A/N: My naughty Tyler muse has been hiding, but he came out long enough for me to write this chapter, or finish it really. Things are going to pick up and hopefully with longer chapters, we shall see! :)

Chapter Eleven
Numb

Tyler groaned, his head was pounding and he couldn't find the strength to even open his eyes. He could hear movement, though it sounded far away. Shifting his weight, he collapsed further in to his bed, moving took way too much out of him.

"Ty?" Reid's voice pierced him and he grunted. His mouth was dry, he could feel that his lips were chapped and they were rough. "You alive man?"

He heard something in his best friend's voice that was foreign to the blonde; concern.

He grunted again, trying his damnedest to sit up. He heard rustling and then his bed dipped. Long, skinny fingers wrapped around his biceps pushing him up in to a sitting position.

"Easy man," Reid mused.

Tyler forced his eyes open and the vision before him was terribly distorted. That, or Reid had an extra head he didn't know about before.

"How you feeling?"

Tyler's tongue slipped between his lips and moistened the usually pink cushions. He found the use of his hands and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Seconds later he motioned with his hands for a drink.

Reid was up in and back before Tyler could even register; thrusting a glass in to his hands. Tyler slowly put the glass to his mouth, his hands shaking like crazy.

After a few sips, his dry mouth felt much better, but not a hundred percent. He could see one Reid, instead of two, though his vision was still slightly blurry.

"Ty, man, how you feeling?" Reid asked again.

"Like hell," Tyler croaked.

"You scared the fuck out of me yesterday, man…" The blonde ran a hand through his hair. Tyler glanced down and noticed his best friend's rumpled clothes and worried exterior.

"I should have listened to you," He swallowed hard.

"You must really be sick," He felt his friend's forehead like his mom used to do when he would fake sick.

"What happened?"

"You lost your heat and nearly passed out afterwards," The blonde shook his head.

"I lost?" Tyler asked his voice cracking.

"Yeah, asshole, your perfect record has been tainted…" He joked.

Tyler groaned and fell back deeper in to his pillows.

"My head is pounding," He groaned, sounding as though he was dying.

"You want some Tylenol?" Reid questioned.

"Can I have a glass of vodka with that?" Tyler pressed, squeezing his eyes shut and forcing his fingers in to his temples.

Reid laughed, "Hanging out with me too much, Ty…"

Tyler waited a few beats before opening his eyes back up to look at his best friend, "Got anything stronger?" Tyler mumbled.

Reid stopped looking through the top drawer for the bottle of Tylenol that he was sure was in the there. He glared at Tyler for a moment before he got up. He walked back and slummed back on to Tyler's twin bed.

"You must be in pain," He murmured opening the bottle in his hand. "Be careful with these Ty, they're no joke…"

Tyler didn't say anything, but he knew whatever Reid was giving him didn't compare to a wonderful line of coke that he was just dying to take. But he knew he couldn't. Not with Chase looming around knowing his deepest secret.

Reid slapped two pills in to his hand and placed the bottle next to him.

"I'm gonna go grab some grub, you want anything?"

Tyler groaned, the thought of food repulsed him. He shook his head and Reid chuckled a bit to himself before heading out the door.

Tyler popped the two pills in to his mouth and chugged the rest of his water. He felt dead. His entire body was lethargic. He didn't feel normal at all.

He knew what he needed, but he couldn't afford to do it. He just couldn't. There was too much to risk, even with just a little hit. He grabbed the bottle that Reid had left next to him and stared at the label, wondering if he could get something out of them.

Lortab.

He mulled over it for a minute and figured that it might help a little. He sat back in his pillows and sighed when he heard the phone buzzing dangerously on the nightstand. He grabbed the phone and glared at it.

The name flashing on the screen made him smile through the pain.

"Max," He answered after the next ring.

"Tyler, hey you sound like shit…" Max mused over the phone.

He moved and groaned, "I feel like shit,"

"What's going on?" She asked.

"A lot of shit, you think you can come over later?" He questioned. "I really want to see you." He rubbed his eyes and hoped that she would stop by.

"I've got a date with Trevor later, but I'll stop by afterward?"

Tyler's jaw set, "Yeah, that'd be great."

Max could hear the strain in his voice, "Ty…"

"I'll see you later, Maxine."

He closed the phone, ending the conversation. He didn't want her to go out with this Trevor guy; he wanted her sitting next to him, taking care of him. Was that too much to ask?

He bit down on his bottom lip, it probably was.

He squeezed his eyes close and waited for the meds to kick in.

It didn't take long; within fifteen minutes he was starting to feel human again. He was able to get out of bed and stumble to the bathroom to take a nice long hot shower before Max would show up.

When Reid came back to the room he found Tyler lying on his neatly made bed looking a lot better than when he had left earlier that morning. He smiled a bit and Tyler grinned.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, much… must have been some freak bug or something," Tyler announced looking up at the TV that was bolted to the wall.

"Must have been," The blonde nodded. "I've got plans tonight, you want to come?"

"And be the third wheel?" He laughed shaking his head. "No thanks, besides I think Max might be coming over to see me…"

A mischievous grin lifted at the corner of Reid's mouth and Tyler rolled his eyes at this. The blonde changed his clothes quickly and glanced over his shoulder.

"A little TLC is just what you need baby boy," He grinned stupidly at him.

He rolled his blue eyes and tossed his keys to the blonde who gracefully caught them with one hand, while grabbing hi s black hoodie with the other one. Tyler watched his best friend leave and was thankful for some more privacy.

TLC didn't sound half bad right about now. He was sure that he wouldn't be getting any from Max and wondered what he would have to do to get a cheap lay around Spenser Academy.

He was in deep thought about his potential lay when a knock came at the door. Tyler pulled himself off of the bed and crossed to the door. Without asking who was at the door he swung it open.

The brunette girl that he couldn't help but stare at was standing right in front of him. He smiled and pulled her in to his arms and hugged her. Laughing, Max pulled away.

"Good to see you too, Ty…" She laughed and closed the door behind her. "You seem to be feeling better,"

"A little," He lifted a shoulder and fell back on to his bed. He gave the empty space next to him a pat. "So, how was your date?" He asked.

Max narrowed her eyes at him, "Fine," She mumbled and then watched for his reaction. "But,"

"But, what?" He pressed.

"I broke it off with him,"

Tyler looked a bit shocked and then he looked pleased. Max wasn't sure exactly how to take that, "You did?" His voice sounded as if it broke halfway through his questions.

She nodded, "Yeah, he wasn't exactly what I was looking for after all…"

"What are you looking for?" Tyler asked turning on his side to get a better look at her. She was wearing a jean skirt and a shirt that clung to her curves. He let his hand fall on her hip and slowly trace the length of her abdomen.

"I don't know," She murmured, not bothering to chastise him for touching her so intimately.

"Max," Tyler breathed her name.

"Yeah, Ty?" She responded in a hopeful voice.

He pulled her closer to him and cocked his head to the side, "I want you so bad right now…" He whispered to her.

Max stared at him for a second and shook her head, pushing her palms against his chest, "That's all I am to you, isn't it?" She questioned him. Tyler looked at her confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just some easy fuck for you, is that it?" She asked angrily, pulling her frame off of the bed.

"Max, seriously…" Tyler sat up. "I just meant—"

"No," She shook her head. "I can't do this to myself anymore, Tyler…" She opened the door. "I can't, and I won't… not until you realize what's right in front of you."

With that she stormed out of the room, leaving Tyler sitting on his bed completely dumbfounded. He stared at the open door and sighed to himself, falling back in to the pillows. He grabbed the bottle from next to his bed.

He had no idea what that was about, he unscrewed the cap of the Lortab and dry swallowed three of them. He didn't want to feel anything right now.

He just wanted to be numb.

Well, make sure you let me know what you thought of it, and if you're still interested in bad Tyler... cause I know I am... :)