Next Semester

9. candy

CONTENT WARNING: emetophobia
triggering content is marked with **tw**
it's just a very small paragraph with maybe 1 or 2 triggering sentences. nothing too major :) stay safe
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2005 words

About halfway through the movie, Tyler's stomach was hurting. His hands were clutching at his tshirt while he sat doubled over in his seat.

"If you yak in this theater I will walk out of here like I don't know you," Ashley hissed in his ear. He shot her a dirty glare before closing his eyes and taking deep, calculated breaths. Hayley rubbed his back and frowned, "Need to go to the bathroom?"

Tyler shook his head. He knew that if he moved his stomach would empty immediately. She continued to rub his back as he tried to force his stomach to stop churning. Jude leaned over Ashley's lap, his concerned face only a few inches from Tyler's, "Want me to get you a water or something?"

Tyler shook his head again. He expected Jude to sit upright again, but the boy stayed bent over next to him, "Are you getting any better at all?"

Tyler shook his head. Jude frowned and placed a comforting hand on Tyler's knee, "M'sorry, Ty."

The gesture wasn't out of the ordinary. Jude and Tyler had shared small touches of affection here and there throughout the past 3 years...they were best friends, after all. But now, with Tyler's stomach in knots and the looming confession of attraction hanging over them, it was too much. Tyler sat up and turned to Hayley, "I'm going to the bathroom." He decided he'd rather take the risk of vomiting than have Jude look at him like that any longer.

**tw starts**

He stood wobbly and hoped to god he would get out of the theater before his stomach could relieve itself. He clambered out of the aisle and ran down the theater stairs and out the door. Luckily, the bathroom was right across the hall, so Tyler made it in time. He sat on the cold, black and white tiled floor and heaved over the toilet, hoping that this was one of the cleaner public bathrooms he could've been throwing up in. When there was nothing more for his aching
stomach to give, he just sat in front of the toilet and panted as cold sweat droplets formed at his hairline.

**tw ends**

He heard the door swing open and he sighed. Why couldn't he just be alone for 5 minutes?

"Uh," a hesitant voice started, "Tyler? Is that you?"

Fuck.

"No....?" Tyler said weakly, hoping that the man would just leave. Josh just had to be the most compassionate and caring person in the entire world, didn't he?

A soft chuckle pulled at Tyler's heart, "Are you alright? You ran out of the theater pretty quickly."

"Yeah...just throwing up in here, no biggie." Tyler groaned and put his head in his hands. This couldn't have gone worse.

"Are you alright? Do you need anything?" Josh was standing outside of his stall now, his voice soft and warm. The thought of Josh taking care of him almost made him throw up again— this time out of pure want and need.

"I-I'm okay," Tyler mumbled, "you can go."

There was silence before the door swung open and closed again, and Tyler was alone. He let out a deep sigh before pulling himself to his feet and leaning against the inside of the stall door. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He groaned when he realized the movie wouldn't be over for another 40 minutes, and after that was the special director's interview that would take another 20 minutes. He trudged over to the sink and ran his hands under the cold water, his overheating body grateful for the relief. The door swung back open and Josh reappeared holding a bottle of water,
"Here, drink this."