Can't Go Back- Joshler

{chapter 5}

My alarm goes off. I groan and look at the clock. 6:00 AM. My least favorite time in the entire world.
After getting dressed, I can't find my other sock. I'm wearing pizza socks but i can't find the other matching one. I know it's not a big deal, but I would really like it if my pizza socks matched.
I look in the back of my closet filled with clothes and lost toys and games i had as a kid. After digging through the whole pile looking for my sock, I find my old drum kit. It's all been taken apart throughout the years and by being underneath my giant pile of shit in my closet, but as much as I can see, it has no holes or rips or anything. I find my other pizza sock hidden underneath my old blue drumsticks.
After eating breakfast, I have 5 more minutes until I have to walk to school. I run upstairs and open my bedroom door. I open my closet door and pull out the shot ton of clothes. I take out my old drum kit and throw my clothes pile back in the closet. I look at my drum set. I can play with Tyler. Sure, it'll take me a while to pick it up again, but how hard can it be. Right?

When I get to school, I walk to my locker and put my books away. I still have a half hour until my first period class starts. Normally, I get to school early, but arrive home late. I enjoy walking home slowly. It's peaceful at the end of the day. In the mornings when i get to school early, I just walk around the hallways to see who's here. It's always quiet in the morning but gradually gets louder as more people arrive.
After a few minutes, I hear what is always heard in the mornings: Conner and Jake, the two biggest assholes in the whole high school, picking on some kid younger than them. I never get picked on by them, because I barely ever say anything, so i'm not really a target. Sure, they've called me a faggot a few times. That word doesn't mean anything to me. If I like guys, I like guys. Anyways, I hear a familiar voice.

"Hey! Stop! Please, that's mine, my friend, he just fixed those-"

I hear the voice try to defend themselves. It sounds so familiar. I hear them make some homophobic slurs at him.

"Friend? Aw, Little Tyler has a boyfriend,"

I hear them say. Wait, could they be bullying Tyler? No. No, there are about 40 Tylers in this school.

"Little Faggot wants his instruments back,"

I hear one of them say. It's Tyler. I didn't realize my fists were clenched until now.
I walk through the hall and around the corner. I see Tyler on the ground getting beat up by Conner and Jake. They're actually such dicks.

"Can you guys stop?! Tyler didn't do anything to you, you assholes!"

I yell at them. They drop his ukulele and keyboard in shock. No one has ever stood up to these assholes. Well, i'm ready to loose my life. Did i mention they're both about 6'3? I'm probably close to 5'4. This is in no way fair. Why did I do this? I'm such an idiot. I can just leave. Just run away. But then I see Tyler's surprised face. He breaks into a huge smile as he fumbles to pick up his instruments and hides behind the corner. I get that he doesn't want to be involved with this. Before I know it, Conner has pinned me against a locker and is probably insulting me. I'm thinking about Tyler, so i'm not sure what the fuck they're saying. And I honestly don't care.

"Is he scared? Why don't you go kiss your boyfriend, fag,"

Jake says with a chuckle. You know what. I'm so tired of these assholes.

"Well, maybe I will,"

I state simply. I release myself from Conner's grip and walk over to Tyler calmly and give him a big kiss. He seems really surprised at first, mostly because when a fight breaks out in a high school the first thing you expect to happen afterwards isn't exactly two guys passionately kissing. He gets what i'm trying to do though, as he kisses me back. Jake and Conner seem surprised.  Very surprised.  I guess they didn't think that telling me to go kiss my boyfriend would actually end up with me kissing my boyfriend.

"Heterosexuals are gross,"

Tyler whispers as we walk off together with my arm wrapped around him.

"Not all of them. Just a select few."

I tell him. He smiles again. I smile back as the bell rings and we walk off in different directions.

In the middle of my first period class, I ask to go to the bathroom. I don't actually have to use it, i'm just bored out of my fucking mind. I hear singing from the bathroom. The same soft and beautiful familiar voice.
I walk into the bathroom to see Tyler sitting underneath the sinks with his ukulele, singing quietly.

"Tyler, what are you doing. We literally have class going on right now, you shouldn't be-"

I start explain as he interrupts me again.

"You know, Josh. I can't be bothered to use my brain for something as boring as American history. Think about it. When we graduate, we won't know how to cook. Or clean. Or pay taxes. But at least i'll know the entire declaration of independence word for word, yup, that'll do me good. Maybe, when I get an apartment when I graduate, If I can't pay the taxes, I can just do some advanced algebra and that'll show him. I just don't feel like wasting my time and knowledge on something that won't help me in the future. But music will help. Doesn't matter if i'm making it or listening, it'll help. And that's what i'm doing. Learning about something I actually like."

He states. Wow. I've never thought about that.

"Hey Tyler. This is off-topic, but, I found my old drum kit in my closet this morning, and i'm thinking about-"

"JOSH! YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY THE DRUMS AGAIN! WE CAN PLAY SONGS TOGETHER AND-"

He starts to yell excitedly as i put my finger up to my mouth and silently shush him. He grins and whisper-shouts at me again. I'm excited. I really do want to play music with him.

"So, Tyler... Do you know anything about playing the drums?"

I ask him. He thinks about it for a minute.

"I know a few things. But trust me, you'll be a great drummer, once you learn again."

Tyler tells me. We smile at each other and walk to our different class together, after Tyler puts his ukulele back in his locker. We walk as far as we can together before we have to enter our classes.