band aids ↠ joshler ✔

t w e n t y n i n e

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josh hasn't heard from tyler since telling him the truth.

he has no idea where he went.

all he knows is that he ran out of the house, and ever since then, josh hasn't been able to find him.

he still remembers the tears and how hard it was to get those words out.

explaining why he was in the hospital.

explaining where he was before the hospital.

saying the words, "tyler, i killed her. it was me." 

and watching tyler's face flood as he ran away.

it's been two days, and he hasn't returned.

he missed his crooked teeth. he missed his fluffy hair. he even missed his stutter, even though it wasn't as bad as when they first met.

josh's heart ached.

josh has searched everywhere.

tyler's gone.

and josh fears he won't come back.

it's almost midnight, josh knows, and he's just finished searching the park.

there's only one other person there.

it's a man, not tyler, sitting by the lake.

josh sits beside him.

josh recognizes him.

if it were a week ago, josh would have run, but now he's not scared of anything.

he doesn't have tyler. nothing matters.

"i know you," josh says to the man, "you're the guy who escaped from the mental hospital months ago."

the man raises an eyebrow.

"oh, i was there," josh explains.

the man nods.

"the name's gerard."

"josh."

they both sit and look at the moon reflect over the water.

josh misses tyler.

he wants him back.

"what's wrong, kid?" gerard asks.

"oh," josh pipes up, before looking down at the grass, "nothing."

"do you know why i escaped that hellhole?"

"no,"

"it's because i was planning to kill myself."

"that's cheery."

"yep. don't do it."

"gotcha."

and josh felt very confused.

"why.... didn't you? what stopped you?" he asked.

"someone talked me out of it." gerard answered, "if you have someone you love with you, they'll make sure you never have a single regret."

then, josh got up and kept looking for tyler.

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