My Taste in Music is Your Face

chapter 2

TYLERS POV
I can't believe I was doing this. Meeting this guy I've barely talked to. I did bring a pocket knife with me, but that was all. It was 2:48, and I stood outside Walmart, and got a drink from a vending machine. I heard a voice behind me.
"Tyler?" Josh was standing in front of me. "you actually agreed to come."
I didn't even believe it.
"I don't even know your age."
"I'm 18. you wanna go in the store?"
"I don't have any money on me." I said. That was actually true.
"I got it covered." Thank god. Josh insisted on going to the kids section, and I saw a toy piano for $25.
"You know how to play?" Josh asked.
"Kind of." I said. I've made a few songs, but they were bad. Josh shrugged and we walked over to the men's section, talking about music. He played the drums, something I had no idea how to do. After messing around in the store and Josh buying a soda, we walked out of the store, and sat down to talk for an hour. Whenever I thought the conversation would get meaningful, he started talking about cats or something.
"Could we go to your house or something?" Josh asked me.
"I guess. it's about a 30 minute walk from here." If he was gonna do anything to me, he probably would have done it by now. We started walking, and on the way, I realized how much we had in common. It seemed like a minutes walk to my house.
"My parents aren't home, but don't mess up the house." I meant it. We walked inside, and to my room. Josh tried to play my ukulele, but he obviously didn't know any chords.
"It's easy. If you want to then I'll teach you." I offered. I showed him how to play different chords, and then took the uke back and played Can't Help Falling in Love. Josh was smirking half the time.
"Tyler." Josh said, "you can SING." I felt my face redden, and looked away.
"Not really."
"No, seriously, you can."

The next day, my mom started yelling at me.
"You have a GIRLFRIEND?" she screamed. I didn't know what she was talking about.
"What, mom, no."
"Explain this..." My mom threw some sort of rectangular box at me, and slammed her door shut. It was a toy piano. There was a note that just said "you're cute" on it.
I took it up to my room, half embarrassed and half laughing. I pulled out my phone.
"my mom thinks you're my girlfriend." I sent it and turned my phone off. I think I was developing a crush on him. I got out the small piano, and played a few songs I've been working on.

JOSHS POV (TW: violence and self harm mention)
I used gas money to buy Tyler a toy piano. It was $25 I'd have to earn back, but it was worth it. It sounds stereotypical, but I've only known him for 2 days, and it's felt like a lifetime. I heard a notification on my phone, and tapped the homescreen. I guess I was Tyler's girlfriend.
"I'm cool with that" I sent it, and realized what that might have meant. At least I did mean it.

The next day, I got ready for school. I felt like Tyler might be there, the school was big, so I didn't know everyone. After almost missing the bus, I made it to school, and saw Tyler sitting there, alone. I walked up to him, and sat next to him.
"Hey."
"I didn't know you came here." Tyler muttered. We talked for a few minutes, and then the bell rang. We did had one class together, we discovered, but that was all.

At the lunch break, I couldn't find Tyler anywhere. I tried texting him, but he didn't respond. A few minutes later, my heart skipped a beat. These two guys my age were holding him on to the ground, punching him. I didn't know what to do.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE." I screamed, trying to hide the fear in my voice. Apparently I looked tough enough for them to stop.
"We'll leave you and your boyfriend alone." one said, and they walked away.
"Ty, let me clean you up. I'm so sorry." Tyler was bleeding everywhere, and when I helped him walk, he was dizzy.
TYLERS POV tw blood and self harm !!
Everything was kind of blurry. I remember the two guys who found the texts on my phone from Josh, called me unrepeatable names, and proceeded to beat me up. I remember Josh calling me Ty, which I usually hated from other people, but I accepted it. We made our way into the bathroom, Josh turning the water on. He was clearly panicking, but cleaned up my face, seeing blood soaking through the paper towel. Josh rolled up my sleeves, and I was too drowsy to stop him. Josh saw my scars, and then I remember him hugging me. After a few seconds, I realized what happened, and snapped back into reality. The first thing I did in reality was cry, and then sob.
"I'm sorry. you probably hate me." I said through tears.
"Ty, I'll never hate you. I want you to get better. If I planned on hating you for this, I wouldn't be calling you cute in a therapy waiting room." Josh said, and if I didn't just get beaten up, I might have smiled. most of the blood stopped by now, and I hugged Josh again. I don't know how it happened, maybe because I was so out of it, but I quickly kissed him, realize what I did, and ran out of the bathroom.