Bookends | Jody & Tyler | The Dumping Ground

Water | Six

"Shit, Tyler! It's flooding, retreat. Retreat!"

The joystick flicked aimlessly under his thumb as he struggled to find the exit. His eyes were glued to the screen as the water gushed through the grate in the wall, any second now they were about to drown and he only had one life left.

Jay cried out in tense anticipation but Tyler had spotted a way out. If only he could get there in time. Using every trick he had, he sped to the doorway as fast as he could before...

The screen flickered black and he frowned confused. Had he made it out or had he died and made it to heaven? 

Straightening up, his eyes latched onto a plug swinging aimlessly from someone's hand like a lasso. And it looked like he was the bait.

"Jody! We were so close!"

"Shut up, Jay."

Jay looked between the two of them curiously, he hadn't seen Jody this wound up in ages but it seemed like this particular issue ran a lot deeper. He exhaled slowly, putting the pieces together.

"Oh, is this about Lola?"

Her ears pricked up as Jay made his excuses to leave before all hell broke loose. Fear crept into her, what exactly did he know?

"He doesn't know about you and her, don't worry. He just saw something and got his wires crossed."

Jody watched as he put his console down slowly and stood up to greet her. He didn't seem fazed at all, but expectant. And that only made her more enraged.

"I'm guessing Lola told you then."

"Since you didn't have the guts to tell me yourself, yeah, she did."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"For what? Hacking into my phone, making her lie to me... or being a controlling, selfish, condescending, narcissistic, stupid, fucked-up little arsehole!"

"Jody!"

She turned around her eyes fierce and brimming with tears. May-Li and Sasha stood by shocked and she realised that some of the younger kids had also heard some of her emotional remarks.

And for maybe the first time in ages, she didn't care.

Sure, it'd been a while since she'd had an outburst like this but she knew now that anyone in her place would feel exactly the same way.

Pulling herself together, she turned around to face Tyler again who finally looked just as visibly shocked. 

It took you a while.

Her steady gaze met his as their false masquerades finally came down. No more fake smiles. His lips parted for a second as he tried to come back with a response but words failed him.

Words always seemed to fail him, these days.

All he could think about was her. Her rage, her shock... her company.

'Cause although the two had sometimes hung out alone the past few days, it had never felt as natural as this. Here, right now, was maybe the most open the two had been with each other in ages. It was progress back to who they used to be.

Except from the defeated, apathetic look in her eyes, it seemed that he'd just about fucked up whatever relationship they had. This was serious. Unpredictable.

Jody held his gaze unwaveringly. Despite the rawness of all her emotions seeping out, she had to restrain herself. Not just for the sake of the DG but because she wanted to look him dead in the eyes when she told him this.