semi-automatic | joshler

10. blue hands, fragile hands

notes:

josh has an urge to beat everybody up today.

warning: there's a scene (?) of a painful accident later in the chapter. i don't know if it counts as violence, probably not, but might not be good for sensitive people. it's nothing too graphic and bad or something like that, but whenever you feel like you don't want to read anymore, no matter if it's this chapter or any in this story, feel free to message me and i'll summarize the chapter as best as i can without sensitive content. stay alive and safe. ♡

and also, comment throughout the story of course. :)

Play the song: "Lonely Hearts Club" by Marina & The Diamonds.

•

It's windy. It's moody. It's cold. It's going to rain. Again. It was raining for the whole night last night, so avoiding puddles on a pavement is almost impossible. They are everywhere. Leaves start falling with an incredible tempo. The wind doesn't even care about consequences, no matter that it's morning. It hits every tree, every building, every face with more incredible force. It's not going to be a good day.

Josh can't even fully close the glass doors behind himself, when he notices Brendon running in his direction with that stupid grin on his face, which never disappears, even on days like this. Josh pretends he doesn't see him, as always, obviously, but it won't work this time. Josh is standing right in front of him. He looks at him with a questioning look, waiting for him to say something, if he decided to approach him, but if Brendon expects Josh to talk, he's going to be disappointed. He isn't in mood to talk, at all.

"What's up, my dude?" He eventually taps Josh's shoulder, who doesn't react at all. Brendon doesn't care about it. "How was our dinner yesterday?"

"How it should have been?" Josh asks. "It was okay. Your mom's cooking is better than great."

"Yeah, but," Brendon stops for a moment. "Didn't you feel any... different?" he emphasizes, and if he thinks Josh didn't take a hint before, does he really know him? Josh knows well what Brendon means, and no, he's not going to give him any satisfaction with answering.

"Brendon, what the fuck," he only murmurs.

"What?" Brendon asks innocently, but Josh only shakes his head and goes back to avoiding him. "What got you so grumpy?"

"You and only you," Josh answers.

Brendon huffs a breath and picks up his pace to be ahead of Josh and look him in the face. "Why have you been so rude lately?"

"Maybe that's my way to flirt with you." He avoids Brendon's gaze. Brendon starts laughing. He's so stupid. "I don't know, Brendon, maybe you've just been especially annoying lately?"

"That's not true. I'm always like that with you." He's still wearing this stupid grin on his face, even knowing Josh doesn't want to talk with him. Maybe that's what best friends do. They try to cheer you up, even though you are pushing them away in the most rude way possible, and they don't seem offended at all. "Something's bothering you," he states.

"Maybe," Josh hums.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Maybe it's not something, but somebody." Brendon smirks, and Josh rolls his eyes for god-only-knows-which-time this morning. Brendon can try to pull out some information from him, good luck, even though Josh doesn't have any intention to do it. Nothing in Josh's life has changed. "Speak of the devil," he whispers and points somewhere ahead of them, the end of the long hallway. "Hi, Tyler!" he shouts, literally shouts, that it echoes through every wall surrounding them. Josh fights with himself not to kick his ass with his boot from behind.