𝙏𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙎 || 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿

12 - Best Friend

Tuesday, October 26th:

Tyler sat there at his lunch table, not listening to his friends. Instead, he was back to focusing on Josh, who was across the room and chatting with Jordan, who was a freshman that year, he had learned. He sat there, wishing that he could be talking to Josh. That he could go spend lunch with him every day.

"Tyler, are you listening?" Cody asked, tapping his arm lightly to get his attention.

"Huh?"

"We were saying that we should all hang out on Halloween! My parents will be out of town, so I think I'm gonna throw a party or something," Maxx explained.

Tyler hummed in acknowledgement, forcing his eyes off of Josh and onto his friend.

"You know we can't be caught drinking. If we are-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, we'll get kicked off the team," Maxx said mockingly, rolling his eyes after interrupting Tyler. "But nobody's gonna find out. How would they?"

Tyler didn't reply, having a bad feeling in his gut. He didn't like parties, much less Maxx's parties. They always got insane. He hated them, but he was obligated to go, being Maxx's 'best friend' and all.

If he was being honest, at this point, he considered Josh his best friend. Ever since the week before, when he called him, crying, they had been getting a lot closer. They hadn't talked about what had happened, but their friendship was different now. More personal.

"So, are you coming or not?" Maxx inquired impatiently, derailing Tyler's thoughts once again.

Tyler sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Maxx smiled, although there was something darker behind it. Lately, he'd been clinging to Tyler's side a lot more than usual, to the point that Tyler was feeling suffocated. And he wasn't being nice, either.

Tyler thought of something, and he perked up a little. "Can I bring a friend?"

"I don't see why not," Cody interjected, just as Maxx frowned and opened his mouth to say something. "We'd love to meet whoever you're bringing."

"Thanks," Tyler said, giving Cody a smile. Maxx's frown grew, but he stayed quiet about the matter, instead changing the subject. Tyler tuned out again, thinking about how in the world he was going to convince Josh to go to Maxx's party with him.

-

"So," Tyler started as he and Josh measured their tree that afternoon. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what's up?" Josh questioned, his focus on the tree, trying to get the measurement exact. He told Tyler what it was, who wrote it down.

"Do you have plans for Halloween?"

Josh thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. Jordan's old enough to take care of himself now, and my parents are taking my other siblings trick-or-treating, so no. Why?"

Tyler swallowed thickly, the question catching in his throat. He was nervous to ask, fearful of Josh's reaction. He really didn't want to go by himself.

"Well, there's this party, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me," Tyler peeped out, and Josh looked at him a moment before smiling.

"Sure! What party?" he asked, and Tyler avoided his eyes guiltily.

"Um... It's Maxx's," he muttered, and looked back at Josh to see his smile fall. Before Josh could object, Tyler began speaking again. "I know you don't like him very much, but I really don't wanna go alone."

"You wouldn't be alone, though. Your friends will be there," Josh reminded him, seeming confused.

"Yeah, but it's not the same," Tyler protested.

"Why not?"

"Because you're my best friend, Josh. And I really want you to be able to spend Halloween with you," Tyler confessed, making Josh stare at him in surprise.

Eventually, he questioned in a small voice, "I'm really your best friend?"

"Yes," Tyler muttered, looking at the ground.

When he looked back up, Josh gave him a small smile.

"You're my best friend, too."

Those words made Tyler feel warm inside, made his brain fog up in joy as he smiled at the other boy.

"Fine, I'll go," Josh conceded.

Tyler cheered, grinning. "You won't regret it, I promise!"

"If you say so."

The two headed inside after that, back to Tyler's room, where they settled on playing video games. They were going head to head in a heated game of Super Smash Bros, messing around as they covered each other's eyes and attempted to distract each other, their laughter filling the whole desolate house and making it seem a lot brighter.

Once their round was over, Josh's face lit up in realization.

"Oh, be right back!" he exclaimed, running out of the room suddenly. Tyler watched him leave, curious as to what he could be doing. He attempted to look out his window and see what Josh was doing when he heard the front door open and shut, but he couldn't see anything, so he decided to sit down on his bed and wait for Josh to return.

A minute or so later, Josh came back, holding something behind his back.

"Okay, ready?" he asked, standing in front of Tyler. The boy nodded.

From behind his back, Josh pulled out a white ukulele. On it were black and gray flowers, and they seemed to have been hand painted on.

"Josh, you didn't have to do this," Tyler said after a few moments, getting up and taking the tiny guitar in his hands, holding it as though it may break with a single touch. He then looked at Josh with sincere, glassy eyes.

"I know I didn't. But I wanted you to be able to continue making music. Because you're so good at it, Tyler."

Tyler set the instrument down on his bed before engulfing Josh in a grateful hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, and Josh hugged him back tightly.

"It's what best friends are for."

Once they pulled out of their embrace, Tyler felt his cheeks flush, and he busied himself with inspecting the instrument, gently taking it into his hands once more.

"Did you paint these?" he asked, referring to the black and gray flowers that adorned the white wood.

Josh nodded and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. That's why it took me so long to get it to you. I wanted to make sure that it was perfect," he explained, and Tyler felt like his heart could burst out of his chest from just how full it felt.

"You're my favorite person. Ever," Tyler told him, and when he looked at Josh, he could have sworn he saw the other boy blush ever so slightly at those words. He chalked it up to his imagination, however.

"I don't know if I deserve that title, but thank you," he said, laughing lightly. After a few moments of silence between them, Tyler staring at every inch of his new guitar, Josh spoke again. "So, are you gonna try it out?"

"Right now?" Tyler questioned. Josh shrugged.

"I don't see why not."

So, Tyler did. He tuned it first and played a few notes just to get a feel for it. He felt a little pressure under Josh's gaze, but he continued on. When he stole a glance at Josh, he noticed that the other boy was watching him intently, seemingly transfixed by what Tyler was doing. It made heat crawl up his neck, but he ignored it.

"Ready?" Tyler asked Josh once he was done, and Josh nodded eagerly. And Tyler began to play.