The two brothers shrugged their way off the bus and watched as it left them behind. Tyler's brain flooded with so many thoughts that he wasn't sure which one to focus on first. As he stood where the bus once stood he thought of how hopeless Deryck must feel right now. Sure he's rude, but he's just a new kid trying to fit in. Even the meanest of kids don't deserve that. Tyler grasped his red backpack's white straps and stared at the house across the street from his.

I wonder if their son or daughter has ever felt that bad.

It hadn't occurred to Tyler until now how many times people hurt a day. His school is filled with at least 3,000 student and at least four people got hurt today. Deryck, K.C, her hopefully now ex boyfriend, and I. It stuck Tyler how quickly people can hurt and the various of reasons they hurt. He felt as if fire was whirling around his brain, lighting everything it could on fire.

The worst part of all this is that Tyler didn't even help her. A girl he called his "friend" during middle school was getting beaten up badly, but he didn't even do anything. That's what ate him up inside. That's what broke him down.

His hands began to panic and his face began to scrunch up at the thought of people in pain. Tyler made a quiet burp noise as if he were about to- God, no.

I was doing so good! Not now! He broke down to his hands and knees, caving his stomach into his spine.

His mind consumed his body with the regret of not saying no to the Maybes, hurt for himself and everyone, and the curiosity of not knowing why Deryck was so-

Just then Tyler felt a strong hand on his shoulder and he jumped back up into a standing position as if nothing ever happened.

"Are you okay?" It was Zack. Tyler had forgot that this whole time Zack had been behind him, getting off the bus with him, wondering what was wrong with his brother. Tyler felt a warm flood erupt from his own stomach and up to his cheeks.

"Uh-yeah, I'm fine. Everything is fine." Tyler's embarrassment swallowed him whole and he tore through it until he made it to the front door of his house.

"Tyler," Zack got quiet as he watched Tyler's hand tremble as he gripped the door handle. "Tyler, should I get mom?" His little brother's voice seemed terrified of Tyler. eyes were deep with bags. He was so tired. Not in the sleeping sense, but in the "I'm tired of breathing, thinking, struggling" kind of tired.

"No!" Tyler almost screamed. His parents could threaten to get him help again. Help Tyler didn't want. Help that Tyler did need. "I just need sleep. I need-" Tyler held onto the door handle tightly as his legs kindly gave out.

Zack immediately gripped his brother from under the arms and held his body up enough for him to not fall. Tyler hated Zack looking at his older brother as if he really did need the help his parents convinced the doctors Tyler needed.

"Tyler, get in Mom's car. Come on." Zack drug his panic attacked brother around to the front of the house where the garage door was.

"Let me go! I don't need help! I'm fine!" Tyler screamed quietly to his brother.

"Tyler, you're barely able to walk! Something's wrong with you if you think I'm not going to do something!"

"Something's wrong with me anyway so leave me alone! I can deal with this on my own!"

Zack and Tyler made their way to the garage door opener and put in the code. Near the inside of the door there was a car key that belonged to the only car in the garage. He hit the unlock button in the car key fob. Zack pulled on the handle of their mother's Chevy, gently putting Tyler in the car. Tyler closed the door for Zack, surrendering his choice to him. Zack got into the driver's seat and sat at the wheel, starring. He didn't start the engine. He didn't put the car key in. He didn't look at Tyler. They just sat in silence.

A rush of embarrassment overcame Tyler like a sea.

"I'm supposed to be taking care of him," Tyler thought to himself. "Not the other way around." He looked out the car window and replayed the entire day in his head. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong has. Everything.

Just then Zack spoke up.

"You know," he started, "I care about you, right?"

Tyler thought about it for a moment. Do I know that he cares about me? Tyler didn't take too long to answer this question.

"Yeah, I do." His head fell, ashamed of letting his organs twist and turn everything into a mess. Ashamed of letting his brother see him through all of this. Just ashamed.

"You know mom and dad care about you, right?"

Tyler took a little more time on this question. Of course they care, but is it for the right reason. The Joseph family has an almost godly reputation. With his father being the principal of his high school and his mother being the basketball coach, they have a figure to maintain. That means their children have to do the same.

Why did Tyler's parents get him help? Well, if we are really honest, it's because Tyler's father was told by the PTO that Tyler had been sitting alone at lunch in the beginning of high school. Being antisocial and scared isn't an option. Their school has to look the best, even if that means forcing their children to be the best to represent the school. The more he went, the worse it got.

He began shutting down in the middle of class when the teacher called on him. He started to think to hard about everything and wake up in cold sweats. Panic attacks were common for him, but not recently. In fact, the doctors had been telling him for awhile now that he was getting so much better. What a lie. So, did Tyler think his parents cared about him sincerely?

"No, I wasn't aware of that." Tyler's tone came out a little too rude for all the things Zack has been doing for him.

His brother turned to look Tyler in the eyes.

"Tyler, they really do. You don't have to believe me, but just know they do."

It was silent for a few seconds.

Zack turned back to the wheel and held his hands tightly around it.

"Either way, I need you to be okay."

Tyler shot him a look of hurt and anger.

"Do you think I'm not trying? Do you think I want this kind of reputation for mom and dad? Oh, you know the school Worthington Christian? Yeah, the principal's son is a complete basket case. Just look at him! He can't even breathe without his younger brother's help!" By this time Tyler's voice was broken with pain and anger.

"I know you're trying but…" Right in the heat of the moment Zack said something he really shouldn't have. Not to anyone and absolutely not to Tyler. Not now. Not never. Zack paused to look down into the eyes of the steering wheel's golden plus sign that served as the Chevy logo. "Just, try harder…?" Tyler's heartbeat pounded out of his chest. How could he have the nerve to tell me I'm not trying? How could he say that?

Tyler looked Zack directly in the eyes, reading every ounce of what he might have meant. Zack looked sorry but for the wrong reasons. Sorry he had a brother like me. Sorry he had to deal with me. Sorry he had to watch mom and dad deal with me. Sorry he knew me. Just sorry. After all this anger, Tyler smiled. He felt nothing. He couldn't feel his emotions anymore. If someone came up to him and asked how he was doing the correct answer would be "I'm not sure." He tried to read himself, but the only thing he felt was his heart breaking. No feeling. Just tearing. The tear in his heart.