A Second Chance

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Tyler walked in and ignored Bea almost immediately. Then he set the table as his father instructed. First he put the plates down and then the forks and knives. Lastly, he put napkins on the side of each plate. With the aroma of the food in the kitchen, Tyler knew what his father was making. It was the only thing he really knew how to cook and that was because it was his mother's recipe for jambalaya. The spicy stew was pretty much the only thing Robert could cook and he was quite proud of it. Tyler smiled at his father as he helped the man bring out the large pot and bowl of rice for everyone to share. Tyler was placing the rice bowl on the table when Bea took her seat. "You don't belong there," Tyler stated, rather nastily.

Robert eyed his son before saying, "It's fine. Bea can sit there. There's no need to make a big deal about this." Robert kept his eye on Tyler. With a quick jerk of his head, Tyler looked at his father about to scream. Instead he growled at Bea.

"You don't belong there," Tyler re-stated. He didn't feel like saying anything else to her, instead he just stared at her with a nasty glare.
 
Bea glared right back. "You think I want to be here? No offense, Mr. S, I appreciate that you're trying to help me. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it. It's clear you don't want me here, trust me we're on the same page. But I don't have a choice. So you can just get over it. Sorry Mr. S the food smells great but I've suddenly lost my appetite." She turned and stormed up the stairs, shutting herself into the guest room and collapsing on the bed. Hopefully the chief would recognize that she needed her space and leave her be. She had almost ran out the door, but then Mr.Sabot would probably had to call it in or something. And Bea would be in a correctional facility by the end of the week.

Bea groaned into her pillow. She really was hungry. She pulled out her phone and texted Mason. Hey. God I hate this. After a few seconds of studying the decor her phone beeped in response.

What happened?

Nothing, it's just the chief's kid is such an asshole. I get why he doesn't want me here but I don't want to be here either. He blew up at me for where I sat at the dinner table.

Jesus. Sounds like a real a-hole. Sneak over and see me.

You know I can't.

I have cheesy popcorn. Bea laughed out loud and ignored the last text.

Still no. But thanks for the offer.

Anytime.
 
Robert looked at his son with a mixture of anger and disappointment. His expression softened as he asked, "Was that necessary?" Tyler turned away from his father and refused to look at him. Robert continued with a sigh, "she's been gone for so long, maybe it's time you let her go." He looked down at his plate and moved some food around before adding, "You should apologize. It's not like you to be so...defensive. She's not going to replace your mother. She's just here to find her way." Robert then stood and walked to the kitchen, leaving Tyler alone at the table.

He stayed at the table for a minute or so. Staring at his pate for a moment before bowing his head in defeat. He picked up his plate as well as Bea's. With a hot plate of food, Tyler knocked on Bea's door and said, "Sorry for that. I have some food if you want." Tyler waited for a moment before sighing heavily. It seemed like she wasn't going to come out. Instead he continued, "I'll leave the plate outside your door." With that Tyler placed the dish on the floor and went to his own room.

Plopping down on his bed, Tyler felt exhausted. This entire day was just too much for Tyler to handle. Everything was just falling apart at the seams. After laying there for about ten minutes just letting off steam, Tyler walked to the bathroom and took out his contacts. He didn't love how they dried out at night. Once his contacts were out, Tyler sighed and went back to his room. He threw on a sweatshirt and grabbed his viola and backpack. Leaving a note on the table, Tyler walked out the door.
 
Bea looked up at the sound of footsteps outside of her door. It was Tyler but he thankfully didn't come in. He gave a brief apology, probably one his father had forced out, and then walked away. When she was sure he was gone she darted into the hall and grabbed the food before closing the door. Bea wasn't sure exactly what it was- some mixture of rice and sausage- but it smelled heavenly. She almost cried when she put it in her mouth. It was spicy. Bea loved spicy. If one good thing came out of all of this, it would be the food. Halfway through her food a thought occurred to her. Her eighteenth birthday was a little over a month away. If she broke the terms of the agreement after that would she go to jail instead of juvy? Hopefully she wouldn't have to find out.

Not wanting to see the sheriff or his son Bea left her plate on the nightstand and spent the next few hours messing around on her phone and digging through drawers. Other than what she had been wearing when she was arrested and the clothes Rowan had lent her, Bea didn't have anything to wear. She would have to go home at some point, but she wasn't exactly ready to see her mother. Bea's mother worked the early shift at a dive bar so as long as she dropped by after eleven she wouldn't have to face her mother. She wasn't quite sure how she would get all of her stuff over here but she'd figure that out later. On that promising note Bea went to bed.
 
Tyler had walked about two miles before stopping at the usual place. The moon was high as it lit up the small park area. It wasn't exactly difficult to find places to hide away, but this was somewhere that he went with his mother. A strong sense of belonging welled up inside of him. He wasn't sure why he felt this, but he liked it. Unlike at home, now, Tyler didn't have the stress of everything else; his father or Bea. Everything was just quiet and he could be alone. He looked around and breathed in the sweet aroma of the nighttime. A cool breeze followed before Tyler decided to take out his instrument.

The viola had a glow about it from the moonlight as the rest of the park was blanketed in darkness. Tyler breathed in the scent of the park. With the instrument in hand, Tyler relaxed and brought it to his shoulder. Resting his chin on the instrument, Tyler raised his bow to the strings and started to play. The melody was melancholy, but he loved the sound of the instrument. With a forceful first note, the piece continued with power, yet there was a gentleness about the music. In his head he could hear his mother behind him on the piano. She's smiling with her eyes closed, enjoying the moment. For a moment in time, Tyler felt himself, without all the fluff that he put on every day to impress the rest of the world. This moment, he was free from the world.

 
Bea woke up with the blankets a tangled mess around her which were, apparently, the only thing that had kept her from rolling off the bed and onto the floor last night. She tumbled gracelessly out of the sheets and regarded the bed. Was she supposed to make it? Everything in the house was clean and well kept, but this was her own bedroom in a way. Bea never made her bed at home. Why would she when she planned on sleeping in it later that night? Besides Bea would be staying here for the rest of the summer. She decided to just leave it unmade and ventured into the unoccupied bathroom. Bea took her showers short but so hot that her skin was always a little bit pink when she came out. She dug around until she found a blowdryer and a brush. There wasn't any of her preferred (and beloved) hair products so she improvised with what she could find in the cabinets.

Twenty minutes later her hair was as dry and styled as it was going to get and if she messed with it any longer it'd only get frizzy. Ivy washed her teeth and brushed her teeth with her finger before leaving the room. It was only 11:30, the usual time that Ivy rose in the summer. Mr. Sabot was sitting at the table with his laptop and what she sensed was a long cold cup of coffee. "Morning." She greeted, hovering uneasily near the counter. This whole situation was just so weird. Ivy wasn't sure how to act around him. "I'm going over to grab my stuff from my house. I may be gone a while. Do you have like a... wagon or something?" Clearly she hadn't thought this all out very well.
 
Tyler had gotten back well past midnight and had slept in that morning. His door was slightly open and he was sprawled over his bed. The sheets were loosely covering him as his head sunk into the pillow. There was nothing elegant about the scene at all. Despite this, Tyler felt relaxed and happy. Obviously, he was somewhat awake, but not willing to get up. From his room he could hear Bea getting up and heading to the dining room. He turned a little before staring at the clock on his night stand. Tyler rolled over and groaned before dozing back off to sleep.

Robert looked up from his newspaper as Bea spoke to him. "Don't get into any trouble. I will find out," he warned before smiling. It was a loaded response, but it also meant that Robert trusted Bea on her own. He went back to his paper and stated, "You and Tyler should try to get along better. The feelings between you two can be felt miles away. I understand that neither of you wanted to be put in this situation, but this is what you have."
 
Bea just shrugged at his words. Tyler was the one who had started it after all... wasn't he? She couldn't remember exactly what had happened but Bea didn't start fights for no reason. Sure she was always starting fights but people usually gave her good reasons to. She wasn't about to tell Mr. Sabot that. He probably wouldn't appreciate her badmouthing his son. She headed out the door with a yielding smile. The weather was about the same as it was yesterday. The summer heat was starting to set in, but hadn't quite hit yet. That was good because she wasn't ready to face it. At least not until she could get some shorts.

Bea set off for her house at a leisurely walk. It was a fair distance, maybe three or four miles, but Bea was used to walking. She walked almost everywhere she went. She might have to splurge on a bus ticket to get back to the Sabot's house, though. Walking the distance there was one thing, but walking the distance back with a crapload of her stuff was another thing entirely. Eventually she came up on the exterior of her house and just stood outside in the browning grass, staring at it. Her family didn't live in a bad neighborhood per se, but it wasn't a nice one either. What a great way to describe her life, Bea thought humorlessly. Finally she got tired of glaring at the tacky lawn flamingoes her mother refused to take down and dug around in the plants until she found the spare key.

Everything was just as chaotic and familiar as she'd expected it to be. It even smelled like her house. She'd only been gone a little over a day but it felt much longer. Bea kicked of her running shoes out of habit and trailed her fingers along the wall of the front entry. She touched each of the three pictures on in order. The first was of her mother and father on their wedding day. The second was of their dog Max, who had died when Bea was 10. The last one was the three of them together on a family vacation. That was when her father wasn't so busy with work and before her mother's alcoholism had really started to get bad. Nostalgia and bitterness warred in her heart so she moves on to the kitchen.

It was a cramped but modern style and Bea sat on the counter and ate a bowl of stale fruit loops before she went up to her room. She washed the bowl out and put it back in the cupboard before she did so her mother wouldn't see it. She'd probably notice that all Bea's things were missing but Bea washed the bowl anyways. She trudged downstairs to her room. The door was open and her mother hadn't bothered to turn of the twinkle lights hung across her bed and ceiling.

Bea looked around for a moment trying to decide what to take. She dug through her closet for a suitcase and started carefully folding clothes into it. It didn't matter how she folded them, she'd never fit them all. Not even just the summery things. Maybe she could switch them out at the end of the month. Would she be speaking to her mother by then? When she had absolutely everything she could fit in the suitcase she grabbed an old backpack and started filling that up with other items. First her beloved hair care products and makeup. Photos, accessories, knick knacks, chargers and all other manner of things went in. When it was clear she wouldn't be able to take anything else without a moving van, Bea ducked out of her house.
 
Tyler wasn't sure how long he slept for, but by the time he woke up, his father was already out of the house doing something. With his big goofy glasses, a T-shirt, and shorts, Tyler wandered around his empty house in search for some food. He found a box of cheerios and poured himself a bowl. Dry cereal...his father always told him that was strange, but he didn't care. After finishing his 'breakfast', he looked at the clock. 1:21pm. Tyler smiled. The long sleep did him well. Although he wasn't exactly happy that he basically wasted half a day, he liked the feeling of being rested. With a smile on his face, Tyler washed his bowl and went back to his room to get his laptop.

Taking a seat on the couch, Tyler relaxed and started searching the web. He wondered what he should do today. There wasn't anything special planned, so he decided to check the movie schedule. 'Nothing good', he thought to himself before closing the tab down. Looking outside, Tyler decided to take a walk. AFter putting on a better shirt and his contacts, Tyler left the house. Following the path to the town center, Tyler noticed a certain someone dragging a bunch of bags. Tyler smiled to her before realizing that he probably shouldn't have. 'Should I offer her help? She looks like she's heading to the bus stop.' Tyler thought before realizing that he was basically staring at her. With an awkward smile, Tyler turned to continue on his way.
 
Bea cursed as she tried to juggle her things. She had the suitcase in her left hand hand and was trying to steer her bike in the other. Bringing her bike on the bus was difficult but not impossible. And besides, Bea didn't exactly have much of a choice in the matter. She couldn't exactly ride the bike and carry the suitcase. Her backpack was strapped firmly to her back. She was on the path that led directly to the town center. She used it as an escape attempt last Halloween when she and some of her friends had toilet papering the police station. That'd teach them to charge her with 'disorderly conduct'. Bea grinned a bit, but swore when her suitcase snagged on a rock and her entire load of things almost came crashing to the ground. Luckily she caught herself last minute.

A moment later she caught Tyler, who had appeared out of nowhere grinning at her. After a moment he turned around and began walking away. He didn't like her but that didn't mean he had to be an asshole. Clearly she was struggling to carry all this stuff. Any nice person would have offered to help her with it. Bea growled low in her throat and shoved her bike viciously forward and awkwardly tried to run up to him. "Tyler, hey! Some help would be nice, thank you." She finally caught up along side of him, a bit out of breath.
 
Tyler was surprised that Bea yelled out to him. When she looked him in the eyes, he knew that his face showed his surprise. "W-what," he stuttered before looking her over again. He wasn't sure what to do at that moment. At first, he thought she was angry about yesterday, but then he realized that it was about carrying things. "U-uh, y-yeah, ok," Tyler continued as he took the suitcase. It was big and heavy. He wondered if she fit her entire house in the bag. He was somewhat frazzled by her sudden enthusiasm. "Are we going back home?" he asked somewhat ignorant. Looking around he noticed that there were quite a few people around today. Most, he recognized one way or another. There were neighbors and shop owners, tourists and locals, even the kids that Bea seems to always hang around with.

He then looked back at Bea and said, "I thought you didn't like me." It was an innocent question. And to be honest, Tyler wasn't exactly sure why he didn't shrug her off in the first place. Looking at Bea, he waited for a response. The trees hummed softly as the cool summer breeze blew by. It was a beautiful day and he didn't exactly want to help Bea move in, but what else could he do now that he had her suit case. His eyes were still locked on her as he waited for a response.
 
Bea relaxed when the heavy strain of the suitcase was gone from her arms. She wrapped both her hands around the bike handles and started pushing off through the crowd of people, waiting for him to follow. "We're going to your house, yeah. This is my stuff. And I don't like you. I just don't want to carry this stuff." Bea retorted and smiled sweetly over the sting of her words. She caught eyes with someone a few yards away and instantly her things were dropped to the dirt. Her bike wheel was still spinning as she sprinted away from Tyler and threw herself bodily onto a her friend. The two redheads went tumbling. Where Bea's hair was dyed, David's curly locks were completely natural. Startled blue eyes twinkled up at her. "David! I thought you got arrested!" She gasped.

Her rolled his eyes and shoved her off of him. She let out an oomph and rolled into the grass. Her grey shirt bunching up to expose her stomach. She pulled it down and retaliated with a kick to the back of his knee cap as he tried to stand up. David instantly collapsed back into the grass with a huff. "Jesus, Honey Bee are you trying to break my damn knee caps? And no, I bailed when the cops showed. Can't be seen hanging around with high school dweebs." David grumbled, his eyes twinkling. He was the older brother of one of the girls who Bea hung around with and Bea and David had become fast friends since the day they'd met.

Bea scowled at him. "I'm not a dweeb. And I'd officially graduated by the time you showed up anyways." Her tone softened. "But I'm glad you're okay. The Sharps are too." She saw a flash of deep relief in his eyes. Although it would take pain of torture to get him to admit it, David had always had a thing for Rowan Sharp. If she hadn't known David as well as she did, his endless tattoos and the fact that he was four years older than Rowan would have set off major alarm bells in Bea's head. But David was a good guy and Rowan could handle herself, so Bea left well enough alone. "Unfortunately I got my ass arrested." Bea saw shock cross his face, but she caught Tyler's eye before he could say anything and hurried to her feet. Shit, she had forgot about him.
 
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Tyler watched in a sort of surprise. The two were obviously not related, yet they acted like they were siblings. It was rather entertaining. Tyler gave a smirk before picking up the bike. Standing there for a moment, Tyler wondered who that guy was. It wasn't until the boy sat up did Tyler recognize him. His name was David Rybek. He had lived across the street from Tyler when they were young. They didn't interact much due to age difference and Tyler's shy nature, nevertheless they were acquaintances. There was a time when the mothers in the area would get together and talk. One day his and David's mother were exchanging recipes when they officially met face to face. David was obviously the more outspoken of the two. But he was kind and gentle towards Tyler.

David moved when Tyler was in 2nd grade and they haven't really seen each other since, but Tyler was sure that was David. It was hard to miss someone with that hair and complexion. He smiled at the other guy as he stood there awkwardly. Tyler wondered if David would even recognize him with lighter hair and without the glasses.

Tyler decided to stay where he was and waited for Bea to make the first move. David was obviously her friend and not his. It was somewhat awkward. With his hand on the bar of the bike, Tyler stared at the two until one of them made a move to include him. The suitcase was getting heavier the longer he held it and the bike was just a nuisance as well. He hoped Bea would remember that he was there or that David would recognize him. Both seemed very unlikely.
 
Bea bit her lip and nodded her head to Tyler. "This is Tyler Sabot, he's the chief's kid. I'm- I'm living at his house now." Bea said sheepishly. David widened his eyes and looked from Bea to Tyler and then back again. Bea trudged over to scoop her backpack up from the dirt. Hopefully nothing had broken in her haste. Tyler was now balancing both her bike and her suitcase. She would have felt bad about it if he wasn't such a tool. "And this is David Rybek. Notorious drug dealer. Serial killer. Illuminati." Bea told Tyler, nodding sagely. This whole situation was awkward and she hoped humor might lighten it.

David rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, sizing Tyler up. "Tyler? That sounds familiar. You look pretty familiar too..." His brow wrinkled for a moment before he refocused. "Look I don't know why Bea's staying at your place although I'm sure she'll tell me later-" His eyes flicked over to her "But you hurt her and I'll kill you. Capiche? She's a brat but she's my brat." Bea hissed through her teeth at him. Who was he calling a brat. "Hey wait, shit! I do know you from somewhere! Didn't recognize you without the glasses. You got fit, too." David suddenly exclaimed, his posture relaxing. Bea frowned and darted her eyes between the two guys. They knew each other?
 
Tyler relaxed a bit when David recognized him. With a sheepish smile, Tyler replied, "It's been some time. You haven't changed much. Still as gingery as ever." Tyler laughed casually at the comment. It was just something that came to mind. "What have you been doing since you left? I wasn't more than 7 when you moved," Tyler began as he looked David over. "Your appearance doesn't surprise me. You were always more active than I. How's your mom? She made us a cake if I remember correctly."

Tyler felt at ease talking with David. Despite their not really knowing each other, Tyler liked David. He wasn't a bully nor was he arrogant. David spoke his mind, but in a good way and never to offend. He was one of the few people who Tyler interacted with back then, since he was home-schooled. Tyler walked closer with the suitcase in one hand and the bike in the other, unknowingly proving to Bea that it was completely possible to move both of them at the same time.
 
Bea furrowed her brow as the two guys jumped into conversation about their childhood. They had apparently been neighbors as children. While she couldn't quite imagine David as a rugrat, she could see Tyler as being one of those kids that always acted like grown ups and used SAT words for no damn reason. Bea snickered to herself and they both seemed to remember she was there. She ignored David's raised eyebrow. "Hey man, maybe we can catch up sometime?" David asked. He then gave Bea a quick hug.

"Call me brat again and I'll cut your dick off." Bea told him none too subtly. He patted her on the head and mumbled brat under his breath. She elbowed him. He elbowed her back.

"Later Honey Bee." Bea watched David's back departing into the crowd until she couldn't even find his fiery head of hair in the masses. She turned to face Tyler again and pulled the bike away from him.

"Don't you have to be in class or something. Why are you even in classes anyways? It's summer."
 
Tyler waved back to David as he left calling out, "Sure! Just give me a call. I haven't moved." Then Tyler's attention turned back onto Bea. He looked at her for a moment. He still had the bike and suitcase in hand. As he began to walk back towards the house, Tyler thought about the question, "I guess I take summer classes so I can graduate college quicker. The sooner I can get a good career the sooner I can help out around the house more. I used to work at a convenience store, but they closed down half a year ago. I had been giving Dad my earnings to help pay bills and such," Tyler stated before rolling his eyes with a smile, "but instead he'd just been saving the money for me to use later. I decided to use the money on summer college classes. Does that suffice as an answer?"

For some reason Tyler wasn't pissed off at Bea or the world. He was rather happy today. Maybe it was the weather. Whatever it was, Tyler liked the feeling. It reminded him of simpler times when he would play in the backyard or help his mother tend to the garden. Looking at Bea, Tyler continued to conversation, "What do you plan to do under these circumstances?"
 
Bea pulled a face at the words 'college classes'. Who in their right mind would want to take summer classes? Would actually and willingly sign up for them. Tyler Sabot apparently. His civility caught her a little of guard. Maybe he was trying to get a new start with her because they'd gotten off on the wrong foot? Although she still had lingering resentment towards him, it might be easier if she could at least tolerate the guy she was living with. The part about the bill surprised her. It seemed like a pretty selfless thing for a teenager to do.

"I don't know." Bea kicked an unsuspecting rock that was unlucky enough to cross her path. "I don't want to go to juvy or anything. Even though they busted me for some trumped-up charges. But I don't know how I can make it without the tracks." The thrills she got from reservoir jumping or riding the rails couldn't compare to anything else. She craved the adrenaline rush, needed it. It was like an addiction that she couldn't shake. Even now her skin buzzed with the need to do something dangerous. "Maybe I should take up drugs?" She joked, kicking another rock.
 
Tyler stopped mid-step. He refused to look at Bea for a moment before turning abruptly, almost on heel. "That is not a good option. That will land you in juvy or jail. And no, it is not something to joke about either. As for the rails, that's dangerous and you can get seriously hurt or die. While I understand that it's your life, I don't approve of you doing something that would endanger your life," Tyler was almost yelling at this point. He was not happy about the comment nor her attitude towards the comment. Now that Tyler was pissed off, he turned back around and replied, "Let's go. I want to get back so I can do some work on my paper."

Tyler continued to walk down the sidewalk with the bike and suitcase. The walk wasn't that long, but it did prove to be a challenge with the large bag. He was sweating when he reached the front door. The entire walk, Tyler refused to speak to Bea. She was not someone he wanted to be associated with. Not only was she a bad influence, but her very presence could jeopardize his chances at a good career. Employers look at the social lives of their interns and possible workers, including their pasts. This association alone would require some explaining at current.
 
Bea growled at his words. Just like that they're tentative truce was broken. "You clearly don't get it." The danger and the thrill were the whole point. The appeal of the activities."Besides, I've been doing it for years, I'm capable of handling myself. Last time I checked I didn't need your approval for what I did with my life!" Bea snapped back at him. They walked in tense silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "I doubt you've ever stepped out of your stupid little box your whole goddamn life. Go to a boring college, marry a boring women and have boring children and then die. Well news flash I'm not going to end up like you." She told him vehemently.

When they came up on his house Bea snatched the bike and the suitcase awkwardly back and stormed off without a thank you. She tossed the bike towards the grass. She'd put it in the garage later. Inside she lugged her things into the guest room and slammed the door. She couldn't resist screaming into her pillow just for the hell of it. Bea fumbled around in her backpack until she found the speakers she'd packed. She picked a song at random on her phone and then blasted it at eardrum shattering volumes.
 
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