Boys/Boys/Girls • joshler

1

They always knew he was different.
He always knew he was different.
He didn't want to be,believe me.
He wanted to be like the normal kids that went to the park,and their parents pushed them on the squeaky swings until the kids were so tired they fell asleep,and their parents carried them to the car whilst they slept.

All he wanted was that.
All he wanted was to be normal.

"Higher!" The little girl giggled.
"Higher!" He listened closely as he sat on the old,wooden park bench.

The sound was eerie.
"Higher,daddy!" He heard.

There was only one way for him to get home.
Walk.
Something he didn't want to do.
But no one had come to pick him up after school.
So,slowly,the young boy slid himself off the bench,book bag in hand,as he trudged down the sidewalk.

-

"Ma'am,I still don't know what to tell you. H-he has such a mix of things,a child this young...." he trailed.

"But,I mean,everyone has their issues,no matter their age. He should be okay,shouldn't he?"

"Yes,but your son in particular,he has various mental illnesses and disorders."

"I know that,can't you tell me anything new? Are their medications? I just want my son to be okay."

"Your son is not okay,Mrs. Joseph."

"Well,there are plenty of people with mental illnesses in this world,if they can make it,he can,and I'm going to make sure he does."

"We'll do whatever we can."

-

"Tyler,honey,don't you want to go play with the other kids outside? They're playing kick ball in the road."
Tyler shook his head 'no'.

Tyler didn't like the other kids.
They made fun of his stutter and got mad when he was distracted or got sad all of a sudden.
But Tyler couldn't help it.
And that's what the other kids parents told their children.
And that's what the kids kept forgetting.

Tyler thought back to the day he played kick ball with the kids for the first time.

"TYLER! STOP GOING OVER THERE! GUARD THE BASE!"

The 'base' was just a pot hole full of pebbles,but there were more fascinating things in the grass.

"S-sorry,I didn't mean t-"
"Shut up and catch the ball!"
Tyler saw the red,rubbery ball flying towards his face.

Bet you thought he wouldn't catch it.
Sike.

Tyler reached his hands up and caught the ball right in front of his face.
The children gasped as they witnessed this miracle.

Then,like he wasn't even thinking,Tyler slung the ball as hard as he could-at his own team member.
"Come on! God,you dweeb!"
He didn't mean to.
He don't know.
He wasn't thinking.

It was a small mistake Tyler made a long time ago,but he never let himself forget it.

"Sweetheart,you need to go outside. You need the sun."
His mom glanced at his pale skin.
He only went outside when he was at grade school,during recess.
Even then,he just sat against the wall of the school and watched the other kids. He liked observing people.
He liked a lot of things. He also hated a lot of things.
Like how he also hated observing people because he couldn't understand something or someone did something that he didn't like.
It was infuriating because he hated the only thing that he could do and he loved it at the same time.

None of it made sense.
But neither did Tyler.