The Stoic And The Beast

The Anderson's

Alicia's  POV

"So Tyler, how is Idget doing lately?" I wrote and held up the notepad to Tyler.

When the boys came back to my hospital room there was an unmistakable air of silent thickness between them. I couldn't put my finger on what it was so I tried to ease the atmosphere.

"She's fine." He answered curtly.

Well that didn't work. I hoped he would be bursting with more details than that. I can tell he is completely smitten with her. I'll try asking him something else.

"What have you two been doing lately?" I wrote and held it up.

"Nothing much. Since she is mad at me right now."

Crap. I didn't see that coming. I choked on my bite of food and began coughing up bits of bread. I grabbed my cup of water and chugged it down.

"Are you okay Alicia?" Luke sounded concerned.

I nodded at him and turned my attention back to Tyler.

"Why?" I wrote.

"Because of what I said to you." His eyebrows furrowed while he looked shamefully down at the floor.

"But we are not fighting anymore. We apologized." I wrote and adamantly poked at the paper while holding it up.

"I told her that but she is still upset with me. She thinks that I.." He paused.

"What? What does she think Tyler?" I pressed him for answers.

"This is stupid. Forget it." Tyler sounded frustrated.

Jake walked over to Tyler and shook him vigorously.

"Out with it! Tell her what Idget said so we can stop worrying about your ridiculous non-relationship, relationship!" Jake spat.

Tyler grabbed Jake's hands and shoved him off of him.

"Stop yelling at me asshole. It's not going to change anything. She thinks what she thinks and I can't do anything about it now. So just fuck off!" Tyler yelled.

"Fucking pansy. Of course, you don't have the balls to run after her. You can't even tell her how you really feel about her. Lame." Jake goaded.

Jake almost seemed like he was, in his own jerky kind of way, trying to be supportive of Tyler. Was he helping Tyler get past his fear of owning up to his feelings for Idget?

"I like her a lot. I wish I could tell her that but it's too late. I waited too long and now she thinks that I wouldn't confess my feelings because I feel something more for Alicia."

"Huh? Alicia?" Jake blurted out.

"What?" I poked at the paper furiously.

"She thinks I got so upset about you moving away because I'm in love with you," Tyler said quietly while staring down at his shuffling feet.

"That's absurd! You told her that is absurd didn't you Tyler?" I scribbled and held it up to him.

"Of course I did! But she doesn't believe me." Tyler sniffed.

"It fucking better be! It's bad enough that I have to share my princess with Luke. I'm not sharing her with you too, Tyler." Jake growled.

"You're being an asshole." Luke chimed in. "Do you honestly believe that I want to share her with you, Jake? Stop acting like your the only one in this room that is allowed to love Alicia. As a boyfriend or a best friend. Tyler is allowed to love Alicia too." He said as he got in Jake's face and grabbed ahold of his jacket in his fists.