He called Tayler who answered on the first ring: “Hey, is everything okay?”
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Josh: “Yeah? Why wouldn’t it be?”
Tayler: “I thought you were home with our sister and she might be upset and have done something stupid.”
Josh: “Why would she be upset?”
Tayler: “It’s a long story. Bryce was arrested again. He didn’t do anything, Ryland pulled some strings and got his bail revoked so I’m here with him.”
Josh: *shocked* “Did you get arrested too?”
Tayler: *sarcastically* “Yes, Josh. And they let me keep my phone. No dimwit. He’s not doing okay with any of this and I promised I’d stay until he was released. The cells here at the county jail face the waiting room so even though he can only talk to me every few hours he can see me here and it’s helping.”
Josh: “I don’t want to add to your stress but it seems your girlfriend lost her phone and the person who found it is trying to get in touch with someone who can come pick it up”
Tayler: “How did she lose it? I just talked to her like 2 hours ago and she was on the way to the house to tell our sister about Bryce. Just run by and let her know.”
Josh: “Yeah, she’s not home and isn’t answering either. They were together at some point according to snapmap.”
Tayler: “Oh God, that means she already told her and she flipped out. Crap. I can’t leave I need you-”
Josh: “Don’t stress. Ness and I will go get it and handle it.”
They grabbed the phone and gave the kid who found it $50 for being honest and returning it. They didn’t know where to start looking for his sister or Kelianne so they headed back to his house to hopefully get answers from his parents. He kissed Nessa and told her to wait in the car because he knew she couldn’t handle another one of his mom’s outbursts. When he walked in his dad jumped up. It was obvious he wasn’t waiting for him by the way his face fell in stressed disappointment.
Josh: “She’s not with me, but I need to talk to you about something. Where’s Mom?”
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Dad: “She’s laying down. Do you have any idea where your sister went? She’s supposed to be grounded for going behind our back to see Bryce.”
Josh: “What is your problem with him anyway?”
Dad: “It’s normal for a guy your age to go through this phase, but your sister is way too wild and needs to settle down before she gets too attached to a boy not suited for her. The boy is a criminal for God’s sake.”
Josh: “Dad, there’s something I need to tell you. Bryce has been arrested 3 times and not once did he do something wrong.”
His dad sat back down and listened to his son finally tell him the truth: “A few months ago he was with my friends who were doing something they shouldn’t have been and he stayed and got arrested so that they could get away because he didn’t want his best friend’s little brother in trouble.”
Dad: *shaking his head* “Joshua. That was generous of him, but he beat a boy nearly to death and he needs to be held accountable for that.”
Josh: “Dad… that was Tayler.”
Dad: “What do you mean it was Tayler? Why in the world would Tayler ever get into a fight? He’s the most popular kid in that school; everyone loves him?”
Josh: “The kid didn’t go to our school. He showed up and was slamming your daughter into his car and Tayler did what he had to do to protect her.”
Dad: “Wait, what does your sister have to do with this? I thought she was dating Nick at the time? Why was some other delinquent starting a fight over her?”
Josh: “She never dated him. She was at a party and he tried getting her drunk but she refused because she doesn’t drink so he made her a soda and drugged her to be able to get her upstairs.”
Dad: “Oh God. Where the hell were you and Tayler? What does Bryce have to do with this?”
Josh: “When the police showed up and started to arrest Tayler for assaulting this kid, Bryce stepped up and said it was him so Tayler could go free.”
Dad: “Why would he do that?”
Josh: “He’s not who you and Mom seem to think he is. He’s a good kid, he just got in a bad situation because his parents died and left him with an abusive uncle who took off with all the money they left him.”
Dad: “Wait, you said he was arrested a 3rd time?”
Josh: “We were all out last night and the kid that assaulted her showed up and somehow was able to pay off the prosecutor to revoke Bryce’s bail so they brought him in.”
His dad sat looking like his brain was going into overload with all the information: “Is that where your sister took off to? I still don’t understand why at some point he wouldn’t have told the truth that it was Tayler?”
Josh: “His childhood was just so messed up that he’s grown up believing he’s not worth anything better but is so fiercely loyal to Tayler because he’s the only one who ever told him different… until my sister.”
