𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐊 . . . 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝

𝟐𝟕. 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞

27. that kid isn't you anymore

season three, episode eleven: there are some things i haven't told you

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Nessa Dempsey and Jessica Davis were feeling extremely defeated after their conversation with the principal, and they were only positive that this feeling would increase drastically as they went back to HO today and gave everyone else the news about their punishment.

Which is why both girls walked into the yearbook room today to warn Tyler Down that today was not the day to come to HO.

"Hey, Ty!" Nessa said happily as she walked into the room and met his kind eyes. She had checked up on him every so often after he had admitted to her what happened, but she hadn't told Jessica anything, so when Jessica told her that they needed to warn him and that he was only coming to meetings to support them, Nessa had no choice but to follow along.

"Hey guys." Tyler said as he put his picture down. "Are you two going to HO? I just need to pack up."

"That's actually why we found you." Nessa told him. "We wanted to tell you that you should probably skip today. We're going to be pissing everyone off in a big way."

"Again?" Tyler asked, and Nessa chuckled.

"Bolan is making us apologize." Jessica told the boy, whose face immediately fell. "In front of an assembly, and Hillcrest is coming."

"You're kidding." Tyler said sadly, and the girls shook their heads.

"Sadly, not kidding." Jessica replied. "Anyway, Casey and everyone else will lose their shit when I tell them, and I know you've only been going to those meetings to support me and Ness, which means so much to us, really. But now we're both total failures, so–"

"No, you guys aren't!" Tyler cried in defense of his two friends. They were the strongest people he knew, on the contrary.

Jessica smiled at him heartedly. "You're sweet. In the end though, we didn't change a goddamn thing."

"You guys changed a lot." Tyler told them sweetly. "You guys changed me."

Nessa's heart swelled as she heard Tyler's words. She took them so seriously, and definitely to heart, knowing the pain behind them.

"Yeah?" Jessica asked. "Well, we made you an ally. I guess that's something."

Tyler's lip started quivering, as Nessa knew that it might. She looked up at him, trying her best to comfort him with her expressions. "I'm...I'm more than an ally," he admitted.

"What?" Jessica asked sadly as her voice broke. "What do you mean?"

Nessa looked up at him, rushing to his side just in case he needed some comfort. "Ty, are you sure you want to do this?" she whispered, and he nodded.

"Yeah." Tyler said to her. "I'm ready."

"Okay." Nessa said sweetly. "Do you want a hug before you do so?"

Tyler nodded, and quickly pulled her in for an embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Ty." she whispered into his ear as she gave him a quick hug, which he was eternally grateful for.

Tyler exhaled slowly as he leaned on Nessa a bit, allowing her hand to stay on the small of his back as he tried to collect himself, looking back over at Jessica.

"Do you remember last summer at the Crestmont, Jess?" he asked. "You asked me why I...Everything that happened at Spring Fling."

"Yeah." Jessica said breathlessly as she looked at Nessa, who was completely focused on Tyler and his needs as he attempted to gather himself.