The First Rule

Chapter 19b: Playing with Fire

Thoughts start to race in his mind. But before he could fathom them—without uttering any word, you pivot on your heel.. and briskly stride out of the room.

Suddenly, the main door blasts open, and you dash past with a pouting expression—barely acknowledging your parents who've been sitting in the living room. Startled, they watch as you huff and run towards the stairs. When not long after, Tyler appears in the doorway—gripping the frame tightly as he pants, clearly tired from chasing you.

"Hi Mr. and—Mrs. Winters—have you seen—"

But they both immediately point to the ceiling simultaneously—indicating where you've gone as if it's a common occurrence. Tyler nods and sprints off again. Your parents' heads turn from the main door to the stairs in unison—and Tyler halts briefly to say his 'thanks' before continuing his pursuit.

John and Janet glance at each other, exchanging a knowing look. "Well, that's normal—" before a cough interrupts him, just a little at first—but strangely, becoming more persistent.

"Honey, are you okay?!"

When John quickly gestures with his hand, holding up a finger in front of his lips—signaling for Janet to keep quiet so as not to alarm you. Before with all his strength, he motions for her to follow him to the bedroom.

"Seriously! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Tyler stands in the doorway, his hands splayed against the door as he pants in frustration. Sweat causes his jet-black hair to cling to his forehead, adding to his disheveled appearance. Noticing how effortlessly he still manages to look good, you almost falter—but nevermind, you're mad at him.

You're mad, mad.

"Do you really have to, Tyler? Do you really have to?"

"It's our. ritual."

"You're such. an egocentric asshole! We removed that rule!"

Brows furrowing, he tilts his head challengingly, muttering, "What did you just call me?"

"A f*****g. egocentric. asshole! Because that's what you are!" you shout from the bottom of your heart, punctuating each word with a pointed hand gesture directed at him. Turning away, you stride towards the side of your bed, intending to grab a pillow—or whatever you can find—to throw at him.

Closing his eyes in exasperation, Tyler releases his grip on your door frame. With determined strides—he starts to enter your room before a pillow abruptly kisses his pointed nose, causing him to halt in his tracks!

As the pillow falls away from his handsome face—revealing his closed eyes.. they suddenly snap open with fury! Without hesitation, he dashes towards you!

"I. like. him!"

Tyler ducks and dodges—left and right, and as he comes back, he retracts his head in disbelief. Disgust flickers across his face as he retorts, "No you don't—"

"Excuse me?!" you exclaim, tilting your head in irritation.

"You started this—whole shitshow for only a month, Jen! Seriously?! And faking your preferences isn't helping," he counters as he catches the bolster you've thrown.

"Said someone who dates in a span of a week," you remark, raising an eyebrow challengingly as Tyler throws his head back in frustration as you add, "and I didn't say I hated them—"

"Oh really?"

"What? Yeah I didn't—"

"You said, Libre makes you wanna throw up. You said, you hate every girl's perfume. You said, you only wanna wear boys perfume—"

"Your perfume."

Caught off guard, Tyler's body instinctively retreats in puzzlement as he tries to grasp your confession.

"I said, I like Bleu de Chanel because you smell good wearing it."

A sheepish grin spreads across his face as he hears your confession. With a flustered expression, his face turns slightly redder as he stammers, trying to find the right words to respond, "T—that's—"

"Well if I like him and he wears Libre, I will like Libre."

Humbled too quickly, his once flustered demeanor goes blank. His now hazy eyes shoot to you tiredly as if conveying a, 'really now?'

"And you know?! Turned out—he said he had liked me since junior—!"

"Well he lied cause he liked Sarah from 7th."

With an impassive expression, he leaves you speechless. Annoyance swirling within you as you glare at him. Unable to contain your emotions any longer, you blurt out—

"Why is it so hard to believe that someone could like me?!"

Taken aback by your sudden hate declaration, Tyler’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he stammers, "What—that's not what I'm saying—" but his voice trails off, confusion evident in his expression as he tries to understand your reaction.

"You're rarely there, we don't do our habits anymore—!" you huff, trying to hold back tears, "and every. time. we have a conversation, it has to be a f*****g fight?!"

Tyler’s eyes widened slightly, his lips parted—perhaps in an attempt to speak but—finding no words that could fix the hurt in your voice.

"Evie's busy with Liam—you're busy with Taylor," and he looks away, can't help but feeling guilty. Taking a shaky breath, you whisper, "I'm lonely Ty.. and for once in my life, I get noticed by someone that isn't you—is that so wrong?"

Squeezing his knuckles out of discomfort, Tyler keeps staring at them—not wanting to meet your eyes, forehead creased. Starting to choke, tears start to well up in your eyes as frustration builds up—until it finally finds its surface, encouraging you to let it all out. Right here, right now—

"You've been so popular all your life so maybe it's not so different for you! But as for me, who's been your shadow all your life—!"

"What?"

That's when he immediately meets your gaze—hardly not agreeing with your argument. His confusion evident in the furrow of his brow—his head tilts slightly as he tries to make sense of your outburst. Growing impatience, he takes a step closer.

"Yeah! We can't play blind. Everybody thinks I'm just Ty's bestfriend, nothing else! Even my dad said you gotta be like Tyler this, Tyler that! Everybody just looks at me with a side glance! But you never know how that feels because you're always the Popular Guy!"

"You're the one who's blind!"

Waiting for you to finish your rant, he shouts—and once he sees you falter, he continues, "Every guy wants to get to know you! You don't know the guy talks I've heard at school asking me about you every time!"

Startled at his sudden outburst, in between your hiccups, you stammer, "I—I don't—believe you—"

"What? You didn't know, right?"

Seeing your stupid look seems to irritate him even more because now he's seething between his teeth. You remained silent, feeling defeated in the argument. However, between your sniffles, he can still make you mumble as you look away, "Well why didn't you tell me.."

Tyler rolled his eyes, too accustomed to your unwillingness to concede. Giving up, he throws his hands in the air while exclaiming,

"Okay. Fine. Do what you want. But don't come crying to me when he starts being an asshole."

Pouting while sniffling, you subtly glare at him in defeat as he raises his eyebrows before finally adding,

"Because God knows what I'll do when it happens."