Youth || Joshler

6: Tyler Kissed His Teacher

Everything was blurry, the earth slightly tilted and perhaps spinning when Tyler noticed Josh standing up. He heard the footsteps on the cement stairs as the teacher walked away at a rather quick pace, of which Tyler understood almost completely. The conversation after a kiss.. it was too much, and especially in their situation.

Tyler felt regret surface in his stomach, raising shaky fingertips to brush against his lips. Josh's lips had been there only moments before- what the hell had they done? He was what, at least twenty five? And Tyler was seventeen. Not to mention he was his teacher.

But Tyler would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy every second of it, every heartbeat of Mr. Dun's lips on his own like sweet rose petals. So gentle, but so meaningful, and almost too much to comprehend.

The outside door opened again, making Tyler flinch. And as much as he hoped that it was Josh, he heard Jenna's voice instead.

"Here you are. Why are you out here all alone?" She took a seat on the step next to him, sitting close.

Tyler, completely uninterested in her, shrugged in response. He couldn't tell her. She'd never trust him again. With a sigh, Tyler turned to her, brown eyes tired. "I'm just.."

"Okay," she said, nodding as if she understood every indescribable emotion flooding through her boyfriend. "Do you wanna dance? There's a slow song on right now."

"Yeah, okay." He stood up with her, heading into the gym.

They pushed through the layer of people on the sidelines, on their phones or sipping on punch. When they reached the edge of the crowd of couples and friends slow dancing, Jenna smiled up at Tyler. He had no choice but to mirror her grin as she laced her hands up and around his neck- the boy's hands, still shaky but for other reasons, rested firm on her sides.

They fell into a familiar rhythm, a count of four and a mirrored slow spin, Tyler leading. The song was a piano song, nice and relaxing, and Tyler let it overcome him. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, mind going back.

His mind went back to those glazed, golden eyes - which is used to describe brown eyes in the moonlight, because once one sees brown eyes in the moonlight the word brown simply isn't enough to describe that heavenly hue -, went back to those swollen lips and shaky breathing.

Tyler wouldn't admit it if you'd asked him, but through that whole song, he found himself picturing Josh being the one holding him close and swaying with him.

-

Tyler was a mess of uneven heartbeats and shaking limbs as he walked into school that morning. Sweat lined the outskirts of his face and his forehead, his nerves dampening the palms of his hands. The boy wiped his palms on the front side of his pants. His eyes flickered, afraid, around the hallways, seeming to scan over each human being in sight- none of them, thank god, were him.

He didn't know why he'd become so nervous- well, that was a lie. He did. After what had happened, Tyler had stayed up all night, and you could probably see the pronounced bags under his eyes from ten meters away. People glanced at him like he was a weirdo as he walked past. And with his tousled hair, chapped lips, blackened eyes and generally unclean appearance, he didn't really blame them.

"Tyler?" There was a voice behind him, and the boy turned - too quickly - to see the lovely Jenna Black before him. Her hair was pulled into a beautiful messy bun, her blue eyes gazing up into him, scanning over his unkempt mess of a face and lousy excuse of an outfit - sweatpants and a black shirt - that did nothing for him but make him look like a teen that belonged on Dr. Phil.

The blonde girl frowned. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Tyler opened his mouth. He could almost hear the words fly out of his soul. I kissed Mr. Dun. I have to go to his class in five minutes. But, thankfully, he just said he didn't sleep much the last night. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth.

"Why?"

"No reason, just an insomniac night," Tyler replied without blinking.

Jenna frowned and reached up to try to smooth out his hair. Tyler almost relaxed at her touch, but couldn't. "Then why do you look so stressed?"

"I have a-a science test today."

"You had one last week."

"Yeah, and Mr. Iero's a bitch," said the brunette boy carelessly.

The shocked voice that periced the air made Tyler's eyes widen even more. "Excuse me?!" He turned to see Mr. Iero, eyes cold, looking astounded. He must have been walking by, which was just Tyler's luck.

Tyler wanted to disappear, eyes fearful and regretful. He felt the sweat on his palms kick up again. "I-I mean.. sorry, sir.."

"You'll be sorry," exclaimed the teacher threateningly. "Lunch detention, Mr. Joseph."

The brunette boy pursed his lips and brought his gaze down to the floor. It was probably best not to say anything at that point, Tyler knew. He only sighed and nodded, watching as Mr. Iero gave Jenna a firm nod and walked away. Frankly, he looked like he had a stick up his ass. He always looked like he had a stick up his ass, but even more so in that moment.

"Shit," Jenna said, wide-eyed.

"It's whatever. My fault." Rubbing the back of his neck, Tyler vaguely shook his head. "Anyways, we have to go to class.."

Jenna smiled up at him. "Yeah, you have to go to class. I have a free period 'cause I'm caught up."

"Jo- Um, Mr. Dun, he.. he gives those away? What the hell?"

She leaned in, still smiling as she pressed her lips against Tyler's. But her lips were dry, and he could feel some of her sticky lip gloss transfer over to Tyler's pair, and if he was being honest it was hardly as good of a kiss as the one he and Josh had shared last night.

"Yeah. Bye!"

"Bye," said Tyler. He watched as she turned and bounced away, only barely lingering his gaze on her before heading off to math class.

When he got there, he pushed through the open door and bee-lined to his desk. He didn't bother to look up and see Mr. Dun, or frankly anyone else in the room. He didn't want to think about last night.

"So, ladies and gentleman, who actually bothered to do the homework?" His voice sent butterflies running through Tyler's gut. Nervously, the brunette looked up. Josh's eyes were already on him, like he'd assumed.

Most people raised their hands, but half of them were obviously lying. Tyler only stared somewhere past Josh's head, trying to forget about the world.

"Okay, that's a lot of you," admitted the teacher. "I'll do a homework check. Take out your binders."

Tyler stayed completely still, staring now at his desk, listening to Josh going around and most people making ridiculous excuses as to why they didn't have their homework with them. Tyler wasn't assigned any homework; perhaps because Josh knew he wouldn't be able to complete it.

Eventually, Mr. Dun reached Tyler, and the brunette expected him to skip him over and ask the guy in front- but when his crimson voice was heard, Tyler stirred, taken by surprise.

"Tyler?"

Tyler's eyes flickered to look up at his, and then a little farther downward, to Josh's lips. "Y-you didn't tell me to do any homework-"

"I know. I want to speak to you in the hallway."