S L O W T O W N

City Lights - Finale

A bus stops at the top of Tyler's street, two figures hop off with one slightly bouncing, feeling a lot better with themselves as they stroll down the darkened sidewalk, no street lights to guide them to safer place.

The shorter of the two, hooks his arm through the taller, a comforting type of feeling as he walks and talks with a such inexperience ease.

Josh, laughs, letting his eyes crinkle and cheeks flood with colour, as Tyler explains wild fantasies and ideas he has about creating art, music, starting to find a lot in common with his new found friend.

"So," Tyler rocks back and fourth on his heels, hands clasped behind his back with bashful doe eyes staring at Josh, the porch underneath them dry unlike the steps they had walked up.

Rain, Tyler thought.

"So," Josh extends, grinning widely.

"You're coming in right?" Tyler unlocks the door, looking over his shoulder to see wether or not Josh was as excited as he was.

"Yeah for a short while," Josh shrugs, air around his mouth turning to clouds as he breathes hard. Tyler bounces a bit more and shoves the door open.

Josh follows inside like a lost puppy, looking around the dark house as Tyler easily finds his way to a lamp beside the lounge, flicking it on and waiting for Josh to join him. He closes the door behind himself and strolls over to sit beside his friend, Tyler flicking the TV on as some sort of white noise.

"So," Josh restarts the previous conversation from the front door.

"So," Tyler draws out longer, scooting closer to Josh, hands shoved between his thighs.

"Did you like the city?" Josh moves only a little nearer to Tyler, hands neatly folded in his lap. Tyler nods and hums contently, but eyes focused on the program that plays across the box TV. "Would you go back?"

Tyler shrugs a little and sighs, rubbing one eye with the back of his hand, the other stays wedged between his thighs.

"Cool," Josh sighs also, his out of pure melancholic agony of the light conversation Tyler seemed to be making now they had entered the house, some hidden agenda Tyler might've been hiding gave Josh anxiety.

Tyler gives Josh a quick glance from the corner of his eye, and begins to slide across just a smidgen more, until his leg lightly brushes Josh's, and Josh looks over, raising his head from his hand.

"Doin'?" Josh asks, eyes flickering over to Tyler's own eyes as he stared sure and true.

"I dunno," Tyler wiggles his shoulders slightly with a tiny smirk on his lips, well aware of what he was doing. Josh sits forward and leans on his forearms across his thighs, watching Tyler carefully.

There's something dancing his eyes, glistening and tempting Josh. He feels his face heat considerably, Tyler can't keep the staring contest up so he quickly looks away, watching Josh as subtly as he can.

He squints at Tyler, a small pool of heat bubbles in his stomach.

"What are you doing Tyler?" Josh asks, demands, a lot darker than he had previously questioned.

Tyler shrugs, now looking into the kitchen as two red glowing eyes glower at him, but Tyler is determined to prove him wrong.

He was going to hold Josh's hand.

"Tyler," Josh huffs, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to shake some thoughts he'd rather not think from his head.  "Could I use your bathroom?"

Tyler's face drops.

"Okay, its upstairs, on your right," Tyler feels the pit in his stomach drop. Josh rises and clears his throat, moving quickly and silently slipping out the front door. He pulls a cigarette from his pocket and quickly lights it, inhaling deep to try and calm his nerves.

Tyler was his friend, and nothing more than his friend, but the way Tyler has started to look at Josh unnerves him, was Tyler starting to like Josh or was Josh overreacting to the weird kids actions and reactions?

Everything Tyler had been doing since the first day was somewhat flirtatious, so maybe this was just Tyler, and Josh prayed it was.

But if Tyler was trying something on Josh, maybe he should try something first to see if his theory was correct.

The questions about boys falling in love, the subtle touching when Josh could tell Tyler clearly did not want to be touched.

But there was something stopping Josh, he couldn't pretend he didn't hear Tyler talking to himself, staring at someone who wasn't there, the way his eyes darkened when he spoke about his parents, but Josh, starting to think maybe he wanted to be a little more than Tyler's friend, didn't want to hurt the obviously sheltered boy.

But maybe one kiss wasn't so bad.

He finishes his smoke as quickly and quietly as he can, and slips back inside, unaware of the two eyes watching him.

"What are you doing?" Tyler questions, Josh jumps at the voice a lot closer than he had expected. His hand comes up and slaps his chest.

"Jesus Ty, nothing I was just, getting some air," he awkwardly treads back over and plops back down on the lounge, Tyler bouncing into the air. Tyler takes no time and gets on his knees, facing Josh and shuffling forward.

Josh leans back a bit, but Tyler holds his gaze, so Josh takes the chance to inch his face a little closer, Tyler tilts his head in confusion, watching Josh's mouth.

"Doing?" Tyler giggles and Josh can't help but laugh too, pushing a little further, reaching up to gently place a cold hand to Tyler's heating cheeks, so Tyler moves forward too just in case Josh was about to whisper something that he didn't want Him to hear.

Another blast of warm breath freezes Tyler in his track, the stench of fresh cigarette overwhelming him, pulling the vivid memories from deep inside his repressed depression.

Tyler's eyes instantly widen and he pulls back so quick he falls off the lounge, cowering in horror.

"Woah hey are you okay?" Josh goes to move and pick Tyler up but he crawls backwards, shaking his head.

"You smoke," he whispers, Josh clearly confused.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why, how, why?!" Tyler growls and slowly picks himself back up, Josh also rising with him.

"Hey calm down I'm sorry," Josh puts two up in defence, trying to soothe Tyler.

He backs away, hands searching for the wall, the screaming beginning to flood his memory again, his father yelling in his face, stale cigarette stink flooding his nostrils, he wants the gag, eyes glued to floor, a deer in the headlights.

"Hey?" Josh steps forwards slightly, Tyler pressed flush against the wall, darting those doe eyes back to Josh's.

"How could you do this to me?"

"To you?"

Tyler shakes his head, Josh becoming the figure of his father.

"Please, please leave," Tyler mumbles, the hands from the kitchen sliding around the wall and gripping his shirt tightly, pulling him towards the black room.

"Leave?"

"Leave!" Tyler cries, Josh stumbling backwards and tripping over the lounge. "Leave now Josh! God, why did you have to do this? Couldn't you have let me just be in peace! You didn't have to hit me!" Tyler screeches and begins to march forward, Josh scrambles for the front door.

"I'll, see you tomorrow," Josh makes the exit brief, leaving Tyler to hit the wall again and slide down the wall and weep gently as He steps forward.

"Why did you hit me? Why, I didn't do anything wrong?"