dull screams - joshler

6. free day.

today was finally the day the boys had been looking forward to all month. free day. this meant that all of the orphans fourteen and older were let loose and were allowed to go anywhere they wanted as long as they stayed within the block. this meant the boys could go to the arcade, the candy shop, the bar (if they could somehow sneak in), and...

"the library?" pete didn't even try to stifle the snort he let out at the idea. "you are so boring, patty."

patrick's face went red and he looked down. "um, r-right, sorry" he stammered, then cursed at himself. he was dumb to even think pete would want to go to the library with him.

this was how it usually went in pete and patrick's relationship. they would get their free day. patrick would suggest doing something. pete would laugh in his face. patrick would apologize profusely. then pete would talk patrick into having sex that would end in pete falling asleep and patrick crying silently into his flannel sleeve.

every. single. month.

neither of the boys noticed their friend tyler standing in the doorway of the sleeping quarters until he spoke. "i'll go to the library with you, patrick," he said, smiling shyly.

patrick grinned and stood up, turning to tyler. "really? you will?" he quickly toned down his excitement, though, and turned to pete submissively. "i-is that okay...?"

"free days are supposed to be our days, patrick," pete muttered through his teeth. "but whatever. go with tyler. doesn't matter to me."

"i didn't mean to upset you, pete. i-"

"just go!"

"okay, okay, i'm sorry!"

•••

patrick in the library was truly a sight to see. the timid boy in him flies straight out the window and suddenly he's scampering from bookshelf to bookshelf and asking strangers for recommendations. tyler was mesmerized by his friend. the library was clearly special to him.

"oh, tyler, come here!" called patrick, waving a book over his head. "you might like this one! anne of green gables by lucy laud montgomery. a real classic."

"i read those when i was little, pat," tyler said, chuckling.

"dammit! you've read everything!" patrick finally noticed the blonde girl standing next to them and decided to ask her for some ideas. "oh, hi there! i know this is kinda weird and i know you're not a librarian but i like asking just regular people for recommendations because it's not about business that way. i'm looking for something mysterious - not really scary, but mysterious. i've been looking all over but my friend here seems to have read every book in history and..."

tyler's feet led him away from patrick and he wandered, deep in thought. his hands grazed the wood of the bookshelves as he floated from aisle to aisle. he stopped when the spine colors caught his eye, then grabbed one randomly.

the amityville horror by jay anson.

just looking at the cover was enough for the memories to flood back in like a broken faucet. the bodies, the gun, the sheets, the blood, oh god the blood.

tyler shrieked and hurled the book out of his hands, accidentally hitting the person walking towards him. the boy groaned and grabbed his head. "ow," he mumbled, but a small chuckle graced his lips.

tyler's face went pale and he wailed, "oh my god, i'm so sorry! that was a complete accident!" he scurried over to the boy. "are you okay?"

"yep, i'm fine. don't worry about it." the boy looked up and his eyes bugged out of his head when he saw who he was talking to. "oh, you're tyler...!"

"how did you...?" but then tyler remembered.

the dark brown curls, the thin pink lips, the jawline, the puppy dog eyes.

josh.

~