Youth || Joshler

15: Tyler Gets a Phone Call

It was on a Sunday that Tyler got the phone call from his mother, one he was expecting. He stared at it idly for a very long time, enough time so that it almost went to voicemail. It was almost like waking up from a daydream.

He brought the phone to his ear, lips quivering. "Hello?"

"Tyler?" Came his mother's voice on the other end of the line, "Thank god. Where are you?"

"D-doesn't matter," mumbled Tyler.

"Are you-" she lowered her voice, as if saying it was a sin, "are you with a man?"

Tyler didn't reply for a long time. When he eventually did, it was, "I'm with a friend."

He could hear her sigh of vague relief. She whispered, voice barely a breath, "Tyler, I know you're a- a faggot- but we can fix it, honey, an' you can come back home."

"I don't wanna be fixed," said Tyler, voice shaky with upcoming emotion. "I'm sorry that I'm a sinner but I c-can't help it-"

"You broke your brothers nose, you're queer- who are you anymore? I want my Ty back," said the woman, voice shaking as well, as if she was bargaining with Tyler.

"I.. I-I'm sorry..."

He heard muffled voices on the other end- Tyler's father, asking who was on the phone, and his mother saying it was nobody important. Tyler felt his gut sunk real low in his stomach. When she came back on the line, she was distraught. "I-I need to go. Just.. come back home to us, baby."

The line went dead. Tears were already streaming down Tyler's face when he turned off his phone, sinking low into the couch he was seated at and sobbing into himself.

"Ty?" Josh came in from the kitchen, and was immediately at Tyler side, holding him close and whispering comforting words.

Tyler sobbed into his shoulder, wanting to die. "That was my m-mom, she wants me t' go h-home,"

"Shit," said Josh, holding him even closer, "You're not going home. I've got you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The day after, however, Josh told him; "I don't think you can stay here for much longer." Tyler looked at him, hazel eyes hooded but widening.

"What?"

The redhead sighed. "They're gonna look for you, Tyler, and when they find you and you're here..."

"You'll loose your job," murmured the brunette, filling in the blanks. Josh gave him a nod.

"I can't risk that. And you'll probably never be able to see me again, they'll take you away from me."

Tyler exhaled a deep breath he didn't even know he was holding, falling into Josh's arms on the couch. Josh kissed the top of his head.

"So where do I stay?"

"At a friend's place, maybe?"

Tyler sighed and nodded. Josh was quick to add, "It's just temporary, baby, nothing to worry about."

"Okay."

-

It was Monday morning and everybody at Cincinnati High was either tired of or fed up with school. Tyler approached Brendon, hair messy.

"You look rough," said Brendon, nearly sounding concerned.

"I was kicked out," sighed Tyler, "Cause if those rumours everyone's been spreading."

"Shit," said Brendon, frowning. "You okay? Do you need a place to stay, or anything?"

"I need somewhere to stay," admitted Tyler, reminiscing on Josh's apartment and sighing. It was just temporary, he told himself. And, Josh told him he could still visit.

"I'll ask my mom if you can stay with me for a bit, dude," offered Brendon kindly, and Tyler nodded and smiled thankfully. "I got you."

"Thanks."

"Any time."

When Tyler got to math class, he was a little upset to see that half the class was already there. He and Josh made eye contact, but that was about all they could do without causing suspicion in Tyler's classmates. Tyler just wanted to kiss him, but knew he obviously couldn't. Not here at least.

He took his seat, eyes not leaving Josh. Soon enough class began but Tyler couldn't focus, not bothering to listen to even a word. He tapped the eraser on the back of his pencil against the desk.

"Tyler?"

"Erm-What?" Tyler glanced up, seeing Josh at the front, something written beside the teacher on the blackboard.

"How would you solve this equation?"

"Uhh, take away the lesser variable by.. um.."

Another hand shot up. "Yes, Jenna?" Asked Josh.

Jenna Black factually answered the equation, and apparently she did it correctly. Tyler and her made eye contact, and he wanted to hit her right then. She was being a dick to him. Purposefully.

It continued at lunch, where, once at the cafeteria, Jenna marched up to Tyler's table. She stopped right in front of the seat across from the slim brunette, arms crossed, ponytail extra tight.

"Tyler. Still queer, I see?"

"That makes no sense."

This made her eyes darken and her frown strengthen. Jenna seemed to tense her jaw. "Whatever. I need to talk to you."

"No."

"Yes," she said, voice shrill. "Hallway. Now."

Tyler rolled his eyes and eventually followed, until they were both alone together in the hall outside the cafeteria.

Tyler sighed. "The fuck do you want?"

"We need to help each other," she stated. Tyler wondered why he'd want to help her- she made his life a living hell. "The prom's coming up. I need a date."

"Fuck no-"

"I haven't finished! If you go with me to prom, it'll change everyone's minds about you being queer."

"I said, no." Never in a million years. He despised Jenna- it wasn't going to happen.

But Jenna only sighed tentatively. "I knew you'd say that. That's why, if you don't go with me, I'm gonna show everyone a lil' something."

Tyler was confused, until Jenna held out her phone to him and pressed play. There it was- a video of Tyler singing and playing the piano, all alone in the music room. Fuck.

If anyone got ahold of that video, they'd est Tyler up. He wasn't allowed to be interested in music. Hayley Williams, first of all, wouldn't allow it- and all the jocks would make a pussy out of him.

"Fuck," whispered Tyler. "Fuck, don't show that to anyone!"

"Go with me to the prom and consider it deleted."

"Fuck." Tyler nodded his head harshly. "Yes, yes, fine, whatever."

Jenna smiled brightly. "I knew I'd change your mind." She kissed him on the cheek, saying a goodbye and walking back into the caf.

What was he going to do?