killjoy - joshler

cured

"alright, kid. let's go out." josh said.

"no, i don't go out during the day." tyler said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"why not? you sparkle?"

"yes, very much." tyler rolled his eyes. "it just burns more."

"don't you have jewelry you could wear?" josh asked, remembering from his books.

"i don't think so. i have this ring, but i never knew what it was for." tyler said, showing josh the blue ring on his middle finger.

"when did you get it?"

"i had it in my stuff before i left. so..." he tried to think, "yesterday."

"okay, cool. let's go out."

tyler sighed, standing up. "why the heck are your jeans so tight? and your shirts have words on them?"

"you ask a lot of questions."

tyler shrugged, following josh out of the room.

"wait, go out the window. my mom doesn't know you're here."

"you have a mom? how come i couldn't sense her when i came here?"

"she's really sick, i guess."

"i could help!" tyler said, making josh shake his head.

"i don't think you can."

"you should get her a glass of water." tyler said, josh making a face.

"you are not giving her spit water."

tyler held his two fingers up, josh instantly shutting up and staring at tyler.

"listen, josh. bring me a glass of water, and take it to your mom. okay?"

"okay."

tyler sighed, watching josh walk down the stairs and into the kitchen, hearing glasses clanking together. he saw him come out of the kitchen shortly, a cup of water in his hand. tyler took it from him, spitting in it, thinking this whole thing was gross himself. it would help josh's mom, though, so it was fine. he gave it back to josh, who wordlessly went into the room down the hall, tyler assuming it was his mom's.

when josh came back, he stood in his same spot by the door, snapping out of it.

"go through the window!" josh said. "my mom doesn't know you're here."

"okay. i'll meet you down. go check on her, while you're at it."

with that, tyler opened josh's window and began the climb down that giant tree he had next to his house, eventually making it down and seeing josh waiting for him by the door.

"tyler! my mom! she's getting better!" josh said. "i took her temperature and it was normal, she stopped coughing and her fever went away!"

"that's good, i'm glad." tyler said.

josh nodded, leading tyler to his car parked to the side of his mother's. she barely used it anymore, but it was still there anyways. he opened the car door for tyler, getting in on the driver's seat and starting the car up. josh looked over at tyler, who was staring out of the window and looking at their neighbor's front yard. he thought he looked nice in one of his snapbacks, the front of his hair poking out underneath the bill.

"josh, why are you staring at me?" tyler asked, still looking out the window.

josh's cheeks warmed in embarrassment, clearing out his throat as if there were something in it.

"uh, nothing." he said, backing out of the driveway.

tyler made a face, giggling. "where are we going?"

"uh...do you want pizza? there's a nice spot after the stop sign." josh said, beginning to cruise down his street.

"i can't eat pizza," tyler said, frowning, "i could eat other stuff, though." he suggested, making josh nod.

"ice cream?"

"okay."