Another Chance (Sequel to: It's All Over Now)

Chapter 30: Trying to Heal What Can't Be Fixed.

Mason's P.O.V.

As Tyler and I walked up to my room we turned the corner to enter through the door. The second we stepped in through the door Tyler had tears in his eyes and turned me to face him.

"Mason I'm so sorry." He repeated out loud three times. "I know now that what I did was so terrible, and about your family. I heard that they made you really miserable. I'm sorry my issues towards you only made it worse."

I stood there and looked down at my feet. Because I was afraid if I looked him in the eye, I might cry.

I shifted my eyes back to his longing distraught face and sighed. I knew this boy would never be out of my life. I knew I wasn't a life expert but I just felt that somehow he'd always end up in my life. Maybe because we were all in the same friend group, or maybe because we were meant to meet and stay in each other's lives.

"I understand how you must feel somehow, Tyler." Tyler gasped slightly at my response to understanding. "School makes everyone feel not safe and like we are a target at all times. Given the fact we were two guys together I could understand how you felt that people were looking down on you and you just wanted to feel normal. The perfectly normal straight student who got A's and B's and had no problems. I wish I could be too. I wish it was that easy. All the teachers who are mean and disrespectful would disappear, and everyone could accept us for who we are. Sadly I think we both figured it out, schools are after perfect grades, acceptable people. They look down on us. The ones who are different and want to change us. You broke up with me because you wanted to be normal." I said resting my lungs. His straight staring eyes formed tears and without even blinking, tears streamed down his face.

"It's killing me." He said gasping for breath crying his eyes and lungs out now.

"What's killing you?" I asked bending down to his eye level.

"School, loss of friendships, rumors. It's killing me so much faster. Faster than any kind of disease. School is a disease of it's own and I'm dying so fast. I can't keep up with the expectations. I want it to all stop and I just want to sleep and forget about everything again like I was a little kid again and I could get away with anything and was happy more than half the time. Now I'm wandering around a huge building feeling dead from inside and out hearing people whisper things about me in the hallways. I used to believe what they said. They as in meaning the adults. They used to tell us that tv and the internet would destroy our brains and our creativity. But in reality, the internet and tv embraces differences and inspired us into amazing people. School is what tried to make us all the same boring person and I'm sick of it."

"Me too. Me too Tyler. I'm tired and emotionally worn out. Once we get out though we will be more free though right? We get to get out of our homes and become happy right?"

Tyler didn't answer and soon I felt the dread. I knew things wouldn't get simpler any time soon and it hurt my heart. What if it never gets better?

What if it only gets worse. 

Tyler got up and without a word, without a breath, I saw a tear fall from his face to the floor. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him closely. He stared back at me with a blank stare and the motionless life in his eyes. His eyes were the color of a grey sparkle. But now they seemed darker. The sparkle turned to dust, and what remained in those once beautiful eyes were now the eyes of an adult. As sad and tired as they come.

Morrigan's P.O.V.

As I walked back to the bus station to go home I thought over and over to myself again. 'What do we do now Tony? Do we leave your room or take everything and put it into boxes?'  I got closer to a small shopping center just as I thought about something. When I got home what was going to be going on with Mason and Tyler? 

The more I thought about it I knew I had to do something. Just as I passed Walmart, I got a good idea.

***

As I walked through the front door of my house I heard laughter. I smile. Maybe this situation was better than I thought it would be. I couldn't wait to see Mason smile. He was laughing again he was really laughing again.

I opened the door to our bedroom slightly before I stopped in my tracks. The sound of laughter i thought I heard was actually the sound of Tyler crying while trying to smile. Mason was stroking his hair and tried to calm him down but Tyler was distraught and miserable. Mason and I met eye glances as I made contact with his face. He mouthed the words 'Ten more minutes' I nodded and decided to leave. I got downstairs and as quietly as possible and started to make dinner. I put chicken nuggets in the oven for all three of us and got out some Diet Coke. While the chicken nuggets were cooking I went downstairs and got a sleeping bag because from what I walked in on I could tell that not only Mason and I would be staying here tonight. 

Several minutes later the oven beeped and I heard them come down the stairs. Tyler's face white and pale, Mason's face as red as a tomato. I don't know what they talked about, but neither of them seemed okay. 

I greeted Tyler which he smiled to his best ability and said hello. We took our plates, got some food and sat without talking in the living room watching a movie. When everyone was done eating we got up to put plates in the dishwasher. After the dishwasher had closed I smiled to myself and turned around opening the cabinet.

"Hey do you guys remember that one time we were all really sad on Valentine's Day a few years back when we wanted cake but our parents said no so we went to the store with our own money combined together and tried to buy one but we ran short a few dollars?" I said smiling at them.

They both smiled back. Even Tyler smiled.

"I remember very well. After the lady told us we were short we started wandering around the store wondering what to do but then Tony brought up. 'Well our favorite part of the cake is the frosting so why don't we just buy jars of frosting?"

"That truly was a great idea." Mason said smiling at the remembrance of our friend who was more like part of our family.

"Well." I began. "I did just that. I bought one can for each of us and some other candy."

Mason and Tyler both laughed for real and smiled for real that night, and of course I was none the less thrilled. 

"I didn't know what kind you'd like so I bought nine different flavors" I said laying them on the table.

"Nine?!" Mason exclaimed. 

"I'm honestly not surprised." Tyler said shaking his head and giggling. "I mean after all she eats the most candy out of anyone I've ever known."

I nodded in shame yet laughter because it was of course true. I loved candy.

Mason looked through all the flavors and gasped. 

"You bought chocolate, vanilla, blue raspberry, strawberry, cream cheese, lemon, green tea, watermelon, and green apple? I did't know half of those flavors even existed." He said looking at them all. 

We opened all the jars, laid them on a coffee table in front of our couch and tried all of them while watching comedy shows and Youtube pranks. We laughed and laughed, but for me, Mason, and Tyler, it always felt like we were missing someone in these times of fun.

And that person was Tony.