Lost Boy

Chapter Five

"Cute is when a person's personality shines through their looks."

– Natalie Portman.

...

I could feel myself panicking more and more as time went on. The room was cold and plain, with sterile white walls and rusty metal bars locking us in.

It was empty except for the two of us, plus an elderly gentleman who stunk of sweat huddled in the corner. I don't think I wanted to know why he was there.

"I c-c-c-can't believe this is happening. This is all your f-fault! But then a-a-again it's also m-my fault for talking to you in the first place- oh god I'm such an idiot I c-completely screwed everything up! I should be in b-bed by now, living my life w-w-w-watching Netflix but instead I'm s-s-s-stuck here with you!"

"Calm down and stop being a fuckin princess." He rolled his eyes mockingly. "We'll be out of here in no time." Compared to myself, Tyler was handling this whole thing pretty well, seemingly unaffected.

Presumably he had been here before, all of the officers seemed to recognise him and I'm sure the guy that put us in here even said his name at some point. While I had been pacing back and forwards pulling at my hair and biting my nails anxiously, he stayed leaning against the wall with one leg tucked under the other.

What a prick.

I'm sure I looked a mess right now, but he didn't seem to care. Not that I could read much of his facial expression anyway, it was still kept hidden away under that dark hoodie of his. Although I could just make out a few wisps of dark hair peeking out from the top. 

"I d-d-don't understand how you're b-being so c-calm right now?" I ended the silence, throwing my hands in the air and turning to face him. Imagine my surprise however, when I turned expecting him to still be against the wall only to discover that he was mere inches away from me. I flinched back in surprise.

He was just watching my inner dilemma. "Well unlike you, I don't immediately panic in every situation."

"That is so n-not true. My r-reaction is perfectly reasonable in this s-s-situation." I had only been here once before, and it had been the worst night of my life. I wanted to be out of here as soon as possible, I felt sick. 

"Oh really? Then explain whatever the fuck that just was." He raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow in my direction.

"Yes really!" I shouted, exasperated. This guy could literally start an argument about anything. "Look I don't a-a-a-appreciate you acting like this when I'm already s-stressed out enough!" 

Was it just me or was it getting harder to breathe in here?  I could feel my vision becoming hazy and I was starting to feel weak like my knees would give out from under me. "If you would just b-back off so that I can have some t-time to think-" I started to feel faint and began to protest but was immediately shut up when two arms wrapped themselves around me.

I stood frozen for a moment, in shock of what was happening. Tyler was holding me. "Woah! Shit. Breathe, just breathe. Copy me, in and out, in and out, breathe. Nothing is going to happen to you, you're gonna be fine."

He soothed me as my breathing had become rapid and forced, the first signs of a panic attack. When his words didn't help entirely, he took me by surprise once again by putting his hand on the back of my head and abruptly pushing it into his chest. I was confused for a moment being suffocated by his hoodie, but then I heard it.

B-dump b-dump b-dump b-dump. 

I could hear his heartbeat. Somehow I started to mimic it with my breathing, focusing on nothing but the sound of his breathing and heartbeat. After a few moments I felt all of my previously numbed senses coming back to me, and it was then that I noticed he had begun to play with a strand of my hair, twirling it around his finger and catching it on the ring placed there, before unravelling it and picking up the next strand.

We stayed like that for a few moments as the panic attack subsided, and when it finally did it took a lot of self-restraint for me to pull myself back.

I could feel my face light up like a Christmas tree. How embarrassing! First he has to put up with me stumbling over my sentences because of my stutter, but now he's witnessed me having a freaking episode. He must think I'm so pathetic.  Lord knows I'm hopeless in these situations.

"S-s-s-s-sorry about that." I stuttered out, frantically trying to pull my bangs down to hide my humiliation. "Thank you for d-d-doing what you did."

Tyler just shrugged at me, nonchalant for once. "Don't mention it. You couldn't help it." For about the hundredth time tonight, I was shocked by how Tyler was treating me with actual respect. "I've seen grown ass men break down behind these bars. Don't sweat it."

He was definitely bipolar.

"You know, for w-w-what it's worth, you're not a-actually that bad," I mumbled, feeling like I owed it to him to at least be kind. After all, he'd proven not to be the mute ass that everyone at school had made him out to be.

"Thank you- wait a second I don't think you properly told me your name."

"Weren't y-you paying any attention when M-Michael paired us together?"

"Nope."

"Fawn Mayfields," I introduced myself by sticking my hand out. Within seconds he placed his rough palm into mine and shook it with a firm but gentle grasp. "Nice to meet you Fawn May."

"E-e-rm well, actually it's Fawn Mayfields. Don't you listen t-t-to anything I s-say? " I stuttered out shyly, blaming myself for not speaking up.

"I shortened it." 

"O-oh." Well what was I supposed to say to that?  Luckily I didn't have to say anything, as I was saved by a loud booming voice that could only belong to one man; Dean.

"Fawn. Thank god you're okay. What in god's name are you doing in here? And who is he? Wait a second. That better not be who I think it is." Dean squinted through the metal bars between us and raised an eyebrow at me. With messy hair ruffled from the football game he stood a little under six foot, meaning Tyler was almost a head taller than him.

If it weren't for the furious look on his face then I would have giggled.

I turned to look at Tyler for answers, begging him with my eyes to step in and explain what had happened seeing as it was his fault in the first place, but it was like time had gone backwards. Leaning once again on the sterile wall, Tyler had shrunk back into his hood and was seemingly acting 'mute' again.

Are you freaking kidding me?

"It wasn't my f-f-fault. Tyler's the r-reason we were here in the first place, and then h-h-h-he dragged me here with him b-because they thought we were together. It's a long story." Dean just looked between Tyler and me s-suspiciously.

"I need to tell you this as your friend Fawn. Whatever you think he's offering you- guys like him only want one thing and I'll be damned before I let you be taken advantage of." He ranted on and on, making my face heat up and turn an impossible shade of red. Somewhere behind me, I'm sure I heard a snort coming from my cell buddy, but I was too busy fuming to even look his way.

"No, you've g-g-g-g-got it all wrong. Tell h-him Tyler." I demanded, desperate to just go home so I could go to my bed and sleep this horrible nightmare away. But Tyler just gave me a blank look and faced the other way.

"Let's just go." Dean sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into you tonight. I'll take you home, the jeeps outside." I began to protest before he stopped me, raising his hands up. "I haven't been drinking, I promise."

Once I agreed the officer let me leave, keeping Tyler until someone could pick him up. Dean didn't offer to bail him out, and I didn't have to look to know that Tyler was shooting daggers at me with his eyes from where he stood by the wall, but I was past the point of caring.

He gave me a small wave as we left, turning to face the other way.

Why was he making me out to be the bad guy here?

Dean grabbed my bag and slung it over his shoulder, leading me out of the station and into the car. "You owe me one for this."

All I could do was shake my head, happy to be out of the police station. I never wanted to see that place again.