Tyed

chapter forty three

"I forgot to ask you yesterday how you knew I couldn't drive," Tyler says as he fastens his day collar- he's learned that's what the inconspicuous one is called. He wore his personal, proper one until the very last minute, dressing in some clothes he's happened to leave here at some point or another. "Or were you just offering to drive me to be nice?"

"I've seen your learner's permit," Colby answers from the bedroom. He woke up before Tyler, showered and let him sleep in a little bit before they had to go. Now he speaks to him through the bathroom door. "How many hours do you need to take your test?"

Tyler sighs. "Like, a hundred more. My mum still can't drive. I only ever went with my stepdad, and that just... Didn't happen often."

"Then, I suppose it's a good thing I'm-" Colby stops abruptly, and Tyler can't hear why for a long moment. As he adjusts the collar of his shirt, he heads to the door. As he opens it, he finally hears Colby's voice again, and sees his back, standing next to the bedside table. "You're, uh, suddenly getting a lot of texts."

Tyler sighs. "If I'm getting a ton at once, it's probably Nancy. What were you saying?"

Colby slowly reaches down to the bedside table to grab his watch, and when he turns his eyes are miles away. "Sorry, what was I saying?"

"I said my stepdad was the only one who ever took me driving, and I only had about twenty hours." Tyler watches Colby's expression, feeling like something is off, but not knowing what. He seems to snap back in half a second.

"I was going to say, it's actually a good thing in this case that I'm so much older, because I can teach you, if you want."

"Oh. Good idea." Tyler blinks. "You don't fear me crashing your car?"

Colby shrugs. "Not... really, no."

Tyler squints at him, trying to figure the problem out, and Colby seems to be pretending very hard that's whatever is off isn't. Tyler considers asking, but he has a suspicion he'd like to investigate first.

He walks over to his phone and investigates the messages that Colby told him about, the messages he would've been able to see on the lockscreen as they showed up.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

OH YOURE FUCKED

are you going to tell him??

I can't believe you you absolute disaster gay

fuck this is great

you know I love you and care about you but you are fucking screwed my friend

There are three conclusions Tyler can come to about what Colby interpreted from these messages. One, that reflects Colby's intelligence and keen observational skills: the truth. He understood exactly what these messages meant. He knew what Tyler said to prompt them. That's fucking horrifying.

Then, possibly, something innocuous. Tyler fucked up in some way that Colby doesn't know about and just assumes, is, like, fine.

The only other possible option is that Colby thought Nancy's throwaway comment of loving Tyler meant anything other than her friendship. That feels a lot less likely, but Tyler's got to at least consider it.

What does he do in either case?

Colby's walking out the bedroom door as Tyler walks up to him, stopping him without knowing what's coming next. Colby stares at him, blinking slowly before his eyes seem to focus and a small smile comes over his lips.

"Yes, Tyler?" he says, as Tyler's got him pushed up against the doorframe, still not sure where he's going with this. No, Colby's not mad.

Tyler's being stupid. Colby didn't have enough information to know what those words mean. Whatever he thought, he didn't know, and that's why he said nothing. Because he doesn't come to stupid premature conclusions like Tyler does.