"Psst!"

I buried my face into my hands, breathing heavily as I tried to put a lid on my anger.

"Psst!"

Slowly, I dragged my fingertips from my forehead to my chin, feeling the urge to dig my nails into my skin and scream.

"Leave me alone Jonah!" I hissed from behind my hands.

When I felt a sharp object jab my rib cage, my head snapped up so fast that my neck screeched a protest of intense pain.

"Aw, come on Ashley," He whined, jutting out a glistening bottom lip. "It was just a joke!"

I cowered away from Jonah when he shuffled his chair closer to mine, driving me to the far edge of the table. My blood boiled under my tightening veins, causing me to clench and unclench my fists. Taking shallow breaths, I tried to count to ten but didn't get past four when I felt another sharp jab. The pain shot through my rib cage making me wince and draw in a sharp breath.

"Jonah!" I snarled, smacking his pen out of his hand just as he let out a booming laugh.

"Jesus, can't you take a joke woman?" He threw his head back, shaking his shoulders with laughter.

Grinding my teeth together, my nails embedded themselves into my palms as my fury heightened to sky-high levels.

"Asking me to sleep with you for the tenth time isn't a joke, douchebag!"

Jonah's bland, blue eyes bored into mine and a slow grin pulled his lips up. My nails punctured my palms and I had to bite my lip to suppress a yelp. Shuffling closer to me, he licked his lips in what he assumed was an attractive trait making me lean back until I was on the verge of toppling off my chair.

"But I thought all of Tyler's girls would be just as willing," He caught one of my curls and wrapped it around his index finger.

Wrenching his slimy hands away from me, I exhaled sharply and glared at him, ignoring the fact that he adamantly believed I was dating Tyler. What was it with everyone in this stupid school?

"Do I look like Michelle fucking Harte to you?" I growled venomously, shooting him a deathly glare as the shrill bell rang, signalling the end of the day. "The only handjob I'll ever give you will be with a cheese grater if you don't fuck the hell off!"

I bolted out of my seat and hastily crammed my books into my bag. Jonah's eyes raked over my body, stopping at my chest before they travelled back up. Leering at me, he sported his favourite perverted smirk and shrugged his shoulders at me.

"No need to turn into a psycho bitch. You're just a major improvement compared to her," He drawled in a low voice, standing up to his full height and flattening stray, brown hairs that poked out of his quiff. "Curves in all the right places, killer legs and nice lips that can work wonders if you give my dick a go. You're more natural looking, you feel me?"

I shuddered at the look he gave me like I was a prized steak that he couldn't wait to dig into. I gave him a poisonous glare, visualising the spontaneous combustion of that quiff he treasured so much. Maybe if I threw a lit matchstick in there it would explode from the sickening about of flammable hair gel he used.

"Piss off or I'll shove my fist down your throat and wave at you from your asshole!"

My voice was cold but not icy enough to weaken Jonah's intention to bed me. Bringing his hand forward, he clamped my shoulder and squeezed it with enough pressure to make me yelp with surprise.

"Gee, you really are a tough nut to crack," He stroked the entire length of my arm, making my skin crawl as he grinned down at me. "I love me a fiesty chick."

In one swift motion, my knee bolted up and slammed into his groin, causing a resonating shriek to leave his lips. Doubling over, he screamed a ring of curses at me, turning redder than a beetroot as he collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain. The entire class watched me step over Jonah as I crouched down beside him, letting my curls fall into his face.

"Next time I'll crush your nonexistent balls so hard that your dad will feel it!" I trailed off, hovering over his ears before bellowing the remainder of my sentence. "So I suggest you do yourself a favour and...FUCK OFF!"

Both his hands shot up to clamp his ears as I stalked off, leaving an audience to tend to his casualties. I'll admit, I felt pretty badass by the time I reached the parking lot to unchain my bike.

My fingers fumbled on the cold metal bike lock, trembling like an old person with severe arthritis. Eventually I managed to free my bike. Exhilaration and adrenaline made my ragged breaths hard to control so I had to close my eyes and count to sixty but even that couldn't keep my chest from rising and falling heavily.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me, making my skin prickle with terror. I spun around sharply, ready to face Jonah for Round Two, almost losing my footing in the process.

"I will make sterilise you and leave you infertile if you tr-" I stopped short when sea-green eyes widened into bulging orbs, blinking at me with surprise.

"You'll do what?" Tyler choked, taking one step back as he eyed me cautiously, glancing down at his crotch with fear.

Heat filled my cheek and I clamped a hand over my mouth. My bulging eyes drank in the sight of an amused smile breaking out on his face.

"N-Nothing!" I spluttered, "I thought you were Jonah."

Confusion tugged his teasing smirk down into his usual scowl and a fleeting look of hatred flashed behind his eyes.

"Jonah?" Tyler asked in a tight voice.

Wheeling my bike backwards, I grimaced at the mention of that sleazeball and nodded.

"Yeah, you have no idea what a massive douchebag he is," I grumbled hotly, pushing my bike forward as Tyler fell into step with me.

His hard eyes softened around the edges when they registered my fury, making him chuckle.

"Trust me," Tyler's eyes became unfocused as we walked past the main gates, flickering along the gravelled ground and darting everywhere as if he was recalling a memory. "I know exactly how much of a douchebag he is."

I thought back to the last ever soccer match that Tyler played for the school, remembering just how distressed he was and understanding why he loathed the jerk in my French class.

My curls fell into my face as I let loose a nod, agreeing that Jonah was pretty much the second biggest pile of turd at Riverdale High besides Dylan. Those two were pretty much the most obnoxious jocks to ever walk the Earth, thinking that they were nothing but god's gift.

I met Tyler's hard and emotionless eyes, searching for any remorse at the loss of his friendship with the guys on the soccer team, finding nothing but bitterness.

To my surprise, he walked beside as I wheeled my bike past the school gates, turning the street corner and wondering why he hadn't retreated to his car. I waited for him to fill the silence but his long legged strides just slowed down to match the pace of my short legs.

"Where's your car?" I finally asked when the school disappeared behind us, no longer visible due to the looming ash trees towered over us, providing us with shelter from the sun's glare.

"I walked to school today," Tyler glanced over at me, shrugging his shoulders as if it was normal to walk three miles to high school.

"For real?" I stopped short and just eyed him, bewildered that the laziest guy I had ever known in my entire life would voluntarily walk that much. "You walked?"

When Tyler realised that I was no longer beside him, he turned around and shot me an irritated look over his shoulder.

"Stop acting so surprised. Things change Ashley. People change." His voice was harsh, cutting through me like a blunt knife to create more of a bruise than a gash.

"Oh, right." I mumbled, falling back into step with him, my cheeks glowing with embarrassment.

Why had I acted so surprised? I mean, I walked to school at least once a week and I lived further away than he did.

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes, letting the soft rustle of autumn leaves fill the void between us. My gaze flickered between the cracks in the pavement, the scurrying leaves and Tyler's sturdy side profile. We strolled at a leisurely pace, neither of us in a hurry to rush to empty homes, especially when the weather was miraculously beautiful despite the woven threads of winter winds that were beginning to seep into each morning; cold and chilling.

School children hurried out of the elementary school across the road, squealing with ringing laughter that made a ghostly smile tug Tyler's lips upwards. It was the same elementary school that we went to; spending every single day after school at the park just down the road.

Just as I pushed my hair out of my face, a bunch of fourth graders rushed out of the gate, darting around parents who grumbled after them. Two screaming girls raced down the street, squealing as two older boys ran after them. I watched their hair billow in the wind, smiling when the slowest girl got flipped upside down by one of the guys.

Her glasses fell to the floor as she let out a series of shrieks, screeching at her friend to help her but the guy had her locked in a tight hold, slowly planting her back on her feet and picking up her glasses.

Something in my chest flipped when the blonde girl blushed and put her glasses back on, seemingly stuttering her thanks when the guy grinned at her, giving her a five second head start. They both disappeared into the park, sprinting and then laughing at the top of their lungs and it was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Remember when that was us?" Tyler broke through my thoughts, making me sneak a quick glance at him.

His sturdy jaw was locked making his jawline prominent and I felt the weight of his gaze threaten to swallow me under. Trying to maintain my balance, I held his gaze as my breaths became shallow and quick. When the intensity of his stare became too much, I let my eyes flicker to the sidewalk, eyeing a small stone that was a metre ahead.

"Yeah," I breathed, kicking the stone forward as we crossed the road towards the park entrance. "You always used to take me down first before running after Taylor."

I glanced up at him, giving him a mocking glare when his lips twitched with amusement, pulling up into a half-smirk.

"Well if you just ran faster then you would have survived."

This time, I actually glared at him, burning a hole through his eyes as I gave him a flat and unrealistic look. "Tyler, do you have any idea how fast you are? There is no survival when it comes to outrunning you."

A sheepish smile broke out on his face when we made it across the busy road, dodging past screaming kids as we approached the park entrance. Confusion clouded my chain of thoughts when I focused on our whereabouts, wondering why we had just crossed the road.

I thought we were just walking home. Were we taking a detour?

"Are we going to the park?" I asked stupidly, knowing full well that we were since when Tyler strode past the gate and glanced over his shoulder.

He spared me a flat look, rolling his eyes at me without bothering to give me a verbal response. Shielding my eyes from the intensity of the sunlight, I followed him as he led the way, kicking up an awful lot of decaying bronze leaves when we passed another looming ash tree.

In terms of size, the park wasn't too big, ranging around the size of a football field, with enough space to include a pond, climbing frame and swing set. The remainder was a never-ending sea of trees and walkways that led to the woods.

We made our way along the cobbled pathway, passing a series of benches occupied by chattering parents who cautiously eyed the dozen kids squealing on the climbing frame.

"Shoo!" I hissed when a cluster of pigeons blocked my path, flapping their wings as they took off since they were clearly startled by my loud disruption.

I squeaked and jumped when they flew over my head, terrified that they'd take a dump on my head. Tyler chuckled at me, slipping his hands deep into his pockets as I wheeled my bicycle on my right, struggling to balance my bag on the opposite shoulder.

"Jerk!" I muttered under my breath when I saw his tormenting smile.

It only widened when the wind carried my words to him, but he didn't retaliate, choosing to remain silence yet still keeping that infuriatingly smug smile of his.

Squinting in the blinding sunlight, my eyes grazed the freshly cut grass, noticing the way each blade rippled emerald green in the wind, letting loose a sharp a sharp scent. The smell wafted around us like a thick blanket, and resurfaced an overwhelming nostalgia that made me smile wistfully at all the times I had come here with the twins to play.

Sometimes we would just lay down on the grass and gaze at clouds, pointing at random shapes and talking about our future. Taylor was going to a famous photographer and I was destined to be a the greatest physicist, surpassing Einstein to become a national treasure. However, Tyler's dream was by far more realistic than mine: to become a world class soccer striker for one of the big league teams.

My favourite moments were when I ended up sandwiched between the twins, leaning against Tyler's shoulder with Taylor's hand enveloped in mine. There was nothing I missed more than her affectionate embraces. If she was alive today, she would have definitely been one of gross teenagers that always made out with their boyfriends outside their locker.

On other days, when we were feeling more active or when Blake tagged along, we would dominate the climbing frames.

Sometimes we'd even race up the hills and spend hours taking turns on the swing set before leaping off and chasing each other into the woods. Tyler was always the daring one who climbed up the smaller trees and tormented his sister until she joined him. Then the two would eye me, mirroring the same taunting smile until I stormed off. There was no way in hell I would have risked breaking my arm a third time in the same park, and they both knew it.

Stifling a giggle at the memory, I stole a glance at the quiet guy beside me, wondering where his thoughts were taking him. Stark sea-green eyes squinted in the bright sunlight, darting everywhere until they settled on the ancient swing set a couple hundred metres away.

"You okay?" I closed the fair amount of distance between us and bumped my shoulder gently against his arm, nudging him out of his thoughts.

Blinking at me, Tyler paused as if he couldn't think of a simplistic answer to give me, furrowing his eyebrows together as his face filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know," He finally muttered quietly, looking around with a pained frown.

For a brief moment, I was caught off guard by his honesty, standing still for a few seconds before continuing with our walk.

"Can you feel her presence?" I guessed, letting my eyes dart to the open green space where the three of us had spent so much time fooling around during our childhood.

Surprised at my guess, Tyler's eyes roamed over my face in awe for a fraction of a second before he averted his gaze. When he nodded, I sighed heavily and put more of my weight on my bike as I wheeled it along.

"Thank god it just isn't me," I tried to joke but my laugh sounded shaky and nervous.

Clearing my throat, my eyes flickered up to the sky, searching for any trace that my best friend was somehow with us. And as crazy as it sounded, no matter where I looked in this park, there was a little bit of Taylor to be found.

"Don't worry, I feel her too," I muttered after a minute, staring at the mismatched and weathered cobbles that made up the path before us. "But it's kind of different to how I usually felt about Taylor after she died."

Confused, Tyler shot a glance in my direction but failed to hold my gaze when I met his.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled in a low voice.

"Well, for once, it's not suffocating me but maybe that's just because we're outside. It's like she's walking beside us, quiet as a shadow, listening but not inputting anything."

Understanding where I was getting at, Tyler nodded and looked down at me. I didn't expect a reply, giving him a small smile to display that and when he mirrored it, I was glad he got the message. We carried on walking in silence, enjoying the warmth radiating from the sun and relishing over the small gusts a of wind that made our hair protest loudly, flapping messily into our eyes.

Our pace slowed down to lazy strides, reflecting a speed of a trailing snail but I didn't mind. It wasn't like I had any reason to rush home since Mom was going to a work-related formal dinner and wasn't coming home until later in the evening.

Plus, walking with Tyler was strangely comforting in ways I couldn't quite articulate. I was unable pinpoint what it was about his company that made this walk enjoyable but I just admired the fact that there was no need for unnecessary small talk. I had never experienced a non-awkward silence with anyone else besides his sister.

It was definitely one of the many traits they both shared. Who would have known that a silence could be enjoyable?

Although I hadn't been to the park since elementary school, nothing had changed at all. Everything was situated in the exact place and it was relieving to know that my childhood memories were intact.

However, it was saddening to remember why we stopped playing here.

When we started middle school, the twins stopped hanging out as much, making their own set of friends: Tyler with the soccer fanatics and Taylor just stuck with me. Well that was until Michelle's clique and Mona joined the gang. It was obvious that Michelle didn't like me from the very start but she swallowed her pride and sidled up my best friend, doing whatever it took to be Taylor's friend, even if it included being mine.

I wasn't buying it and ranted to Mona about how blind Taylor was to Michelle's antics but she just told me to stop stressing out over nothing. She said that everybody knew that I was Taylor's best friend and nobody could take that away from me.

How could she possibly have understood that there was no way I could lose the only friend I had who knew about my past?

I would have confided my worries regarding Michelle to Tyler but he was never home when I hung out with his sister after school. During middle school, he spent every waking moment playing for the local soccer team and trying to get scouted by the elite sports academy in the next state.

Although Tyler managed to get a scholarship by eighth grade, ready to join the boarding school for the start of high school, he turned it down. His sister was outraged and their parents were pissed off but they had no idea about the reason as to why he rejected the offer.

After coming close to a breakdown one day, Tyler finally confessed to me that he hadn't been separated from his sister since birth. I assured him that other opportunities would crop up if he wasn't ready to go, prompting him that it was okay to turn the offer down.

Even when Tyler and I happened to be at his house at the same time, it always happened to be during his sister's sleepovers and there was no way we could hang out alone with half a dozen girls canoodling up with him.

Turning to face him, my eyes roamed over his sharp features, drinking in his cutting edge cheekbones and strong jawline. Since the sun was blinding our left side, his right profile was shadowed, outlining just how thick his lashes where at they fluttered down every time he blinked.

Although I knew I should have looked away, I let my gaze drift to his mouth and remembered all the years I spent, desperately wanting to taste those lips. Right now the corners were pulled down into his signature scowl; I guess that was his normal facial expression and it saddened me to think about how much grief had taken a toll on his lively character.

I wondered exactly how much damage his grief done to him, how bad the extent of the damage was and whether it could ever be fixed. It was truly miraculous that a stranger would never know, just by looking at him, exactly how much he had been through in only eighteen years. Most people didn't experience grief that vortex-sucking until later on in life.

Feeling the weight of my gaze, he snapped out of his own daydream and just stared at me. Alarmed that I had been caught in the act, I blinked like a deer trapped in headlights.

"Are you always this creepy?" Tyler mused and it took me a couple of moments to realise he was teasing me.

"Of course not!" I snapped, feeling cheeks redden. "I was going to ask you a question, that's all!"

For a moment, I thought my obvious lie would settle my embarrassment but my cheeks only grew hotter when he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? What question?"

Dumbstruck, I just stopped still and gulped.

"Umm..." I trailed off, struggling to come up with a single question.

How ironic was it that I usually had a billion questions to ask him about our past, but now, of all times, my brain suddenly chose to malfunction.

"When was the last time you came here?" I finally blurted out, letting out a heavy sigh because my brain had survived it's major technical glitch.

The smirk dissolved into a small smile as Tyler's eyes glazed over with concentration. Stopping still about a metre away from me, he wrinkled his nose as he thought deeply about the question.

"I think I came here three or four days ago but I can't remember. I'm pretty sure it was on Sunday, I think," He trailed off, fixating his blue-green eyes on me before giving me a sheepish look. "I don't know, you know how crap my memory is sometimes."

I giggled at his little ramble, nostalgia clouding my senses when it dawned upon me how much I genuinely missed seeing him lose himself in a conversation. I knew it wasn't much but it was a start and a lot better than his single sentenced responses.

"You still come here?"

Tyler nodded at my question, taking a step forward and motioning at me to start walking again.

"Well I only started coming here after Taylor...died." He paused before choking the final word. "This is where I came after I legged it during my speech at her funeral."

Thinking back to how painful it was to watch Tyler that day, I looked down at his hand as it hung loosely by his side. My fingers itched to grab his hand and comfort him but I didn't want to weird him out just yet. Not when he was finally opening up to me.

"Do you wish you had finished your speech?" I asked quietly, sneaking a glance at his face.

Tyler clenched his jaw, lifting his head up to the bright sky and searching the clouds before snapping his gaze back to mine.

"More than anything," He whispered, sea-green eyes glazing over with enough remorse to carry me away with the blue tides in his eyes.

I stumbled, staggering forward in an attempt to regain my balance as Tyler's hand shot out to steady me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I concentrated on getting rid of the tightness around my chest.

"W-What would you have added to you speech?" I squawked, clearing my throat when my voice came out scratchy.

Tyler's eyes widened a fraction, bulging out before they were obscured by his fluttering lashes and soon they were shut tightly. His face was contorted with agony, scrunching up as if he was willing himself not to breakdown.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." I whispered quietly, when Tyler bit his lip and let out a deep breath.

"Shh," He silenced me, lifting a finger up as he rubbed his temples. "I'm thinking."

"Okay," I chuckled, glad that he was trying.

As long as he was keeping his promise not to give up on letting me help him, I was good. We were good. Eventually, after the longest minute of watching him stand frozen with his eyes closed tightly, Tyler's eyelids sprung open, making me jump out of my skin.

"I think I've got it!" He exclaimed, staring at me with his haunting eyes.

"Okay, shoot," I prompted him as he cleared his throat.

"This is really crap, so if you laugh--"

I cut him off, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the sky.

"The sun will continue to rise and the moon will always glow, night will become day and flowers will start to grow, but there will come a day when I wake up and you'll be there, for eternity will have begun, forever and always, a time we'll share."

There was a long pause before his eyelids fluttered open revealing a whirlpool of agony that held a sheen of tears. My breath got caught in my throat, lodged in my windpipe like a scratchy stone and I couldn't force it down. I gulped, taking in a ragged mouthful of air but it wasn't enough to chase away the chill that I got from the haunted look in Tyler's eyes.

"Tyler," I breathed heavily, gawking at him. "Did you come up with that on the spot?"

My heart somersaulted when he nodded, jerking violently up as it fluttered back down like a feather descending, light and frail. Trying to muffle a sob, I blinked rapidly, painfully swallowing the ball lodged in my throat.

"I can't..." His husky voice trailed off as he cleared his throat and raked a hand through his hair. "Actually, I don't want to come up with any more. Not right now."

I nodded, understanding how painful it was.

"What about you?" His voice rang, slow and steady as if he hadn't just caused my entire body to tighten up like there was a vacuum inside my chest.

"I did finish my speech Tyler." I chuckled, trying to keep the tension light but my laugh came out bitter and humourless. "You just missed it when you ran off."

With a guilt-stricken expression, he turned his head away from me and suddenly I felt really bad. Not caring about freaking him out, I reached for him limp hand. Instantly, his head jerked towards me with surprise and I expected him to yank his hand back, but he didn't.

"I don't remember most of my eulogy," I admitted, letting out a deep breath. "But I have it scrawled down in my journal at home. I'll let you read it someday but I did memorise a particular quote that helped me quite a lot."

Tyler's eyes scanned my face, indicating that he was still listening so I continued.

"Umm, I think it went like this: 'The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside us as we continue to live.'"

I focused on our hands, feeling slightly awkward that his eyes were glued to my face, roaming every feature with enough scrutiny to make me shiver. Silence fell between us, thicker than a blanket of snow but it wasn't suffocating or uncomfortable, it was just slightly awkward because even after a long minute, he was still watching me.

"Now who's being creepy?" I chided, trying to lighten up the mood but it only made him rub the back of his neck and look away.

Well, at least he wasn't staring at me any more. Eyes that intoxicating and haunting were enough to make me feel unnerved and on edge.

"I just wanted to ask you a question," Tyler mimcked my voice, trying to use my own pathetic excuse against me but I just laughed. "When was the last time you came to this park?"

"Nice try dude," I dropped his hand and slapped his arm lightly as he rolled his eyes. "But since you won't stop ogling me, the last time I remember being here was on the last day of fifth grade, when you and Blake attacked me and Taylor with those stupid nerf guns," I grimaced over the memory of their ambush.

Tyler's reaction opposed mine, breaking out into a wistful grin as he let out a laugh. At least he wasn't scowling at me any more.

"Oh my god, that was such an epic fight!" He glanced down at me, eyes sparkling with mischief as I rose an eyebrow at his enthusiasm.

By 'epic', Tyler meant that I almost got shot in the eye because of his lazy aim and when he crouched down beside me, Blake revolted and began to shoot his unarmed best friend, so I snatched Tyler's gun and blindly shot Blake on the nose. My reckless instinct led to the sudden switch in partners because Taylor suddenly seized Blake's gun and began to go ape -shit on me.

"Oh come on! We totally beat the crap of Blake and Tay!" He chortled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Slowly, I mirrored his infectious grin, throwing my head back as I giggled uncontrollably.

"Only because you faked a broken leg so that you could tackle Taylor when she ran to help you! I mean, what were you thinking?"

Tyler's entire face was alive with so much emotion, taking control of his usually taut features and softening them. The memory made his eyes glaze with a sheen of happiness.

"All I was thinking about winning and you had the easy part anyway. All you had to do was deal with Blake!"

"Hmph," I grunted, biting back a hysterical laugh as I struggled to keep my untameable curls out of my mouth. The wind had picked up a notch as we walked uphill. "Blake was such a wuss! He dropped his gun and ran out of the park, screaming 'One man down!' over and over again!"

Tyler broke out in a deep rumbling laugh that mingled with mine as I remembered how Taylor gave us the silent treatment the entire journey home.

Squinting up at the azure sky, dots of fluffy white clouds peppered the perpetual expanse, giving the illusion that it wasn't anywhere near as windy as it really was. Crisp, golden brown leaves scurried along the ground, circling the climbing frame where the fifth graders we had seen earlier were playing. Their ringing laughter was carried towards us by the wind.

By the time we reached the vacant swing set, we had circled the park three times, following the same cobbled path. The park was considerably deserted but there were still a couple of kids running around screaming. Taking advantage of the fact that nobody was occupying the swings, I pushed past Tyler and rushed to the one on the left, gently easing my bike onto the rubber mulch before planting myself on the seat.

Sea-green eyes followed me, filled with amusement as I pushed myself off, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I don't like that one," I pointed out as he seated himself down beside me.

Holding my gaze, the sunlight bathed his entire face, lighting his eyes and bringing out the blue in them. They glimmered in the same way that the ocean rippled when blinding light reflected off them, forcing me to avert my gaze and blink several times.

"I know," Tyler said, planting a foot into the ground and pushing himself back before tucking both legs under and swinging forward.

I smiled, finding it strange that he remembered the bad luck that followed me around every time his sister beat me to the swings and took the left one. I ended up breaking my arm twice on the right swing and from that moment onwards I vowed never to use that one again.

"Be careful, it's spooked," I shuddered, as he let out a laugh.

"Not everybody is as clumsy as you." Tyler pointed out, leaning back to gain momentum.

Glaring at him, I grumbled an incoherent response and watched his hair rush back as a gust of wind fell upon us.

"I'm not clumsy..." I protested, watching him raise both eyebrows to point out my obvious lie, before adding, "...at least not anymore."

"Right," He drawled with sarcasm, diverting his attention and concentrating on picking up speed.

As he swung back and forth, I just stared at him, not quite believing that here we were, in a park, actually having a civilised conversation. Sure, he was being really sardonic and if Taylor was here, she'd smack him silly but it was kind of pleasant.

I didn't realise how much I missed hanging out with him.

When he caught my eyes, the challenging glint in them made me lean back and put more effort in gaining momentum. Trust Tyler to make a competition of everything! Soon enough, we were sabotaging each other - well I was trying to break his impeccable speed and bring him to an abrupt stop whilst he just yelled profanities at me to leave him be.

"Ashley stop it!" He wailed, swerving to the side just as my fingers curled around the chain of his swing.

The sudden movement caused him to jerk to the left so that his swing was rocked from side to side rather than the usual back and forth motion. A smug smile played on my lips as he glared at me, looking dangerous with his daunting scowl.

"That's it, you are so getting it!"

My eyes bulged out of their sockets when he hopped off the swing and swivelled around so that he was standing directly in front of me. Since I was moving at such a high speed, I let out a scream, terrified that my legs were going to stab his chest like a sword and come out of his back, creating a gaping, fatal wound.

"Tylleeeerrrrrrrrr!" I screeched, digging my feet into the ground to come to a sudden halt but it was too late.

I was already in the air when Tyler realised his mini-vengeance had cross-fired. We were both going down and if I had time to cackle at him, I would have. But all I had time to do was let out another terrified shriek.

I collided into Tyler just as I attempted to jump off the swing to avoid him.

What a stupid move! Who would jump off a swing that was going as high as it possibly could?

My failed attempt meant that I flew off the swing and hovered in the air for a split second before my entire body to slammed into his chest. Startled, his eyes widened with horror before they shut tightly as he staggered backwards. The impact winded us both, making us crash onto the rubber mulch floor, slamming down with Tyler taking the whiplash of our drop.

I didn't have time to feel relieved that the floor absorbed most of the impact because my head crashed onto his rock hard chest, embedding itself as an immense, teeth-shattering pain shot through my head.

"Oof!" I cried when my glasses dug into my cheekbones. They were crooked and on the verge of snapping which made me blink several times; clearly disorientated from my near-death experience.

"Fuck!" Tyler wheezed, rolling over so that I was on the bottom, dying from the weight of his muscular body. "Maybe I wasn't expecting that to happen!"

Astonished, I let out a yelp and pressed my hands on his chest, pushing with whatever strength I still had left but it clearly wasn't hard enough to shove him off me.

I wasn't that strong.

"Get...off...me!" I spluttered, taking deep breaths in between each word to fill my collapsed lungs.

Sea-green eyes searched mine, dazed and shell-shocked before they came back into focus, widening with horror as it finally dawned upon Tyler that he was very much crushing me to a pulp.

"Oh shit!" He peeled himself off me, flopping down onto the ground beside me, not bothering to get up. "I'm so sorry Ashley!"

"Jesus Tyler!" I lifted my head just a fraction off the ground to glower at him. "I thought you'd have at least lost that impulsive nature of yours over these past two years."

Remorse swelled up behind his eyes before they dissolved into an emotionless pit of darkness. I felt my irritation simmer down when my insides twisted into an uncomfortable knot.

Tyler stared at me blankly before turning his head up to the sky and mumbling, "Sorry about that. I don't know what I was thinking."

Just as I was about to reply, he sat up and was up on his feet in one swift motion. Startled, I bolted upright and rubbed my sore head.

"W-Where are you going?" I stuttered when Tyler slung his backpack over one shoulder and turned around to face me.

As if I had missed the obvious, he gave me a flat look and his lips curved downwards into a frown.

"I'm going home. It's going to get dark soon."

I glanced at the peach streaks that highlighted the white clouds, giving the sky a hazy orange glow that was reinforced by the blood orange sun.

I scrambled to my feet, struggling to figure out why he felt the sudden rush to leave. I mean, we had only been at the park for two hours and I was genuinely enjoying his company - minus the part where he had just attempted to kill us both.

Suddenly, a shrill scream filled the suffocating silence around us, echoing around the entire park so loudly that birds shot up into the sky from their deep slumber on the tree branches.

"ANNIE!"

Shell-shocked, I spun around, scanning the park for the source of the scream before flinging a hand to my cheek and letting out a gasp.

The young girl with the glasses that we had seen earlier had just tripped over her feet, careering forward on the concrete floor as the guy behind her tried to catch her fall. I winced when she rolled over, screaming once again in agonising pain and clasping her bloodied kneecap as let out a sharp cry.

"Holy crap!" Tyler breathed, looking at me with wide eyes before sprinting over to the young girl.

Alarmed, I picked up my bike and hurried after him, ignoring the painful way that my bag slammed against my thigh. We reached the girl in a matter of seconds, panting heavily as her friend looked at us with a helpless and terrified expression.

"Are you okay?" Tyler tossed his bag to the floor and crouched beside the girl, eyeing her with caution as he looked at her knee.

She shook her head vigorously, letting honey blonde lock slap her cheeks in the process. Big blue eyes glittered with unshed tears as she blinked at Tyler. His eyes lowered to her knee, paling considerably as blood trickled down the girl's leg and splatted on the ground.

Her friend was crouching beside her, holding her hand in a tight grip.

"Annie, sit up. You're going to be okay," The boy gently murmured to her, rubbing her arms gently to help ease her trembling limbs.

"B-But it hurts so much Noah!" She sobbed, looking up at her friend after wincing when she moved her leg a fraction.

Annie whimpered as clutched her knee so Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Where are you other friends?" I asked, not caring that I sounded like a stalker who had been watching them play in the park the whole time that we'd been here.

Noah's confused eyes wandered up to me before he shook his head and sighed heavily.

"They left a little while ago. I'm supposed to be taking Annie home because Brad wanted to walk Lily home."

I nodded, watching Tyler rip open his backpack and rummage through it. After several seconds, he fished out two vibrant, small boxes, wrenching them open and flicking his gaze to Annie.

"Which one do you want? Dinosaurs or Disney princesses?"

Confusion graced her soft features until he held the band aid boxes higher and flashed her crooked smile. A grin stretched my lips when she pointed at the Disney princesses. With a curt nod, Tyler gingerly peeled back the plastic and carefully positioned the bright pink band aid over Annie's knee.

With a pained smile, his sea-green eyes roamed the whimpering girl's face, softening a great deal and it was enough to make my insides heat up. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen such a caring expression control Tyler's features, ridding them of all the harsh edges.

"I'm going to have to press down, is that okay with you?" He asked Annie in a quiet whisper.

She gnawed on her bottom lip before nodding. Noah winced when Annie let out a shrill whimper but he managed to make her cries subside into snivels by rubbing circles on her hand and keeping their gazes locked.

Tyler stood up and gently took Annie's elbow whilst Noah gripped her waist and together they helped her to up onto her feet. However, when Annie tried to take a step forward, she buckled and fell forward.

I darted forward and instantly caught her, hoisting her back up as both guys stared at us in horror. Since I had loosened my grip on my bicycle, it clattered to the ground but Tyler bent over and picked it up.

"I doubt you'll make it out of the park like this," I frowned, looking down at Annie as her eyes brimmed with a fresh set of tears.

"I'll take her home," Noah announced, looping an arm around Annie's waist and taking a step back from us.

"No way, we'll come with you guys." I insisted, shaking my head at the young boy's ludicrous announcement.

I turned to face Tyler, waiting for his support but he was too busy eyeing Annie and Noah with a strangely soft expression.

"Annie only lives two minutes away. I can get her home," Noah's grey eyes bored into mine before they flickered down to his friend, flinching when she let out another whimper.

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the young boy, studying his face with a strange expression. The two seemed to be sharing a private conversation, staring at each other for a few long seconds before Tyler nodded.

Noah couldn't be older than twelve and had scrawny arms whereas Tyler's biceps rippled with the muscles he had earned from playing so much soccer. Annie would have weighed a penny in his arms, and two minutes wasn't even that long.

My jaw hung open when Tyler slapped a hand down on Noah's shoulder.

"Fine, let's go."

Together, we walked the short distance to the park entrance. It took time because Annie could barely put any weight on her hurting leg so Noah told her to hop on her uninjured leg and promised to catch her if she fell. I had to admit, the friendship they shared astonishingly adorable and made my insides melt.

Shooting a brief glance in my direction, Tyler handed me my bike when we reached the entrance. He clasped a hand on Noah's shoulder, stooping low to his level and meeting his gaze with a stern expression.

"Take care of her dude," Tyler's voiced as his face transformed into a hard slate.

Noah nodded, unfazed by Tyler's daunting look before turning to Annie and motioning that they were going to leave.

"Thank you both." Annie smiled, although it looked more like a grimace considering the fact that she had a pretty deep cut on her knee.

Her blue eyes lingered on Tyler, beaming with gratitude and his entire face lit up in response as he stooped down towards her and searched her eyes. He leaned towards her ear and spoke really quietly to her as she nodded before turning a deep shade of pink.

What was he whispering to her about?

Noah and I shared a look of confusion but before I could do anything else, Tyler pulled away and waved goodbye at the pair. Curious, I turned to him and he stared at me for a moment before walking away. I grumbled a series of curse words and ran after him.

"What did you say to her?" I asked, once the kids were out of earshot, trying not to sound too eager.

With an amused smile, he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing that concerns you really."

My cheeks glowed red hot when he raised his eyebrows at me so I let the matter drop and grunted.

"Don't worry, it wasn't about you," He let out a bitter laugh, barely acknowledging my pout.

Snapping my head up to glare at Tyler, I rolled my eyes and brooded in silence. Did he really have to act like a jerk again, especially after revealing his caring side just moments ago? I mean, what was the deal with those funky band aids of his anyway.

I turned to the guy beside me and finally let out a loud laugh. Startled, Tyler looked down at me, bewildered by my outburst.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked, placing some distance between us so he could get a better look at me. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon so the sky was a deep blue that was darkening rapidly.

"You keep dinosaur and Disney princess band aids in your bag!" I giggled as he gave me an embarrassed grimace.

"Yeah so?" Tyler rubbed the back of his neck "They're handy to carry around."

"Disney princess ones?" I spluttered, raising my eyebrows.

Sea-green eyes searched my face, filled with an overwhelming amount of embarrassment that turned the tips of his ears pink when he pushed all of his hair back.

"Blame Rosemary, not me."

With a suspicious and doubtful look, I eyed his pink cheeks and let out a guffaw. What a liar!

"Nice try Tyler, but since we're on the subject can you answer one last question."

He scanned my face hesitantly, taking in my serious look before he allowed himself to nod.

"Only if it's important."

I choked back a laugh, biting my lip as I tried to hold onto my composure. It took a great deal of effort to force the question out in an even and steady tone but towards the end, I faltered and burst out laughing.

"Would you rather sleep with Ariel or Belle?"

Not even his scarlet cheeks could conceal the answer as he gulped nervously, trying to maintain a neutral face. But for once, Tyler's ability to sort out his facial expressions failed and his bottom lip quivered in defiance.

"Shut up!" He hissed, stalking off as I hurried after him, hooting hysterically like a deranged hyena.

I guess nothing had changed between Tyler and his little secret obsession with Disney movies. We both knew that he still stole 'Beauty and the Beast' from Taylor's movie collection. I mean, did he actually think I'd forgotten his favourite Disney princess?

Of course it was Belle, Tyler had always admitted he was a sucker for brunettes; because no matter how much life had thrown at his way, some things just never change.

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[A/N: Ho ho ho, this is the longest chapter in this entire book. I didn't want to split it in half. You guys don't mind long chapters do you? If you dont, I'll split them if they exceed 8000 words like this one did.

Question of the week:

1) Who is your favourite disney princess? Mine: Belle.

2) What is your favourite disney movie? Mine: Tangled.

Till next time; vote, comment and fan.

- Kaddy]