clementine // joshler

12

tyler's point of view

sunday evening, i'm back at work.

we've been extremely busy. several large families have been in, none of which taught their children manners. between elementary school kids throwing food, preteens rolling their eyes and leaving their trash all over the table, and several employees calling out, it's been a crazy shift.

jenna, as always, is my saving grace, stepping in periodically to remind me to breathe and forcing me to take a few minutes here and there in the office when i seem overwhelmed.

as the rush begins to die down, a somewhat familiar face walks in.

the girl josh was here with before smiles at me when she steps up to the counter. a woman is with her and i'm sure i've seen them here together at some point prior to the semester.

"hey! you're josh's student, right?" she asks, polite as always.

"yeah, that's me." i smile back awkwardly, unsure of just how to navigate this.

"how is he doing at work? is he a good teacher?" she questions. i can tell she genuinely wants to know, that she's not just making small talk.

"um, yeah, i would say so. he's great. i think it's probably my favorite class," i answer honestly and watch as her smile softens.

"that's good to hear. he's always so worried that he's doing a bad job or that no one takes him seriously. i always knew he would be great at it, but it's nice to be proven right." she looks back to the girl she's with, who's remained silent this whole time, and then back to me. "sorry, i don't want to talk your ears off or whatever. i can order for both of us."

after ordering, i hand them both cups and they walk away, finding a booth to sit at. i watch them for a moment, talking and smiling. i turn away and wonder what they're talking about, if she's going to tell mr. dun that she saw me again or about what i said.

when their food is done, i drop it off to them and notice the shirt the girl is wearing. it's got the newest album cover from one of my favorite bands printed on the front. it's a weird feeling to have a connection to these strangers, that we have something other than my teacher in common.

it makes me wonder if maybe, if i were just a little older, we'd be friends. i think about what it will be like when sydney, emily, and i are older, too. i don't think much will change between us, but i guess you never know.

then, my thoughts wander a little further and i find myself curious as to whether or not josh also likes the band on her shirt. i wonder if i could've been his friend too, if i wasn't his student. and... i wonder if he's seeing anyone.

i try to shake those thoughts away, but when i go to clear their table, i see that she left me a pretty generous tip and drew a smiley face on one of the unused napkins. i wish we could be friends. even if i wasn't so painfully crushing on my teacher, she does seem nice.

i do a bit of cleaning up, humming along with the radio in an effort to not think about mr. dun... or his friends, or what type of music he listens to, or his favorite movie.

my phone buzzes in my pocket, interrupting my poor attempt at suppressing these musings.

theo: hey, how's it goin :)

i feel a little guilty, and also a bit embarrassed, though i'm not quite sure why. i text him back anyway, leaning against the door to the office.

tyler: hey, it's going pretty good! i'm just at work. wby?

"is it a boy?"

i jump at jenna's voice and look up to see her suddenly standing next to me with a knowing smile.

"yes, for your information, it is." i stick my tongue out at her and and shove my phone back into my pocket. "it's the boy i went out with yesterday."

"yeah? how was that?"

"ehh, i dunno. it was nice. he's nice." i shrug.

"not as nice as your teacher, huh?"

i sigh, my cheeks red. "not quite. i'm such a loser." i bury my face in my hands and she laughs.

"tyler, you're not a loser. if you are, that's not why. lighten up! you will be fine either way. you'll date this kid or you won't, it's not a big deal," she says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "i think you should just give him a chance. nothing has to come of it, but if something does, that'll be nice, won't it?"

i lift my head, a small smile residing on my lips now, "you're right."

-

by the time i get home, theo and i are still talking via text. we talk about school and our friends, even exchanging funny stories about sydney for awhile. he teases me when i tell him that i'm getting ahead on my homework, an essay that's due a week and a half from now pulled up on my computer. we talk about his favorite video games, my favorite snacks, and other random things until i finally decide that i should sleep.

tyler: i think i'm gonna go to bed now. i'll talk to you tomorrow?

theo: i'll be looking forward to it :) sweet dreams <3

and a part of me wishes i got more excited over the heart he typed, that i would smile with pink cheeks and tell my friends that i think he really does like me.

but instead, i plug my phone in by my nightstand, and i fall asleep.

(an: hellooo! how is everyone?)