Second Chances for Tyler Landry

Through the Trees

Mackenzie startled awake. She looked at the glowing blue numbers on the alarm clock next on Tyler's nightstand.

2:00am.

She looked at Tyler on the tiny threadbare couch in the corner. He looked like someone had curled all his limbs inward toward his stomach. She scanned the room, her eyes adjusting in the darkness. She got up and crossed the room to the door.

She looked back at Tyler's cramped, sleeping figure and whispered "See ya Tyler Sky."

She tip toed quietly down the staircase that wrapped around a mustard colored wall and crossed the kitchen to the front door. She opened it silently and closed it just as quiet.

Mackenzie jogged quickly across the lawn and into the woods. She walked briskly through the fallen leaves and mushed grass shavings left from summer's past. She looked down, her body moving against the chill of the early morning.

She knew exactly where she was headed. Her heart thrummed in anticipation.

She reached the edge of the woods knowing what was just through the trees. The Crag. The cliff, whatever you wanted to call the monumental piece of rock that hung just overhead of a small lake.

She plowed through the brush and reached the peer. It looked enigmatic in the early hours of the morning.

She smiled.

She felt like sometimes if she sat close enough to the edge that the sky would swallow her whole and she'd fall into space.

Her feet moved foward as she reminicised. Tyler and her as kids talking about some of the most silly things one could ever think of.

Mackenzie took a seat at the edge and looked foward into the sky. She remembered lying her with him at the age of 15 and him telling her that Rachel Jefferson had broken up with him because he was caught staring at Melissa James.

Mackenzie never liked Rachel.

"I didn't even stare Mack. I glanced at her like normal people do and than BOOM- I'm dumped." Tyler had said and laid back on the rock with a sigh.

"Maybe she just was jealous or having a bad day. It happens sometimes Tyler." Mackenzie said back, joining him on the rock.

Tyler turned his head and had looked at her and with extreme sincerity said "Honestly, sometimes Mack, I feel like you can read my mind. Girls suck. All girls except you and Mandy Maria."

Mackenzie's heart had jumped into her throat and her palms got sweaty.

She smiled unconciously at the sweet memory. And then she remembered the day when they were 16. And Tyler had come to her house with an expression to scare the dead and tears in his eyes.

The day when Tyler had lost his virginity to Debra Harold.

His expression was twisted like a Van Gough painting.  "We did it Mack. I screwed her. And then she left." he had choked out angrily.

Of course, like always, Mack had invited him into her empty house and comforted him.

When will I be comforted. she wondered to herself.

She looked down into the lake below that seemed like a puddle from the height she was at. She thought about how easy it would be to just fall.

For just once, just let go of the bit she was hanging on and soar into the air and let everything go.

She thought about if she were to do it right now. Her parents would be frantic. Tyler would do something stupid. Really, she had no choice but to stay. Because if Tyler lost it, he would do something that Mackenzie would never be able to swallow.

Even in death.

The stars in the sky started to sink deeper and deeper into the sky, like they were slowly fading away and the moon was dipping into the horizon.

Mackenzie got up. And went back to where she came from.

Went back to where she so-called, 'belongs'.