Just Friends //joshler&bryler [✔]

four

school was always horrible.

josh wasn't in any of his classes, except for lunch and last period study hall.

at lunch on monday, tyler eyed josh as he ate the packed lunch he'd brought from home. it looked so good. his stomach ached.

"want some?" josh asked, holding his sandwich out to the brunette.

tyler slowly shook his head. "no, it's yours."

"well i brought this for you," he said, digging around in the brown bag before pulling out a peach. he handed it to tyler.

"thanks."

he meant it. the sweetness quenched his taste buds, his stomach happy it had at least a little to fuel tyler for the rest of the school day. he ate it quickly, dropping the pit onto the pile of garbage josh had created.

"jeez, pig," josh joked, but it made tyler's chest hurt.

was he really a pig?

"ty, i'm just kidding," he sighed. "don't take everything so seriously."

"i'm sorry," tyler whispered, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill.

"it's fine. you're just way to sensitive," josh laughed.

he was making tyler feel worse.

tyler spent the rest of the lunch being silent, staring at his lap while josh finished eating. josh seemed oblivious to the fact that his friend was in tears because of him. he threw away his trash before returning to his seat next to tyler. he took the boy's hand into his own. tyler's heart fluttered.

"do you have anything planned for after school?"

"do i ever?" tyler responded, feeling better now that josh was finally talking to him. he stopped worrying about if he was mad at him.

"no, but you usually have to go straight home after school."

"oh yeah..."

"do you have to today?"

"yeah..." the brunette sighed, eyeing Josh's veiny hand which was still holding his own.

"okay," josh sighed.

"i'm sorry."

"it's fine, i get it. stop being sorry for everything."

"sorry," tyler muttered without thinking.

"tyler!" josh laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

tyler winced, pain shooting down his arm.

"fuck, sorry, are you okay?"

tyler nodded.

josh knew what went on at home. tyler told him countless stories. he made josh swear to never tell, no matter how bad it got. josh seemed okay with that, not really wanting to get involved. tyler didn't really understand that. if something was happening to josh, tyler would feel more than obligated to help end whatever it was. apparently josh just wasn't like that.

tyler loved him regardless.

he trudged home after school, his father meeting him at the door. he was obviously high off of what tyler thought was probably dope.

tyler was pulled inside, only to be shoved up against the door. his father began attacking him, swinging merciless punches at his son's face. tyler was screaming. he accidentally spit up blood onto his dad, only making him more angry.

"nasty fag!"

he threw tyler to the ground. tyler didn't fight back. he knew it would be worse if he tried. his dad got on top of him, not letting up on the relentless punches that met tyler's head.

tyler eventually blacked out.

__a/n__

i literally have almost the whole book written already sEND HELP