control ↣ joshler ✓

14. GÌV ĖÑŪP

Lina officially has a face claim! It's Bianca Santos! Although Lina and her family are from Mexico and Bianca isn't I envisioned them with the same face.

The next day, Josh invited Tyler over to hang out. He was still pretty shaken up from the night before.

Josh still didn't know exactly what he saw but Tyler had told him he had gone to see how long the wait would be before they got things up and running again.

Josh wasn't mad Tyler had left him alone but he was upset that he didn't know what exactly happened. It was too real for it to be something he imagined but he had no logical explanation for it.

The couple was laying on the bed. Josh kept trying to talk to Tyler but the mentioned would give him short answers or not reply at all.

"I'm tired," Josh yawned.

"Mhm."

"How's you do on that English test?"

"Fine."

"Yeah you're good at English. You probably did really good."

No reply.

The past twenty minutes had gone on like that. Josh invited Tyler over and wasn't going to very well kick him out of the house but Josh didn't know how to deal with Tyler's attitude.

Josh let out a sigh and grabbed his phone, going to Instagram. He went to his explore page and just started watching random videos to keep him occupied.

Out of nowhere, Tyler looked at him with a scowl. "Turn that shit off."

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You invited me over and now you're just fucking ignoring me."

Maybe Josh was tired. Maybe he was still getting over what happened yesterday. Maybe he had had it with Tyler disrespecting him. He didn't know why he was angry but he was. "No. You're the one giving me short ass answers. You've been nothing but a dick to me for the past three weeks and I'm fucking tired of it. It's not fair to me."

Tyler sneered at him. "Oh look. Joshie's getting sensitive. Boo hoo."

Josh looked at him in disbelief. "Who even are you anymore? I used to be so in love with you. You had the kindest heart and a beautiful soul. Now? You're a bully. You're malicious and awful. To everyone. To the kids at school. To Lina. To your family. To me. Why? What happened?"

Tyler let out a humorless laugh. "I told you. This is just me now. I got tired of the bullshit."

"What bullshit?" Josh yelled, standing up.

Tyler got up as well and gave him the nastiest glare. If looks could kill, Josh would be six feet under right now. "All this bullshit! 'You're such a good person. Everyone loves you.' Maybe I just got fucking sick and tired of being pushed around. Maybe I wanted some type of power."

Josh scoffed. "Seriously? Do you hear how fucking stupid you sound?"

Tyler didn't reply. Josh watched as he raised his hand. He was just seconds away from letting his hand collide with Josh's face. Josh could have sworn Tyler's eyes flashed red again.

But then... he stopped. Josh saw Tyler's eyes widen and soften. He looked horrified. With Josh. With himself.

"Were you just about to hit me?" Josh asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tyler blinked again and the scowl and angry look returned. "Fuck you!"

He grabbed his phone off the bed and walked out of Josh's room, slamming the door behind him.

Josh sat on his bed and covered his face, loud sobs coming out. He didn't know what to do anymore. He wanted to his old Tyler and he didn't want to give up but staying with him when he was like this was hurting him.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at his door. "Josh?"

He recognized the voice as his dad's. He had had the day off so surely he heard Tyler and Josh arguing.

"Come in," he hiccuped.

The door opened and Jim came strolling in, hopping on the bed and putting his head in Josh's lap. His dad walked in a moment later and sat next to him on the bed.

Jim wasn't allowed around Tyler when he came over anymore because he kept trying to attack him. Jim wasn't like that with anyone else so Josh nor his family thought anything of it. They just kept the two separated.

But now that Tyler was gone and Jim was allowed in Josh's room, Josh held onto him tightly as he cried.

His dad sat there, not speaking. Both of his parents were good with talking things out which surprised Josh. Then again, his dad was a speech counselor and his mom was a therapist so they were good with communicating and using their words.

Josh's dad waited for his sobs to subside before opening his mouth. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Josh replied honestly.

"Start from the beginning."

Josh explained everything. Tyler's sudden moodiness. Him snapping at Lina and unfriending her. The dietary change. The cussing. Everything.

Everything except well, what had happened the night before. Tyler didn't have anything to do with that. He wasn't around when it occurred.

Josh's dad listened the whole time, not once interrupting or asking questions. Once Josh was done, he anxiously ran his hands through Jim's fur while the dog sat there contently.

"Well," his dad began, scratching his chin lightly. "It sounds like Tyler isn't the same person anymore. He's not the person we thought he was. I've known that kid for a long time and I've never heard him talk to anyone like that."

"It's because he doesn't. Or he didn't. Not up until recently."

"Maybe... you guys should break up."

Josh's head snapped up and he looked at his dad. "What?"

"It sounds like things are getting toxic and I love you, son. I don't want you going through anything like that."

Josh sighed, completely drained from crying. "Our anniversary is on Thursday. I want to make it to then. I want to make it to two years. And then after that I'll make a decision. I just don't want to give up on him."

"I know you don't, Josh. But I think he's already given up on himself.