He Kissed Me

Chapter 4

Tyler's POV

I dropped the phone onto my desk and rubbed my temples. My head was pounding, and my thoughts were all over the place. Alexis had already messed with my life enough, and now some stranger with a twisted sense of humor was piling on.

The air in the classroom felt stifling. I leaned forward, resting my head on the cool surface of the desk. Maybe if I closed my eyes, even just for a second…

"Tyler."

A voice broke through the haze.

I groaned, lifting my head to find a classmate standing beside me, pointing toward the front of the room. My gaze followed their finger to where Ms. Vanessa stood, arms crossed, her expression a mix of irritation and concern.

"Sleeping in my class now, Mr. Tyler?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silence. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, sitting up straighter. "I'm fine, Ms. Vanessa. Just… tired."

She didn't look convinced. "You don't seem fine. And if you're tired, perhaps you should start getting more sleep instead of zoning out during my lesson."

"I'm listening," I said quickly, hoping to deflect.

"Oh, really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Then answer this: What if the Library of Alexandria was never destroyed?"

I blinked, the question catching me off guard. My mind scrambled to piece together anything remotely coherent, but all I could manage was, "Uh… maybe it would've… um, changed things?"

"Do you even know what subject we're in?" Ms. Vanessa asked, her tone sharp.

"Yes," I said too quickly. "I just zoned out a little."

"Zoned out," she repeated, shaking her head. "That's not an excuse, Tyler. This isn't like you, meet me in the principal's office during lunch-break, we need to talk"

She turned toward the rest of the class. "Everyone, tear out a sheet of paper. Emergency test."

The room erupted in groans and murmurs.

"Quiet!" Ms. Vanessa snapped, silencing the complaints.

I sighed, slumping in my chair..

The test was a blur. I scribbled half-formed answers, my mind elsewhere. By the time I handed in my paper, I was sure it was a disaster.

The rest of the class dragged on, but I barely noticed. My head stayed on the desk, and somehow, none of the other teachers bothered waking me. Maybe they'd given up on me.

When my phone buzzed again, I shot up, my heart racing.

Another message.

"Break time. Don't forget about me. I'm still waiting. And by the way, you're late for the principal's office."

My stomach flipped.

I glanced around. The room was empty. Everyone else had already left for the cafeteria. I hadn't even realized it was break time.

How did they know I was still here?

Grabbing my bag and books, I shoved my phone into my pocket and headed for the principal's office, my footsteps echoing down the hall.

I knocked.

"Come in," a firm voice called.

I stepped inside to find Ms. Vanessa seated across from the principal. Her posture was stiff, and she gave me a pointed look as I walked in.

"Sit down, Tyler," the principal said, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

I dropped into the seat, slouching slightly.

"Ms. Vanessa told me about what happened in class today," he began, with disappointment. "This isn't like you."

"I already explained," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "I'm fine. I just zoned out."

"Zoning out doesn't explain a complete lack of focus," Ms. Vanessa cut in. "You couldn't answer even the simplest question. That's not like you, Tyler."

I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to keep my temper in check. "I'm handling it," I said through gritted teeth.

The principal leaned forward, his expression softening. "Tyler, we're worried about you. You've always been one of our best students. We don't want to see you spiral. Relationships end—it's part of life. You're not the first student to go through a breakup, and you won't be the last."

I let out a bitter laugh. "I'm not spiraling because of a breakup."

Ms. Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "Then why? Because right now, everyone's talking about how you cheated on Alexis. Is that what's bothering you?"

My jaw tightened. "That's not true," I said, my voice low.

"Rumors don't start from nowhere," she replied bluntly.

"They do when they're lies," I shot back, my voice rising.

"Tyler," the principal said gently, "sometimes the best thing you can do is accept responsibility and move forward. We all make mistakes."

"I didn't cheat," I said firmly. "Alexis is lying."

"Tyler," the principal said softly, "we're not here to judge. We just want to help. But you need to let us help you."

I stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. "I don't need your help. I'll do better. Can I go now?"

The principal exchanged a glance with Ms. Vanessa before nodding. "You can go. But, Tyler…"

I didn't wait to hear the rest. I walked out of the office.

The moment I was alone, the tears came. One by one, silent and heavy.

No one was ever going to believe me. No one ever did.

I couldn't go to the cafeteria. The idea of being surrounded by people—laughing, whispering, watching—made my stomach churn. I felt like a walking target, and all I wanted was to disappear.

Instead, I headed for my locker.

With shaking hands, I fumbled the combination on my lock, barely managing to get it open. I shoved books and random papers into my bag, not caring what I grabbed. My only thought was getting out of here before something else went wrong.

Just as I zipped my bag, my phone buzzed again.

I froze.

The sound made my skin crawl.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" I muttered under my breath. "Just leave me the hell alone!" I yelled, my voice bouncing off the empty hallway.

My chest heaved as I stared at the phone, knowing exactly who it was.

I unlocked the screen and opened the message.

"I'm so sorry for what happened in the principal's office. You don't deserve it. I hope you heal. You need to go home and rest for a few days before coming back. You need it. But before you leave, don't forget that we need to meet so I can reveal myself to you."

I read the message aloud, my voice shaky. My grip on the phone tightened.

How did they know what happened in the principal's office? How did they know I was planning to leave?

"Who the hell are you?" I muttered, my mind racing.

I leaned against the lockers, staring at the screen as if the phone itself held the answer. I wanted to go home. I needed to go home. But something about the message kept pulling me back.

I needed to know.

The meeting spot was behind the gym. It was a quiet, tucked-away corner that most students didn't bother with unless they were skipping class or sneaking off for something they didn't want anyone to see.

When I got there, the place was completely empty.

I stopped in the middle of the clearing, my eyes scanning the area.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Of course," I muttered, shaking my head. "Another joke. Another way to humiliate me."

I turned to leave. But then I felt it.

That prickling sensation at the back of my neck.

I spun around, and there he was.

Logan.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

He stepped closer, his hands raised slightly as if to show he meant no harm. "Tyler, I—"

"Don't," I snapped, cutting him off. "Don't even start."

I closed the distance between us in an instant, grabbing the front of his shirt and shoving him back. "Are you following me now? Haven't you done enough? How much more of my life do you plan to ruin?"

Logan didn't fight back. He didn't even flinch.

"Tyler, just listen to me," he said, his tone calm but firm.

"No!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "You don't get to explain anything, Logan. You don't get to act like the good guy here.

"Are you done?" he interrupted.

I froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone.

"No," I said, my voice quieter but still seething. "I'm not done. Why are you here, Logan? Why are you following me?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because I'm the one who's been texting you."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"What?" I whispered, staring at him in disbelief.

"I'm the one who's been texting you," he repeated, his gaze steady.

"You?" I said, my voice rising. "You're the one who sent me those messages about Alexis? About her cheating? And then you're the one she cheated with?"

"Tyler, it's not what you think," Logan said, taking a step closer.

"No," I barked, stepping back. "You don't get to twist this. You sent me those messages just to mess with me, didn't you? To humiliate me?"

"No!" Logan said, his voice rising. "I sent them because I care about you!"

I laughed bitterly. "You care about me? That's rich."

"I do!" he said, his voice cracking. "I couldn't stand seeing you get hurt by someone who didn't deserve you. I sent those messages because I wanted you to see the truth. Alexis didn't care about you, Tyler. She never did."

"Right," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "And you do?"

"Yes," Logan said simply.

His reply caught me off guard.

"I didn't go looking for Alexis," he continued, his voice soft but firm. "She came to me. I didn't want it to happen, Tyler, but it did. And the whole time, I hated myself for it. Not because of her, but because of you."

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "What are you talking about?"

Logan stepped closer, his gaze locking onto mine. "I'm talking about the fact that I've been in love with you for years. And watching you with her… It killed me, Tyler."

Before I could react, Logan leaned in and kissed me.