Small Town (Sweet Magnolias)

5

"I'm driving you home or what?" Gabe asked Tyler as they closed their lockers.

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Sorry, it's been a weird day."

"I bet. Heard my folks talking about the whole thing last night. And my mom said after everything that your mom's been through, you know, she deserves a chance to be happy." Gabe said as they walked out of school.

"You driving, or you trying to be Dr. Phil?"

"Hey, man. Dr. Phil makes bank, all right?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey. TV?" Maddie asked as she walked in to see Kyle watching TV while Tyler was in the kitchen.

"This is homework. I'm trying to see as many interpretations of Puck as possible, and, yes, I put Katie to bed." He says as he stammers over his words at first.

"Okay, good. Did you brush her teeth?" She asked him as she walked past him to the kitchen.

"I put her to bed." Kyle says which makes Maddie sigh as well as she see Tyler drink out of the milk cartoon.

"It's basically empty. How's Ms. Dana Sue?" Tyler asked as he leaned over the counter.

"She gave us a good scare, but she'll be fine." She said as she looked at the dishes.

"That's good." He said as he was a little distracted.

"Annie's doing fine too if that's what you were gonna ask."

"I wasn't, but that's great." He said as she walked over to the sink.

"Whose are those?" She asked Tyler.

"Kyle's."

"Kyle." She said as she turned to Kyle before Tyler said something.

"My coach, Mom? Really?"

"What in God's name are you talking about?" She asked as she turned around to look at Tyler.

"It's all over school." This then makes her laugh.

"He came over to fix the sink. Tyler, you were here. You saw him." She said trying to defend herself.

"I don't know what I saw! People are talking. Look, Mom, if you want to date... Ew. Fine, whatever! But why couldn't you have literally picked anyone else in this stupid town? People just stopped talking about Dad, now I have to deal with this?" Tyler asked all worked up.

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry, but there is nothing going on between me and Coach Maddox, and if that changes, you will be the first to know." She says as she then leaves the room. "Kyle, get your dishes."

~~~~~~~~~

"Have you seen Alex?" Tyler asked Kyle as he looked around for her realizing that he hasn't seen her at school all day. Kyle shook his head no. Tyler knew this was weird because Alex never skipped school.

~~~~~~~~~~

After the game they just won everyone went out for pizza but Tyler hadn't seen Alex all day.

"Hey, mom." Tyler said as he went up to his mom.

"Yeah, sweetie?" She asked as she looked to him

"Have you seen Alex? I haven't seen her all day and she wasn't at school or at the game." He said in concern.

"Uh, I don't know where she is but I told her she didn't have to go to school today." Maddie answered hoping Tyler would remember what today is.

"Why?" He asked confused.

"Do you not remember what today is?" Maddie asked Tyler and he still have no clue.

"Uh, no. Should I?" He asked feeling as though he was being a bad friend for not remembering what today was.

"It is a certain persons birthday today, making today one of the hardest days of Alex's life cause thst person is no longer here." Maddie said hoping Tyler would catch on which he did.

"Oh crap! How could I forget?!" Tyler said as he started to get mad at himself for not remembering.

"I'm sorry who's birthday is it?" Coach Maddox asked confused.

"It's her moms birthday! Her mom and dad passed away in a car accident and it's her moms birthday. Her and her mom did everything together. That's why Alex loves to play softball and why she loves to dance. How could I forget." Tyler explained.

"I didn't know she danced." Coach Maddox said surprised.

"She used to do dance competitions but when her parents died she stopped dancing all together. I just wish I knew where she was...." He then stops talking once he realizes where she was. "I need to go." He said before walking off before anyone could say anything more. He then walked all the way to the dance studio down the street. He then found the dance room she was in and he stood at the door as he watched her dance for a moment before she noticed him standing there.

"How did you find me?" She asked him as she turned to look at him.

"It didn't take me long to figure out that you where here. You and your mom used to love coming here when you were a kid and before all of your dance competitions." Tyler said as he walked further into the room. "I also remember that this is and has always been the place that you go to whenever you are having any kinda problem or if you're having a bad day or if you're sad. I'm sorry that it took me this long to figure out that what today was. I've been so distracted with my parents divorce and with baseball..." Tyler starts to ramble before he gets cut off by Alex.

"Ty! It's okay I get it, you've been going through a lot it makes sense. That is why I didn't want to bother you with everything I'm going through."

"But why?" Tyler asked confused.

"Because everything I've been going through just seemed small compared to what you're going through." Alex explained as she sat down.

"Alex...your parents died. What you are going through is just as hard if not more. And what you said the other day about how much I have compared to other people...like you is so true." Tyler said as he came and sat next to her.

"Ty...no. I don't want you to feel like your situation is not hard or difficult. You've been going through so much and it's understandable why you forgot what today was."

"Listen, I want you to know that you can always come to me no matter what. I don't care what I have going on whatever it is I want you to come talk to me about it. Okay?" She smiled and nodded as they looked at each other. They then stared into each other's eyes before Tyler starts to lean in and Alex does the same until their lips meet. They then pulled away.

"Um...that...I'm sorry...I don't know why I did that." Tyler said as he started to panic as he stood up.

"Ty, it's okay!" She said as she started to worry.

"No...Um...I don't know why I did that...it was a mistake, yeah Uh...it's just all of the emotions that I have been dealing with and then with what you are going through with your parents death and your moms birthday being today. It should have never happened." He said deflecting what he was actually feeling.

"Right...a mistake." She said sadly knowing it meant more to her than just a mistake and she was hoping that it meant more to him too but she was wrong.