STRANGERS » JOSHLER

s e v e n

"CALM DOWN, Josh."

Josh pauses at Melanie's words and looks at her as she pats the space next to her. He heaves a sigh before nodding and plopping on the bed. It is only then that Josh realizes the mess he's made in the last fifteen minutes. Clothes are scattered on the floor, some t-shirts on the bed.

He never thought he'd put this much effort for a date.

"What do I wear, Mel?" He asks, hopelessly looking around the mess. Melanie rolls her eyes.

"Josh, you're acting like some girly teenager. Stop, okay?" Josh blushes out of embarrassment at her words, nodding.

"Sorry." He mutters.

"No, it's alright. Just .. he likes you as you are. I don't think you need to 'try' to look good. Know what I mean?" Josh nods.

"But .. I need to wear something, don't I?"

Melanie smirks, "Oh, I'm sure he'd love it if you don't." Josh groans, his cheeks tinting pink, making her laugh, "Doesn't really matter. You can pull off everything."

She stands up and walks to his closet, rummaging through it while Josh checks his phone for any message. For all he knew, it could all be a prank. He hadn't heard anything about this date from Tyler himself. Then again, Tyler didn't have his number too so ..

Why did he even agree in first place?

Oh, right. Because he kind of has a hopeless crush on him and it just won't go away.

In the end they decide on a plain t-shirt with black jeans. To think he'd been having a headache for this ..

"You think it'll be okay?" Josh asks, his outfit for tomorrow in his hands. Melanie stands in front of him, slightly towering over him as he was sitting.

"Yeah." Her eyes are fixated on his face and she says, "Just one more thing."

A puzzled look crosses Josh's face, "Huh? What?"

"I'm not sure if you're up for it though .. " Melanie trails off and Josh's eyebrows furrow.

"What is it, Mel?"

"Are you up for it?" Melanie asks.

"What is it?"

Melanie dismisses his question by asking again, this time with extra emphasis, "Are you up for a change?"

Josh frowns, but nods, "Okay, now what is it?"

Melanie turns around and smirks, "Something that'll take Tyler's breath away."

"Oh?" Josh's eyebrows raise, pink dusting his cheeks. "Um, okay then, I guess."

"Get up, Josh." She says, the smirk never leaving her lips, "you and I are going out."

*~*

"Ashley Nicolette Fragipane, get off your damn phone and help me here!" Tyler almost barks at the blue-haired woman who is, as he said, smiling at her phone as she sits on the chair opposite to his.

Her smile drops a bit as she looks up and her eyebrows knit together, "How'd you know my middle name?"

Tyler sighs frustrated. "I don't even know why I agreed to this." He mutters more to himself before shaking his head, "Nevermind, I'm not going."

Ashley's ears perk up at his words, "What? Not going where?"

"To the date." He says, grabbing a file and scanning it.