Mentors - A Joshler Fic

Chapter 3

Tyler's P.O.V.

“Hey fag, why the fuck do you bother showing up here? No one wants to see your gay ass around here.” I coward against the wall, shaking in anticipation of the blow about to hit my face. I was the stupid one for coming around the back of the school in an effort to escape the crowds during lunch. I just got sick of eating lunch in the bathroom. He pulled his fist back and instead of my face, his fist slams into my stomach knocking me to the ground.

Then his foot kicked me several times in my stomach, chest and once in my face. I could feel the blood flowing from my nose. When he saw the blood he gave me one last good kick then jogged away laughing and leaving me alone. I just lied there, silent tears rolling down my face because the pain was too much for a few minutes to move. I shut my eyes, thinking about falling asleep and never waking up. I was content to do so until I heard a voice approaching.

It was too late to roll away and hide myself from view. I thought he might be coming back for me, or it was another of my many tormentors coming to finish me off. I looked up to see who was approaching and saw none other than Josh Dun. He was carrying a box towards the dumpsters. He tossed the box into the dumpsters and turned to go back inside but as he turned he saw me and stopped in his tracks. “Oh my gosh, what happened.” He walked towards me and crouched down in front of me. “Are you alright, do you need help getting to the nurse.”

“Um, no. I’m fine.”

“Dude you're clearly not fine, let me help you out.”

He grabbed me around the waist and pulled my light frame up easily. I let out a hiss at the pain in my ribs. I looked and saw that had dribbled some blood on his white shirt and I just wanted to die right about then. He was going to be so mad at me, I just wanted to disappear I couldn’t believe I got blood on Josh Dun’s shirt. He began to help me along, holding me around the waist as I hobbled along. He looked down at me and noticed the blood on his shirt. I cringed expecting him to let go of me in disgust and drop me down on the ground. He just looked at me and shrugged, I think he could tell that I was uneasy because he let out a small laugh.

“Oh don’t worry about the shirt dude, getting to the nurse is more important. I’ve got extra in my gym locker its no big deal.”

I let out a breath and turned my attention away from him. “Sorry to ask, but what’s your name, I know I’ve seen you around but we’ve never spoken.”

“Tyler.”

“Well Tyler, its great to finally but a name to the face. I’m Josh. I don’t mean to be nosy or anything but what happened?”

I gulped feeling a combination of shame and embarrassment. I tried to bite back tears that threatened to break through. He saw my reaction and back pedaled. “Dude sorry you don’t have to answer that. I’m overstepping boundaries.”

By now we were approaching the nurses office, he let go of me and I told him I was fine thanked him. He shrugged my thanks off and told me it was no problem before walking away. I waited until he was out of sight and then dodged my way into the handicap bathroom to clean myself up. I couldn’t go see the nurse, there were too many scars that if anyone saw they would ask dangerous questions.

I stood in front of the sink with a wad of wet paper towel and wiped the blood off. Tears fell down my face as I wiped off the blood. I hated this, I hated all of it. I wasn’t sure I could do this much longer. I threw the paper towel in the trash bin and slumped down onto the floor, I didn’t have it in me to try and get back to class.

I skipped the next two periods but decided to go to the last period of the day. I made my way to class and sat away in the back, barely listening to watch the teacher was saying. I was failing all my classes anyway so I didn’t have it in me to try and care. In the middle of class the phone rang the teacher looked annoyed that it disrupted her lecture and went to answer it. “Tyler Joseph,” she called out searching around the room for me. “Is there a Tyler Joseph here?”

I raised my hand to indicate that I was in fact in the room. “The principal would like to see you.” Of course this elicited several comments from various students in the room. I ignored them and stood up and left the class to go see what I was in trouble for. I walked into the office and the receptionist told me to go right on in to see Mrs. Chambers. I walked in to her office slowly and when she saw me she smiled and motioned for me to take a seat.”Good afternoon Tyler, how are you?”

“Fine,” I said noncommittally taking a seat .

“I have a lot to talk to you about the first being your absence from three of your classes today. Where were you?”

“The bathroom.”

“Why were you in the bathroom?”

“I felt sick,” I said lying rather unconvincingly.

“Mhm,” she said unconvinced. “Well this is a warning if you miss classes again there will be consequences.”

I just nodded,

“Now what I would like to tell you about is a project I’m trying to test out. Its a mentoring program where an upperclassman is paired with an underclassman The upperclassman would act as a mentor and help the underclassman with their studies and be a peer they can look up to and get advice from. I’ve selected you to be one of the underclassman in this year’s trial run of the program.”

“I don’t want to do this.”

“Its not really a choice Tyler. You’re failing most of your classes and need the help. I've paired you with someone more then capable of tutoring you. You’ll be placed in a study hall with him where he’ll help you with your school work. It’s Joshua Dun, you might know him.”

I looked down at my lap with a feeling of disdain, I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want a mentor. I didn’t want a mentor that was Josh Dun. I didn’t want to be here. “It’ll start tomorrow, I have your updated schedule here with the study hall you’ve been moved into.” I took the paper and shoved it into my backpack not bothering to look at it. “Have a nice day Tyler,” she said as I stood up to leave, I didn’t respond and marched out of her office just as the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. Out in the hallway, I turned to round the corner and bumped into none other than my new mentor. “Oh hey Tyler, have you spoken to Mrs. Chambers yet, she just told me last period that were mentor partners. I look forward to getting to know you, see you in study hall tomorrow.” He gave me a little wave as he walked away and just stood there watching him walk away. Great. My crush was my mentor.