Diary/Journal/Whatever is Manly

Chapter 27

"I need to stop associating with you." This had Tyler falling off the chair he was balancing precariously on. "Are you okay?"

"What did you just say?" Tyler asked frantically, whilst trying to untangle himself from his chair.

"I asked if you were okay."

"No, what did you say before that?"

"I need to stop associating with you?" This time Misty poised her answer as a question, in case it was not what Tyler wanted to hear.

"Pray do tell why." Tyler demanded, towering over Misty with his arms flailing about. Huddled in the corner, they looked every bit a couple in a domestic dispute about to go wrong.

"I don't like people." Misty answered.

"You're telling me this like it's new information. I know that already!!!" Tyler huffed, once he realised Misty was not going to hand out anymore information. His voice also increased in volume out of desperation.

"You bring people." Misty rounded off her explanation.

"I bring people?" Tyler repeated, dumbfounded.

"You are popular, and people like you. People who like you, speak to me, because you speak to me. But if we stop speaking, people will no longer speak to me either."

"What?" Tyler let out, his entire body deflating.

"You bring people."

"Have you ever, for once, thought about anyone other than yourself?" Tyler asked through gritted teeth, his hands clenched by his sides.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry Misty but, you're just gonna have to deal with it okay. I'm not going to stop associating with you." Tyler concluded, turning away from her to focus his attention on the shelves behind him.

"That's not fair," Misty whined.

"Not fair?" Tyler scoffed, turning around to face Misty once more. He could not believe the audacity she had, to be able to utter those three words to him. "It's always about what you want Misty!" Tyler yelled, arms breaking free from their position at his side.

"Is everything all right here?" A head popped in through the shelves, taking in the scene.

"Mind your own business," Tyler spat out.

"Are you okay?" The voice ignored him, directing the question towards Misty.

"I'm fine, he's fine, we're fine, everything is fine." Misty muttered out, still reeling from Tyler's attack.

"Are you sure?"

"She said she's fine man, back off." Tyler growled, moving towards the stranger.

"Tyler," Misty's soft call stopped him in his tracks. That and her firm grip on his arm. "Let's just move." She suggested Tyler gave the intruder one last scathing look before allowing himself to be dragged away. Together they weaved their way through the shelves in silence. Misty led the way, stopping when she reached a hidden alcove that would offer the necessary amount of privacy they needed to hash it out.

"What did you mean, before?" Misty asked softly, not wanting to break the silence in case Tyler yelled at her again.

"It's always the same with you: 'you're not good enough for me to hang out with. Your feelings aren't that important for me to watch what I say. All you're good for is observing, like a lab rat'. Well you can't Misty! You can't make me an experiment, without asking mind you, and then throw me away when it gets inconvenient for you. It's unfair, inconsiderate and just plain old rude." Tyler finished off, out of breath from his rant. He stood there staring at her as though crazed, his chest violently moving up and down in a bid to suck in more oxygen. Misty just stared back, processing his words, whilst trying to get over the fact that he had yelled at her once again. Her brain tried to formulate a response, but nothing seemed to appease her, nothing seemed appropriate, nothing seemed right.

"You know what? Forget it. Forget you." Tyler moved to turn around, but before he could make his leave, he dropped to the ground. Misty screamed as she heard his head crack against the bookshelf in front of him. Dropping to the ground, she picked up his face, only for fear to grab her as she saw the blood trickling down the corner of his forehead.

"Tyler, oh my gosh."

"Are you okay?" It was the same intruder from before, rounding the corner out of breath as though he made a mad dash over.

"Call an ambulance." Misty screeched in distress, as Tyler started to convulse in her loose hold. "You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay..." Like a broken record Misty kept repeating the words as she rocked herself and Tyler back and forth from their place on the ground.

---

"He's gonna be fine, he doesn't even have a concussion." Dr Travis shrugged, dismissing Misty's worry with a wave of his hand. He was glad to see that the girl could exhibit worry.

"Are you sure?"

"It's not like I'm a qualified health professional or anything."

"Health professionals have been known for making misdiagnoses." Misty deadpanned, eyebrow quicker in a manner that read: 'try to deny it'.

"True, but in this case. I'm 100% sure I am not misdiagnosing a subdural haematoma, so you can calm down."

"He was bleeding really badly though."

"Just another case of 'it looks worse than it is'. I gave him some stitches, and the worst that could happen is that he sustains a wicked scar."

"You're a very unperturbed doctor." Misty commented with a frown on her face.

"And you're a borderline sociopath, we all have our flaws.