four walls (breathe out)

chapter nine: promise

JOSH IS dressed in his Sunday best. A black button up, blue jeans and his white vans. His breath is shaky and nervous as he looks up at the Joseph home. It's a two story with a double park garage and a nice lawn.

He's not nervous to see Tyler as much as he is to find out what he's hiding. If he's hiding anything at all, that is.

Josh knocks on the front door quickly, his heart dropping when Tyler answers the door in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, his scarf dangling loosely. He over dressed.

Tyler doesn't seem to notice, and if he does he doesn't comment.

"Hey! Come in!" Josh smiles at Tyler's warm attitude, letting himself enter the home.

His smile fades as soon as he walks through the threshold.

Every wall in view is painted a neon color, the closest being yellow and the one opposite to it pink.

No pictures adorn them, nothing but the bright paint that makes the boy a bit dizzy. Tyler's smile falters for a moment before he continues to lead Josh into the kitchen as if nothing's odd at all.

The walls of the massive kitchen are green, blue, orange and another yellow. A woman dressed in a bright red sundress is cutting cucumbers when they walk in, a man in white basketball shorts and a green T standing next to her with an apple in hand, half eaten.

"Chris you're gonna ruin your appetite if you keep eating those apples."

"They're healthy!" The man laughs a laugh more over exaggerated than Tyler's.

"Mum, Dad, this is Joshua." Josh flushes red at the sudden attention.

"It's uh, it's just Josh." The woman's smile is bright enough to strike Josh down as she pulls him into a tight hug.

"Ah! The famous Josh my son has told me all about."

"Mum!"

"Sorry!"

Chris cackles loudly.

"You're a handsome kid, Josh." He comments as he pulls away from the mother he doesn't know the name of yet. Both of their voices are loud, much to loud for being so close.

"T-thank you." It's silent then as Josh's eyes are wider than saucers and Tyler rocks back and forth on his heels to his feet, his smile giddy.

After a minute of this Mrs. Joseph turns to her husband with a nod.

"Son, why don't you help me with the burgers ya?" Tyler nods happily, following his father out the double french doors. Josh watches them leave anxiously.

He's not ready to be bombarded by Mrs. Josephs millions of questions and her overly happy attitude. He's just gotten used to Tyler for Gods sake.

Only that's not what happens. He turns back to find the woman frowning, her face tired as she sighs.

"I guess I should explain." Josh eyes her nervously, confused as all hell. "Bear with me, if it gets confusing I apologize. I don't have to explain it much, the only friend Tyler's ever brought home is Jenna."

"O-okay?" She motions for him to sit across from her at the bar as she continues to chop vegetables.

"Well where do you want me to start, the walls or the mood swings?" Josh plays with his fingers nervously, his leg bouncing once again. He finds himself thanking the gods for letting him mess around on his drum kit before coming, other wise he'd be a mess.

"The walls." She nods.

"When Tyler was twelve he was diagnosed with really bad depression. From there, even with the meds, he only got worse. His anxiety took over, he was constantly down and most of the time wouldn't move from his bed."