the run and go // joshler

Chapter 11

The clock in the car read 3:57. Tyler had been up for an hour, crying.

How? He thought. How are we going to do this? We're screwed. Fucking screwed.

Tyler turned to his sleeping boyfriend. "J-Jish," he whispered. "W-What the h-hell are we g-gonna do?" Josh didn't awake from his slumber. "I'm scared, J-Joshie. I'm fucking scared. What are they gonna do to us when they find us? W-We killed an innocent girl. S-She w-was i-i-innocent...." He bursted into sobs. In a voice barely audible, he spoke. "I'm terrified, babe. So, so terrified."

Josh hadn't heard what Tyler said, but Taylor did. She had heard every single word.

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"Good morning babe." Josh leaned over to kiss his sweetheart on the cheek. "Ty, why are your eyes so red? We're you crying?" Tyler nodded slightly, and the two stepped out of the car to talk.

"Josh, I wanna go back," said Tyler, looking down at his feet. "I don't like this. I don't like having nothing to live off of. I don't like having to steal people's money. I just wanna be back in your basement, lying on your bed with you." He looked up, fear evident in his eyes. "I didn't sleep at all last night. I'm worried, Josh. And scared. Really scared." Tears were collecting in the boy's eyes, and his breathing was becoming ragged.

"Ty, calm down. Everything will be okay. There's no reason to be scared-"

"What do you mean there's no reason to be scared?!" Anger began to flow through the frail boy's veins. "There are plenty of reasons to be scared, Josh. Plenty. And things are not okay. They're the exact opposite. Our lives are falling apart, and your acting like nothing's fucking happening! I'm not enjoying this, okay. You act like it's a good idea to bring three girls with us who will do nothing but get in our way. Get your head on straight. We're gonna go to jail no matter what. I can't believe we've even got this far. I-"

"Can you shut the fuck up! I'm trying to have a positive attitude about this whole mess, but all you want to do is go turn yourself in. Go ahead, do it! I'd like to see you last a day in a cell. I'm doing everything I can to keep you out of that hellhole. And don't act like I had fun beating the life out of Debby. It was the worst thing I've ever done. Leaving your family without knowing if you'll ever see them again isn't fun, either. Don't act like I'm some heartless bastard, because I'm not." With this, Josh walked back to the car angrily. "You're lucky we didn't wake the girls up. It's your fault we had a fucking screaming match."

Tyler stood in place, shocked. After a long moment he headed back to the car and got in, slamming the door. "Don't talk to me," he mumbled as he buckled his seat belt. "Just start driving."

Josh rolled his eyes as he started the car and pulled back onto the road.

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Taylor awoke suddenly. As she became aware of her surroundings and saw the boy in the skeleton hoodie, she remembered what she had heard him say earlier that morning.

They were murderers. Tyler and Josh were murderers.

Her eyes grew wide and her breath hitched as Josh spoke. "Good morning," he said with a smile.

"G-Good morning," she stuttered quickly, avoiding eye contact with him. She turned to look out the window, anxiety building in her chest.

"Did you sleep good?" Josh questioned, clearly not noticing Taylor's odd behavior.

Taylor nodded. "I'm thinking about going back to sleep, though. I'm still pretty tired." She faked a yawn, and lifted a shaking hand to itch her nose.

"Okay. We'll be stopping in about half and hour at a gas station. I'll wake you up then." Taylor nodded again and closed her eyes.

Half an hour to think of an escape.