Instigators

Chapter F O U R

Tiana's POV

My stomach churned as I walked to Tyler's house. I hadn't snuck into someone's house before. Technically, I had a key to so I wasn't really sneaking in, but the feeling still followed me. His house was a small ranch style home. The outside was brick and his window shutters were pink.

Miley and Grace weren't going to come over until I was walking back to my place.

I saw his house as I turned onto his street. There were no cars in his driveway so the house was empty.

I tried to even my unsteady breaths as I turned the key in the lock. It clicked and I pushed the door in.

The warmth of his house brought back so many memories. I thought of all the movies, all the baking, all the laughs, and all the conversations we had here. I wanted to cry again, but I didn't. I was here on business. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that.

I felt uneasy being in his house alone. I walked upstairs to his room and collapsed on his bed, the same bed I'd slept in so many times. But you know, of course, only sleeping occurred.

There was still a picture of us on his wall. It was a picture from our one month anniversary. We went swimming with turtles. We were wearing scuba suits and kissing. I remembered the date so clearly. Every single detailed was engraved in my mind.

The picture angered me. He couldn't keep a picture of us after everything he did to me. I took the picture off the wall and stuffed it in my bag.

I heard him come in through the front door. I dived into his closet and adjusted the door so that I could see out, but he couldn't see me.

He came upstairs into his room, alone. Where was Tate? That's the only reason I was there.

He dialed a number on his phone.

"Are you coming over?" He asked the other person, who I'm assuming was Tate.

He sighed in disappointment, "Tomorrow maybe?"

Another look of disappointment.

"If you're afraid of The Instigators, don't be. They're not gonna know anything if you're at my house. We agreed to remain a secret anyway." He argued. So, Tate was afraid of us. Well, isn't that just peachy? She should be terrified, actually. She was going down next.

If Tyler knew about The Instigators, that meant that it had expanded to other schools. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Come over Friday, please." He pleaded.

He smiled to himself. I guess Tate agreed. That meant she wouldn't be going to the party, then. That meant that I couldn't go either. Stupid Tate just messed up plans.

He hung up the phone and dug through his backpack. How the hell was I supposed to get out of here now? Leave it to Tate to mess up my plans for today and Friday.

I had to send an emergency text to the girls.

***

Grace's POV

My brother sulked into my room. We were close, but we didn't talk to each other about our issues. Whatever was going on must've been serious.

I patted to a spot on my bed next to me. He grabbed one of my pillows and hugged it as he sat down.

"What's got you down today?" I asked him.

"I like this girl, but she won't take me seriously because of my player ways." He told me. There was a girl that my brother just didn't want to sleep with? I must've been dreaming.