Bad Enough for You (BoyxBoy)

Bad 8

“See you around,” Tyler finishes with the typical response before brushing between Jeremy and Spencer as he walks by, making sure to press himself up against Jeremy’s side as he passes.

He’s walking away but he hears how Jeremy’s broken voice whispers, “It’s Jeremy,” and that’s it for Tyler he can’t take it anymore.

He runs.       

***       

“That was awesome,” Caroline cheers in her usual bubbly tone. Something snaps in Tyler that makes him want to groan and throw something at her for being so peppy about this, especially when you consider everything he has to do, all the hurt he has to cause the younger boy in order for this to work.

“Why so down Ty, that was great,” Matt asks voice softer than Caroline’s which is comforting as he comes up to stand next to Tyler against the wall.

“Yeah it was great, great and awesome and I’m an absolute douche but how does any of this,” Tyler tugs at his clothes very agitatedly, “Justify hurting Jeremy.” Tyler sighs brokenly as crumples to the ground. “I can’t stand this. I can’t stand hurting him, seeing his face when I screw up his name when we all know I know what his name is. I hate that it’s me that’s making him upset, I hate what I’m doing to him…Caroline there has to be another way to do this, please. Please, Care I can’t do this anymore!”

“That’s the point Tyler-”

“Is hurting him the point?!” Tyler cries with outrage heavy in his voice. He curls himself over his knees, burying his face in his hands as he heaves several labored breaths.

“Well no,” Caroline starts, “But this is part of it. Tyler listen to me, you have to make him hate you…make him hate you just enough to make him want you.”

“Are we even sure this is what he wants? I mean how…how do we know this,” Matt gestures to Tyler’s ensemble quickly like it addresses the whole situation and the bitch he’s become, “Is what Jeremy is looking for?” Tyler lifts his head out of his arms and nods rapidly because yeah, that’s a good question!

Caroline sighs heavily as she fixes them with an unimpressed look that Tyler would normally be swayed by but isn’t right now. He’s losing it; maybe he’s already lost it. Either way he needs proof, evidence, reasons, anything that can show him that everything he’s done will be worth it, he can’t imagine their efforts being all for not.

He pushes himself up off the ground, getting up in Caroline’s space as he narrows his eyes dangerously which actually makes the blonde take a cautious step back. “You give me proof Caroline; give me something because I’m telling you right now I’m not doing this anymore without any assurance. I refuse to keep hurting him and I will not keep breaking his heart if this isn’t what he really wants.”

“Isn’t that proof enough for you though?”

“What,” Tyler’s never been more frustrated and more pissed off with Caroline than he is at this very moment and believe him they’ve had some bad moments.

“That you’re breaking his heart. Every time you reject him or push him away or screw up his name you’re breaking his heart, doesn’t that show you that he wants you Tyler…doesn’t that prove it. You can’t break someone’s heart if they haven’t given it to you to break…get it?”

Tyler thinks about this for a moment, and maybe she does have a point. Jeremy wouldn’t be so affected, wouldn’t seem so ruined every time Tyler brushed him off if he wasn’t into him in a way that left him upset by Tyler’s rejection so that only left one logical possibility.

Jeremy likes him.

Jeremy really likes him.

It worked…the fucking plan worked. Well shit.

He collapses back to the ground in a heap.

He stares up at Caroline absolutely dumbfounded, since when do things like this actually work out, it feels like something out of a silly rom-com she’s made him and Matt watch a hundred times. Caroline fixes them with a smug smile and when Tyler looks over at his best friend he sees him collapsed against the wall too, sitting on the ground looking equally as stunned as Tyler is. They really should have had more faith but whatever, it worked!

But now he has to fix this because Jeremy probably thinks he hates him which isn’t conducive of a blossoming romance at all, Tyler doesn’t need to be a relationship expert to know that.

Caroline must have sensed that she stunned the boys into silence because she says, “Alright you can stop gaping I know I’m good.” Tyler and Matt turn to each other slowly and Matt rolls his eyes, obviously coming out of his stupor. Tyler cracks a smile.

“So now before you ask…we woo him,” Caroline chirps. Tyler hopes it’s as easy as she makes it sound because he’s not too con-

“How the hell is that going to work,” Thank you Matt, “Jeremy probably thinks Tyler is a right fucker, sorry man, not to mention he probably detests him. ‘Wooing’ him isn’t going to be that easy.”

“Au contraire Mattie dear, this is actually exactly what we want. Jeremy thinks Tyler could care less about him right?” Both Matt and Tyler nod their heads, Tyler’s eyes full of guilt and self-hatred for what he has turned into, for what he’s done. She’s been right so far however so, might as well give Caroline the benefit of the doubt. “Right, so when Tyler starts showing even the slightest bit of interest Jeremy’s going to soak it up like a sponge. He thinks Tyler doesn’t care so when Tyler proves him wrong he’ll be floored and easily woo-able.”

Okay that makes sense.

“And before you say it,” Caroline cuts Matt of mid-breath, poor guy, “You’re going to that party.” Tyler’s heart stops, yes he’s going to the party, the party Jeremy invited him to but on the other hand…no he can’t go to that party without his best friends, he needs them! But Caroline being Caroline senses his inner turmoil, “Well we’re going to that party as in all of us.”

Tyler lets out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He figures it’s not really worth discussing it further since they’ll probably hang out after school to plan outfits and such (Christ, Caroline is rubbing off on him,) besides Tyler really doesn’t have any more fight left in him. He needs a nap.

And Matt’s gentle but secure grip around his shoulder as he steadies him when he stands tells Tyler that his best friend is thinking the exact same thing.