Disclaimer: I do not own anything from The Covenant except my own characters.

Chapter 1

"Here's to life at the Academy!" Kate exclaimed, lifting her bottle of beer.

Everyone laughed as they clinked their bottles together.

"Here's to finally getting out of that place and Graduation Day!" Reid chimed.

"Hey, it was fun there!" Lynn replied.

When everyone turned to her and gave her a look each, she laughed and said, "It was interesting!"

"I'm gonna go get another," Tyler said, walking away from the celebrating crowd.

Tyler looked around the Nicky's as he waited. He wanted to take everything in. Tonight was the last night he would spend here in Ipswich and what better way to spend it than with his best friends? He smiled and took a mental picture of his laughing friends.

- - -

"Bye, baby boy." Reid muttered gruffly, pulling Tyler into a hug.

Lynn smiled warmly at Tyler. "Well, the first of us to leave. Bye Tyler." Lynn leant in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for everything and don't forget us okay?"

Tyler chuckled. "Couldn't no matter how hard I try."

Tyler stared at the five waving figures as he drove away from the Academy. Although a part of him wants to stay back with them and continue on the rest of his life with them, he knew that he couldn't. It was time for him to move on and try a life on his own. An exposure to a normal life.

- - -

Tyler stared uncertainly at his new surroundings. He was finally here. He was finally where he had always dreamt to be. Taking a deep breath, Tyler took a step. A step into his new life, his new beginning at Princeton.

"Hey!" Tyler cried as something slammed into his back, making him almost lose his balance.

"Sorry man!"

Tyler frowned at the sheepish looking sandy-haired guy standing behind him. "Yea. It's fine."

A smile replaced the sheepish look that he had on. "Hi. I'm Jake."

Tyler smiled back at Jake. He might as well begin to make new friends. "And I'm Tyler."

- - -

"You cannot be serious," Tyler muttered to Jake. "You know I don't appreciate this kind of thing."

Tyler sighed as he entered the Art Exhibition that Jake had dragged him along into. He had been expecting a night of fun-filled with alcohol, women and loud music. After all, Jake was from New Jersey and he was suppose to be introducing Tyler to the nightlife in New Jersey. Not a quiet room filled with paint-covered canvases hanging on every nook and corner of the walls and serious-looking men and women dressed as if they were ready to attend a funeral and ready to shoot you down for any absurd comments you might so much as whisper or utter.

"Hey," he hissed to his friend who was already beginning to walk away from him, leaving him standing there confused and looking like a lost child. "Where are you going?"

Jake waved his friend away and followed a group of men who were chattering animatedly over a piece of abstract art that looked to Tyler like a child's painting.

Tyler shook his head and decided to walk around. It was always times like these when he truly missed his home in Ipswich. He missed the fun times the four brothers had at Nicky's. He missed his best friend, Reid. And despite the constant dull ache that still resides in his heart, he missed Lynn.

Tyler hurried past the abstract section, not understanding a single work of art there. He walked down a corridor that seemed less filled with people. There was only a couple and another girl there. He took a look at the pictures on the wall. At least he understood the paintings there. They were simply portraits and scenes. The couple soon walked out, leaving Tyler in the room with the girl.

Shrugging, Tyler walked towards the girl who had her back to him. She seemed to be immersed in a painting of a mother cradling her child. "So..." Tyler started softly. "Are you here because you actually like this stuff or are you simply here because you were forced to come like me?"

The girl with the dark brown hair did not react to his question. She seemed oblivious to him.

Frowning, Tyler asked, "Hey?"

Again, the girl did not react. It was as if she had not even heard him. Tyler stood there confused and a bit hurt at being so blatantly ignored. Back in Ipswich, the guys always commented on him being the shy one but here he was, trying to make small talk with a stranger and was getting ignored. He shook his head, realising that the girl was probably one of those rich daughters who simply do not give anyone else the time of the day. Jake had warned him about girls like that who were definitely going to be at the Exhibition.

He took a step back from her when she turned away from the painting. Genuine surprise flitted across her face when she caught sight of him. Her brown eyes widened as her mouth formed an 'Oh'.

Realising then that she probably truly had not heard him, Tyler extended a hand and smiled. "Hi. I'm Tyler."

The girl stared back at his hand as if he had held out a gun. Her eyes narrowed at his words. Shaking her head, she said, "I cannot hear you."

"Hi. I said my name is Tyler."

Tyler heard sharp footsteps that were hurrying towards them. He turned and saw a very annoyed looking guy that looked seemingly angry at him for reasons that were still unknown to Tyler.

"Back off," the broad, muscular six-footer growled.

Looking annoyed herself, the girl put a hand on the guy's arm as if calming him.

"What are you playing at?"

Tyler narrowed his eyes. "What's your problem?"

"You, clearly."

"Well, I don't recall doing anything wrong," Tyler snapped back. He was annoyed at the guy's reaction. It wasn't as if he was harassing the girl or running his hands all over her body. All he did was introduced himself to her and here was this guy growling at him as if he had committed one of the seven deadliest sins.

"Tyler!"

He turned his head at the call of his name. Seeing Jake hurrying towards him, he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Sorry," Jake muttered to the six-footer and the girl. "Come on, Tyler. We have to go."

Tyler glared at Jake as he pulled him away from the guy and probably his overprotected girlfriend. Tyler glanced back at the girl and met with a pair of sad and apologetic pair of brown eyes that were framed with the longest lashes.