Attempt At Normality- Tyler, attn: Maggy, open tag

[Tyler Durnham]

It was frustrating beyond belief, not knowing where he stood with Maggy Veloz, of all people. Even after Bree’s party, the party that was supposed to help him win her over, he had no idea if it worked. And this whole charade he had going with Bree, if it stirred her interest anymore. He was Tyler Durnham, she should be throwing herself at his feet, hanging around him, stealing glances at him. It should not be him left wondering about her, wondering what she thought of him. The thrill of the chase was one thing, but this was starting to get pathetic.

And yet, he couldn’t give up, not now. He was too stubborn for that. Besides, his interest might have made itself known a little, and he certainly couldn’t stop his pursuit of Maggy if that was the case, have others think she refused him. He had a reputation to think about after all. He couldn’t let some geeky band girl knock him back. Even if she was a cute, funny, interesting geeky band girl. Dammit, he was going soft. He was going to have to do something about that.

He’d picked up that she didn’t often eat in the cafeteria, and a quick glance of the library failed to show her up, so the jock currently found himself outside the school, near enough to his car so as to have an excuse if he came across any friends, and they questioned what he was doing out here. He already had a plan in place, to get himself back to normal. Turn on the charm, win Maggy over, leave her wanting more, the way he specialised. Then do the same thing to the next pretty girl that came his way. That should be helping him get back to the way he usually was. He was Tyler Durnham after all, he reminded himself. Nothing got in the way of what he wanted. And now he was just hoping someone, Maggy or anyone really, to take his mind of the annoying problem.

[Sloane Taylor]

School was back on. Sloane was not in the mood to get back to that place. Had she developed a phobia? She sure as hell hoped not. Nolan would be in school and she was strangely looking forward to seeing that charming and good looking boy. She wasn't sure where they stood for now but she knew she liked spending time with him.

This was the longest time she had spent with someone without feeling uncomfortable and queasy. She most definitely liked making out with him, that was for sure. Either the boy was good at it to begin with or he was getting a lot better with time.

She didn't see him that morning so she attempted to look for him during lunch. She looked outside the building first, thinking maybe Nolan might not be the type to eat at the cafeteria either. What she found was Tyler Durnham near his car acting cool. But his wandering eyes told her that he was there on purpose. Like he was waiting for someone.

Sloane approached him, not alerting anyone in her sneakers. "Waiting for someone?" she asked before sliding up the bench situated opposite where Tyler was standing. "Perhaps a certain someone who looked quite charming in her Jack Skeleton pajamas during Bree's birthday party?" Sloane grinned as she adjusted her black coat and pulled up the shirred sleeves even higher up her arms. "Or do you just have the tendency to wait outside while it's lunch inside the school?"

[Tyler Durnham]

Out of all the people Tyler had been hoping to see, or that he wouldn’t have minded coming across, Sloane was not high on the list. Sure, they were friends now, or had something that resembled friendship. But the reasons he used to be annoyed be her, and annoy her in return, were still largely present. She could get under his skin like no one else. She knew him well, probably because they were quite alike, something he normally admired about her. He thought highly of himself after all, it was only normal he would think well of someone who reminded him of himself.

And she saw through his ‘act’ very quickly. No point in denying, not that he would admit to it readily either. “Well, it’s a nice day out, can’t I enjoy the sun?” he smirked, his eyes on Sloane now as he watched her sit. Those pyjamas of Maggy’s did have a certain appeal, admittedly, and he figured she wouldn’t turn up half naked in lingerie like half of the girls that turned up.

“I’m surprised that you noticed what she was wearing though. Surprised you noticed anything after your...Nolan, is it, turned up. Both of you seemed quite wrapped up in each other. Cute.” he smirked. “So, now it’s you in love. I never took you for the type for commitment. It’s just so...dull.” he decided. “But each to his and her own. I look forward to meeting the man very soon, I hope. Does he have any idea what he’s in for with you?”

[Sloane Taylor]

Touche. Sloane's grin turned into a smirk eventhough inside she wasn't exactly feeling so gracious. She did not know what she was feeling but she knew it definitely was not love. No one falls in love with someone within a week, least of all someone like Sloane Taylor. It just wasn't possible.

The condescending tone coming from Tyler grated her incessantly. The fact that he thought she belonged to someone in such an intimate fashion was insulting to her. Yet despite all her inner conundrum, she maintained her composure outside without a beat of hesitance. "If you must know, Nolan does not belong to me nor are we committed to each other." She replied, holding her head up and her smirk and tone equally condescending.

But she knew Tyler was on to something when he mentioned that Sloane and Nolan were wrapped up in each other during the party. They were almost inseparable throughout the night. And by the time he left (which was much later than the intended time for the gents to leave) her lips were bruised and her body tingled after the heavy make-out session she and Nolan shared. In fact, she could still feel Nolan's lips on hers.

They hadn't seen each other since the party except for a missed call from Nolan. Even then she didn't call him back even though she really wanted to. Her fingers had hovered dangerously close to the call button but she ended up throwing her phone on her bed. She had never done that before, favouring the straightforward "I don't give a damn" behaviour when her conquests called her up for seconds. But she had actually debated with herself on calling him back. What did that say about her?

Looking up at Tyler with her smirk still intact, she raised an eyebrow before she spoke. "I hardly think a make-out session is considered a commitment. Nor do I think you will ever be meeting him. I plan on disposing of him the moment I've had my due share." Sloane gracefully slid off the bench, brushing the seat of her corduroy pants and walking off a few feet away from Tyler before turning back to him. "He has no clue what he's in for." She said over her shoulders before walking back into the school, with no intentions of finding the boy who has her heart all asunder.

He will have to pine away for her like she was for him. Absence makes the heart...and everywhere else grow...fonder.

[Bree Marcus]

Monday Bree found herself reverting to former behavior, hiding rather than seeking the spotlight. Although her party had been a success socially, her personal goals had not been achieved and she was extremely miffed. Tyler had not won his girl, but this she blamed on him. He had not behaved according to plan but instead had gone running off to Maggy's side first thing, which not only ruined everything, but made her, Bree, look like a big fat loser.

To avoid everyone, Bree took her lunch outside and as she wandered the campus, aware of the security guards, she managed to completely innocuously run into the people she was avoiding. "Oh.... hello," she said unenthusiastically. "I was just going to go sit by the fountain." It had been donated by some alumnus that had done well and she liked to sit there as most people seemed to not realize it or the alumnus had ever existed.

She was reconsidering her plan to become Queen. It was a lot more work and discomfort than she had thought it would be. Frankly as she thought of plans, visions of Mew's face haunted her mocking her intentions. Truly all she had gained was a certain amount of disrespect where she had really wanted to make friends.

[Tyler Durnham]

Seeing his friend approach, though she didn’t seem the least bit pleased to see him, not altogether unexpected, Tyler straightened, flashing Bree a warm smile. “The fountain sounds good, I’ll join you.” he invited himself, knowing full well she would have rather preferred he didn’t. But he hadn’t spoken to her since her well talked about birthday bash, and from what he knew of friends, female friends, they liked to talk often and regularly. So he decided to indulge her with this, now as it suited him, and saved him from waiting around like some lost little puppy. Unlike Sloane, who he was certain was more hung up on her Silver conquest than she would readily admit.

As comfortably as if he had been doing it his whole life, Tyler slid an arm around her slender waist, leading her over to the fountain. “Well, your party was a success, I’ve heard a few people today still talking about it. You should be real pleased with yourself Bree.” he grinned. The girl was coming alone very nicely, she would be head of the school before anyone realised. And the couple rumour still seemed well in effect, if the few giggling girls he passed, one of which who gave Bree a loathed-filled look, was of any indication. “Things could have gone much better for me, admittedly, but I plan to remedy that as soon as possible. But for you, you threw a great party, asserted your place in the school. So, why so disheartened, Bree?”

[Bree Marcus]

Bree gave Tyler a weak smile and a half-hearted shrug. "I am not sure taking my place is worth the amount of work it takes and rather than receiving admiration and making friends, I think there were more people that found the party... distasteful," Bree said honestly, not even thinking of lying to her friend. "Why are things so complicated?"

Truthfully in some ways life had been easier before she had been freed from her father's shackles. Now she had to make decisions and when someone wanted something from her she was loth to give, she couldn't use her father as an excuse not to. She still woke at night screaming from nightmares. That was unexpected.

"So what is your next step in getting Maggy?" she asked, trying not to show her ambivalence to the subject. "I suppose you could send in a text to gossip girl letting her know you are free and whatever that was between us is finished." She doubted he wanted to keep being her escort now.

[Tyler Durnham]

“Can’t say for certain Bree. Suppose if the good things, the things worth doing and achieving, weren’t complicated, then everyone would be doing them, and where’s the fun in that? People like us, we’ve got to stand out in front of the pack. Don’t worry, things will get easier over time. You’ve got Sloane and I by your side after all, there’s nothing that can stop the three of us.”

Laughing as he attempted to comfort his friend, Tyler wasn’t completely surprised by Bree’s doubts. After all, given all she’d been put through by her father her whole life, she was understandably shy, and understandably not one for standing out, and confrontation, both of which were common occurrences for people like Sloane and himself. She’d get used to it though, he knew, given a bit of time, and a few helpful nudges in the right direction, and Gould would have to get used to a new, and in Tyler’s mind, improved, Bree. “Trust me Bree, it’ll take a little time for everyone to get used to it, but you’ll be queen of the school in no time.” he smirked. “And it’s worth it, I guarantee it. Better than being a pushover, have people take advantage of you, wouldn’t you say?”

He quickly dismissed her suggestion though, in helping to win over Maggy. Not that it wasn’t a good idea, it was, but he considered himself above such things. If someone sent the message on his behalf, he wouldn’t complain too much. “I was thinking, and this is quite the tactic change for me, but I might try being honest. Not completely honest, of course.” he assured his friend. “Now I’m not stupid, I know admitting my plans for her fully aren’t going to help me win her. But, I thought that I would go to her house tonight, tell her my intentions, that I want to date her. Win her affections, take her out a few times maybe, she’s quite enjoyable company actually, and then do what I normally do.” he grinned.

“And don’t worry, message to Gossip Girl or not, I doubt anyone for a moment believed that I actually wanted to date you. It’s not my way after all. Even for someone as gorgeous as yourself. Can’t say I mind being seen in your company though, every man enjoys having a beautiful woman on his arm.” The girl needed a lift, it seemed, and that happened to be one of Tyler’s talents. Just in this case, he could actually be honest. “I quite enjoy yours, and to some extents, Sloane’s friendship. Just don’t tell her that, I’ll never live it down.”

[Bree Marcus]

Bree sighed and listened to Tyler, still not to sure that being Queen would solve her problems. "Why does it seem like when you're trying to help one person it always seems to hurt someone else? Trying to help you, I made Mew really uncomfortable and I had no intention of doing that. He thought I was making fun of him and I didn't mean that at all," she asked, wishing she had some way to make the other boy feel better.

Listening to the rest of Tyler's discourse didn't really help at all. If anything her confidence dropped more and she felt like she had been hit in the stomach with her friends appraisal of her as undateworthy. She didn't believe in his whole thing about not dating for he was going to a lot of trouble to be noticed by Maggy and it was more than just being rejected. "I really think it would be easier to go back into obscurity. It's not like I could ever truly date someone myself... I have been ruined for that sort of thing."

"I hope if you're going to be honest with Maggy you will consider your words carefully, there are times when your honesty feels like a double edged sword," Bree said with a rueful smile, thinking Maggy wouldn't like being an ornament rather than someone loved and cared for.

[Tyler Durnham]

“Well, you can’t please everyone Bree, can’t make everyone happy. So, take it from me, the best thing to do is focus on yourself first, do what makes you happy, and let everyone else do the same.” It was logic that Tyler lived by. After all, you couldn’t spend your life doing what other people wanted, you only had one shot, might as well spend it how you want to. And so he did, he spent every moment doing what he enjoyed. If he and a chance to make someone else happy along the way, great, but if not, at least he was happy. And it wasn’t as though he ever brought harm to anyone else by leaving life his way, not really, so he was more than content to carry on his merry little path.

His friend was a bit more sensitive, caring than him though, so it would make things a bit more difficult for her. She’d get over it, he figured, given time. “Being a little uncomfortable never hurt anyone, don’t worry about it. But...” he continued, reading Bree’s expression, “If you really feel that bad about it, go and speak to Mew. Apologise for whatever you think you’ve done wrong. It’ll be fine, I promise.” he guaranteed, the arm around her waist squeezing her affectionately. This whole friendship thing was actually alright, now that he was getting the hang of it. And he hadn’t once tried to hit on her, overtly anyway. That was a big achievement for Tyler.

They reached the fountain now, and he waited for Bree to sit before doing the same himself. “If that’s what you want, fine, I’m not one to stop you. But, let me give you my opinion.” He would enjoy himself a lot more with his friends, if Bree was more like Sloane, not too much though, that would be a tad unpleasant, one of Sloane Taylor was more than enough. “The girl I saw at her birthday party, the one who made nearly every guy’s jaw drop, was confident, carefree, could do whatever she wanted, not to mention was utterly gorgeous and the envy of most girls in the room. And she looked happy. The girl I see now is unsure, nervous, and insecure. Which girl would you rather be? And, Sloane and I will be here for you, you’re stuck with me now.” he laughed. He could give Dr Phil a run for his money, he decided.

“Double-edge huh? That’s some way of putting it.” Tyler grinned, enjoying her honesty. “Thanks Bree. To be honest, don’t know why I care so much. Just not used to getting knocked back, I guess. And you’re not ruined for dating, far from it. You should see the looks you get. But, take your time, you don’t need to date until you’re ready. Or just do what I do, and don’t date at all. I hear it’s overrated.” he teased. “Like I said, live for yourself first. You’ll be just fine.”