Let Me Help | Tyrus (complete!)

Real Emo Hours

From Muffin: Yes we'll be there 😸

Sent: Yay, see you there! How'd everything go after we left? Were your parents cool with us cooking lol

TJ had texted Cyrus Saturday after talking with Amber. It was Thursday now and he hadn't seen Cyrus since that night. He didn't text him back and he hadn't seen him at school at all this week. TJ had been looking forward to seeing him, and now he knew why. While walking down the hall trying to avoid Reed and Lester, TJ saw the good hair crew + jonah by cyrus' locker. They were taking his books out. 

"Hey," Tj said to them, "What's going on? Where's Cyrus?"

"He's fine," Buffy said, "He just gets like this sometimes. Don't try to fix him we're working on it."

"I know he's depressed Buffy," Tj said, they all turned to look at him. He hated talking to them without Cyrus. Without Cyrus he had no reason to be there, they only saw his bad side. 

"How do you know that?" Jonah said.

"He told me at the sleepover you didn't go to," TJ said to him.

"Hey, leave him alone," said Andi. 

"What do you even want TJ?" Asked Buffy, looking increasingly annoyed as she gently placed Cyrus' books into her backpack. 

"I just wanted to see if he was okay. Look I know you don't like me but I'm trying here okay?" Tj said as he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.

"TJ, we know you care a lot about him, but we can handle this. We really can." Andi said. 

"Please just stay out of this one. He'll be better in time for your party. If that's why you're really here" Buffy added.

"It's-" Tj looked up and groaned "Look Buffy, Andi, even you Jonah, I am trying so hard to be a better person for him okay? I know you guys still think I'm a bully but I can help him!"

"TJ," Andi said gently, "we know you're trying, but this has nothing to do with you. Plus we've all forgiven you, stop acting like we hate you because we don't. Cyrus gave you a good review." 

Jonah had his arms crossed behind Andi, Buffy was obviously annoyed, and Andi looked at him with caring eyes, "Really?" TJ asked. 

"Yes, now stop being so melodramatic. He'll respond to your texts soon enough. Also, stop putting notes in his locker, they're really cringy" Jonah said from behind Andi. They all turned to look at Jonah.

"Those notes are yours?!" Andi said with their mouth agape. TJ blushed furiously, he didn't think Jonah had noticed. "We talk about those notes all the time in the group chat, we thought it was Reed playing a joke on Cyrus!" Andi continued. 

"Oh this is good" Buffy laughed, "OHH my god this is gold, you like him? That's why you've been hanging around us?" 

TJ momentarily closed his eyes and said "Yes Okay? I like him. Now you know" TJ turned and walked away from them, he heard Buffy yell, "TJ! Wait!" but he didn't care, he walked straight home angry at his own heart.

Once he got home, he shut himself in his room and texted Cyrus. 

Sent to Muffin at 3:48 pm: Hi Cyrus, I hope you're feeling better. lmk if I can help with anything. Your body guards wont let me near u :/

Sent to Muffin at 7:36 pm: Hey, just wanted to check in. You know you can talk to me. I'm here for you. 

Sent to Muffin at 11:34 pm: Hi Underdog look at this cat video 

Sent to Muffin at 1:24 am: yo this dog is u

Sent to Muffin at 3:12 am: hi im watchin a movie i think u'd like it. its abt polar bears n stuff

Sent to Muffin at 8:35 am: guud mornig, ur my favorite person in the whole world 

TJ hadn't been able to sleep all night, all he could do was think about how horrible Cyrus must have felt all night. He had spent the night scrolling aimlessly through his camera roll looking at pictures of the two of them together. He hadn't realized how far back their friendship had gone. There were pictures from when they were both 13 and stupid and at the fair, to just last week when he had taken one of them together at his basketball game. He couldn't have possibly fallen asleep knowing Cyrus was miserable. He just couldn't. 

He had spent the night with his headphones on, wandering around his room and listening to Sufjan Stevens. His room wasn't nearly as cool as Cyrus', he had mostly basketball trophies and the occasional old movie poster, but other than that it was empty. But TJ liked it because it had a skylight. The sun could never judge you. But the sun wasn't out at night and his room was pitch black. Amber had come in once or twice, but all she had to do was look at him to understand what was going on. Oh, she probably thought to herself he's in way too deep and left him to sulk. 

TJ had fallen asleep for exact 3 minutes when he got a text from Cyrus. 

From Muffin at 8:40 am: Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow. 

TJ smiled.