glory days ↣ joshler ✓

22. Lunch

Josh almost regretted throwing a party.

There was a lot to clean up.

Tyler had offered to help clean up though which Josh gladly accepted.

So that's what they were doing on a June Monday at two in the afternoon. Tyler had some clothes at Josh's because inevitably he would leave some clothes there after spontaneous sleepovers throughout the nine years they've been friends. He had showered and they went about cleaning up the mess left from the night before.

The had music playing as they went around the house and cleaned up cups and bottles adorning the surfaces in Josh's house. Josh entered his kitchen and groaned when he saw how messy it was. He then saw the tin on the counter from last night. Glancing into it, he saw there were a couple small brownies left.

"Ty?" Josh called.

"Yeah?" He replied over the sounds of Bohemian Rhapsody. It was basic but classic.

"Ash left her pot brownies," he replied. A few seconds Tyler came in, setting his trash bag on the ground by the fridge. "Should we just trash them?" He asked.

Tyler looked at them before shaking his head. "Yeah," Tyler nodded. "They're probably hard anyway."

"What did you think of it?"

Tyler shrugged, picking his bag back up and starting to throw cups into it from around the kitchen. "I liked it. I don't think I'll become like a big ass stoner who is high eight out of seven days a week and I'll probably never smoke it but if someone brought edibles again I'd eat one."

"I'll be damned," Josh replied. "The Tyler Joseph likes weed. Never would have thought."

"Shut the fuck up," Tyler walked over to him to help him with the counters, thumping him on the head when he reached him. Josh saw Tyler glance at the empty pizza box on the floor. "When did you get pizza?"

"After midnight apparently," Josh shrugged. "All I remember is a lot of people were cleared out by then and Ashley ordered a few pizzas since everyone was starving. You were passed out though so I let you sleep. I have no idea where the other boxes are."

Suddenly, Tyler's stomach rumbled and his face turned a bright pink. "Speaking of food..." he laughed.

"I'm hungry too," Josh admitted. "I didn't eat breakfast. We've been cleaning for like half an hour. Let's take a break and get lunch."

"I'm down," Tyler nodded.

---

"What are you gonna get?" Josh asked his friend as he peered up at the menu.

"I dunno," he responded. "You?"

"No idea."

Josh's eyes flicked down to the young Taco Bell employee impatiently standing at the counter, chewing a piece of gum. "You can get a medium drink for a dollar right now," she told them, bored. "I'm obligated to tell you that," she explained.

"Got it," Josh nodded. "Thanks. Just give us a few more minutes," he turned to Tyler. "We could get a five dollar big box to share and one of us could buy an extra drink?" Josh offered. "I'd prefer if you bought the drink though," he laughed. "I wasted most of the money my mom left on party supplies."

"Fine," Tyler sighed in a joking manor. He took a step up to the counter. "We'll take the chalupa big box and an extra medium drink."

She sighed and typed a few things into the register. "That'll be $6.14."

Tyler handed her a five and two ones and looked at Josh expectantly, knowing he always said something. Instead, the red haired just smiled and rolled his eyes. He knew Tyler wasn't going to let him argue about it. He never did.

"Can I get a name?" The girl asked.

"Tyler," he spoke. She handed him back his change and two cups. "Thanks."

"We'll let you know when your food is ready."

The two walked over to get their drinks and Josh watched Tyler roll his eyes at the rude cashier, making a laugh erupt from him. Josh went about getting his Dr. Pepper when Tyler piped up. "I still don't get why you don't get Baja Blast. If you get anything other than Baja Blast at Taco Bell you're a freak."

"Baja Blast is fucking nasty," Josh replied as he popped the lid on his drink. "It tastes like piss."

"No it doesn't. It's the best drink in existence. Besides, how do you know what piss tastes like?"

"We all have our own pleasures, okay?" he joked, walking over to an empty booth. "Don't kink shame. It's not nice."

"That's not even funny to joke about," Tyler visibly cringed. "Urine kinks are disgusting as fuck," he sat down. "I get shit like daddy kinks or whatever but why do people like pee?"

"I dunno, man," Josh shook his head.

"Tyler," a voice called and Josh watched Tyler go up and get their food before coming back. They opened the box and decided who got what and began eating.

"So," Josh spoke after swallowing the bite of food in his mouth. "What are you gonna do about Jenna? Does she know?"

"No," Tyler replied. "You guys weren't even supposed to know," he replied in a small voice. "Or at least not right after I figured it. I just hope Ashley or Hayley didn't say anything."

"They wouldn't," Josh shook his head. "They're crackheads but they're respectful crackheads," he added, making Tyler smile. "But you should tell Jenna soon. That way you don't unintentionally lead her on."

"I just don't want to hurt her feelings," he sighed, eating a cinnamon twist. "She's liked me for a long ass time and I thought I liked her back but I guess just in a friend way."

"And that's okay," Josh assured him. "She'll understand, Ty."

"Still," Tyler shrugged. "I mean I'll tell her I just don't want to."

"At least this way she won't think it's her fault. It's nobody's fault but she won't blame herself for it. That's gotta count for something."

"Thanks, Josh."

"Anytime, Ty."