Everyone's Got Problems

[Zetti]

Honestly I love the way all storylines have their own swing on the fic, if you know what I mean

[Deborah]

Great update

Hope Tyler is going to be ok!

Looking forward to next update.

[wrongturntaken]

Thank you so much for all your comments! They mean the world to me! I think i might have rushed this chapter a bit but i hope it works out in the end.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4.

“Is he going to be alright?” Aden asked the doctor with his arms crossed and a worried expression worn on his face.

The doctor smiled, “He should be fine,” she said, “Just needed a couple of stitches.”

“…but he was barely conscious when I found him… he doesn’t have a concussion?”

“Surprisingly no,” she informed him, “I think he was just overwhelmed and tired.”

Aden nodded, “Right that’s good then, I suppose.”

“…which means he can go home tonight.”

“Great,” Aden thanked her before she walked off and he entered the examining room.

“Hey mate, how you doing?”

“Fine,” Tyler answered him shortly and then quickly looked up, “Thanks, you know… for finding me and that.”

“That’s okay,” Aden told him nodding.

“That’s it Tyler, I’ll just go and get your release forms and then you can go,” the nurse said kindly, taking off her latex gloves from where she had been dressing his cut, and leaving the room.

“So Tyler, do you want to tell me how this happened?” Aden questioned.

Tyler shrugged. “I hit my head,” he said simply, fidgeting uncomfortably and unable to make eye contact with Aden.

“…and why were you outside your house when I got there?” Aden asked him, not believing for a second that Tyler was telling the truth.

“I thought the fresh air might help,” Tyler lied.

Aden sighed, “You know I don’t believe you, don’t you?”

“What’s not to believe?”

“Tyler, I can help you,” Aden told him, “I don’t know what happened tonight but I know that you’d feel better if you told me.”

“Look, thanks for everything you’ve done, but seriously, it’s kind of none of your business,” Tyler said, not actually sounding angry or defensive for once.

“Tyler,” Aden started slowly. “When someone calls me because they were hurt and had no one else to turn to, I think it gives me the right to make it my business. Just… just tell me the truth, okay?” he pushed gently.

Tyler looked like he was weighing up his options and eventually sighed, “So me and my Mum had a fight and I got hurt, so what?” he shrugged and Aden looked at him with concern etched all over his face, “…she didn’t mean to hurt me though, it was an accident,” he added hurriedly.

“…an accident?” Aden said disbelievingly. “What happened?”

“Nothing bad… she got angry and broke a plate, a piece of it hit me in the head and I got cut, end of story,” Tyler explained bluntly.

“What were you fighting about?”

“Now that really is none of you business,” Tyler said stonily.

“Fair enough,” Aden said after a short hesitation, knowing he was lucky to get as much as he had out of him, “I think you ought to stay at the Drop In centre tonight though.”

“No!” Tyler said quickly.

Aden looked at him questioningly, “Why do you have something against the Drop In centre?”

“I don’t, I just don’t need to go there and you can’t make me,” he said defensively.

“Would you rather go home?”

Tyler stayed silent and sighed answering the question without words, “…but I’m not going to the Drop In centre either.”

Aden sighed, ran a hand through his hair and ran his hand around his mouth, thinking, “Okay, you can stay at mine tonight,” he finally said, thinking that Belle was going to kill him… they had rules for a reason.

“…No way!” Tyler exclaimed.

“You got any better offers?”

Tyler paused, “Fine,” he reluctantly agreed as the nurse came back in to the room carrying the papers.

As they made their way to the exit of the hospital a familiar blonde walked towards them, nose in a clipboard, Aden prayed she wouldn’t look up from the papers but his prayers were not answered.

“Aden?” Nicole said in shock before a worried look took her over, “What are you doing here? Is everyone alright?”

“Everyone’s fine,” Aden told her, smiling weakly as Tyler watched the scene play out curiously. “I’m just helping someone out.”

She smiled slightly, “Sounds like you.”

Aden nodded and there was an awkward silence before Aden broke it, “Well, I better get going.”

“Right, yeah, me too, patients to see,” Nicole answered holding up her clipboard in demonstration.

“Bye,” Aden said shortly and left with Tyler following him.

“Who was that?” Tyler asked, “…an ex?”

Aden didn’t look at him, “No,” he answered. “…just a friend.”

“Didn’t seem very friendly to me,” Tyler said.

“…and this is really none of your business,” Aden told him with a forced smile but Tyler could tell to push it no further. He usually would have just to annoy him, but for once someone was actually trying to help him, and however much he hated to admit it, he needed the help right then.

It was one o’clock by the time they got back to the house and Aden quickly fetched Tyler some linen and told him he could sleep on the couch and that they would talk in the morning, before he went to bed himself. Tyler thanked him and tried to make him self as comfortable as he could before he drifted off to sleep.

*

He was hiding in his room, curled up in a ball in the corner, knowing it wouldn’t help. His breath was short as he held back tears, tears that he held back most nights and would only let out on nights that it didn’t happen, …out of sheer relief that he would not be put through it again, at least not then. He heard his door creak open as his father entered.

“Tyler, come on,” he said kindly, holding out his hand to the ten year old boy in the corner. Tyler took his hand, trying not to shake, to show how scared he was.

There was a sudden thumping at the front door of the house and Tyler let go of his father’s hand as fast as he could as his father turned his head towards the sound. For a fleeting moment, Tyler thought that someone might be there to rescue him. He crept downstairs unnoticed as his father went to open the door and hid in the other room out of sight of his father and the intruder about to enter the house.

“What are you doing here?” he heard his father cry and watched as he retreated back in to the house, his hands raised as though surrendering.

“You ruined my life,” a voice full of anguish shouted, “…and now I’m going to make you pay!”

Tyler’s body tensed up, he tried to wake himself but he couldn’t. Tess watched him from above and didn’t know what to do, she had seen people having nightmares at the Drop In centre and knew waking them was never good; they were always so ashamed that you’d seen them be so vulnerable. But she’d learned a trick over the years, to try and wake him up accidentally and then pretend she had never seen the shaking and look of horror on his face.

She pretended to fall over the couch and put enough pressure on Tyler to sturdy herself and to wake him up, he jolted awake to see her hopping around the room in a circle, clutching her foot and mouthing… ow, ow, ow… silently to herself, obviously trying to keep quiet.

Tyler sighed in relief in the belief that she hadn’t seen him suffering in his sleep and then jolted up as he realised he recognised the girl, “Tess?” he questioned suddenly.

“Shh!” she said.

“Sorry,” he mouthed.

“I didn’t realise we were taking in strays now,” Tess said; smiling cheekily and then it vanished when she realised that Tyler wasn’t in the same cocky mood as earlier. “…you alright?”

“Fine,” Tyler answered shortly and when the silence became awkward asked, “Is Aden your Dad then?”

Tess nodded, “So did Dad say you could stay tonight then?”

“Yeah,” Tyler answered.

She laughed, “Mum’s going to kill him.”

“Why?”

“Never mind,” she said, not wanting Tyler to think he was getting her Dad in trouble. Aden obviously thought this boy was worth going out of his way for and usually he was right about these things so maybe she could give him a chance too. “What are you doing here?”

Tyler looked away and avoided the question.

“O..kay,” Tess said slowly, deciding it was best not to push the issue in case the other Tyler came back.

“What are you doing up anyway?” Tyler asked her curiously.

“You come in to my house and question why I’m walking around?” Tess said jokingly and she saw Tyler give a slight smile. “There’s a film I want to see on at two,” she shrugged.

“…and your parents don’t mind you watching TV at this time of night?”

Tess leant closer to him and whispered, “I’m a big girl… and how are they ever going to know?”

Tyler laughed, “I guess.”

“Wanna watch it with me?” she asked him, swishing his feet from off the couch so she could sit down next to him, “…we have popcorn,” she tried to persuade him, thinking that maybe he wasn’t as bad as he had seemed the previous morning.

He looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly two, “No, I’ve got to get home,” he said suddenly and stood up; thinking of his mum. He may not have liked being there, but she had no one else and she had no idea where he was.

“It’s the middle of the night,” Tess said incredulously. “You don’t seriously expect me to put you on a leash and walk you home do you?”

“…of course not!” Tyler said, not realising that she was joking.

Tess reached out a hand for him and he jumped back from her suddenly, his hands were still shaking from the nightmare and he didn’t want her to see that, “Why don’t you just stay until morning?” she asked, gently pulling her hand back towards her as she tried not to look at him sympathetically even though she could sense there was something wrong.

“Look, I don’t want to get your Dad into trouble so I’ll just go now… problem solved,” he said simply.

“How far away do you live?” she questioned him further. “Is it even walkable?”

“Yeah,” he lied. “Look thanks for… the chat,” he improvised. “…and I guess I’ll see you at school,” he told her before getting up and trying to leave the room.

“Tyler wait!” she called quietly and followed him, grabbing his hand so that he spun around to face her. He looked down at where they had connected slowly and then raised his eyes to look in to hers. She really was beautiful he thought as he found himself letting out a breath slowly as he inched closer to her, a feeling overwhelming him as he felt himself lose control of his body. He felt so lost at that moment, all he wanted was for someone to be there, who knew nothing about him, who wasn’t judging him or pitying him, he just wanted to be allowed to have real feelings when he was with someone and not have to pretend all the time.

Tess felt his pulse traveling from him to her through the connection they had made, slow and rhythmic, and she felt her heart beat synchronise with his as she felt herself unable to look away from his eyes. Eyes that were edging closer and closer to her as she took them in, everything that lie within them pouring into her eyes as though a vortex had opened between them, sharing past pain. She could see no arrogance, no cockiness, just a boy in the middle of the night, unsure what to do or who to turn to as she felt his lips connect slowly with hers, soft to the touch and so gentle and caring that she felt him linger there before slowly pulling back to look at her.

She saw him swallow as though he were afraid of her reaction before she reached up and kissed him back, slowly, as he caressed her cheek with his hand and she placed both her palms flat on his chest. They continued to share in this kiss, feeling unresolved feelings pass backwards and forwards between them, unsure who was feeling what but knowing that sharing it was making it better. Tyler pushed a strand of hair behind Tess’s ear as he tried to pull away but Tess wouldn’t let him, she wasn’t ready to let go of him yet. She could feel his soul touching hers, hearing it call out for help and all she wanted to do in that moment was heal it. She didn’t know what he had been through, but somehow she knew it was bad.

Tyler let it go on as he felt things he’d never allowed him self to feel before, he was lost in her, lost in her beauty, lost in her feelings, but for once he wasn’t lost on his own, he was lost with someone... with her. Tess felt him start to shake slightly as he felt himself getting scared of what all this meant and the memories it could bring back. He took a deep breath and tensed up as she wrapped her hands around his neck, reading the signals wrong as he tried to pull back from her and gently but firmly took her hands off of his neck, “Tess, stop,” he said waveringly as he took a step back from her.

Tess looked at him in confusion, she had never wanted it to end; she had felt nothing like it before, she had kissed other boys, but this was different. It was intense in a way that she had never felt before, maybe it was because they barely knew each other. There was no pretense of personality, all they knew of each other was feelings and those feelings spoke so much louder than words. She felt tears spring to her eyes as her breathing became erratic but still quiet and controllable, she didn’t even know why she might cry, she had just felt everything he had allowed her to feel and it was overwhelming her. She wanted to go back to kissing him, to make it alright for both of them but he had just put a guard up and she knew he wouldn’t let her in now even if he wanted to.

“I should go," Tyler said softly, awkwardness seeming to have stepped back in the room as he him self took a step back from her, more so than he actually needed to.

Tess nodded, “Yeah,” she sighed not knowing what else to say.

“See ya around,” he said, glancing between her and anywhere else nervously. He eventually turned around and headed out of the kitchen as Tess went back to the living room to watch the film. After a few seconds she heard the sound of a car revving up and she went to the kitchen to find a note left on the counter.

I lied, I do live a way across town, but I had to get back tonight. I’ll return the car tomorrow and tell your Dad I’m sorry if I got him in to trouble and thanks for all his help.

Tyler

Tess smiled at the note and then screwed it up, she laughed lightly that there was no mention of their kiss in his note although she didn’t find it funny in the slightest. The kiss they had shared had come from nowhere but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it and she was left with the unsettling feeling of what it would be like at school the next day. She decided she wasn’t in the mood for the film anymore and made her way back to bed, unable to stop herself thinking of Tyler the entire night.

Anyone recognise the kiss, (or at least part of it)??? lol

Please leave me a comment! I love hearing from you!

xx

[Taniya_K]

That kiss was SO like Aden/Belle's first kiss!

Lovely chapter! Lol at Aden going to be in trouble, but I'm glad that Tyler went home with him, even for a bit.

Nicole and Aden... hmm, what happened?! They seemed civil enough, but obviously tense. And he called her 'just a friend'!

Tess and Tyler! I think they're going to be my fav OC couple! They do sound adorable! I wonder what Aden would do if he found out.

More soon please!

xoxo

[LAURZY!]

Awwwwww loved the kiss

I hope Tess and Tyler become close, and he can open up to her

Absolutely LOVED it

[Deborah]

Awww Tyler & Tess Yes it was very like Belle & Aden's 1st kiss

Wonder what is going on with Nicole & Aden?

Wonder if Belle & Aden will still go away or Aden will decide he has to stay around for Tyler? Hmm

Great update

[Zetti]

Aww Tyler/Tess I loved it

Oooh Nicole and Aden? Something's going on

Great Chapter. Hope you update soon x

[Zetti]

Sorry! Double Post

[xknomex]

Awww that kiss was exactly like Adelle

I'm liking the Tess/Tyler relationship already. I wonder if Aden or Belle will find out and tell Tess she cant see him but then realise its exactly like them when they are together.

I'm really intrigued to know what is going on between Aden and Nicole.

Update soon

xx

[Lise]

That was good.

I like Tyler and Tess. Can't wait to see what happens with them.