save [joshler]

monday

Joshua's pov

"Dude, are you okay? Why do you sound like you're crying?" Debs asked.

I sniffle and turn on my blinker, turning left after a moment of waiting. "Because I am crying!" I choke out.

"Josh, it's okay! Something probably just came up and made him unavailable!"

"Debs that doesn't make me feel better! I don't even fucking know why I'm crying dude. Fuck!" I yell.

She sighs and tsks. "Look, I'm sure there was no malice intent, alright? You're a great guy, there's no way he would purposefully skip out on a date with you!"

I let out a sob as I pull up to a red light. "I-I can't do this Debby. I don't do this kind of shit and it's effecting me horribly. I don't even remember the last time I cried!"

"Josh..."

I sigh and pull up into Kelly's driveway. "Look," I say parking. "I gotta go Debs."

"Okay, call me when you can, alright?"

I nod and look out, realizing there's another car here. "Yeah, okay, I will. Bye Debs."

"Bye Josh."

I drop my head onto the steering wheel as she hangs up and drop my phone into my lap. God damn, I don't want to fucking do this.

I get out of my car and collect my shit from the backseat before walking up to the house. I'm about to unlock the front door but it opens before I can.

Tyler's standing on the other side of the door. My mouth falls open, and no words seem to make their out of my mouth. My throat instantly becomes bone dry.

"H-hi." He says, slightly waving at me.

"W-what are you doing here?" I barely make out.

"I uh, I wanted to make up for yesterday." He said.

"I waited for you. For hours. Like, hours, Tyler. I don't, why did you do that?"

"S-something came up yesterday and I wasn't able to go." He said quietly. "I'm sorry, Joshua. I really wanted to go, I was thinking about it all day."

I didn't answer so he continued talking.

"I wanted to make it up for you today. I was thinking maybe going to that little dinner, with the red roof?"

"Tyler, I have to clean, I-I can't-"

"I called my mom. I told her you wouldn't be able to clean today. I have it all taken care of." I couldn't help but smile at that. "You have today off."

//

He's sat on the other side of our booth, telling me a crazy story about this thing that happened to him when he was a child, but I'm not paying attention. I can only seem to focus on his mouth. How his lips curl to form his words, the slight smile that appears when he's saying something funny. His teeth that poke through every once in a while. The way he licks his lips when he's about to say something embarrassing. Fuck me.

"Joshua?" He snaps his fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to reality.

"Hm? Oh, sorry." I chuckle. "That sounds interesting."

He laughs and rolls his eyes. "You weren't even paying attention!"

"Sure I was!"

"Okay, what was I talking about?"

I laugh and suck air between my teeth. "Okay, you got me. I was totally spacing out."

He giggles and shakes his head. "That's okay, it wasn't interesting. Do you know what you wanna get?" He asks, looking through the menu.