clementine // joshler

56

josh's point of view

at school thursday afternoon, i find myself on lunch duty, trying hard not to stare directly at tyler.

i catch his eyes once and he blushes, raising his hand in a small wave and then looking back to his friends.

i'm sure they must know in some capacity, but hopefully not all of the details. it makes all of this a much bigger risk, but i trust tyler. if he's told them anything, i just have to believe the secret is safe with them.

i am looking forward to spring break though, just to be able to spend time with him.

our phone call from last night drifts to my mind, and i can't help but keep looking at him then, at the way his lips move while he talks and how he laughs at something sydney is saying.

he's so attractive, in every way possible. i'd like to do those things with him, what he brought up last night, but a part of me worries he'll regret it. i can't exactly pin down why i'm worried about it other than my own insecurities, but i have to believe he'd tell me if he was uncomfortable with anything.

about two minutes before the bell is meant to ring, i start the walk back to my classroom, and tyler catches up to me in the hall.

"hey, mr. dun." he offers me a small smile. "how are you?"

i open the door for both of us and he stops in front of my desk.

"i'm alright. how are you?"

a soft concern etches across his face and he glances toward the empty hallway before looking back at me.

"is everything okay?"

"yeah, i'm fine, sweetheart. don't worry about me." i return a small smile and then the bell rings, interrupting the moment.

emily walks in before tyler can say anything else. he gives me a look before walking away that lets me know he's definitely not going to drop it.

he sits down and proves me right when he pulls out his phone and i receive a text a few short moments later.

tyler: whats wrong j :(

josh: i'm alright. maybe we can talk more about it later. are you still coming over..?

tyler: of course! but did i do something..?

josh: oh no, not at all. i love you and i'm excited to spend time with you <3

i put my phone face down on my desk when the second bell rings and cross the room to shut the door.

"good afternoon, everyone. you know the drill. do your journaling and then, since your paper is due tomorrow, you can spend time on that. do whatever you need to do. i will have them graded by the time you get back. honestly, it'll probably be before that, because i am quite boring, as you may have guessed."

the last hand i want to see raised comes up to get my attention.

"i don't think you're boring, mr. dun." she twirls her hair around one of her fingers, batting her lashes at me.

it makes my stomach turn.

"alright. that's enough. i have talked to you privately about this and nothing has changed. i hate to be that guy, but the school year is almost over. aren't you bored yet? it's been months. please, find someone else to flirt with. maybe rewatch that video about consent and harassment.

"i'm sorry if i've embarrassed you now, but i talked to you privately, and i figured better your peers than your parents, no?" i sigh, bringing my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose when i see a few students stifling laughter.