Girl Who Cried Wolf

Crazy in Love

"Tyla! We're back!" Tillie yelled half-heartedly into the quiet home. She had taken the bus home with Tracey and Kassandra. It took a lot of talking to convince the bus driver to let the siblings on the bus.

When her call got no response, the siblings and herself shared worried looks and split up across the house to look for her but when they regrouped at the front door they all had the same thing to report. Tyla's not here.

"Okay. I think I know where she might be, you guys stay here," Tillie said, reaching for the door.

"No way, we want to come look for our sister," Tracey demanded. So Tillie took a deep breath and tried to copy the voice Tyla uses. The voice Tillie had previously thought only belonged to mothers.

"And set myself up for Tyla to be pissed at me for letting you two roam the streets? No thank you. You're staying here," Tillie left no room for argument as she left the house. And surprisingly the siblings didn't follow her. Maybe Tillie'd be a good mom.

Tillie went straight for the street the whole town knew as 'hooker street'. Very creative, right? But it got the point across. And Tillie was thinking Tyla was there. Stupidly selling herself for rent money or something, not that Tillie didn't understand why she was doing it. She just knew that now, less than 24 hours after being attacked, was not the time.

The street smelled of weed and smoke and sex. It was practically all alleys and Tillie passed a couple prostitutes that made her feel uncomfortable. But she didn't say anything, just looked down each alley and at each prostitute to make sure she didn't see Tyla. And eventually she did.

She almost missed her, Tyla was on the ground, right behind another girl, probably a prostitute, they both had cigarettes, but Tyla was the only one crying.

"Hey, who are you?" Tillie yelled, running down the alley. Both girls turned to look at her.

"Who are you?" The mystery girl challenged but Tyla got her to back down with a simple hand to the shoulder.

"This is Lily, Harriet," Tyla said and Tillie gave Tyla a scrutionizing look over. Her name was definitely not Lily, so she was questioning whether Tyla was sober or not. From her understanding, Tyla didn't drink or do drugs, aside from an occasional cigarette she was clean. But now would be an understandable time to start.

Tyla reached her hands up to Tillie almost like how little kids do when they want to be picked up so Tillie reached down and pulled her up off the ground. "I wanna go home," Tyla told Tillie before sniffling and placing her head on Tillie's shoulder.

"Thank you for helping her, I'm her friend, Harriet. That girl's crazy in love with you," Harriet said, laughing when Tyla lazily slapped her and told her to shut up.

Tillie smiled and wrapped her hand around Tyla to support her as she walked back down the street. The same prostitutes that questioned what Tillie was doing on their street saw them and started clapping. Sending words of encouragement to Tyla, although they refered to her as 'Tula'. And told Tillie was was a good person, and thanked her over and over.

Tillie thought it was strange how they reacted to someone helping another out. But that was before she realized what most people thought of prostitutes. If they were in need of help, it probably isn't likely that anyone else would help them. And that didn't seem right to Tillie.

"Why'd you tell Harriet my name was Lily? Are you drunk?" Tillie asked once they took a turn off the street. She was thankful that Tyla still had her clothes on, and the clothes Tillie gave her last night too.

"You don't say anyone's real name on that street. You don't want any information out about you. Not when a lot of the people who go on that street are creeps, pedophiles, and criminals.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. Is that why everyone was calling you Tula?" Tillie asked and Tyla nodded tiredly. "Did-did something bad happen?"

"No. I freaked before anything could even start," Tyla didn't seem very happy with that fact.

"That's okay. After what happened not even a day ago, you just need time, you'll be okay," Tyla reassured as they reached her house.

"Thanks, Tillie," Tyla grinned and Tillie let them in the house. Tracey and Kassandra perked right up.

"Tyla! Where were you? What happened?" They asked together. Tyla smiled.

"I just went for a walk to clear my head, but I ended up freaking. I'm fine, now, just tired," Tyla said patting Tracey on the head and making Tracey glare and sending Tyla into chuckles.

"Come on, Tyla, let's go to my room," Tillie grabbed their backpacks and struggled to drag two backpacks and a human up the stairs. But when Tillie finally got up there. She barely had enough time to lock the door behind them before Tyla was pulling Tillie into the bed with her.

"You know Harriet was right," she said casually.

"Right about what?" Tillie asked curiously, her heart beating in her chest. But Tyla must be talking about something else. Not about when she said Tyla loved her... right?

"I'm crazy in love with you."