I woke up to the shrill sound of my phone ringing. I groaned and glanced over at my clock. It was 2a.m.
After I got home, I'd made a bowl of pasta, watched a movie, and went to bed.
"Who's calling at two in the morning??!" I moaned and checked the Caller ID.
Uh oh.
I'd forgotten about Tyler.
I answered the phone, "Tyler where are you?"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" a very drunk Tyler slurred on the other end of the phone. "I don't know."
"Very helpful Ty. Can you describe your surroundings?" I asked him in the way you'd talk to a little kid.
"I'm at Marianne's house," he mumbled from the other line.
"Ok gotcha."
It was Marianne Matson's house. Her family was insanely rich, and she threw frequent parties at which Tyler would get drunk and take a swim in the pool.
For some reason, he always had to fall in the pool with all his popular friends from football. I guess it was like their ritual, but it resulted in my car being soaking wet.
I'd been to Marianne's house to pick up Tyler from so many parties, it took me less than five minutes to get there. As usual there was a raging party and I could hear the music from a block away.
I called Tyler so he could come outside because I was not in the mood to go inside.
"Come outside, I'm in the driveway," I said exasperatedly.
"Oh, by the way, I left," He slurred.
"Why aren't you at Marielle's house?" I asked frantically.
"I don't know." He said and started giggling. That was it, Tyler was a pessimistic drunk, he never laughed or giggled. He wasn't drunk. He was high.
"Tyler. What. Did. You. Do?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry Lex Lex, I didn't mean to." He babbled on the other side of the phone.
"Just get me the address." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. My brother was high. He was the star football player at my school, and he had a full ride to Auburn, and here he was, high.
"I'm by the old bridge." He said and then hung up.
The old bridge was a run down bridge on the edge of town where the dangerous people hung out and smoked weed, sniffed coke, and drunk. The old run down bridge was also known as the birthplace of Willow Creek gangs.
Now I had to drive all the way to The Bridge, which was on the other side of town.
"Oh Tyler." I sighed to myself as I pulled up and saw the druggies stumbling about.
I walked around for a few minutes before I saw my brother, dripping wet, and sitting on a rock staring at the ground.
"Lex! You're here!" Tyler shouted, gaining the attention of some dangerous looking men with tattoos.
"Tyler hush." I said.
"Oh right sorry." He replied lowering his voice to a whisper.
"What did you take?" I asked trying not to get frantic.
"Ohh I just snorted some stuff," He said casually, but then saw my face and quickly assured, "It was no big deal though, don't worry."
"Don't worry? You're captain of the football team and your doing drugs now?" I gasped.
"Please just give me a ride home. My head hurts. I'm sorry," he pleaded.
"Tyler, you know I'll always come and get you, and take you home, no matter what" I assured him.
"Thanks Lex," He said and hugged me.
"Should've known." A low voice said behind us, "That you wouldn't resist me unless you had a man of your own." I turned around to see Jace Johnson looking at me.
I glanced at Tyler, we lasted three seconds before we burst out laughing.
"He-he is my brother." I said between cackles.
"Oh." Jace replied, seemingly embarassed.
However, all of the sudden, Tyler sobered up. "How do you know my sister?" He asked in seriousness with his big brother tones showing through.
"Tyler he's one of the kids I babysit." I reminded him.
"Babysit?" Jace exclaimed at the same time Tyler said, "I'm not okay with this."
Jace quickly recovered, "Well you'd better be West, because I'll be spending a lot of time with your sister." He smirked.
Tyler stepped up to him, "You little-"
I grabbed Tyler's shirt.
"Come on, we're going." I told him and dragged him away.
"I don't like him Lexi," Tyler stomped on the ground.
"Well neither do I, so no problem there." I hugged all the while dragging him along.
"Lex, you can date any boy, but never him. Anyone but him, ok?" Tyler told me.
"Ok, Ty Ty." I said, "Now let's go home.