Nothing interesting to say here, enjoy.

Chapter 9 - Like a Disease

Walking in to Spencer Academy had never really been a big deal to Hailey before, no one ever noticed her other than a few stray friends, and she didn't really mind. But, as soon as she walked through the door holding hands with Tyler Simms, the Tyler Simms, it was an entirely different story.

The entire hallway was full of whispers and stares. Everyone could not believe what they were seeing. Tyler Simms had a girlfriend. And said girlfriend was friends with Aaron Abbott, the sworn nemesis of the Sons of Ipswich.

"What is this?" Caleb asked with a proud smile as he slapped a hand on Tyler's back.

"This, this is my girlfriend…" Tyler stated with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Way to go baby boy," Pogue stated as he knocked fists with the younger boy.

Hailey's cheeks flushed a bit as Kate gave her a small wave as did Sarah. The two girls grabbed her away from her new boyfriend and started gabbing on about how they needed to get together, and how it was about time that the baby of the group finally got a girl.

"What is she doing talking with Kate and Sarah like she belongs?" Reid asked annoyed seeing Hailey within his immediate circle of friends.

"She does belong," Caleb shrugged his shoulders smirking at Reid, for some reason seeing Reid irritated and displeased amused the older Son of Ipswich.

"Since when?" Reid rolled his pale blue eyes looking over at Tyler who was smiling like an idiot. Then it dawned on him, Tyler didn't come back to the dorm before he went to sleep last night, and was in and out of their dorm this morning before he could even get in a good morning. "You didn't…" He trailed off in shock.

"I did…" Tyler nodded his head a wicked grin on his face.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Reid asked shoving him in to the locker.

"What is your deal, Reid?" Pogue asked confused.

"She hangs out with Aaron fuckin' Abbott man, she's bad news…" Reid stated rolling his eyes at them.

"She was ok for you, but for me it's different?" Tyler asked getting upset with his friend.

"When she was with me she wasn't friends with that prick…" Reid stated growling lowly at his best friend.

"Tyler hangs out with you, right Reid?" Caleb asked offering a suggestion.

"Of course he's my best friend," Reid snapped at the 'leader'.

"But Tyler doesn't act like you at all, does he?" Caleb questioned.

"No, but…"

He was cut off by Caleb, "If he's happy dating Hailey let him be… you should be happy for him; not chastising him for liking a girl that you threw to the curb…"

"It's not eve about that, I don't get a good vibe from that girl…" Reid pushed.

"Leave it alone, Reid…" Tyler glared at him.

"Fine, whatever man… you want to fuck up your life… that's your own damn fault not mine…" He yelled storming past the guys and the girls, nearly knocking Hailey over in the process.

"What was that all about?" Sarah asked adjusting her book bag on her shoulder.

"Someone obviously didn't get laid last night," Kate remarked watching the blonde push his way through the crowded hall.

"You ok?" Hailey asked looking at Tyler who seemed more than bothered by Reid's outburst and exit.

"I'm fine, how about you, he nearly bulldozed you over t here…" He stated placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm ok," She nodded with a smile. "You want to head to class?" She asked looking at the group around them and then back to Tyler.

"Yeah, let's go…" He agreed grabbing her hand and tossing his friends a nod before escaping the hallway to their first period class.

"I hope I didn't cause any bad blood, I know that Reid really doesn't care for me that much…" She said softly as they entered the classroom, Rid was already sitting in his assigned seat and shooting daggers at her.

"Don't worry about Reid; he's just got something shoved up his ass… probably PMSing or something…" Tyler waved a hand in the blonde's direction; he walked her up to her seat. "He'll be over it before the end of the day…"

"Are you sure?" She asked concerned.

"I'm positive; don't worry your pretty little head off…" He grinned placing a kiss on her lips and returning to his seat.

Great, she groaned seeing Aaron ascending the stairs just as Tyler was going down. Their shoulders bumped roughly and Tyler shot Aaron a rough glare as he sat down next to his blonde roommate.

"Knock it off Aaron," She barked at him.

"You are in deep, Hails…" Aaron whispered harshly to her.

"What are you jealous or something?" She asked glaring at him.

"Jealous?" Aaron scoffed. He lowered his voice slightly and he got closer to her, "You are out of your mind Hails, you like him… I can see it in your eyes…" He spat.

"Ok so maybe I might like him a little bit, hell I'm attracted to him for God's sakes… but I'm not in over my head…" She defended herself.

"Jesus Christ…" The blue-eyed boy next to her cursed. "This is ridiculous…" He slumped down in his chair.

"You're acting like a two-year old…" Hailey snapped. "Grow up…" She sighed pushing thoughts of Aaron, Reid and Tyler out of her mind.

The day continued on and Reid brushed her off, and Aaron found every excuse in the book to get her attention. At lunch he did everything but get on his hands and knees to get her to eat lunch with him and the guys. And Tyler, Tyler couldn't have been more perfect.

The final bell rang and Hailey left her class and met up with Tyler he was standing for her by her locker with that cute grin adorning his handsome face. She could have melted right there, she opened her locker and Aaron appeared out of nowhere.

"Let's go get movie night started, babe…" Aaron said coolly ignoring the fact that Tyler was standing right next to her.

"Babe?" Tyler asked moving from beside Hailey to behind her staring Aaron down. "I'd prefer it if you didn't call my girlfriend babe, love or any of your other pet names you have for her…"

"You've been dating all of what a day?" Aaron scoffed shaking his head. "I'll call her what I want… got that Simms?" Aaron poked his finger in to his chest.

"Aaron," Hailey stated in a warning tone. "Don't start…" She shook her head. "I'd appreciate it if you respected me enough to respect Tyler's wishes…" She stated glaring at him.

Aaron pursed his lips together, his nose twitching wildly at the scene unfolding before him, "Fine," He growled. "But I'm not doing this for you Simms, got that…" He gave Tyler another shove before glancing at Hailey. "Meet me in my room at 5?" He asked.

"Yeah," She nodded slightly watching him walk away. "I'm sorry about him," She whispered to Tyler resting her hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok… don't worry about it…" He rested his hand on the small of her back as she closed her locker and turned to him.

"You're perfect, you know that?" She asked him with a large smile on her face, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Me?" Tyler asked surprised. "Perfect?"

"Yes," She nodded her head. "You have got to be the best boyfriend, ever…" She grinned as they walked out to his car.

Tyler let a small blush appear on his cheeks, "C'mon you've got to be kidding…" He laughed shaking his head.

"Tyler, seriously you're smart, you're sweet, you're caring, and you're fucking hot…I couldn't make a better boyfriend if I tried…" She pulled him closer to her and kissed him.

She wasn't lying, he was perfect. She sighed heavily and thought about Aaron, Aaron and this god for saken bet. Why the hell did she go through with it in the first place? She glanced down in to her open book bag and noticed one of her books was missing.

"Shit," She whispered pulling away from Tyler.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking at her concerned.

"I forgot my Trig book; I've got to go grab it…" She stated glancing up at him. "Can you wait for me for a couple of minutes?" She asked.

"Of course," He nodded sitting down on his bumper he watched her run back up the stairs of Spencer's entrance and in to the building.

Hailey adjusted her strap and shook her head, between the fighting of Aaron and Tyler she had forgotten to grab her Trigonometry book, and Professor Rodriguez had assigned forty something problems that night for homework.

"Old witch," She whispered softly spinning the combination to her locker in easily.

"You don't fool me," His voice made her jump out of her own skin. She turned to see her worst nightmare standing next to her coolly leaning up against the lockers that smug smile of his in place.

"Go to hell, Garwin…" She mused pulling out her trigonometry book.

"Then we'll be together for ever, babe…" He smirked coming closer to her, making her back up in to her own locker.

"Don't call me that," She spat at him.

The smirk never left his face as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer to his body, her chest pushed up against his, his lips grazing over her face slowly as he looked down at her.

"Isn't Tyler supposed to be your best friend?" She asked him her voice shaking.

"He is my best friend," Reid snapped at her.

"Then why are you harassing his girlfriend?" She questioned pushing away from him.

Reid looked down at her with a scowl, "I can't believe he asked you out," Reid stated harshly, narrowing his eyes in on her.

"What is your problem Reid?" She asked shoving him off of her with as much force as she possibly could. "You dumped me, remember?" She asked harshly. "You broke up with me in front of the entire student body…" She poked her bony finger in to his chest. "You humiliated me in front of everyone…" She continued her mild rant. "You didn't talk to me again until you found out that I liked Tyler." She noted.

"That's not true," Reid scoffed looking at her like she had lost her mind.

"Oh it's true, damn true…" She pushed. "I think that you were so pissed off at me when I said that Tyler was better looking than you; you couldn't let it go…" She shook her head. "No, you just couldn't handle it, not the truth…" She smirked at the thought.

"It's because its bullshit and we both know it…" Reid stated staring her straight in the eye, who was she to tell him that Tyler was better looking than him? "I could have any girl in this school just like that," He snapped his fingers. "Including you," He stated leering down at her. "Oh wait, I already had you…" He mocked her.

Her mouth fell open and she glared up at him, "Here's another slap in the face for you Reid Garwin, Tyler is a better lover than you ever will be…" She glared up at him and pushed past him, quickening her pace when she heard him call her name.

"Hailey!" He yelled after her, his temper blasting, his face red. "Hailey Gregory, get your ass over here now!" He screamed.

He was seeing red by the time her body disappeared from sight. He started storming out after her, seeing her run to Tyler who was waiting by his Black Hummer for her looking quite bored. Reid ran to catch up with them and grabbed her by the arm before pulling her in to an intense lip lock, right in front of Tyler.

"What the hell?" Tyler yelled trying his best to get between the two. He finally gave Reid one hell of a push and the blonde was on his ass.

Hailey stared at Reid in complete shock as Tyler stood over his best friend bemused.

"What the fuck, Reid?" Tyler asked holding Hailey back away from the blonde as he stood up.

"Why don't you ask your fucking girlfriend," Reid stated glaring at Hailey who now looked confused.

"You're the one who freakin' attacked me Reid, Jesus Christ!" She stated pulling her arm out of Tyler's grasp. "You are the one who can't handle the truth," She pointed to him. "You…"

"Hailey, calm down…" Tyler stated trying to gather his thoughts.

"Calm down?" Hailey asked looking at him in disbelief. "Your bastard of a best friend just forced himself on me and wants to blame it on me like I came on to him!" She pointed to the blonde.

"Hailey, let me handle this ok?" Tyler asked her in a calming voice.

Hailey took a deep breath and looked Tyler in the eye; she could see a hint of pain in those blue eyes and felt like punching Reid herself. She nodded her head and stood back as Tyler turned around and glared at Reid.

"Don't think I'm stupid Reid or naïve…" Tyler warned him pointing a long finger in his face. "I know that you had Hailey first, and I was ok living with the fact that you got to my girlfriend before I did…" He bit his lip forcing away the urge to hit his best friend. "But when you start feeling her up in the middle of the hallway, or cornering her…" Reid looked at him a bit bewildered. "Didn't think I knew?" He laughed. "I knew but I tried to push it out of my head, because it was just your way to piss off Aaron, well know you're pissing me off too…" He stated glaring at him.

"Tyler… I…" Reid started to say something.

"Look, Reid… I don't want to hear it ok…" Tyler shook his head. "I know you're used to getting everything you want, but guess what…" The blue-eyed brunette stared the blonde down hard. "You're not getting Hailey…"

With that Tyler turned around and walked Hailey to the Black Hummer, she was in complete shock at what had just happened. She sat in the passenger's seat of her boyfriend's car and stared straight ahead. Tyler hopped in next to her and started the vehicle, without another thought he pulled out of the parking spot not daring to look back at the blonde who was gaping at them in complete shock.

"I can't believe you just did that," Hailey stated softly.

"What did you expect me to do Hails?" He asked. "I was sick and tired of hearing the shit through the grapevine…" He shook his mop of dark brown hair and glanced over at her. "He's my best friend, yeah… but sometimes he takes advantage of that…"

"Tyler, I'm sorry… I didn't…" She was interrupted when he put a finger to her lips.

"Don't apologize for him, ok… you didn't kiss him… you didn't ask him to kiss you… I know." He stated giving her a reassuring smile.

"But I don't want you two fighting, not because of me… or what happened last year or anything…" She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "I feel terrible…"

"Look, things between me and Reid will blow over in a couple of days… we're like brother's so we'll apologize… do our manly little hug thing and everything will be cool. But he needed to be put in his place…" Tyler smiled at her.

"Thank you," She stated with a large grin on her face.

Tyler didn't say anything else he walked her to her dorm, giving her a breath taking kiss and leaving her wanting more. She sighed and closed the door; she had just caused an enormous fight between the two best friends.

No matter what Tyler told her she still felt horrible. But she was sick and tired of Reid being so nasty to her, and harassing her, it was starting to irk her last nerve. Maybe that would teach him a lesson and he would leave her the hell alone.

Doubtful, she thought sadly, it's Reid Garwin, he didn't just give up. That wasn't his style unfortunately she found that out the hard way last year.

She changed her clothes and walked up to Aaron's room ready for her movie night with her best friend.

I sure hope he took his foot out of his ass, she thought knocking on the door to his dorm.

Aaron opened the door with a large smile on his face, "Maybe you have more control over the situation than I thought," He mused letting her past him.

"That was not supposed to happen," Hailey stated knowing that he had probably been lacking around waiting for her to leave with Tyler after school. "And what are you, stalking me now?" She asked falling on to his bed.

"Oh c'mon, Tyler is pissed off at Reid, and Garwin is pissed at him… it's perfect… you're like a disease…" He remarked with an evil grin on his lips.

"A disease?" Hailey asked in disbelief. "Gee, thanks Aaron…"

"In a good way, babe…" He stated falling in to place next to her.

Please remember to R&R!