out and was about to leave.
"Tyler stop." I demanded.
"Will you please tell me what's going on. I am kind of getting worried now.
I haven't heard the name Sam from your mouth in ages. Tell me what's going on now." I confronted Tyler.
He looked in my eyes with his eyes filled with tears. He was crying. Tyler is crying. I gave him a tight hug and rubbed his back.
"Hey! It's okay. Whatever it is, we will go through it together.I promise." By this point Tyler was sobbing really hard.
"You don't know what actually happened yesterday." Tyler told me by pulling himself away from my arms. He filled me in on every detail that happened yesterday.
The fight at his house between him and Millie.
Millie going to the club with Reggie and Amanda.
What Reggie and Amanda tried to do.
How Archie saved Millie.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
All of this happened and I had no idea. Millie is all alone right now and I am here enjoying. Fuck! What kind of friend am I?
"Why didn't you guys call me yesterday? I would have stayed with Millie. How could you leave her alone, Ty?" I asked Ty.
"I didn't want to leave her alone. I didn't want to come to this stupid picnic but I had to give Millie the space she needed." Ty replied rubbing off his tears. I understand if Millie wants to stay alone. But she doesn't have to. She can share her pain with us.
"Fine. But the first thing you are doing after reaching school is taking me to Millie okay?" I ordered Ty.
He nodded his head as in yes. By that time some of the boys Started yelling Tyler's same. Good thing no one saw him crying or else it would have become the school's gossip. Tyler asked me to join him.
All of us were sitting around the fire. Some were singing, some were making out and the others were on the verge to sleep. I was sitting beside Tyler. We are just seeing what everyone else was doing.
"Does anyone want hot coffee?" A girl announced.
"Yes we do." I said while raising my hand so that she could see us.
The girl bought coffee in two small cups. I stood up and took them from her hand. The coffee is actually very hot. I sat down at passed one to Tyler.
Splash!
I dropped the coffee on Tyler's Sweatshirt. Fuck!
"I am so sorry! Does it hurts? The coffee was hot." I was in panic. Everyone had their eyes on us. I was trying to remove the stain with my hands but that was useless.
"Hey, Shell it's okay. I bought my school jacket with me let me grab it from the bus." Tyler stood up and started to walk towards the bus.
I followed him. Tyler is even clumsier than Millie. He forgets where he have kept his things, he was definitely going to need my help.
"Shell where did our bags go? We left them on our seats right?" Tyler asked.
"They are under our seat. I hid them so that no one could pull a prank on us." I replied to Tyler.
He picks up his bag from under the seat. And tried to pull of his jacket from his bag which is deep inside his bag and there are atleast 50 things above it but Tyler finally succeeds to remove his jacket out of the bag.
He removes his sweatshirt from his body. He didn't ask me to turn around because I have seen his abbs before too. They are so good. He is so beautiful. His six pack abbs. How he flexes his muscles. And clenches his jaw when he is struggling to keep his sweatshirt inside his bag.
"Don't just stuff it inside the bag Tyler. Fold it first." But he decides to ignore me and take the shortcut.
"Watch and Learn Shell." He said when the sweatshirt was finally completely inserted in his bag but he was struggling to close the chain. He used too much of force and pressure that the chain was dislocated from its pathway.
"Fuck!" Tyler shouted.
"I told you to fold it and then keep it inside but little do you listen." I snatched the bag away from Tyler's hands and tried to fix it but couldn't. So I used my hair claw clips and tried to close the bags open mouth. It wasn't perfect but it will work.
"Here." It was until then I realised how close me and Tyler were. I could feel him breathing on my neck.
We locked out eyes with each other. Tyler face was moving closer to me. We were having a moment but none of us initiated a kiss because we knew it will lead nowhere.
I rushed out of the bus and joined few girls who were singing. Why would Tyler do that? He makes out with literally every girl and God knows how many girls he have fucked. I wouldn't like to be one of those other girls.
During the rest of the trip and on our way back to school there was an awkward silence between me and Ty. We were now headed to meet Millie. She went through a lot yesterday. I just hope that she is okay.
We were now in front of Millie's house. She lives in a huge white mansion. There are only two people who live in this house now.
The security guard didn't ask much question to us as he knew how close me and Ty were to this house. It's 10:30 p.m. now.
All the lights of the mansion are switched off except for the study room of Uncle Sam. Tyler switches on few lights of the house. Which concerns uncle Sam and he comes out of his study room. He takes a glance on me and Tyler. We both waves Hi to him but he decides to ignore us and go back to his study area. Me and Ty heads towards the first floor where Millie's room is.
Ty knocks on Millie's bedroom door. As soon as Millie opens the door Ty gives her a tight hug. Millie couldn't hug him back because her hands were locked by Tyler's hug.
"Shell knows. I told her." Tyler said as he broke their warm hug.
I hugged Millie tightly as soon as she was freed from Tyler's arms.
"I am sorry. I was going to inform you about everything by myself but I didn't want you to worry about me and miss today's trip. I know how hard you have been working for college and I didn't---" I cut Millie's sentence in the middle and allowed her to breathe. "Hey. It's okay. I am not mad at you Millie. You needed your time and it's completely okay." I said in a soft and low voice.
I took Millie out from my arms and looked at her face. Her lips are swollen. Her eyes are dull. She is wearing a black turtle neck.
"I will be staying with you tonight" I declared.
"You really don't need to." Millie said.
"I know but I want to and also we haven't had a girls night since a while now." I said.
Millie had a small smile on her face as she realises that there are people who will love her no matter what but she needs to know that she deserves all of it.
"Fine. Let me check if we have icecream." Millie said with excitement in her voice.
"Well then, I guess I should leave and let you guys enjoy your girls night." Tyler let out.
"No Ty, you should stay and tell me everything that happened today on the trip." Millie asked. Me and Ty shared awkward glimpse with each other.
"What? What am I missing?" Millie asked after seeing our faces. Me and Tyler we both were confused and didn't know what to say.
"Nothing. It's just I don't want to ruin your girls night." Ty broke the silence.
"Oh Ty don't you know that you are the part of our girls group?" Millie asserted and Tyler gave her an eye roll and I let out a giggle.
"Whatever Mill." Ty said.
"Okay. You guys wait in my room and I'll quickly bring snacks for tonight." Millie left to bring snacks.