anti-hero// joshler

40

word count: 405

i watch the front door open from my childhood house. mom walks out and checks the mail. she has more gray hairs now. she looks older. it makes me feel weird. time feels like it's barely passed since i've last seen her. but her winkles and gray hairs proved she has aged, just as i have.

"i think.. i think i've changed my mind."

"christmas is tomorrow. it's now or never."

"i know. i know."

"let's go."

"okay."

i pull into the driveway. and get out the car. mom's gone inside by now. she doesn't know i'm here. i could turn back right now.

joshua places his hand on my shoulder.

"i know you're thinking it."

"how?"

"i'm... well.. your you know what. i just know."

"thanks for not saying it," i whisper, "obviously not out."

"i assumed as much."

"okay."

"now go, tyler."

i walk to the front door and knock on it.

we stand in the wind. i watch the front door. a welcome sign, telling the whole world that this house is a kind and forgiving one.

the door swings open, "tyler?"

-

"you're so much older."

"it's been three years..?"

"i know... but you."

"thanks zack. i've aware i've grown older."

"hi, tyler."

"hi tate."

"i missed you," my brothers' wife gives me a welcoming hug.

"i missed you as well."

unfortunately, with a toxic family comes people you're attached to, but can't talk to because they're attached to what you formerly cut yourself off from.

there's a small girl that walks to tate. she looks like the perfect mixture of my brother and his wife.

"this is pepper. we had her... right after you left."

"oh." 

she hides behind her mom, which isn't surprising, seeing as how i haven't been here the first three years of her life.

"hello pepper," i say.

she runs away back to the kitchen.

"sorry about that."

tate shrugs, "who is he?"

i turn around, joshua's leaning against the front door frame, watching me and tate talk. 

"he's my friend.. joshua, he doesn't have anywhere to go for the holidays," i look back at tate, "so i invited him."

"oh! hi joshua!"

joshua smiles and puts his hand out, "you can just call me josh."

"oh okay!"

"how old are you, josh?"

"twenty one as of now, like your little brother here. i'll be twenty two in june."

"oh alright."

"dinner-." mom stops in the walkway between the kitchen and living room.

tate lets go of joshua's hand, and her and zack step a few feet back.

"tyler?"

"hi.. mom."

"what are you doing here?"

"you.. invited me?"

"i didn't... expect you to come. i just didn't want to be an awful mom."

"what...?"

a/n: five more chapters plus the epilogue!

good luck...