swing set {joshler}

thirty eight - running as fast as I can

Josh waits for the boy in the white mask to sit beside him. When he finally does, Josh is shaking and Tyler is quiet.

"Josh?"

Josh turns to face him.

"Everything alright?"

Josh takes a deep breath, he doesn't know what happened.

"I don't know if you were at school today but Connor got fucking violent. He had a knife and he was about to do god knows what but then that kid, Tyler, stopped him and then he had a knife to his throat and I'm pretty sure he killed him, I don't know. I ran."

Tyler looked at Josh and swallowed.

"Yeah, I heard. They took Connor to Juvy. I thought you hated Tyler, though? You said you hated that gang or whatever."

"Yeah, but I don't want him dead! Besides, he saved my life. Do you know anything?"

"No, sorry. I didn't hear anything."

 "I don't hate him, just, he never helped, just always watched whatever they were doing. Plus, he stole my journal. That's embarrassing cause I write really personal stuff in there and he'll probably give it to Mark or James or something."

"Why would he do that?"

"Cause that's just the kind of guy he is. Who he hangs out with, it wouldn't surprise me."

"I don't know, I mean, he knows how personal that stuff is. He wouldn't hurt you."

Josh laughs at the thought.

"Yeah, right. Tell that to all the fucking times he just stood there watching as they tortured me and humiliated me. He saw my arm today, he saw all the fucking pathetic bruises and cuts and he can ruin my life. It wouldn't surprise me."

"What do you mean?"

Josh jumped up and tossed off his hoodie, throwing it on the ground. 

"THIS FUCKING SHIT!"

He showed his arms to Tyler: they were covered in purple and dark bruises along with cuts.

"Josh-"

"You don't fucking understand what it's like. To have to wear a hoodie all year round every day all fucking day."

"OH YEAH? I don't fucking understand!? Josh, you don't know a damn thing about me! You don't know the things I've been through and you don't get to tell me I don't understand."

Tyler stood up, walking away furiously.

"Maybe if you fucking talked to me, I'd know a thing or two! Ever thought of that?"

Tyler didn't respond, he just kept walking.