Mentors - A Joshler Fic

Chapter 26

Josh's P.O.V.

Two weeks had passed since Tyler moved in and it was going alright. Tyler really fit into the family but he seemed kind of down and I couldn’t really understand why. He was away from his father and brother who were awful to him and I was doing everything I could to help him.

Sometimes it was hard because I felt like I was somehow failing him. I wanted so badly for him to just be happy all the time because that’s what he deserved. But it wasn’t that simple, depression made it much more complex of an issue.

After school that day I was driving Tyler to a therapy appointment, we were jamming out on the radio to a little Dropkick Murphy. Tyler was smiling and his arm was out the window and he let the wind move his hand up and down. It was a blissful moment in the sunshine, as we sped down the highway on a calm afternoon.

I pulled into the parking lot of the therapist’s office and we sat there until the song finished. I was sad that the moment had to end, but I leaned over and gave Tyler a kiss on the lips and told him I’d be back to pick him up in an hour. I sat and watched him walk inside, he gave me a little wave before he walked inside. Then he disappeared behind the door and I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home to do some homework before I had to come back and get him.

First I had to stop at school to grab a few books I’d forgotten out of my locker. I walked inside the school and passed the cheerleaders who were practicing in the back field. I saw Debbie stood at the top of a pyramid and when she saw me she glared at me. I just shrugged it off and walked onto my locker figuring she was bitter over the breakup. I still felt a little mad, but I’d hoped we could remain friends but that glare told me otherwise.

I grabbed the two books I needed from my locker and walked back the empty hallways to the back door that lead out to the parking lot. I hesitated when I saw Debbie walk out of the girls locker room, she stopped when she saw me. I kept walking up to her and stopped in front of her.

“Hey Debs, how’s it going,” I asked being friendly?

“Oh fine, you know considering.”

“Considering what,” I asked curious and a bit confused?

“Oh you know considering my boyfriend broke up with me and became a fag. Which by the way I had to find out from Stacy’s boyfriend Kevin. Yeah he’s seen you and that faggot Joseph getting all cozy. He wants to kick your ass. And your little faggot boyfriend’s ass too. I don’t agree I think you’ll get what’s coming to you when you burn in hell. But whatever.” She shrugged and turned and walked out the door before I could react. I was kind of frozen in shock at the news. First that some guy named Kevin knew about us and that he wanted to beat us up.

He was probably going to out me to the entire school and I felt scared by that. Second that he wanted to beat up Tyler and I and while I wasn’t worried about myself I was terrified of them hurting Tyler. I need to protect him, I couldn’t let them hurt Tyler when he was doing so well and working on getting better. I snapped out it and started out the door and headed out into the now dark towards my car. I took out my keys as I approached the car and unlocked it. Just as I was approaching the driver side door this person jumped out from in front of my car and tackled me to the ground. I fell on my back and my breath was knocked out me.

Then two more guys popped out from behind my car and they stood watching as who it didn’t take a genius to guess must be Kevin. His fist came down and he hit me in the face several times, I struggled against him. But when I tried to fight back, his cronies joined in the fight and started kicking me in the stomach. I was completely defenseless to fight back against them the numbers were uneven so I didn’t have a chance.

******

I woke up and the first thing that I felt was a wave of pain wash over my body, and I quickly remembered what had happened to me. What Kevin and his cronies had done to me. The second thing I noticed was the stars in the sky, so many of them littered the sky and they shined so brightly in the pitch darkness that now surrounded me. I tried to sit up but everything hurt, literally everything. I looked down and even in the darkness I could see a small puddle of blood on the asphalt, I reached up to my face and felt the blood pouring out of my nose.

I looked over at my car and saw my keys and my cellphone under it, I just had to get over to it so I could call someone. Shit. Then I remembered I was supposed to pick Tyler up probably hours ago, I had no idea of the time.

I started freaking out because Tyler had left his cellphone in the car and he would have walked out of therapy probably feeling vulnerable expecting me to be there and I wasn’t. He would freak out I knew he would. I rolled over and ignored the pain that it caused and slowly crawled my way across the parking lot until I finally made it to my phone and my keys.

I called my mom first and told her to go get Tyler, she was freaked out and asked me why I couldn’t but I just needed her to get him so lied and told her I’d gotten a flat tire. I don’t know how believable my lie was but she sighed and said okay.

I looked down at my phone and saw that I’d only been passed out for an hour and a half. I next called 911 for an ambulance to come and get me because I couldn’t drive. I slumped down against the side of my car as I waited for the ambulance to get there. I hoped Tyler was alright, I needed him to be alright.