hooked ↣ joshler ✓

7. Grounded

"So this is it?" Hayley asked, twisting her lollipop between her manicured fingers. "We just wait?"

"Pretty much," Tyler shrugged, kicking a pebble.

As if on cue, Josh walked around the corner fiddling with the straps on his backpack. He approached the two, glaring. Hayley hopped up from where she was sitting on the ground, making grabby hands at his backpack. Josh pulled it away and scowled.

"Woah there," Tyler laughed holding his hands up in surrender.

"Are you telling everyone I sold you weed?" He questioned in a whisper-shout.

"Relax, he just told me and Bren- oops," Hayley giggled, covering her mouth.

"Hayley!" Tyler scolded, hitting her arm.

"Wait, you told Brendon?" Josh's eyes widened. "He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it!"

"He's kept the secret that he's over at my house smoking when he told his mom he was studying with his friend Ryan," she mentioned nonchalantly. "And when he actually does head over to Ryan's, they're hooking up."

Tyler and Josh groaned in unison.

"Is that why he wouldn't leave Dallon and I alone today? He wants some too?"

"Probably," she nodded. "But he tagged along with you two today so it didn't look as weird when I joined you too," she added, popping her lollipop back into her mouth.

"Let's just get this over with," Tyler interrupted, taking out another wad of cash from his jacket and slapping it into Josh's outstretched hand. He handed Tyler his backpack and he grabbed out the weed. Josh turned to Hayley, and she shook her head before grabbing money out of her purse. Josh took that and pocketed it as well.

"Once again, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Josh," Tyler chuckled dryly, sticking his hand out for the other to shake. Josh just mumbled something and slung his backpack over his shoulder, ignoring the brunette and glumly walking away.

"Rude," Tyler scoffed. "Ready?" he asked, turning to his friend.

She nodded and they began walking back to her house. It was quiet for a minute before Hayley said something.

"That was hella awkward."

---

Tyler slowly opened the front door and kicked his shoes off, leaving them off to the side. He turned around and jumped, noticing his mom sitting on the couch with her arms crossed.

"Jesus Christ, you're everywhere!" Tyler exclaimed. Kelly ignored him, and held up a crumpled twenty dollar bill.

"Care to explain this?"

Tyler walked further into the room, and noticed Madison sitting on the other end of the couch looking sad. "She took my money."

"Did you pay your sister to lie about knowing that you left on Saturday?"

"Maybe."

"Tyler, sit down. We're having another talk whether you want to or not. You obviously didn't grasp this before."

Tyler tried not to smirk as he sat down on the coffee table in front of where his mom was sitting.