We All Scream

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Josh wakes up for school. He remembers Tyler never went to school. He considers ditching, or maybe just leaving early. He's been doing that a lot lately. To see Tyler.

He walks his sister and brother to their school, then walks the few extra blocks to his school.

First period is history. Most of school is blue-grey, but history has less grey and more green. It's not as boring, but it feels like an old stuffed animal that has been over-loved. And pineapples.

Eventually, it's lunch. Josh always eats lunch in the library, where no one can bother him. He's tried talking with people, but they're naturally exclusive. They also think Josh is a bit weird. That doesn't bother Josh, though. He sometimes wishes Tyler is at school with him. Tyler would make it better. Then neither of them would be alone. Josh wonders if he could get Tyler to ask his parents if he could start coming to school with him. Bringing something like that up with Tyler wouldn't be a good idea now, but maybe sometime down the road.

Josh walks into the library with his lunch. It's just an apple and some bread he threw in this morning. He didn't have much time after making two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Josh sits in the corner, where no one can really see him unless they get close. He likes the brown-green with a hint of morning-smell of the library

"Josh." Josh hears a whisper. He turns his head. Tyler is peeking around the corner. "Hi." He smiles with his perfect not-white teeth.

"Hi." Josh looks surprised.

Tyler comes over and sits next to Josh on the floor. Their shoulders touch.

"Why are you here?"

"I thought I'd come visit you. I... I couldn't wait to see you."

"How did you know I was here?"

"You told me you ate lunch in the library."

"How did you get in the school?"

"I walked in. I guess they thought I was a student."

"Yeah." They sit in silence for a minute.

"Is that all you have for lunch?"

"Yeah."

"It doesn't seem like much."

Josh just shrugs. The blue that Tyler always chases away creeps back in. He stares at the bread, and it turns black-blue in his mouth. He glares at it.

Tyler notices the change. "Sorry," he mumbles.

Josh shrugs again, finishing the bread that stopped tasting right.

Tyler shrugs too. Josh feels their shoulders rub together. Tyler keeps shrugging, pushing Josh to the side as he does. His weight shoves Josh over. Josh is about to get upset, but he turns to see the gleam in Tyler's eyes and the small smirk on his mouth. Josh smiles too, righting himself once again.

"You're weird," Josh tells him. He immediately regrets it. He'd been called weird, among worse things. He didn't mean it like that, but Tyler wouldn't know that.

"Really?" Tyler doesn't look hurt, just thoughtful.

"Yeah..." Josh ventures.

"Everyone thinks I'm weird, right? Even my family."

"They think I am too. But they don't know what it means."

"They think being different makes you weird," Tyler continues the thought.

"It doesn't. Right?"

"Right," Tyler decides. "What does weird mean?"

Josh thinks for a second. "Pink-red-orange-yellow-green-blue-purple-black-white-grey-maroon-indigo-Halloween-Christmas-treehouse-apple-"

Tyler interrupts Josh. "Semi-truck-glitter-cream-'

"Waterfalls-"

"Your hair," Tyler says, staring at it.

Josh stops, surprised. "My hair is weird?"

"No," Tyler states. "Weird is your hair."

Josh grins, and they end up laughing. Josh feels all the feelings left over from yesterday run away.

Suddenly, Tyler jumps up and runs behind a bookshelf. Josh looks around and sees the librarian coming toward him from another aisle. His smile vanishes.

"Josh, you need to be quiet. This is a library." She doesn't look very angry, but she can kick him out if she wants to.

"Sorry."

She gives him another stern look with purple-gold in it before turning and walking away again.

Tyler comes back. "That was close," he says, more quietly than before.

"Yeah. No more laughing." Josh mimics the librarian's face and Tyler gives a little laugh. It makes Josh smile.

Eventually, lunch ends. Tyler has to leave, but they plan to meet by the treehouse after school.

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