I Saw You In The Water [Joshler]

Thirty three 🐚

"It's better this way." Tyler  mumbled kicking his sand-filled shoes

The boy ran up the stairs ignoring the tears filling his eyes. His chest ached from running, he tripped a few times and scraped his knee but soon his body filled with sour numbness.

"It's better this way." Tyler murmured mumbled to himself shuffling through his bag

The salty liquid flowing from his eyes made it impossible to see clearly. Tyler sat down and wiped his tears angrily, it was so annoying that he still had such feelings for a dead man. Tyler hated himself for loving someone whose heart doesn't beat for him in that way. 

"It's better this way." Tyler murmured taking off his necklace and stuffing it into the deepest section of his bag. 

Tyler shoved the clothing filled bag into his closet and shut the door down. It's not like he'll be needing more than three shirts anyway, the boy didn't plan to come on the first play. No one wants a gloomy cloud following them and ruining all the fun with constant whining. Tyler sat on his bed with his legs and arms crossed. He looked out the window, his gaze wandered aimlessly. Tyler felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. Any other person n the world would be glad but Tyler had struggled enough. 

The boy shut himself in his room again, ignoring everyone's pleas to come out. Tyler didn't want to see anyone, he would leave his room just to eat. No matter how many times his family questioned Tyler the boy wasn't gonna talk. Kelly begged Tyler to tell what happened on the beach so they could help him but the boy didn't want to start more drama that there already was. He decided that everyone should live their lives, he decided to leave everything as it is so Tyler wouldn't ruin anything again. He wasn't gonna ruin someone's happiness just because he wanted to be happy himself. 

"Everything happens for a reason." Tyler exhaled heavily " 

If someone gave Tyler a dollar every time he said that to himself, the brunette would be able o buy happiness. Or cocaine. Same thing. 

Tyler stared at the ceiling fan, spinning slowly. If someone suddenly drew back the thick velvet curtains that trapped the darkness in the room, Tyler's retina would set on fire. The boy hadn't seen the sunlight for almost a week. It was cold in Tyler's room. While everyone was wearing tank tops and shorts, Tyler snugged up under two blankets. The room atmosphere perfectly matched the winter in Tyler's heart. 

Tyler would never leave his room when he didn't need to eat or bring his dirty laundry downstairs. He would ignore his mother's calling but this time, when Kelly asked Tyler to come downstairs, the boy obliged, curiosity took over him.

"Tyler!" the brunette was having a staring contest with the wall when his mother suddenly called him "Your friend wants to see you!"

Tyler was intrigued but not interested enough to get up. He let out a sigh.

"I don't have any friends!"

There was a long pause before the woman answered from downstairs. 

"He says that he really wants to see you."

"Tell him to go fuck himself." Tyler murmured and buried his face in his pillow, of course, no one heard him, Tyler didn't care.

"Tyler?" Kelly called again

The brunette let out a frustrated sigh and lifted his head up

"What?!"

"He really wants to talk to you." Kelly paused "About what happened on the beach."

Tyler suddenly jumped up, his pillow flew across the room. He rushed for the door and slammed it shut. The bang echoed across the whole house telling the unwanted guest to do a one-eighty and start walking. 

Tyler put his head under the pillow and pressed his palms against his ears. Tyler's nose was smushed up against the mattress and Tyler hoped that he would accidentally suffocate himself because existence was pain. Tyler's eyes closed slowly, he started to have flashbacks of that damn day when he agreed to help his dad to help his dad to repair his boat. After all that murderous mermaid adventure when Chris almost drowned, the man didn't want to drop the hobby. Of course, he didn't remember there being any mermaids at all. 

Tyler was standing in someone's garage, rocking back and forth on his heels. Chris was talking to the owner of the house they were in, the brunette didn't know the man, he never been to this part of town, Tyler never got a chance. The boy didn't want to eavesdrop but he had nowhere else to go so he just looked around pretending that he wasn't hearing anything. 

"So, how do you..." Chris looked around the garage "It's really hard managing all of this."

"Well..." the man that Tyler didn't know let out a chuckle "My boys help me out."

"Oh. I didn't know you had children." Chris chuckled

"You should pay a visit more often."

"Yeah, you're right, Bill." Chris sighed "Can you take a look at my car as well?"

"Sure thing." Bill nodded "I'll just get my toolbox from the shed..."

"Tyler can you get it?" Chris turned to Tyler 

"Sure." Tyler murmured

"It's just around the corner, behind the house." Bill instructed "One of my boys should know where it is. The red one." 

Tyler gave the man a weak nod and exited the garage. He walked around the house to the huge backyard and looked around trying to spot a shed but there were two building looking like a shed. Tyler cursed his life for being so difficult and decided to check out the shed on the right. 

"It's the left one." A curly haired boy with sunglasses said as he walked past

"Uh... Thanks." Tyler murmured

The boy just smiled and walked inside. He reminded Tyler of someone in a strange way. Tyler approached the shed on the left and heard a tinkering noise coming from the inside. He wasn't the best at socializing, he hoped he could just grab the damn toolbox and go. Tyler slowly opened the door. Tyler's heart dropped when he saw the familiar physique of a man who haunted his every dream. Tyler couldn't see the man's face because he worked on something with his back turned to Tyler but the hair colour was way too familiar to him. Tyler inhaled sharply, his blood froze in his veins when the man turned around. 

Was it some sick joke? Was Tyler high on something or were his eyes deceiving him? The man flashed Tyler a warm smile, his mismatched eyes squinting as he did so. Tyler stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

"Hey." the man waved his hand in front of the boy's face and let out a small laugh "Are you okay?"

"I'm-" Tyler croaked and pointed at the red metal box on the ground 

"Oh, the toolbox." Josh smiled "Here."

The ocean-haired man handed Tyler the toolbox. Tyler nodded and slowly exited the shed. He felt the man walking behind him. Tyler struggled with the weight of the toolbox. The freckled man suddenly took the toolbox out of his hands.

"I'll help you. " he smiled again "I haven't seen you around town, did you move in recently?"

"I'm an introvert..." Tyler's voice came out as a weak whisper, causing the older man's lips curl into a smile

"I see. I'm William by the way. " the man extended his arm politely and Tyler hesitantly shook it

"Tyler." the brunette managed to squeeze a breath out of his lungs, his fingers felt numb, ice-cold like blood had abandoned his veins

The boy followed the man back into the garage. His dad wasn't there and Tyler thanked God because his father would die on the spot too if he saw the person who helped Tyler carry the toolbox.

Chris would have a lot of questions because just like Tyler and everyone else he believed that Josh drowned two years ago.