drugs ♕ joshler

o n e

edited

tyler's home life is rough.

growing up with a full family and little to no care given to him, he learned how to take care of himself. he didn't want help, and neither did anyone else in his family.

of course he needed help, he just never asked for it.

just recently getting off of a high of anorexia, his only friend, melanie literally put food in his mouth for him. he was crying hard, but once melanie had given him one bite of food, he couldn't stop eating it. then he ate more, and a little bit more. he was extremely unstable about how he feels about himself.

and his family won't even acknowledge it.

he felt fat, which is why he wore the same three sizes too big jacket that he does everyday. and everyday, he has to have melanie start him up with eating again. like turning on a machine that turns off every day after they go home.

he only weighed around 120 pounds, and was skinny everywhere except for his thighs and butt, so melanie never truly knew why he was so self-conscious.

"maybe that he can't do p.e," she thinks sometimes. he has terrible asthma so he can't have p.e. even if they tried. the one sport he can play without wheezing on the floor is basketball, but only if he was right under the net most of the time.

he doesn't go to a regular high school, he goes to one across the town, which gets out two hours before the one he works closest to.

the reason he works is so that he can buy whatever he needed without having to bother his parents. he's learned that if it isn't relating to food, water, or fire, then he shouldn't talk to them. about anything, really. they won't answer or they'll just tell you to do it themselves and give them a wad of cash.

he used every single cent of that money by the way, but only for clothes that don't cost too much and hygiene products that his parents think he doesn't need but actually does.

"just one more," melanie said soothingly to a crying tyler, who were both sitting in the corner of the lunchroom where people didn't go. they sat there everyday, because they like it, and also because no one made room for them at their table.

"n-no, m-mel," he said sniffling and guarding his mouth with his sleeves of his shirt. melanie put the spoon of rice and spam down into the tupperware and frowned at him.

"you promised me, ty," melanie said to him, making tears run down his cheeks. he learned to cry completely silent, which he did often. and what he's doing now.

"p-please," he said to her, begging for something she didn't want.

she sadly smiled at him, rubbing his tear away from his face with her thumb that was covered with the cloth of her sweater sleeve. "i'm not gonna let you starve, tyler," she said softly and slowly.

"b-but i'm n-n-not hungry," he said equally as soft. melanie brought the spoon back up, and he just stared at it for a few seconds before another tear streamed down his cheek, and he ate it.