The Inevitable

Chapter 2: "You're scared of me, aren't you?"

It's been exactly five days since the incident with Tyler at the shop, and I have not left the house since. I didn't even care about the fact that my dad went off at me for losing my AirPods. When they asked what happened, I simply told them they must have fallen out of my pocket on the way home. I wouldn't dare tell them Tyler was involved or that I even spoke to him. If my parents found out, they would flip.

This day was quiet. My parents were both at work, and I was at home, supposedly studying for my upcoming exam. My best and only friend, Tatum, lives 2 streets away, and my parents' friends are all too snobby to visit this area. So you can imagine the pure confusion on my face when I heard a knock at the front door. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but then I heard it again. Another knock. I cautiously went to check who it was, and low and behold, Tyler Smith was standing at my front door.

The amount of fear that ran through my veins in that moment is indescribable. I had no idea what to do or say. A big part of me wanted to run to my bedroom and hide, but once again, he'd already seen me. I eventually opened the door to a very impatient-looking Tyler.

"Hi," he greeted awkwardly, earning the same awkward greeting from me.

"You dropped these at the shop the other day. I just wanted to bring them back," he said, handing me my AirPods, which I thought were long gone.

I stared at him, the AirPods in my hand feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds. What was his game? He didn't look like someone who returned things out of kindness. Tyler was the type you heard stories about in hushed voices at school. The guy who was always around trouble but somehow always managed to avoid the consequences.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking them from him quickly, my heart racing.

He didn't leave, though. Tyler lingered at the doorway, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, looking almost... uncertain. That was the moment I realized he wasn't just here to return my AirPods. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to slam the door in his face.

"You're scared of me, aren't you?" he asked, his voice low but with a sharp edge to it. His eyes searched mine, and for the first time, I realized that there was something dark, something dangerous about him.

"I... no, I'm not scared of you," I lied, trying to sound braver than I felt. My voice wavered, betraying me instantly.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking like he knew exactly what I was feeling. "It's okay if you are. Most people are." He took a step forward, closer to the doorway, and I instinctively took a small step back. Tyler noticed and smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was cold, almost calculating.

"Why are you really here?" I asked, forcing the words out, trying to take control of the conversation. I wasn't about to let him intimidate me any more than he already had.

Tyler tilted his head slightly, as if considering whether to tell me the truth. "I've been thinking," he said slowly. "That day at the shop... you weren't scared of me then. Not really. I could see it in your eyes."

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. He wasn't wrong. When he'd first confronted me at the shop, I wasn't afraid. Not until later. Not until now.

"What do you want from me, Tyler?" I asked, the exhaustion from the past few days seeping into my voice. I didn't have the energy for his games.

Tyler's smirk faded, replaced with something more serious. "I need a favor," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I think you're the only one who can help."