Holding On To You//Joshler

CHAPTER 4.

//AN// I was going to alternative view points in separate chapters but Josh's perspective alone was too short! Also constructive criticism or any comments for that matter would really be appreciated thanks aliens and skeletons alike !!1!1//    stay alive |-/

✾Josh✾

I tapped the the lock screen button gently in fear that the time had passed eight. To my dismay the numbers displayed were 8:15. I'd been stood at the crossroads for twenty minutes now and I wanted to wait longer, I wanted to believe that Tyler cared enough to come. I worked out roughly that last night it took a good half hour to get to here from school. But that had been at Tyler's excessively fast pace, and I didn't have the energy to run like that. So that was it, I physically couldn't wait any longer if I didn't want to be late. Maybe he overslept, yeah that was probably it, I found waking up at the crack of dawn hard too. 

//

I scanned the British History classroom to find Tyler sitting in the back on his own. I would've been angry at him for skipping me but I couldn't help melting when I saw his outfit. He was wearing the same plain jeans as yesterday but today they were accompanied by a black floral kimono and a white dress shirt. I didn't know if my eyes were fooling me but he was wearing a dark bow tie. I hope I wasn't being selfish but I was pretty sure he did this so that I wouldn't stick out so much. But I guess his efforts were sort of in vain, I'd resorted to wearing khaki pants and a denim collared shirt. Dull I know, but its what everyone else seemed to be wearing.

"So, you dressed up for me hm?" I said as I slid onto the chair next to him.

"And you dressed down" he dragged his chair away from mine, his slouched body posture showed me that he wasn't very interested in talking. 

I did feel sort of bad, he was the one dressed in alternative clothing now. I reached into my back pocket to turn my phone off, but I found the tie instead. Maybe this would soften the blow. Instead of sticking out like a sore thumb Tyler would now match me, we looked like a street dance duo. I presumed he'd force a little smile or something but Ty didn't even look up to notice anything. Instead he slung his jacket on the back of his chair and resumed effortlessly scribbling notes in his book.

After five minutes of painstakingly loud conversation from the rest of the people who seemed to be alive ,the teacher bounced into the room and everyone turned mute. He carried an obvious air of confidence with him. I nudged Tyler and received a quiet grunt,

"What is it now?" he whispered in a somewhat harsh tone as he quickly closed his pad and placed it back under the table.  It was obvious that he didn't want another teacher to find his lyrics, and this teacher didn't seem very tolerant.

"Whats the teacher called? I don't want to seem rude if he talks to me"

"He will if you carry on talking," he threw me a look of disappointment, "But anyway that's Mr. Franceschi and I'd be quiet in this lesson if i were y-"

"Sorry what was that Joseph? Is there a need to be talking here?" Tyler was cut off but the infuriated teacher who was looking at Tyler very sternly.

"N-n-no sir," Tyler fumbled his way through the sentence, he was the mirror image of me when he spoke, "I was just introducing you to the new kid"

Mr. Franceschi made his way to the back immediately and looked us both in the eyes, 

"I suppose that's valid, but from now on you will only speak when told to do so, yes?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Yes what?"

"Yes sir"

"Better," he said sharply making the students jump, "You kids seem to have no manners these days" he mumbled as he threw his stack of paper down onto the desk.

Tyler kicked me under the desk but I held back the urge to wince seeing as Franceschi scared the living shit out of me.

"What was that for?!" I retorted sharply trying to whisper.

"For drawing attention to us!" 

I kicked back playfully but Tyler didn't bat an eyelash, so I gave up trying. He was obviously pissed at something. I also came to the conclusion that this lesson wasn't the one in which I could get Ty to calm down and listen to reason. 

  ♪Tyler♪

I swiftly tiptoed into the dinner queue as I did every day. Eating in the canteen would be like social suicide, but I didn't have the effort to make a lunch at home. It's not like I was afraid of everyone else, I didn't care much for peoples opinions of me. It's just the thought of someone approaching me scares me, I wouldn't know how to react. I don't hate people, I just like people from a distance. 

Subconsciously I looked around the tightly packed room for Josh, he wasn't so hard to spot in the sea of brunettes and the odd blond. I immediately dropped my tray back onto the rack and haphazardly began to run for his table. 

"Tyler!" Josh beamed when he saw me, "I haven't seen you all day, have you missed me?"

"It was quiet without you I guess" my lips cracked into a faint smile.

"So do you wanna sit with us then? It'd do you good come on!" Josh patted the bench beside him, he was fucking grinning his stupid grin again. I knew the boys he was sat with weren't any good for him.

Brendon, the boy who was sat way too close to him piped in."Us?"He had a sarcastic expression plastering his smug face  The rest of Bren's friends shot me dirty looks.

"Yeah Ty can sit with me right? You were nice enough to let me sit here and he clearly doesn't have anywhere else to sit"

"Ty?" Brendon chortled "I didn't realize you were on nickname terms all ready. Listen here Josh  why are you sticking up for that freak? You've known him for what, a day? Have you not thought that there's a reason why has has no fucking friends?"

Josh's little cheeks had become flushed with either embarrassment or anger, I hated the fact that I didn't know how he was feeling right now. I didn't want to wait for him to explain himself. So I grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him from the table,

"Tyler what are you doing?" 

"Getting us the fuck out of here"

"You can let go of me now you know" he winced a little at how harshly I was gripping him.

"I don't like those people and I don't want you getting caught up with them." I paused for a moment to take in what I'd just done, "I'm sorry I should just go, you should be able to choose who you like I shouldn't decide that." 

"It's not that Tyler"

"Hm," I perked up, "What was it then?"

"You didn't have to drag me because I was coming anyway. They seemed like jerks , they only came and sat with me when they saw you looking for me. I cant name any of them."

"Oh OK then, but you know you can leave me at any time I'd be fine with it"

"I wouldn't be fine, and was I noticing a hint of jealousy in your tone back there."

"Get over yourself Dun, I just feel responsible for your well being and it wouldn't look very good to Mr. Brewerton if you got bullied, would it?"

"I suppose not"

"I left you hanging this morning and I just told you I'm being friendly for my own sake why do you seem so happy?"

"It's because I am Ty"