Cops' Kids

C14

"Hey, Rita!" Tyson shouts and half jogs to catch up to her. She turns around and smiles. He's always found her pretty but never made the move. She's one of the only girls that doesn't like him for his infamous popularity or objectifies his body. He doesn't want to ruin a good friendship. Besides, she trusts him with her secret and vice versa. Rita and Helena are the only two he's told the truth to about Elmer. Rita hasn't told anyone because she has enough on her plate taking care of her younger brothers when her mom is on tour. Her dad works odd hours as a real estate agent. Helena's father is a stockbroker, her stepmother a store manager and her mother a flight attendant. Alan O'Hara could only help Tyson invest what little money he did over multiple accounts and stocks, his wife has a go bag packed at her place of work and Elaine Griffiths has a ticket ready for whenever he decides it's time to leave. He won't until his brothers are safe so that means Erik Fanucci is his way out.

Helena is his first ex, quite honestly his first love. He's still not sure why they broke up but he knows it's probably his fault for doing something stupid. Rita was his rebound fling. He won't call her an ex-girlfriend because they both were reeling from their significant others walking away. It's why he knows her secret and she knows his, from the couple of drunken nights they spent together.

"Hi Tyson," Rita's hip touches his when she walks beside him, matching strides.

"I need that favour," he throws an arm around her shoulders just for the hell of it. He hasn't seen Georgia yet and isn't too keen on the meeting.

"Really?" Rita frowns and pushes him away. Her white blonde hair falls over her shoulder and he brushes it out of the way. "Georgia seems nice. You should've called it with Beatrice."

"Eli's sister is a time in my life I don't want to think about," Tyson retorts. Rita rolls her eyes. As macho big man as Tyson acts, he's super sensitive. Beatrice cheating really did a number on him.

"You sure?" Rita asks again. She's double checking because Tyson often makes rash decisions ending in disastrous outcomes. Like she said, she likes Georgia.

"Yeah, Miss. Buckingham, it's a date." Tyson trails his fingers down her arm and winks before turning down the hallway leading to the gym. He'd made sure Freya Williams, Georgia's sisters friend, had seen and eavesdropped on the whole conversation. Tyson already had one girl break his trust, he wasn't going to let it happen again. Two can play the stepping out game.

Tyson rounds the doorway of the gym. Coach had called a meeting with the small weight lifting team at lunch. It is the perfect opportunity to tell him his star player has to drop out. Only three other boys are on the team, no girls. Elijah doesn't like Tyson for the drama that went down with Beatrice. It bothers Tyson but he's used to hiding his emotions, he had to when dating Beatrice and even stuck with her when she cheated the first time. Thomas is sort of Tyson's friend, only because he's Rita's older brother and admires Tyson for the secrets he's kept for his sister and the falls he took to keep her safe. The last teenager on the team is Harvey Tolkien, who doesn't mind Tyson's angst attitude and negative aura swirling like a black cloud overhead. What he doesn't say makes Tyson believe he has secrets of his own, but don't we all?

"Hey Coach," Tyson holds his hand out for the coach to fist bump. "Can I talk for a sec?"

"Give me good news, Champ." Coach smiles but his eyes flicker in resignation. The purple bruises on Tyson's jaw, the cut on his cheek, the bump on his nose, the sideways way Tyson carries himself and the limp in his step has coach guessing correctly what is coming.

"I got into another fight," Tyson lies easily. Years of practice keep him slick. "I'm grounded indefinitely. No practice, no tournaments. Sorry, Coach."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Coach says carefully. Clattering in the storage room has both their attention for a second. "This fight with the guys that jumped Rita?"

"Yeah, guess they thought I was gorgeous, too." Tyson slyly smiles. He'd seen Georgia's dark brown hair flash through the storage room doors before he'd spoken.

"I'll talk with the principal. See if we can't have practices during lunch or a flex period. But the bigger problem is missing tournaments." Coach nods to one of Tyson's teammates and holds up a finger. "Guess I better tell the crew."

"I'm sorry I let you down, Coach." Tyson says. Reminiscing about the past few years in the blink of an eye has an ache coming to his heart. Tyson had an escape from Elmer. Now he'll have to find a new one.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more," Coach replies, motioning with his eyes to the bruises and stiffness Tyson carries on his body. With that, he walks away.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" Georgia steps out of the storage room angrily. She stomps on her way to Tyson.

"Truth about what?" Tyson asks. He is genuinely confused. Georgia doesn't know about Elmer and no one should be able to put it together in two months.

"You know," Georgia waves vaguely. She isn't going to admit the truth if Tyson isn't. She narrows her eyes at her boyfriend.

"So Rita's gorgeous, huh?" She shakes her head and walks passed him.

"You aren't even supposed to be here," Tyson retorts. He has to skip a step to catch up to her.

"How else am I gonna talk to my boyfriend if he won't text or call?" Georgia snaps, crossing her arms and cocking her hip out. Tyson hides an incredulous chuckles behind a cough. That's her excuse? What about the messages he got Benjamin and Warren to send her explaining the situation? Georgia sighs and places a hand gently on Tyson's shoulder. "But seriously, tell someone who can help the truth."

"Have you been talking to Lena?" Tyson mutters defensively, backing away from her touch. At least she still cares about him. At least she's still trying to look out for him even when they are at odds.

"Who's Lena?" Georgia frowns.

"Never mind," Tyson sighs tiredly. He waves as he walks away, turning his back on his girlfriend. She hasn't been reliable or trustworthy. Neither has he but he has exigent circumstances.