Chapter 116 TYLER
The morning sunlight cut through the blinds before my alarm ever had the chance to. Harper’s dad was already there, standing beside the chair I’d collapsed into last night. His presence alone was enough to pull me from a half-sleep haze, every muscle in my shoulder and arms aching as if they were made of lead.
“You need to get ready for school,” he said quietly, though insistent enough to pull me fully awake. “I’ll take over while you're gone.”
I groaned, dragging myself upright. A sharp jolt shot up my left shoulder, a brutal reminder of how reckless I’d been. My right arm, the one that was supposed to be fine, quivered with exhaustion. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck, bruised and battered, but none of it mattered. If I could go back, I’d do it all over again without hesitation.
I didn’t bother showering. I headed straight for my car before Harper could wake up. My uniform shirt was still streaked with blood from the fight, smeared across the fabric in haphazard lines, drying stiffly. I shrugged into my school jacket, letting the dark material hide the worst of it. Every movement sent pain shooting through my shoulder, down to my elbow and fingers, and I clenched my teeth to keep from groaning.
By the time I reached school, my body was screaming in protest. My left shoulder throbbed with every step, and my arms quivered from the strain of the fight. I pushed through it, focusing on the task at hand. The girls who had done this to Harper needed to face consequences, and I wasn’t about to leave it to chance.
I found Sarah and Claire just outside our classroom whispering to each other. Their faces went pale the moment they saw me approaching. I slowed my pace, keeping my tone light, casual even, as if we were old friends.
“Hey,” I said, smiling faintly. “Morning.”
They froze. Both of them. Their smiles were tight, nervous, the kind that didn’t reach their eyes.
“Tyler,” Claire said, voice shaking. “We… we didn’t mean—”
I raised a hand, cutting her off. “I know what you were trying to do.”
Sarah bit her lip. “We just wanted to scare her with the scissors. We didn’t mean—she fell—”
I stepped closer, letting my jacket slip slightly at the shoulders, showing the faint streaks of dried blood, just enough to make the situation feel serious without being threatening.
“Then why didn’t you call for help?” I asked softly, my tone calm but carrying an edge that made them shrink back.
“We… we didn’t want to get in trouble,” Claire admitted quickly. “We… we’re sorry.”
I studied them both for a long moment, letting the weight of their words sink in. Their apologies sounded genuine enough, but actions had consequences.
“It’s fine,” I said finally, voice even. “But you need to understand that what you do matters. People get hurt. That’s not just a warning—it’s reality.”
I let the words hang there before turning and walking away.
The fear in their eyes was enough for now. I had more important business to handle.
The principal’s office wasn’t far from our classroom. I pushed the door open without knocking. Principal Kade looked up, eyebrows raised at the sight of my disheveled appearance.
“Tyler,” he started. “You should be in class—”
“I’ll get to that,” I interrupted, pulling my phone from my pocket and tapping the screen.
A recording of my conversation with Sarah and Claire played back quietly for him. I left the phone on the desk, letting the evidence speak as I took a seat
“If this isn’t taken seriously,” I said, keeping my voice controlled but hard, “I’m sure the press would be very interested in hearing about what’s happening at Westfield High.”
I tapped the screen again. “Student bullied, almost lost her life. That’s the headline they’d run. And don’t think for a second it wouldn’t carry weight. I’m still captain of the hockey team, and everyone knows my word counts in this town.”
Principal Kade’s hand twitched slightly over the papers on his desk. “Racquel is suspended. Isn’t that enough?”
I shook my head. “Personally, I’d like her expelled. But I couldn’t care less. By the time her suspension is over, Harper and I will have graduated. Who I want punished right now isn’t Racquel. It’s Sarah and Claire. They’ve been complicit in bullying. They’re overdue for consequences.”
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. “You understand this needs to stay within school grounds.”
I nodded. “Done.”
He hesitated, then finally said, “Consider it handled. They’ll face suspension. That will be enough for now.”
I let out a slow breath, feeling a flash of satisfaction. The girls would learn that actions have consequences. Harper would know that I’d protected her in every way I could.
“Good,” I said, straightening in the chair. “I hope they’re gone before Harper and I resume. I don’t want her worrying about anything other than getting her grades.”
Principal Kade’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re missing classes? This could affect your record. You can’t just take days off because someone else is in the hospital.”
“I’ll deal with my record later,” I said, rising to my feet. “Right now, the person I care about matters more than grades or lectures.”
Walking back to my car, exhaustion hit me like a wave. The adrenaline, the anger over what happened to Harper—it had all faded away, leaving me raw and drained.
I tried to steel myself, telling my body to just get me back to the hospital before worrying about my arms.
My hands had other plans.
Mid-drive, the right hand I was using to control the steering wheel gave out. Numb and weak, it refused to respond.
The car swerved, coming too close to a passing truck, and I slammed on the brakes, my heart hammering.
I tried to move my left arm to steer out of danger, but it wouldn’t budge. My shoulder throbbed, pain shooting down to my elbow and fingers. Both hands trembled violently, as if the blood flow had been cut off.
I forced the right hand—the supposedly healthy one—up just enough to grip the wheel, but it could barely hold on, letting me steer in desperate jerks.
Traffic honked, and I realized I was the cause of the chaos.
My chest tightened as I cleared my throat. “Siri, call Peter.”
The ringtone filled the car immediately, and Peter picked up on the first ring.
“What’s up? You know we’re kinda in the middle of class,” he whispered.
“Peter, I need help. I can’t move either arm. Left hand’s numb. Right one’s barely working. I’m stuck in the middle of the road. I need backup… now.”
“I’m on my way.”
No questions asked. No hesitation.
I rested my forehead against the wheel, closing my eyes. Exhaustion rolled over me like a tidal wave. Pain, fear, the lingering rush, and a strange sense of satisfaction all tangled up together.
Even like this, my body screaming and trembling, I didn’t regret a thing. Harper was safe. The bullies were about to face consequences.
Every jolt, every tremor, every ache was definitely worth it.