Chapter Text
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Tyler says.
There’s no way. There is simply no way. Tyler has disliked Josh Dun since they were, like — he didn’t even know. Nine? Ten? They grew up going to the same church and went to the same Sunday School and same youth groups on Tuesday nights for years. Josh stopped coming his freshman year of high school, he was suddenly too cool for youth group. Tyler stuck around, even helping out the middle school groups through high school. Tyler was in choir too through college, because he lived and breathed music. Tyler had seen Josh a few times in the back of the church as he sang his choir solos, Josh always sporting a mild-to-moderate grimace. The two had always just rubbed each other the wrong way. Tyler couldn’t put his finger on it, but Josh was just fucking annoying. Disrespectful, rebellious, and just…so very different from Tyler.
And now Tyler’s mom is telling him that he gets to drive across the fucking country with Josh. To fucking Oregon. Josh’s aunt just died, and that fucker lived in some small hippie town in Oregon. Josh’s family was…apparently estranged from her. Tyler doesn’t know the details. And Father Paul told Tyler he really thinks Josh should go to this funeral, that this aunt was very good to Josh. Father Paul’s words were dripping with implications of a deeper picture, but Tyler was clueless as to what it was. And he doesn’t really care.
So, Josh has this estranged aunt, who he’s inexplicably close to, despite apparently none of the rest of his family talking to her. And Tyler gets to drive him to this funeral because Josh has a fear of planes and a broken right foot and none of his family will take him.
Tyler, rather rudely, asks Father Paul if there is literally anyone else that can drive Josh. Father Paul purses his lips, looks up at the ceiling as if to say, “God help me,” and curtly says “no.” Tyler is 23 now, he could easily tell Father Paul to fuck right off, but there’s something uniquely pleading in Father Paul’s eyes. Like he really wants Tyler to do this. Tyler’s never really seen Father Paul like that.
“Do I get to ask why me?” Tyler says.
Father Paul bites his lip.
“I’m not at liberty to say,” he says quietly.
Tyler’s brows furrow.
“Is this some kind of conspiracy? Did I do something wrong?” Tyler says.
Father Paul smiles sadly.
“No, no Tyler, you did nothing wrong. Nothing at all.”
“Then why are you making me do this?”
Father Paul’s lips curve into a small smile.
“I’m not making you do anything, Tyler.”
Tyler stops. Father Paul is right. He can say no. So why isn’t he? Why, and how, did he make up his mind at some point during this conversation that he is going to do this? He blinks. It’s just because he’s out of work right now, finished up his schooling a few months ago and is yet to find a job. Just because he’s been going stir crazy living with his parents, and going out to libraries and cafes and church every day is getting old. Just because Father Paul asked so nicely. Not because of who Josh is, not because Josh’s demeanor intrigues Tyler a bit, not because Tyler wonders how Josh can just be who he is and not be ashamed of it. No, that’s…Tyler shakes his head. He’s not going there right now.
Tyler looks up at Father Paul.
“Ok.”