Dema Don't Control Us (Joshler)

Everything Goes To Shit

"Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you," Tyler sang while strumming his ukulele, smiling at Josh, who was sitting on Awsten's bed, blushing. Awsten was nowhere to be seen.

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin-" Tyler winked at the word "sin." "If I can't help falling in love with you..."

"Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling it goes, some things are meant to be..."

"Tyler!" Oh, fuck. It was Nico. Tyler stopped strumming and put the ukulele down. "Open up, please!"

The boys both had a feeling of impending doom. Tyler timidly walked to the door, and turned the knob. Nico glared suspiciously, and then noticed Josh. His eyes widened in shock. "Josephine? What are you doing in here?"

"I- I was listening to Tyler..." Josh muttered. "Firstly, Elvis Presley is evil," Nico growled. "Secondly, I have a question: were you singing that song specifically for Josephine, Tyler?"

Tyler didn't know what to say, so he stammered incoherently for a long moment, then stared directly at Nico and squeaked, "Excuse me. Could you please leave?"

Big mistake. Nico's eyes lit with rage. "This instrument is your privilege, Tyler Joseph!" he bellowed, picking up the ukulele. "You earned it by behaving in a godly manner. First you use it to serenade a tranny with Elvis Presley, then you talk back to me? You've lost your privilege!"

Nico slammed the ukulele on the hard wood floor. It made an echoing noise that sounded like a desperate cry as the strings flew in every direction. The tiny instrument shattered, along with Tyler's heart.

Tyler stared in shock, tears streaming down his face. "That was my friend," he whispered. "You hurt my friend."

Josh ran to comfort Tyler, only to be met with a slap in the face from Nico. "You. You are making this boy sin. You corrupted him. Get out of this room right now or you'll be sorry," Nico snarled menacingly. Josh ran as fast as he could.

Nico slammed the door, leaving him and Tyler alone. Tyler was still staring at the broken ukulele, sobbing silently. Nico grabbed Tyler's shoulders. "Confess your sins," he commanded.

Tyler, through tears, mustered up all his courage. "As far as you're concerned, I haven't sinned, because according to you, Josh is a girl."

"'Josh' isn't real, Tyler! Your friend's name is Josephine Winifred Dun, she is pretending to be a boy, and you are feeding into her delusions! That's a sin right there, you're affirming an incorrect gender identity!" Nico yelled. Tyler cringed.

"You've talked back too many times, you've sinned too much. You will be in the closet until I say you can go," ordered Nico. He meant a literal closet, that's where he'd locked Tyler last time.

Tyler didn't say anything, he was too scared of getting into more trouble. So he let Nico guide him to the cramped, isolated room.