the walk home was a blur. he had no clue to where tyler was, but now he was only scared.
tyler said he had killed his own brother. but his mom said he didn't have a brother. it didn't make sense. except if-
"joshua william dun!"
josh turned his head and saw his mom marching up to him, and his dad shaking his head at him from his front door.
after they had finished lecturing him, and grounded him for three months, they sent him to his room, where he slammed the door behind him.
josh lay on his bed in silence, which felt like he hadn't done in a while. well, especially with no music.
he felt guilty for not trying to find tyler, but couldn't do anything.
closing his eyes gently, he stayed in that position on his bed for a long time, until he felt something scrabbling over his foot.
he opened his eyes and saw a massive grey rat like creature with the longest fluffiest tail. it was kinda cute.
josh googled it and found out it was called a chinchilla, recognising the name immediately.
is billie missing rodney again?
josh texted ashley.
ashley replied quickly.
yes, unfortunately.
what colour is it?
josh texted back.
grey..have you seen it?
i think rodney's in my room.
ten minutes later, josh is carefully tiptoeing down the stairs, a fat grey rodent clutched in one hand.
"if you dare make a noise, i swear i'll chuck you out my window instead." he hissed at the chinchilla.
outside, he could see ashley's electric blue hair sitting right next to grey hair, shining purple in the sun. bill, of course.
once josh had silently crept out the house, he passed back 'rodney' to his owner.
"rodney!" billie exclaimed, kissing rodney on the forehead and placing him on her shoulder.
billie, was still no doubtedly, the strangest girl josh had ever met.
"you should really keep that thing on a lead."
"that thing, has a name." billie smiles as ashley chuckles.
"how come you looked so suspicious coming out here?" asked ashley.
josh sighs, "im supposed to be grounded."
"why?"
"because i spent the whole night in the forest yesterday, without telling them. they didn't know where i was and phoned the police." he didn't mention tyler.
"why were you even in the forest in the first place?" ashley demanded.
josh gave in. "i was meeting tyler."
"we saw tyler on the way here," billie replied.
"where was he?" josh says quickly.
"it looked like he was heading for the old abandoned barn."
"where's that?" josh is demanding this time.
"just go up the road by where i live, you won't miss it. it's right in the middle of an empty field." ashley says, and before she can say anymore, josh has ran off.
"i thought you said you were grounded?" billie calls after him, but he's already gone.