Normal night? I don't think so

I'd finally gotten cozy on my couch, all nice in my oversized sweatshirt that was... like I said, oversized, and my favorite pair of sweatpants.

It's taken me a lot these days to just sit down. I was an introvert but all my friends tried to push me out of it.

"That's just not who I am!," I told them one time.

They just smirked, one punched my shoulder. "Come on, we know you don't mean it."

"I really do! I just...," I didn't want to say anything that would hurt their feelings. "I'm not like you guys, I can't stand the crowds, loud music.. all the drunk people. That's just not my thing."

I shut the door in their face before they could argue anymore. I didn't feel like fighting, I wasn't an aggressive person.

So I had to be somewhat glad that I had canceled my plans for tonight. A man needed to be alone sometimes, right?

I didn't know how people did it, kept up the charade. I just couldn't. I can't keep up with all the trends, the dances, the slang, all of it! All I wanted was to be a normal twenty-one year old boy, but obviously I wasn't. Usually people just laughed at me for it. But it was starting to get old.

I wasn't involved in sports, I played the piano (which is always weird to some people though I think its awesome), I was an average height and weight, cared about school and my very peaceful job at a bookstore... Wasn't that enough for people? Or did I have to keep up with all the trendy stuff, forget about school, turn my back on a normal life to peruse TikTok.

No hate to influencers or anything, thanks just not what I want for my life though.

"Guess I was just born in the wrong generation," I muttered to myself as I reached for the remote on the ottoman.

Did I just talk to myself out loud? Maybe I was really going insane. I talk to myself a lot though.. did other introverts do that to? Or was it just some creepy thing that only I seem to do. Maybe I'm some crazy person.

I didn't care, that was something for me to overthink later. Now it was just me, in my comfy clothes, messy hair, food, and my dog. That's all one needs to be happy! Right? Ugh, another thing for me to overthink:

How society rules me out, again.

I had a whole list of things I thought was wrong with me.. my brain deciding to pick through it whilst I wanted to sleep.

Anyway, I said in my head instead of out loud. Why don't you stop letting your angst that someone is going to come through that door any minute now worry you, and the lists you have, and just pick a damn show to watch.

I turned on some Netflix show that I wasn't sure if I was interested in or not. Me and my mom used to watch it together when I was a kid, when it first came out. We'd binged it together, and they were coming out with new episodes, so my mom got me hooked again.

I was just starting to forget my fears, the show grabbing my attention, something I wished happened more often. But it was odd, maybe I was just imagining things, because my attention span had been so short these days...

There was a knock on my door.

Why?! I just got situated!

I groaned as I got up, slowly trudging up to the door. This time the doorbell clicked impatiently over and over. And again.

"I'm coming!," I called.

When I opened my door, my eyes adjusting to the new lighting of the dark outdoors, the only light being a street lamp across the sidewalk, I saw the four familiar faces of my friends.

My dog growled at the door.

I had checked the clock before I went to grab the door. Just around two a.m. Who would be at my door at two? I could only think of a few people....

"Hey man!," Nathen said, who was in front, he sounded slightly panicked, his dark brown eyes wide with fear.

I seemed to become more alert now that I looked at all of their panicked faces.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you know what time it is?"

"Awe, come on Tyler, we know you weren't sleeping," Aiden said. He was a tall kid with black hair and green eyes and pale skin.

"Dude, you have to help us," George said. He was shorter with the similar broze-ish hair that I had, but he had blue-green eyes, I had more grey.

Then there was Nick, he had the same russet type skin that his brother Nathen had. They were twins, and it was quite obvious. They were both abnormally large boys, in muscle, and good looking. Nick was just more quiet then Nathen, by a good amount.

"Fine, come in. But-"

They all groaned, they'd heard this little speech once or twice before.

"You better not be drunk and going to pass out on my couch. If any of you are- you can walk your happy asses home," I couldn't tell you how many times I had all drove them home at least once when they got drunk. I was getting a little tired of it. Just because we could all drink now (we'd all waited until the youngest in the group was twenty-one) didn't mean we had to binge drink until we passed out, particularly on my floor, throwing up in my toilet.

These were the times I loved locking my bedroom door and I think actually earning the title: Introvert.

"We aren't!," Nathen said impatiently. With Nathen's size, he wasn't somebody I wanted to start a fight with, and he sounded upset and panicked enough, so I sighed and let them in.

We went to my living room and they chuckled. "You canceled your plans with us to watch Grey's Anatomy?"

I blushed. "Me and my mom used to watch it when I was younger, I didn't know what else to put on," I frowned. "So why exactly did you show up at my house at two if you aren't drunk?," I asked the group in front of me.

Nathen looked around, I could tell he was being the spokesperson tonight.

"Listen, we didn't start this."

I held my breath, bad news was coming, I could feel it.

"We ran into some assholes at the bar, and we tried to tell them their behavior and it pissed em' off. He said he had to go get something, like a weapon thing, dude smelled like drugs, and obviously had weapons in his car," his voice dropped to a whisper and I had to lean closer to hear him. "And we all bolted before we could, ya' know," he drew his finger across his neck and made a noise, crossing his eyes. He obviously meant, kill them.

"Wait what?!," my voice came out louder than usual, it surprised me. The look on George's face oddly translated to "I told you we shouldn't have dragged him into this."

"No you shouldn't have!," I said, as if answering the expression. "You piss some guy off at the bar, a drug dealer or some freaky crap, and you come to my house?! What were you thinking? And why would you piss someone off anyway? Do you guys enjoy making people mad while they are drunk?! That's how bar fights happen!," while I was rambling-which is something I did when I was anxious-I head Nick whisper, "Told you he would lecture us-"

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb. "You guys are so thoughtless. It's like I need to be there as a parental guidance 24/7!"

"He's gonna be a great dad someday," Aiden whispered.

"Do you guys think I can't hear you?," I muttered, slouching down on the couch, covering my face in my hands.

"Can you just give it to me straight?," I finally whispered.

"Well, the guy said he would come after all of us and, kill us."

The blood left from my face, even though I had already guessed what it was, but it felt different to have it said out loud. They had a potential murderer coming to kill them and they just... thought

Oh yeah! Lets go to Tyler's house because he doesn't have a life anyway...

Lets drag him into this mess we've created because we don't care if we have his life on the line also... It's okay if he gets killed.

"Well, they probably watched you guys come into my house, so they think I'll be involved too. Did you guys honestly not think at all before dragging me into this?"

They all looked at each other, finally realizing that this wasn't the best idea for them to think. It was plain clear on their faces. Then what? What if I died trying to help them out of their own foolishness? Was that the right or the wrong thing to do?

I started to pace the small space I had. I knew that if I didn't help them it would haunt me forever. But where could we go without being seen and killed?

"Will you help us, Tyler?," Nick asked after I'd looked like I'd calm down enough for normal conversation.

I sighed. "Fine, I will. But I don't know what you expect from me. I'm no criminal master mind."

"Wasn't your dad-?," Nathen started to ask, realizing his mistake to late again.

I balled my hands into loose fists at my sides. "Don't mention him."

My dad left when I was young, he was a criminal. He had a twisted,

criminal mind that didn't care about anyone.

"Sorry," he muttered. But suddenly it sparked a little idea in the back of my mind. When my dad needed to hide, where would he go?

"Come on guys," I said, hopping up from the couch, running to the small drawer I kept my pocket knife in and headed for the door.

"Were are we going at this time of night?," Aiden asked.

"No idea, away from here."

It was days we ran, we hid out in abandoned buildings and train cars that were probably from the 1930's.

We were just barley managing to survive.

Then one day, we were walking down a deserted street at midnight. Though, it obviously wasn't deserted.

I heard scurrying footsteps, then a few darkened figures came out of nowhere and grabbed my friends. I was alone on the street, I did a full spin, when I saw them trapped in the shadows.

"Guys?," I called quietly.

"Did you really think you could run for long?," a deep voice came from my right, under the lamp light.

I turned to the sound, grabbing my knife.

The guy stepped out, into the light.

"Dad?," I whispered. "What are you doing here?," I backed up.

"Don't move, or I'll have your friends killed."

"What do you want dad?"

"Put your knife down."

"I can't do that," I said slowly.

He raised his hand.

I dropped the knife, it hit the wet concrete ground with a clank.

"Good," he smiled.

"Now can you tell me what you want," I begged.

He chuckled. "After you and your mom left, I followed you, it wasn't exactly stalking.. to some extent maybe. I watched you grow up from afar. And the night I saw you enter the local bar for the first time, I knew something had to be set right between me and your mother... So I figured I'd kill you," he shrugged like it was no big deal. I swallowed hard, trying to stay focused.

"So the night your friends pissed me off, I knew they would run to you. And it helps a little that I gave them the nudge in that direction," he smirked, obviously pleased with himself.

"You mean-," I seemed lost for words.

"They ratted you out to me? Essentially.."

I froze, unable to move.

"Tyler, look at me. Look at your friends. You chose the wrong crowd son."

He was started to advance on me.

I went to bend down to pick up my knife.

"Kill them, you might as well," my father muttered.

"No, wait!," but it was to late. I heard a choked off type of scream, gurgle, and all my friends were dead.

One tear rolled down my cheek, this was my fault. All my fault.

I shook my head, trying to focus. Blood was running in the cracks of the cobble street...

There was a gunshot, and other, but they seemed to be in my subconscious.

With a gasp the vision changed, I was back in my living room, Grey's Anatomy still playing on my small TV.

But then I heard it again, the gunshot. Was I still dreaming?

I heard the doorbell, ice shot through my veins.

I was awake, I was sure of that, but this was how my dream started..

My dog started to growl at the door.

I got up stiffly, hardly aware that my movements could be putting me in danger.

I opened my door a crack, but that was enough.

I saw my dad, standing next to the four bodies of my friends, smiling at me, like I was next...