Turn away (A Joshler fanfic)

2. Tyler

The sun is well into the sky as he is awakened by a sudden shaking.
“Tyler! Tyler wake up! Wake up Honey!”
Tyler opens his eyes to the sight of his Mother, with tears streaming from her eyes.
“What?” He grumpily calls, going to sit up in his bed.
His Mother smiles at him, a warm radiance casts down on him, something has changed about her.
“What?” He mumbles again, finding the strength to sit on the side of his bed.
His Mother had only ever acted like this when she had scored free tickets to Disney Land. This was when Tyler was eleven, one whole year before his cancer. That seems like a whole other lifetime to him.
“You’re coming home!”
Everything around Tyler goes dark. It’s as if the worlds gone mute. All he can think about is home, it’s had to of changed in the past five years?
Home, it’s been a while.
If someone would ask for Tyler’s name, the nurses and staff would know exactly where to point him. He’s fairly local to the hospital, and he can’t wait to be home.
“Sweetie?” His Mother asks, and Tyler snaps out of his daydream.
“Yea, Mom?” He replies with a confused look on his face.
His Mother shakes her head and begins pulling clothes from Tyler’s temporary dresser.
“Were just waiting on the discharge papers! Who knew you’d eventually get good enough to go home!” She stops packing and faces Tyler with a half-smile, half teary-eyed face. “This is truly the power of God.”
God.

Tyler arrives home the next day at seven in the morning, as tired as he was. He knew what today would be.
“School!” His Mother hums throughout the house, practically pushing Tyler’s siblings out the door and turning to him.
Tyler stands sheepishly at the counter, not fully awake to care about anything his Mother said.
“This is the game plan!” His Mother begins, “I have to leave for work but don’t worry! Your dad will be here until nine-which is when Mrs. Meredith will be here, now she has two other students that will be here. I expect you to be on your best behavior. You always are though!” She kisses him on the forehead and heads for the door, before turning to look at him.
“Love you,” She smiles and exits the house.
Tyler and his Dad didn’t see eye to eye, on anything.
When Tyler was in the hospital his Dad made weekly trips that consisted of his Dad mumbling under his breath, arguing with Tyler and then leaving in a storm.
It had always been like this, and to Tyler he didn’t care if things were still going to be the same. He was just happy he was home.
Around eight his Dad appeared from the study and grunts at Tyler who now sits in front of the television eating cereal.
“Shouldn’t you be at school?” His Dad asks, pouring a bowl of cereal for himself.
“I’m being Homeschool with a bunch of other cancer-.” Tyler’s dad cuts him off.
“More money going down the drain.” He sighs and sits at the island behind Tyler.
Tyler tries to ignore the way his Dad would mumble crude comments beneath his breath, or how every time Tyler would try to be a better person he would completely ignore him.
By the time it was time for his Father to leave, he couldn’t have been happier.
As His Father pulls from the driveway, another pulls in. Mrs. Meredith and two others exit her car. She rushes them on as she begins fumbling with the trunk.
The first to approach the door is a girl with short blonde hair, with blue eyes and an almost perfect smile.
“My names Jemma…may I come in?” She asks and Tyler is almost too mesmerized by her beauty to realize it, but he moves aside with a dumbfounded nod.
She passes him and the next to approach the door is a boy with dyed blue hair, deep green eyes and a mischievous smirk. “Hi.” His voice is in one imitating Jemma’s, “My name is Josh…may I come into your pleasant abode.” He smirks.
“I do not sound like that!” Jemma calls from behind.
“Yea.” Tyler lets him in.
Soon the group is seated on the floor, while Mrs. Meredith reads a novel.
“I’m not good at this stuff.” Tyler mumbles and looks away from the two in front of him.
“Oh come on! It’s easier than actual school.” Josh complains arrogantly.
Jemma shoots him an angry look and smiles at Tyler.
“Just breathe and tell us how you are, how’s your treatment, thoughts and stuff like that.” Jemma nods at him to speak.
Tyler scratches the back of his head and lets out a big sigh. Words weren’t his forte, neither was sitting in a circle with a bunch of strangers and explaining his personal problems.
The two stare at him, waiting for a response.
Nothing.
“Fine.” Jemma decides, “I’ll go first, then Josh and then you.”
Tyler nods and Josh groans.
“I don’t wanna go in the middle.” He pouts and crosses his arms.
Jemma pulls her hair into a pony tail and bites her lip, obviously thinking of what to say.
“Treatment is doing well actually; they say that I’m in recovery now. Well they think I am anyway. I think I’m going to make it, which is a relief because I wasn’t ready to meet the big man upstairs.” She finishes and looks around at the boys as if waiting for an applause.
“God isn’t real Jemma.” Josh spits at her in a childish tone.
“Speak for yourself but I believe that he’s the reason I’m doing so well. He’s blessed me, maybe if you believed then you’d be better.” She humphs and looks at Tyler, as if waiting for him to back her up.
Josh looks at Tyler and winks, making Tyler stutter.
“I mean, I don’t really know what I believe. There’s not enough proof for anything.” He finishes in almost a huff.
Josh nods and leans back on the coffee table.
“Alright, hardcore.” He jokes and Jemma shoots him a dirty look.
“When you’re healed you’ll truly learn how amazing he can be.” She smirks at him and Josh winks at him.
“Y-Your turn.” Tyler stammers, all the human interaction making him nervous.
“I’m doing worse than ever!” Josh starts jokingly, “So let’s see the doc says that the chemo is still in its early stages and that so far it hasn’t done jack shit.”
“Josh!” Mrs. Meredith exclaims and continues reading.
“Whatever.” Josh sighs, “Anyway, I don’t care if I die or not. Life’s a joke, there’s no real point to it.” Josh scratches his chest and Tyler looks from the floor to Josh.
“You’re wrong.” Jemma and Josh look to him.
“What?” Josh asks.
“I may not be a believer but life is beautiful and full of meaning. We just don’t know what it is yet.” Tyler finishes.
“Prove it.” Josh replies.
“I will.” Tyler breathes back to him.

Little did Tyler know, but he would stick true to his promise, and he would prove to Tyler that life is so much more than meaningless.