Tyler Moss

"Get out of the way!" Some guy bumped into us breaking up Levi and my moment. Asshole! Has everyone lost their ability to have manners?

"Shut the fuck up!" I snapped bumping him back.

"What the hell, what'd you hit me for?!" The smell of vodka hit me as I watched him stumble a bit. Oh, he was drunk.

"It was an accident-"

"You did that on purpose didn't you?! Don't fucking glare at me!!" The stranger reached out his hand but before he could grab my shoulder, Levi grabbed his hand. "Mind your business! Let go! Who the fuck are you to-" Levi lifted his fist.

"He's mine!! Who the fuck are you?!" I snapped grabbing Levi's arm so he didn't hit this drunk guy.

"Leave, sir." Levi growled.

The guy quickly sized Levi up and walked off cursing us. "I swear he did that shit on purpose. There are too many people like that in this town. What is this, a manga? They pick fights to take their anger out on others who look weaker. I bet it wasn't his first time pulling that shit!" I ranted. "Fucking jackasses everywhere. Steer clear of people like that! They're nothing but trouble- why are you smiling like a psycho?"

"I'm just really happy right now," Levi grabbed my hand again continuing to smile and we started back down the street. To a normal person, he probably looked pretty shady and dangerous, but to me, he was putting on his best cute face. "You said I'm yours."

"Weirdo. That's what makes you happy?! You're too simple Levi! A-anyway, I've realized you been avoiding eating. It's been days, don't you want anything? I'll treat you to something nice." Levi avoided my eyes. I pulled him into a hole in the wall Korean restaurant and ordered without asking him what he wanted.

"What did you get?"

"Fied pork belly and rice. It hits the spot. But are you seriously ok? You have a fractured rib." I worried. How was he even standing right now? Maybe I should've gotten him soup with the food.

"I don't usually feel any pain. It's just a bit uncomfortable, that's all." What was he, made of? Iron? I still had the nagging question in my mind about what happened. And I'm not amused that he still hasn't said anything about what happened. In fact he was actively doing anything to avoid the subject."Nothings broken, let alone fractured like you said."

He doesn't want to tell me what happened, that's for sure. But I could slowly trick it out of him, right? "Well I guess I have to believe you. You do heal quickly and the doctor said you can resume daily activities soon. I wonder why he exaggerated the issue."

"Money?"

"Criminal....That reminds me, I have to get better grades too. I want to become a policeman like dad. Even if I start studying harder now, I'm not that bright, so I've had a lot of trouble. Chances are slim that I'll be accepted into a police academy right after high school. But maybe after a couple years I can try it out."

"I'm sure you'll make a great doctor though." He caught onto me me right away. I would make an awful cop and we both know that.

"Grandma told me that too, but no thanks. If I become a cop, I can look you up right? Since you stalked me?" I asked feeling a bit irritated. Levi almost choked on his spit painfully and he looked at me with wide eyes. "The law on stalking is getting stronger. So I can teach you a lesson about personal space."

"Well if you're the one to lock me up, I don't mind." Levi poked severely nervous to the point where he shook. He wasn't going to tell me what happened to him, is he?

And it's not like I'm smart enough to trick him into telling me.

"Relax, I'm just joking. Why are you taking it so seriously? You look like you're going to throw up." It took everything it had in me not to express how pissed I was about this, even more so because Levi definitely knew why I was pissed.

But since he knows me so well, he should know I won't drop this so easily. He'll assume I forgot about it if he acts unhurt won't he? Stupid bitch! Just tell me what the fuck happened!

"Oh, a joke, I didn't know," Levi nervous chuckled.

"You promised you'd keep your word and you did, Levi. I think it's time I held up my end of the bargain." I confessed trying a new method. "It's not fair that you keep taking me on without anything in return."

"Your end of what?"

"To teach you how to converse and right and wrong way to act in front of others. You keep asking me to help and I don't think I have been helping you at all really. I'll help, so maybe it'll help you trust me enough to open up more. Without withholding information from the people you love." I said. "I don't know much about you aside from what you let me know. You don't seem to sure yourself...or maybe you don't trust me-"

"Tyler, it's not that I don't trust you."

"Then there's something stopping you from telling me the truth?"

"Right."

"Then I plan to try my best so you can tell me everything," I smiled. Levi smiled at me as he seemed to get lost in thought. "You just make me more frustrated about you by the day."

Why did he doubt me so much? Was I not smart enough to see what's going on? Was I not smart enough to understand? What am I missing?

I watched silently as Levi tore into his food like he has never eaten before. Did he eat those three days he was gone? He could never eat a serving for two people without complaining about portion sizes before. Where did he go? Why did he come back so hurt?

"You sure are hungry," I commented. "It's as if you haven't eaten a thing."

"Oh, was I eating like a pig?" Levi chuckled nervously. He suddenly ate slower, like he was now paying attention to his body language. "I didn't realize how hungry I was. Did I make you lose your appetite? I'm sorry."

Fuck, now I feel bad! Damn his strong effect on my heart! Why can I accept this when he acts so suspicious all the time?! He just looks too goddamn adorable because he just keeps smiling. He's obviously up to something!

What the fuck are you doing, Levi!?

"Don't worry about it, the doctor said you have to eat properly." I smiled.

My dad walked into the restaurant with a big grin greeting the Korean staff before getting pointed to Levi and I.

"Hey guys, I got you discharged, Levi," dad smiled. Just like him, straight to the point. "It was hard because the doctor wanted to run more tests."

"Thank you, Stan."

"So, there's a funeral service in the school gym tomorrow." Dad said. "I just got the email."

"Funeral service?" I asked. "A funeral at our school?"

"Yeah, Stephen Ryan. I heard he was a difficult student, but it's unfortunate, so young. Killed by bricks and such. His brother Jason Ryan is going off the rails accusing students of doing it."

"How could it be a student?" I asked.

"With the strength of the blows, it couldn't be a student from your school, you guys are all soft upper middle class privileged kids. It's the strength of a grown man with time to build a lot of steroid muscle, because that wasn't regular strength. Anyway, His dad is on my bosses ass to cover up for that jackass."

"Did they catch a culprit?"

"No, they're still investigating. If only there was a witness. But the weird thing is that even this kids friends are nonchalant about it. They seemed really relieved that's he's gone. High School friendships are so superficial, aren't they? When I was growing up..." My dad droned on for a bit about kids my age so I just tuned him out. Levi ate but seemed to have his gaze fixated on a turning fire truck.

"The fire truck-"

"I'm ready to go." Levi suddenly said cutting me off. "I just feel ready to go to bed. I'm really tired."

"Damn kids. Right, let's go to the car." My dad scoffed at Levi and threw the money for the bill on the table and helped Levi stand up before we rushed him to the car.

Levi stared out the window the entire time, clearly anxious about something. Was now a good time to ask? Probably not with my dad in the car. He'd just rip on me for getting distracted in front of Levi. And Levi would just deflect and say he was spacing out.

It's just too embarrassing and it would get me nowhere.

"Thank you for the ride, you can stop here." Levi smiled and turned to me for a gentle hug and a quick kiss. A park? Why couldn't we drop him off at home? Where the fuck does he live? "See you tomorrow, Tyler."

"You're just going home alone."

"I'll be fine. I've had worse."

"Sleep over. I'm worried about you being hurt!"

"I can't, I need to prepare to go back to school, Tyler. If it's too much for me to handle, I'll call you right away. I promise." Levi held out his pinky and I instinctively linked mine with his.

I should make him promise to tell me what happened! If only my dad wasn't staring at us in the rear view mirror making the faces he made when he watched soap operas.

"Don't forget to take your pain meds," I said. "Don't just throw them away."

"They're too strong. I don't want too."

"Take them anyway. It's for you to get better."

"I will," Levi winked. "Only because you said so."

"You let you pride speak for you. That was your chance to ask." Dad said as soon as Levi walked away from the window.

As my dad drive off I grunted. I knew he was was right, but he didn't have to say shit! "Did Levi seem to you different dad? Like he was on edge about something."

"Like when he saw the fire truck? Or when he suddenly got a stomachache? Or when he didn't sleep over even though you asked him?" He asked. "I also saw him look pretty shocked while we were driving. I'm not sure at what."

"Exactly!" I was so glad he saw that too! They didn't call him "chief detective" for nothing! He even watched him during the ride!

"I wouldn't think about that too much. I've seen it before with pill poppers. It's the pills. The kids never done a drug in his life," dad shrugged. "No way he can handle painkillers. Most likely he's detoxing from the IV and super paranoid. Bright colors are sure to get his attention and we passed a fire so the red glow must've shocked him. It's also common that his stomach would suddenly turn."

"Seemed like it could be the medicine," I said. "He was perfectly fine."

"They always seem fine at first. Then they hit you like a sucker punch, that's why I hate them. He's probably starting to feel it and wanted to get home. Relax Tyler, he's concussed and probably just wants to go straight to bed." Dad waved off my assumptions. "Once he detoxes and his body gets used to the medicine, he'll be ok."

My gut still says something was wrong. "Why couldn't we drop him off at home? I would feel better putting him to bed myself."

"Ew."

"Shut up, dad! Do you not find it weird that we don't know where he lives? Never met his parents? Are they dead or alive? We just dropped a concussed guy with wonky ribs off at a park. Why didn't you stop me dad?"

"I want to know too, but there are literally no files on the kid. No records that I have access too either. Whoever is his guardian seems to have a big political reach and I just don't have the authority to view them. Just wait for Levi to tell you, I don't think he can really remember anything."

"You looked him up?" I caught onto what dad said.

"Damn it. Yes, I looked up your boyfriend. Not because you're dating him, just because I can't read him. He looks like a shady guy and he acts suspicious too,but I can't find a motive as to why and I can't find out who he really is. You don't know what that does to a detective. Personally I hate the long game, but the truth always comes out." Dad tried to justify himself.

"His mysteriousness is part of his charm."

"Ew."

"Dad what did you find out?"

"Exactly what I said! Nothing. Basic information, really."

"Shouldn't I just ask him while he's high?" I pulled my phone out.

"Put it on speaker! Let's hear you ask a paranoid guy his personal information!" My dad laughed. "Patience is a virtue Tyler. The always truth reveals itself in time...except for a couple times but those cases aren't like this. If you find out first tell me."

I knew dad was trying to comfort me, but it felt like advice as well. Ok, I'll play the long game.