summer child // joshler

12

tyler's point of view

it's been several days since my conversation with josh on the roof and i haven't stopped thinking about it.

i'm laying in bed at the moment, unable to sleep. i turn over and grab my phone, deciding to just give up for now. when i turn on the screen, i look at the date and time.

june 17th, 11:56 pm.

tomorrow is josh's birthday.

i sit up almost immediately, getting dizzy from the sudden change. i wait a second and then stand, slipping my shoes on and turning to my window. i raise my blinds to the top and then open it, climbing out as quietly as i can. i close it behind me and take the few steps across to josh's window.

i open it carefully, hoping he won't wake up. thankfully, the tv is still on to cover the sound of me sneaking into his room. if we didn't do this so frequently as kids, it would be extremely weird.

i move to stand by his bed and start poking him gently.

"josh." poke. "josh." poke. "josh."

when it doesn't work, i shake his arm a bit. "josh."

he bolts awake, looking at me like i'm insane. "tyler?! what the actual fuck? why are you here? what time is it? how did you get in?" he rubs his eyes, waking up slowly.

"i snuck in your window to tell you happy birthday," i admit, an embarrassed smile on my face and a light blush dusting my cheeks.

"you broke into my room-"

"i didn't break anything."

"you snuck into my room in the middle of the night to tell me happy birthday?" he clarifies, his voice still rough from sleep.

"yes. now, let's go get mcdonalds."

"tyler, i am begging you, can you please wait, like... seven hours?" he yawns and sits up, already knowing i won't wait that long. it's then that i notice he's shirtless. i look away.

"no. i'm getting you birthday ice cream. come on, put a shirt and some shoes on and let's go."

"fine."

i drive the two of us to mcdonalds and pull into the drive-thru. i order us both ice cream (the machine was actually working for once) and fries, and then park for us to eat it.

"thank you, tyler." josh looks at me with a tired smile, taking a small bite of his mcflurry.

"don't thank me, birthday boy. it's the least i can do."

we talk for awhile, until both of us are done, and head home after.

"you wanna come in?" josh stops when we're both standing outside our respective windows.

"yeah, sure." i follow him inside and close the glass behind me.

"i can put something on the tv for you if you're staying awake but i'm definitely going back to sleep." he takes his shoes off again but leaves his shirt on this time and then gets into bed.

"nah, don't worry about it. i'll probably go to sleep too." i follow his lead, taking my own shoes off and getting into bed next to him.

"hey, you're staying for my party tomorrow, right?" he says, facing away from me.

i vaguely remember getting a text about it, but i'm not sure if i really responded.

"if you want me to."

"of course i want you to."

"i didn't get you a present," i admit, regretting it now.

"that's okay, dude. i don't care about that stuff. as long as you're there." he reaches behind his back and looks for my face, patting it lightly when he finds it. "goodnight."

"goodnight, josh."

-

i should not have agreed to come to this party.

josh's friends from his lunch table are there, who i now know as adam, charlie, nicole, and luke. they're all talking but i remain quiet, listening intently and nodding along to the things they're saying.

nicole is dating luke, just like i thought. she sits next to him with his arm around her shoulders. i want that.

i want all of this really. friends who care, who show up to a birthday party with real gifts that mean something and not just weed and a giftcard to dave & busters.

"so, tyler, you like being on the basketball team?" nicole asks, obviously in an attempt to be polite and not leave me out of the conversation.

"yeah, it's alright. it's not amazing or anything. i mean, who really likes to be around a bunch of sweaty guys that smell like ass covered by axe body spray for an entire hour?" i shrug, giving an honest answer.

if anyone else from school were asking i would've said yes, that i love the sport and my team, that i'm grateful for the opportunities it's given me. bullshit.

"i would." charlie sighs from his place in the arm chair, a dreamy smile on his face. "i mean, they'd definitely hate crime me, but that's okay. i like it rough anyway."

"oh my god, charlie!" josh laughs at his comment and i feel my cheeks burn red.

"you can't just say stuff like that, man." nicole giggles from her spot next to luke.

that's about how the party goes, easy but sometimes awkward conversation. his friends are trying to be nice to me for the most part, but adam stares at me with distaste for the majority of it.

miss laura serves cake and ice cream after we sing to josh. he opens his presents (which are all thoughtful and nice, just as i expected them to be), and eventually the party comes to a close, leaving me alone with josh.

i help clean up after, even though miss laura tells me twice that i don't have to.

when i'm done, i look to josh, who's sitting at the table eating the leftover ice cream out of the tub.

"roof?"

"after my ice cream."

"alright then."

(an: i am so bad at ending chapters sometimes lol im sorry anyway im turning 21 in 2 days 🤭)