Wrong • Joshler • 2nd version

Chapter!Eight

"Oh, okay. Thanks" Debby said happily, hopping away from a girl called Riley who she had Biology with. She had noticed Tyler standing on the other side of the hallway, by his locker.

"Hi, Tyler!" she came closer, making the boy turn around and smirk at her.

"Hello, Debby"

"What's up?" she asked joyfully (as she does), while he leaned against the lockers.

"Not much" Tyler shrugged "You?"

Debby shrugged "Not much. I was just wondering how things are going with Josh and all that"

Tyler then started to laugh "Nothing special really"

"Got any crushes?" Debby wiggled her eyebrows "Any guys on the basketball team?"

Tyler laughed louder "Oh, Debby. I'm not gay"

Debby gasped in shock "What?! But Josh-"

"Josh is an idiot, okay?" Tyler went full serious, actually angrily saying his next words "Listen. Pete gave me a dare that morning, saying we'll pretend I'm gay all day. If Josh hadn't said what he did, I would've told him it was just a dare. But Josh is a homophobe. He wants to freaking fix homosexuality or whatever. But he's the one who needs fixing. And that's what I'm doing"

Debby stood with her jaw dropped for a few moments, before replying with even more anger "How dare you?! Josh did nothing wrong to you! If a gay guy gets bothered, he'll stay away from Josh! Josh has the right to have his own opinion. You're more disgusting than he is. He literally said nothing to offend you-"

"My brother got beat up to death because he was gay" Tyler spat, frowning at Debby in anger "There is nothing in this world that disgusts me more than people like Josh"

"Josh wouldn't hurt a freaking fly!" Debby continued to argue "He barely knows what sex is, for God's sake. He doesn't know what he's talking about"

Beyond annoyed, Tyler rolled his eyes "Well, now he'll know"

Debby gasped again, watching Tyler as he walked off.

The bell rang.

...

Later on that day, Debby was in her room, slowly losing her mind. She didn't see Josh in school; when she did, he was far away somewhere. She had to talk to him.

But she didn't know exactly what to say.

She held her phone tightly in her hand, pacing up and down her room. She already had Josh's contact opened, she just needed to press a button to call him.

And so she did.

After four long rings- "Hello?"

"Hi? Josh?"

"Yeah?"

Debby sighed deeply, running her hand through her hair and sitting down on her bed, legs warped underneath her "Hey, how are you?"

There was a pause "Fine, I guess"

"What's up?" Debby asked in a cheerful voice, but she didn't feel happy at all.

"I-" another pause; these were concerning Debby already "Debby?"

"I'm here, what's wrong?" Debby asked, bitting her bottom lip a little too tightly.

"I- I've had a strange couple of days"

"Howso?" she persuaded, drawing blood from her lip.

"I- I've been looking at g- guys and-" Josh stopped again; Debby covered her mouth with her palm "Debby, I- I think I might be gay"

Debby held her hand on her mouth to prevent herself from sobbing. You may think she was overdramatizing, but she thought of it differently. Tyler tricked Josh. Josh wouldn't be feeling this confused if it weren't for Tyler. And Debby was planning on kicking Tyler in the balls tomorrow.

You don't have to agree with her thoughts, but knowing Josh for years, she felt awfully angry.

"Debby?" Josh whispered into his phone's microphone "Is there something wrong?"

"No! No" Debby assured quickly "I'm just so proud of you"

Josh sighed in relief at that. They talked relaxedly from then on. It was a bit weird; neither knew what to say at some points. But they talked boys and Debby made sure Josh was comfortable talking to her about boys.

Then, Josh said a sentence that would make Debby gasp again.

"I really like Tyler. Like, so much. He's pretty and his voice and his poems- oh my God"

Josh giggled at the end, happy to be able to talk his thoughts out freely. He really trusted Debby. He was glad he could confess these things both to her and himself.

But with Tyler's words replaying in Debby's head, she actually started to cry. Her best friend was going to have his heart broken.

And by the sound of Josh's following sentences which formed an adorable rant about Tyler, which actually surprised Josh himself at the end of it.

But as Debby was oh so silent, Josh asked in a concerned voice "Debby, is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes" Debby chuckled emptily (but Josh didn't notice that) "My head just hurts. I'll go lay down, if you don't mind"

"Oh, of course!" Josh exclaimed "Get well soon, yeah?"

"Yeah" Debby said with a sad smile.

Tyler better watch it tomorrow.