Queens

1.4: Josh

The first sensation that hits me in the morning is the soft sound of a half dozen teenagers snoring gently. I groan and stretch, expecting my arms to reach around to Tyler, but all I feel is space. I shoot up, looking around wildly. Where the--

I then realize that it's still morning, and he's probably down eating breakfast, like usual. My still-groggy body sinks back down into the warm couch. Since it's too late to go back to sleep, I stumble off the velvet and slip on the clothes outside the room.

The lowkey dining room is filled with my friends, who all range in state from downright cheery (Melanie) to murderous (Ashley). I slump down next to Tyler, who turns his head to greet me, but instead of words, he's frozen. I recognize the panic in his eyes very well. His breathing becomes ragged and his jaw clenched, and I know he's locked in. All I can do is talk to him and try to calm him down.

"Five things you see. Four things you hear. Three things you smell. Two things you can touch. One thing you can taste. C'mon, Ty, make the list, it's okay, ground yourself." I murmur. Slowly, he relaxes. First his jaw, then his hands, and then his shoulders release the tension they held for so long. Once his episode is over, Tyler sighs in defeat. It never gets easier for him.

"Morning, Josh," he mumbles.

I order a plate of waffles, and begin to talk to Mar about another suitor visiting her later this afternoon. She doesn't seem particularly interested, but I grill her about him anyway. For, uh, future reference. Apparently he's got the looks and the power, but lacks any personality. Maybe not for me, then.

The waffles then arrive in front of me, steaming and piled with whipped cream and blueberries. I immediately dig into the sweet treat, but keep an eye on the rest of the gang.

Tyler's looking like an emo teen, Ashley looks on the verge of murdering someone, but has no knife in her hand (yet), Mar is checking herself out in the mirror in the corner, while Mel and Ella are making forced conversation but both look miserable.

I wave for a cup of tea for Ella, coffee for Ash, and steer Mel away from Ella, because neither look anywhere near happy right now. While Ella gets her coffee, I ask for Tyler's favorite-- Chef's cookies. The head chef here bakes the most delicious, scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, and the sad glint in Tyler's eyes fades away when he hears the order. Just seeing that makes my day.

Ah, my beautiful, completely dysfunctional family.
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Dear reader,
This is Lo bc J hasn't texted me back for like 3 days where r u bae?
Nothing much to say rn but I hope you are having a great week so far and you're enjoying yourself today!
Love,
Lo (@j: baby come back)
Ps. What are your thoughts on the Halsey Twitter drama? I'd love to hear ur opinions on it.