Cross School

34 - The Party: Part Four - Truth and Consequences

'-and that's why since that day, I've always been scared of hippos.' Layla erupted into laughter, holding on to her boyfriend's side just to maintain composure. Alicia thought she'd be sick at the sight of the two. Tyler was once again making Layla drop dead with laughter by saying nothing more than a horrible joke he found on the internet. It was testing Alicia's gag reflex just watching them.

'Why do you insist on spying on them?' Stephanie asked, pulling Alicia away from the window. Alicia had been spying on Tyler's night for a good while now. He hadn't changed to Taylor in a while, so it would happen soon. As bright as Layla and the others seemed, nobody seemed to notice or care that Tyler and Taylor were never in the same room. It also helped that everybody was hopelessly drunk.

'I don't know,' Alicia said.

'We need some excitement,' Stephanie said. 'We need some boys. C'mon, let's go find some guys we can talk to. We didn't get dressed up tonight so we could stare at another couple the whole time.'

'I guess you're right, but-'

Stephanie stopped her friend before she could continue. She grabbed Alicia's wrist and led her along to the kitchen where a group of private school boys were hanging out. They were hot, as seemed to be a requirement for private schools, and they looked ecstatic that girls came to them first. Alicia got caught up in a conversation with a cute boy named Kyle who was very interested in her. They talked about school, movies, and all sorts of things. Kyle was a good if brief distraction for Alicia. She almost forgot about Tyler, but he infiltrated her mind once more when she caught him sneaking down the side of the house dressed as Taylor, surprising Layla in the backyard with a hug and another plastic cup filled with some alcoholic beverage.

'Who are they?' Kyle asked, finally catching Alicia's stares.

'Oh, he-SHE's my sister. Twin, actually.'

'You have many siblings?'

Alicia smiled. 'Sometimes I wish I was an only child.'

'I've got a twin sister as well,' Kyle said. 'Trust me, I know what it's like. She can be a real bitch a lot of the time, but at the end of the day, I still love her.'

Alicia nodded, looking over at Tyler again. She was still incredibly upset with him, but her feelings didn't take away from the past few months. Having Tyler back was great, even if he had been Taylor most of the time. Regardless of who Tyler was deep down, he was still Alicia's brother, and she would never stop loving him. That's why she needed her brother. She needed him by her side, to handle any problem together. Alicia loved Bella very much, but her bond with Tyler was unmatched. She was sure there was no connection stronger than with twins, but recently, her bond with Tyler had been challenged. She needed to expose him here and now, but she didn't have the heart to do it herself. Tyler looked so happy with Layla, but he needed to stop leading her on. The only way they could continue in a healthy relationship was if the truth came out. It needed to happen before Tyler left with their father, and maybe, just maybe, the truth would result in a stronger relationship, prompting him to want to stay.

It was risky, and Alicia wasn't sure whether she was willing to take it or not. Alicia talked with Kyle for a good while longer. She was glad she found him. He did a good job of leading her mind away from thinking about Tyler, or Taylor, or whoever was with Layla. Alicia drank a bit, enough to get drunk enough to make out with Kyle in the kitchen. Stephanie had already left, leading some boy to an upstairs bedroom. She considered doing the same with Kyle who was getting a bit too frisky for an open act of sexual tension, but another boy caught her eye.

Not in an attraction sort of way, this boy was far from being her type. He was far from being anyone's type at all. She had seen this boy before and knew he had met Tyler before. The boy was desperately trying to get girls to dance with him, but none took the bait.