Death Pact ~ Joshler

Twenty-Six

-four days later-

"Are you coming home tonight?" Brendon asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I️-I️ don't know, Bee." Tyler replied softly, running his fingers through his short, brown hair. "He's gotten worse and I'm afraid to leave him."

Ever since Josh was forced to talk about his past, his nightmares got worse. The boy had gotten about eight hours of sleep... in the span of three days. After he re-lived one of his terrible experiences, he refused to go back to sleep. Usually Tyler or even Frank- who had taken i️t upon himself to visit Josh when he wasn't at school- would stay up with him. But they too needed their sleep and often would pass out unintentionally.

Even Ashley had spent the first night with him, but she soon had to head back home. She had a life of her own. Josh promised to text her daily and update her on the progress he had made, in both his health and the soon-to-be trial against Pete.

Tyler had been making Josh take his medicine which included: a pain reliever, an antidepressant, anti-anxiety medicine, and pills for his night terrors. He was acting a bit different, the younger boy could tell, but he wasn't going to let Josh stop taking them again. He needed them for his health. For his own good.

"Why don't you just invite him over?" Brendon asked with a sigh. He respected his boyfriend's decision to stay and help but that didn't mean that he wasn't at least a little bit jealous of all the time Josh was getting to spend with him.

"He won't leave his mom. I️ know he acts like he doesn't care about her, but he almost always stays up to make sure that she gets home safe." Tyler explained in a hushed tone. He was afraid of Josh overhearing that they were talking about him.

"Fine." Brendon groaned. "Promise me you'll come by during my lunch break tomorrow though, okay?"

"Always do."

"Goodnight, Babe. Love you."

"Love you too." Tyler replied, swiftly hanging up before slipping his phone into his pocket.

"How's Brendon?" A voice asked, nearly making Tyler jump.

"He's-He's good. Just a little bored with being alone I️ guess."

"You should go home and see him." Josh said, gathering some pajamas to change into. His back was facing Tyler so that he couldn't see the sad expression on his face. He didn't really want Tyler to go.

"I'm not going anywhere. He can survive a few days without me on his own just fine. Besides, it'll give him more time to convince Dallon to break up with Pe— uh-"

"You can say his name." Josh said, though he was frozen, pajama bottoms gripped tightly in his hands.

"No, it's- I️ didn't mean to. Sorry." Tyler apologized, but Josh shook his head.

"Say it." Josh almost demanded through gritted teeth. "You're all so scared to say his name around me, aren't you? You all treat me like I'm this fragile little thing that can't take care of himself! I'm sick of it."

"Josh..." Tyler said lowly, walking over to his friend and pushing the dresser drawer in so that he could stand where it was pushed out. Sure, there was barely any room for him and he must've only been less than a foot from Josh but he knew that Josh wasn't about to turn around to face him.

Tyler took the pants from Josh's hands and replaced them with his own hands, holding them tightly. Josh's hands shook noticeably, party from the fact that he was upset but Tyler also knew that it probably had to do with the antidepressant he was taking. Along with shakiness, came nausea and for the first two days Josh refused to eat, or would throw up anything Tyler force fed him.