Tyler Moss

"It's him, the one who bullied Stephen then he died, then hit by Chris who also died then the last one out of the fire," I heard some girls behind me gossip like I wasn't even there. "Isn't he just bad luck?"

"I think so."

"He's always with that weird guy too."

"Why do bad things only happen around him?"

"That's scary. I hope that bad luck doesn't spread. He's just going to bring the rest of us down."

I turned and look directly at the two girls and immediately they shut up. "I hope the bad luck gets you too. Maybe you'll learn some manners if it does. Shut up." I'll scowled at them.

Stupid girls! I'm not bad luck, I've just had a few unlucky experiences....lately....since Levi and I started dating. If anything Levi was the bad luck!

But that wasn't true at all. I just had no luck of the Irish.

My bad luck streak has effectively drawn Levi in and made him my hero. I couldn't really stand to be apart from him. Now that I think back, Levi has always been saving my ass from trouble. From my teachers, critics and other students.

In truth, I was more codependent on Levi than I was comfortable with. The feeling of longing and loneliness was horrible when he wasn't there....and that can't be healthy.

Are we actually toxic for each other?

"Hello, future wife," a big warm pair of arms scooped me up from behind. He's bulked up somehow. I wonder when? "Sorry, I was late. I needed to pick something up."

I turned to face Levi. "Pick what up?"

Levi pulled a chain from his pocket with a ring dangling on the bottom and then showed a matching one around his neck. "I know a ring on your finger might attract too much attention and questions so I put it on this necklace."

Why would Levi think I wouldn't wear it with pride? "I'm going to wear it on my finger like I'm supposed to," I declared. "Wear yours too."

"You won't get-"

"We covered this with George already. I'm ok with people knowing. I'm not going to hide this, so put yours on too." I said. I was scared of the questions Liam would bombard me with but it would have to happen eventually, right? Might as well get it out of the way.

Plus Levi doesn't deserve to deal with my bad luck, so the least I can do it try to put him at ease. I watched him smile like an idiot as I slipped the ring on my finger.

"I think it looks good on you. It's nothing expensive and I made it myself," Levi's eyes twinkled as he said this. I smiled back at him watching him put his on and put our hands side by side to admire the set. "I'll get you some better more expensive metal when I start to make money."

"This one is perfect. I don't want another one."

"Fine...." Levi poured.

"Rumors are circulating around about me and my bad luck, and I don't want you to get dragged into it."

"I'll shut it down if you want me too."

"How would you even do that? I just don't want them speaking badly about you."

"Everyone speaks terribly of me anyway, I don't mind at all," Levi smiled. "I'm not worried about my image. It's shit anyway."

"That's not something to brag about, Levi. Personal connections help you in the long run at this school."

"Who cares about that? We can just move after we graduate if it's that serious." Levi stated matter of factly. He had a point there.

"That's how you feel?"

"I don't care what people say as long as I have you."

"....me and Owen were there, luckily someone came and told us to evacuate. Ah the guy, Jennie keeps going on about...the one who was ugly but had that glow up."

"Jay vanity? Yeah, I saw him speaking to Ms. Yoon before she did that crazy shit. You think he made her snap?"

"Hey, his looks are the only thing he changed not that loser personality. He just thinks he's all that because he looks good now." The girls in front of Levi and I laughed.

Jay spoke to Ms. Yoon before the fire? What could innocent little Jay do to set her off like that? And if that was the case, does that mean it was Ms. Yoon in that smoke chasing after me? Did Jay tell her to go to that?

There was absolutely no way. Quiet Jay, who keeps to himself and doesn't do any bad things, it couldn't be him. Plus Jay was an awesome friend.

Then again, No one's speaking about anyone with a knife, just the fire, which means I was probably the only one targeted to be cut. But why was that happening to me?

"Should I apologize to everyone who hates me? Maybe it'll stop my bad luck." I told Levi. "You know, do some atoning."

"My wife won't be apologizing to anyone. Especially those people who hate you. You did nothing wrong." Levi waved off my concerns. "You can't blame yourself for things out of your control. You didn't kill Stephen, and you were targeted by someone who was deranged. Nothing you could've done would've prevented it."

"Then why was no one else chased with a weapon like I was? It's not adding up in my eyes," I said. "It was Ms. Yoon wasn't it? That's the only way this could add up somehow, but why would she try to kill me? I didn't act up in her class, all I did was sleep because she was boring. She even tried to make it up to me."

"Then why would she try to kill you after trying making it up to you?" Levi asked.

"Maybe she was trying to keep me off guard....she acted weird when you popped up that day! She couldn't wait to leave. You think she poisoned my food?!"

"I followed you guys that day."

"Why would you?"

"Because you were ignoring me and I really had no other way to talk to you besides an ambush. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I actually caught her putting 'sugar' into your smoothie. I'm not sure what it was, but it wasn't sugar," Levi said. "That's probably why she acted weird. On top of that, it's inappropriate for teachers to take students out in their cars like that."

If Levi was telling me this it must be true. She wasn't acting weird because he threatened her, but because she was caught putting something in my drink. So he stayed to make sure I was ok. I feel bad for always doubting him now.

This hero narrative for Levi was becoming old. I just felt more shit now than ever. "Thanks for saving me again."

"You're not mad at me for following you?"

"If you didn't who knows what would have happened if you weren't there. I think it was Ms. Yoon, I can't tell you for sure since I didn't see a face but it has to be her. Anyone else wouldn't make any sense. I don't think anyone else would have a reason. So, sorry for being so hard on you...and for not listening to you."

"There's someone else I think is suspicious," Levi said. This again. "Since the beginning."

"Jay? How does he fit at all with what that teacher did?" I asked.

"He spoke to her before the fire...and I think Jay had something to do with her changing so quickly," Levi explained. "Ms. Yoon was really having an affair with the Dean but got dumped. Then when she changed, the Dean approached her. Liam and I heard it all. Ms. Yoon was desperate and pathetic, but not brave enough to do something so drastic based on her own idea."

"So she needed something to push her to that point and you think it might be Jay?" Was Levi insane? Jay wasn't capable of all that, let alone manipulating an adult to that extent. "When did you become Sherlock Holmes? He's just a regular kid like us."

"He's the one I'm most sure of purely based off observation."

"I know I apologized for not believing you before, but...let's say i believe this....it still makes no sense as to why Jay would want that at all to me. I didn't know Jay until about a month and a half ago. So all of a sudden someone I've grown close to tries off me? It's another level of time and energy," I explained. Wasn't Levi just taking his suspicions to another level?

We're in high school, for fucks sake. Who was going around doing crazy shit like this on their off time? No one's that ambitious at our age.

"Why do you trust him at all? He's a total stranger."

"He's kind of like you in almost every way. He hates loud noises, cryptic, quiet, weird....secretly talented he's basically a double of you in every way," I pointed out. "Jay is suspicious, but I don't think he had anything to do with Ms. Yoon. The Dean could have orchestrated that because he hates my mother, that could've made Ms. Yoon act out."

"You don't believe me still?"

"It's not that! I think you're right, maybe the people are just mixed up," I said.

"Judy believe me!"

"I said I do, it just doesn't make any sense! So I'm also throwing out alternative explanations." I explained myself.

"Me and Jay aren't similar at all." Levi steamed. I could tell I just hit a sore spot for him. At least he thinks I believe him more than I do now.

"Don't get upset."

"I'm not upset, I know how you are when it comes to these things. He's your friend so you're not going to turn your back on him because you only try to see the good in people. You're the person who's gotta learn for themselves," Levi said. "I'm not going to force you."

"Is that bad?"

"It's cute, but not good. Anyway, the only person I trust completely is you...so if you think anything is up, I need you to tell me right away. Maybe we can figure out the source of your bad luck together."

"You still haven't said why you think it's Jay." I pointed out. "The question was inferred."

"Implied, Tyler."

"Fuck your grammar. Answer the question."

"He's just too fake. I can see right thru him. He's a horrible actor and you have bad taste in friends."

"Fake? You don't think he's been real with me?"

"It's naive to think that a random stranger would be. He's a walking red flag. Especially playing such a suspicious character suddenly inserting himself into our life so boldly. He lies all the time and his face is fucking annoying."

I looked at Levi shocked. This reasoning was fairly unreasonable and unlike Levi to a mega degree.

Levi was so evasive. Maybe the cause behind all this was an extreme attempt to get my attention? I mean he stalked me my entire high school life, maybe this is a plan to get me to fall?

I frowned, the thought hurt my heart.

But a nagging voice was telling me to believe him. I could figure it out because Levi wouldn't lie about this. "I'm going to visit my grandma after school."

"Ok, you should visit more often."

"You're not coming?"

"I will but not today I have something to do at home. But Saturday, do you have plans?"

"I don't think so."

"Good, I'll figure out a nice date for us to go on so we can celebrate our engagement," Levi smiled. He put his arm around me. "I'll make it one date you'll never forget."

"Wait, home? You were beaten and starved last time you were over there! Why would you go back?!"

"Trust me, it was nothing." Levi brushed off my worry. I didn't fight him because I knew it wouldn't go anywhere. Wouldn't he get hurt again? "Don't think about it. It won't be like last time. I promise."

"Well....ok."