keep it up ↠ joshler ✔

5

:::

not long after, a small compact car pulled up in the parking lot where tyler was waiting.

josh stood out of sight around the corner of the building, worried that tyler was lying and was going to put himself in harm. it was obvious tyler was about to have a panic attack, yet, because they just met, josh wasn't sure how to comfort him.

tyler had never been more glad than when he saw jenna pull up in her cute little silver car. he smiled widely and hopped into the passenger's seat.

josh was happy to see that tyler really did have plans with a friend, and smiled slightly before walking away, thoughts of tyler still in his mind.

"hey babe." jenna said as tyler buckled himself in.

"hi jen. thanks so much for this."

"no problem. anyways, what do you need, sweetie?"

tyler scratched his head awkwardly. "um, i kinda lied to this guy about having plans with a friend."

"two questions. one. plans with a friend, or plans with a friend?"

"just with a friend. a normal friend."

"nice. okay. second question, is he hot?'

tyler blushed. "very. but he doesn't like any of my lifestyle choices."

"you mean the smoking?"

"yeah."

"maybe one of his family members had cancer or something."

something stung tyler's chest, but he quickly shooed it away. "what does he care? it's my choice, not his."

"because he's a human and humans naturally care about each other?"

"fine, i guess, but no one ever cares about me."

"honey, you may not see it, but people do care about you. you just need to look past the thick layer of self hatred you've created to find it."

"ouch."

"it's real life, sugar."

tyler had met jenna back in third grade. tyler, at the time, was one of the 'popular' kids. he and jenna met during recess one day, after she was playing truth or dare and was dared to kiss him.

of course, jenna, who never backed down from a dare, obliged. she ran up and kissed him, and when they pulled away, she blushed furiously. tyler, however, just stood there silently and tried to process what just happened. finally, he spoke, "i didn't like that, you know."

"sorry, it was a dare! i'm jenna."

"i'm tyler."

"want to be friends?"

"sure, just, without the kissing, right?"

"that's okay with me!"

as the years passed, the two became inseparable. tyler's old group of friends dropped him eventually, but it was only because tyler preferred hanging out with jenna instead.

tyler was there for when her parents divorced, and she was there for him when his friend was admitted into the hospital.

although others at school taunted them and brought up rumors that they were a couple, that was never the case. they felt more like siblings than a couple. when jenna began dating guys, tyler was like the overprotective big brother. when tyler began dating guys, jenna was the overprotective big sister. they always had each other's back.

that is, until 8th grade when jenna's family moved a few towns over and she went to a private school. as much as the two tried to stay in touch, they slowly drifted from best friends to just friends due to not hanging out as much. now they were more partners-in-crime. they were each other's covers, always there for each other and ready to back each other up on desperate situations.