Tyler Moss

"Hey, Levi," I smiled at his shocked face. Levi started to shake and immediately started to tear up and stutter.

"I....I....but.....Tyler....." I think I broke him.

"Um, Liam is the last person you should tell your secrets to. Actually, you shouldn't tell him anything. I'm his best friend, so he tells me everything," I explained and cupped his cheeks. Liam wasn't exaggerating when he said Levi looked absolutely mentally unhinged.

"So you know?" Levi looked sleep deprived, did he lose weight? He looks as if he lost his mind. He was definitely spiraling. "But why are you here? Did Liam-"

"No, Liam didn't threaten me. All i had to do was ask what was eating him up. A few hours ago I was at school...

~~~~~~~~~A FEW HOURS AGO~~~~~~~~~

"Im sorry Ty, I'm having a lot of trouble tracking down Levi," uncle Rhys told me.

"It's fine, I'm sure Levi will come back soon, I know you're busy investigating his dad."

"But if something happened to him....Ah! Forget it! We should only be thinking positively about this. I'll do what I can." Uncle Rhys was worse at consoling people than my mom and dad. He sounded more panicked than me.

"Ok." I sighed before hanging up. Levi, when I see you I swear I'll kick your head in for doing this to me! You stupid jerk! Haven't you kept your distance long enough, you fucking coward.

"Tyler!"

"What's up Liam? Why do you look so worn out? You have bags under your eyes! What happened?!"

"Let's go to the arcade. I want to skip the last class," Why was Liam acting so weird? And why did he look shaken. The only other time I saw him this scared was when Levi was around. Has he popped up again?

"Ok." Then again.....it could be the stress carried over from my situation. It would be weird if he were acting normal.

Sneaking off school grounds was easy as usual, since the school never hired a new guard after the fire. So we proceeded to just walk out the front gate and head down the street.

When we reached the arcade, Liam was still hyper focused on whatever was bothering him. Something knocked him off kilter because he was never usually this quiet. He never skipped his beauty rest either. It was almost like he had become a shell of himself overnight.

"You scored a perfect game," I gasped. "You usually can't get it."

"My dad used to take me shooting every weekend before he won his chair, Tyler. You know where they shoot flying plates, I used to be to young so I would always watch my dad shoot."

"He won his chair when you got old enough, right?" I remembered.

"Yeah, so I was never able to shoot a real gun. That's why I always come here to shoot zombies until my head clears up." Liam admitted. I could tell he was torturing himself with something.

"That's why we're here, right? Do you have a lot on your mind?" I asked. "You can tell me."

"I met Levi, again." Liam looked right into my eyes. I was immediately interested. "It's been fucking with me."

"You met Levi?"

"He actually came to meet me. Levi came to ask for information that he could use against his father, because my dad has what he wants. And I have that information right now. Looking from your response, this isn't what you expected at all."

"Why is your dad involved, Liam?"

"Apparently my dad is backing Levi's and that's why my dad has information like this," Liam pulled out a flash drive. I watched him take a deep breath and try to keep himself together. "What happens if I hand it over? Will my dad go away forever? And how will he live with the fact his only son stabbed him in the back like this? What about loyalty to the family?! After everything he's done for us to live well!"

"I don't-"

"My aunt would teach me to control my emotions so I can be acceptable to my family image, you know. Whether I was in a bad mood or not, I had to act nonchalant, it had to be done. Everything bothered the shit out of me! But you know what she did? She killed herself! She forced that onto my mother and I and herself and in the end, my mothers mostly brain dead from pills, my dads never home and my aunt killed herself. My mom and dad even broke up for a long time because of that. It took me almost being crippled for life for anything to change."

"What are you saying?"

"It's already too late for them! Ever since I was neglected, the love and trust I had for them has died. But I know I have to help my dad look good, especially because looks are everything as a politician, but it's not enough. My aunts teachings failed the entire family because my dad is a fucking professional scum bag." Liam let out his tears. He looked beyond desperate. "How can I just watch my father fall?"

"Liam, if-"

"That's why I have to keep contemplating, I'm not sure if it's right to hand this over to Levi, or if I should turn a blind eye and protect my dad. I don't know....tell me what to do, Tyler! I need your help to decide this! Please!"

"Liam, that's not for me to decide!"

"Please, Tyler, you don't have to think about me, just think objectively. What's the best thing for me to do?" Liam begged.

I have only ever seen Liam like this about his aunts death. Liam was....broken."Your dad-"

"My dad Will be fine. I'll step up if I have too. I already know what to do."

"I'll hand it over, so it can't be traced," I couldn't watch my friend torture himself over something he had nothing to do with. "I'll tell Levi not to involve you more."

Liam grabbed my hand. "Tyler, thank you!" He dropped his head and thanked me profusely through his tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Present~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And that's why I'm here, pretending to be Liam. Also, I'm here to pass this along." I pulled out the flash drive Liam had given me.

"Is that-"

"Liam thought his father was done after he saw what was on this. He completely lost it when I saw him. I haven't seen it yet." Levi reached for the USB but I pulled it away. "First, promise me something. Liam gave me this knowing it would inflict harm on his dads career, he listened to what you said, so please don't hurt Liam anymore."

"I won't." Levi stated directly into my eyes in awe.

"Don't ever threaten my best friend with a knife again. You crossed the line."

"Ok."

"...and one more thing! Don't you ever disappear without telling me again!" I snapped. "You proposed to me! I should be running away not you! It makes no sense! I can't sleep or even think straight anymore because I miss you so fucking much!"

Levi quickly pulled me into his arms. "It's the same for me! I've been so worried! I just didn't want to put you in any more danger! I was so determined about to really hurt someone because I was going so crazy!"

"Idiot! Why are you still taking your frustrations out on other people! Just come to me!"

"I will! Can I kiss you!"

"Yes! As long as you promise!"

"I promise I'll never disappear again!" Levi planted a firm kiss on my lips. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" He apologized between kisses. "I'll never make you worry again! I love you!"

"Promise me again!"

"I promise I'll never disappear again and I won't hurt Liam."

"Do you have to run off now that you have the flash drive? I have a lot to tell you." I asked as Levi started wiping my tears on his shirt. We hen did I start crying? I missed the smell off him so much I didn't want him to leave.

"No, and I don't want to go anywhere." Levi just held me as tight as I clung onto him. This was what I missed more than anything. His warmth. He would never believe how happy I was with just this.

"Well, we have to go to one place." I told him. "Just don't ask questions and behave." Levi nodded and let me go. I led him across the street to a run down apartment complex. The kind you expect drug addicts to be crawling through.

"This old place?" Levi asked.

"The proximity is convenient."

"Yeah, I guess. I said no questions!" I snapped.

I gulped deeply and knocked on the last door of the row of apartments. I pushed Levi to the side a bit so he couldn't be seen through the peephole. This was a bit uncalled for, but an ambush is my biggest chance of success.

The door creaked open a bit.

"Wow!" He laughed opening the door. "You sure are persistent! You came here again. I told you to stop wasting...oh."

Levi locked eyes with Jay and it immediately went sour. "Let's just say, I think Jay posted a very interesting story online. It's going viral as a creepy pasta." I quickly explained. "A post about being held captive for ten years, False memories, cages, abuse. It has to be him."

Jay looked at me in shock but it quickly dissipated. That's right! I'm answering your subliminal cry for help! "Of course it was me. I've been waiting ages for you to show up, Levi. Or should I say, Nikolaos."

I knew it! Jay knew I would show the post to Levi and bring him here! I knew Jay remembered something! I knew he couldn't have been with the bullshit!

Jay did all this because maybe he planned to join forces? Or could it just be wishful thinking on my part.

"Stop staring at each other so hard and speak!" I demanded pushing my way past Jay and taking a seat on his couch. Shockingly, his place was pretty normal. It was a replica of Fraiser's living room without his dads chair.

"Get out."

"Make me." I spat back.

"I'll say this in advance, my memory hasn't fully returned," Jay admitted while rolling his eyes. "So get it out of your head that we'll just be brothers again, Levi. The only reason we're teaming up is so I can get myself out of this shit. After we kill dad, your little boyfriend is next. He's consented to it himself."

"What?!" Levi snapped.

"Calm down! It's true!" I nudged Levi.

"Are you stupid?! Why would you-"

"You promised, no questions and you'll behave." I reminded him.

"I'll get straight to the point then," Levi said. "Let's share the information we already have."

"Information? I don't have much." Jay told us. " I know I'm blood related to him, he has a pawn helping him, but you know all about that, oh and that blond lady."

"Penelope Barros," Levi interjected.

"The actress?" I asked. "She's involved too?"

"There's one more. The soccer coach." Levi told us.

"Coach Nichols?!" I was shocked.

"He has switched sides and has been helping me."

"So he switched sides and glued himself to you? But can you trust him? What if it's a trap?"

"Doesn't matter, he can be used. He's just a pawn himself."

"Fine, but can you trust me like that? What if I go tell Coach switched sides and make a deal with him? Would you be able to-"

"I don't trust you. But I trust your anger. You were trapped just like me, I know you're angry. You'd never side with them." Levi said confidently.

Jay scowled. "Whatever, just explain whatever is is you have."

"I told you about Coach Nichols already, the guy dressed in all black who watch us is Giovanni. He's captain of the team if you will. And that actress helps with external activities. But what's important is their weaknesses. Giovanni hyperventilates a lot so he spends a lot of time composing himself. And the actress has extreme anxiety ever since she stopped drinking. She's also your aunt."

"So the plan is to use their weaknesses against each other?" I asked.

"Yup, but not yet. Next is this flash drive. I don't know what's in it, but dad will take a big hit from this being exposed. If you have a computer we can check it out now."

Jay handed his laptop over and we gathered behind Levi to view our findings.

"What the fuck?" I wanted to literally piss myself right now. What I was reading was seriously on another level of fucked up. It was obviously written by someone who isn't all there in the mind.

"Ha! So was it for this? I went through all that for this psycho?!" Jay laughed incredulously.