Tyler's Battle

Chapter 22 - Telling Tyler

At breakfast the following morning, Jody sat yawning, barely able to keep her eyes open.
Right everyone, we're leaving in half an hour to go to the swimming pool, so get you swimming gear and towels and meet back here at 10 announced May Li brightly
There was a sudden stampede as everyone raced off to get their swimming things
Tyler shouted Jody as he reached the kitchen door
Can we talk
What now? I need to get ready for swimming
Yeah now. It's important
Fine responded Tyler coming back over to the breakfast table where Jody was still sitting.
There's something I need to show on the computer. said Jody getting up from her seat. 

Tyler stared in utter disbelief at the computer screen
Are you sure this is really him he spluttered
Yeah I was up most of the night searching. It's definitely him. He went to the same college as your mum, graduated in the same year. Has a couple of mutual friends with your cousin Irene on social media.
Tyler was speechless. Staring at the photo on the screen
Tyler, Jody are you coming or not? Everyone else is ready to go
Erm iv got cramps lied Jody so I think I'll give it a miss. And Tyler said he would keep me company
Er yeah muttered Tyler still staring at screen.
Alright, if your sure.
Suddenly everyone was gone and it was just Jody and Tyler. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Tyler was so focused on the screen it was if he was on a trance.
Ty? Tyler! Said Jody hesitantly are you OK?
Yeah muttered Tyler and he suddenly bolted from the room and ran upstairs.
He ran into the bathroom and locked the door. It was the one place with a lock, somewhere he could shut everyone and everything out. He just needed time to think, to get his around everything.

 Jody began to wonder where Tyler had got to, eventually she went upstairs. He wasn't in his room, so she went to check the bathroom and found the door locked.

Tyler shouted Jody and knocked on the door what's up? Are you OK?

Tyler didn't respond. He was lying in the empty bath. His favourite place to think. He had a dad. He really had a dad.
Tyler your scaring me please come out cried Jody and she began hammering on the door
Meanwhile Tyler was thinking of his dad. The image of the man on the computer screen was etched on his mind. He kept imagining meeting him, hugging him, talking with him. Playing football, going on outings. His mind was filled with thoughts of all the things they could do together. All the things he had missed out on  growing up without a dad.

Jody stopped hammering and sat down outside the door. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to search for Tyler's dad after all. Perhaps it had upset him. She couldn't wait outside the door any longer not knowing whether he was ok.