Tyler and the Valaholics: The Beginning

Chapter 29

Warning- this chapter could contain trigger(s) for being and trauma from being attacked, mugged, robbed or stabbed.

Song of the chapter- 'Coldest Winter' by Pentatonix (cover)

'If spring can take the snow away,
Can it melt away all our mistakes?
Memories made in the coldest winter.'

My cheek tingling a little, I drop my head down as if in apology which seems to be the wrong thing to do as he lets out an angry huff before lifting my chin so he can see my face.

"I'm infinitely sorry for that, I got incredibly annoyed that you seem to think that I would feel your story to be a bore. I was quite interested in it and I'm glad I got to know so I can understand you. That, by the way, isn't an excuse for me to behave like that, but why is it that you didn't even retaliate and instead just remained submissive? Don't you ever react to such instances?" the anger in his voice fades to make way for sadness.

"Mom taught me that sometimes, reacting to an angry or disturbed person lashing out only makes the situation worse. Also, I didn't want you to become angrier by retaliating but apparently I should have to not make you angrier because you are angrier. I certainly didn't mean to, so could you please find it in you to forgive me for that?" I tell him in what I intend to be a calm and low voice but my voice betrays my fear and disappointment in myself.

"Unbelievable! You were seriously brought up like that?!" his voice is still too loud to be in a quiet street in the middle of the night but manages to flick a switch in me as I almost pounce on him.

"Hey, don't insult my Mom, Dad and father! They may not have been the most ideal parents but they still were my parents and I do mean what I told that git- I am highly likely to attack you if you attack someone I care about," I nearly yell.

He backs away a little and raises both his hands in apology, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that I've been taught quite different values and manners so I just felt weird at first. But wait, that's what you told that nitwit so does that mean you really care about me?"

I give him a small smile and assure him I do, much to his surprise as he queries me as to why I would care about him considering I barely know him. I reassure him that what I do know about him is enough for me to care about anyone and, besides, I do know him better now.

"Wow, I haven't really had a lot of friends other than my brother so I apologize in advance for any weird or borderline maniacal thing I do or say. I don't really know what to do now though," he admits while fidgeting with the hem of his jacket.

I'm about to tell him I didn't really have a lot of experience with friends until I met the girls about a year ago when our conversation is disrupted by a voice somewhat lacking sanity in its tone despite the sanity in its words that booms out from behind us, making the both of us jump to our feet.

"Perhaps you should go home and sleep and then you'd avoid getting mugged or attacked."

We turn to face the owner of the face, who has unruly dark hair sticking out in all directions and has a look in his eyes that can only be described as deranged as he holds up a small knife. He instructs us not to shout or run as he will have absolutely no problem stabbing the person nearest to him if we do and demands of us to hand over all valuables.

I open my mouth to tell him I don't really have a lot of money when Josh pushes me forwards, earning a bewildered stare and a laugh from the man as he calls him a coward. When the man reminds me of the knife he's wielding, I sigh and take out my wallet and take out all the money before passing it to him, which isn't a lot considering I didn't even have much before.

"Sweetheart, let me tell you something. You don't look the kind to be so poor and you don't look stupid either so why don't you hand over all the money you have so I don't stab you?" his voice rings out loudly as he menacingly brings forward his knife.

I toss him the wallet so he can check for sure that I don't have any more money but it only winds up angering him as he yells at me to empty my pockets and I do, a few coins and some other odds falling out. He doesn't believe I'm telling him the truth as he personally checks my pockets and bag to ensure I don't have any more money or valuable items. He lets out a low growl, demanding to receive more.

"I'm sorry, I really don't have more!" I reply, causing him to chuck my empty wallet rather forcefully in my face.

He begins to yell at Josh to hand him all of his money but only gives me a puzzled glance, leading me to cautiously turn around to realize the only people in the street right now are the knife-wielding lunatic mugger and me. I realize that this is a pretty frightening situation for many and many would have escaped the first chance they could get so it's only natural he fled when the man was preoccupied with checking my pockets. I'm more puzzled by the fact that he wasn't even the slightest bit noisy when he escaped while anyone else would probably be more focused on wondering how he could bring himself to leave someone alone in such a situation but I'm just really glad he's safe.

I swivel around just in time to see the man aim his knife right at my torso and swerve away, the knife lodging a little above the crook of my elbow as Josh hits his head from behind him with a rather large wooden plank and he collapses.

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Didn't expect that, did you? Do you, like Josh, feel it's wrong for parents to imbibe in their children the act of not reacting outwardly to someone attacking them and not retaliate much? Do you, like Val has grown up being taught, believe that it's sensible to not react much so the person cools down all the time? Why do you think Josh pushed her ahead? Was what Josh did sensible?

That's it for now, good night! Well, morning, considering that it's ten past twelve AM so...

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