hooked ↣ joshler ✓

3. After School

Tyler sighed, putting his phone back into his pocket. The text said to meet here at exactly three-ten, and it was currently ten minutes after. It was cold and pouring rain, which bounced off of the cement and splashed Tyler's legs from where he stood under the roof at the back of the school.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked, trying to wake himself up a bit. Waiting here was extremely boring and almost didn't seem worth it.

Slumping his shoulders and taking a final drag of his cigarette, he flicked the end of it and picked up his backpack.

"Tyler!"

The brunette froze when he heard the voice. It sounded very out of breath, but it was also layered with nervousness and fear. Bedsides that, Tyler registered it as foreign and raised his eyebrow before reluctantly turning around.

He was met with a guy who had dark curly hair, being matted down by the rain. He was bending over, breathing heavily. Tyler assumed he was catching his breath. "Sorry, I was cleaning up my chemistry lab. I tried to get here as fast as I could," he mumbled out after regaining his speech, walking over to Tyler as not to get soaked any further.

"And you're here because...?" Tyler asked eyeing the boy suspiciously up and down.

"Oh, right, sorry!" he began, flustered, while he slung his backpack off. Tyler watched him shakily unzip it and hold the bag out to him, as if he was horrified to look in it. "This is for you," he said as Tyler peered into the bag.

Tyler looked him in the eye and let out a laugh. "Is this some kind of joke?" The boy titled his head in confusion.

"What? No. Why would you assume that?"

"You're like the softest kid in the grade. Why are you selling me weed?"

"I'm not soft or whatever you mean by that. Besides, you're like eighteen. Why are you buying weed?" he replied.

"Touché."

The guy had an uncomfortable look on his face, almost making Tyler forget that they were standing at the back of school with a backpack full of drugs. Tyler shook his head and grabbed the baggie of pot, putting it into his jacket pocket.

"You're Josh Dun, right?" He asked suddenly, pulling his wallet out.

He nodded. "We have English together."

Tyler hummed in response, letting Josh know he was still listening as he handed him a small pile of cash. Josh looked like he didn't really know what to do with it, before sticking it into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Uh, well, I guess I'll see you around," he mumbled before zipping his backpack up and putting it back on. He walked back out into the rain and turned the corner, heading towards the front of the school and leaving Tyler alone.

Tyler glanced down at his cigarette that he abandoned in between his fingers and saw the cherry of it begin to fall off due to how long it went without being flicked. Sighing, he stubbed it out on the wall and dropped it into the ground, letting it roll into the grass and land in a puddle.

Tyler began to walk out from under the roof as well, scowling when the rain hit his body. He tried to ignore it, knowing he still had to walk home regardless of the weather. He really wished he would have offered to drive Hayley instead of walking. His walk home was very uneventful. Just the sound of a few birds migrating back and the pitter patter of the rain to occupy his thoughts.