The Bad Boy Loves Me?

Chapter Twenty Three - Because I love you

Bonnie's POV
I've spent most of the day wondering where Tyler has been, he hadn't said anything about where he was going. He was totally out of it at Lomax the other night, it worried me.

At the present moment we all sit at our usual table in the cafeteria, minus Tyler of course. Chloe has been sitting with us ever since the other night and Amber has gotten more accepting of her which pleases me.

"So he didn't say anything to you about where he was going?" Amber starts gruelling Aiden.

"He said nothing about anything. Guys don't talk to other guys about their problems." Aiden rubs his eyes tiredly.

"That's dumb." Amber scoffs like its the stupidest thing she's ever heard.

"Maybe he's just sick." Chloe offers and Amber considers the possibility.

"It's not like him." I finally decide to interject.

"He is Tyler Hanson." Chloe says carefully.

"But-" I start but stop abruptly because I can hear Tyler's voice.

"Bonnie." I turn around to face him, there is a girl beside him. She's a short skinny girl with hair as dark as mine.

"Ty where were you this morning?" I answer.

"I had to do something." He says, "Bon this Ellie she's one of my friends from my old school."

I look at the girl unable to think about what this might mean. Surely there wasn't something between them there couldn't be. Ellie smiles and puts her hand out to shake mine. I shake her hand but I know she's prettier than me and I wouldn't blame him if he did want to be with her. Amber squeezes my hand under the table where no one else can see it, she must know what I'm thinking.

"I'm case you were wondering, I'm not here to steal your man." A bigger smile crosses her face.

"I wasn't wondering anything." I lie, she doesn't have to know what I was really thinking.

"So what were you actually doing at Marist?" Aiden says what we all wanted to say ourselves.

Tyler suddenly looks uncomfortable like he doesn't want to talk about it, Ellie lays a hand on his shoulder.

"We talked to Ashley, I'm assuming you've heard about her." Ellie says, Amber eyes her incredulously, the way I feel too, we asked Tyler not her.

"About what?" I say I know Ashley's story all to well.

"She's going to take care of Dane because she owes me for screwing my life up." Tyler answers, it's almost like he only wants to talk to me.

"I have to go," I say "Mum asked me to take Anna to the doctor today." I stand I'm kind of glad to get away for the awkwardness of this conversation.
Tyler must have noticed because as I move to pass him he grabs me and kissed me right on the lips. If he was into Ellie he wouldn't have done that. Relief floods over me and I realise I'm probably red in the face so I duck my head and walk away. Just in time to hear Ellie say "Awww".

Anna apparently has some kind of viral infection and has to stay home from school for a while. I sigh mum and dad have missed so much work and they can't afford to be home with her. So I guess it's my job now.

I drive her home and make her lie on the couch with a blanket and some hot chocolate. I text Amber to tell her I won't be at school while ever Anna is unwell.

"So I have to deal with Ellie alone?"

I sigh, I don't feel like Ellie is that bad but I don't trust that she doesn't feel anything for Tyler.

"She hasn't done anything yet" I point out.

"Innocent until proven guilty, that's what you legal people say right?"

I laugh at least she listens when I start talking legal talk. "Can you tell Tyler where I'll be?"

"Sure. Maybe you could have a rest too x"

I know she must have to go. I wander back into the living room where 'SpongeBob SquarePants' is on with the volume loud but Anna is fast asleep. I suddenly realise just how tired I am.
I can't fall asleep, I know I shouldn't but I'm so tired...

~~~~~~

Tyler's POV

It's been a long time since I smoked last. Seeing Ashley smoking today has made me want to again, but it was so hard to quit the first time

Amber walks up to me, "Bonnie won't be back at school for a while, Anna's sick and I think she needs a break too."

"Ok." I say not really registering what she's said. Why do I want to smoke so bad all of a sudden it's been over a year since I last had a cigarette.

Or maybe it's the whole 'if you can't beat them join them' thing going on. They don't call me a Badboy for no reason. I'm shit at being a good guy. I wanted to do it for Bonnie but being back at Marist made me realise I was pretending to be someone I wasn't.  If Bonnie couldn't love me for who I really am then maybe we aren't meant for each other.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?"  Amber is waving her hand in front of my face violently.

"What?"

She takes a step back, "You know what, it doesn't even matter. See ya round." She walks away.

After school I walk down to the supermarket down the road and buy a packet of cigarettes. Expensive but worth it.

"Knew you come around." I turn around and Ashley throws me her pink lighter.

"Thanks." I mutter lighting it and taking my first puff in a year.

"Whoever this girl is, she's not right for you." Ashley says lighting her own.

"I'm doing this because I love her."

"I fail to see how smoking shows that you love her." She frowns.

"Going back to my old self is the only way to get her to leave me, the only way she'll be safe. Cause I don't trust you for a second to help protect her."

She smiles a smile that replicates that of the devil. She loved me as a Badboy and now she will see it once again.