𝙏𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙎 || 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿

9 - Remarkable

Friday, October 1st:

Josh was jittery. And content. And nervous. And confused.

It felt strange to him to be all of those things at once, but that's just what happened now when he was around Tyler. As he approached the other boy's large house, he willed away some unwanted nerves, reminding himself that he was just there for their tree. It wasn't anything special. It wasn't like Tyler had invited him over because of their friendship or anything. So why was he terribly nervous?

He stepped onto the large patio, taking a moment to admire the large house before knocking on the door which, once again, opened immediately.

Tyler smiled upon seeing Josh. "Long time, no see," he joked, making Josh crack a grin.

"It really has been forever. It's been, what, three hours?"

"A complete tragedy, if you ask me," Tyler said, shaking his head. Then he perked up, an excited smile on his face. "C'mon, let's go!"

Josh chuckled as Tyler skipped through the house, and Josh followed, shutting the front door behind him. The younger boy led him on the familiar path to his backyard, where their tree sat in all its short, skinny glory.

They took their measurements, and Josh noticed how Tyler's handwriting was perfect and careful, like he was deliberately going slowly so as to not mess up his lettering. Josh found that curious, but also kind of endearing in a way.

Once they were done, they were at an awkward point. Josh didn't know whether to stay or go, finding himself wondering if the offer from Tuesday still stood, and he was allowed to stay. He didn't want to make things awkward by just leaving, but also didn't want to make things weird by expecting an invitation to stay.

He was at a loss, only rescued when Tyler began walking inside. He was confused for a second, standing in the backyard awkwardly, when the other boy looked back at him once he reached the sliding glass door.

"Are you coming?" he asked. Josh then smiled, swinging his backpack that was sitting on the ground over his shoulder and following the boy inside, glad he was allowed to stay once again. He liked spending time with Tyler. Maybe a bit more than he should.

"Are you gonna play me more music today?" Josh asked, half-teasing, half-serious. Tyler shrugged, smiling.

"If you want me to, then of course," he said, making Josh smile. He loved when Tyler played music. Even if he'd only experienced it once before, it had quickly become one of his favorite things. Tyler's voice. The way his hands strummed the strings of the tiny guitar. The way he looked so delicate, yet so passionate. It was entrancing to Josh.

The two went upstairs once again, into Tyler's tidy bedroom. Josh immediately sat down on the boy's bed, and Tyler grabbed his ukulele, a smile resting on his face. It made Josh's stomach flip.

"What should I sing today?" Tyler questioned, and Josh thought for a moment as Tyler strummed the guitar lightly.

"I'm not quite sure," Josh admitted a little sheepishly. He had been so eager to hear Tyler sing again that he hadn't thought about what he wanted the boy to sing.

Tyler's eyes lit up, as though he had a thought, but then his face quickly turned embarrassed. "I thought of something, but I'm not sure how good of an idea it is."

"What is it?" Josh asked curiously, wondering why the boy's whole demeanor had shifted in a matter of seconds.

"Well," Tyler sighed, setting down his guitar on the bed and walking over to his desk. From inside a drawer he pulled out a notebook, and he started flipping through the pages. "I kind of write music, too. So I could sing you one of my songs," he suggested. "But that's stupid. I mean, they're probably not that good anyway."

"No!" Josh protested, making Tyler look at him, surprised by his adamancy. "I'd love to hear what you've written."

Tyler looked at him a moment before giving an obviously nervous smile. He looked like he regretted bringing it up, but there was no going back now.

"Okay," he said, sucking in an anxious breath. Josh could basically feel the anxiety radiating off of him as he walked over, sitting down on the other end of the bed and shakily picking up his ukulele. He flipped through his notebook until he landed on a page and gave a weak smile.

"Actually, this one is kind of fitting," he muttered, his voice small and nervous. Josh offered an encouraging smile, and Tyler shot a queasy one back. He then took a shaky deep breath and began strumming the tiny guitar.

Then he opened his mouth and began to sing. And that's when Josh really started to fall for him.

"I know where you stand, silent in the trees. And that's where I am, silent in the trees. Why won't you speak where I happen to be? Silent in the trees, standing cowardly."

As he continued on, Josh watched him, feeling as though they were transported into their own little world, just the two of them. That moment will be one Josh will never forget. It was the moment he realized just how perfect Tyler was in his eyes. Just how talented, how creative, how remarkable.

As he watched Tyler sing, he realized just how quickly he had developed a crush on this boy. And just how quickly that crush was starting to grow.