Dear Jack (Visual Story)

Chapter Nine

Tyler

There was no sense trying with this stupid girl anymore. She had made it clear she wasn't interested so many times it was pathetic. Yet still I found myself chasing after her. I was the pathetic one.

I wanted to blame it on my need to get laid. I wanted to blame it on my reputation. But it was something more. I couldn't deny it anymore. Not when that damn phone call crushed something inside me and made me want to throw things.

I balled my fists, yanking the door open and walking back to the living room with the guys. I snatched a beer out of the fridge, with more force than necessary.

"Dude what's crawled up your ass?" Matt said.

"You have, dick."

"Sorry for asking." He turned and walked towards the others while I stood in the kitchen brooding like an idiot.

Stupid fucking Piper. Why can't you just let me in?

"Dude he's on his period. We should probably go." I heard Matt telling the others. There was whispering, but I couldn't make out the words.

I spun around, moping into the living room portion of my penthouse and sat on the couch.

"No need. I always get like this when I speak with my father. The man just pisses me off." I lied.

"Well drink another beer and stop being a douche." Matt said, tipping my beer up with his fingers.

"Shut up Matt. Parents suck sometimes." Jake said, his eyes glazed over from the beers he already had.

John was half asleep on the couch, just staring straight ahead.

"Maybe you guys should go. I doubt I'll be in a better mood anytime soon." I said, not wanting him to pass out and be stuck here for the night.

I didn't do overnights. Not with anyone. Never had, never will.

They didn't want to leave, but I insisted. When they walked out the door and stumbled down the hall, I shut the door hard and fell onto the couch. I found myself itching to call her again. To apologize again.

I barely knew this girl yet already I had apologized to her more times than I had apologized to anyone- besides my father- in my life. I don't know what made me do it, but I just kept feeling the need to.

I knew I was a jerk. She knew I was a jerk. Yet I still had to voice my sorry over it.

Don't apologize for who you are.

Those words kept echoing through my head over and over. That's all I had been doing this whole time. Apologizing for who I am.

I was that guy. I was a dick. But I didn't want to be that guy anymore. I hadn't wanted to be that guy for a while now. Since even before Piper came into the picture. My routines were getting old, suffocating me to the point I just wanted it all to end. The façade I created for myself just wasn't doing it anymore.

Even more I wanted to be a guy she could like. I had never felt this way about a girl before. Usually I didn't even care what they thought, but with Piper, it was all about what she thought.

I had this need inside me to prove I could be different. This need to put aside who I actually was just to please her. I couldn't deny it anymore.

I choked down another four beers before passing out. It was the only thing I could do to drown out the thoughts. I wasn't stupid enough to try to kill myself again. It wouldn't work anyways. If I ended up in that hospital again, they would commit me for sure.