Try Again

Chapter 17

Mira's POV

It was hot. Very hot. I took another sip from my Coke. It was as hot as the sun. I was waiting for Shawn to pick me up after I had got myself lost. I was planning on visiting Tyler but after trekking aimlessly for ten minutes, I realized that I did not know the way to his house.

I was about to call Shawn again when I spotted his car. He pulled up in front of me and l immediately scowled when I saw who was in the passenger seat.

"What are you doing here?" I barked at Aiden. I turned to Shawn. "Why did you bring him?"

Aiden chuckled. "I heard you were a damsel in distress so I came to help."

I scoffed. "I did not ask for your help."

"We are here too." Selena waved from the backseat with Tobi beside her. My scowl immediately turned to a smile. I merrily hopped into the backseat.

"I can't believe you have been friends with Tyler for weeks now and still don't know his address," Shawn commented as he drove off.

I pouted and crossed my arm. "It just never crossed my mind to ask him."

Aiden rolled his eyes at me from the driver's mirror. I rolled my eyes back at him.

"You both are ridiculous," Tobi remarked when he caught our exchange.

"Whatever." We both said at the same time. This earned him a glare from me.

Tyler's house was stunning. It was simple yet amazing. I just couldn't describe it, it looked very comfortable for a family of three.

"I thought they were broke," Aiden exclaimed, earning a smack on the head from Tobi.

"His mother is just having trouble with her business for now but she will bounce back." Shawn clarified.

We rang the doorbell. I heard a series of footsteps before we were greeted by Sophia's radiant smile. She looked better than the last time I saw her in the hospital.

"Are you here to see Tyler? Come in. He has been grumpy all day. I don't know what to do with him anymore…" She rambled on as she led us inside. She must have had a hectic day.

"We came to bring him notes," Shawn said, cutting her ramble short.

"And do a little studying," I said.

"And play lots of games," Aiden added.

Sophia, whose eyes were already glued to the TV, just waved us off. "Upstairs. First door."

We headed upstairs. Aiden knocked on the door and was replied by a muffled voice saying, "Go away."

Aiden ignored him and barged into the room, "Ty Ty." He yelled before jumping on Tyier's lonely figure on the bed. Tyler groaned and kicked Aiden off him.

"I told you to go away." He drawled. We might have interrupted his sleep.

Aiden yanked the blanket off him. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

Tyler finally rose from his bed rubbing his eyes. He scrutinized every one of us before deciding we weren't worth his time. He went back to bed.

Tobi walked up to him and smacked him on his head, "We came to see you and this is the welcome we get?"

Tyler whined while getting up. "You are not supposed to hit someone who has just been hospitalized. It seems no one knows this since everyone keeps on smacking me."

Well, they had a good reason to.

Shawn kept his notes on his desk, "We brought your homework."

"Well, nobody asked you to." He complained. "I don't want to do homework."

"Do you want your grades to drop more than they already have?"

Tyler sighed. "Thank you." Shawn nodded in acknowledgment.

Tyler remained silent for some time, contemplating something.

"Are people talking about me in school?" He eventually asked, playing with his hand.

"No," I answered. He looked surprised. "They know you were hospitalized but they don't know why. Everyone assumes you got injured or something and the school kept quiet about it.''

He gave a faint smile. "That's good."

*How are you feeling?" Selena asked the question that was on our minds.

"Honestly," He started. "I feel like shit."

"Of course you do. You almost died." Aiden remarked, earning him another smack in the head from Tobi. "What did I do this time?" He cried out.

Tyler groaned. "Don't remind me."

Aiden murmured. "Then why did you do it?"

Silence prevailed as we awaited Tyler's reply. He pondered for a while as he played with his hand. He was nervous.

Eventually, he took a deep breath to calm himself.  "I really don't know. I felt like a burden–" He wavered. "That if I was gone, I would be doing everyone a favor. All I do is cause problems for everyone else. I just wanted to end it and relieve everyone."

I shook my head. "Everyone causes problems. We are humans, we are not above mistakes. But a smart person learns from his mistakes, not runs from them. Your fears will be with you until you confront them."

Aiden scoffed. "Yeah confront them, not overdose your way out–"

"Aiden!"

"It's fine." Tyler chuckled. He turned to face Aiden, "I am sorry. I know I hurt you."

"You are not sorry. If you were, you wouldn't have done it. You made us feel insignificant. Don't we mean anything to you?" He asked, seriously. This was the first time I had ever seen Aiden serious. 

"I promise I won't do it again." Tyler declared. "I'm also sorry if I have made any of you feel insignificant, you all mean a lot to me."

It gladdened my heart that we meant something to him. A tingling feeling arose within me. It was exciting. A sniff drew my attention.

"Are you crying I asked?" I asked incredulously. Tears were streaming down Aiden's eyes. Even Tobi's eyes were becoming red.

Tyler spread his hand. "Come on." Aiden ran and hugged him.

"You scared the shit out of me." He whispered. Tyler patted his head while whispering, I'm sorry.

"I don't think I will be able to confront my fears and mistakes though," Tyler said after letting go of Aiden.

Selena replied. "With God all things are possible."

"God doesn't love me."

"He does," Selena argued. "He loves every single one of us, everyone in the world. He is our creator."

"Did he create me to inflict pain on me? Like Job?"

"You didn't finish the book right?" I asked. He shook his head. "Well if you did, you would know that he had a happy ending. God restored everything to him twice as much as before."

Shawn added. "You should not only see the dark side of things. In every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. God doesn't make mistakes. Joseph was sold by his brothers, framed for a crime he didn't commit but it was all for the greater good, to preserve his family in the future. He died as a governor. Moses was a fugitive but he died a great leader. David was a shepherd and was near death many times but he became a king in the end."

"There are many other stories, like Ruth, Paul, Esther, and even Jesus."

"But still-" Tyler wanted to say but I caught him off.

"But nothing. I have said this before, you might think God is inflicting pain on you but the truth is that he loves you and he is building you up for a better tomorrow."

"No matter what your flaws or mistakes are, they can be forgiven," I concluded.

"If there is a slight chance of redemption and forgiveness, won't you take it?" Shawn summed up.

Tyler nodded after mulling over it for a bit. "I would."

"Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."