Chapter 14

The next few days came by quick, in which Tyler next really realized a week had passed. They both survived, the competition for three days concluding in a draw. Tyler eagerly took Reid's drinking challenge and matched him shot for shot, but learned to get up in the morning to take a few shots for the day. It cured the hangover, it kept him in high spirits, and surprisingly it helped him stay awake and focus in class. No one seemed to notice, and things were going well, causing Tyler to become more confident as he carried water bottles full of alcohol and juice or soda into school. Granted, he wasn't making a big scene about it, and kept it in his backpack most of the day, but when he had a chance in the bathroom or in between classes when he wasn't near anyone, he'd drink.

Since no one won the little competition, the two moved on to figuring out what Pogue's deal was. Towards the end of the week, Pogue finally made his first move on Tyler. He had figured out that the boy was taking his shower at god awful times in the morning, generally between five to five thirty, always done though by six. Tyler made it to the bathroom and saw someone walking down the hall, recognizing the figure as very tall and broad, definitely male. He slipped into the bathroom and went for the showers, crouched down, and sat his items on the ground, his bottle carefully covered. That figure...looked familiar but...nah... He heard the door open again, a familiar voice filling the room. "Oh, hello Tyler."

Tyler snapped his head around, staring wide-eyed at Pogue. "Hey Pogue. You're up early."

Pogue casually walked over, Tyler standing up and angling himself in front of his bottle so it wouldn't get knocked and make a sound from within his clothes. "Well, I just wanted to have some Brother time, but it's hard when you always have a guard dog on your tail. Is that so bad?"

Tyler swallowed, trying his hardest not to stumble over his words. This was the most sober he had been in over a week. "Well, this isn't really the place, and any other time hasn't gone so well."

Pogue took a step forward, beginning to raise his hand, causing Tyler to take a step back, shuffling his things closer to the wall. His eyes turned black, Pogue moving his hand in a gripping motion. Tyler felt the pressure on his collarbone to his back, getting tighter and tighter. Tyler collapsed, shoving his stuff behind him. He heard it scatter, but he didn't think twice about it as he saw Pogue raise his left hand, applying the same pressure on Tyler's right shoulder. "So what? I'm trying to help you see the difference between what is right and wrong in this world. It begins with this little Covenant. I'm sure you've heard that I'm challenging Caleb as leader, which his hilarious because now he's cowering in a corner, neglecting everyone he cares about. What type of leadership is that?"

Tyler simply shook his head, attempting to shrug his shoulders with no avail. "This isn't leadership either. It's not about dominance."

"See, that's what you think. When it come to this Covenant though, I've been taught by my father and from the Book, and I have listened to Caleb, but my father would clarify the meanings whereas Caleb deciphered it for himself. He's a fraud."

"And killing me is going to help prove your point?"

Tyler's voice was strained, the pressure about to crack his bones. He felt faint, his breath constricted in his lungs. "It might. Caleb believes he's strong, but he has no idea how to use his powers."

"Are you stupid?" Tyler gasped in disbelief. "He fucking destroyed Chase! It sounded like Chase was winning, yes, at first, but when he got his father's powers, it became fair and Caleb had the final blow."

Pogue growled and the next thing Tyler was aware of, he could feel the cool floor, blood pounding in his ears as his jaw felt cracked. He slowly rolled over, wheezing, trying to bring his vision back. "Is that what you believe? You're the fucking idiot then. Chase didn't die, first off. There wasn't a report of a body. And Caleb has done nothing to track him down. If he disappeared, then he will come back. Listen to how Caleb tells it though. He makes it sound like he had the upper hand the entire time, despite having the disadvantage of less powers. That in itself shows that I can beat him with pure skill and knowledge. Keep this in mind, Baby Boy."

Tyler started pushing himself up, knocking his clothes and towels to the side, hearing a clink that instantly made him open his eyes and look at Pogue.

"Oh? What's this?" Pogue reached down and grabbed the top of the bottle, uncovering the whiskey Tyler had become fond of. "Jim Bean, eh? How long has this been going on for? Is Reid aware?"

"That's none of your business."

"I think it is." Pogue dropped the bottle, Tyler reaching out to grab it, breathing a sigh of relief as it fell into his hand. "And that confirms my belief. I'll see you in school."

Tyler quickly gathered his stuff together, knowing that he was running out of time before anyone else showed up in the bathroom. The door clanged shut, Tyler breathing out and grabbing the bottle, drinking from it shot after shot. The scolding in his stomach instantly made him gag, but he swallowed slowly, taking deep breaths and holding his vision steady. After a minute he stood and undressed, quickly jumping under the hot water and washing himself off, taking as many drinks as he dared, feeling quite unsteady by the time he had to walk back to the room.

The rest of the day, Pogue had little comments for Tyler, varying from asking him how thirsty he was and how unsteady he looked from "lack of sleep", to comparing how weak and pathetic he was next to his big blonde dog.

Towards the end of the school day, Tyler saw Pogue walking up, a smirk on his face. He looked quite relaxed and confident in himself. He had eyes only for Tyler, Tyler pausing his step and watching Pogue's eyes as they darkened. A slight pressure increased on Tyler's backpack, and he heard a ripping sound. Tyler swung his backpack over his shoulder, but not before everything fell out, the dark water bottle bouncing along the floor, miraculously landing at Pogue's foot as he walked up.

Tyler bent down to start grabbing things, especially the water bottle, but Pogue snatched it up, stirring it up. "Oh, nice, some juice." He began opening the bottle, a smirk on his face. "Don't mind if I do."

"Get your filthy germs off of that," Reid said, moving to snatch the bottle away. Tyler's eyes were wide, knowing that he had made the drink slightly more potent, but the grape juice hid the smell fairly well. If any of it was spilled though, the smell would definitely infect the area, and his secret would be let out. Reid went to grab the bottle, but Pogue held it up and pushed him away.

"This is where the big boys play. Go home Garwin."

"And you're nothing more than the school yard bully. Get your face out of here Perry."

Tyler finished grabbing the books, Pogue tossing the bottle on top of the stack and walked away. Tyler noticed though that the cap wasn't screwed on tightly and dropped everything again to grab the bottle. "I'm going back to the dorms," he mumbled, Reid bending down again to help, Tyler frantically grabbing the wet books, drying them as much as possible before they stained.

"What a dick," Reid said, using his power to repair the backpack, dumping the papers in there. "Are you going to be okay? You kind of froze up back there."

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks for standing up for me. I think I'm going back to the dorms though."

"What? Tyler? You can't just ditch. We only have one more period left, and then we can relax tonight. And this way, I can keep an eye on you. I wouldn't put it past Pogue to ditch his class to get a sneak attack on you. Caleb's being a lame ass right now, hiding his face from the halls, and I can see Pogue would still be relentless on you if he were to catch you alone. Come on man, you'll be fine."

Tyler nodded and realized the final bell was ringing. "Shit. Let's go then."

Tyler was shaky throughout his math class, Reid noticing at various points, writing a note about half way through asking, Are you going to be okay?

Tyler nodded at that, and tried to keep an eye on the board. He wanted to take a drink so very, very bad, and had to keep reminding himself that he was in class, and Reid would catch a whiff of it, fast. It wasn't worth exposing himself. But a trip to the bathroom? That'd be acceptable. I still have to wait until after class, but if Reid questions me about Pogue, what am I supposed to say? How am I to tell him that Pogue came after me this morning and that he found my bottle? I can't let Reid know what I'm doing. I just can't. He'd kill me. He'd be so disappointed...

He made it through the rest of the class, trying to be as invisible as possible. They walked with a crowd of teenagers back to the dorms, and not even a minute after they reached their own room Reid was changing and laying on his bed while Tyler calmed down and looked for an excuse to drink. If I tell him about this morning, he'd totally understand. I mean, it's not like he knows that I took the bottle with me, and he'd protect me from Pogue even more. Or, he'd go beat the shit out of him right now, well, actually, he'd be doing that instead. Shit I want a drink... I'll be fine though. I really should have water instead...

"Are you okay over there?" Reid asked, interrupting Tyler's thoughts.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about the homework tonight. I'm expecting another essay to be assigned here soon. In economics it's been reading and discussion, so why not an essay to wrap it up?"

"Right... Yeah, keep pondering on that. Any exciting plans for tonight?"

Tyler shook his head. "What about a roomies card game kind of night? Just hang out and play a few games, drinking when we lose, and hoping tomorrow isn't as bad as normal?"

Reid began nodding, his smile growing. "There's a ton of games too. Fuck the dealer, ride the short bus, black jack..."

Tyler grinned, grabbing his computer and bottle, looking up some games to begin with. With roughly a half bottle each, they finally began their fun and played well into the night, Tyler eventually looking over at his clock and seeing it was one in the morning.

"Shit, son, we should be going to bed."

"Psh, whatever," Reid replied, throwing down the last card. "And... You were wrong. Drink."

Tyler glanced at the end of his bottle and sighed. Not gonna be able to take this to the shower in the morning. He drank the last shot, shuddering and holding it down. His had double vision, and he could tell his balance was skewed, even sitting on the bed. Reid was pretty wobbly himself, and had no issue collapsing on his bed.

"Oh, my stomach is not going to be happy tomorrow. Holy fuck," Reid groaned, hands covering his eyes.

Tyler laughed and carefully got off the bed, having a pretty smooth stride over to his pajamas. He almost fell over trying to change and put them on, and glanced over and saw Reid just lying on the bed. "Be right back," he said, stumbling towards the door to head to the bathroom to relieve himself.

Bare feet slapping against the cool floor, he tried to sober up a little so his brain would be able to function in the morning. The walk was helping a little bit, and it got him out of the stuffy room. He was rubbing his eyes as something cool passed through his ankles, causing him to slow his step, his balance unsteady. Looking at the ground stupidly, he thought he could detect something with the power, but it was so thin that it faded fairly quick. He looked back up and gasped, being pushed against the wall, arm across his throat. He looked into Pogue's eyes, seeing them embrace the smirk that was across his face.

"I honestly didn't think I'd be seeing you tonight. You usually like to stay inside after eight." Grabbing his arm, one hand still on his throat, he pushed Tyler towards the bathroom and onto the floor.

"Seriously, Pogue, what is the meaning of all this? Why are you coming after me now?" Tyler was having a hard time focusing due to the alcohol, Pogue seeming to jump from the left to the right. This was not a good time for him to defend himself.

"I promised my father that I'd look after you. Your father did have some right treating you the way he did that night, but I'm also trying to spread a lesson to the other guys. Don't fuck with me. I almost killed you once; I can do it again. I figured Reid was going to find you that night, I just wasn't sure how. I was right, and now I know my limits, as well as yours. But tonight, I'd be breaking my promise to my father. You're obviously fucked up. Pissed ass drunk. You're pathetic." A kick was brought into Tyler's ribs, causing him to gasp. "You're fucking stupid, boy." Pogue didn't hold back as he pinned the tip of his shoe once more in the same spot. Another kick came more towards his back, the final pinning him down on the floor. "And, Reid is going to get his lesson as well. I just need to fulfill my promise to you." A jab in his chest, feeling more like the power, caused Tyler to look up and see if Pogue's eyes were actually black.

They were, and the pain persisted, never escalating. Pogue attacking random parts of his chest and legs, Tyler having a flashback to one of the first times his father beat him. It was in a similar manner, not wanting to make it personal just yet, learning the type of reactions Tyler responded with. His father had attacked his face and arms as well, deciding to throw Tyler down the stairs to enhance the effect and excuse. He had been fourteen, and it all started when he had accidently broken his great grandmother's vase.

"Nothing? That's pathetic. Shows how used to this you must be. Or it could be the alcohol numbing the pain." Pogue bent down and punched Tyler hard across the face, the knuckles grazing his jaw perfectly again. He slammed his fists two more times into Tyler's chest before standing back up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Simms."

Before the door could open, Tyler couldn't help from grinning. "Don't quit your day job, Pogue. You're gonna lose this battle against Caleb. You don't know how to fight. We all do. We've been through the pain and emotion you're trying to hand to us. You're not a fighter, but at least you're overcompensating with your muscles. If this is the worst that you have in you, then we're going to beat you, fast. I appreciate your effort though. It was a good attempt."

He could see how his words outraged Pogue, and was expecting him to blow up and stomp Tyler's face in,. But, he walked out the door, Tyler staying on the ground for a few minutes to calm his body down. He remembered the whole reason for coming to the bathroom and finished his business, heading back to the room in a slow walk. He wasn't surprised when he saw Reid sleeping, deeply by how slow his breaths were. He grabbed his phone and looked at it, not wanting to sleep at all now. Yes, he hadn't had any nightmares recently, but he had a feeling that this was going to bring some on, even in his drunken state. Flipping through his contacts, he continuously kept pausing on one of the first names, wondering how pissed Reid would be if he found out. I'm sure he's up. He always is. He got up and went back to the bathroom, where he carefully pulled his phone out of his pocket. He slowly pushed the call button, knowing he couldn't back out after the line rang even once. But, three rings later, a greasy voice with a bit of a slur answered. "Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see your name pop up on my phone."

"I need to place an order right away. Whatever amount that will get your boss up and ready, I'll buy it."

"How curious. What snapped?"

Tyler stared at the wall with a blank expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do. You better have cash ready to go. Meet me at the front entrance of the dorm in a half hour. I'll text you the amount."

"All right," Tyler responded, hanging up and in a sick form of relief, was glad the teen had answered. Feeling a bit more sober, he raced back to the bedroom and changed into jeans and a black shirt, watching Reid's chest slowly rise and fall. He knew his friend would stay passed out. He grabbed his keys and went out to his Hummer, knowing he only had a little bit of time to get to the ATM a little ways up the road. Shivering, knowing that he was about to get into another cold car, Tyler barely felt his phone go off, reading 240. He pulled up the ATM and took out three hundred, at least keeping twenty for himself. He and Reid were going to need alcohol soon. Within minutes he was back at the dorms, walking up to the front when his accomplice walked out, both turning and walking towards the black BMW.

"Are you aware what can happen if we get pulled over for being out past curfew?"

"We'll be fine. We won't be followed or anything." Tyler kept his power on low, sliding into the cold car, getting the cash organized. "What's your price for doing this so late and unexpected?"

"This one time will be twenty, especially because you better share. Next time I'll run it between forty to eighty. Plan ahead, Simms."

"I'll share. I need you to show me all the tips. Every example earns another line. I don't care anymore at this point."

"Right."

They drove through the town, stopping in a cute little neighborhood in front of a white house with a single porch light on. Tyler handed the money over, hearing the door shut softly. Head kept down, he felt his stomach sinking as he was beginning to realize how deep he just sunk himself. Not only will Reid freak when he finds out I've been drinking at school, he's going to go ballistic when he hears the shit Pogue's been doing to me, that I've teamed up with Aaron, and I've started buying drugs. He's never going to have faith in me at all. I really just hope this deal doesn't get me fucked over. This is a lot...this is so much... Shit. He looked up and around, seeing no one's curious eyes, his powers reassuring him that no one was patrolling the area, either. As long as I keep to myself, maybe we can plan to do something to Pogue, and start talking to Caleb more. The guy has been invisible for two weeks almost. Him and Sarah both. We need to know what we're going to do about this. At least, now I'll have more studying time without fear of getting drowsy.

He looked back up, a dark figure walking back down the pathway, Tyler starting to relax. Aaron opened the door and sat back down, driving out of the neighborhood quickly and quietly. He tossed the white powder onto Tyler's lap, a ball a little smaller than a cutie orange. "More than I expected."

"He's not a bad guy. First time buyer deal I'm sure. Five grams I think you got there."

They rode in silence the rest of the way, Tyler walking to the different dorm room. "So, show me how it's all done," Tyler asked, shutting the door behind him, feeling a little more enclosed since it was a single bedroom.

Aaron sat down at the desk, Tyler beside him on the bed, Aaron flipping on the desk lamp. "So, pretty simple. Make the line as long as you want. Make sure the stuff is closer to powder, since you got some rocks in here. Cards, razors, packs of cigs, anything pretty much works if you do it right."

Tyler learned the motions and the slang, having a few practice bumps before Aaron dealt out the trial line. It was about the length of his middle finger, but super thin, the top of the peaks clearly off the desk. "This will keep you up the rest of the night and well into tomorrow, since you're a newbie."

"Perfect. I need to hack into my parents bank accounts anyway."

Aaron laughed, and watched as Tyler took the line, Tyler's eyes landing on a mirror he had propped up against the side of his desk. His eyes were dark, face pale, hair disheveled, lips almost purple as he spotted some of the powder around his nose. Carefully wiping it off he watched Aaron take his, the boy stretching afterwards. "Well, thanks for the buzz. Pretty much fucked now for the rest of the day like yourself."

"I'm used to it. Just don't expect us to be buddy-buddy now. Reid is a separate case from this and needs to stay out of it. Take some more for yourself if you want. I don't know where your tolerance is at, and it's my fault that you're still up."

"Glad to help, really. And don't worry. Kira won't hear anything about this either. She's not fond of the whole thing unless she's faded."

Tyler left the room quietly, feeling a bit antsy. He couldn't keep his mind exactly focused, definitely not feeling the alcohol anymore. At least I have the vodka if I need to calm down. That shit's still mostly full. He carefully entered the dorm room, seeing it was a little after three. Sighing, he sat down at his computer, looked at the screen, then around his room, back at the computer, and began typing, getting into the files that the bank had and changing where the funds had been pulled from. His parents would see that they had been transferred to the school, but the bank would still see that it had been pulled from the ATM. It took him the next two hours to carefully piece it all together, logging out of the systems by five thirty. He was quite pleased with himself, glad the computer class he had taken the year before was still coming in handy.

He grabbed his little sack of coke, looking around and finding something small to put the powder in. He saw a little vending machine container, and put some of the powder in there, shoving the rest of the bag in the far end of the drawer in his nightstand. Feeling accomplished, he headed towards the showers with his supplies, beginning to enjoy this new day. Full of energy, still at peace even after the nightly escapade and Pogue's attack, he was a little eager to see how everything was going to turn out.

And we can find Caleb and talk with him... Reid will agree. This hiding bullshit has got to stop. He's our leader for Christ sake. I don't know what he's trying to find or hide from, but he better man up. Pogue's not kidding around anymore, although, if that truly was his attack, then he needs some fighting lessons... Chuckling, Tyler dropped his stuff, took a huge swig, did a quick bump, hid it all again, and jumped under the water, feeling refreshed.

And yay here we are! The beginning of Tyler's downfall. Woot. So, apologies for being a chick and leading all guy conversations to sound like women one's. Some conversations guys have though in their simplicity just blow me away. So, i try to keep it simple. Hopefully it's okay. Been forever since i've actually hung around guys, or been in this stage of my life, so everything's fuzzy now in some areas. Oh life. What wild adventures we take sometimes when we're young and dumb and invincible. Until someone dies, goes to rehab, or gets pregnant.