night - joshler

is coming to an end

"what in gods name were you thinking?" he yells.

"dad, im sorry."

"sorry does not cut it. your mother and i have told you a million times not to talk to others. bad things can happen. you're stupid. stupid and pathetic. no good." he turns his hand and hits tyler, hard.

tyler barely flinches. he's used to this, his cheek is likely going to bruise. his dad just grins at him. his teeth are dark and dirty. he smells of liquor and cigarette smoke.

"pull another stunt like this, and you're gone. you got lucky by having us take you in. you should be dead. just like the rest of your family."

and that set tyler off.

he nods, and then runs up the stairs. he sobs silently, tears falling down his face uncontrollably. he sits on his bed, with his face down. trying not to sob loudly.
his chest aches. he misses his mom, his dad. his brothers and sister.

his door cracks open, his "mom" is coming in.

"get over here. ill put makeup on it so no one will see." she says rudely.

ø

"tyler! tyler? why are you ignoring me?"
tyler turns on his heel, he sees josh. and he smiles, instantly feeling calmer.
"red." he smiles.
"hey, are you feeling alright?"
his smile falters slightly, but he quickly replaces it with a bigger one. more false.
"i'm fine." tyler gushes. josh looks at him with a hint of curiosity, bur let's go of the subject.

ø

"have you finished the book yet? it's amazing. i love it. i'd spoil it, but i'm not that evil."
tyler watches as josh goes on and on about the book, he sees the crinkles in the corners of his eyes, and he watches the glint as he shifts and the sun reflects from them.
"you're an angel," he whispers to himself.
"what?"
tyler blushes a deep blush, "nothing," he stutters.
josh laughs a little, "would you like to come over and spend the night? i wanna get to know you more. i have a feeling we're gonna be great friends." tyler smiles widely and nods, he gives josh his phone number, and walks down the hall for fourth period.

ø

"ill be home late," he mumbles to no one in particular. he doesn't get a reply, but then again, he never expects one. he shuts the door quickly, and starts on his walk.
the way that the freezing snow crunches beneath his boots is calming. and the way that the sun glistens off the white dust is soothing, to him.
the way that his hands begin to turn red and blistered as he holds the freezing snow in his hands has a shocking calmness to it. and he smiles lightly as his hands begin to bleed from the frostbite. he suddenly realizes what he's doing, and he throws the snow and dusts his hands off. he continues walking with aching hands and light tears in his eyes. he thinks about how he's going to explain this to josh.
he clears his mind, and soon arrives.
he ponders for a minute, standing at the doorway. debating whether or not to knock, and his thoughts are cut short when he feels his hand beating against the door lightly.

"tyler! are you alright, what happened to your hands?" tyler shrugs, and josh ushers him inside the warm house, and sits him on the counter.
josh presses the rag to his hands, and tyler sits and flinches slightly at the sting.
"i'm sorry ty, are you alright?"
he nods, smiling slightly.

ø

"okay now, tell me everything about yourself. your full name and age and what you want to be. everything."
tyler laughs, knowing that josh is aware of  his name.
"well, my name is tyler robert joseph. i'm sixteen, almost seventeen. actually, i think today is my birthday. who knew. i like drawing and writing, i want to be an artist when i grow up, honestly. i'm gay, kinda. i guess. and i like rabbits and dogs. i had a bunny named blurry when i was younger. my favorite color is deep red, and i guess that's it. i'm not very interesting."
josh grins.
"today's your birthday? well goddamn! we're gonna make a cake later, i swear." tyler smiles and nods, "tell me about you first."
"well. i'm joshua william dun. and as you know, my friends call me red. i can play the drums, and i love it a hell of a lot. i think i'm gay? maybe? i'm not sure really. i love guys though. so i guess. my favorite colors are blue and red and white, because that was the color of my baseball team when i was younger."
"you're so much cooler than me."
josh laughs. "not really, but ill take it." he winks. "now what about that cake?"

ø

tyler drops the pan with all the batter in it. as tears begin to fall down his face, josh wraps his arms around him.
"hey, don't cry. we're gonna make another one. it's no big deal tyler. i swear."
so the two boys remake the cake. blushing every time their hands accidentally touch.
and it's good. and it's pure. and the cake is beautiful. tyler thinks it's the most beautiful thing he's ever had.
he's told to make a wish.

and he wishes for happiness.

ø

"that was by far the most delicious thing i have ever eaten." tyler laughs, nearly choking on the food that's still in his mouth.
josh breaks out laughing, nearly uncontrollably. and then tyler joins him. and they laugh together.
and it's good.
and it's pure.
and tyler makes one more birthday wish.

that he could be this happy forever.