I hope you guys are liking the story lol

Tyler walked into his history class, slumping down in his seat with exhaustion. He had spent all morning gathering his "absent" work (Dallon had apparently gotten in and marked him as excused for the day so his dad didn't get called) and yesterday was not a good day to skip while being an AP student.

The bell rang and his teacher got up to start class. They were just taking notes like always so Tyler zoned out as he copied everything out of his book, not bothering to put them in his own words like he usually did. He had his headphones in to block out the sounds of everyone around him as well.

He was halfway through his second page of notes when his leg began bouncing irritably. That's when he realized he needed a cigarette. He tried not to think about it because that would only intensify it more and the feeling passed a few minutes later, relieving Tyler.

Class flew by fairly quickly since Tyler had no concept of reality for 45 minutes and as soon as the bell rang for the second time that day everyone leapt out of their seat and hurried out the door.

Tyler took his time for a multitude of reasons. One, he didn't have the energy to hurry out. Two, his English class was right down the hall and it took him less than a minute to walk there. Three, he hated his English teacher and didn't want to arrive earlier than he had too.

The brunette was slinging his backpack over his shoulder, about to leave, when his history teacher stopped him. "Tyler?"

He looked up and saw Mrs. Lloyd looking at him, disappoint written on her face. "Yeah?" Tyler replied nervously.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked. Tyler had learned on his first day that she didn't have an accent like most of the other people in Scarlettesville. Tyler was reminded of Dallon who moved from Utah when he saw they were low on teaching staff. Brendon had told him this information with pride. Tyler assumes his history teacher wasn't from here either. "I have my plan next period and I can write you a note to your next class."

Tyler, knowing he really wasn't allowed to say no, nodded and walked to her desk. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm afraid not," she sighed and rotated the old, dirty, and busted computer monitor so Tyler could see it. He knew his school didn't have to funds to replace it so he didn't say anything. The screen was dim but he could still read what was the issue was.

He was failing his history class.

"That can't be," Tyler's eyes widened. "I... emailed you my paper yesterday because I was absent."

Mrs. Lloyd sighed. "Tyler I stopped taking virtual copies of assignments last year due to most kids here not even being able to access the internet outside of school. I don't know what upperclassman told you that but that isn't the case anymore. In the syllabus I handed you on your first day it said that being absent wasn't an excuse for not turning things in and if you were going to be gone you had to communicate it with me in advance and I would give you an extension. I don't tolerate late work in my advanced classes and you will be given a zero."

"This paper is 50% of my grade," Tyler began freaking out. "Now it's just a zero because I was gone?"

She rubbed her forehead. "Tyler, I know you're a good kid. A smart kid," she began. "I've seen your transcript. No matter how many schools you've been to you've gotten all As and you've been taking advanced classes since middle school if available. I've seen your other grades. You've been neglecting to turn in homework for the past week and you aren't even in class half the time. You have a B and a C in your other classes. Is there anything going on?"

Tyler clenched his hand. This was not good. Not good at all. He was pissed his teacher was making accusations towards him and he was furious she was trying to fail him. "No," he spoke, trying not to make his irritation obvious. "I've just been stressed."

"Is it the workload?" She asked. "We can have the counselor put you in a few on level classes if it helps," she offered.

"No," he repeated but this time he let out a breath to calm down. "Please let me make it up. You know I'm not usually like this. Things have just been hectic."

Mrs. Lloyd didn't respond at first, as if in thought, but a moment later she nodded. "Okay. I will let you turn it in to me tomorrow for no more than half credit. And that's if you get full points. I'll be calling your parents too."

Parent, singular, Tyler wanted to correct but kept his mouth shut. He knew Mrs. Lloyd was a nice woman but she was strict and he wasn't going to argue with what he was getting. "Okay," he spoke. "Thank you."

His teacher wrote him a pass and handed it to him. "Don't let me down Tyler."

"I won't," he replied quietly, leaving the classroom and trying not to burst into tears.

---

When Tyler walked in the door after school, his dad was sitting on the couch. "I didn't know you were home."

"They sent me home ta rest since I'm workin' tonight," Chris replied. Tyler just simply nodded as he began walking towards his room. "Tyler Robert get your ass back here."

The mentioned froze and walked back over. "Yeah?"

"Sit down," Tyler did as he was told, not liking the stern voice his dad was using. He didn't use it often. "What in the hell is goin' on?"

"With...?"

"Don' play dumb with me, Tyler," Chris said in an angry voice. "Your teacher called me 'nd told me you're failin' history! Is that true?"

Tyler didn't respond.

"Answer me!"

"Yes!" Tyler yelled back, tears falling down his face. "Okay? Yes I'm failing! Why do you care?"

"I care because 'm your father," Chris spoke, his voice calmer now. "She said she was givin' ya an extension on your paper that should raise it to a C if ya get all your points."

"Did she say anything else?" Tyler asked, his lip wobbling as he tried to avoid letting a sob out.

"No," his father shook his head. "Ty, the reason 'm so concerned is because this ain't like ya. You're the smartest person I know and I know damn well these advanced classes ain't hard. Everyone here is a dumbass. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," Tyler wiped his face angrily.

"Is it your friends? I never thought I'd ask this but... are ya spendin' too much time with them?"

"No," his head shot up instantly, his eyes wide. "No. I've just been stressed," he lied, using the same excuse as before. 

"Is it because of all the murders? If that's the case we can leave, Ty. If you're gettin' too stressed out that ya can't focus in school we don' gotta stay."

"I don't know what it is. I like it here, I do," he replied honestly for probably the first time that day. "I just. I don't know. It's not my friends. It's not the town. I'm just stressed, okay?"

"Okay," Chris nodded. "I trust that you'll get your grades up."

Trust. Tyler wished he would stop fucking throwing that word around. It was annoying. "I will," Tyler replied.

"If ya do need ta leave or talk about anythin' 'm always here. Ya know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I love ya bud. I really do."

"I love you too, Dad. Can I go now?"

"Yes but ya need ta get started on your homework right now. I don' want ya doin' anything else," he paused. "Damn I really never thought I'd say that."

"Me neither," Tyler smiled slightly.

"'M gonna go rest so I can actually do my job tonight," Chris stood up and began to walk off but stopped and turned around. "Please stay the Tyler I've always known. I can' loose ya too."

"You won't."

But Tyler was pretty sure he was already halfway gone.