Chapter Text
“This poetry stuff is fucking gay.”
An irritating voice chuckles from the row of desks behind Josh. He doesn’t have to turn around to know it’s Roy, attempting to draw laughs out of the overconfident, Lynx-soaked teenage boys he calls friends.
And it seems he’s successful, a sharp cackle sounds out, making Josh jump then sigh in annoyance. He turns his head to throw a dirty look at the boy who laughed, his eyes landing on a familiar face.
Tyler.
Of course.
Light brown eyes meet Josh’s tired glare and just for a moment, Tyler’s laughter stops. The grin falters and he swallows hard.
Okay. Weird.
Josh rolls his eyes and turns to Debby, muttering, “Fellas, is it gay to have basic reading comprehension and pass my Year 12 English class?”
Debby huffs out a giggle and whispers back, “calling this gay when they’re all sucking Roy’s dick half the time.”
Josh stifles his laugh and returns to his work, hoping the bell will ring soon.
ø
When the bell finally goes, Josh and Debby rush to the canteen, sharing amused looks as they sneak in front of two Year 7 girls in line.
“Dude, I don’t think they even noticed,” Debby knocks her elbow into Josh’s side.
Josh laughs back, then pauses. “Oh, I was gonna ask in class, how much of your essay have you written?”
Debby groans, “I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve probably done like… half a sentence…” she pulls her face into a mock-scared look.
“Debby!” Josh gasps. “Even I’ve done more than that. I have at least three sentences.”
They giggle at each other’s incompetence, shuffling as the line moves forward.
“Well it’s kind of hard to write in class when Roy won’t shut his fucking mouth for two seconds,” Debby complains.
“He’s so annoying,” Josh agrees. “That whole group is. Especially Tyler, he has the loudest laugh, dude.”
Debby shoots him a knowing look.
“Oh yeah,” she mocks. “I’m sure you absolutely hate Tyler’s laugh.”
Josh frowns. His heart jolts a bit, for some reason.
“Umm… what are you suggesting?”
“Let’s just say I don’t think Year 9 Josh would’ve minded Tyler sitting behind him in class every day,” Debby winks.
Josh feels his eyebrows raise and his face heat up.
“Debby! I told you– oh hi, could I grab a cookie and a chocolate milk please?” Josh pauses, realising they’ve reached the front of the line. He quickly pays and steps aside, waiting for Debby to do the same before immediately chastising her.
“I told you to never bring that up, Josh of the past is not the man I am today! I’m never getting high with you again,” he adds, thinking of the circumstances in which he admitted that he may have had a little crush on a certain Tyler Joseph a few years ago. It was a small thing! Just a hallway crush. Besides, it wasn’t like Tyler had gotten way hotter in the years since, or anything. So really, Josh is way past it.
Debby is still giggling; Josh’s sheepish smile doesn’t really sell his anger as much as he’d like it to.
She puts her hands up in surrender, “I guess I can’t talk, I haven’t had the best taste in girls in the past.”
“Speaking of, how’s it going with that girl we met the other day? What’s her name, Georgia?” Josh asks.
Debby throws her head back in an exaggerated groan and begins telling Josh of her failed love life as the two walk away from the canteen.
Ø ø Ø
A relieved smile stretches across Tyler’s face as he looks down at his timetable and sees he has a free period next.
Whilst he would usually spend his frees hanging with James or Lucas, or sneaking into the back of the art rooms to annoy Mark while he tried to focus, he really is behind on his school work, so he reluctantly drags his feet over to the empty room the Year 12’s use for study.
He walks in and meets the eyes of Josh, who’s sitting facing the door. The boy immediately looks away awkwardly and begins typing quickly on his phone.
As Tyler sits down, he hopes that Josh isn’t texting anyone about him. Why would he be, anyway?
The thought bothers him. It’s pretty clear that Josh isn’t his biggest fan; he can’t even count the amount of times Josh has avoided his eyes, or confidently met them only to shoot him an annoyed look.
Tyler looks back up at Josh, who is now talking to the guy next to him. He seems to be helping him with a maths question, easy smile on his face, gently explaining what to do.
He’s nice. He’s a nice boy. Everyone knows Josh is easygoing and sweet. He mainly sticks to his small group of friends, but no one has ever had a problem with him.
Because he’s just so nice, Tyler thinks bitterly. He sure isn’t nice to me.
Tyler doesn’t know what it is, but Josh definitely has a problem with him.
Well, maybe he does know. He could take a guess that it has something to do with Tyler’s slightly loud and obnoxious group of friends.
His friends can be rude sometimes, but they’re alright people, really. Besides, Tyler isn’t really like them. He doesn’t agree with everything they say.
Then why had he laughed at Roy’s joke in English earlier?
He supposes it was funny, in some abstract sense. But he can’t really think of why he had laughed. To be truthful, Tyler loves English, it’s his best subject. And he loves poetry, too.
Tyler’s stomach tilts thinking of what Roy would say if he ever found out that Tyler liked to write that “gay poetry stuff” late at night, in the journal he hid at the back of his closet.
Josh’s tired eyes from earlier flash through his head.
Josh really can’t be blamed for not liking him, Tyler supposes. It’s not exactly a secret that Josh likes boys. Tyler wouldn’t like anyone who associates themselves with Roy if he were gay.
Not that Roy hates gay people, or whatever. Tyler’s pretty sure it’s just joking around, but he can see how Josh wouldn’t think that.
Oh no.
Dread fills Tyler’s lungs.
Josh definitely thinks that Tyler hates gay people. He laughed at the joke. He always laughs at those jokes.
He feels sick at the thought that Josh would think he’s like Roy. He can’t pin down exactly why, but he really doesn’t want Josh to think that.
It’s because he wants to be a good person, Tyler reasons. He doesn’t want anyone to think he hates gay people, right?
Tyler definitely doesn’t hate gay people. He can’t. His mum has a gay friend!
He needs Josh to know he’s not like that. For the sake of his mum’s friend, of course.
An idea shoots into his head.
He looks across at Josh again, who has now moved onto his own work after he finished helping that guy.
Tyler digs around in his bag for the maths homework he hasn’t started yet, then whispers loudly across the room, “Josh!”
No response.
He tries again, “Josh, Josh. Joshua.”
The boy finally whips around, startled. He takes an Airpod out and furrows his brow, confused. “Yeah?”
“Can you help me?” Tyler points to his Maths homework.
Clearly surprised that Tyler is asking for his help, Josh tilts his head slightly.
Ha. Like a dog, Tyler thinks.
Wordlessly, Josh stands and moves to sit in the chair next to Tyler.
“Thanks,” Tyler says quietly as Josh sits down. “I’m just kinda stuck on this.”
Josh looks down at the paper.
“On… question one?” He looks back up at Tyler, who glances at question one for the first time and realises it’s probably the most basic question he’s ever seen.
“Uhh yeah. It’s, y’know, difficult. For me, at least. But you’re really good at maths, right?” He runs his fingers through his hair. What is he doing? He was meant to show Josh that he’s nice, too, not borderline flirt with him.
Josh laughs awkwardly, “Ha, yeah. Sure.”
As Josh shows him how to do the question, Tyler nods along, letting out an ‘oh, right, that makes sense’ now and again. Tyler isn’t great at maths, but he could definitely have done this question himself, he really just needed an excuse to get Josh over here, so he could tell him what he actually wanted to.
Josh finishes with the question and hands Tyler’s pen back.
Before he gets up to leave, Tyler bursts out, “Wait, Josh. I just thought of something I wanted to ask you.” Smooth, Tyler. You just randomly thought of this question. Just now. Creative.
Josh sits back down, seeming slightly annoyed now, “Okay, sure?”
Tyler swallows hard. “So, are you like… gay, or something?”
Josh’s jaw drops slightly, and he lets out a surprised huff. “Uhmm..”
Tyler interrupts quickly, “I don’t, like, have a problem with it or anything. Y’know, like. Yeah ‘I like men’ or whatever. That’s… there’s no problem with that.”
Josh laughs now, and Tyler cringes at his own awkwardness.
“Oh, okay. Uh, yeah I mean I like girls, too. So I guess I’m bisexual.” Josh responds, laugh still hanging from his lips.
Tyler swallows again and nods.
“Right. I was just wondering… because you have piercings and stuff.” His eyes follow Josh’s hand as it subconsciously tugs at the ring around his bottom lip. “Not really the life for me, being bisexual and stuff, but whatever floats your boat, dude.”
Josh nods slowly. “Can I leave now?”
Tyler blinks. “Yeah, yeah sure, whatever man. Thanks for the help.”
Josh gives him a small smile before sitting back at his own seat. Tyler watches him leave and thinks that he was pretty successful. Now Josh knows he doesn’t have a problem with gay people, so Josh can’t possibly have a reason to hate him now. Tyler 1 - Josh 0.
Tyler catches the bewildered look on Josh's face as he whips out his phone and begins furiously typing again.
Ø ø Ø
[iMessage, 2:34pm]
Josh: okay wtf.
Debby: what
Josh: i just had the WEIRDEST conversation with tyler..
Debby: hello??? tell please??
Josh: so we’re in a study rn and he asked me for help with his maths and it was like the easiest question but whatever i guess he’s kinda stupid. and then as im about to leave he asked me if im gay??? 😭
Debby: HUH?
Josh: yeah and i honestly cant tell if he was trying to make fun of me or if he was genuinely curious.
Josh: like he kept saying he’s fine with it but idk. it was weird
Josh: AND THEN he said he asked because i have piercings so thats why he thought i was gay
Debby: bruh what is his problem
Debby: so what did u tell him?
Josh: i told him im bi
Debby: oh and did u tell him u used to dream about tapping that?
Josh: DIE DIE DIE I HATE YOU
Josh: he was so awkward. like in a nice way tho
Josh: maybe he’s less evil when he’s not around his friends
Debby: maybe he’s secretly gay and hes tryna expand his gay reach
Josh: ??? he’s so straight dude
Debby: im just saying. a guy that straight can only be gay.
Josh: lmao probably
Debby: see u after school?????
Josh: nah im skating with mase and mark
Debby: u gotta tell mark about tyler today
Debby: there friends right?
Debby: theyre*
Josh: yes nerd there friends
Josh turns off his phone and goes back to his work, leaving the odd events of the day in the back of his mind.