The Ghost Of You Is Close To Me

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Tyler stepped into class the next day, his anxiety through the roof about what might happen. Much to the disbelief of Tyler's imagination, nobody looked up at him.

He walked into class like any other day and nobody paid any attention.

Tyler was almost shocked that word about Death hadn't already been spread through the school.

Tyler took a deep breath and walked towards his seat, deliberately avoiding Josh's eyes as he walked by, ignoring his name being called.

"Tyler, please, come on, Tyler," Josh called, turning in his seat to look at the other boy. Josh finally gave up when he noticed that he was being ignored.

Class went on as normal and the teacher talked and the students didn't pay attention and it was a boringly plain day. Tyler couldn't have been happier about that.

~~~

The next week went by and Tyler still refused to even so much as look at Josh. He felt gross, he felt like he was a letdown, that every action he made was a bother in another person's life.

Josh was the person that Tyler felt he'd let down the most. He knew in his mind that everything he'd done to him that first night was horrible, that he shouldn't have targeted those kids, who weren't doing anything more than drinking.

He also knew that he should have never hurt Josh, that digging his boney knees into Josh's leg and chest and wrapping his fingers around Josh's neck, however lightly it may have been, was too far. Because of those thoughts, he couldn't even bear to look in Josh's direction.

~~~

Eventually, his conscience settled and he could get away with a passing nod in Josh's direction if they made eye contact. He tried to talk one time but bile rose in his throat and he felt like he might throw up right then.

He decided against talking to Josh anytime soon.

~~~

It had been a month since Tyler cried into Josh's chest when Josh finally had had enough.

He cornered Tyler when he saw him in the hall, stepping into his personal space the way he'd done with Death, leaving Tyler no option but to listen, to talk even.

"I don't know what you're dealing with ignoring me is but I do know that I want it to stop," Josh said, trying to make his words sound forceful but instead they came out soft, broken. Tyler looked at the floor his hand reaching up to tug at his hair momentarily before he tried to flatten it out with the palm of his hand.

"I'm sorry," Tyler whispered, his shoulders shaking slightly and Josh feared that Tyler might cry. It was the last thing he'd wanted when he thought of confronting Tyler.

"Why do you keep apologizing, I'm not mad at you," Josh said in all honesty. Tyler looked up then and Josh was happy to see that no tears had fallen quite yet though he noticed that Tyler looked dangerously close to the wet in his eyes spilling over.

"You aren't mad?" Tyler asked, seeming so shocked that Josh almost laughed. He shook his head gently, trying to smile but it didn't quite work.

"No, I was never mad. An explanation would be nice but mostly I just wanna talk," he stated, trying to figure out himself when he'd become so drawn to Tyler.

"I can, uh, I can show you?" Tyler asked, looking away again and his cheeks growing a light shade of pink, "You'll just have to meet me at the cemetery, sorry, it's just easier to explain if you can see for yourself."

Josh nodded and backed away then, giving Tyler a small smile before heading off to his class.

~~~