just children once ✓

mi casa no su casa part dos

Shoutout to my parental figures for totally not making me even more stressed out about my future than I already was :)))

<10:33 pm, Friday>

They got out the pool a few minutes after Josh stopped crying. His hair stuck to his forehead and green dye ran down his body. Tyler wiped some off with his towel, grinning when Josh pouted.

"Guess I'm going to have to redye it," he said. Tyler rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair. "You're going to go bald at this rate, Josh," he teased.

Josh just patted his own hair down. "Then I'll have to pick a color and stick with it."

They dried themselves off as much as they could and walked in at the moment that Josh's parents walked in from the garage. His parents were dressed formally, his father in a military uniform and his mother in a long blue dress.

"Hey, mom. Hey dad," Josh said meekly. They looked at Tyler, who waved shyly.

"Who is that and why is he in our home?" His mother asked. Not even a hello.

Josh scratched the back of his neck. "Tyler. He's our neighbor, and has been since middle school. He's also my best friend."

Best friend.

His mother stepped forward first, smiling. "Oh, I remember you! It's been too long!" She pulled them both into a hug.

From over his shoulder, Tyler heard her ask, "Why didn't you tell us that he was over?"

"I did," Josh answered, his demeanor turning sheepish. "I texted you and called you both. I didn't want to bother you any more since you were at the military ball."

His dad just looked at Tyler with the same distaste as Abigail did, but he didn't speak. Josh fingered the towel corner.

"You didn't do either," his father finally spoke. "We would've answered."

"But I-" he stopped himself and nodded. "I'm sorry. I asked if he could sleep over," he mumbled choppily, not looking up.

"Why?"

Tyler intervened as Josh looked like he was ready to shrink into the floor.

"My dad kicked me out of the house and I needed a place to stay. I won't be a bother, I promise."

His mom's mouth twitched to a frown but she replaced it with her smile before anyone else noticed. "Josh, honey, can we talk alone?"

Tyler got the memo and walked back outside, sitting on a lawn chair. He could hear the yelling from even how far away he was.

"What were you thinking, bringing him into our home after what he did to us? To you?"

"It wasn't his-"

"Why the hell was he kicked out?"

"I- I don't know, his dad just-"

"How do you not know? He's your supposed 'best friend,' isn't he?"

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I have to know everything-"

"You need to know, Joshua. I bet he knows everything about our fucking family and you don't know jack shit about him."