killjoy - joshler

mom

"wow, you got a..." tyler looked up at the screen, seeing the giant, white words pop up on it. "...strike!"

"i'm pretty good, if i say so myself." josh said in mock-cockiness, tyler rolling his eyes with a smile and going up.

josh had only taught him how to do it once, but he had already forgotten now. he looked at his lane, the bumpers sticking out from the sides. there were ten white bowling pins waiting to be knocked down at the end of the lane, tyler holding the bowling ball in his hands. it was heavy, and he was always paranoid that he'd get his fingers stuck, but he was still determined to get a strike.

josh saw tyler thinking too hard about it, so he stood up and got right behind him, placing his hands on tyler's.

"i'll help." josh said lowly, a smile possessing his mouth when he saw goosebumps rise on tyler's arms.

he's never done that to someone before, nice.

"pull back, and let go of the ball as soon as you swing forwards." josh had his hand on the back of tyler's ball, and as soon as he swung it, he pushed it forward so it could roll faster down the lane.

tyler watched with wide eyes as it ran straight down the middle, knocking down all ten of the bowling pins.

"i got a strike, too!" tyler said excitedly, looking at the screen.

"good job!" josh held two hands up, tyler hitting them and laughing.

this was the most fun he's had in a while, he couldn't help it.

josh let tyler go by himself when it was his turn again. he saw tyler look at the ball curiously, hesitantly putting his fingers into the bowling ball and swinging it. tyler watched as it rolled down the lane, bouncing off the bumpers and completely missing the bowling pins. he turned around, a tiny pout on his face.

josh chuckled, still giving tyler a high five for support.

as josh was going, tyler took it as yet another opportunity to observe him. he was so interesting. tyler really, really liked josh; he liked him for accepting him so quickly, for being the warm smile and hazel eyes that he could wake up to in the morning. he liked him for making him take care of himself, and showing him what living was like. before tyler could look away, josh caught him, smiling softly at him and oops, there that blush was again.

tyler made a face at him, making josh do that little laugh where his tongue would poke out between his teeth and his eyes would get all squinty. josh wasn't finished with his turn, though, so tyler looked around the bowling alley, especially at the arcade section. there was a lot of noise coming from there, and a lot of people were in there, playing the games. he blinked, looking around the bowling alley at everyone's auras. he saw a lot of green, and that made him smile.

people were happy here.

he turned his head to the left, seeing more magenta and blue auras. they were all the way at the corner of the alley, where nobody could really see them. he turned his head again, staring at the red auras that were clustered around the front of the alley, his heart sinking.

they were here.

"josh." tyler called, josh too busy celebrating his strike to himself.

"josh!" tyler whisper-yelled.

"huh?" josh asked, looking at him.

"we need to go." he said, getting up out of his chair and taking off his bowling shoes.

"what? why?"

"they're here." tyler said, josh following him to the front desk.

tyler tried to hide behind people walking back and forth between them, seeing the red auras continually walk around the alley, as if they were searching for something. josh was confused, and scared, but he took off his bowling shoes anyways, handing them to the cashier and following tyler towards the entrance.