Carnival✔

2

The next day Josh was sitting out on the step, waiting for the school bus. He seen Tyler walk outside, still carrying bon bon. He was talking to it again.

He looked happy, but how after what happened? Tyler spotted Josh and quickly ran over. "Hi Josh! You wanna play with me and bon bon?" He asked.

"I'm waiting for the bus." Josh said softly. "Well.. can you play until it gets here?" Tyler asked, his eyes wide with hope. Josh sighed. "okay sure." He said.

He stood up, leaving his school bag on his step and followed Tyler as he excitedly bounced back to his yard. The two sat down in the grass, Tyler setting bon bon beside him.

"We're gonna play Patty cake." Tyler said, scooting a bit closer to Josh so that their knees touched. Tyler sang the song as they clapped their hands together.

"Patty cake, Patty cake, bakers man, bake me a cake as fast as you can, roll it, pat it, mark it with a J put it in the oven for joshie and me." Tyler giggled, restarting the handshake.

They continued until the bus pulled up in front of Josh's house. "I gotta go now.. bye." Josh said, standing up and running to grab his bag before quickly getting on the bus.

Tyler sighed, he was all alone now. He grabbed bon bon and sat him in his lap. "Let's go see what Mama's doing." He said before standing up and heading inside.

His mother was in the living room, unpacking some boxes. "Hi mama." Tyler smiled as he walked into the room. His mother only grumbled and continued with what she was doing.

He went over to the box and reached inside, trying to help. His mother snapped though and started yelling at him, shoving him, hitting him. She threw bon bon across the room, out of his reach. "I'm sorry." He sobbed as he was beaten then dragged up the stairs to the bathroom.

His mother threw him in the tub and turned on the cold water. He screeched and tried to climb out of the tub but his mother held him there. She held him there for a good five to ten minutes. He was freezing, shivering and crying, wanting to get out.

When his mother finally let the water drain he scrambled out and laid on the floor, curled in a ball trying to get warm. "Fucking brat." His mother said before leaving him.

He laid there for a while before the cold wetness of his clothes got to much for him to handle. He stripped himself of the soaked fabric and grabbed a towel from the cupboard, drying himself off then wrapping it around his shoulders.

He went downstairs and grabbed bon bon before heading to his room and laying on his bed, still wrapped in the damp towel.

When Josh got home from school he went up to his room to do homework. He froze when he looked out his window though. He could see Tyler, laying on his bed, in nothing but a towel. He was just laid there but he looked cold and his hair was wet, stuck to his forehead.

Josh swallowed nervously and walked closer to his window. He stared at the unmoving boy for a while, was he dead? Was he just sleeping? Josh didn't know.

He took a deep breath and sat down to do his homework. He felt sick to his stomach, but not because of a flu or because of something he ate. He was sick with anxiety, his nerves sending waves of discomfort throughout his whole body and causing his stomach to churn.

He did his best to breathe and stay calm until his parents arrived home. As soon as he heard the car door shut he sprang up and ran out of his room, down the stairs and to the front door.

He swung it open, letting it hit the wall harshly as he ran to his mom and clung to her. His mom was instantly concerned, kneeling down to be level height with her son.

"Joshua sweetheart what's wrong? What Happened? Breathe hunny." She said. Josh was shaking with sobs, his voice being buried beneath them when he tried to tell his mother why he was upset. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees, struggling to regain air into his lungs.

His father came home seconds later. Instantly running over to his wife and son when he seen the worried glance Josh's mother had sent him. He quickly picked Josh up by his under arms, carrying him inside.

The small family went to the kitchen, Josh's father holding him close and assuring him he'll be okay while his mother dug through the cupboard. When she found Josh's medication she quickly got his dosage.

Josh's anxiety attack was interferring with him taking the medication himself so his mother had to help him. Once it was in his system, his father just paced around the house with Josh in his arms.

He rubbed Josh's back and bounced him slightly while whispering soothes into his ear. A half hour later when the medication started to take effect Josh was just laying in his father's arms. His father now sitting on the couch.

His head rested on his father's shoulder as his back was still being rubbed gently. His eyelids we're heavy but he didn't shut them. His mother held a cold cloth to his forehead to try to lower his body temperature.

She could tell he was growing tired and started softly singing a song from Josh's childhood, it always helped him sleep. His mother would sing it when he was sick, upset, scared, or sad.

His eyes slowly blinked shut. His anxiety attack finally taking it's toll on him. He was out like a light in no time. His parents sighed, they both wished he didn't have to go through this.

He had anxiety attacks at least twice a week, some way worse than others, taking hours to calm him. They wished they could make things better for him and take his anxiety away, but they couldn't.

Josh's father stood up, his mother following. They went upstairs and set Josh down in their bed. It was never good for Josh to sleep by himself after something like this so he spent the night in his parents room.

Protected by the walls of his parents laying on either side of him. They would protect him for the night, protect him from all the bad things that lurked in the dark and from the nightmares that were sure to follow later.

He knew he was safe though. As long as his parents were there, he'd be okay.

(Have another update for this :))