Diary/Journal/Whatever is Manly

Chapter 21

Tyler sat alone in the cafe enjoying his own company. To be completely honest, he had zoned out from the world around. He was to busy contemplating the complexities of life, to acknowledge the hustle and bustle or the business around him. A few days ago he had gone in to the hospital for a check up. It had been a month after the initial scan and Dr Travis, had hoped that the liquid in his brain would have subsided even by incremental amounts. However, much to his dismay, things in life had never been that easy. So, surgery was once again stressed as the 'cure one, cure all'. Tyler had left the consult saying he would think about it, but they both knew he was running with the intention of never coming back. Call him a coward, but Tyler could not digest the thought of someone drilling into his brain.

'We won't actually get to your brain, you know?' No, what Tyler knew is that one wrong slip up and he would become the next on demand vegetable. He was not about to let that happen. If it was a choice between drooling for the rest of his life and seizures/ a split personality, it seemed pretty obvious which way to go.

"Hi," Misty said, as she plopped down in the sit across from him.

"Hey."

"How was your appointment? We haven't seen you around in a few days. Dennis kept saying that you needed space, the twins kept saying you were being held against your will, basically it was a whole kerfuffle." Misty rambled, around the first bite of her brownie.

"Dennis was right. I just needed time to process the fragility of the human existence, especially mine."

"Either you're being dramatic or you're being philosophical. Now, last time I saw you, you were Tyler 2.0 and I haven't seen you in a couple of days. Let me guess... you're still Tyler 2.0 aren't you?"

"I can have smart thoughts too," Tyler 2.0 grumbled.

"I know, otherwise I would have stopped interrogating you ages ago. In saying that, can I have your permission to be insensitive?"

"How insensitive?" Tyler asked, wearingly.  

"On a scale? I'd say extremely."

"Oh fine whatever, I need a distraction anyway." Tyler conceded. 

"You grew up rich right?"

"Right."

"Did you go to a boarding school or a public school?" Misty asked.

"Public whilst my parent's were alive and then to a boarding school after they died."

"Why a boarding school of a sudden?"

"Because, there was no mother who couldn't bear to let me out of her sight anymore." Tyler's tone was dull, something Misty was able to catch. "Now don't get me wrong, George our butler, he did all he could. He would bring me home on the holiday's and come to every event that had the slightest importance to me. However, in all my years growing up, the guy has always been old. He would not have been able to keep up with me if he had left me in a public school."

"So, why do you think you didn't become a pretentious, spoilt, rich kid?"

Tyler was affronted by the question, as it caught him off guard. "Um, I don't know."

"Do you wanna know what your other half said?"

"Yes, actually." Tyler answered with a frown.

"The fear of disappointing your dead parents. It's crazy right? The power dead people can have over the living?"

"Yeah." Tyler agreed But, the living can be pretty powerful too. I think Dennis and George helped keep me grounded."

"You're like ying and yang." Misty said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Tyler laughed along, understanding and appreciating what she was doing. After that, they fell into easy conversation, about everything and anything. Even playing a game of Pictionary on one of the café napkins

The two were a mess of giggles as they made their way out of the shop. High on sugary sweets and the company of each other, they floated through the masses and out the door.

"Tyler!" The two, whipped their heads around to the source of the sound, only to find a girl making her way towards them.

"It's good to see you laugh. You were looking a bit gloomy for while, it definitely brought the whole mood down. Almost like a kicked puppy." The girl said with a pout, placing her hand on his chest.

"Yep, it's all thanks to this one." Tyler announced with a proud smile, placing his arm around Misty's shoulders.

"How did you get his attention, I came here a while ago and it was like he was looking straight through me?" The girl inquired, unconcealed bite in her tone.

"I asked him about his dead parents."