Floods and Tears

Chapter 8 - Tyler

Tyler lay in bed, staring at his phone, hoping and praying that Jody would ring him back or at least text. Maybe he was just being silly, maybe Jody had just called him by mistake and had realised and hung up or perhaps it was a pocket call. But somehow Tyler just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He thought of how happy Jody had been when she first went back to her family all those years ago, yet a few days later he and Carmen had to break her out of her room when they found that Kingsley was keeping her locked in. He thought about how angry and upset Jody had become when her mum had manipulated her to deceive her new boyfriend into thinking her daughter still lived with her. 

Tyler glanced at his phone, it was 3am and he just couldn't sleep. He kept convincing himself that he needed to go and check on Jody and then deciding he was probably being silly and Jody would probably be fine and pretty annoyed to find him on her doorstep.
Tyler eventually fell asleep for a few hours. He dreamt of Jody. He could hear her voice calling him but however much he tried he couldn't find her. Tyler... Tyler... Tyler....  Her voice echoed through his dreams, and he frantically searched, hearing the fear and panic in her voice. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find where her voice was coming from.

Tyler woke up with a start, sweating and exhausted, suddenly determined to check Jody was OK. It was 7am, he pulled on his clothes and was just about to leave the room when Alex woke up.

Hey Tyler where are you going at this time of the morning? Said Alex rubbing his eyes.
I need to check on Jody, I'm worried about her. He replied and left the room.

Jody awoke stiff and sore and bursting for the loo. She was just starting to feel that she couldn't hold any longer when the door was unlocked.
Kingsley says you can come out now as long as there is no funny business. Said her mum
Jody rushed past her mum and locked herself in the bathroom. She sat their for ages wondering what to do.
Jody breakfast is ready called her mum
Jody cautiously headed downstairs.
She wolfed down several slices of toast and a bowl of cereal. She has just finished when the doorbell rang. Kingsley peered through the peephole. Get out the back he hissed to his mates and they scarpered.
Mum it's some boy at the door. Just answer and send him away.

Jody suddenly felt a jolt of hope at the mention of a boy at the door. Maybe it was Tyler.
Tyler! She shouted but Kingsley clamped his hand over her mouth and dragged out the back of the house. He pushed her into the he garden shed and locked the door behind her. He then ran round to the side of the house ducking under the window sills.

Tyler knocked on the door again, determined to stay until someone opened the door.
Eventually a middle aged woman in a dressing gown opened the door. He recognised her at once.
Hi Mrs Jackson, can I speak to Jody please?
She's not here.
Well when will she be back?

How should I know. Anyway I'm busy so I'm afraid you'll have to go.
I'm not going until I know Jody is OK.
Jody is perfectly fine
Then where is she? 
I told you she's out
I'll wait then
Look I'm busy, so just clear off. Jody is visiting some old friends from when she was little. She's staying over for a couple of days so there's no point hanging around because she wont be back today. I'm sure if Jody wanted to speak to you she would call.

Er right sorry mumbled Tyler and left. He was confused. Jody had never mentioned any old friends but then again why would she. Maybe he was just overreacting, she must have called by mistake and was too busy with friends to call back or answer his messages yet.

Tyler walked away, hands in pockets and deep in thought. Maybe he was going crazy, maybe he was finally succumbing to the same madness as his mum. Yet at the same time every fibre of his being was telling him not to trust Denise and to find Jody to make sure she was safe.

He stopped half way down the street and lent against a fence  still wondering what to do. Ten minutes later he was still there. He kept flicking through his phone, hoping a message from Jody would appear. He decided to try Jody's phone again. It went straight to voicemail and he listened to the sound of Jody's voice on the message. Somehow listening to her voice made him more determined than ever to make sure she was OK and any doubt in his mind vanished. He turned around and went back to the house.

He marched up to the front door and was about to ring the doorbell again when he heard voices. He snuck a look in the window, instinctively keeping himself out of sight. What he saw immediately made his stomach drop. Sitting on the sofa was Kingsley and a couple of other guys who must be his mates. They were laughing and joking and eating the cold remains of a pizza out of a takeaway box. Tyler stayed peering through the window watching Kingsley and his mates. They switched on the TV and began playing a video game. Suddenly Tyler realised how risky it was to be standing in front of the house, the neighbours might get suspicious, or perhaps more of Kingsley's mates would turn up. Tyler made a dash for it and ran back down the street out of sight. He then crossed the road and doubled back on himself keeping hidden behind parked cars. He squatted down between two cars where he had a decent view of the front of the house. He couldn't see into the house from there but he had a good view of the path leading up the front door.

He hadnt been there long when he saw someone coming down the path. It was Jody's mum, her supermarket uniform visible under her coat. She disappeared down the street and Tyler spent several hours hunkered down in the gutter between the two cars watching to see if Kingsley would leave as well. Then maybe Tyler could do a bit of snooping and see if Jody was locked in her room like last time. Just a few weeks after he first met Jody he had helped rescue her after Kingsley had locked her in her room. Tyler was quite certain Kingsley would happily do that again or much worse. He shuddered as he remembered watching Kingsley run away from a burning flat that Jody was trapped in. That was the second time Tyler had to rescue Jody. On both previous occasions he had other DG kids with him. This time it was truly up to him to rescue Jody, there was no one else to help. After 3 hours there was still no sign of Kingsley leaving and Tyler was loosing patience. He decided to peek inside again. So he crept back up the front garden to the window and peered inside. Kingsley was busy staring at his phone. One of the other guys was glued to TV screen furiously pressing the games controller buttons evidently still playing a game. The third guy was sprawled out asleep across the sofa. It was clear that they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Tyler decided to see if he could get round the back of the house, he couldn't chance hanging about out the front in case anyone saw him but if he got round the back there was less chance of nosy neighbours spotting him and he might be able to sneak into the house. He was over the side gate in no time and soon found himself in the back garden. He crept to the back door and tried the handle. The door was unlocked. He was just about to enter when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around and could barely believe his eyes. Jody was frantically banging on the window of the garden shed, trapped inside. Tyler rushed over and unbolted the shed door. Jody burst out flinging herself into his arms. Tyler held her close and they stood in a tight embrace. Eventually they let go of each other.
Are you OK? asked Tyler urgently
Yeah I am now. She smiled
Let's get out of here said Tyler grabbing Jody's hand.
Still holding hands they crept passed the backdoor and round to the side of the house. Once they had made it onto the street, they ran as fast as they could. Eventually they reached a bus stop and stood panting, trying to get their breath back.
Thank you gasped Jody between gulped breaths
It was nothing
No really Tyler. Thank you she said voice quivering and a tear rolling down her cheek. You saved me again. I don't know what I'd do without you
Your welcome. Seems to be turning into a bit of a habit of yours to get yourself in sticky situations with Kingsley
I know, I'm sorry. I really thought it was going to be different this time. I really thought my mum had changed. I should of known better.
She's your mum, you love her. Sometimes it's the people we love most that are capable of hurting us the most. I think most of us DG kids have experienced that.

Jody was staring at her feet. Feeling so small and stupid after ending up in such a situation again. Angry with herself for trusting her mum.
Come here said Tyler softly and took her into his arms. He held her close and kissed the top of her head.
The bus screeched it's brakes as it pulled up next to them.
Let's get out of here said Tyler and they boarded the bus.
The bus rumbled off down the road and Jody finally breathed a sigh of relief.
By the way said Tyler you've got to stop putting me through this, I think my hair is going grey because of all these rescue efforts. he said jokingly pulling at one of his curly locks and inspecting it.
Ty! Exclaimed Jody and they both started laughing, Jody punching him playfully on the shoulder.