Pretty Boy ☆ Joshler

sixteen

When Josh and Brendon returned, Josh went to deliver the coffee he'd asked Brendon to get for Tyler. It didn't take long to find him, in the fine arts hallway, sitting against the wall outside of the music room. Tyler was sleeping, curled up in his varsity jacket with his head resting on the wall. Josh smiled and stepped closer.

He immediately frowned when he saw the girl pressed up next to him, her auburn hair slipping from behind her ear. He stopped inching closer and debated turning around and pretending he never saw anything. Unfortunately, the girl saw him as well.

"Oh, hi Josh," She grinned, waved, and stood, causing Tyler to stir. Josh smiled back weakly, just barely stopping himself from walking away. She pulled him into a brief hug, not taking notice that Josh wasn't reciprocating. Once the moisture returned to his mouth, Josh responded.

"Hi Debby."

Her grin widened. "Aw you still remember my name. You haven't talked to me in months," An exasperated stress was put on the last word. "You didn't lose my number did you?"

"No no of course not." Josh focused on Tyler in his peripheral vision and tried to keep the shakiness out of his voice.

"Oh good," Debby put her hands in her back pockets and rocked back on her heels.

awkward, awkward, awkward, oh no...

Tyler yawned in the background, shook his head as if to clear it of sleepiness, and threw a dazed glance at his surroundings.

"Hey sleepyhead," Josh stepped around Debby and stood by Tyler's feet. A sleepy smile was sent up to him and he grabbed Tyler's pretty hand and helped him up.

"Who's that for?" Tyler's eyes trained on the cup in Josh's hand.

"Oh, it's for this really cute guy in my art class."

Tyler frowned, "Oh... What?"

"It's for you silly. You're the only cute guy in my art class." Josh took Tyler's hand and wrapped it around the cup.

"Oh. Ha I knew that. I'm just tired," Tyler smiled again and leaned into Josh, taking a sip.

Debby placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder and Josh almost jumped, thinking, hoping really, that she had disappeared. They shared a friendly smile, giving Josh the repressed urge to protectively pull Tyler closer. He had nothing against Debby, but his experience with her had been nothing short of painful. Debby was right when she said they hadn't talked for months, and Josh thought it was probably for the best.

"Bye, Ty. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" She straightened her bag on her shoulder and threw another pretty smile at Tyler's mumbled confirmation before leaving the fine arts wing. Josh tried not to sigh loudly but only halfway succeeded.

"Isn't she nice? We have the same lunch and music period so we just hang out. You know Debby, right?" Tyler played with the zipper on Josh's jacket.

"Um, yeah. Yes," Just because he didn't care much for Debby didn't mean Tyler couldn't. Maybe, one day, Josh would get over the past move on. He released Tyler for a moment to pick up the boy's book bag.

"May I walk you to your next class?" He offered his arm in an odd display of chivalry.

"Why, yes you may," Tyler linked their arms cheerfully, smiling around the straw in his mouth. The bell rang as they exited the fine arts hallway and they moved with the thickening herd of students. Tyler waved and greeted a number of people along the way, people Josh had seen plenty of times over the past few years but never met. It was as if Tyler had gone to the school for years.