I've Got Your Back

Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Tonight was the night I would Turn for the first time. I was nervous as hell, and the fact that Josh and his friends were preparing for the party wasn't helping in the least bit. The apartment was a wreck. It was flying with creepy decorations, and people setting them up. The stress of this party was too much for me so I just got up and left the building. It was so hectic in there that hopefully they wouldn't notice I was gone. I texted Hunter that I needed him and he responded a nano second later.

Hunter: k. Wait outside your place well be there in 5.

Me: thx a million.

I sat on the bench right by the building and plugged in my headphones listening to my music. I was so into it I didn't even notice that someone had sat down next to me until my headphones were ripped out of my ears. I whipped my head around ready to pounce on whoever it was-it was Tyler.

"Hey," he said to me

"Hey," I said

It was at this moment that I realized just how much i missed him. I missed sitting next to him on this bench. I missed talking to him. I missed my best friend who I could tell everything to. Not this stranger who I felt awkward and uncomfortable around.

"How have you been Ava?" He asked me

I sighed, "Honestly I've been better. How bout you "

"Same." He said.

There was a thick silence when there shouldn't have been. This wasn't us. Our conversation flowed naturally and smoothly, no awkward pauses or silences.

I broke it by saying,

"Hey, you're still coming to the party tonight right?"

He looked a little taken aback but then smiled and said.

"Of course I am, wouldn't miss it for the world. Listen Ava-" he started but was interrupted by a honk

I looked up, it was Connor, Jake, and Hunter all in Hunter's car.

"You coming?" Connor hollered

Tyler looked at me with this look of just total exhaustion, like he couldn't take this anymore. I saw the hurt and frustration in his eyes and it was slowly breaking my heart, piece by piece.

"Forget it, it looks like you're busy. I'll see you later." He said and got up to leave

I got up from the bench and yelled after him,

"Tyler wait!"

He turned around and looked at me with his chocolate brown eyes looking at me, waiting for me to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

I ran towards him and just wrapped my arms around him in a hug. He seemed surprised at first but then did the same to me. It felt so good to finally have his arms around me-so normal. He smelled like the cologne I got him for his birthday, the one I said smelled like Abercrombie. It felt good, it felt familiar, it felt normal. I took in everything I had missed for the past 2 weeks.

"I'll see you tonight," I said as I broke away from him.

"Yeah, see you." He said and I walked towards the car.

I slid into the backseat next to Jake.

"Hey guys," I said

"Heyyy, you nervous for tonight. Your very first TURNING." Jake said emphasis on the 'turning'

"Jake I feel like all my intestines are twisted in knots laughing at me as I am walking to my execution. So yeah, I'm a little nervous." I snapped at him