Dendrophobia

Chapter 6

You wake to the familiar feel of warm sheets and the noisy 'whirring' of a fan. Last night is scratched out of your brain and seems to leave no trace of what happened. You don't have work today, so you decide to lie in bed and try to relax. Not until now did you notice it was raining. The soft tapping on your window swells every now and then with the wind.

The white noise of the rain is disrupted by a tapping on your door. You blink a few times and listen to the rain a bit more before attempting to say, "Come in."

Your voice was gone for some strange reason. The door opens and you see Tyler walk in with the blanket pulled over him like a cloak. Just his face is poking out and the white brings out the lilac skin under his eyes. He stops in your doorway and stares for a second, so you go back to concentrating on the shaded window. You remembered now. He must have stopped due to the position you were in. You're arms and legs were wrapped around a pillow and clinging on for dear life. "What do you need, Tyler." Your own voice surprises you, as it sounds a bit more harsh than usual. Your mind was foggy and you could begin to hear your doubt waking up as well. It was going to be one of those days.

Tyler shuffles over and carefully sits on your bed. It only dips down a little due to the amount of weight he's lost. You run a hand through your, surprisingly soft hair, and turn to face him. "Sorry." You apologize. He doesn't respond. Just starts playing with the hem of the blanket.

"Did you drink your water?" You ask him, trying to remember that he needs help more than you right now. He gives a slow nod before closing his tired eyes again. He lies down on the other side of the bed, facing away from you, and curls into a ball.

"How do you feel today?" You question while rubbing his back carefully. Him lying with his back bent makes his spine protrude out of his fragile frame, and it leads you away from reality, into your thoughts.

"O-okay. I think." He responds. You stop rubbing his back and he turns to look at you.

"Want to go get breakfast? I was thinking Waffle House." You smile, trying to motivate him to eat.

"I look like. Like. A mess." He says before slamming his head back down onto your pillow.

"Waffle House doesn't care. I promise. My friends and I used to go there when we were shitface drunk." You remanence, trying to make him laugh. He gives you a small smile and sits up.

"I'm in."

You do a little happy dance and take his hand. You grab your car keys off of the glass dining table and unlock your apartment door. It didn't matter you were in pajamas, Waffle House wasn't a place that cared about attire or what level of sobriety you were at. You smile, remembering all of the times you and your friends had gone there and made complete fools of yourself.

Tyler opens the complex door for you and you take his hand to lead him to the car. He was wearing a pair of flip-flops that your friend had left from the last time he visited. Always leaving shit behind. You think to yourself.

After starting the car, you reach over to turn on the radio. Silence always killed the mind. Tyler stares straight ahead, and you wonder what he's thinking about. "Let's make today a good day." You smile at Tyler. He glances at you quickly and tries to give you one in return. You pat his shoulder and pull into the Waffle House parking lot. You didn't realize how hungry you were until you smelt the waffles and syrup.

"Sit anywhere, sweetheart." A fairly old lady beams at you. Tyler picks a small booth for two near the emergency exit. You hadn't checked the time yet and look up at the circle on the wall.

6:39 A.M.

Tyler sees what your staring at and puts his hands on the table. "Sorry for waking you up so early. I couldn't go back to sleep after I had a nightmare." He says while keeping himself busy with the menu.

"I'm always here, Tyler." You remind. The older woman comes over to take your order, and Tyler gets one waffle. You frown for a second before getting a chocolate chip waffle with some toast. You stare out the window while the waitress turns in your order. The sun slips light into the darkness and creates that familiar lining around the treetops. It's a soft blue with a hint of fluffy orange. Tyler grabs your hand and you notice that he's staring out too.

"The sun has risen." He says in almost a whisper. He gives a small smile, but you know it's real. You smile as the sun gradually makes its way over the treetops. It does it so gracefully. Not to fast, not to slow. It moves at its own perfect pace. The Waffle House is filled with natural lighting and it makes the atmosphere feel more welcoming. Well, for a Waffle House. The waitress comes back and sets the food in front of you and Tyler. You let go of his hand and prepare your waffle.

. . .

You wrap your arms around yourself and curse for not bringing a jacket. Tyler only ate about one half of a waffle, but finished a half of the half after you talked and begged with him. Tyler takes his hoodie and wraps it around your shoulders. As cheesy as it sounds, you were grateful. It was cold in the morning and you're naturally cold all of the time. You quickly hop in the car and wrap Tyler's jacket around you. Unlike the stories, it doesn't smell like cologne. It smells purely like Tyler. Like he'd been wearing it for who knows how many days in a row without removal. It had the smell of bedsheets and sorrow. It makes your heart ache for him to be better and you want to hug him, but your driving him home.

Once you reach his apartment complex, you reach over and hug Tyler. Right there in his apartment parking lot. "Thank you. Thank you so much, (Y/N)." Tyler mumbles.

"Always."

Blarg. I pulled an all nighter and wrote this. And I have work today. I hope you all have an amazing day!! Comment what you think!