Everyone's Got Problems

[whispered_envy]

The 'flippin' made this chapter for me...so much like Irene, I loved it. Tyler reminds me of Aden, too. This fic is so so good...keep it going!

[Deborah]

Thought I commented yesterday, but apparently not

Great chapter, Tyler is very much like Aden! Hope he will open up to Tess or Aden soon.

Still wondering what happened to Roman

Sneak peek looks good

[Zetti]

Oooh interesting chapter! I hope he does open up to Tess.

[wrongturntaken]

Long chapter this time guys!!! I'm actually meant to be in two places at once right now but i wanted to get this finished so here it is! Sorry for any mistakes, i'm running low on time, lol.

Warning: Underage drinking and partying, and mention of drugs.

Chapter 6.

“Tyler, can you stay behind a minute please?” Miles said as the bell rang for end of first period English on the Friday morning of the first week back at school.

“No thanks sir, I’ll be late for my next class,” Tyler responded blandly.

“I’ll write you a note,” Miles told him tonelessly, looking up for a second to see nearly everyone had left, “Tess, you too please?”

“Me, what have I done?” Tess asked, turning around to face Miles as she was just about to leave the classroom.

“Nothing bad, Tess, don’t worry,” Miles told her, putting a smile on his face as he spoke to her.

Lisa looked at Tess, silently asking if she wanted her to wait.

“You go on, I’ll catch up,” Tess told her.

“Can you shut the door Tess?” Miles asked politely and Tess complied before coming to stand in front of the desk next to Tyler.

“Well, Tyler,” Miles sighed, “You’ve been here for a week, I’ve asked for two home works from you and you haven’t handed them in and the partner I assigned you for your assignment claims you have yet to talk to her about anything.”

“What’s your point?” Tyler shrugged, glancing at Tess occasionally out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge her reactions.

Miles laughed lightly, “My point is that if you don’t want to fail this year, you’re going to have to start putting in more work,” he finished firmly.

“Sorry sir, but what am I doing here? This has nothing do with me,” Tess intervened.

“Well, since you’re one of the smartest girls in the class, I thought it might be an idea if you were to help Tyler out and I want you to switch partners so you’ll be working together on the assignment,” Miles told them.

“What? No!” Tyler exclaimed, “I’m not working with her,” he said, just as Tess’s complaints could be heard simultaneously.

“…but I’ve already started working on mine, we’ll have no time to do it if we switch partners.”

“Tess, I thought you might like the challenge and to help someone, you’ve done it before, and I’ll give you two weeks from today, so you have the same amount of time as everyone else,” Miles explained. “…and as for you Tyler, I wouldn’t object, you need help if you want to pass this year, so I suggest you accept it and get on with it.”

Tyler looked at Tess who shrugged, “Fine,” he agreed shortly.

“Okay,” Tess said looking at Tyler with disdain.

“Good, then. You’re free to go,” Miles told them and watched them leave.

When they were outside the classroom Tess turned to Tyler, “So do you want to come over tonight and we can work on it?”

“I can’t tonight,” Tyler told her walking off and not looking at her.

“…why not?” Tess asked; already getting annoyed at him.

“…I’ve got other stuff on,” he answered vaguely.

“…other stuff that’s more important than your HSC?” she said disbelievingly, catching up to his side.

He stopped short and turned to face her, the corridors were empty now, “Yeah, actually,” he said.

“Like what?” she asked, moving closer and squaring up to him.

“Like I’m gonna tell you,” he said defensively.

“It’s not really that you’ve got something else on, is it Tyler?” Tess said, narrowing her eyes and inching closer to him, “It’s that if you spend time with me, you won’t be able to resist…” she trailed off, still looking him directly in the eyes.

She saw anger flash in them, “Don’t. Flatter. Yourself.” He said slowly before turning on his heel and walking off.

“What about tomorrow?” she called. “We have to do it you know, there’s no getting out of it and the quicker it’s done, the sooner we can stop spending time together… just like you want.”

“I’m going to a party,” he turned around and told her, staying his distance.

“Pete Riggs?” she asked him and he nodded.

“Guess I’ll see you there then,” she gave him a fake smile and headed off in the other direction. He watched her go and sighed, shaking his head, just his luck that he would get paired up with the most gorgeous, smartest girl in school, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it.

*

“Hey, dad,” Tess said seeing Aden walk in the door as she sat, eating a sandwich in the kitchen, “What are you doing home? Shouldn’t you be at the game?”

Aden looked at her in confusion, “What game?” he asked.

“Please tell me your kidding Dad,” Tess sighed as Aden saw that she was about to get mad. She had the same tell tale signs as Belle. She would sigh and huff a lot to make sure you knew something was wrong, and then she’d look at you using different facial expressions to confuse you until finally bursting out what had actually made her mad, “Mark’s game Dad!”

“What?” Aden asked her, still perplexed.

“He had an away footy game after school,” she said as though explaining to a five year old, “You said you’d go see him play and then bring him home.”

Aden closed his eyes, and sighed, “Oh no.”

“How could you forget Dad? He’s played in three games, including the ones at the end of last year when he got on the team, and you have yet to remember one. Why?”

“I’m sorry Tess, I just have so much on my plate right now,” Aden told her, his guilt overwhelming his apology, especially considering it was to the wrong person.

“Look Dad, don’t apologise to me, just go and pick him up, the game finishes in five minutes and it’s a twenty minute drive,” Tess told him adamantly.

Aden averted his gaze.

“What?” Tess said shortly.

“I have an appointment at the Drop In centre,” he smiled weakly at her, “…I can’t change it now…don’t look at me like that Tess,” he sighed. “Can you go and pick him up… please?”

“Where’s Mum?” Tess asked.

“Working late.”

“She’s been doing a lot of that lately,” Tess commented.

“Yeah, hopefully it won’t be for too much longer though.”

“Why?” Tess asked curiously.

Aden hesitated, he hadn’t talked to Belle about when they were going to tell the kids about her leaving her job, “We’ll tell you soon,” he said eventually.

“Well, hopefully she’ll have more free time soon, we haven’t spent any time together in ages,” Tess said, looking off in another direction as Aden smiled at the fact that Tess and Belle had such a great relationship. Unlike, it seemed the one he had with Mark at the moment.

“Anyway, can you pick him up?”

Tess looked at him and sighed, “Fine.”

“Thank you so much,” Aden said gratefully. “I’ll buy you a present.”

“No you won’t,” Tess said in disbelief.

Aden shrugged, “Yeah, you’re right, but I will love you forever!”

Tess rolled her eyes, “You’ll love me forever anyway… you’re not much of a bargainer Dad.”

Aden laughed, “Guess you’re right… shouldn’t you be going?”

Tess huffed and got off her stool, she grabbed the car keys from the side and walked out, “You do owe me though,” she said and, without waiting for a response, went out to the car and drove off.

*

“Don’t tell me… he forgot,” Mark said, climbing in to the passenger seat of the car and seeing his sister in the driver’s seat.

“No of course not, he just had an appointment he couldn’t get out of,” Tess tried to cover up.

“Don’t Tess... He forgot, just like he has all the other times. Either that or he’s not coming on purpose,” Mark said as he stared out the window, feeling Tess start the car to make the drive home.

“How was it?” Tess asked him.

“I won us the game,” Mark said unsmilingly.

“Well, that’s great!” Tess said with genuine excitement.

“Yeah, pity no one important was there to see it,” Mark sighed.

“I’m sure he’ll make the next one,” Tess tried to console him.

Mark laughed, “Of course he will… as long as he hasn’t got someone to see who’s more important than his son… but everyone’s more important than me, aren’t they?”

“Mark,” Tess said sympathetically.

“It’s true, you’re not even blood family and he treats you better than he treats me,” Mark stated and then immediately raised a hand to his mouth as he felt the car swerve slightly before straightening up again. “Oh God, Tess, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it, of course you’re my sister, the best sister!”

“Its fine, Mark,” Tess said stonily, unable to look at him as tears stung the back of her eyes.

“I swear I never meant it, I was just angry at Dad… I’m so sorry,” Mark begged.

“Mark,” Tess silenced him… “Just don’t ever say it again, okay?”

Mark nodded and the rest of the journey home was spent in uncomfortable silence.

*

“Spot anyone you like?” Lisa asked Tess as she took a swig of her alcopop to Tess’s disapproving glare.

“No,” she sighed in response.

“Really?” Lisa said; laughing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tess cried defensively.

“It means that we’ve been here for,” she looked at her phone, “3 hours, it’s nearly midnight and you haven’t moved from that spot because you’ve been able to stare at Tyler constantly all night,” Lisa explained.

“I have not!”

Lisa raised her eyebrows, “Seriously, Tess, what’s going on there?”

“Nothing, alright, just leave it,” Tess said.

“Why don’t you have a drink?” Lisa suggested.

“Because I don’t want one, alright?” she answered, thinking about what Aden had Belle had said and folding her arms.

She unfolded them when she saw Jimmy Green, known by the students of Summer Bay High as the person to get anything from, and anything meant anything, walk up to Tyler and shake his hand as the pair looked around to see if anyone had seen their transaction. They didn’t realise that Tess had, and she shook her head in disgust as Kat came up to her.

“Looks like Tyler’s taken to old habits,” she said.

“What are you talking about Kat?” Tess said; annoyed at her presence as Lisa sat drinking her drink as though a child watching a scene play out among adults.

“Don’t you know?” Kat said snidely, “He got expelled from his last school cos he got caught with marijuana,” she told Tess before walking away to dance with some guy in the middle of the room.

“I don’t believe this!” Tess exclaimed angrily.

“What?” Lisa asked, suddenly sounding worried.

“Nothing, just stay here,” Tess commanded the tipsy Lisa as she crossed the room to face Tyler.

“Hey Tess,” he said reluctantly as she approached him.

“So that’s it then, is it?” Tess said angrily and she saw Tyler become shocked at her tone. “I bet that’s where you had to go yesterday, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Tyler said and Tess couldn’t help but notice he looked tired.

“You had to go and buy drugs right? Feed your habit?” she continued to question him aggressively.

“What?” he said, extremely mad. “I don’t do drugs!”

“Yeah, right!” Tess exclaimed. “Remind me, why did you get expelled from your last school?”

“How do you know about that?” he said, keeping his voice low, but wearing a disturbed expression.

“I hear things,” Tess explained. “…and by the way, I don’t associate with people that do drugs. Ever!” she said before turning around to walk away.

She felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back to face him, “Get off me,” she said in a low voice and he did immediately.

“Look, I don’t do drugs okay? I never will!” Tyler told her forcefully, uncaring of the fact that he had been pushing her away all week, he couldn't stand her being like this towards him.

“Yeah right!” Tess exclaimed shaking her head. “Then why would you get expelled? …for handing a homework assignment in on time and killing the principal with shock?” she suggested.

“Why do you care?” Tyler asked.

“…because I didn’t realise I was going to be spending my time with an addict, and I didn’t realise that what happened between us would mean nothing to me once I found out,” she told him quickly.

“It means nothing to you now,” he said slowly as he let sadness spread slowly across his face.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “So I guess now we’re on the same page, we both agree, it didn’t mean anything.”

“I got done for possession, not use!” he told her calmly.

“Then why would you need to do deals with Jimmy?” she asked him, still not believing.

He looked at her and hesitated before saying, “…because he can get you anything.”

“Yeah I know,” Tess said plainly.

“…and anything includes medication,” Tyler said blankly and saw Tess’s anger subside to surprise at his words.

“You’re sick?” she asked him; shocked.

He shook his head, “No, not me.”

“…who?” she asked him, placing a hand on his upper arm, trying to be comforting.

He shook it off, “It doesn’t matter, I’ve said too much anyway.”

“Tyler,” she tried; softening her voice.

“Don’t,” Tyler said quietly. “I mean nothing to you, remember?”

Tess closed her eyes in annoyance at herself and then watched as he left the room to go and talk to another guy in their year.

“Here, have a drink,” Lisa said as Tess came back over, handing her a bottle. Tess didn’t resist but took the bottle, opened the top with ease and drank it, fairly quickly. She had a quarter left when Lisa was asked to dance by some guy who she knew from school.

“You gonna be okay on your own?” Lisa asked her.

Tess nodded, “Sure, you have fun,” she told her as a different guy came up to her.

"Dance?” he asked.

"No thanks,” Tess answered him.

“Shot?” he changed the offer.

“…why not?” Tess shrugged and downed the next four shots of vodka he gave her as he did the same with his.

“I wouldn’t have taken you for a girl who could drink Tess,” the guy said; laughing.

“Yeah, well, there’s a lot more to me than people think,” she answered him. “…but I’m sorry, you still don’t have a chance, even with me drunk,” she smiled at him sympathetically as he nodded his head and moved on to somewhere else.

She stood there for a few minutes watching the goings on of the party until she saw Tyler leave the house. She saw that Lisa was now kissing the guy she was dancing with. She rolled her eyes and thankfully knew the guy to be harmless so she felt okay with leaving as she downed the last of the Alco pop she had left whilst having the shots and followed him.

*

“Mum, are you up still?” Tyler called as he entered the house. He sighed in relief when there was no reply. He peeked in to his mother’s room, saw her sleeping and smiled slightly at how peaceful she looked for once before he moved to his own room. He took off his shirt and Jeans and clambered in to bed with just his boxers on when he heard a noise at his window.

He bolted upright as a figure climbed through his window, “Tess!” he exclaimed as he recognised her by the lamp light. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” she said, getting up from where she’d fallen over upon entry. “..and to apologise, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions earlier.”

“Have you been drinking?” Tyler questioned her.

“Maybe,” Tess said leaning on his bed for support.

Tyler sighed, “You can’t be here Tess!” he cried quietly as Tess raised a hand to her mouth.

“Oh, I think I’m going to be sick,” she said and Tyler jumped out of bed so quickly a bullet couldn’t have hit him.

“Oh no, you don’t,” he said, grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room towards the bathroom.

She knelt down in front of the toilet and purged up her insides as Tyler held back her hair and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Sorry,” she said as she flushed the toilet but didn’t move from her position.

“You will be,” Tyler said but couldn’t help smiling. “When did you get drunk, Tess, you were completely sober when you talked to me half an hour ago, and why?”

“…because I wanted to alright?” Tess said. “I always do the right thing, I’m the good girl… I just wanted to be somebody else for a change, to live on the other side,” she explained tiredly.

“I guess I can understand that,” Tyler sighed.

“Oh God,” Tess exclaimed as she leant over the toilet bowl once more and felt Tyler hold back her hair once again. “…but I’ve had enough now, I want to go back to my side.”

Tyler laughed, “I think that would be a good idea… I’ll go and get you a glass of water,” he told her as he stood up and left the bathroom.

Tess stood up and decided to look around, she was in a particularly nosy mood and although she kept nearly falling over, she maintained her balance long enough to open the medicine cabinet.

“My Mum’s a depressive,” Tyler explained solemnly as he re-entered the bathroom and closed the cabinet door slowly, offering her the glass of water which she gratefully took.

“What about your Dad?” she asked.

“Dead.”

“I’m sorry,” Tess said genuinely as Tyler merely nodded.

“Do you think you’ll be okay now? Can we go back to my room, it’s just a bit of a squash in here and a bit more comfortable in there?”

Tess nodded, “Can I brush my teeth first?” she asked.

“Uh,” Tyler wondered, “Usually I would think not, but I actually think we do have a spare tooth brush so your breath might just be saved.”

“Thanks,” Tess said gratefully, taking the toothbrush he had offered her, “…for everything.”

“Well, you didn’t give me much choice,” he told her before leaving the room. “I’ll see you in a minute,” he said as he made his way back to his room and sat cross legged on his bed, laughing lightly to himself at the situation Tess was in.

After a couple of minutes she entered his room, “Feeling better?” he asked her.

“Much,” she answered him. “Can I ask you a question?” she continued, hopping on to his bed and reflecting his position opposite him.

“A question for a question,” he answered her and she nodded, as she smiled slightly.

“Why did you get done for drug possession if you don’t take them?”

Tyler gave her a small smile, “I got caught up in the wrong crowd and they were smoking once, the cops came, they bolted and I got left with the stuff,” he shrugged.

“So you were the only one not smoking but the only one who got caught,” Tess asked him incredulously.

“Well, considering my record of shoplifting they weren’t really inclined to believe me,” he explained.

“Right,” Tess said; nodding, not sure what else to say. “What’s your question?”

“Why did you get so worked up when you thought that I was on them?” Tyler asked inquisitively.

Tess’s smile faded, “My Mum was an addict,” she told him.

“So she’s not anymore?” Tyler asked, feeling confused.

“She died,” Tess informed him.

“…but I thought you said that your Mum would kill your Dad the other night?” he questioned her as sensitively as he could.

She sighed, “I’m adopted.”

“Oh,” Tyler gasped slightly. “How old were you when she died if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I was nearly two and it was a heroine overdose, Aden had helped her but when my biological father came back in to the picture, she couldn’t fight it anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” Tyler said sincerely.

“It’s okay, I don’t really remember her, I just have a letter that she wrote to me,” she told him, bobbing her head up and down.

“What about your biological dad?” Tyler pried further, unsure whether he was overstepping his boundaries.

“No idea,” Tess shrugged, “…and to be honest I couldn’t care less,” there was a comfortable silence for a minute before Tess spoke again, “What about your Dad?”

“He died when I was ten,” he didn’t offer more information than that and she didn’t ask, knowing that if he didn’t want to talk about it then he didn’t have to. “You seem to have sobered up quit a bit,” Tyler said; lightening the mood.

“Yeah, I feel loads better actually, I think I ought to head back to the party,” Tess told him.

“Are you serious?” Tyler questioned her.

“Yeah, why?”

“How were you gonna get home, because I’m pretty sure they’d have already left?” Tyler told her.

Tess took out her phone and looked at the time, “Oh great,” she sighed sarcastically, “I’ll have to call my parents,” she began to scroll through the numbers and then her found her phone went dead. “Great!” she cried again.

Tyler laughed, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you have a phone I can borrow?” she asked him.

He shifted uncomfortably, “I don't have any credit, and our phone lines been cut, sorry,” he said and he did look it.

“I’ll just have to walk home,” Tess gave in and got off the bed when her arm was grasped by Tyler.

“It’s the middle of the night, you can’t walk home, you live half way across down!” he exclaimed.

“Well what do you suggest I do?” she asked him hopelessly.

“Stay here?” he offered.

“Here? As in with you?” she asked him incredulously.

“Look, you can have the bed and I’ll sleep on the floor,” he told her.

“No, I can’t let you do that, I’ll just walk home,” she shrugged trying to make up excuses.

“Tess, if it’s a choice between you walking home by yourself and staying here for the night then there’s no contest, just explain to your parents what happened when you get back in the morning,” he persuaded her.

“Tell them that I spent the night in a boy’s room,” she laughed, “I think they’ll be really impressed with that."

“Just tell them you crashed out at the party and it was too late to call by the time you realised you didn’t have a way home,” he suggested.

“Are you sure?” she asked him, finally relenting.

“Of course,” he told her.

“Okay, but I’m sleeping on the floor, you stay in your bed.”

“No way, I am not that un-gentlemanly!” he laughed.

“Well, it’s a pretty spacious bed, we could just share?” she suggested.

“Um,” Tyler said, unsure what to say and feeling uneasy at the prospect, “No, seriously it’s fine Tess, you have the bed.”

“So what, I’m too ugly to share a bed with now?”

“Of course not,” Tyler exclaimed, “I think you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen.” A shocked look came on to his face as he spoke and saw that a smile had slowly lit up Tess’s face.

“Do you mean that?” she asked him slowly, sitting back on his bed, but this time closer to him.

He swallowed nervously and nodded.

“So you wouldn’t run away if I did this…” she cupped his jaw with her hand and leant in to kiss him.

He moved his head away at the last second.

“What’s wrong Tyler?” she asked him concernedly.

“You’re drunk, I’d feel like I was taking advantage,” he excused.

She laughed, “Trust me, I’m not drunk anymore, and I know exactly what I’m doing,” she said as she leant in again and this time caught his lips with her own. He unfolded his legs to a more comfortable position as he ran his hands over her back pulling her in closer to him as she ran a hand down his bare, defined chest. They continued in this way for a couple of minutes.

“So no regrets this time?” she asked him as she pulled back, but with a genuine look of worry on her face that there would be.

He shook his head.

“So will you share the bed with me tonight?”

He hesitated, “Okay.”

He got himself under the covers as Tess lied herself next to him and felt his arms wrap around her protectively.

“My parents are going to kill me,” she whispered, “…but it will have been worth it.”

She sensed Tyler smile as he leant slightly over her to kiss her cheek. “Goodnight,” he said softly.

I hope you liked it! Please leave me a comment!

xx

[LAURZY!]

That made me smile!

Poor Tess she's better off with Aden and Belle now

Great update, loved it. Cant wait for more

[Taniya_K]

Lol! I dunno who's more like who! Tess's 'you won’t be able to resist', and of course the window climbing, is so Aden, but her reactions and the way she kept on pushing Tyler is so Belle! And Tyler trying to bottle everything up is so like Aden! And the two of them are so like a mini/new generation Adelle. How cute!

Am so glad that he didn't push her away again! I didn't want that to happen! Lo0ved the kiss... and yes, her parents will kill her!

I want to know what's going on with Mark and Aden. Well, I guess it's just that Aden's really busy, but I really feel for the two of them

Cannot wait for the next chapter! More soon please!

xoxo

[xknomex]

AWWWW she climbed through his window!!!! SO Aden!! haha

Its so much like adelle, i love it. I wonder what Aden and Belle will say when they find out hmmm they cant really tell her off, I mean they were worse,

I LOVE this fic sooo much!

update soon

xxxx

[Deborah]

Aww at Tess & Tyler enjoyed that so like Aden & Belle!

Poor Mark feeling all rejected by Aden

Wonder if/when we will find out any more about Tess' natural parents?

Looking forward to next update

[wrongturntaken]

Lol! I dunno who's more like who! Tess's 'you won't be able to resist', and of course the window climbing, is so Aden, but her reactions and the way she kept on pushing Tyler is so Belle! And Tyler trying to bottle everything up is so like Aden! And the two of them are so like a mini/new generation Adelle. How cute!

Am so glad that he didn't push her away again! I didn't want that to happen! Lo0ved the kiss... and yes, her parents will kill her!

I want to know what's going on with Mark and Aden. Well, I guess it's just that Aden's really busy, but I really feel for the two of them

Cannot wait for the next chapter! More soon please!

xoxo

Hmm, Mark and Aden... there's a little more to it than that, and if you think about it really hard, you might be able to work it out... (pm me if you have any ideas, about anything...)

[Taniya_K]

^ hmm... gonna have to think about that! I do have one idea...