Tyler's POV

I got home past nine. I know I told my dad I would be home before nine but I really don't care what he does to me. He forgot his wife's anniversary again and that's enough for me to be mad.

I entered the house and met him pacing the length and breath of the living room. He looked up when he heard someone enter and glared at me when his eyes met mine.

"Where have you been?!" He snapped at me. I dropped my bag on the chair and plopped down to the sofa.

"I told you before I left. I went out." I simply replied.

"Don't you give me an attitude, young man. Stand up when I'm talking to you." He said, his eyes daring me to do otherwise. I stood up and looked at him.

Dad was a foot taller than me. At 50, he still looked really fit and muscular. The only thing giving his age away were the strands of grey hair on his head and beard.

"I'll repeat myself, dad. I went out." I spoke the words one by one.

"You said you would be back before nine. This is 9:30pm. I tried calling you but you wouldn't pick up and I'm pretty sure you saw my missed calls. Heck, I know you ignored my calls on purpose." He said. I let out a humourless chuckle.

"Yes, I ignored your call on purpose and that was because I was with mum and picking up a call on her anniversary, which you forgot and may I say, again, would be dishonoring her." I folded my hands across my chest.

"I'm your father...." He started.

"And she's is my Mother, my mum and your wife!!!" I snapped and he kept quiet. I moved closer to him. "And I won't dishonour her the way you do." I said through gritted teeth.

It happened so fast. I didn't see it coming. His right hand met my face in a very dirty slap, jerking my face side ways and my palm automatically went to the spot. My gave felt hot all over, I could feel the imprint of his fingers on my skin. I slowly faces him, my hands on my, tears making their way out of my eyes.

"You will not talk to me in that manner, Tyler. As long as I am your father and you remain in this house, under my roof, you will respect me." He snapped. I got angry.

"I have every goddamn right to talk to you in whatever manner I choose because you have done nothing to deserve my respect, dad." I screamed at him and he turned stiff.

"Mum has been gone for six years. Not once have you gone for her anniversary. You always forget." I let out painfully, tears falling from my eyes like a torrent.

"You've forgotten about her." I stated, furiously whipping my tears away, watching as he shook his head in negation.

"No I haven't forgotten her, Tyler!" He snapped.

"Then fücking act like it!" I screamed at him and he veered back in shock, surprised that I had used a swear word in front of me but I couldn't care any less. The worse he could do was slap me again. I continued when he didn't say anything.

"You didn't even mourn her when she died. You completely drowned yourself in work. You didn't even think about me. You never had time for me." The tears I tried to stop kept falling profusely from my eyes.

"I always have time for you. I always pay your school fees..." He started again and I let out a strained laugh,  throwing my hands up frantically, getting frustrated.

He still doesn't get it!!

"Fück school fees! I don't care about that. When last did you ask about my well being? When last did you come to my room to check up on me. You are hardly around. Hell, can you even remember my birthday?" I asked him. He was silent. I let out a sarcastic and sad laugh.

"Just what I thought." I muttered.

"Tyler, I'm so sor..." He voice suddenly held remorse but I dismissed it totally. I wasn't having that pathetic apology.

He was already six years too late.

"I don't want to hear it." I raised my hand to silence him.

"You know what would have made all this different? If you could just respect her memory. Look around the house, dad. You ordered for her pictures to be taken down, you ordered for her paintings and art work be burnt. I had to smuggle some to my room."

"You tried to destroy anything that tried to keep her memory alive and you know what, I won't have that. You won't kill her memory. She will always remain my mum even if you have forgotten she was your wife." I concluded bitterly and brushed past him, butting his shoulder with mine and ascended the stairs, going straight to my room.

****

The imprint of my dad's finger was still on my face so I kept my face down the entire time in school the next day. It was break time and we were in love garden. They were all talking and I kept mute the entire time, my head on the table, hiding under my hoodie...well, until Ada noticed.

"Hey, Ty. You've been usually quiet and that's saying a lot because you are usual quiet but not this quiet." She said. Everyone's attention drew to me. I groaned as I hated being the centre of attention.

"I'm fine guys." I told them dismissing the topic with the wave of my hand but they wouldn't have it.

"Come on. Is there anything bothering you." Joel asked.

"I'll be fine guys." I told them again, suddenly getting annoyed that they were pressing on.

"What kind of friends would we be if we can't make sure you are fine. It wouldn't be fair if you give all of us advice every time and we can't do the same for you." Kelvin pressed on and that really got me pissed. I hit my hand on the table with a thug and I didn't miss the surprise look on their faces.

"I said I'm fine, goddamnit!" I snapped, my head shaking and in the process, my hoodie came off and the mark on my face was visible to my friends. I heard Zaria gasped.

"Jesus, Tyler. What happened to your face?" She asked me but I quickly wore my hoodie back, a grumpy look still on my face.

"Nothing." I answered grouchily.

"Nothing? It looks like something happened." Charles said, prodding further.

"Guys, calm down. I'm not sure Tyler wants to talk about this." Lyla said calmly but no one was listening to her.

"Did you get into a fight or something?" Joel asked and I rolled my eyes.

"This looks really bad, Tyler. You need to talk to us." Ada said, reaching over to touch my hoodie but I dodged her hand.

"Yes, Tyler. We are your friends." Zaria replied and I growled loudly.

"If you guys are really my friends, then you'll leave me the fuck alone and respect my fücking privacy!" I snapped loud, the next table heard me. I didn't miss the look of surprise on their faces. They were shocked I had snapped. I was more shocked than they were because I never loose my cool.

Tyler Adebiyi-Williams never looses his cool.

I stood up from the table and left, racing towards the stadium. The only quiet place in school.

"Tyler..." Lyla called from behind me and I stopped short, turning around to look down at her. Literarily, I had to looked down at her. She's that's small.

"I don't want to talk about it." I quickly told her before she would ask me any questions but then she rose her hand up in mock surrender.

"I wasn't going to ask you too." She simply replied and I sighed. "But Tyler, we are your friends and we want to help you with whatever is going on and we can't help you if you don't talk to us." She stated calmly and I sighed.

"You lost your cool back there. Something you have never done." She said again and I looked away from her, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I've just..." I trailed off, not knowing the right words to use. "A lot has been going on." Was all I could say and even though it didn't make much sense to me,  Lyla nodded like she understood.

"Take some time to yourself. You need it." She said and I nodded. "Just have it in mind that we are here for you." She added and I nodded again.

"Thanks Lyla." I stated, genuinely appreciating the little gesture. She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips before she turned and walked away. I turned around and continued my journey to the stadium. I didn't want to bother my friends about my problems. They have way too much on their hands already.

****

I was seated on the bleachers, alone as usual. I needed to be alone and this seemed like the only quiet place around school. I was thinking about everything that went down when Mum died. Dad didn't mourn. He didn't even do an elaborate burial for her because she deserved it. A week after her burial he went back to work. He didn't even care If I was hurting.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" I was jerked from my thoughts by the voice. I looked up to find Tiana smiling down at me. I was in shock.

What is she doing here?

"We have free period as usual and I needed a quiet spot to think. You are in my thinking zone." She replied like she heard the question in my mind. Her voice was playful and teasing. A combination in had no idea Tiana Dakoba possessed. It only further proved that I knew absolutely nothing about her.

"So, is this seat taken?" She asked again, jerking me out of my reverie. I looked at her again and saw that she was still smiling. I automatically smiled back.

"Not at all." I made room for her and she sat down beside me.

"Hi." She said, still smiling.

"Hey." I replied. A comfortable silence settled between us for a few minutes before she spoke up first.

"You always like to be alone. I have noticed that about you." She said and I smiled.

"So you have been watching me." I stated in a teasing voice of my own and she scoffed, her smile still evident.

"You give yourself too much credit, Tyler." She replied and I chuckled. We settled in another round of uncomfortable silence, with both of us staring at the green football field as it was being watered. I let out a deep breath.

"I really like being somewhere peaceful. I hate noise. Being in quiet places help me clear my head and helps me think." I told her and she nodded in understanding. I forgot my hoodie was off. I saw Tiana strain her eyes then widen it.

"Jeez, what happened to your face?!" She asked, leaning to have a better look.

"It's nothing." I tried pulling the hoodie over my face but she stopped me. I looked at.

"Let me see." She said and I allowed her. She stretched her hand and traced the mark with her fingers and I felt my skin tingle.

What...is happening? I asked myself.

"You got slapped." She stated, leaning away from me but still looking at me, her graze scrutinizing and intense, I had to look away.

"It's nothing, really." I told her.

"I won't make you tell me if you don't want to tell me, but whatever it is, I hope you'll be fine." She said and I nodded. She looked at me and I looked back in confusion.

"What?" I asked, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

"You are treating me way different from everyone else, way different from your friends." She said. I know what she meant but I feigned confusion.

"I don't get you." I replied. She looked up as of thinking of the right words to use, running her tongue over her lips unconsciously. My eyes, on their own accord, followed the movement.

Focus!

"Like...you act differently around me than every other person that 'knows' me do. You talk to me differently too, like you have known me for a very long time. In other words, you are very comfortable around me, compared to others. You don't judge me the way others do. You treat me like we are friends..." She was looking at me intently.

"But we are friends." I turned to face her completely.

"What about your friends? Zaria, Joel and the others?" She asked.

"Don't worry about them." I told her. She smiled somewhat sadly and shook her head.

"You don't know me, Tyler. Besides we have just known each other for just a few weeks. The first encounter was not so great." She said and I let out a chuckle, remembering the first time we met, and other times after that. They were definitely unpleasant.

Yet, how did we get here?

"And it's enough for me to know you are not a bad person." I simply replied with a smile and she genuinely smiled back.

"You are different." She muttered.

"And so are you." I replied.

I don't know how long we both sat there, in a very comfortable silence but I enjoyed every bit of it.