unholy (joshler)

chapter three

Monday morning was expected to be tough, Josh already knew, but this is an understatement.

For starters, Abby wakes him up a whole hour early to pack his lunch when he truly only needs fifteen minutes max.

"Josh!! Josh wake up I need my pb&j!"

"Alright alright, I'm comin."

A sandwich and a bag of chips later the house phone is ringing.

Josh rushes to the place where it hangs on the wall, trying to hurry before it wakes anyone else.

"Hello?" He rushes into the plastic and a sigh comes from the other end.

"Josh, what are you doing up so early?" Debra.

"I uh," Josh searches for an excuse. "I'm starting a new routine for...football. Yep. What are you calling for?"

The woman just sighs again, she obviously caught the lie.

"I'm calling to talk to Cindy but since you seem just as responsible nowadays I guess I can just have you pass the message along."

"And the message is?"

"Laura called. She'll be in town soon and said she needs a hundred bucks. Now I know you can't afford it so I was thinking-"

"We can handle it Debra. Tell Laura she can just call us next time. Good bye."

To say Josh is pissed is an understatement.

Not only is his druggy flop of a mother back for more money that they can't supply, but she's trying to get Debra involved as well.

He doesn't see why Laura should be coming around anyways, she doesn't deserve the money. But he also knows Cindy won't turn her down, it's her daughter after all.

"Josh?"

"Yes angel?" Abby finsihes packing her bag.

"Is mommy coming home?" The boys heart clenches and just then Jordan comes stumbling in, wiping his eyes sleepy.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." Josh quickly cuts in and Abby looks down.

"Josh packed me a lunch." She says weakly before grabbing her things and disappearing. And Josh would chase her and try to help her feel better but when it comes to Abby she has a way of disappearing for a very long time without a single soul knowing where to look.

Once again, Josh is envious.

-

It's around lunch later that day that Josh is leaning against the back of the school, his eyes red and sore from rubbing them as he eats the apple he snagged from the cafe.

He's worrying about Cindy whose working to hard, and Ashley whose doing the same. He's worrying about how soon Laura's coming as she could mean next month or tomorrow.

He's scared that Abby is mad at him and that Jordan isn't sleeping right. He's just a big ball of worry today.

"Hey." A soft, gentle voice sounds from where the double doors have now opened.

Out steps Tyler Joseph and Josh nearly chokes on his food.

Out of all the years he's attended this school, he and Tyler have only talked once or twice when obligated.