Tyler - 1. Chapter 1

Tyler - Chapter 1

Connor Danforth jumped up the second the lunch bell rang. Having stuffed all his books in his red back pack while Mrs. Cartwright did her usual see how fast I can rattle off boring dates your gonna need on your next History test in the very last second.

History was his least favorite subject he was no good at learning dates and blamed that on the fact he just didn’t give a damn. Course that excuse never worked when his mother got his report card but it was good enough for him.

He hurried out of the class and to his locker where he got his Math book then ran off into the bathroom his reason for being in such a hurry in the first place. He dropped his book bag down by his feet as he positioned himself in front of the urinal. He relieved himself letting out a long sigh as he did so. Mrs. Cartwright was not only boring she did not allow any bathroom breaks in her class. Just last week some poor guy had puked all over the floor cause she hadn’t believed his ‘emergency’ line that was pulled on her at least twice a week. He’d thought at the time she’d unclench a bit after the ‘hurling’ incident but she was still as tight as drum.

“Hey fag.” He turned as he was zipping up his fly to see Tom Wheeler the school’s most annoying guy leering at him.

“Hey hetero.” he said with a wry grin as taunts from the few small minded people at his school had long ago stopped bothering him. He had his friends, and most kids could care less that he was into guys not girls.

“You think you’re so damn great.” Tom snarled making his hand into a fist as he stepped sideways away from the door.

Connor walked past him keeping his eyes on him as he approached the sink. He turned on the water and squirted a generous amount of soap in his hand. Keeping an eye on Tom still in the mirror he smiled at him as he washed his hands. “I really don’t have time for friendly chit chat. So just do your business and I’ll be right out of your way. I won’t even peek at your goods.”

Tom’s hands clenched into tighter fists as he stalked off deeper into the bathroom. Connor sighed with relief grabbed his bag and hurried back out of the bathroom. He made it to Mr. Kent’s Math class about two seconds before the bell rang and sat down in his usual seat three rows back in the row closest to the windows.

From there he could see the front courtyard of the school. The school was U shaped and he could also see the classroom that ran along the other wing though he could not see inside any of the tinted windows. It was a sunny day and the trees that had already pretty much all turned their brilliant fall colors were swaying lightly in the breeze. Though it looked pleasant enough out he knew it was cold. He had actually dug his winter jacket out of the bottom of his closet a month earlier as it had been an unusually cold fall.

Thanksgiving was three weeks away and they were saying there would be snow by then. Connecticut usually didn’t have much snow before December the snow that did come would usually all melt away by the next day.

He pulled his well worn math book out of his bag, not that he’d cracked the binder and worn the pages. He had all he could do just to open the damn thing as the only thing he hated more then dates were the mind numbing numbers and letters in Algebra. The school had a low budget though and the book was about five years old used by five other kids struggling through the tortures of Algebra over the past five years.

He’d survived one year of it already. His Freshman year he’d taken Algebra one but it was required to take at least Algebra two by the time you graduated and recommended you take one more after that. He’d kinda liked Geometry which had been forced upon him his Sophomore year and was taking the 2nd Algebra this year so he could goof off more next year when he was a senior. He didn’t care what was recommended he wasn’t taking any more math.

He tapped his pen against his lips while the teacher started scrawling out the damn numbers and letters on the board talking about integers and a bunch of other crap he cared very little about. His pen froze mid tap as a vision from heaven stepped through the doorway.

The vision blonde with deep brown eyes. Not one he’d ever seen before. He watched the kid pass a note to the teacher his long tanned looking arms bulging a little at the bicep. Measuring this hunk up against the teacher he figured him of average height. Maybe a little shorter then himself. He had long dark lashes a pert little nose and full round lips that looked to him like they were just begging to be kissed.

He let out a small gasp and quickly turned his head away as he felt a stirring between his legs. That never happened at just seeing someone. Well except if they were half naked of course. He was shoved forward by a hand to the back and he heard Nick Summers snicker behind him. He turned his head past the window and looked back at not one of his closest friends but still a friend.

“What?” He asked playing it cool.

“Don’t what me.” Nick said quietly after leaning forward so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I seen you checking him out. You think he’s hot don’t you?”

“Don’t you?”

“I ain’t gay man,” Nick said shaking his head.

“That don’t mean shit and you know it. You can still think a guy is cute.”

Nick’s eyes fluttered back to the kid who was still standing at the front of the classroom talking quietly with the teacher. “Yeah whatever. But what is it like a ten percent chance that he swings your way.”

“I’ll make him swing my way.” he muttered then grinned. “He just needs to meet the right person.”

“Well you better hop on it quick cause the sluts and the cheerleaders are all checking him out.”

He turned around in his seat so he was facing out at the other kids behind their desks in the classroom. Sure enough every girls eyes were glued to this handsome stranger and already some giggling and whispering was going on. He looked back to the pleasing vision who seemed oblivious to it.

“Class” the teacher spoke up silencing the whisperers as they looked at the teacher intently waiting for the scoop on the ‘new kid.’ “This is Tyler Adams. He’s starting school here today.”

Tyler did not look up from the floor where his face had drooped the minute the teacher opened his mouth.

“Why don’t you tell the class a little about yourself.” Connor watched as the kid shot the teacher an incredibly dirty look, he figured he shoulda known the kid was an ass as all the cutest ones were. Like they were so cute they didn’t think all the plain folks rules applied to them.

“Go on.” Mr. Kent said sounding a little impatient himself. Tyler looked out at the classroom seemingly scrutinizing every smiling face that was looking back at him.

“I’m seventeen.”

“Where did you go to school before here?” the teacher urged.

“Washington High.”

Connor nodded as though the guy were speaking directly to him. That also explained his rudeness. Washington another school in the same district was where the rich kids went. All were snobby as hell and the Norton high kids which Connor was one of made it a priority to stay bitter rivals with any Washington kid. Connor looked back over the class all the guys’s eyes had turned narrow and cold but the girls were still fluttering their lashes as they tossed their hair. ‘Figure a bunch of girls wouldn’t care about school loyalty.’ He realized he didn’t really care either. The guy was still hot and though he was seemed like an ass he thought maybe he might just be nervous.

“What do your parents do for work?” Mr Kent asked.

“Ma’s a housewife. And Dad’s a lawyer.”

‘Figures, Washington kid’s dad is a lawyer. They were all doctors and lawyers over there sitting on their mountains in their huge mansions.’ Connor thought bitterly.

“The maids do most of the house work though.” Connor detected a slight grin on those big beautiful lips and wondered what in hell that was all about.

“So why have you come here?” the teacher asked leaning back against his desk and running his thumb and forefinger over his short neatly trimmed goatee.

“We moved.”

“Well I guess that’s all the interrogating I have for now. Go ahead and have a seat there.” He pointed to an empty desk which was in perfect view of Connor’s eyes which he wanted to keep discreet as he stared over at his eye candy but doubted he was really doing that good a job.

At lunch Connor grabbed his bag lunch out of his locker and hurried into the cafeteria where Bobby and Rick were already sitting with their own brown bags. “Do you ever do anything slowly man.” Rick said shaking his head as Connor plopped down in the chair across from him.

“Did you guys see the new guy?”

Rick leaned forward over the table. “Cute blonde kid?”

Connor nodded eagerly.

“Stay away from him man.”

Connor’s mouth fell open as his face took on a distinct pout. “Why he taken?”

“How in hell would I know, he’s one of my mother’s cases.”

His pout only deepened as Rick’s mother was a social worker. Which didn’t make the kid bad just probably not too stable. “She tell you anything about him?”

“She just said there was a new kid starting today and I ought to be nice to him cause he’s had a hard life. He’s living with the Henderson’s.”

“Julie?” Connor asked Julie being one of the Henderson’s who was a year younger then them but a pretty nice person for a girl.

Rick nodded his mouth too full of sandwich to speak. He swallowed then pointed over at Connor. “They take in foster kids now and then. Ma says they ain’t too good at it but she’s gotta take who she can get.”

“What do you mean they ain’t too good at it?” for once he didn’t tease Rick about his wonderful grammar skills.

“Don’t know really.” he shrugged nonchalantly then took another huge bite of his sandwich.

“So that’s all you can tell me? He had a bad life and he’s a foster kid? How do you know I should even stay away from him?”

Rick rolled his eyes and set his sandwich down on his paper bag. He rubbed his hands together getting off any extra crumbs and held up a finger. “One, he’s from Washington, can you say rich snob? Two” he held up another finger. “He’s gotta have baggage if he’s a foster kid. And those kids don’t always end up there cause they’ve got bad parents. Sometimes it’s just cause they’re bad kids. And three he probably ain’t even gay.”

Connor’s eyes widened and he shrunk down in his seat as suddenly the guy was right there walking by their table. Tyler looked down at the three of them keeping his eyes on Connor himself as he walked past. After taking a few more steps he looked away then walked over to an empty table in the corner and sat down.

“Jesus Rick didn’t you see him coming?”

“No I didn’t see him coming.” Rick mimicked moving his head from side to side. “As if he knew we were talking about him anyways. He was just walking by. Only thing he could have heard was ‘ain’t even gay.’ don’t have a coronary.”

“You have to dig up more dirt on him. I’m not gonna lose my crush with what little you know about him. See if your mom will tell you more.”

“She won’t dufus. It’s a confidentiality thing. She’d never say. You want to know so bad go over there and ask him.”

Connor looked over at Tyler who was staring down at his tray stirring his mashed potatoes with his fork not looking too keen on actually eating them. One of the cheerleaders approached him with her tray. She said something, he saw Tyler nod and she sat down. His heart floundered as the girl was sure to lay her flirting on real thick. A single cheerleader was like something that just didn’t stick around for long.

“So we going to the mall tomorrow?” tomorrow was Saturday and the mall was their usual weekend hangout. There was not too much to do in town other then shop and the mall also had restaurants a arcade and a theater.

“What else.” Bobby said sighing. “You got gas in your jalopy or do we have to pitch in again.”

Connor chuckled as he was known to only put in a dollar or two at the pumps so he could save most of his measly allowance on more fun things. His ‘jalopy’ was actually a two year old dark red Nissan Sentra that he liked very much which was the only reason Bobby liked to call it a jalopy as it used to get a rise out of him that anyone would pick on ‘his’ car. His mother had spent her hard earned money to get him a nice car. His closest friends, which were these two, knew the best way to get him riled up was to pick on his mother or anything that had to do with her.

He loved his mother with all of his heart and knew how much she had sacrificed in raising him. Her own parents had disowned her when they’d found out she was pregnant at sixteen and had refused to get an abortion. His father had bailed on her the second she told him she was pregnant and it had been just the two of them ever since.

His mother worked long hours at the hospital which after 15 years of service she was head nurse of the second shift in the ICU. It forced her to be gone when he got home and all night til eleven o’clock but she’d begrudgingly took it as Connor was now old enough to take care of himself and the money was far better, which she needed to send him off to school. He had yet to get the nerve to tell her he didn’t really want to go.

In fact he’d decided he would go either way as it would probably break her heart if he didn’t. She’d always wanted to be more then a nurse but raising a child on a single budget did not allow her to have any more schooling. Because of the money and because of the time it would consume.

He had told her he was gay. That had scared him to death, but his mother was the one to shock him. She was washing dishes in the sink when he’d finally worked up the nerve. He stood up from the table and joined her at the sink drying the dishes as she finished washing them.

He’d started out slow telling her about this gay kid at school whom he’d just made up in his head as an ice breaker. He’d asked her what her opinion on homosexuality was and he remembered her answer like it was just that morning. She had looked at him, smiled then said. ‘A person’s sexuality does not make them who they are. In fact it has very little to do with a person as a whole. I do think about homosexuality some but I have no problems at all with it.’

He had nodded while he dried feeling more at ease. She took her hands out of the sink and dried them on his towel while she seemed to look right into his soul. “So if someone I loved came to me and told me they were gay that would be fine with me. I’d feel bad only because I know what they have to face with society and it’s shortcomings. But I never ever would love that person any less.”

His eyes had widened as he stared back at her knowing he did not have to come out and say it at all. “How long have you known?” he asked.

“For a while Connor. And I wasn’t positive just had a good idea. Boys your age pretty much just talk about girls all the time. I don’t think you’ve ever come home talking about some hot babe at school. You never get excited when a beautiful girl comes on TV but I have noticed your eyes widening at some guys.”

He flushed with embarrassment at that point and his mother had pulled him into a tight hug. “I don’t know much about what you are thinking about all this and I don’t know if you have any confusion or how to help with it. But if you need to talk to someone I’m sure we can find someone.”

He’d never taken her up on the offer. He didn’t have any confusion and was confident in who he was. He felt no shame and had become even more confident after knowing she knew and was behind him all the way.

Tyler went to his locker after the last bell of the day rang and gathered up which books he’d need to take home. He had the night off though he wasn’t looking very forward to it and planned on staying in his room and burying his nose in his books. He’d survived another first day at a new school and though he got the distinct impression he wasn’t liked merely by his last school he figured the school was as good as any of the four others he’d gone to over the past two years.

He’d hated Washington the most. He understood why kids here would hate him just by his association with the hell hole. He’d never in his life been surrounded by so many incredibly rich, incredibly snobby kids. He hadn’t fit in didn’t even come close to being in any of their leagues and they all reminded him of that on a daily basis. He’d never been so happy to be moved to another home as he was that last one.

He closed up his locker and slung his green back pak over his back. He buttoned up his also green corduroy jacket then walked out the door of the school which was incredibly close to his locker. As he reached the parking lot he heard his name being called and looked to his left where Julie Henderson was waving him over.

He walked over to her where she smiled warmly at him. The girl was one of the first girls he’d ever liked. Was one to make him question if he was right in his feelings of being gay. Though he knew he was. He had no desire to have sex with her he just felt real comfortable around her.

“You want a ride?” she asked smiling at him over the top of her Grey Mazda 626.

“Okay,” he was grateful of the offer as her house was three miles away. He’d just come so accustomed to walking anywhere he’d ever needed to go he hadn’t really thought twice about walking it.

She got in the car then leaned over and unlocked the passenger door. Tyler opened it up pulled his pack off and set it on the floor then sat down in the seat he’d been in seven hours earlier on the ride to school. “So how do you like Norton?” She asked smiling as she put the key in the ignition.

He shrugged as he looked over the dashboard of the car. “Kids here hate Washington kids or something?”

“Definitely.” she nodded as she turned around and looked out the back window. She slid the car into gear and the car slowly backed out of it’s spot. He looked at her as she faced back to the front then looked out the front window himself.

“Why?”

“Cause they are a bunch of spoiled snotty shit’s. They’ve been fighting us for top spot in football for three years now and it gets real bad this time of year. Not only are both school’s incredibly competitive they hate each other so a lot of malicious pranking goes on. Been going on for years.”

Tyler nodded though he didn’t understand one bit how some stupid sport so could be so damn important.

“So did you make any friends?”

He shook his head as he looked down at his lap and rubbed his hand along his thigh.

“Did you even try to talk to anyone?”

He looked up at her briefly then shook his head.

“Girls must have been falling all over you. I saw Shanna sitting with you at lunch.”

He rolled his eyes. “She’s quite the slutty thing.”

Julie laughed leaning forward in her seat she gripped the steering wheel tighter. “You’ve got her pegged right.”

“I overheard some guys talking at lunch about being gay. Are there a lot of gay kids there?” he’d not told her he was gay but he had a feeling she knew and had no intention of hiding it from her. The boys he’d heard had sounded like they were teasing someone about being gay but he’d only heard a tiny bit and couldn’t be sure what the whole conversation was about.

“A few. And I’m sure there are some I don’t know about.” She looked over at him and smiled. “No one teases people there for being gay.”

“I would never tease anyone.”

She smiled again and shook her head as she looked back at the road. “I in no way thought you would Tyler. I was just saying you don’t have to worry about anything.”

He looked over at her studying her as she’d pretty much just admitted she knew. “Wanna stop at Mick’s for a shake?”

“Okay,” He nodded as he looked back out the window. Five minutes later they were both seated at a small round table in Mick’s Ice cream shop the only ice cream shop for miles that was open year round, though they had a thriving coffee business as well which really was what drew people in this time of year.

Tyler took the cover off his coffee shake and jabbed at it with a straw. Julie watched him discreetly. Watched his long slender fingers as he worked the straw. Watched his sullen beautiful brown eyes as they looked down in the cup. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be him. She knew of all he’d been through as her parents had filled her in after the meeting with his social worker and her parents before he’d moved in.

She’d been a little afraid of him at first. He’d been at the house for a week but had been pretty sick and not gone to school. She had taken care of him herself as best she could. Her parents only took in these kids for extra income and once they were in they paid no attention to them expecting them to fend for themselves. Giving them only a roof over their head and food as long as they were willing to prepare it themselves. Her parents didn’t even cook for her let alone some foster kid.

They weren’t even home ninety percent of the time and she liked it that way. Tyler she’d come to find out rather quickly was much more scared of her then she was of him. It had taken a few long quiet days for him to actually start talking to her in more then one word answers.

He had yet to say anything about his real parents or either of the three foster homes he’d lived in before her parents house. The more he talked though the more she liked him. He did some weird things like always peeking around the doorway to a room before he entered it. He walked silently like he didn’t want to be seen or heard and never initiated any conversation. It was almost like he didn’t think he had a right to talk unless he was spoken to.

He kept his small room immaculate. In the last two days after starting to feel a little better he’d started cleaning the rest of the house to a cleanness that the house had not seen in years. He didn’t watch any TV and never sat down on the furniture in the livingroom. He’d stand in the doorway and talk to her but didn’t seem to even like stepping foot into the room.

When he wasn’t cleaning he always kept his hands and arms close to his body like accidentally brushing up against a wall or piece of furniture may bring the world crashing down on him. Most always he had his arms crossed across his chest with his hands cupping either elbow. Like someone would look like if they were cold.

He was sweet as hell though. Just the night before she’d gotten home from school and he’d made both of them a nice hot dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas. He’d set the table up real nice even pulled her chair out for her when she went to sit down. She did care that he was gay but only cause she knew she was falling head over heels in love with him. If the girls that had gone all google eyed over him that day at school had any idea that his personality was so sweet they’d be beating each other up to get at him first.

“What time do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Ten til six.”

“What did your boss do about you having to miss so much work?”

Tyler shrugged as he continued to jab at his shake. “He’s glad I’m coming back. He wasn’t mad. He’s a real nice guy. He even came to see me in the hospital.”

She nodded knowing he’d been in the hospital with pneumonia from being kicked out of his last foster home on a regular basis and been forced to sleep outside most nights. “You gonna drink that or just play with it?”

He grinned at her a grin that always melted her heart as they always lit up his whole face which most of the time looked deep in weary thought. “I just like it nice and soft. I don’t want to strain a cheek muscle or something.”

She put her hand over her mouth and laughed not wanting the bit of shake she’d just sucked in to come flying back out. She swallowed the mouth full of strawberry shake and smiled. “I’m going to Rosilyn Dean’s party tonight. Do you want to come?”

A short laugh came out of his mouth as he shook his head.

“Why not? It would be fun. You could get out and make some friends.”

He looked at her almost apologetically as he set one had flat out on the table. “I realize I’ve only been a foster kid for a couple years. But in my own brief experiences and stuff I’ve heard I’m not up for making friends. The other foster kids give the ‘new guy’” He made quotes with the fingers that were lying against the table. “lots of advice. And they all say don’t make any friends cause just when you get to have some friends and are comfortable there you get moved again. And since I’m already on my third placement in that year and a half I tend to believe them.”

“But that’s so lonely Tyler. A person needs friends.”

He shrugged then leaned down and took his first haul of his shake. “I have one friend that’s all I need.” She looked over at the top of his head sadly knowing she was in no position to advise him on his life as she had no idea what would go through her head if she was in his situation. “So what are you gonna do tonight?”

“Homework.”

“You get good grades?”

He looked back up at her as he pressed his hands together and shoved them between his thighs. “Pretty good.”

“Honor roll?” He nodded then took another drink. “Can I cut your hair when we get home?”

He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, it was longer then he liked it to be so he nodded again. He’d planned on going to the salon at the mall as soon as he got his next paycheck but figured if she wanted to do it what the hell.

Within minutes of getting home she pulled out a diningroom chair and motioned him down in it. She plugged in her father’s razor and set the scissors on the table while she kept the comb in her hand.

“You aren’t gonna give me a buzz cut are you?” he asked looking down at the razor.

“No but I was gonna shave it up the sides. Looks like that’s the way you had it cut last time.”

He nodded surprised she could still tell that as it had grown out so much. When she was done she led him to the mirror and he smiled as she’d done just as good a job as the professionals at the mall’s salon. It was shaved close to his head up his neck and around his ears and left a little long on the top which was exactly the way he liked it.

“I’ll pay you when I get paid.”

“Don’t pay me Tyler. I offered it was a freebie.”

He smiled and thanked her before walking off to his room. She watched him walk off and put her finger to her lips as he literally made no noise when he walked. He was like a ghost just appearing disappearing out of nowhere.

Tyler set his back pak on the bed and took out his books and notebooks sitting down on the floor at the foot of his bed he spread them around him. Putting them in order of how he was gonna need them.

The one he was most looking forward to was his English so he set that aside for last. He picked up his algebra book and rested it on one knee while he set his notebook opened to an empty page on his other knee. He opened the book to their assignment page then started scribbling down the first problem. He had very little problems figuring the math out just hated the long boring process it took.

After finishing it up half an hour later he tossed that book aside and read through the history chapter he’d been assigned then answered the questions in the back of the chapter. Like he always did with his completed homework he folded in neatly in half and tucked it in the book on the page it was over.

He smiled as he picked his notebook back up and poised his pen over it. Long ago when he was still at his parents he’d hated true life English assignments. The damn teachers that wanted you to write essays about your great summer vacation or what I got for Christmas. He’d always written them but always lied. Over the years he’d perfected his art and really got into his fantasies that he was putting down on paper.

His English teacher at Norton had pulled him aside after class and told him she’d given the class an assignment that was due on Monday. That she’d give him til Friday since he was a week behind in being notified of it. Her assignment was to choose a family member you most admired write why they were so important to you and some special times you had together. He didn’t admire any of his own family members and had never had any ‘special’ times with any of them. So it would be a great opportunity for him to work his fiction again.

He’d thought about it all after noon through all his other classes and decided it was time to work up the grandmother he’d written about in past stories especially the holiday ones. He made her out to be a sweet little old lady but not frail at all. She lived on a farm in Maine and he’d spent many a lazy summer there out at the farm pond, or helping her with farming duties, or sitting in her lap long into the evenings as she told him stories of ‘back when she was a girl.’

He was about halfway through his tribute to his fake grand mother when Julie walked into his room and looked down at him. She’d reapplied her make up curled her hair and put on a pair of black pants with a light green sweater. “You sure you won’t go?”

He smiled meekly and nodded up to her. “Can I ask a big favor?”

“Sure thing.” She said kneeling down in front of him.

“If I promise to touch nothing else and only go into word can I use your computer and printer to do up my English assignment.”

She nodded and smiled sending her curls bouncing. “Of course Tyler. My password it ‘turtle.’”

He turned crimson and looked at her in surprise. “I’m sorry I didn’t know you had a password you shouldn’t have told me it.”

“Only reason I have one is cause I don’t want my damn parents snooping through it. There’s nothing on there really it’s just emails and stuff I wouldn’t want them to read.”

“I won’t read them. I’ll only go into word I promise.”

“Why don’t you go on and surf the net. Go into some chat rooms or something. That would be fun.”

He shook his head though he smiled at her for her offer. He stiffened as she put her hand on his arm and she quickly withdrew it feeling him stiffen. “I don’t mind at all Tyler. Honest I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want you to. So if you do get bored please go in there and play okay?”

Just to shut her up he nodded knowing he’d never feel comfortable with that. She smiled knowing she was only being placated then stood back up. “I won’t be home til late. I’ll give you a ride to work tomorrow so don’t take off at eight so you can get there by ten. If I drive you it will only take twenty minutes.” He opened his mouth to object but she held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear any crap about it. You don’t need to get sick all over again.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Okay mother.”

She laughed wanting to muckle onto him and kiss the holy old hell out of those gorgeous lips but refrained and simply waved as she walked out of the room.