Intimidation ♡ joshler

sixty two

"It's getting late," Marie brings up hours later as the time nears midnight, pausing the movie they were watching, "When did your parents want you home?"

"Funny story," Josh starts, "Tyler's brother is out of town, and I'm having drama with my family again, so I was kinda hoping we could stay here for a little bit?"

"I don't see how that's funny, but yeah, that's fine with me, love," Marie nods, "I'm taking my ass to bed, though, goodnight."

The boys return her goodnight as she leaves the living room to head upstairs, and none of them say anything, until a door upstairs is heard clicking shut.

"So," Brendon starts, turning to Josh with a serious look, "What really happened?"

"About what?"

"Me and Pete were at the park all Saturday, and there was no fight, nor a boy named Josh Dun."

And Josh doesn't say anything for a moment; what does one say after getting called out for lying, especially when the lie was created to cover something as serious as child abuse?

"Alright, fine, it was one of my parents' druggie friends," Josh lies again after his brief moment of hesitation and pondering, "He was talking shit, so I talked shit back, he got pissed and shoved me, and then we were both swinging fists."

"And he's still there or something? What's the family drama?" Brendon asks, frowning a little to his friend.

"He's gonna be here for the next day or two and I want nothing to do with him. That's why I'm here," Josh finishes, and Brendon nods understandingly.

"But what about Tyler? I'm assuming that him getting slapped by some girl at school was bullshit, too."

"Nope, it was that Debby bitch," Josh finally builds onto the lie, making it more believable—at least to dumbass Brendon, who runs in front of moving vehicles and doesn't find anything wrong with that, "The one who's friends with Jenna."

"The one that likes Tyler?!" Brendon asks, and he genuinely looks surprised, "Dude, why?"

"I don't know, Tyler said that Jenna tried to ask him out during class, and Tyler accidentally hurt her feelings," and then Josh is turning to Tyler, "What happened again? You obviously know it better."

And Tyler can't believe Josh just put him on the spot like that, because no, he obviously doesn't know it better, because it's obviously a lie that Tyler had no part in creating.

But Tyler obviously can't say that, so he blurts out the first bullshit lie that comes to mind.

"Like, at first I just, uh, told her no, but she asked why I, like, wasn't interested... So I was like, I dunno, prolly 'cause you have a vagina, and uh... It was one of those moments when the class gets, like, really quiet at the wrong time..."

And Brendon fucking guffaws (and Tyler wants to kill himself; he hates when Brendon laughs like that), "Yeah, I hate when that happens!"

"Yeah, but anyways, I guess it embarrassed her really bad and she ran off to Debby, and so that's why Debby came up."

"Bro, I'm not afraid to fight a girl!" Brendon claims, and he's still laughing his ass off, so Tyler's honestly not sure if he's serious or not, "I'll murk a bitch for you!"

"But you'll get suspended," Tyler warns, because yeah, he cares about his friend, but he also doesn't want whoever the fuck this Debby person is to get hurt over something she never did.

"You do that, and you and Tyler can be suspended together," Josh says, and the oldest emits a surprised sound as he looks to the youngest with wide eyes.

"You got suspended?!" Brendon asks incredulously, "Instead of SIPS?! What did you do?!"

Tyler flushes again as he shrugs, and begins to give Brendon the watered down version of what happened, because he doesn't like to repeat himself, and he can hardly even remember right now anyways, "All I did was go outside for lunch, and, uh, security came out, and they said that I was uncooperative and disrespectful or something. Security even accused me of hitting him—but like, he had grabbed me and he had no right to do that. I didn't even hit him, I only struggled."

"Tell him what you said to him," Josh smirks to the youngest, and Tyler represses the urge to sigh as he looks away from both of them.

"When he grabbed me, I—uh, I told him I wasn't his bitch so he wasn't gonna manhandle me like I was."

And Brendon starts cackling, slapping his hand on the couch repeatedly as if it's the only thing keeping him from laughing himself into an early grave, "I can't believe you said that! And you swore!"

Tyler only fidgets awkwardly in response.  He can understand people laughing when he's sassy, but when he curses?  It seems that almost everyone these days cuss as if it's the only way they know how to socialize, and he's heard some bizarre ones as well.  All he said was bitch, why is it so serious?

This is exactly why he doesn't use expletives out loud.  People think it's so funny and shit when he does, just because he's quiet.  Accuse him of being dramatic if you'd like, but it's so annoying to him.

But then again, Tyler gets annoyed by everything.  

"How long are you suspended for?" Brendon asks as his laughter ceases.

"Five days," Tyler says, "I go back to school next Tuesday."

"And I'm not going back until my bruise heals," Josh adds, and Brendon looks truly distressed as he slumps in his seat and lets out a dramatic sigh.

"You guys are gonna make me have day two lunch alone?" Brendon whines, "And Josh, why?"

"Why not?" Josh counters, earning a pout from the oldest.

"Maybe Aunt Marie will let me stay home," Brendon wonders aloud, shrugging to himself before getting up, "I'm gonna get ready for bed in case she says no. I have a trundle so you guys can sleep on the bottom mattress."

And with that, Brendon leaves the two on the couch alone.

"Has Zack tried to contact you yet?" Josh asks once Brendon is out of earshot.

Tyler shrugs nonchalantly, "Left my phone at home."

"Any reason?"

"I ran out in the heat of the moment," Tyler says, "Didn't bring anything."

"Did you wanna get it tomorrow or something?"

Tyler shakes his head, "Nah, I'll get my stuff when I'm ready to go home."

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thank you guys <3