With Him

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tyler's P.O.V

Monday rolled around a lot quicker than I wanted. Both me and James had to work all weekend, so we weren't able to see each other.

"Are you ready for next period?" Dallas asks from across the lunch table."What's today?" I look up from my tray.

"We have to present our poems" fuck. "Do you think I could get away with sneaking off the bathroom and hiding in there the whole class?" James chuckles beside me.

"Tyler this is literally the last assignment we will ever have to present in this class. Then it's Christmas break and you'll be all lucky and not have to go to any classes after lunch and can just go home. If you don't do this presentation you won't pass the class and have to do it all over again, but a full semesters worth not just a month." he says and I groan putting my head on the table.

"This is so stupid" I mutter. "You'll do great" James says patting my back, "I have to go to the office after this again" Finn says off to the side.

"What'd you do now?" Felix says, I lift my head off the table and sit up. "Another harassment file from my teacher", "Finn, you need to stop the files are gonna end up going past the principal and straight to the cops" Felix scolds him.

"Well, then good thing Daniel's a cop" Finn shrugs, "And I can't wait to tell him that" Felix says pulling out his phone.

"Well come on Tyler, to the nurse then we get to stand in front of the class you're favorite thing" he says sarcastically getting up.

"This is going to be terrible" I mutter following him. "So what's your poem about?" he asks as we leave the cafeteria, "Something I hate" I reply I'm not giving him any more detail.

"Well, I know that Tyler, that's the assignment. But like what do you hate that you wrote the poem about, mine is about annoying brothers" he laughs a little at the last part.

"Well it's about people" that's all he's getting. He nods and we go into Nurse Angie's office.

"Tyler, I heard you performed in the showcase Friday. I also heard you were really good." she says as we go to our drawers, "Oh um, yeah" I say and open up my phone.

We leave and go to Green's class, "Dallas, I really don't want to do this" I say sitting down. "Tyler you've presented in here before, why is today so different?", "This poem is very... personal and I'm just worried. Yeah, I'm worried about Dallas telling everyone about this.

The class fills in and as soon as the bell rings Mr. Green gets the presentations started. Five people have gone and then Mr. Green calls up my name.

"Tyler, it's your turn" he gestures up to the front of the class, I grab my notebook and slowly walk up to the front and look at the class. Literally the entire class is all freshmen so after this week I won't ever have to really see them again so whatever they think of this it won't matter.

"Okay, what is your poem about what do you hate?" he grabs his clipboard that has the grading sheet on it and a pen. I swallow and open up my notebook to the page, it has a sticky note sticking out the top so I know which one it is. 

"Not a what but a who, I hate my biological parents," I say, my eyes scan the room and I see everyone with a surprised looks on their face, eye's popped out. Then I get to Dallas, his mouth has literally fallen open and his eyes are about the size of golf balls. 

"Um, okay when you're ready" Mr. Green says and waves his hand for me to go on. 

I take a deep breath.

"I hate the way you talk to me

And the way you cut your hair.

I hate the way you drive your car

I hate it when you stare."

I take a pause and take a deep breath then continue. 

"I hate your big dumb combat boots

And the way you read my mind.

I hate you so much it makes me sick

It even makes me rhyme.

I hate it, I hate the way you're always right

I hate it when you lie.

I hate it when you make me laugh

Even worse when you make me cry."

I feel tears build up in my eyes and my voice starts to get shaky and my throat starts to hurt from where I'm about to cry. 

"I hate it when you're not around

And the fact that you didn't call.

But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you

Not even close, Not even a little bit,

Not even at all."

I look around and the tears start falling, I close my notebook, go back to my table, grab my bag then run out of the class as the tears fall faster. 

I go straight to the parking lot and drive home, crying the whole way there. I don't hate them, I know I said I do but I don't. The thing is I miss them so much and it hurts. I hate that they re-enlisted, that's what I hate. 

Why couldn't they have just stayed with us, why did they have to go back and fight for our country? I know it sounds selfish but so be it, they were my parents they were supposed to be around for me not to die overseas and leave me and Greyson to a broken system. 

I get home and go straight upstairs, ignoring Greyson calling my name in the kitchen. I go up into the room that will eventually be mine, lock the door and crawl into the bed to cry more.

"Tyler?" Greyson says knocking on the door, "Go away." I say from under the blanket.

"What's wrong?" he continues to poke at the problem, "I said GO AWAY!" I yell and throw my shoe at the door.

---

I had fallen asleep and woke up to talking downstairs, I get up taking off my other shoe, and throwing it down to be with the other on the floor from where I threw it earlier. "So that's why she was crying earlier" Greyson says, I peep in at the living room from the bottom of the stairs and see them all around a couch, Daniel and Chris included.

On the couch sits Dallas holding out his phone showing a video, based on the noise coming out of the phone It's my poem from earlier. 

Well, it's out there now, but as I said earlier I don't hate them. I hate what they did, leaving us for people they don't know.

"Tyler, you hate mom and dad?" Greyson says looking up when he notices me. "I don't hate them," I say coming into the living room and sitting down in Pawpaw's old recliner in the corner.

"They left us, that's what I hate. That they went off to fight when they knew that there was a chance of them not coming back yet they went".

"Dallas you can't keep anything to yourself can you" I let out a little chuckle looking up at him.

"I can if I really put my mind to it" he shrugs.

---

The endings a little odd, it was weird if I just left it at Tyler finding them watching the video but I didn't know where to take it after that. And the poem is definitely not the poem from 10 things I hate about you...