Post by haze on Sept 5, 2010 23:15:39 GMT -5
Most little boys, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, would respond with something along the lines of a policeman or a fireman, or something of the sort. But if anyone had cared enough to ask the quiet little boy named Tyler Haze who never seemed to have any friends and silently evaded any and all questions the teacher might ask, his response would have befuddled child psychologists for generations. All Tyler Haze wanted to be when he grew up was free. You see, as a child he learned to conceal the bruises and hide the pain. He never cried... ever, he never complained, and he never said anything about the abuse at home. Instead, he stood aside silently and watched the other kids enteracting with one another, wishing he had friends like they did, but too afraid to put himself out there. To get a friend you have to be a friend... but Tyler didn't know how.
The one he envied the most was Robby Mitman... and why? Well, it was simply because Robby "had a girlfriend." Tyler had seen them holding hands at recess and a time or two when he thought no one was watching, Robby would sneak in a kiss on her cheek. Paisley was the girl all the boys wanted to have, and all the girls wanted to be. She was picked up and dropped off by a mustang every day. She had the best this or the newest that... but none of that mattered to Tyler. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, and he spent most days trying to wrack up the nerve to go talk to her when Robby wasn't around. He finally did one day after school in the third grade, but just as he managed to stutter out a "hi," her mom pulled up and called her over. Paisley hesitated a moment, then walked away. As she got into the car and they drove away, Tyler heard what her mom said, "What have I told you about talking to that boy? You stay away from him. Robby is a much nicer boy..."
Poor Tyler was crushed... not because Paisley walked away... not because he had finally worked up the nerve to talk to her and it had all been for nothing... but because, by no fault of his own, he would always be "that boy" that the other kids were warned to stay away from. Not because he caused trouble, not because he was mean... just because he was labeled "just another Haze." His family was a bit of a problem... from domestic disturbances to breaking the law, to his older brother's drinking parties... no one liked the Haze family... but Tyler... he was so much more than just a Haze. Despite the abuse and pain he suffered at home, he was possibly the sweetest seven year old boy on the face of the earth... but no one could see it. All anyone ever saw was the last name... and because he had been born into the Haze family, no one would give him so much as a first chance. He walked home from school that day alone, just like every other day, to the beating that awaited him when he walked in the door... a routine that had become all too familiar to him.
By the time high school rolled around, Tyler had been told so many times by so many people that he was nothing but trash, that he had started to believe it himself. He was still quiet and withdrawn, but by no means a nerd. Of course, by then, Paisley was long gone, but Rachel... oh lord she was perfect, and the object of every man's desire. So when 16 year old Tyler found himself talking to her between classes, he knew he would be ruffling some feathers. What he didn't expect though, was to be jumped by several jocks on his way home. Already battered from the beatings at home, he didn't have the nerve or the will power to fight back. So when a fist connected with that weak spot in his ribs where the bones had been broken at least three times before, he was suddenly rendered incapable of breathing because of the pain and collapsed. His immobility convinced the jocks that they had killed him, and in a panic, they fled the scene.
It took him some time to get home after that. Walking with broken ribs was extremely painful... but it was the only way he could get home. When he walked in the door, his mom instantly lit into him, asking him where he'd been, and not giving him a chance to explain before her screaming at him started. Of course, her shrill voice woke his dad up, and of course he was mad at Tyler for being the cause of him being woken up... and well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened from there. It didn't take much to down the already injured teen, and he was on the verge of losing consciousness when his older brother walked in. Jacob had turned his life around in recent years, and had been looking out for Tyler a lot lately. He managed to pull his dad off of him, then helped his younger brother up and got him out of there before they ended up killing him.
He stayed away from home and school for a few days after that, and when he did go back to school, the teachers and faculty automatically assumed the worst and he was reprimanded for truancy. After that day was when things really started to go down hill. Tyler started rebelling against authority... hoping deep down that maybe someone would notice his sudden change in behavior and look into it... but no one saw this as a desperate plea for help... they just saw it as another Haze let loose on society. At 17 his older brother, who had turned his life around and had become Tyler's rock, was killed in a car accident for which Tyler blamed himself, and shortly after watching his brother die, Tyler really went down hill fast.
He was shot three times by the police and arrested a few months before turning 18. He was convicted of 5 years in prison, four of which were suspended for giving up the names of his "accomplices." After the year he spent in jail he was in and out for short amounts of time for other crimes, most of which he wasn't at fault for. By the time he had turned 19 he had a criminal record about the length of a dictionary. On this particular day he was suffering from a horrible hangover, the result of last night. He was also in some serious pain from a fight that had happened just before the getting drunk part of the evening. In the past three years those same two ribs which he'd broken so many times probably hadn't ever been totally healed because he broke them so many times. He'd taken a few hits to that spot last night and was in horrible pain because of it.
He needed to get out and away, and found himself at the park in the early hours of the morning. It was so quiet and peaceful, it gave him space to think. Despite there being only a few people about, he wasn't one to mingle, and so chose a place off the path and out of the way of the general public, hoping to not be noticed. He stood leaned against a large tree, a certain tiredness and pain seeming to emulate from him. He definitely wasn't the sort of person people tended to be attracted to, and he liked it that way.
[/size]The one he envied the most was Robby Mitman... and why? Well, it was simply because Robby "had a girlfriend." Tyler had seen them holding hands at recess and a time or two when he thought no one was watching, Robby would sneak in a kiss on her cheek. Paisley was the girl all the boys wanted to have, and all the girls wanted to be. She was picked up and dropped off by a mustang every day. She had the best this or the newest that... but none of that mattered to Tyler. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, and he spent most days trying to wrack up the nerve to go talk to her when Robby wasn't around. He finally did one day after school in the third grade, but just as he managed to stutter out a "hi," her mom pulled up and called her over. Paisley hesitated a moment, then walked away. As she got into the car and they drove away, Tyler heard what her mom said, "What have I told you about talking to that boy? You stay away from him. Robby is a much nicer boy..."
Poor Tyler was crushed... not because Paisley walked away... not because he had finally worked up the nerve to talk to her and it had all been for nothing... but because, by no fault of his own, he would always be "that boy" that the other kids were warned to stay away from. Not because he caused trouble, not because he was mean... just because he was labeled "just another Haze." His family was a bit of a problem... from domestic disturbances to breaking the law, to his older brother's drinking parties... no one liked the Haze family... but Tyler... he was so much more than just a Haze. Despite the abuse and pain he suffered at home, he was possibly the sweetest seven year old boy on the face of the earth... but no one could see it. All anyone ever saw was the last name... and because he had been born into the Haze family, no one would give him so much as a first chance. He walked home from school that day alone, just like every other day, to the beating that awaited him when he walked in the door... a routine that had become all too familiar to him.
By the time high school rolled around, Tyler had been told so many times by so many people that he was nothing but trash, that he had started to believe it himself. He was still quiet and withdrawn, but by no means a nerd. Of course, by then, Paisley was long gone, but Rachel... oh lord she was perfect, and the object of every man's desire. So when 16 year old Tyler found himself talking to her between classes, he knew he would be ruffling some feathers. What he didn't expect though, was to be jumped by several jocks on his way home. Already battered from the beatings at home, he didn't have the nerve or the will power to fight back. So when a fist connected with that weak spot in his ribs where the bones had been broken at least three times before, he was suddenly rendered incapable of breathing because of the pain and collapsed. His immobility convinced the jocks that they had killed him, and in a panic, they fled the scene.
It took him some time to get home after that. Walking with broken ribs was extremely painful... but it was the only way he could get home. When he walked in the door, his mom instantly lit into him, asking him where he'd been, and not giving him a chance to explain before her screaming at him started. Of course, her shrill voice woke his dad up, and of course he was mad at Tyler for being the cause of him being woken up... and well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened from there. It didn't take much to down the already injured teen, and he was on the verge of losing consciousness when his older brother walked in. Jacob had turned his life around in recent years, and had been looking out for Tyler a lot lately. He managed to pull his dad off of him, then helped his younger brother up and got him out of there before they ended up killing him.
He stayed away from home and school for a few days after that, and when he did go back to school, the teachers and faculty automatically assumed the worst and he was reprimanded for truancy. After that day was when things really started to go down hill. Tyler started rebelling against authority... hoping deep down that maybe someone would notice his sudden change in behavior and look into it... but no one saw this as a desperate plea for help... they just saw it as another Haze let loose on society. At 17 his older brother, who had turned his life around and had become Tyler's rock, was killed in a car accident for which Tyler blamed himself, and shortly after watching his brother die, Tyler really went down hill fast.
He was shot three times by the police and arrested a few months before turning 18. He was convicted of 5 years in prison, four of which were suspended for giving up the names of his "accomplices." After the year he spent in jail he was in and out for short amounts of time for other crimes, most of which he wasn't at fault for. By the time he had turned 19 he had a criminal record about the length of a dictionary. On this particular day he was suffering from a horrible hangover, the result of last night. He was also in some serious pain from a fight that had happened just before the getting drunk part of the evening. In the past three years those same two ribs which he'd broken so many times probably hadn't ever been totally healed because he broke them so many times. He'd taken a few hits to that spot last night and was in horrible pain because of it.
He needed to get out and away, and found himself at the park in the early hours of the morning. It was so quiet and peaceful, it gave him space to think. Despite there being only a few people about, he wasn't one to mingle, and so chose a place off the path and out of the way of the general public, hoping to not be noticed. He stood leaned against a large tree, a certain tiredness and pain seeming to emulate from him. He definitely wasn't the sort of person people tended to be attracted to, and he liked it that way.