hooked ↣ joshler ✓

16. Mistake

"Joshua William Dun!"

Oh no, Josh started to panic. When full names were called, it never ended good.

Quickly, he walked down the stairs and saw Mike looking at him with a red face and bugged eyes.

"Yeah?" he asked nervously.

His dad tried talking but his mouth opened and closed without words ever leaving them. Josh knew he did something bad.

"Can you explain to your father and I why we got a call from your school saying you were gone most of third period without any sort of excuse?" Alice said for her husband, noticeably mad as well.

"Uh..." he tried.

"And don't you dare even try lying because that'll make it worse," Alice snapped.

"Tyler took me outside with his two friends while they all smoked and they tricked me into drinking vodka," Josh told them quickly.

"Did he threaten you outside? Did he force you out?" Mike asked finally.

"No, he just kind of told me to follow him."

"So you did it yourself," Mike corrected him. "You went outside yourself."

"What's his name again?" Alice questioned.

"T-Tyler."

"As in the Tyler you deal to?"

"Y-yes, m'am."

"Joshua, do you know how dangerous that is?" Mike shouted.

"He's not that bad-"

"I mean for you. For us! That could get you caught!"

"I-I didn't think-"

"That's because you never think!" Alice yelled, standing up next to her husband. "You think nothing bad can happen to you, but that's a lie. You think you're safe. You think you can't be touched. You think you're invincible just because you were the only one who survived that stupid car accident that forced a mistake like you into our lives!"

Josh couldn't help it, his eyes began to fill with tears.

"Mom, I-"

"For God's Sake, Josh!" Alice yelled even louder. "I'm not your mom! Your mom is dead like the rest of your family!"

Slap.

It was absolutely silent after she said that. Josh started full on crying, holding his now red cheek in his hand.

"Go to your room," Mike said quietly. Out of shock, Josh didn't move.

"He said go to your room!" Alice repeated. Josh didn't hesitate this time and he quickly climbed the stairs and went back into his room, shutting the door quietly.

He sat down on his floor at the end door of his bed and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and letting the sob escape his lips.