head in the clouds

thirteen; josh

Brendon lights the joint, passing it to Dallon. "Nah, I never liked him." Bren says. 

"I mean, he's not a bad dude he's just a bitch baby who was coddled as a child too much." I say. 

Dall coughs out a cloud of smoke, passing the weed to Ray. "I was stupid and tried being friends with him last year, big mistake." Dall says. 

"He just needs to realize that not everyone has the same perfect little life that he does. It's annoying." I take the joint from Ray, inhaling the smoke and handing it back to Bren.

"Amen to that, brother." Bren says in between coughs. 

"So like, what's the deal with you and Tyler anyways?" Ray asks. "Were you two ever even dating?" 

"No." I say, a little too quickly and defensively. "No, I just- I don't know. We weren't dating, never even became friends. He just literally saved my sisters life and I had issues at home that same day so I was preoccupied with that to praise him the next day. Since then I haven't really tried thanking him anymore and he's just a brat and thinks I'm basically out to get him because when I fought Mike, or whatever the fuck his name is, his dad grounded him for not breaking up the fight? I don't fucking know." 

"What, I'm confused." Bren says. "How did he save your sisters life?" 

"Me and my two little sisters were at the mall and Ashley, my youngest sister, just left without telling me while I was talking to Tyler, who was also at the mall at the same time. A few minutes go by, and Abby, my other sister, is talking about the things she's buying and that's when I realized that Ashley wasn't with Abby, so I was like 'where's Ash?' and she was like, 'I thought she was with you' so like I started panicking, and running around the bottom floor looking for Ashley when Tyler calls my name from the second floor. Basically, Ashley wondered off to the food court and this man was bugging her, she was like screaming and Tyler came and apparently punched him and told him he'd kick his ass if he didn't leave the mall." I explain. 

"So let me get this straight," Dall says. "After being yourself to Tyler, showing him the kind of person you are, he saves your sister and then expects you to think he's some kind of God, gets mad at you when you don't and then makes a whole thing about being grounded because his dad is a prick? And now-" 

"Now he's like, not even looking at me. Which is fine, I literally do not care but this guy is just acting like I'm out to get him with everything I do and it's like? How fucking self centered do you have to be to think a new guy at school is beating people up because he wants to fuck up your life? Like I barely fuckin' know him." 

"That makes literally no sense." Ray says. 

"I know! Like at first he was standing up to me when I would act like a dick to him which not gonna lie, hot as fuck, but now I just wish he wasn't the one to show me around the school when I first started. Like I understand why Mrs. Flynn had him do it, being the goodie two shoes that he is, being loved by everyone, it makes sense why she would. But I feel like it gave him this idea that it meant he could try and be friends with me, or at least be friendly, which I did not want and now I'm in this fucking weird triangle with him."

"Yeah, that just sounds mad annoying dude. Tell him to fuck off." Ray laughs. 

I chuckle and take the last drag off the joint before putting it out in the ashtray. "I'm an asshole but not that much. Well, sometimes." I joke, making them all laugh. 

***

"Why are you acting like this is my fault? You should be thanking me, if anything!" I say. 

"Thanking you?! He's leaving because of you!"