unholy (joshler)

chapter nineteen

Tyler's P.O.V
(ohHHh twist)

"Dear God, please. Please tell me now if I should be doing something. Please keep him safe. I'm sorry if I've failed you but I'm trying. I-"

"Ty?" Tyler looks up from where he's kneeled on Josh's back porch. Chris is standing there, his expression concerned and scared.

"Is he awake?" He asks urgently, jumping up from the floor.

"No," Chris answers sadly. "Dallon's thinking about going in there considering how long he's been out but we're unsure." He's not back. Tyler already knew, but he could hope.

He could feel when he left, as soon as that thing entered the house he could feel it. He would feel when he came back too.

"Okay." Tyler responds lamely, taking a seat on a chair.

"What are you doing?" Chris questions while taking a seat next to him.

"Praying. I need some guidance right now." The boy nods, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "I already missed church today, God knows my mom will have my head for it."

"I've never been the religious type." Chris says as he blows the smoke out. "Want a drag?" Tyler waves him off.

"Have you tried going to church?"

"When I was younger, yeah. But then my mom died and my dad stopped giving a shit. So now I'm here." He motions to the toxins in his hand. "And you're there and my best friend is in hell. Probably. Hopefully not." Tyler laughs halfheartedly.

Its quiet then, Tyler watching the stars shine and Chris breathing in the smoke and blowing it back out.

"Do you love him?" He asks suddenly and Tyler turns to look at him. He knows what Chris means. And he knows exactly how to answer it, the problem is whether or not he'll believe him.

"Yes." Chris stubs the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe.

"So you understand, you know what I mean when I say I will rip someone apart if he comes back with a single scratch." Tyler gulps as Chris stares sternly into his eyes.

He gets the memo that he's not playing around, and that he could do some serious damage if he wanted to.

"I understand." Chris's eyes soften at that.

"He's been my best friend since pre school. I love him with everything in me." His voice quivers but his face shows no sign of weakness. Love is power.

"I don't expect anything else when it comes to Josh." Chris grins.

"You're good for him, ya know? He was very closed off and shy before you. He would of never done this before."

"Thanks?" Chris nods.

Tyler feels sort of bad, if he's honest he didn't know much about the boy before he became captain of the football team, better yet his friends.

He's glad Josh did though, even if he still misses Pete like crazy, because he's never felt more blessed in his entire life.

And it's then that he realizes, he knows exactly what Chris is feeling right now. Before Pete was pronounced dead Tyler waited at the hospital for his surgery to end.

He spent hours wondering if he'd make it or not, he spent hours crying and having his heart sink further and further. He imagines that Chris is going through something similar.

"Hey," Tyler rests a hand on the boys shoulder. "He'll come back. And he'll be fine." Chris smiles gently but his next words are more cynical than before.

"We don't know that. He could be dead." Tyler swallows hard and turns away.

"You're right. But it's Josh we're talking about, he's tough." He can tell that Chris wants to say more, that he wants to tell Tyler that tough doesn't mean invincible, but he doesn't.

A cold chill runs up Tyler's back, his eyes widening.

"He's back." He runs inside, passing a confused Dallon and bursting into Josh's room.

He finds Josh laying on his back, his eyes wide and terrified as they stare focused on the ceiling.

"Josh?" Tyler prompts gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

As soon as his hand makes contact Josh shoots up, screaming at the top of his lungs. He doesn't stop for several minutes, Tyler wrapping him in a tight hug as he screeches into his shoulder.

Once the scream is gone is eyes roll back and he's asleep, leaving the three boys stunned.

Tyler inspects him for a moment before looking up, looking at Chris and trying his best to smile he mutters,

"At least he doesn't have a scratch."