Ghost Whispers |-/ Joshler

in·ter·con·nect

\ˌin-tər-kə-ˈnekt\
verb
to connect (two or more) things with each other; to become connected or interrelated

Ghosts don't dream that often. But when they do, it's very vivid. Very lucid.

Josh didn't want to think about his dream. He couldn't even look at Tyler without being plunged into a deep pool of embarrassment.

On the walk to school, Josh did, however, keep replaying the dream. He ended up mindlessly walking through mailboxes, telephone poles, people and their dogs, and Tyler noticed.

"Josh?"

"Josh?" He repeated. Being given no reply, he stopped walking, and slapped himself. Josh immediately snapped to attention.

"Tyler!" He cried. "What's wrong?" He had only felt the pain Tyler gave himself and was worried.

Rubbing his the pink skin of his cheek, Tyler replied, "You weren't listening. I tried talking to you."

"B-but you shouldn't hurt yourself!" Josh sputtered, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"I'm sorry, I just-you weren't paying attention. I couldn't think of any other way to-to, you know."

Josh sighed. "Just-don't do that again. Please?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. It was stupid anyway." Tyler turned and kept walking, Josh matching his pace.

"You're right, it is stupid." He muttered.

Tyler heard and said nothing.

"Tyler!" Bi Bi chirped, throwing her arms around him. With her head on his right shoulder, she looked beyond him, where she assumed Josh would be.

"Hi Josh." She beamed.

"Actually, he's to my right." Tyler corrected her, ending the hug.

"Oh. Hi Josh!" She said once she was facing him. He gave her a perky smile and waved. It was pointless to say hi if she couldn't hear it, so a wave would suffice.

"So are you coming to sit with us at lunch?" She jerked her thumb behind her, where her boyfriend and mutual friends sat.

"I don't know," Tyler rubbed his arm shyly, "I'm better off not taking up space."

"You won't take up space, silly," she slapped the arm playfully that he rubbed, "At least for today. Olivia's out sick. C'mon, just for today?"

"Go on, Tyler. You'll like them. They're very patient." Josh urged him.

"O-okay, I guess."

Bi Bi took Tyler's hand and led him over to the table, sitting him down in a seat across from Jeremy, her boyfriend, and next to Dabney.

"Guys, this is Tyler. He moved here back in October."

Jeremy smiled and offered him a friendly handshake. Tyler reluctantly shook it as Jeremy introduced himself.

"And I'm Dabney."

"It's nice to meet you guys." Tyler said quietly. He licked his lips repeatedly, hoping to regain some moisture on them. They were cracked beyond repair of any chapstick.

"So, you play basketball?" Jeremy asked as he tore apart the thin plastic bag holding the spork, napkin, and straw.

"Yeah. Varsity." Tyler answered.

"You know my boy Kejuan?"

"I-I don't know. I keep to myself a lot."

"I can tell," Dabney murmured from behind his milk carton.

"Dab, don't be an ass!" Bi Bi scolded, throwing a chunk of meatball at him. He effectively dodged it and launched his own breadstick at her.

A food fight broke out between the two, and Jeremy joined in. Various foodstuffs flew everywhere, Joshua watching with a happy laugh erupting from his chest. He missed them too much.

Tyler sat silent through it all, hands tucked between his thighs tightly. His fingers played with the loose denim under his knees.

It was awkward enough being new to a table, but it was even worse when you didn't know them well enough to engage in a food fight.

In a flash, Tyler had grabbed his backpack and darted from the table, sprinting out of the cafeteria.

"Tyler?" Josh called. Everything at the table stopped and they all watched him leave.

"Josh, go get him!" Bi Bi said in the completely opposite direction of where he really was. He didn't need eye contact to comply with that order. He took off, phasing through doors and walls to find him.

"Josh?" Jeremy panted, having laughed too much in the fight.

"I-it's a reflex," Bi Bi lied. She sunk down into her seat, hands resting on the tabletop.

"Tyler?" Josh wheezed, lungs desperate for air. He ran around the halls, between wandering students and trash cans.

Pushing through a pair of thick double doors, Josh emerged in an out-of-use culinary arts room. His eyes were searching up and above, so when they went down, they found Tyler.

He had pushed himself up against a cabinet, stuffed in a corner, and his chin tucked into his palm.

Josh breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He was safe.

He crossed the room and got to Tyler, picking up his backpack that he undoubtedly threw off his shoulders as he came in.

Josh plopped himself down next to Tyler, unzipping the bag and reaching in. He fished around for the glove and found it soon enough.

Tyler, out of the corner of his eye, saw what he was doing. He raised his left hand, splaying his fingers out in the air.

Josh slid the glove over it, then weaved his fingers in between Tyler's in one fluid motion.

Their interlocked hands went down, resting on Tyler's knee. Both their eyes were fixated on the connection they had.

The world faded out around them. They were all that was left of humanity.

The window had fogged up pretty quickly back at home. Josh stood by it, looking down at the lawn of his house.

Everything was blurry; everything was just like that night. Tyler approached him, standing next to him quietly. Neither of them said a word.

Slowly, Tyler raised a hand up to the window. He carefully made a sad face in the condensation, looking over at Josh. Oh no, he was not having that.

Josh raised his own hand, making a happy face right next to Tyler's. He mirrored Tyler's movements and looked at him, smiling. A weak smile appeared on Tyler's lips. He wiped away his sad face and replaced it with a grinning one on the other side of Josh's.

They were content.