Mentors - A Joshler Fic

Chapter 7

Tyler's P.O.V.

I stumbled as I walked down the hallway towards the stairs, I felt faint. It had been awhile since I’d last eaten, I often forgot to eat or when I was hungry we didn’t have any food. I carefully made my way down the stairs holding on tightly to the handrailing. I walked into the kitchen and searched through the cupboards for any food we might have. They were all empty except for one which was filled with booze. The fridge contained only some spoilt milk, a six pack of beer, and a brick of cheese with mold growing on it. I shut the fridge with an exasperated sigh and peaked into the living room where my dad was smoking a cigarette and watching TV.

If he was awake then I could try and steal money from him to go buy food. I slipped out of the house and started walking down the street. Sometimes when I needed money I would go to the laundromat and check around for change in the machines and on the floor. I could usually find a couple dollars anytime I went there. The laundromat was empty when I arrived and I made quick work of checking all the machines and scanning the floor for any loose change. I managed to scrounge up two dollars and fifty cents.

Then I walked just down the street to the gas station and bought a small bag of potato chips and a chocolate bar. I still had twenty five cents left and I tucked that in my pocket for safe keeping. I left the shop and tore open the chocolate bar and took a big bite, my mouth watering. I kept my head down and hurriedly ate my chocolate bar as I walked in the direction of home.

“Hey faggot,” a voice called out from behind me. Me being the idiot I am stopped and turned in the direction of the voice. It was Kevin one of my more frequent tormentors. I stood frozen in place, I could hear my heart thudding in my ears. He approached me until he was mere inches away from me and staring down at me. “It’s always so nice to see you Tyler, how ya been,” he asked me heavy sarcasm leaking from his voice? “You know it’s rude not to look at someone when they’re speaking to you,” he said grabbing onto my face and forcing me to look up at him. “Aw did someone hurt your face?”

He stroked the bruise covering my face and seemingly without warning slapped me across the face sending me to the ground. He lifted his leg and kicked me in the stomach while I lay on the ground clutching my face. The kick knocked the wind out of me and I lay their struggling to catching my breath when he kicks me again this time in the face. I hear the crunch of my nose breaking and feel the wetness that was blood pouring from my face before I felt the incredible pain.

Satisfied at the sight of my blood he bends down and picks up my bag of chips from where I’d dropped them on the ground. “Thanks,” he said opening the bag and shoving a handful of them in his mouth before turning to walk away. I lie on the quiet street in the darks crying and clutching my bloody face in pain. If I thought it couldn’t get any worse I was wrong because just then it started to rain. I stood up and wiped my face off with my sleeve, and pulled my hood back up and started walking home.

******

I didn’t go to school the next day. I couldn’t face Josh. My entire face was covered in purple bruises and my one eye was swollen so much that I could hardly see out of it. I’d bandaged up my broken nose the best I could but it just looked really really bad. I took a bunch of pain pills, more than I should have and I laid in bed all day not feeling anything. It was great.

I didn’t go to school the next day either, and it was in times like this that I could at least be thankful that I had a father who didn’t give a fuck about me. I laid in bed the duration of the second day as well and I was sure that I would miss a third day as well because my face still hadn’t noticeably healed at all. I wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t fully conscious when I heard a knock on the door around three o’clock in the afternoon.

My dad wasn’t home, so I got up from the bed and went downstairs to see who it was. I peeked out the window and stopped in my tracks when I saw that it was Josh standing at my front door. He knocked once more and walked to the door and pulled it open just a crack. “What do you want,” I hissed trying to keep my face hidden.

“Whoa dude, calm down. I just came by to see why you’ve been absent the last two days, wanted to make sure you were still alive.”

“Well I’m fine, it was just a stomach bug,” I said shutting the door.

His foot blocked me from closing it entirely, if you’re fine then why don’t you open up the door so I can see you?”

I had no comeback for this and I stood quiet against the door until he gently began to push the door inward and I let him open it. He gasped when he saw my face and tears flooded to my eyes. “Tyler...I...what…” He stuttered but then stopped and grabbed me, pulling me into his embrace. He held me in his arms and I cried on his shoulders. When I looked up I saw that he had tears in his eyes as well. “Why are you crying,” I asked him, sniffling a bit.

“Because you're in pain, you have so much pain and you deserve none of it. You're so innocent and beautiful and the world is fucked up to make you go through this.”

“I accepted that the world was fucked up a long time ago,” I said bitterly still cradled in his arms not wanting to move anytime soon.

He stared down at me, his eyes filled with sadness, until suddenly he gently grabbed my chin and tilted my head upwards and his lips came down and touched mine ever so softly. The kiss was quick, it was soft, and it was warm. His lip left mine but his hand remained holding chin and I stared up into his eyes. I didn’t move and neither of us said as word. Instead he leaned down again and touched his lips to mine again, this time they remained on mine longer. I intensified the kiss, leaning into him, moving my lips against his his hands gripped my waist gently pulling me closer to him.

We broke apart both breathing a bit heavily. “I-I- I think I would like to do that again sometime,” Josh said. “Yeah, that would be good with me,” I said quietly, feeling as though if I spoke too loudly then I might wake up and realize that this is all a dream. I leaned my head and nuzzled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around me holding me to him. “I won't let anyone hurt you Tyler"