i hired a hitman on myself // joshler [✓]

XLV

this wasn't like any other time i've woken up, as i couldn't seem to move my ankles or wrists, though i could still feel them. something was off, i was in captivity now.

i felt a sharp pain arise from the back of my head immediately, i assumed it was from the attack prior to me getting in this situation.

"wakeyyyy wakeyyyy..." was the first thing i heard when i was regaining consciousness. the voice sounded so familiar, but it was hard to pinpoint who exactly it was.

i slowly opened my eyes to reveal a blurry figure standing in front of me, rather hunched down to be face to face with me. when my vision repaired itself, who i saw in front of me changed everything.

it was pete, my roommate pete wentz. the one who i nearly killed myself for was just standing there, with a smirk glued onto his lips. he wasn't blessing or bruised in any way, he was perfectly fine.

this is where i knew everything was a lie.

i quickly tried getting up, but to no avail. i looked down to see my wrists and ankles were bounded to a wooden chair by rope. i could feel a slight burning sensation when i tried freeing myself.

behind pete i saw jenna, tyler, brendon, and ashley. they were all in the same position i was in, except i noticed brendon had a black eye and was struggling to get the ropes loose, and jenna was profusely crying.

ashley was trying to loosen the grip the rope had on her like brendon was, but that didn't work for either of them. and lastly tyler looked pale, sickly pale. he was swearing and his eyes looked red and puffy.

the four of them were line up horizontally, a few feet in front of me. pete was standing in the middle of us all, with only a single light bulb above him to illuminate the whole scene.

this was not going to end well.

pete finally stood up straight and did a slow full turn to look at all of us, but he stopped when he got to me again. i looked up at him and tried to look as intimidating as possible, but all he did was smile the same creepy smile.

he hunched back down to get closer to me, and through his crooked smile, all he said was,
"you should've stayed out of my room, buddy."

i shook my head slowly at him, but continued staring him down until it scared him, though you and i both know that was never gonna happen. he stood up straight again and turned around to see brendon still trying to free himself in a now desperate manner.

pete chuckled at the sight, but that died quickly when he decided to finally say something to all of us.
"so," he still pivoted towards me, "this the whole group?"

he turned to jenna who quickly nodded, her eyes glassy and red from agony. pete squinted his eyes at her, and then he looked back at me,

"you guys do know i'll find dallon and sarah, right? i know they're playing around somewhere here, i was just hoping you'd tell me the truth."

nobody said a word from our end, which was from either fear or anger, but this only seemed to fuel pete. he went over to brendon, who could have been practically foaming at the mouth from how mad he was, and said,

"and when i find 'em, you're gonna wish you told me the truth."

brendon ferociously tried getting free, but to no avail. he was grinding his teeth when i noticed the cut on his lip. he was like a wild animal trying to escape a cage, this would've scared anyone else.

except pete.

speaking of whom, he then waltzed over to tyler, who was right next to jenna, and stared him down. tyler could barely keep his eyes open long enough to stare back, he looked so sick, from what i could only assume was from the infection in his leg.

pete glanced over to me and then continued staring at tyler before saying, "so, tyguy," his voice sounded rather cheery, "are ya gonna tell joshie your little plan?"

tylers bloodshot eyes were barely open when he looked over to me, his lips were slightly parted to breath, the heavy nature of it could he heard from a mile away. he was weakly slumped back in his seat, didn't even try fighting once, and he still remained quiet.

"alright, so i'll so do it!" pete perked up and looked at me with a smile on his face, "so, joshie baby, tylers a hitman, right? so basically what he likes to do with his victims--!"

"stop," tyler weakly interrupted petes spiel. he coughed a bit before looking at me again, "let me tell him." pete looked completely fine with it as he got out of the way of our view, letting me see tyler fully.

tyler took a deep and shaky breath when i noticed his lip quiver and eyes become slightly glassy as he withheld tears, "josh..." he started off, "i... i used to make my victims fall for me so... so i can get my way with them... that's why i'm an expert at what i do. so i... i was originally gonna do that to you until... until i saw you... your face... your... your stupid blue hair..." he weakly chuckled, but it divulged into a coughing fit.

he continued, "you were... different, josh. i've never felt the same way about anyone else in my life... i wasn't gonna kill you after i saw you... and getting to know you better... i was sure about not killing you--"

"alright, alright," pete agitatedly interrupted, "stop getting all gay on him and tell him what you planned on doing before you fell in love and shit."

tyler sighed, "i... i was gonna trade you to get my sister back from raz... he took her hostage in some camp a few years ago... and i thought i could get her back if i gave him you..." his emotion got in the way of his speech, so he took a short pause before continuing,

"josh... my sister is dead... my whole family is dead... my friends are all i have left... but if me dying right now means everyone else gets to leave... please let it happen." he started softly crying, breaking down in front of pete.

this only made jenna cry harder and ashley start to tear up. brendon wasn't crying at all, but he did go silent and stopped his struggle to escape. i felt my own eyes start to water as tyler spoke up again,

"i'm a bad guy... josh... you still don't have blood on your hands... please save yourself, i don't want... want you to end up like me..." he shook his head,

"i'm a monster."

he started crying again, but pete still didn't seem to care as he chimed into the conversation again,
"sooooo yeah!" pete looked at me, "tylers a dick who killed anyone and everyone who got in his way, and his friends are assholes too," he explained, "so josh, i have a proposition for you!"

"which is what?" i looked up at him. he pulled out a knife and walked over to me, undoing the ropes on my ankles and wrists. he helped me up from the chair and took something else out of his pocket.

he handed me a gun.

"there's four bullets in there for you to shoot, and i'm not a optional target. kill them. end it once and for all. and i'll let you go."