DOOM DAYS ✓

Chapter 35: Telepathic Communication

Telepathic Communication: the ability to transmit information from one mind to another.

Josh wakes up in his bed with the covers pulled to his armpits, the sun blinding him through the open blinds the moment he opens his eyes. He's facing one wall and, feeling the brush of Tyler's cold feet on his calves, can feel he's facing away. They're far enough apart from that nothing else touches.

Still groggy from the night before, Josh turns to face Tyler's back, scooting closer, and flings an arm over him. Tyler just mumbles in response and snuggles further into the blankets.

He can definitely get used to do this.

Tyler wakes up sometime after Josh, flipping over and accidentally smacking him in the face with a flailing arm.

"Ow," Josh laughs, rubbing his face.

Suddenly Tyler's eyes shoot open and he launches  on the floor, pushing his back to the wall. "W... where am I?"

"My room, duh." He realizes how scared Tyler is and flops over to over him a hand. "Don't worry, this isn't a dream or anything. You're safe."

"Sorry, sorry, I've never slept over at someone else's house before." Tyler takes Josh's hand and Josh is met with a flurry of hazy glimmers of memories, but he doesn't force them away this time.

They both stand, hands still together. Josh can see last night's memories from Tyler's perspective, and it's weird. But he doesn't mind.

"Was last night real?" Tyler asks. "I still can't believe that you-"

"Have a major crush on a super hot superhero? You shouldn't be too surprised," Josh laughs.

"Yeah, but still. It's you. I thought you hated me."

Josh pouts and pulls on Tyler's hand, pulling him into a hug. "I never hated you. Yeah, you were an asshole, but you were going through some shit and I understand that."

"I don't deserve you," Tyler mumbles with his face in Josh's curls.

"Oh, come on, Ty. You deserve someone who cares about you, and I care about you."

He blows raspberries into Josh's neck. "Shut up."

They both head down to the kitchen, where Josh's mom stands, flipping chocolate pancakes on a tiny pan. She looks over her shoulder, smiling like she knows a secret.

"Morning, my little heroes," she cooes, wrapping Josh with her arms and nuzzling his hair.

Tyler stands awkwardly beside them until Mom grabs him and pulls him into a hug. He stares at Josh for a moment, like he's trying to figure out how to proceed, before hugging her back.

"I made pancakes." She pulls back and ruffles Tyler's short hair. "Chocolate chip and pumpkin, your favorite. Tiana and Hernando should be over any minute with the empanadas."

"Empanadas? I love empanadas!" Tyler says, his face brightening, then dropping. "Sh- crap, I need to call Milly. She's probably worried sick."

He excuses himself and darts back into Josh's room. As soon as he's gone, Mom turns with a sly smile.

"So, are you guys dating yet?"

Josh startles. "Huh?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you two like each other. I thought the 'superhero business' was an excuse to see you."

"No, no, no, we were talking about-" Josh pauses, looking down from his mother's gaze. They never really discussed that part of his life casually before, and even trying to talk about it makes his chest grow tighter.

She seems to catch on to his anxiety and turns around, facing the pancakes. "Is this about Alley Cat?"

"Sort of," he cringes at his voice crack. "We have this theory going, we think he's messing with our emotions through some kind of telepathic connection. Amplifying them. It's been happening ever since Tiana's, um..."

"Accident?"

Josh flinches. "Yeah. Since our... ya know... we got them from these weird stones and he's controlling our feelings through it. And he's giving us weird dreams too. That's why tyler came over. He had a nightmare."

His mom looks over her shoulder with furrowed brows. "Oh, dear. If there's anything I can do..."

"Thanks, mom, but I'm putting you in enough danger just talking about it." He laughs to relieve the tension, but he feels the lump growing in his throat.

"Baby, you know that I don't care about me. You and Tiana are all that matters to us. I don't care if I have to kill Alley Cat myself, I'll-"

Tyler walks in after that, making her cut off her sentence, and the conversation switches back to pancakes.

"So, Tyler, what school do you go to?" Mom asks as she plops down a large stack on the kitchen counter where the two boys sits.

"Oh, I do online schooling," he says, looking at Josh before slowly reaching for a pancake. "My other siblings go to Atlanta Central, though."

"You're the only one who doesn't go to school?"

"Well, me and my older sister Seoyung, but she lives in Philly now for work."

Josh's mother's face goes through several stages of confusion before Tyler clarifies, "we're all foster kids."

"Ah. And the woman you called earlier...?"

"My foster mom. She's from Puerto Rico."

"Did I hear Puerto Rico?" Hernando bursts through the front door, holding a metal tin filled with still steaming empanadas. Tiana walks in after him, carrying tostones.

"Tyler!" She cheers, punching him in the shoulder. "Since when do you leave your room, ya hermit?"

Josh's mom smiles and hugs Hernando. "Just in time. We have a surprise guest." She gestures to Tyler, who meekly waves at him. Josh has never seen him shy before.

Hernando's eyes go steely, but it softens when Tyler looks at Josh, his face helpless. "Don't look so scared, mijo. I'm not going to bite you."

"But I might." Tiana snaps her teeth, exposes her double canines.

Josh laughs and flicks a chocolate chip at her. "Keep it in your mouth, Kitty."

Mom smiles and leans over the counter to kiss his forehead. "Isn't this nice? You should come over more often, Tyler."

"Yeah." He nudges Josh with a smile. "I will."