JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: LETS DO THIS ONE LAST TIME

Apparently I had Dumb Bitch Juice for breakfast yesterday because I accidentally deleted the whole fucking chapter. So here it is again, with help from @TopStanTrash.

YOU'VE DECIDED TO:
TAKE TYLER TO THE RECORD STORE

+3 new vinyl records
+1 evil ex girlfriend encounter
+2 awkward staring contests

Josh has had a lot of jobs over the years. College was cheap enough in Canada that dropping out wasn't a total loss to him but expensive enough that Josh burned through all his money in a heartbeat, spending it on booze, drugs, and a variety of sex toys (don't ask).

One job he had was at a record store in downtown Toronto. He hasn't been back since She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named broke up with him. That place holds too many ruined memories.

So, when Tyler suggests going there for their first- second, maybe?- official date, Josh hesitates. Tyler tilts his head to the side like a confused puppy.

"Is there some sort of evil ex I need to beat the shit out of before I can kiss you again?" He asks jokingly, but Josh can tell he's actually concerned.

"No, it's okay," Josh says, kissing him. "I've just got some shit to work out. Who better to work my shit out with than my time traveling boyfriend?"

They get ice cream and walk the the record store, talking about the type of music they listen to. Tyler doesn't listen to much besides Grouplove and Arctic Monkeys- both excellent choices- so Josh tells him that he'll help him expand his music taste.

"Yeah, right," Tyler laughs, covering his mouth with his ice cream cone. "I bet your music taste sucks."

"O contraire, my love. Sex Bob-Omb won the first round of Battle of the Bands," Josh says.

"Because your rivals literally exploded."

Josh ignores the huge RADIO REBEL poster on the shop's window and holds the door open for Tyler as they walk into the record store, a song playing that he recognizes but brushes off. He leads Tyler straight to the H's, rummaging through a bin for a particular album.

"What're you looking for?" Tyler asks, sitting on the table holding the bins with his feet on the chair.

"Hockey Dad.  Their song Jump The Gun is so good, I bet you'll love them." Josh finds and pulls the album out. "Ha, found it." He pops it into the record player, setting the headphones connected to it over Tyler's ears.

Slowly, Tyler's eyes grow wide with fascination, and he can't hide his smile this time. Josh moves in front of him and puts his hands on either side of Tyler, kissing him softly.

"You like it?" He smiles.

Tyler nods. "Grouplove is still my favorite."

"Well, I've got more for you to listen to. Wait here."

Josh moves to another aisle, trailing his hand over the bins, looking for the S section, and bumps into someone. The girl drops her phone and Josh kneels down the pick it up at the same time she does, not yet realizing who it is.

"Shit, sorry, I wasn't-"

Debby, with one hand on Josh's and the other smacking over her mouth. She's just as beautiful as that last day. "Josh."

After a moment of staring, he scrambles backwards, almost like he got shocked. "Hey, Debby," he says slowly, still sitting on the carpeted floor.

She bites her cherry red lip, pocketing her phone and standing. "Please don't call me that. It's Radio Rebel now." She cringes as she says it.

"I..."

"Hey, J, did you get lost?" Tyler calls out.

Josh shoots to his feet and redirects his gaze to the bins, seeing the Soccer Mommy vinyl and pulling it out. "You look... good."

"You do too. Happy," Debby replies quietly, standing beside Josh and looking through the bin beside him. He knows that she doesn't like to listen to records, so he knows she's stalling. "Are you here alone?"

"No, actually, I'm here with my-" Josh pauses. She doesn't know about his gay crisis. What would she say? Will she Why should he care what she would think of him? "I'm on a date. I'm looking for music for... him to listen to."

"Oh. Cool. I'm here with my boyfriend too."

He scoffs and turns to see Tyler putting in a Grouplove vinyl into the record player. "Let me guess. It's the asshole you cheated on me with."

"Good to see you too, bitch boy." Brendon appears out of thin fucking air and wraps an arm around Debby's shoulders. "Is this punk bothering you, baby?"

Debby pushes his arm off. "No, Bren, I'm fine. We were just-"

"Catching up," Josh finishes her sentence.

He can see Tyler looking for him, and he mouths help me to him when their eyes lock. Tyler grabs the two albums in his hand but then freezes when he sees Brendon. His face turns red.

"Brendon."

Brendon looks over his shoulder and sends Tyler a predatory smile. "I see you've kept your beauty, Ty."

Tyler, with his stupid heelies, rolls through between the aisles, and clocks him in the jaw. Brendon doesn't even flinch, grinning down at him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Tyler growls, his hands clenched into fists.

"Just helping stock Radio Rebel's new album," Brendon says, rubbing his jaw.

Josh and Debby exchange confused looks. "Wait, so you two-" he starts, stopping when Tyler sends him a death glare. "Oh."

"I told you I'd punch you in the face the next time I saw you." Tyler crosses between Brendon and Debby and grabs Josh's hand, starting to pull him to the cash register.

"I bet this homeless twink of yours isn't as good as he and I were," Brendon shouts, making him skid to a stop. Josh can hear the grin in his voice when he continues. "Admit it, baby, we were the best you ever had."

"Twink?"

Tyler lets go of Josh, his hands shaking. "If you even think that I wanted the things that you and-" he takes a deep breath and blinks a couple times, his voice wavering. "I never wanted any of that, and you know it."

"But you never said no."

Josh immediately goes into kill mode when he hears that. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Tyler catches Josh by his arms before he can pounce and drags him away to pay, mumbling under his breath, "Screw this evil ex league shit, if he comes back I'm going to kill him myself."