Anastasia woke up to someone laying down on her bed beside her. "Your aunt said you're planning on not going to school today." She sighs and turns to see Tyler laying in her bed.
"Yup, what you doing here?"
"Well my amazing best friend decided to leave me out of the loop, so I came to pick you up for school, like I do every morning, when Jenna tells me you are staying home." Anastasia shrugs as she stares down at her nails. "What's up? This isn't about how I acted at the party last weekend right? I mean I was drunk. I so did not mean to flirt you. That's kind of against our code right? Don't flirt with your best friends?" Anastasia manages a smile as she looks up at Tyler. "So... what's wrong?"
"Derek called me a few times."
"As in your cousin Derek?"
"Yup."
"Did you tell him to go to hell?" He tries to make her smile, but it only seems to make her more upset.
"He told me his sister was murdered." Tyler's breath leaves him as he stares down at the girl beside him.
"I... Damn, dove, I'm so sorry." She sniffles as a tear slips down her cheek. "Oh, come here." He pulls her into his arms as she burst into tears. "How about we ditch school together, okay? Just you and I. We'll stay in bed all day watching chick flicks." He says as he rubs her back as she cries into his chest. "I'll even watch the Notebook with you." She manages a weak laugh as she snuggles closer to Tyler.
"Won't your dad kill you if you stay home?" She whispers as she looks up at him.
"Screw him." Tyler says as he pushes her hair out of her face. She looks up at him and manages a smile as he smiles back. "So... what movie do you want to start with?" She giggles with a shrug.
"I don't know. Nothing depressing."
"So... the notebook is out. Okay, let's see." He pulls out of her arms and goes to her book shelf. "Marley and me? Seriously, Anya? How can you even watch this movie?" She shrugs.
"That's for when I feel like crying."
"Do girls ever truly feel like crying?"
"Sometimes." He shrugs before looking through the movies.
"You have all of the paranormal activity movies?"
"I like horror." He chuckles and nods.
"I can believe that. Okay, let's see..." He sighs as he looks through the movies. "You have about zero romance movies."
"I don't... I normally don't watch those kinds of movies." Tyler raises an eyebrow at her as she says that.
"How is it you don't have a boyfriend?"
"Oh, there's been plenty of guys that liked me, but very few I actually even glanced at." Tyler laughs and shakes his head.
"Sassy as always with a dash of smart ass." She smiles. "Okay, so want to watch a horror movie instead?"
"Paranormal activity marathon?" She asks, causing him to smile.
"Okay, whatever you want, dove." He picks the first movie before going to her tv and slipping the dvd into the console.
The spend the entire day hold up in her room watching the paranormal activity saga before they moved on to the conjuring 1 and 2, then insidious 1-3, and only then did Elena pop into the room. "Hey..." Elena says, lancing at Tyler and her cousin with a look of question. They were laying snuggled under the covers, watching the last little bit of Insidious 3 when Elena popped in. "You missed practice today." Elena tells Tyler.
"Yeah, ditched with Anya." He shrugs in response.
"Yeah, Jenna said you said home, Anastasia." Elena says, causing her cousin to nod.
"Yeah... Didn't feel up to going, so Tyler offered to stay home with me, while Jenna went to school."
"You probably should be getting home, Tyler." Elena says, causing the two to look away from the tv screen and finally at her.
"Uh... yeah, right."
"Ty, you don't have to go. It's still early, Elena and it's not like you're friends haven't stayed later."
"Except my friends are girls." Tyler glanced between the two cousins, not liking the tension in the air.
"Look, Anya, maybe I should just-
"Elena, I want Tyler to stay a bit longer, it's none of your concern anyways, you aren't my guardian and Jenna is fine with it, she already told me." Elena glares at Anastasia before walking out of the room without another word.
"I'm having Bonnie and Stephan over for dinner, so I do not want Tyler picking fights with my boyfriend." Elena calls back, causing Anastasia to roll her eyes.
"How do you even like the fact that she's dating that new kid?" Tyler asks, causing a sigh to escape the girl beside him.
"I don't. She broke poor Matt's heart and now she's dating someone new. I don't like it nor do I like the guy, but..." She shrugs as she pushes stop on the remote. "It's not like I can do anything to change it. All I can do is be there for Matt, same as you."
"Yeah, but-
"Ty, Elena isn't going to get back with Matt, whether Stephan is gone or not." Tyler frown and goes to her bookshelf to grab another movie.
"Still, it was harsh how she ended it."
"Can't agree more." The spent the rest of the afternoon and into the night watching movie after movie. When Jenna came up to tell Tyler he needed to head home she found the two fast asleep in each other's arms and couldn't bring herself to wake them.
Soon morning came and reality checked in. The two had to get to school and get ready for the big home game. Anastasia quickly dresses in a long sleeved grey shirt, a pair of jeans, her sneakers, and her baseball cap. She walks out of the room as Tyler walks out of the bathroom. "You're dad called seven times when we were sleeping." She tells him, causing Tyler to shrug.
"He'll get over it. As long as I am at today's game he has nothing to complain about." Tyler tells her as he grabs his bag. "I need to head home, change for school and today's game, but... meet you at the school?" She smiles and nods.
"Yeah... and thanks, Ty, for yesterday and all of last night." She smiles and kisses his cheek. "You're the best." She tells him before the two head outside. Tyler got in his car, while Jenna drove Anastasia to school.
School went by quickly enough and soon it was game night. Everyone was dressed in school colors, except for a handful like Anastasia, and everyone was celebrating and lighting the bonfire. Normally Anastasia hated going to things like this and rather stay home, but both her best friends are on the football team, so she has to be here.
"Quiet down for a minute." Tanner calls over the many students cheers, causing Anastasia to roll her eyes as she searches the football team for Matt or Tyler, knowing they probably are standing together. "Okay? Wait a minute, wait, wait, wait." She found Tyler standing as tough and grumpy looking as ever, his arms crossed over his chest, his chin pointed up, while Matt stand beside him as sweet and quiet as ever looking. Mat has his hands crossed in front of him and a small smile on his face as he catches Anastasia's eyes. Tyler's whole badboy demeanor diminishes as he catches her eyes too. He smiles, his body becomes light and no longer tense, and he gives her a sweet smile. She smiles back, holding her hand up in a wave. "Wait. Let's be honest here. In the past, we used to let other teams come into our town and roll right over us." Anastasia smiles as everyone boos in the crowd. "But that is about to change." People cheers as Anastasia shrugs to Tyler, who shrugs back. "We've got some great new talent tonight starting on offense and I'm gonna tell you right now," Tyler gives Anastasia a look, causing her to sigh.
'behave.' She mouths, but he just gives her a crooked grin, which only spells trouble.
"It has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these." Tanner goes on to say. "Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore." She rolls her eyes at Tyler as he chuckles. She blocks out what Tanner says next as she watches Tyler walk away from the crowd and starts after him, knowing something bad is to happen.
"Hey babe, what's wrong?" Vicki asks as Anastasia walks over.
"Ty, please don't go starting a fight." She says to Tyler as Vicki glares her way. Tyler ignores Vicki and turns to Anastasia.
"Don't worry about it, dove, it's nothing." She frown at his tone as he eyes her cousin.
"Ty, don't take it out on Jeremy, he didn't-
"Oh, no, Ty." Vicki starts. "No. Leave him alone." She begs as she tries to hold him back.
"What do you care?" He asks as he moves around her. "Don't look so down." Tyler says to Jeremy as Anastasia stands nervously on the side. "You can have her when I'm done."
"Ty, don't be-" But before Anastasia can finish Jeremy hits Tyler. "Jeremy!" And like that a fight breaks out.
"Tyler, stop it!" Anastasia tries to pull Tyler off, but he elbows her in the face, causing her to fall and land right on the broken beer bottle. She hisses in pain as she pulls the glass out from her arm.
"Stop, you're hurting him. Tyler. Tyler, stop." Anastasia feels arms pull her up and a whisper in her ear.
"Don't worry, dove, I'll be with you soon enough to help you." She frowns as she turns, but there's no one behind her. She feels goosebumps up her arms as she can recognize the voice, but not place it. She turns in time to see Stefan pulling Tyler off Jeremy, but when Tyler hits Stefan, Stefan doesn't even flinch. Jeremy gets up to hit Tyler with the broken bottle, but hits Stefan's hand instead.
"Tyler, knock it off!" Matt yells.
"Get off me." Tyler turns and sees the blood on Anastasia's cut lip, the blood going down her arm, and the betrayal written clear in her eyes. "Anya-" She ignores him, turning and walking away. She doesn't want to look at him and she certainly doesn't want to be hear anymore. She begins the long trek home and doesn't stop until she is safe in her bedroom.
She walks to her bathroom, sighing as she sees the blood. She washes the blood away and when she does there isn't a single mark on her. She lays down on her bed and only then does she let the tears fall. "Don't cry, little dove, you'll be in my arms soon enough." She falls asleep to the soothing voice and all thought of Tyler escapes her mind as she slips into peaceful dream land.