The Cat on the Balcony

13-Words Last Longer Than Bruises

UNEDITED

These guys are seriously the best. When we got to the park, Brendon and Patrick were already there with pizza, and a little bit later Jack showed up with some Red Bull for Tyler, Patrick, and I. He brought some beer for him and Brendon, I don't know where he got it, but I didn't ask. Tyler pulled an old blanket from the trunk of his car and laid it out on the ground.

We sat there, eating, talking, joking around, and listening to music on Patrick's phone. It was exactly what I needed. After all the pizza was gone and Jack and Brendon were tipsy, we went over to the playground. Since it was about seven in the evening now, there were no children around so we had the whole thing to our selves.

Jack climbed up to the top of the slide and tried to go down it standing up. However, his feet slipped and sent him tumbling over the side of the slide and down onto the rubber mulch face-first. He was ok, just upset that he spilled his beer.

Brendon went down the slide on his feet too, but with much more success. He jumped off at the bottom and started gloating, which ended up in him and Jack wrestling around in the mulch.

The whole time Tyler was sitting on top of the monkey bars dying of laughter. Patrick and I were on the swings.

"You know Josh, even though we haven't known eachother that long, if you ever need to talk feel free to text or call me. Brendon and Jack feel the same way; they can be serious believe it or not."

"I know Pat, sorry I mean Patrick. I really appreciate all of this. It was a rough day."

"I'm honestly surprised Brendon didn't do any worse in the lunch room earlier. He really hates them."

"Any particular reason why? Or just the facts that they're...well ya know, them."

Patrick let out a little sigh, "Middle school. They used to bully Tyler and me a lot because we're small, and I used to be fat. Thank God for puberty. But they always seemed to go after Tyler more. That was before they were physically violent, but it probably would've been better if they were. Words last longer than bruises."

I looked over at Tyler, a huge grin plastered on his face as he jeered on Brendon and Jack, who were now shoving handfuls of mulch in each other's faces. Who could ever be mean to such a cute little bean?

"Anyways, their words really effected Tyler; he was in a bad place for awhile."

"Man, but what does this have to do with Brendon? He told me he didn't move here until freshman year."

"Tyler was still pretty bad in freshman year. But, on Brendon's first day Tyler was assigned to be his 'buddy' of sorts, you know show him around the school, that sort of thing. Well, they hit it off and started dating after a month."

"Wait, Brendon and Tyler used to date?"

"Yup. Brendon was the one who finally convinced Tyler to talk to his parents and get some help. Jack and I tried of course, but apparently he just needed one more person to convince him. He's still not completely back to how he was before the bullying, and I don't think he ever will be, but he is so much better. You wouldn't believe the difference Josh. He still has trouble every now and then, but he knows how to deal with it now."

"I never would've thought all that happened to him, he just seems so happy all the time. Why did he and Brendon break up?"

"They just never felt a spark and felt like they were better off as friends, it was a mutual thing."

"Patrick! Help me Papa Patrick! Beebo is trying to kill me with his forehead!" Jack shouted.

Patrick rolled his eyes before giving me an apologetic smile. He stood up and went over to see what Jack wanted. I stayed on the swing; processing the new information I'd just been told.