Let Me Help | Tyrus (complete!)

Desperation

TJ had messed up. This time, there was nothing he could say or do to fix his actions. He had been suspended for a week. Metcalf had almost expelled him, and if it weren't for him being the basketball captain and his clean record, he would have. Instead, he felt the wrath of his parents and sister. On top of that, he had almost lost his job at the gym and was grounded until December. Plus, Cyrus probably hated him now. He knew he hated violence. 

He spent the week sulking in his room, playing indie music and sadly eating the cheeto puffs Amber had angrily thrown at him yesterday. 

TJ spent the majority of the week locked in his room wistfully scrolling through Instagram and pouting at his lack of notifications. One morning, Amber came into his room holding a folded towel and immediately groaned, "UGh Tyler James, you need to shower right fucking now! It's like a pigsty in here." She came in a flourish, throwing clothes aside while dramatically pinching her nostrils closed. 

"Go away Amber," Tj said as he laid on the floor. Amber came over and lightly kicked him in the side. 

"Don't be so stupid, you brought this onto yourself." She had a pile of clothes in her arms, "You know what you did."

TJ groaned and sat up, he ran his fingers through his ungelled hair. He pushed up his glasses and said, "Whatever Amber! You don't understand. Now everyone thinks I'm a guy that fights everyone! Like a bully or something," he trailed off. 

Amber smacked the back of his head, "Spoiler Alert: you've been the bully the whole time." She paused, "Why have you been fighting with Reed anyways? You know he's all talk," she thought to herself and scoffed, "I'm glad you're not friends anymore, he always annoyed me."

"Bambi, I'm trying really hard here, I'm just a dumbass kid that can't control himself," TJ stood up, taking the clothes from Amber and putting them in his launder hamper. 

Amber rolled her eyes, she knew TJ only used her nickname when he was feeling sorry for himself. She said, "Don't beat yourself up T, or anyone else up for that matter. Actually, stop hitting people. No one can fix this but you, so get your lazy ass up and change for the better, yeah?" 

TJ laid back down on his carpet, looking up at the skylight he groaned and rubbed his eyes. Amber clicked her tongue and said, "And use your words dumbass," she threw the towel in his face, "and go shower, you smell like a teenage boy, it's disgusting."  

After peeling himself from his spot on the ground, TJ dragged himself to the bathroom and took an hour shower. It was nice having a task, even one as small as showering. Water always cleared his head. After showering, Tj found himself more motivated to change than ever. He didn't want to be the bully anymore, he just wanted to be a normal kid. He thought back to the beginning of the year when Cyrus had told him that it was hard to remember he was nice now. Even he had forgotten that he was supposed to be nice now. TJ didn't know how to start changing, but he did know his room needed to be cleaned. 

By the time someone opened the door to his room, it was dark out. "T? Are you still sulking?" Amber gently said as she opened his door. 

"I've decided to change my life," Tj said confidently from under his makeshift pillow fort. Amber laughed. 

"Okay T, you say that like every week but thanks for following my advice. I brought you some baby taters from work," She dropped her backpack on his bed and slid to sit down next to him. After cleaning, TJ had decided that the floor was the most comfortable place to think about reinventing himself. He had pilled his bedsheets into a corner, opened all the windows, and sprayed citrus air freshener. He felt productive, he felt motivated. 

Amber opened the box and TJ immediately shoved them into his mouth, "So" Amber said while popping a couple in her mouth, "How do you plan on changing yourself this time?"