True Colors (joshler, multi-fandom)

16 - What's on Your Mind

It's a perfect Sunday morning. The sun is bright and the sky is blue, and everything is still green after the start of fall.

At the entrance of the church, there's Ruby. She's in her navy blue church pants and white polo shirt, all sparkling and happy like fireworks. She's had quite a weekend too.

Tyler greets her. "What's going on, Rue?"

He had one-syllable nicknames for every friend whose name was longer than that. Ry, Gee, Bren, Rue, Jen, and more recently, Nic.

"Friday was so fun! It was a dream come true!" Then she squealed. She never squealed since fourth grade, when enthusing about her first trip to Seattle. "We went into this store and I bought a cute pair of leggings, and Nicole bought two necklaces. Then we went around to the back and put one around my neck, and-!"

She leaned into the side of Tyler's face to whisper "she kissed me! We're a couple now!" She backed away and squealed again.

It wasn't long before Josh got to the doors. "Ruby! You're a happy camper."

She bounced on her heels. "Yeah, Friday was awesome! I'll tell you more after service. Or Tyler will. He already knows."

Tyler nodded at his best friend when he looked over. Then it was time for service to start.

***

Ruby recounted her story to Josh as they all walked out. "Woah. All in one night?"

"Yep! Just absolutely wonderful."

Tyler jumped in. "I don't know if I'm prepared to see you looking starry-eyed at Nicole all the time for now on."

"Come on, Tyler! Not all the time!"

"Okay. Most of the time."

She scoffed. "Anyway, she told me my face was like a galaxy and my eyes were the size of the moon. Then she kissed me."

"That's really cheesy."

"I know! But it was so cute!"

"Well I'll be." Josh waited to finish when the trio was further away from the church. "Brendon and Ryan are together, now you and Nicole are together. Who's next?"

Tyler joined again. "Hopefully you. They're all happy, so you deserve to be happy."

That made Josh's complexion turn pink. "Aw. That's sweet."

It made Tyler blush, too. "Don't read into it."

"You still want me to come over? Have sandwiches or something?"

***

The Sunday sun beams into the room, heating a spot on Tyler's bed, where Josh sits as always, while Tyler's in his office chair at his desk, playing with a piece of his hair.

Josh begins. "You told me you didn't want to be all sad today and talk about something."

Tyler Puts his hand down and nods. "Yeah."

"So what's on your mind?"

Tyler shrugged, making his chair creak. He takes a second, and looks down. "I guess I just need a hug." The croak in his voice showed his vulnerability.

"Come here then."

Tyler gets up from the chair and moves over to the bed, sitting down next to his friend, right in the sunbeam. The boys draw themselves towards each other.

For the first time all weekend, just in this moment, all the worry and confusion goes away. Tyler feels nothing but warmth. Would he have felt like this if it was anyone else?

"Thanks, friend." He whispers, with the "d" rounded off to sound like their text slang "fren." He wanted to say something else, that means more than a thank you, but this wasn't the time. It could be taken a few different ways now.

"Always happy to help."

Tyler felt like he was going to cry. He held on tighter. "I don't know what's happening, Josh. We're all moving too fast."

Josh rubbed his hands up and down his friend's back. "I know, Ty. I know. We can stay this way all you like."

Tyler was facing the open door, watching for someone to walk by. So far, nobody passed. He was always okay with the door having to be open when Josh was in his room with him, but now he wanted privacy. Only him and Josh.

"I just want to be okay."

They broke the embrace. "Look where we were last year, and look at us now. We came a long way."

Tyler faintly smiled. The sun on his clothes made it feel like Josh was still holding him.

"Anyways, for October I wanna dye my hair purple."

"But won't it fade before Halloween?"

"You've seen my hair dyed before. Remember I did green for St. Patrick's Day? That was only semi-permanent. This one won't be."

"So you're gonna bleach your hair?"

"...Yeah. Pretty much."

"I'm trying to see it right now. You with purple hair."

"It won't all be purple, just the long parts."

"When are you gonna do it?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe I'll just do it today or after school tomorrow, get a box at the mall and then shock my parents with vibrant purple hair."

"Don't you have band practice?"

"Occasinally we're off. But not often."

"You wanna do it yourself, or-"

"No, I never bleached my hair before and I want someone who can do it. Would you?"

"I know Jenna would. Can we ask?"

"Sure!"

Tyler pulled out his phone and Josh moved closer so that they're shoulder to shoulder, looking at Tyler's messages.

Tyler: can you do us a favor?

Josh critiqued the text. "That's too vague. We don't wanna scare her."

Tyler: josh wants to dye his hair. can you do us a favor?

Tyler squinted at the screen. "Is that too demanding?"

"Yeah, just a little."

Tyler: josh wants to dye his hair and we were wondering if you could help us with it

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, send it."

Tyler: josh wants to dye his hair and we were wondering if you could help us with it? (Delivered 1:54 p.m.)

"And now we wait."

Immediate response.

Jenna: Are you bleaching? (Delivered 1:55 p.m.)

Tyler: yes (Delivered 1:55 p.m.)

Jenna: Do you have the dye already? (Delivered 1:56 p.m.)

Tyler: not yet (Delivered 1:56 p.m.)

This was going to take a bit. And that means all afternoon.