One Too Many Thoughts

Chapter Sixteen: Straight Down

The bus seats were way too uncomfortable for Tyler to sit normally. He was holding himself up with the arm holder so his butt was barely touching the stone like seats. Tyler had experienced lost of furniture that was unpleasant to sit on, but this chair was insanely rock hard.

Josh could be dead and I'm worried about the damn chair, Tyler puffed.

He glanced outside at the gray skin.

Josh was probably gay or bisexual. He loved Tyler, but did Tyler love Josh? Yes, of course as a friend, and he always would. But as a boyfriend, or even a husband? Tyler swallowed that thought. Ashley would be there soon, and so would Tyler. The sudden stop lunged Tyler forward, telling himself to get up, off the boulder he was siting on.

Tyler pushed up and threw his bag over his shoulder. He followed the fellow passengers off the bus until he was in Leighton. Tyler smiled at the familiar smell of roses. Familiar. He glanced around, his eyes tight together. The place reminded him of something, a dream, a person...

"Tyler!"

Tyler zipped down the thought and turned towards Ashley, her dark hair tied up, a violet jacket wiping her sides.

"Ashley." Tyler smiled at her, greeting her.

"I haven't found Josh, though I just got here," Ashley mumbled, upset.

Tyler touched her shoulder, letting her know it was okay.

"We'll find him. You said he was here." Tyler comforted.

Ashley nodded wearily. They started to walk, side by side, around the huge, hilled park.

The fields were crawling with drops of rain and snow. The hillside was flooded with people, water, and trees. Sometimes, they would see parks, sometimes they would see campsites.

"Why does Josh like it here so much?" Tyler asked, rubbing his hands against a green leaf he found.

"I don't know." Ashley sniffed. "Not that I mind it. Nice place, to be honest."

Tyler nodded, taking in the smells and greenery.

"So, what do you think is wrong?" Ashley mumbled, staring at Tyler.

He shrugged, but when he noticed Ashley was still watching him, he gave in.

"Okay, well, the kiss," Tyler said. "And...I don't know what else."

"Huh," Ashley tapped her chin. "Maybe he's still scared from Nero and Harry, or James...or..."

Ashley noticed Tyler wasn't listening anymore. He was staring ahead, dazed.

"Tyler," Ashley laughed nervously, elbowing him. "Bro, dude, hey, Joseph..."

"Ashley..." Tyler stuttered with a shaking voice, pointing ahead. "If Josh wasn't anywhere outside, then I might have found him..."

Ashley looked to where he was pointing. A tall, wooden building in the middle of the field was on fire. It was an old barn that was abandoned in 1990. The barn had used to be a house and the fields an acreage. A few years ago, the barn had been being used for illegal drugs and medicines, but shut down by the police. Now it was a museum being used for rare minerals.

"It's raining and barely snowing, how the hell is it on fire?!" Ashley questioned, walking faster towards the crime scene.

"Someone must have lit it on fire!" Tyler concluded, following. "But if there's nothing valuable in there, why would they..."

Ashley slowed down to face Tyler.

"Josh," Ashley muttered. "Nero...Harry..."

They stared at each other, worry in their eyes when Tyler started running. He grabbed Ashley's hand, leading her towards his best friend and her brother.