Gay/ Joshler

18.

It's been a week since the party, and Josh and Tyler are both feeling something. Josh feels in love where as Tyler feels dead.

Josh's pov:
I don't want to go into school.

Tyler's pov:
I don't want to leave my room.

I lied to my mom. I said I ran into the door frame. She would never let me leave the house if she knew I got beaten up. She believed it.

No amount of my sisters makeups will relieve the dark, soft bruises under my eyes. After all, only fags wear make up. Instead, I opt for something else. Sun shades. I put on some ray bans, they manage to hide my eyes.

I can't be bothered to drive, instead I walk to school. It only takes an extra 10 minutes than what it would to drive. 7:36am. I have time for coffee. I head into the next cafe I pass to order a coffee, and a snack even though I don't feel like eating. Across the counter I spot Melanie, wearing a more covering top than last week. "Hey babe!" Her pitchy voice rings. "Hi Mel" I try to sound as enthusiastic as possible. "Like the glasses! Someone's ahead of the game for summer" she teases. I go along with the lie, claiming it's a fashion statement.

We make subtle chit chat between slurps of coffee. "Would you like a ride? You'll freeze out there" I kindly accept the offer. Just means I'll arrive early to school on time for Jenna and Brendon's morning make out session. Once we arrive to school, we part our own ways with a sweet peck on the cheek. I walk lazily to my locker where Jenna and Brendon happen to be, surprisingly not making out. "Morning Ty guy" Jenna chirps and I shoot a smile before turning to my locker and grabbing my books for the day.

"There's no sun today, what's with the glasses?" Brendon asks patronising. "It's called fashion, look it up" I turn to him, taking a long sip of my coffee. "You look like a-" "A what Brendon? A fag?" I bite, rudely. A moment of quiet hangs in the air sheepishly, Brendon and Jenna exchange wide eye glances. "I-I was going to say, a Beverly Hills mother who has a sugar daddy, but never mind". "Oh, sorry" I apologise quickly, trying not to make another scene. "Have you been getting sleep Tyler?" Jenna asks calmly. "What? Well...yeah-" but I'm cut off when she swipes my glasses off my head and her and Bren are left gawping at my dark, yellow-y marks under my eyes and my nose.

"It's not bad" I mumble. "Dude! That's worse than what I've ever gotten, and I'm a jock!" Brendon joins in. "Is that from.." "Yes" I cringe. "From what?" Brendon enquires, in a mix of curiosity and concern. "Uh, ran into a door frame at a party" I lie. He doesn't buy it. "He got punched" she blurts. Fucking bitch.

"Jenna!" I glare at her but it's too late now. "When? How am I only just being told this?!" Brendon goes on. "Why would you say that?" I ask Jenna in disappoint. She gives an apologetic frown. "When was this? Who punched you?" He repeats, slowly getting agitated. "You started it, you can end it. And don't forget the part about Dallon" I say to Jenna before sipping on my cold coffee. Both Bren and Jenna stare at me, "What about Dallon?" He asks us but I simply wait on Jenna to give him answers. After 15 minutes of explaining and describing the sights she saw, Brendon is mad, the least to say. I can tell by the way his chiselled jaw clenched when ever the name Dallon pops up. Luckily, the bell rings, so Brendon can't make any damage. Yet.

I shuffle through the huddles of people stood at the door and I settle awkwardly into my seat. My nails trace around the shape of the desk nervously. People giggle and chuckle at something amongst them, then they turn to me. Melanie eyes me up from the corner of her eye and shoots a confused glare between me and the group of people. I shrug slowly. I push my glasses further up my nose and I start to write. 

My attention is switched when the teacher breaks up the group at the door and the room hushes suddenly. I look over, and sir has took their phone, assuming what they was laughing at. He sits at his desk and examines the phone, everyone's eyes are on me. I think nothing of it and I keep my head down, until a low voice beckons my name in front of me. "Tyler, get your bag and step outside please". I'm so confused. I look to Mel for an answer. People who were once crowded around begin to chant from the back of the room. "You too, Dallon" the chanting stops immediately. I walk with embarrassment to the front of the class and out the door, Dallon only steps behind me.

My grip on my bag over my shoulder is so tight, it's making my knuckles white. I look up from my shades to see Dallon sizing me up. Before he can even step towards me, the teacher bursts out the room and walks ahead of us with a demand for us to follow. The phone is still in his hand. What's happening? I notice where we're being escorted to: the office. The principles office.

It doesn't take Dallon long to clock on either, but when he does, his reaction is concerning. He stares and mouths something to me, along the lines of me being dead. "You there, and you there" he directs us to our seats. I sheepishly sit down slowly where as Dallon makes more of a scene and drops into the chair. Sir leaves the phone on the table and mutters a few words to the principle before leaving.

He takes the phone and watches whatever was on it. He then shows us on the tv. I take off my shades to get a clear sight, and I am almost instantly ashamed. It's what happened at the party. It's a video of Dallon beating me up.
I gasp quietly at the sigh, and I look at Dallon from the corner of my eye, who is watching the video intensely with a smug look on his face. I feel belittled and insecure. So, I slide my glasses back on and play with my hands in my lap.

He gets excluded for a week for physical assault. His friends get excluded for a couple days for sharing the video round the school. Everyone is told to delete the video. And, he's been put on a temporary restraining order.