teeth ↣ joshler ✓

32. Transition

Warning for slight mention of vomit

The next week was awkward for the Dun household to say the least.

Josh nor Jordan really spoke to each other unless they had to. Jordan still rode with Rylee to school in the morning and home with Josh. The car rides were painfully silent but neither did anything about it.

Josh was sure his parents picked up on something but they didn't know what. Jordan hasn't been as annoying or loud. Josh thought the completely personality change was weird and it was obvious his parents did too.

So when he was eating lunch the next day at school, he asked Jenna and Tyler about it.

"I think a personality change is almost expected," Jenna assured. "I don't really know why it happens or what makes it happen but when you get turned your body has to rewire itself. That's why it hurts so bad. You're literally dying and sort of coming back to life. I didn't go through much of one but Tyler did."

"What does it feel like?" Josh asked quietly, curiosity evident. "To turn?"

That's when Tyler spoke up. "I don't know about Jenna but for me it was like..." he paused for a moment, thinking. "I was sorta fine at first. Like when I first woke up I felt a little disoriented like you would after taking a long nap or something. Jenna said I was asleep for most of the night it happened since I lost a lot of blood when Rylee's asshole brother fed from me before turning me."

"I was only out for like four," Jenna added.

"So it all depends," Tyler continued. "But when you wake up you feel like you have the stomach flu that's on steroids. I woke up in Jenna's bed and she instantly led me to the bathroom without explaining anything. I couldn't even ask what was happening before I was violently puking into her toilet. That lasted on and off for a day and it was terrible."

"And then what?"

"The second day I was still nauseous but didn't throw up at all. I sat in Jenna's bed with like ten blankets on because my body temperature dropped so badly. I went from having a highest temperature of 104 to regulating at about 76. Like if you were to take either of our temperatures it wouldn't be above 78 probably. We never get sick though so no one ever has to take it.

"And then sometime on the second day I went into something similar to a coma I guess? Like I was asleep and completely unresponsive for like 30 hours. Then I woke up and that's when it happened. Most of everything finalized when I was asleep; most of my organs shut down, the venom made its way through my body, my senses heightened, everything. It starts the moment you first wake up and that's why it hurts so badly. When you puke you're throwing up everything that was in your system and your body's trying to fight the venom but the venom is essentially poison so it hurts like hell."

"So what happened when you woke up?" Josh asked him next, completely engaged. Tyler had never told him this before and he only saw some of it from Jordan's end.

"I woke up and I literally felt my heart stop. Like I felt it stop beating. Which is the scariest thing in the world. Jenna had tried explaining everything to me in the day and a half before I passed out but I was so out of it I couldn't retain anything she was saying. I was in the middle of panicking when I felt my teeth extract and I just froze," he continued to explain, sadness evident on his face. "I knew what had happened but was still so confused all at the same time.

"I felt super dehydrated and tried drinking the water on her nightstand and nothing happened. She handed me a cup of... something else... and that's the only thing that helped and she re-explained things to me. Everything else after that is sort of me just hating life and her helping me try not to hate life but that's basically what happens when you transition. And since your body rewires, your brain does too and you might experience a personality change. On top of that it's kind of a traumatic thing to go through."

Josh took that all in. "So you both and my little brother had to go through that?" He asked.

Jenna nodded sadly. "Yeah."

As if on cue, Josh saw Jordan and Rylee talking in the hallway. They both had smiles on their faces and Rylee was laughing. The sight made Josh's blood boil and anger fill his body. It was her fault Jordan was like that now.

"I'm gonna drive a stake through her damn heart," Josh mumbled, beginning to get up.

"Woah, slow down there, baby," Tyler pulled him back down. "First of all, that doesn't work."

"It doesn't?" Josh asked. "How would you know?"

Tyler hesitated. "I just do. Second of all, look at Jordan."

Josh did as he was told and saw him smiling the widest he's ever smiled. The most impossible, ridiculous thing Josh could think of happening has happened but his brother looks truly happy. He looks content. "He looks happy..." Josh spoke aloud in a deflating tone.

"And as much as Jenna and I resent being like this," Tyler looked over at him. "If he's smart and safe with it, then let them be. If a... human... diet—" he grimaced at his words. "— is what he wants to do then there's nothing we can do. If he starts turning or killing anyone then we obviously have to step in but let's just see how this plays out and how things go with Rylee."

"Why are you defending her? Her brother turned you and probably Jenna."

"Because she still hasn't given me any reason not to like her. She's still a nice girl and it's not her fault her brother's a dick. All she's known is to feed from people but if she's cautious and teaches Jordan to be cautious then it'll be fine. It's what they have to do to survive," Tyler spoke sadly. "She offered this to him and he said yes. He didn't know what was happening but he's trying to be okay with it now. It's not the same as Jenna or I's situations. It was almost mutual. She didn't do it without attempting to preface anything."

"But why are you trying to make light of it? Why aren't you being all pissy about it like you were before?"

"Because of you, Josh," Tyler told him. "As much as you probably hate it, they're a lot like us. Obviously something felt like it was meant to be between them or else she wouldn't have done it. Yes, they're just in high school, yes they're only 16, but y'know how we get with our emotions. That's why I knew I loved you so early. Things just felt right. And that's probably how it felt to them. You are part of the reason that I'm trying to be more accepting of what happened to me.

"Months ago I never would have been willing to protect someone like I did at your work or talk about what went down when the worst thing ever happened to me or crack jokes about being fucking dead but I realize I'm kinda stuck like this for the rest of my life and I want you in it as long as you can."

Josh saw every word Tyler said was sincere. "I'm proud of you," he grabbed Tyler's hand. "You've come a long way."

"You really have, Ty," Jenna agreed. "You're trying to make the most of things and you keep around the people who make you happy. You've really grown."

Tyler smiled. "Thanks guys. And I'm sure Jordan will grow too. If things get bad or he feels he's putting people in danger I'm sure he'll get out of it. We're happy so we should let them be happy."

Josh nodded and rested his head on Tyler's shoulder. "Okay."

And although they were in the lunch room in front of dozens of people, Tyler kissed Josh's forehead softly.

"Man I need a boyfriend," Jenna sighed, relieving some of the tension around them.

Josh cracked a smile and squeezed Tyler's hand tighter. He was right. There wasn't any reason he shouldn't let Jordan be happy.

He knows whenever he's with Tyler, he is.