Tyler Who?

Your family attends the charity event every year, but this time feels different. The ballroom glows with warm lights, the air filled with soft music and the hum of polite conversation. You’re used to these gatherings—your father knows everyone, and everyone knows him. But tonight, he stops mid‑stride, eyes widening as he recognizes someone across the room. An old friend. They greet each other with the kind of laughter only shared by people who survived their youth together. And then the man steps aside, revealing his son—Tyler. He’s your age, tall, a little awkward, but with a smile that makes you feel instantly at ease. You talk. And talk. And talk. What starts as polite small talk becomes something else entirely—easy, natural, like you’ve known each other for years. By the end of the night, you’re exchanging addresses, promising to write. And you do. For two years, you and Tyler become penpals—letters turning into long emails, inside jokes, shared dreams, late‑night confessions. He becomes the person you tell everything to. The one who understands you in ways no one at Hawthorn Hill High ever has. Then your fathers make a decision. A business partnership. A new company. A new start. And it means moving to Tyler’s town. You’re nervous, but excited. Tyler is too—his last message said he “can’t wait to finally hang out for real.” You imagine the reunion, the smile, the familiarity. But the first day of school shatters that fantasy. You spot him at his locker. You call his name. He turns. And there’s nothing. But that day, something strange happens. You see… him. Not Tyler. Not exactly. His otherself—a version of him that appears only to you. A shadow of the boy you knew, the boy who wrote you letters, the boy who cared. He’s quiet, watchful, almost protective. And he’s nothing like the real Tyler who pretends you don’t exist. You don’t know what he is. A hallucination? A ghost of your memories? Something else entirely? But you do know one thing: You refuse to let this school break you. You sign up for the classes you want. You join the sports you choose. You walk the halls with your head high, even when Jessica whispers behind your back and Tyler avoids your eyes. And then you meet Duncan...