Play song when it tells you to

I wake up and I realize I'm not in my house, I let out a cough, and struggle to sit up, wow everything hurts.

"Your awake!" Alice says.

Alice how did I get here I ask. Do you it remember what happened last night?
No I don't, I tell her. I do remember I just don't want to tell Alice what happened last night.

I move my leg but instantly a sharp pain shoots up my leg,

"Easy your leg is still healing , so you really don't remember how it happened?"

I remember I fell from a ladder, I got
Locked out and I tried climbing in through my window but I fell.

Well your aunt is worried sick, but don't worry I already told her what happened.

So Tyler is going to bring you up to Northbrooke later today to meet up with your aunt.

My mind flashes back suddenly to last night, I remember seeing him walk out the door after denying even knowing me.

"I need to go" Alice says as she runs around the house in a rush. " I left you breakfast, and she reaches behind the couch and pulls out a long silver object, as well as bottle with pills and water there are your crutches, and take these pain meds twice a day. I hate to leave you like this but I have to go."

She reaches down and gives me a hug, I love you Jace she says as she stands up straight.

If you want help I can walk you out and you can wait for Tyler outside.

Sure I say, she helps me up and hands me my crutches.

They are a bit uncomfortable but I get used to them soon enough, we walk out onto the red brick porch, and she helps me sit down. I watch her drive away as she waves at me.

He sure is taking a while I think as I sit on the steps of their red brick front porch. His house is pretty similar when it comes to design and look but you can tell this one has been lived in longer. It had the touch that only a family can make on a house. It felt like it had a story that you could only learn from looking inside. Of course I have looked inside so I guess the beauty is subjective.

"Hey you ready to go" says Tyler walking out from the front doors. He is wearing his school letterman jacket, a white long sleeve shirt and light blue jeans which now makes me feel like I'm dressed for the wrong outing.

Yah I guess so is all I can say before following him to his car, I don't really say much before we get to where his car was parked and I don't say much after I get into the passenger seat. I can't help but notice that the seat is reclined so far back I'm almost looking through the sunroof of his car. "Sorry about that, I forgot to raise it back up, you can just pull the lever on the side" I feel around till I find the lever and I shoot forward almost hitting my head on the dash board. "Why is your seat so leaned back anyways" I ask, with frustration clearly in my voice.

"You really don't wanna know", he says.

He's right I think to myself, I really don't wanna know. "So you ready" he ask turning on the car, I nod and we begin driving. As soon as we were out of town it was almost as if we were in another universe.

I'm still feeling the effect from the pain meds,
So I rest my head against the corner of my seat using the seatbelt strap to cradle my head, I always love looking at the long fir trees that seem to stretch out for miles. The sky was a gloomy with rays of light breaking through the veil of clouds in the distance.

Tyler doesn't say anything, frankly I don't really have anything to say to him either. Still we're going to be driving together for a while so. Regardless of what's happened I'm going to be the bigger person.

We drove through a wide valley with grass fields on both sides, I must have missed them on my ride down here as I drowned out everything when I listened to my music. But seeing this was something I really appreciated, mostly cause there wasn't any water in sight.

We drove for a few hours, exchanging small talk every now and then. I told him how I play violin, but he didn't really know anything to branch off of when we got to that topic. He would continue to check his phone, even when I tried to start up conversations when i asked him how many times he competed, he took a
While to respond due to his texting and he told me that he's been competing since he was little so it was hard to remember. And after that it's almost as if the conversation died.

Still every couple of minutes he would check his phone, I know that we are on a straight road without any other cars in sight but still,is he seriously that preoccupied with his friends he can't focus on driving. "Can you look at the road please" I say. "What?.. sorry I didn't catch that" he says half listening. "You know your friends can wait, we need to get off at this next exit anyways to fill up gas, your light has been on for the last 20 Miles.

"I'm sorry, your right, but I wasn't texting my friends." It's alright, sorry for snapping, I just get nervous driving.

"We'll I promise I won't check my phone when I'm driving for the rest of the Ride up there, we're only about 4 more hours away. So we should make it to North Brooke before tonight.

We pull into a gas station on the side of the road, and Tyler pulls up to a pump,

"Do you need to get out? Let me help you" he says as he goes around the front of the car.
I grab my crutches from behind me and Tyler opens the door, I get out of the car and It feels much hotter. The road from Calcove to Northbrooke is a long one with very few turns.

I'll pump the gas Tyler says you go inside and see if there is anything to eat, he hands me a 20.

I walk Inside the gas station. It seemed pretty empty except for the lady working behind the counter and what I hear to be a couple of teenagers in the back of the store. I walk to the fridge and grab me and Tyler a brisk, as well as a bag of Cheetos.

I hear some noise coming from the front

"Come on lady don't be a bitch" says one guy in a dark green hoodie. He looks about Tyler's height, his other friends were behind him.

"You don't have the money, please leave the store now she says with fear clear in her voice."

I didn't know what to do, I wanted to say something, let the lady behind the desk know she wasn't alone, I'm sure she felt scared rn.

The tall teens friends start grabbing things off the shelves next to her

"I'm going to call the police she said as she backed up."

"No need for that now the boy says with malice in his words. We can pay."

He then turns around to see me standing there. I can feel a lump in my through, I know right their and then I can't outrun them.

"Hey there friend.... You wouldn't mind helping us out with paying would you"
He walks over to me and slaps the food out of my hand so quick I had no time to react

"MONEY... now" he says in a sinister voice.

"What's this" says another friend, "mind if I try these" says the other boy Ashe grabbed hold of my crutches. Soon after the first boy follows with a quick punch to my gut as I fall back onto the floor I can hear a commotion. Suddenly one friend is thrown against the freezer door.

Tyler be careful is all I manage to say as I lay on the floor, I try to get up but as I do I witness Tyler beat the living daylights out the three thugs landing blows to the face, he attempts to punch one of the boys when he misses and end up slamming his fist Into the class door, it wasn't hard enough to break it,

He recovers from hurting his hand and kicks the boy who stole my crutch in the chest promptly knocking him down. He grabs my crutch, and helps me onto my feet, we make our way back to the car with me slowing us down but we eventually make it to the car,

Wait, one second Tyler says after helping me in
He returns a minute later, looking frantic, we drive off so fast. My heart is pounding from what just happened Tyler just confined to drive faster than ever.

"Are you okay?" Tyler says looking Over to me.
I'm fine, thanks to you I tell him. I look at his hand as it clutches the wheel. "Your hand" you hurt it in there didn't you. "It's fine, I can't feel it rn anyways". Are you sure, yah but I will need to wrap it, and I'll be okay to swim in a few days." I didn't even consider that, it really is his life.

"Just get some rest, we're going to be fine. I'll be fine."

I close my eyes. And I try to relax, eventually I am able to sleep. I don't dream. I'm eventually woken up from sleeping by the sound of someone yelling.

"Hey I'm sorry I woke you up, I realize we the car is moving extremely slow at this point. It's already night time, we look to be in the middle of a valley. From outside the window all I see is flat land for miles.

What's wrong I ask Tyler, he rest his forehead on the wheel. "we are out of gas"...

We can't be I say we just filled up at the gas station, only we didn't cause I was attacked.

"Oh crap I say do you think those guys will catch up to us!" I say in a slight panic

Tyler puts his hand on my shoulder, my whole body goes still. How the fuck did he do that.

"Don't worry they won't be driving anywhere anytime soon." He pulls out a pocket knife, "let's just say I took care of the tires before we left, he says with a proud smile on his face. So that's what you where you went I say getting a nod from him in response.

"Yah, what can I say I'm a rebel"

We pull onto the side of the road, "AAAANND WEREEE out.." Tyler says.

How far away from Northbrooke are we,
"about 3 hours drive".The nearest gas station is up about an hour and half away drive. I called a clerk there, he said they could send someone over in the morning if we are willing to just wait it out for the night." Thank you Tyler, I'm sorry I even put you into this mess. Hey it's alright. I'm glad to be here with you.

You know we don't have to tell people we're friends, I get if you don't want to be seen with me, but I - "hey what I said at the bakery wasn't true. And I'm really sorry I said that to you. I feel terrible, could you ever forgive me?"

Well you did kind of save my ass on two occasions now, so we can call it even.

"I have an idea", Tyler says as he reached for his phone. He goes on Instagram.

@typhoon_Kingston really, that's your user name. I say with a laugh.

Don't judge he says nudging me.

He open his story and goes onto the camera

He turns his phone and body to take a selfie. He looks back at me, "you have three seconds to smile cause I'm not taking another photo"

My internal panic skyrockets but I smile. He takes a picture. "Cute" he says.

Did he just say cute, am I cute? Does he think I'm cute? Definitely not. There he says. I posted us.

Can I see I ask, he hands me the phone and I read the captions, "road trip with new friend"!

"Road trip"? I ask in confusion

"Well I don't think out of gas on the side of the road is what people really care to know" he says, and I get it.

Your phone is about to die, it's okay, I don't really want to look at it right now, I can charge it later, let's just relax for now, it's been a long day.

"Well should we take a look outside?"

"Sure" I say

He reaches into the middle compartment and pulls out a cd. My mom would play this when me and her would drive around at night, I haven't listened to it in a while.

He slides the Cd in the car and turns up the volume.

Play Song Now
He steps out of the car and comes around to my side of the car, he helps me out. The air is quite, it's cold but I don't say anything,

" you need help" Tyler ask as I am getting out.

I'm fine really, I say shooting him a smile

I turn my head up to look at the sky, it's one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life.

there is nearly no light, making the sky shine with thousands of stars, the glow of the moon is shining down giving enough light to see I'm still on earth.

"Wanna sit?" Tyler ask.

Im interrupted from my thoughts to see Tyler standing in the back of his truck. I walk to the back of the truck, he reaches his hand out to mine, he takes my hand and effortlessly lifts me up, "is your leg okay" he ask.
I give him a. Reassuring nod.

"Here, it's pretty cold out, and you still could get sick. He hands me his jacket, but I tell him it's alright.

We sit shoulder to shoulder, and silence fills the air for a while as we look at the night sky above us.

"You know I can't figure you out Jace. You seem like you have so much in you just dying to get out." Tyler says as the moon shines on his blonde hair making it almost glow

"You made my sister love you in the little time you've been here, your aunt loves you. And we'll I .."

"like you"

"Your a good friend.. and I'm sorry for how I've treated you since you've got here. Tyler says.

You would think with me being around people all the time, and everyone wanting to be around me , I'd have better social skills, but the truth is I could be around a hundred people and I'll still feel more alone than ever."

When I first met you, you didn't care who I was, you didn't care about what I could do for you. A person like that shouldn't be kept a secret.

I am speechless, I also really need to figure out what song this is I say earning a smile from Tyler, not a picturesque one, but something real.

Do you ever miss your mom? Tyler looks at me, "always" she never needed me to be anything more than her son. She was the one who taught me how to swim. When she died, I was in a really dark place, I even shut my own sister out. But I don't know if I can ever go back to the way I was.

How about you? Do you miss your parents, I know you didn't tell me. but Alice did, she wishes she could be here right now. I'm sure you wish she was here too.

I miss my parents every day, but I was young when they lost me, I have no idea how they would feel about how I turned out.

I'm sure they would be proud of how you have done, your a brave person.

we sit in the silence as the song plays. In one of those moments that feels like if it lasted forever it would never be enough.

Suddenly my phone gets a notification

(Steven- "hey I know your probably with your Aunt, but when you come down, I thought we could hang out, let me know whenever you can.. there is something I've been wanting to ask you..)

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🌊🌊🌊🌊🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

This chapter was way longer lol
Wonder what will happen next...