Youth || Joshler

21: Tyler Is In Love

"Hello?"

Tyler sobbed into the phone, eyes wet with tears that streamed down his reddened, flushed cheeks. Trillions of emotions hit him at once and he felt like he had so much to say, so much to tell, but none of the things he wanted to say were actually transferring out of his mouth.

Eventually he managed a shaky sentence. "P-please don't leave me," he wailed.

Josh sounded confused. "Tyler? What're you on about?"

"W-whatever she does.., d-don't le-leave me, please," he croaked, brunette hair shagging in his eyes and dampening. His hand was shaking, requiring extra effort in the act of holding the phone to his ears. He used two hands.

"Calm down, baby, I won't leave you," Josh assured Tyler, calming him down slightly. "Who's she?"

"Jenna," he answered on command, not stuttering as often but still substantially choked up. "She said if she can't have me, nobody will, and I'm so scared Josh, I'm so fucking scar-"

"Shh, it's okay," soothed the man on the other end. "I'm.. I'm coming to pick you up, okay?"

"Okay.." it was now seven o'clock at night, late for Tyler to be leaving the house, but if it meant seeing Josh he would do it. He'd give anything to see Josh outside of school, and especially in that moment. He hung up and slumped against his bedroom wall, trying to remind himself how to breathe regularly. His world was crumbling beneath his feet.

"Tyler?" There was a knocking on the door. He glanced up- it was Zack, who was staring at him, confused.

"S-shit," Tyler cursed, hiding his face in his arms. "W-what do you want?"

Zack walked closer to his brother, confusion in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"No."

His brother sighed, "..is it the boy?"

Stilling completely, this drove Tyler to glance up. His eyes were wildfire on Zack. "H-how do you kno-"

"I listened to you and mom talking," the younger boy admitted. "..I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Tyler sniffled, rubbing his eyes. God, this was embarrassing. "What did you come see me for?"

Sighing again, deep, Zack carefully went so sit in the floor beside his brother. His nose looked better than before. "I wanted to say sorry. It's okay that you're gay.." he still looked uncomfortable saying it, but it was start. "Love is love, I guess. Whatever you said at the door."

"You heard that, too, huh," Tyler chuckled softly, wiping his tears away. "It's okay. I'm.. I'm sorry for breaking your nose."

"That's okay." Zack kind of chuckled as well, "I sorta deserved it." They sat amongst each other for a little while after that. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. But he might be hurt soon."

He got a text: Josh was parked down the road. Zack noticed. "Is that him?"

"Yeah." He sniffled again.

"Well, it seems like you really love him. You're crying over him, I haven't seen you cry since thanksgiving." Zack smiled a little, and so did his brother.

Tyler sighed dreamily, "I really do love him. I.. I'm gonna go see him now, actually.. can you cover for me?"

"Yeah, sure." Zack sort of awkwardly hugged Tyler, before standing up. He nodded at him and then walked out of the room- Tyler breathed a deep sigh of relief. They were okay now, and that felt good.

It took Tyler five minutes to gather himself and head out his window, strategically climbing down the drainpipe like he'd done many times before at that point. Most of which in means of seeing Josh.