Price Check On Monogamy

“What the hell was that about?”

I stared up at Tyler, still not quite sure what had happened. We were outside of the store, and Karter had virtually closed everything up the second we’d left. There wasn’t even light shining through the pulled blinds.

Tyler shrugged. “Karter’s an ass. I go to school with him. And I saw his friend knock that stand over; that was either really clumsy or really vicious, and either way, it pissed me off.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?” I asked, skeptic.

“Yeah, of course,” Tyler laughed, stopping and asking suddenly, “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

A pause. Then, “You’re always so defensive, like everything anyone says to you is probably a lie. Why?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but realized that anything I was about to say would sound defensive. Was defensive, for that matter. “Because it usually is,” I conceded, shrugging. Tyler raised his eyebrows and I sighed. “Look, it’s just weird that you always seem to be in the right place at the right time. It’s not normal.”

Face breaking out into a grin, Tyler said, “Well, maybe it’s time that you have some fun. Let’s go do something, alright?”

“I don’t know,” I said slowly. No matter how badly I actually did want to hang out with Tyler, especially since I owed him majorly for getting me out of that situation, there was just too much going on. Way too much going on; and I wasn’t exactly looking to get him involved with it all anymore.

“Aww, come on,” Tyler whined, nudging me playfully. “I just paid five hundred dollars to get you out of there for a day, and I don’t even get to spend it with you?”

I laughed, blushing and rubbing the back of my neck. “Fine, alright, fine. Can you at least take me to a bank or something?”

Tyler furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“Because I owe you five hundred dollars for that and I’ll forget if I don’t give it to you now.”

Tyler burst out laughing, literally holding his side. “You don’t owe me anything!” He choked out between gasps. “It was a gift, alright? Just let it go, we’re not going to a bank, and I’m not accepting your money!”

“Why?” I asked dumbly. “Wait… how do you even have five hundred dollars to drop in a video store on someone you just met? Don’t you work for a living?”

Tyler grinned. “Well, yeah. I work, anyway. My parents are both big time lawyers, though. We’re actually pretty well set, as far as money goes.”

Well, that was surprising. “But you go to Green High,” I said, still being a total idiot. “Why not Evergreen’s…? And why do you work…?”

Tyler shrugged, still grinning. “Well, I got here pretty late in the year last year, so they just sent me to Green’s. I got comfortable there, so they decided not to pull me out. And I work so I don’t have to always depend on my parents,” glancing pointedly at the store, he added, “Now what’s your excuse?”

I laughed nervously, feeling like a total idiot. “I don’t like asking my parents for money.” For the first time, I really didn’t want to mention anything about the therapist I had to see. Weird.

“Well, Tiger,” Tyler said, suddenly sobering up. “Now that I’ve bought you, you know what you have to do, right?”

“Punch you in the face if you try anything?”

“Well, yeah, that, too, I guess,” He said, breaking his composure and laughing. “But anyway, we’re going to go feed ducks.”

“… ducks?” I asked, eyebrow raised.

Tyler nodded. “Yes. Ducks. Now come on.”

- - -

“There’s no ducks here, Tyler!” I shouted, laughing. After half an hour of driving down random dirt roads, he’d brought me to a grass pasture that I’d never even seen before. It was beautiful-- wildflowers growing everywhere, and tall California grass.

No ducks, however.

“Be patient, Tiger!” Tyler called from the car, laughing. Closing the trunk with a snap, he jogged over to stand by me, holding a basket. “You’re probably the most impatient person I’ve ever met. Come on!”

Grabbing my arm and tugging me along with him, I laughed, calling, “You should really stop doing this, Tyler!”

“Aww, you know you like it,” he said playfully, turning to wink at me over his shoulder. Pulling me through the thick grass, he stopped suddenly and turned to face me. “Watch your step now,” he said, pulling aside the grass. There was a foot drop from where we were standing, and right below it looked like an extremely tiny marsh, not more than five feet across any way you went.

And, in the marsh, were ducks. At least five full-grown ducks, and ten ducklings.

“You weren’t joking,” I said quietly, beaming. Sitting down on the small ledge, I held out my hand. A duckling waddled over and nipped my finger, nuzzling it’s head against my thumb. “I didn’t know ducks did that.”

“These are really weird ducks,” Tyler sat down next to me with a thump, opening the basket. Inside were crusts-- lots and lots of broken up crusts. Tossing one to the ducks, he patted a mother duck on the head. “I found this pasture the first month I was here; and when I fell into the marsh, this girl bit my arm,” laughing, he added, “We’ve been friends ever since.”

Tyler shoved me playfully when I started laughing. “Hush, girl, you’re going to scare away the ducks!” When I didn’t start laughing, he threw a handful of crusts at me, making the ducks quack and some of the ducklings jump up toward us. Tyler grabbed a handful, too, and threw it at me, getting it in my hair. The ducks, quacking for attention, started nipping at us for attention.

“Cut it out!” I shouted, laughing so hard that I was doubled over on the ground. Tyler laughed, but stopped, sitting back up and holding his side.

“The ducks like you,” he said finally, still talking between laughs. “That’s good, right?”

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully. The moment, however, was gone when he leaned in and almost kissed me.

“I’m sorry!” He said loudly, grabbing my arm to stop me from falling into the marsh. Sadly, however, he didn’t grab me fast enough. Pulling me out of the mossy water, Tyler’s face was bright red. “I’m so sorry! Um… I’ll take you home so you can change.” Tyler stood and turned to walk back to his car as fast as possible.

The ride back to my house was so incredibly weird that I didn’t really know what to say. Tyler, however, was saying everything he could to keep from talking about what had happened. It was just small talk, and after a while, I didn’t have to really think to keep up with it.

Once I got home, I took a shower and changed, falling onto my bed. Once again, I got no sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking-- what the hell just happened?