Hallelujah

Chapter 18.

We finally made it to josh's home. It was a normal looking house with what I hoped, a normal family. Josh put the car in park and turned off the vehicle.

"Before we get to anything, I would love for you to meet my mom".

His face was beyond excited. It's like everytime we were in these seats, in these moments of having no sound, no life around is, his best of best moment's show.

"Do you think she'll like me?"

"Of course! What's there not to like about you?"

"Well i don't know if you saw what happend at my house, but that's defitnly something that would turn people away. And because I have no friends and no life and no purpose an-"

Josh's fingers graded my fragile cheeks with his gracful fingertips. His fingers stared behind my ear, and slowly made it's way down the side of my jaw and over my lips to where he stopped.

"Don't say that. From now on, keep all those negative things inside, because I don't wanna hear that from an angel".

He then traced the motion again, going backwards and stopped, receiving chills that he could fill.
****
"Who's this josh?"

His mother was just a cheerful as him, almost like this family had no care's in the world. No problem's. No fear's. I wish I knew what that felt like.

"This is Tyler. He's a close friend of mine. Is it okay if he stays here tonight?"

She pondered the question. She was probably thinking that Josh said it was okay anyways, considering I already had my bag with me.

"Well by all means, I suppose. But you know my rule Joshua. Always a-

"Ask permission, yesssss I know!"

She smiled just like how he does. With those adorable crinkles. She came over to me while inspecting my figure. Her eyes met with mine. And they looked for a while, almost like she was searching for some sort of answer.

"I hope you brought an appetite too".

We walked up the stairs and ventured down the hallway filled the family memories hanging from the wall. I slowed down from walking behind josh to look at them. There was one that specifically caught my eye. It was him and his mom and 3 other people.

"Those are my sibs"

My head turned towards him with a dull smile.

"You guys look happy".

"Yea. I guess you could say that".

He shrugged and shoulders and grabbed me by hand, guiding me back on track to his room. When we walked in, the smell that I've known so much hit me in the face. His room smelled like the woods and cheap cologne. It was like an entire different galaxy. He sat my clothes down by a bean bag seat that was placed in the corner of the room and then dived to his bed, flopping all around in result. I couldn't help but smile.

"You gonna keep standing there or are you gonna come join me?"

I kicked my shoes off and walked over to his bed. His eyes brushed over my body as I was close to him. The feeling of embarrassment flew over me as I didn't know exactly what he was looking at.

"Can we finally talk now?" I spoke up as I was crawling beside him. He nodded his head in agreement, proceeding me. I took a deep breath in, not sure where to start at.

"Well. I would first like to say that the little things I told you at our ice cream trip wasn't exactly true. I didn't wanna actually say the real things because I didn't want to scare you away". My eyes scanned his as he was completely focused on my words.

"I'm not the picture perfect person you paint me to be josh and I need you to understand that. I've never been the one to appreciate myself or love myself because there's things I deal with menatlly and physically that holds me back from that. What I'm trying to say is-"

"I know."

His expression was blank, but his eyes spoke. I closed my eyes and began to fight his words away.

"No Josh you don-"

"Demons. Evil things. Depression. I know Tyler".

I was shocked, but morally confused. I knew I reeked depression, but I never thought he could sense evrything else.

"How'd you know?"

"What happend earlier today with that thing in your head. I once experienced something like that".

My jaw practically hit the floor as he spoke. I couldn't really believe he said that.

"Josh im s-sorry".

"Its okay ty. Why do you think I'm so close to you?"

"Well that's not exactly the full story. This d-demon I have. He's.. he's strong. Not you're typical "Its a voice in my head" type thing". When he feels that he's gotten angry enough, he can transform his self throughout my entire body. I-I don't know where my soul goes, but it seems like he pushes it away. He can do so much."

And josh's face was the homerun for me. He looked absoulty T-E-R-R-I-F-I-E-D. I guess he never really understood the complicity of this. But he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So you mean, h-he can take control of you're entire body? Has he ever tried to hurt you? Or make you hurt someone else?".

"When we first moved in, I was in my room a-and i-i". I just couldn't finish the sentence. Remembering that I was face to face with death scared me. And it was a memory that I didn't wanna withhold again. I felt a few tears stream down my face. I just couldn't handle these things anymore.

Josh scooted closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. He tilted us back so we could lay near his pillows. Our faces were close as usual, to which he wiped the remaning tears away.

"I went through the same battles as you ty. But as long as I'm here, in not letting anything happen. I-I love you".

"I lov-love you too josh"

And in that moment, we kissed. And it was the best feeling.