Truce

Chapter 2

JOSH's POV 

Strangers were walking up to me in the hallway asking me why me and Debby broke up. She acted like this didn't bother her. She was laughing and joking with friends while I was dying inside.

Tyler began talking less and less. I could tell something was wrong, but I was too lost in my own thoughts to help him. The days started getting shorter, and the nights colder. Tyler told me how his mom would yell at him for not talking. I was trying to be supportive but I didn't know how. I hated seeing my best friend like this, but I didn't know how to help. I felt like a terrible friend. My grades started dropping and my life was spiraling out of control, but from the looks of it, so was Tyler's.

I would always run out of my Spanish classroom to meet up with Tyler so we could walk down the hallway together and have a five second conversation before we had to go our separate ways. We started meeting up in the hallway more and more, which didn't help the gay rumors.

We had fourth period together, which was sick. We both had to keep being moved around the room because everyone bullied us. When we had labs she let Tyler and I work together a lot and we were always the first ones done because we're better than everyone else. At the end of the day I walked Tyler to the bus ramp, we did our handshake, kissed one another's cheeks and go our separate ways.

Home was hell. I came home, immediately walked to my room and close the door behind me. I hated being here. Everything felt too real. Here I didn't have a distraction. Here it was quiet, leaving with nothing but my thoughts. I woke up and checked my phone. 1:15 am. I walk to my bathroom and looked at the person staring back at me in the mirror. He had my hair, my eyes, my face but I didn't know him. He scared me. I laid back down in bed for what felt like years.

*RRRIINNNGG*

"Wtf it's 4. That's way too early for my alarm"

I dig around my bed for my phone. I had 6 missed calls from Tyler's mom. Shit.

"uh, Mrs. Joseph?... Calm down I can't understand you... What about Tyler?..He did what?..I'm on my way to the hospital now."

I throw on a pair of God knows how old jeans, a T-shirt, and a beanie to cover my bed head. I jump in my car and speed to the emergency room. I run inside the hospital to see Mrs. and Mr. Joseph crying.

"Where's Tyler?....Is he gonna be okay??"

I could hear the panic in my voice.

"They finally got him stable a few minutes before you got here, he's gonna be fine"

I felt my breathing steady out. I didn't notice I was having a panic attack until they told me he was going to be okay. He slept for 2 whole day. He didn't look like himself. I stayed at the hospital only leaving to grab some pjs and and body spray because the hospital didn't have a shower I could use.

They told us Tyler will probably wake up today. I walked to the gift shop to buy him a bear. I walked into the room to see him looking around the cold hospital room that's been his home for the past few days.

""You look like shit" he said smirking at me.

"Why'd you do it man?"

It may have been a dick move but, I had to know why. I felt like it was my fault. I knew something wrong but I couldn't help.

" I'm not really sure Josh. It's all pretty blurry."

A few minutes later the doctor came in. I pretended to be on my phone, but I was listening to everything the doctor said. She said Tyler was gonna have to be here a week. After she left his mother began reciting every horrid detail on how she found my best friend in a puddle of his own blood, seizing in the middle of their kitchen. I felt like I was gonna be sick.