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he was used to the questions. to the stares. the pity. it didn't bother him anymore. he'd learned to live his life with the constant attention. he wasn't different from the normal teenager, though. sure, he had his limits, but it didn't hold him back.
so as tyler walked through the doors of the new school he would be finishing off his senior year at, he kept his head high and tried to ignore the eyes glued to the oxygen tank that trailed behind him. he heard the murmurs that the kids shared within their friend groups about the new kid who had tubes stuck up his nose, but he wouldn't let it bother him. he was determined to make his final year of high school a good one.
the secretary in the main office offered to help him with his tank, but he kindly declined and told her that although he didn't need his with his tank, he did need help with his schedule. she rushed off and handed him the sheet of paper that held his classes and locker number with its combination, so he thanked her and headed off to his find it.
that's how he found himself in his current position, fumbling with the padlock on his locker as he tried to get the combination to work. the time until first bell rang was ticking and he just wanted to put his stuff away before class started.
"excuse me?"
tyler turned around and came face to face with bright yellow hair and a toothy grin.
"can't you see i'm busy here?" tyler snapped, diverting his attention back to the lock.
the boy chuckled and leaned against the wall next to his locker, eyes flickering across tyler's petite frame. "you need help with that?"
"thanks, but no thanks. i can manage my tank just fine on my own," tyler huffed.
"i was talking about your locker." the boy held his hand out expectantly and tyler got the hint, handing him the paper with the combination. he got to work on it and tyler took the opportunity to fully take in his appearance. his hair was messy, falling atop his head in a pile of curls. he had gauges stretching his ear lobes and a small ring looped through his nose, various tattoos littering across his arms. his eyes squinted in concentration and the tip of his tongue poked out through his teeth, a very endearing sight if you were to ask tyler.
the brunette was caught off guard when his locker popped open and the boy stepped aside, giving him space to hang his bag on a hook and grab his materials for class.
"thank you so much, uh..."
"josh- i'm josh, nice to meet you..."
"tyler joseph." tyler stuck his hand out and josh shook it with a firm grip.
"what class do you have first block?" josh asked and began to walk off with tyler.
"let's see." tyler took out his schedule and read over it before stuffing it back in his pocket. "pre-calculus, you?"
"hey, me too! you'll love mr. healy, he's great."
tyler nodded and followed josh to the classroom, the two walking in just as the bell rang. they made their way to the two empty seats in the back, tyler maneuvering his tank around backpacks strewn across the floor and legs that were carelessly thrown across the aisle. people snickered as his tank got caught on a desk, tyler tugging at it with all his strength. it finally came undone and he stumbled back, falling onto his bum on the cold tile floor.
the whole class erupted into laughter, making tyler's face heat up and his breathing quicken. he buried his face in his elbow as he began to cough, wet tears trickling down his face as he couldn't stop his coughing. the students became silent after a few moments, watching as tyler sat on the ground, face red from embarrassment. his coughing ceased and he finally stood up, his head hanging low to avoid his classmates seeing his eyes which were puffy from crying.
as he made it to his seat next to josh the yellow haired boy looked at him with a worried expression. he opened his mouth to speak, tyler cutting him off before any words could be spoken.
