Aviary // Joshler

// CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TRIGGER WARNING // REFERENCES TO PAST ABUSE

Time passed, and Tyler slowly became more accustomed to living at the Ballato Estate. He loosened up, so to speak, and the other children accepted him--they let him hang around with him, and they learned more about one another. THere was much to be learned, as well.

Jenna and Sarah were eighteen and thirteen, respectively, which was quite an age difference, but they were best friends anyway. Patrick and Pete were practically glued at the hip, Tyler already knew, and eventually, Brendon let on that they were a couple. Brendon himself hung out with Ryan quite a lot, but Tyler wasn't really sure about the nature of their relationship, just that Ryan would always go along with whatever crazy or silly scheme Brendon had planned like they were partners in crime.

That, of course, left Tyler and Josh, who were, after the reveal of Josh's abilities, somehow suddenly friends.

One lazy Sunday night, while gathered around the phonograph, Tyler learned the stories behind almost everyone's arrival at the Estate.

Some were simple--Brendon's parents had simply got fed up with his abilities, not to mention his ADHD, and had him sent off without so much of a goodbye, and Jenna had agreed along with her parents that it would be best for her to go somewhere out of the public eye, where people wouldn't ask questions.

Other stories, though, were more complicated. Ryan, huddled up under a warm blanket, told the story of his arrival in a hushed voice. Everything about his mother's pregnancy had been normal, apparently, and nobody had expected him to come out of the womb looking as he did. They didn't know how, or why, but everyone had a different opinion on what to do. The doctors wanted to send Ryan to be studied by the government, while Ryan's dad just wanted to get rid of him in any way possible. Ryan's mother, though, refused to turn her back on her child.

"We moved to this little house outside of town," Ryan went on in a quiet voice. Everyone, not just Tyler, seemed interested in Ryan's tale; it clearly wasn't something he brought up often. "And mom took care of me, she loved me, but dad." He didn't trail off, didn't pause, just stopped his sentence there.

Brendon scooted closer to the other boy, lightly tapping on his knee a few times. Ryan opened his palm and Brendon took it, squeezing his hand. "You can skip that part," he said.

Softly, Ryan nodded. He waited for a moment before continuing. "After I turned five, my parents got in this huge fight. Dad wanted me gone, Mom wanted me to stay." He blinked, emotionless. "Dad won, and they sent me here."

"I'm sorry, Ryan," Tyler said quietly.

Brendon leaned into the cloth boy's shoulder, making him smile just slightly. "'S okay. It's good here. And I've got friends now," he added, leaning back into Brendon's shoulder. Brendon giggled.

The conversation in the room gradually drifted to another topic. Tyler smiled and leaned back against the back of the couch. He was really growing to like these people, this place. He pulled his blanket further around himself, cuddled up in its warmth, watching as Jenna removed the record from the phonograph, turned it over, and began playing the other side.

An elbow suddenly prodded into Tyler's side, startling him. "Hey, what do you think?" Josh asked, smiling Just a little. Tyler wasn't supposed to admit it, but he was pretty happy earlier when Josh chose to sit next to him on the couch.

"Of what?" he blinked.

Josh rolled his eyes. "This album."

Tyler glanced to the album cover, leaning against the phonograph. They were listening to an Arctic Monkeys record. Tyler didn't recognize the band or their music whatsoever, but Josh had chosen it to listen to tonight and seemed to like it.

"It's interesting," Tyler said, from a lack of a better term.

The yellow-haired boy nodded his head slightly, seeming satisfied with this answer. They sat in quiet for a moment, the children sitting on the floor in front of them now talking about what they remembered about school.

"I'm sorry about the other night," Josh said in a hushed voice. He was looking sincerely at Tyler now. "I was just startled, I didn't mean to freak you out or something."

Tyler knew right away what he was talking about, and he nodded his head, putting a smile on his face again to reassure his friend. "It's okay. No worries."

To his surprise and delight, Josh grinned and put a hand on Tyler's knee for a moment, sending chills up his spine. "Thanks, man. That means a lot."

As they sat together, legs not quite touching, bodies not quite leaning into one another, Tyler tried not to think about just how much it did mean to him.