Tyler sighed, putting his phone back into his pocket. The text said to meet here at exactly three-ten, and it was currently ten minutes after. It was cold and pouring rain, which bounced off of the cement and splashed Tyler's legs from where he stood under the roof at the back of the school.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked, trying to wake himself up a bit. Waiting here was extremely boring and almost didn't seem worth it.

Slumping his shoulders and taking a final drag of his cigarette, he flicked the end of it and picked up his backpack.

"Tyler!"

The brunette froze when he heard the voice. It sounded very out of breath, but it was also layered with nervousness and fear. Bedsides that, Tyler registered it as foreign and raised his eyebrow before reluctantly turning around.

He was met with a guy who had dark curly hair, being matted down by the rain. He was bending over, breathing heavily. Tyler assumed he was catching his breath. "Sorry, I was cleaning up my chemistry lab. I tried to get here as fast as I could," he mumbled out after regaining his speech, walking over to Tyler as not to get soaked any further.

"And you're here because...?" Tyler asked eyeing the boy suspiciously up and down.

"Oh, right, sorry!" he began, flustered, while he slung his backpack off. Tyler watched him shakily unzip it and hold the bag out to him, as if he was horrified to look in it. "This is for you," he said as Tyler peered into the bag.

Tyler looked him in the eye and let out a laugh. "Is this some kind of joke?" The boy titled his head in confusion.

"What? No. Why would you assume that?"

"You're like the softest kid in the grade. Why are you selling me weed?"

"I'm not soft or whatever you mean by that. Besides, you're like eighteen. Why are you buying weed?" he replied.

"Touché."

The guy had an uncomfortable look on his face, almost making Tyler forget that they were standing at the back of school with a backpack full of drugs. Tyler shook his head and grabbed the baggie of pot, putting it into his jacket pocket.

"You're Josh Dun, right?" He asked suddenly, pulling his wallet out.

He nodded. "We have English together."

Tyler hummed in response, letting Josh know he was still listening as he handed him a small pile of cash. Josh looked like he didn't really know what to do with it, before sticking it into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Uh, well, I guess I'll see you around," he mumbled before zipping his backpack up and putting it back on. He walked back out into the rain and turned the corner, heading towards the front of the school and leaving Tyler alone.

Tyler glanced down at his cigarette that he abandoned in between his fingers and saw the cherry of it begin to fall off due to how long it went without being flicked. Sighing, he stubbed it out on the wall and dropped it into the ground, letting it roll into the grass and land in a puddle.

Tyler began to walk out from under the roof as well, scowling when the rain hit his body. He tried to ignore it, knowing he still had to walk home regardless of the weather. He really wished he would have offered to drive Hayley instead of walking. His walk home was very uneventful. Just the sound of a few birds migrating back and the pitter patter of the rain to occupy his thoughts.

Tyler let out a sigh of relief as he bounded up his front steps, and stood under the roof above his front door, shivering. He quietly opened and closed his door, hoping to slip upstairs unnoticed.

"Tyler?"

He instantly frowned upon hearing her voice. Ignoring it, he began to climb the stairs leading to his room.

"Honey?" The voiced asked softly. It was very calm approach, but it only angered Tyler more. She thinks she's allowed to try and fix our relationship, Tyler scoffed at the thought. He resumed climbing the stairs and almost reached the top until she said something that made him freeze.

"I wish you'd stop ignoring me."

Tyler turned around and met his mother's eyes. They were tired and worn out from sleep-deprivation, probably from working a shift all last night at the hospital and then coming home and taking care of his youngest brother, Jay. Despite her only being thirty five, stress was making her appear much older. Tyler could see her eyes become glossy, yet he didn't have one bit of sympathy.

He turned back around and continued up the last step until he hit the top of the hallway.

"Why do you think it's okay to do this to me?" she whispered sadly. Tyler had had it. He pounded back down the stairs, hand clenched.

"Do what to you?" he spat angrily. "Do you realize what you did ruined me?"

"Tyler..."

"No! Don't try to calm me down. I hate you and you have no right to try and fix our relationship. You ruined everything!" he shouted.

"Mommy?" Jay came down the stairs, slipping past Tyler and rubbing his eyes. Kelly closed her eyes in frustration.

"Jay, go back to sleep, sweetie. You only took a fifteen minute nap."

"But 'm not sleepy anymore."

"Thanks for waking him up Tyler," she said sarcastically, exhaustion laced in her words.

"Whatever," he ran a hand through his hair and walked out the house, slamming the door. Forgetting it was raining, he cussed under his breath as he made his way towards the house of the person who he knew could help him unwind.

---

"This feels good," Hayley giggled as she blew out smoke. Tyler laughed at her from where he laid next to her on bedroom floor. "Where'd you get this?"

"Ryan said he could hook me up with someone. Some kid from school delivered it to me a couple hours or so ago," Tyler shrugged.

"Who?" Hayley asked.

"Dun."

"Josh Dun?" Brendon asked, from where he was sitting on the bed, almost choking on smoke upon hearing that name. "That weird kid in our English class?"

"Exactly," Tyler replied.

"Didn't peg him as the type to sell drugs," Hayley mentioned, taking another drag from her joint. "But y'know, that's cool."

"That's the thing," Tyler said, sitting up. "He doesn't seem like the kind of kid to do that. He had no idea what he was doing."

"Maybe it was his first time?" Brendon suggested.

"Oh, it definitely was. It just seemed like he didn't want to be doing it," he pondered.

"You're over thinking it, Ty," Hayley stopped him. "Just forget about it," Tyler nodded and laid back down, looking at the ceiling.

"I should probably head home before I get too fucked up and get caught,"  Brendon said suddenly.

Tyler and Hayley laughed and waved to Brendon as he left her room, closing the door behind him.

"Thank you," Tyler said finally.

"For?" Hayley asked, sitting up.

"Letting me come over. I needed this. You know how shitty my mom makes me feel."

"No problem, Ty," she replied, rubbing his shoulder. "I'll always be here when you need me."

Tyler smiled and closed his eyes, forgetting about everything that happened that day.