farm boy // joshler

10

tyler's point of view

josh was right. the nap helped tremendously. when i wake up, i practically jump out of bed, fully refreshed and ready to eat my ice cream.

i exit my room and pause outside of josh's. i knock on his door a few times and he doesn't answer. i crack it open a little and see him laying asleep in his own bed.

i tip-toe inside and walk closer to him, rubbing his arm lightly. "josh," i whisper. "jooooshuaaa," i say his name a little louder and his eyes open a bit.

"tyler?" he opens his eyes all the way and then sits up. "hey."

"hey. you alright?" i sit down on the edge of the bed and he moves over so i have more room.

"yeah, i'm fine. how are you? did you have a good nap?" he answers with another question and i nod. "good. you, um... do you know what you want to watch?"

"i want you decide this time."

"no, i hate picking things," he complains, running a hand through his hair. "you pick."

"i picked last time," i counter, my eyebrows raised. "it's your turn. you even said you wanted to pick earlier."

"fine."

once we get settled on the couch with our pajamas and our ice cream, josh chooses a random scary movie. i was still under the impression we'd be watching mulan, but this works i guess.

"oh, boy." i sigh and take a huge bite of my ice cream.

this is going to be a long night.

"you don't like scary movies?" josh asks, nonchalant.

"do you?" i look at him like hes insane for thinking i could possibly enjoy something that scares me half to death.

"yeah. i think they're really funny most of the time." he laughs a little, which makes me feel self-conscious about my fears.

"if i scream and spill my ice cream, you have to give me yours." i move closer to him in hopes he won't make fun of me for hiding my face in his arm when i get too scared.

"no way. this is what you get for making me pick," he retorts, taking a bite of his food as the eerie music begins to play.

during an especially tense part of the movie, i clutch his arm tightly, when all of a sudden he yells in my ear.

"BOO!"

i jump away from him and my ice cream falls out of my lap, landing on the floor. "hey," i whine, picking it up to inspect the damage before abandoning it to sit on the coffee table. "that was mean." i blush in embarrassment and hide my face in my hands.

josh is too busy laughing at me to notice, but i feel my eyes burn with tears at his mocking.

i stand up without saying anything and start walking towards the bathroom. josh sobers up once he notices my absence and follows me upstairs.

"wait, tyler, i'm sorry. tyler, come back," he calls after me, but by the time he catches up, i've already shut the bathroom door. "tyler, i'm sorry."

"go away, i'm embarrassed," i speak just loudly enough for him to hear, sitting on the floor with my knees to my chest.

"tyler, you don't have to be embarrassed. it's just me," he reassures me through the door. "i'm really sorry. we don't even have to finish watching it. come back downstairs with me and we can watch the office or something. i won't even make you watch mulan."

i stand up and wipe my eyes harshly. opening the door just a little, i see josh looking at me. "you're mean."

"i know. i'm sorry," he apologizes for the fourth time and i come out.

"fine."

he opens his arms and i step into his embrace, hugging him back. "do you forgive me?"

"i guess," i mumble into his shoulder and he lets go, only holding my hand as we go back downstairs.

a few episodes of the office later, i look over and josh is asleep sitting next to me.

i smile a little and stand up, putting our spoons in the dishwasher and our ice cream in the freezer before coming back to turn the tv off. i cover him with a blanket from the back of the couch and then head upstairs to lay in my own bed.

i'm not quite tired yet, but i fall asleep anyway, letting my mind shut down for the night.

-

i wake up early the next morning and get ready quickly. we're going to the diner this morning, and i don't want to look like a total mess in public.

once i decide my outfit is good enough, i step out of my room and into the hall. i open josh's door slowly to see if he ever got up to his own bed, but i hear his voice along with scotts float upstairs from the kitchen. they must have gotten up while i was getting ready, because they were both asleep when i woke up.

"so, you and tyler are getting along okay i take it?" scott's question to josh makes me stop halfway down the stairs to eavesdrop.

i feel slightly guilty about listening in, but i'm anxious to hear the answer.

"yeah. he's really cool. we have a lot in common."

"he's a little girly though, isnt he? probably a queer," scott's reply makes my heart sink.

"what does that have to do with anything?" josh's voice is a little quieter now, and i know his uncle's words have made him nervous. "so what if he is queer?"

"i don't know," scott sighs. "doesn't it make you feel a little weird?"

"no. not at all," josh answers immediatly, but his voice is still hesitant.

i decide that it's time to save josh from any further questioning and i take the last few steps of the stairs a little heavier to make my presence known.

i walk into the kitchen with a smile on my face as if i hadn't heard anything. "good morning."

"mornin', tyler," scott clears his throat. "ready to go to the diner?"

"of course," i answer him, but my eyes are on josh, searching his face for any sign that he's not okay after their talk.

he seems to have already put up an effective wall though, because he just smiles at me and stands up from the table. "what're we waiting for then?"

(an: wop, here's a chapter. ive been writing for a long time now but i can't close a chapter for the life of me. oops. but i love you guys and i hope you enjoyed the chapter!)