"So this is it?" Hayley asked, twisting her lollipop between her manicured fingers. "We just wait?"

"Pretty much," Tyler shrugged, kicking a pebble.

As if on cue, Josh walked around the corner fiddling with the straps on his backpack. He approached the two, glaring. Hayley hopped up from where she was sitting on the ground, making grabby hands at his backpack. Josh pulled it away and scowled.

"Woah there," Tyler laughed holding his hands up in surrender.

"Are you telling everyone I sold you weed?" He questioned in a whisper-shout.

"Relax, he just told me and Bren- oops," Hayley giggled, covering her mouth.

"Hayley!" Tyler scolded, hitting her arm.

"Wait, you told Brendon?" Josh's eyes widened. "He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it!"

"He's kept the secret that he's over at my house smoking when he told his mom he was studying with his friend Ryan," she mentioned nonchalantly. "And when he actually does head over to Ryan's, they're hooking up."

Tyler and Josh groaned in unison.

"Is that why he wouldn't leave Dallon and I alone today? He wants some too?"

"Probably," she nodded. "But he tagged along with you two today so it didn't look as weird when I joined you too," she added, popping her lollipop back into her mouth.

"Let's just get this over with," Tyler interrupted, taking out another wad of cash from his jacket and slapping it into Josh's outstretched hand. He handed Tyler his backpack and he grabbed out the weed. Josh turned to Hayley, and she shook her head before grabbing money out of her purse. Josh took that and pocketed it as well.

"Once again, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Josh," Tyler chuckled dryly, sticking his hand out for the other to shake. Josh just mumbled something and slung his backpack over his shoulder, ignoring the brunette and glumly walking away.

"Rude," Tyler scoffed. "Ready?" he asked, turning to his friend.

She nodded and they began walking back to her house. It was quiet for a minute before Hayley said something.

"That was hella awkward."

---

Tyler slowly opened the front door and kicked his shoes off, leaving them off to the side. He turned around and jumped, noticing his mom sitting on the couch with her arms crossed.

"Jesus Christ, you're everywhere!" Tyler exclaimed. Kelly ignored him, and held up a crumpled twenty dollar bill.

"Care to explain this?"

Tyler walked further into the room, and noticed Madison sitting on the other end of the couch looking sad. "She took my money."

"Did you pay your sister to lie about knowing that you left on Saturday?"

"Maybe."

"Tyler, sit down. We're having another talk whether you want to or not. You obviously didn't grasp this before."

Tyler tried not to smirk as he sat down on the coffee table in front of where his mom was sitting.

"On the couch," his mom specified. Tyler moved onto the arm of the couch. "For God's Sake, Tyler!"

"My sincerest apologies, Mother," He joked, finally sitting down on the cushion of the couch.

Kelly sighed. "Madison, go upstairs and play, okay?"

"Okay!" She replied excitedly, forgetting all about the money she had taken from her.

Once she was upstairs, Kelly turned to her son. "What has gotten into you?"

"Three-fourths of the girls in my grade. Actually I went into them but-"

"Tyler Robert Joseph!"

"I mean..."

"That's it!" She stood up, sticking her hand out. "Hand me your phone, all you ever give me is attitude."

"What? No."

"Tyler!"

Tyler yanked his phone out of his pocket and slammed it into his mom's hand. "Whatever," he mumbled, standing up.

"No, you're grounded too. No leaving the house except for school. Put your car keys on the counter you can get them in the morning."

"God, I fucking hate you," Tyler groaned, throwing his keys onto the kitchen counter and going stairs. Entering his room, he slammed the door and locked it.

He waited a few minutes, and then pressed his ear to the door, listening.

Silence.

Walking over to his window, he began lifting it up. Except, it wouldn't budge. Checking to see if it was locked, he noticed there was something over the lock, preventing him from getting to it. "What the fuck?" He mumbled.

Tyler sighed, deciding to go with Plan B.

Quietly, he creeped back over to his door and slowly turned the knob. It opened without creaking and Tyler slipped out, walking over to the door across the hall.

Without knocking, he walked in. Zack was sitting at his desk, doing his homework and listening to music with headphones. He didn't notice his older brother walk in. Grinning, Tyler tiptoed over and lightly tapped his shoulder. Zack jumped, gasping slightly and putting a hand to his chest.

"Oh my God, you scared me," he panted while Tyler laughed. Once he recovered, he glared at him, taking his headphones off. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if I could borrow your calculator. I lost mine."

"Why do you, of all the people in this house, need a calculator?"

"Mom's making me do homework," he fibbed. "Can I borrow it or not?"

"It's in the front zipper of my backpack," he told him. Tyler murmured a 'thank you' and opened his brother's bag, grabbing the calculator.

"What're you working on?" Tyler asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"Why do you care?" Zack countered, spinning around in his chair.

"Ouch," Tyler laughed. "Because it looks interesting."

"It's for my Language Arts class," he said finally. "I have to analyze this book."

"What book?"

"The Outsiders."

"Oh, that's a good one, I read it back in eighth grade."

"Woah, you actually used to read?" Zack fake gasped, making Tyler gently shove his shoulder.

"Yes, but then I realized it was a waste of time. Fucking boring," he dragged out the last word in an attempt to joke around.

Zack didn't reply, but instead he turned back and continued writing. Tyler noticed a glass of water sitting on the desk and grinned. It only had about a swallow left but it would do.

"Can I look at that- oops!" While acting as if he was reaching for Zack's paper, Tyler knocked over the glass and it began to seep towards his homework. Zack groaned and picked up the papers, setting them on the bed. He put the glass upright and stood up.

"I'm going to get a towel. Don't touch anything."

Tyler waited for Zack to leave the room and then ran over to the widow, sliding it open. Eying the side of the house, he quickly calculated how to descend the side of it without passing the living room window. He slipped out and shut the window before Zack walked back in, lightly jumping from the side of the roof and walking away from the back of his house.