Falling Too (Tyler Joseph)

Chapter 5

It dawned on me right in front of Chase's home that I hadn't actually asked Tyler if he still wanted to quit the team. I was just going off of assumptions that it was still the case.

I paused to question him about it, "Hey do you still want to stop playing basketball? I feel like I'm being pushy and if this isn't what you want, we can go back."

I was surprised by how quickly he answered, "Yeah, I want to move on to something else. There are a lot of things I'd rather be doing."

"Alright, well here it goes." I state walking across the lawn and stepping on the porch, I was pleased to find that Tyler had followed me up here.

After several knocks Chase finally opened the door and he was so taken back for a moment he didn't say a word.

"What the fuck are you two doing here?" He grumbled, sounding like he might have just woken up.

"I want you to let Tyler leave the team and stop giving him a hard time about it." I say, not wasting any time.

"Why couldn't he just come tell me that? Is he too scared to handle this himself?"

"He's here right now, isn't he? I'm just with him to make sure that you keep your hands to yourself."

Before Chase could respond to me there was another voice from inside the house calling out, "What's going on out there?"

I noticed Chase visibly pale after that responding, "I'm talking to some people from school."

There was a sound of someone huffing out a breath as they got to their feet and began heading in our direction. A large man that resembled Chase came down the hall, putting the newspaper he had in his hands on a coffee table as he went by.

"How are you two doing this evening?" He asked, extending a hand out to shake ours.

"We're fine sir, we just wanted to settle some things with Chase and then we'll be out of your hair." I reply after shaking his hand and then nodding at Chase, who right then looked like he really wanted to hurt me.

"Alright my dear, what would that be?" He asked and I was surprised by how polite the man was compared to his son.

"My friend Tyler here just wants off the basketball team and Chase isn't allowing him to do so. Also as you can see, it's gotten physical."

Chase nearly flinched when his father turned his attention to the younger man questioning, "Now why would you be doing that?"

"I just thought that without Tyler we wouldn't win anymore games and I guess I let things get out of hand after a while."

To my surprise and slight delight Tyler scoffed beside me and I could picture him rolling his eyes at the statement.

"Actually I happen to know for a fact that your team has won quite a few games without him." I point out, hoping that I wasn't insulting Tyler in the process.

"Well I don't see any reason for you to be holding the boy back if this is what he wants to do Chase." Mr. Dorman comments, giving his son a strangely stern look.

Not a trace of Chase's usual tough demeanor was to be seen after that. "I'll let coach know you're quitting and he should call you after that."

"Okay, well if that's all you both needed then I believe we're done here." Chase's dad states reaching for the door that Chase had a death grip on, but he almost sprang away when his dad reached for it.

Tyler and I thanked them and said a quick goodbye before departing, both of us clearly relieved to be done with that.

"Did something seem wrong about that situation to you?" Tyler asked when we were a street away.

"You noticed that too?"

"Yeah, I've never seen Chase act like that before. He actually seemed sort of scared."

"You don't think his dad does anything bad to him, do you?"

He shrugged, "I've never really talked to the guy, so I have no clue."

Before I could say anything back my cellphone began ringing and I pulled the small electronic out of my pocket to see my friend Josh was calling.

"Do you mind if I take this?" I ask Tyler, pointing at the phone.

He shook his head, "No, go ahead."

I swiftly thank him and answer the call, "Hello?"

"Hey Ash, would you mind dropping by my house? Everyone else here is boring." Josh pleads and I could hear several shouts of protest at his statement in the background.

I chuckled softly at his statement, telling him, "I can't right now, I have company."

"Bring them with you then." He whined.

"I can't just ask him to come with me to meet a bunch of strangers."

That got Josh's interest as he questioned, "Now who do you know that I don't? Who's the mystery man Ash?"

Tyler clearly caught on that we were talking about him and cut in, "Where are we going?"

I gave him a confused look as I rose an eyebrow saying, "Um, my friend Josh is wanting me to come over."

"Well I'm free to go, unless you just wanted to go by yourself."

"Oh no! It's not like that, I just didn't want to make you feel awkward." I blurt out.

"So are you guys coming or what?" Josh asks after a few minutes of listening to Tyler and me.

I glanced back at Tyler before responding with, "Sure, we're on our way."

After I got off the phone Tyler asked, "So do you want to take my car, yours, or should we drive separately?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "We can go in yours if you want."

He nodded with a light smile, taking out the keys from his coat pocket. Before we left I made sure to grab my own coat since I had forgotten it in my mad dash to go after Chase. Once I had locked up the house and went to get in Tyler's car I was highly surprised that he held my door open for me. I softly thanked him and hurried to take my seat, trying to conceal the redness I felt heating up my face. I hated the fact that he obviously had the power to reduce me to a blushing mess at times, but I have no clue how to stop it.

Thankfully I came up with the idea to blame it on the cold weather if he decided to ask, but to my relief he didn't. He simply asked me where to go and which turns to take. I was glad that Josh's place was only ten minutes away from mine because being in Tyler's car felt strangely private and personal. Even with the radio playing everything was so quiet compared to the panicking noise of anxiety in my head. My thoughts were making me a mixture of giddy and nervous, so I knew I needed it to end as soon as possible. I knew that if I kept allowing these weird rush of emotions to exist it could become something I don't think either of us are ever going to be ready for.