anathema || TYLER JOSEPH/JENNA BLACK

four // rain down (and destroy me)

tw// graphic depictions of violence and abuse, and a panic attack. stay safe.
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"Oh, hello Tyler."

The brunet boy stared ahead in shock, at the blonde woman standing on his porch.

"...Mom," He whispered, as she bit her lip. "Is your father here? I'm here to pick up your sisters for the weekend."

Tyler nodded softly, before gripping the doorknob. Don't say it, don't say it, don't say— "Would you maybe wanna...come in and wait? Instead of being in the cold." He asked awkwardly, fiddling with his thumbs.

Kelly sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't—" "They won't be home for another fifteen minutes." He said pointedly, and she sighed, before nodding and stepping inside the foyer.

"Ty? Who's here?"

Tyler's head whipped around to see Jenna, leaning against the banister, arms folded across her chest, her expression blank.

"Who are you?" Kelly asked, a bit harshly as Jenna walked to Tyler, her hands in her pockets. "I'm Jenna. Ty's girlfriend."

"She's my girlfriend," Tyler mumbled, as Kelly raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain across her face. "You? Have a girlfriend?" She paused to snort unattractively. "Honey, you're wasting your time," she said, turning to Jenna.

"Go upstairs. Please," Tyler whispered, as Jenna looked at him, fear in her eyes as she nodded and turned on her heels.

Tyler winced, and looked at Kelly. "Would you...like a drink?" He asked slowly, trying to compose himself.

"Yes," Kelly said stiffly, forcing a smile as Tyler nodded and ducked his head, speedily walking into the kitchen.

"Um...we have water and juice and Coke and coffee and—" the boy rambled, as Kelly looked at him. "Water is fine. I don't drink caffeine anymore." She said, sickly-sweet as Tyler nodded, quickly turning on the tap and getting her a glass.

"How are you, Tyler? I feel like we don't talk anymore," Kelly said, her tone wistful as Tyler handed her the glass.

"I'm fine."

"How are your grades? Not failing any classes?" She sneered, and Tyler winced. "No. My grades are fine."

"What about basketball? Your father said you were on the team."

Tyler looked at her. "I'm the captain, actually. Of the team."

She scoffed. "Well, that's good. That's the only way you'll get to college," she said, as Tyler bit his lip.

"What about that girl, in there? Henna?"

"Her name is Jenna, mother, and she's great," Tyler said, his tone icy as Kelly widened her eyes. "We've been together for a year and a half," he said, taking a deep breath. "And that shows how much you've been around." He said quietly.

"That's fucking outrageous, Tyler. I've been around—" "No, you fucking haven't!" He yelled, slamming the pantry shut, making her expression harden and he knew that she was mad, now.

"I gave you space, like your father so dearly requested when he 'won' you in court." Tyler scoffed, "You were an alcoholic—you would have killed me!" He yelled, making Kelly stand up quickly. "Apologize." She whispered, voice like nails on a chalkboard.

She took a step forward, and Tyler saw all of his childhood flash before his eyes.
.....Hiding his report card after his dad looked at it, so she wouldn't break his neck.........
......Trying to do everything she wanted, before she even said it, but it was never enough.........
......All the nights he went to bed hungry because she wouldn't make him dinner, whether she was drunk, not home, or if she was mad at him....
......How he wasn't allowed to play with other kids because she didn't want them to see what was happening behind closed doors........
......How scary it was when he was questioned in court, asked to testify against his mother at the age of ten, with her looking on at him with murder in her eyes.........

"Apologize to me, you disrespectful brat," she whispered, and he gulped.

"I'm not sorry. You were never a mother to me," He whispered, his voice breaking softly, closing his eyes as her grip on his bicep tightened, making him whimper softly.

"Fucking piece of shit," she muttered. "Look at me, Tyler." He shivered as she hissed.

"Tyler? You home?"

"If you say anything—" she threatened, stepping away from him quickly. He gulped, on the verge of tears as he saw his father and two twin sisters walk in through the garage.

"Kelly, why are you—" Chris asked, instantly sensing something was off.

"Just here to pick up the girls." She said, smiling as Chris nodded slowly, setting his work bag on the counter.

"Mia, Abby, go upstairs. Get changed," Chris said softly, and they nodded, rushing upstairs to change out of their leotards.

"What's going on, Kelly?" Chris asked, voice hard as he looked with knit eyebrows between his son and ex-wife.

"Tyler and I were having a nice chat, but he's a disrespectful faggot—" "STOP IT!" Tyler cried, cutting her off.

"Fucking stop it! Leave me alone! I HATE YOU!" He screamed, his voice cracking at the words as he buried his head in his hands.

"Oh, stop overreacting," She muttered, and Chris glared at her. "What the fuck did you do?"

"Nothing," she muttered cooly. "He's overreacting, as always."

Chris shook his head, disgusted, as he went over to his sobbing son, who was curled up in the fetal position, sobbing messily into the material of his black jeans. "Hey, Ty...kiddo, look at me."

Tyler took a few halting breaths, shaking his head as Chris laid a hand on his shoulder. "Make her leave," he whispered.

"Make her leave," he repeated as Chris nodded and stood up, looking at Kelly. "You heard him. Get out."

The blonde woman looked at the two, furious. "Get out!" Chris yelled again, after a second.

"I have to wait for the girls," She said smugly, and Chris shook his head. "No way, Kelly. Not this weekend, not for a while. Get out of my house."

The blonde woman—who Tyler swore was breathing fire at that moment—left, stubborn and angry, the narcissistic behavior she thought she buried, resurfacing.
She could never change.