On the Run: The Texas Files ✔

Chapter 28: The Ex Best Friend

This chapter is written from Parker's point of view!!!

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Tyler Owens.

He's been ruining my life since the eighth grade. The first thing he ever did to me was put balloons filled with maple syrup in my locker. I opened my locker that morning to get my science book and let's just say I got into a sticky situation. I had to change into my gym clothes. It wasn't a pleasant day. When I was on the debate and Scholastic Bowl teams in high school, he joined them to try to mock and insult me, which worked. I left the teams from embarrassment.

I don't know why, but he's always tried to make my life miserable since Liz died. It's like he knows something that I don't. Maybe he does know I have a gift like he does. He can't already know that I know about his gift because I just figured it out a few weeks ago.

He has been oddly nice to me lately. I don't know what his ulterior motives are, but they most certainly can't be good.

As he stands in my doorway, I can't believe he's here. He hasn't been here in years, since Liz's funeral. So, why is he here now?

"I'm sorry," Jackie says. "Are you lost?" Her stance is defensive. She's going to keep him out or die trying.

"Relax, 42," he says. "I'm just here for my sister."

"Don't you have somewhere to be today?" Lily asks. 

I didn't even hear her come up behind me.

"Like with the next girl you're sleeping with?" she continues.

Ouch... Low blow, even if it's from your sister.

"Mum and Dad are working," he says. "Come on. We can get Chinese food like we always do when they're working on holidays."

I turn to see Lily's response. Her face has softened. She looks like she's going to give in into him. I then notice his eyes. They're dark violet. He's using his family issues to manipulate his sister. I think Jackie notices them too. She's gripping the edge of the door like she's going to crush it. She moves in the way of Lily. The eye contact is broken between them, and Lily snaps out of it. She's just as annoyed as she was originally.

Jackie is staring past him. She's learned how to fake eye contact with him.

I wonder why he doesn't manipulate me with his powers. He's never even tried to my knowledge. Maybe it doesn't work on me since I have powers. But it works on Jackie. She's able to resist him a little bit, but it somehow ends up working.

"Why don't we just let him in?" Andrew asks. "It's the spirit of the holiday. Besides, no one deserves to eat bad Chinese food on Thanksgiving alone."

We all look at Andrew. Is he kidding?

I sigh.

"As long as it's okay with our host, of course," Andrew adds.

I remove Jackie's hand from the door and open it wider to welcome him in. We may have our differences, but Andrew is actually right on this one. Thanksgiving is a time to spend together. The expression is "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," right?

Tyler walks in. "At least, your house hasn't gone to shit."

I cough. "Thanks?"

Andrew walks into the foyer to put his hand on Lily's shoulder to comfort her.  Tyler looks a little uncomfortable now. He crosses his arms into a more guarded position. Is he afraid of Andrew? If anything, he should be afraid of Noah. He's definitely the more dangerous of the two, especially now, since his paternal instincts are kicking in. Of course, neither of them compare to the badassery of Jackie. The girl's a superweapon.