Bastiana has a loving family, two amazing best friends, and a secret.
Over summer vacation, Bastiana and her besties do their best to focus on their bucket list in order to distract them from all the secrets they're keeping from one another. When a...
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As I walk down the stairs to Tyler's basement room the next day, I sigh deeply and try to organize my thoughts. If anyone can help me get some perspective, it's Ty.
Tyler Dobsen has been my next-door neighbor since I was 10. He's homeschooled, which means he's never met Bastiana or the rest of the Rigby family. His parents are super strict about who he's allowed to spend time with and as a result he spends most of his life in his basement playing video games.
When I get down the stairs I walk over to the large couch and drop backwards over the armrest, laying out on the couch with an exasperated sigh. Tyler doesn't even bother looking up from his spot on the bean bag in front of me when he hears me come in. His eyes are focused on some first-person shooter game flashing across his large flatscreen tv.
"You are so dramatic, man." He says, still not looking back at me. "It seriously cannot be as bad as you think it is."
"I really did it this time, Ty." I cross my arms over my chest and stare at the ceiling. "I got jealous and possessive, and she's pissed."
Tyler curses as his character dies on the screen before he finally turns to look at me.
"Okay, tell me everything." He sighs, giving me his full attention.
"Well-" I start but he interrupts me, holding his hand up.
"First, payment." He gives me a serious look and arches a brow at me, turning his hand so his palm is facing up. I roll my eyes and pull the package of Twizzlers from my pocket, putting them in his outstretched hand. He smiles and gets comfortable in the bean bag. "Continue." He says as he opens the bag, taking one out and biting off the end.
"Well, I stayed over at the Rigby's, like I do most summer nights..." I lay there and recount the previous two days for him, including everything from the moment at the store to my freakout last night. I never take my eyes off the ceiling as I speak. When I get to the end, I finally turn my head to look at him.
"So, how do I fix this, Ty?" I ask and before he can respond I add, "I mean, you should have seen her at breakfast this morning. I stayed for Sunday pancakes and the whole time we were sitting there she didn't look at me once! I don't think I ever realized how much it sucks when she refuses to look at me." I say sadly, remembering the way her eyes slid past me all morning.
Tyler studies my face for a moment, slowly chewing the Twizzler in his mouth before he speaks.
"There's just one thing I don't understand." He says slowly. I arch a brow at him to specify. "How can she and her older sister be so oblivious to you being so desperately in love with this girl?" He smirks at me.
"Shut up, asshole." I pick up a throw pillow and launch it at his head. He dodges it easily and laughs. "Come on, man. You're supposed to help me, not torment me further!" I groan.
