Chapter Text
Tyler was used to going to Catholic school. He had grown comfortable in wearing the same thing everyday, because it reminded him that life was simple, it was a strange sense of security.
Church was on Sundays, he'd sing hymns and pray. Basketball was on Tuesdays, he'd shower and go home. He'd wake up every morning at 7:00 am. Wait at the bus stop, take the bus to school. Eat lunch in the cafeteria, study. Get home, do homework, shoot baskets, help make dinner, go to bed before 10:30. It was clear cut, it was simple, it was routine. So moving away obviously upset him.
Now he had to wake up at 6:45 am, now basketball wasn't on Tuesdays. His parents were worried the biggest impact would've been the loss of some of his friends, but Tyler mostly kept to himself, he didn't question much- well, he tried his best not to anyways.
The last time he had, it didn't go so well. He ended up in the ER this summer after a breakdown that nobody had anticipated, not his parents, not his siblings, and especially not himself. Maybe it was the break in routine. The doctors recommended other doctors, who recommended a psychiatrist, who recommended medication. So it was back to normal, back to routine.
This new school didn't feel like routine. It felt like chaos.
In public school they didn't wear uniforms, everybody was dressed differently. Tyler didn't know how to fit in since everybody seemed to wear a different combination of things. Band logo's he'd seen on the internet were printed onto many different t-shirts. Some jeans had holes in them, and others appeared so tight Tyler didn't know how you'd feel your legs. And people had their hair dyed all sorts of different colours, that they could paint the rainbow.
Like that one boy in his science class.
Tyler walked into the room feeling disoriented and lost. He walked to the first empty seat he saw, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. It was only when he sat down, did he finally noticed the bright pink lock of hair, sat atop the head of a boy with warm dark eyes.
His hair definitely would’ve gotten him suspended from Tyler’s old school. (So would his eyes, people would get lost and fall in, there would be chaos in the hallways.) But this wasn’t Tyler’s old school, things worked different here. Boys looked different here. They wore basketball shorts, nirvana shirts, and had black stuff smudged under their eyes. They wore their hats backwards and didn’t understand that the point of wearing a belt was to keep their pants up. All this new information was making his head spin and he hadn’t even finished his first class, let alone had it started yet.
It was then that the teacher had walked in a began her whole ‘introduction speech’. It wasn’t until everyone was sitting and quiet that Tyler became painfully aware of the pink haired punk that was sitting next to him. And close too. (Well, at least close for Tyler’s standards). During their teachers speech, Tyler tried his best to keep his eyes away from the pink haired boys general direction, trying not to come off as cold, but not wanting to look at him all the same.
Their teacher ended her speech, and began to propose an ‘icebreaker’ sort of activity.
“Now partner up with your neighbour,” Tyler hesitated to face the lock of cotton candy hair. “You could say this little icebreaker could be an introduction to chemistry!” The teacher laughed at her own joke, Tyler could see a smirk in his peripheral vision, not sure if it’s from thinking her comment was funny or from how bad it was, especially seeing as how this was a biology class.
A paper was being passed around the class, a sheet per 2 people. That’s when Tyler had to face the boy once more. As soon as he did his eyes hastily dragged back down to the sheet of paper before them. The sheet was filled with the standard “getting to know you” questions.
What’s your name? When’s your birthday? What are your hobbies? What’s your favourite subject? What’s your favourite unit in science?
The boy picks up the piece of paper as if they have no time to waste. He clears his throat mockingly and gives Tyler a pair of eager eyes.
“So, what’s your name?” He asks, scooting a bit closer.
“I’m Tyler”
“Josh.”
Tyler takes this as his queue to take the piece of paper. ”When’s your birthday?”
“June 18th, yours?”
“December 1st.”
“Hmm, Sagittarius.”
“What?”
Josh slides the piece of paper back to his side of the table. “What’re your hobbies?”
“Umm, choir, I guess." Josh narrows his eyes. "It's for church. Oh, and I play basketball.”
“Cool, an athletic church boy. I play the drums. Favourite subject?”
“Not sure yet.” Tyler was fumbling at the speed of the questions.
“I guess mine’s lunch. What’s your favourite unit in science?”
“None really, science isn't really my strong suit." Josh looked to Tyler like he wanted him to continue. "What are yours?”
“Hmm, here.” He rummages through his pencil case and takes out a sharpie. “I’ll show you.”
As Josh reaches out, Tyler retracts his arm. “What’re you doing?” He questions, slightly startled.
“Is this okay?” Josh asks, laying his hand on Tyler's forearm.
He doesn’t object. Josh smiles as Tyler looks away, and draws up his arm. Tyler tries his best not to laugh as the marker places tiny specks up along the sensitive skin. Once Josh pulls away, a plethora of tiny dots and planets are revealed.
“Tah-dah!” Josh's eyes crinkle at the sides when he smiles.
Tyler looks up his arms once more, and over again, a third time.
“Umm,” Tyler doesn't know what to say.
“Astronomy. That’s my favourite unit. But it’s not exactly one of the more ‘important’ subjects, apparently. If it was, I’d be considered an academic genius.” Tyler again, didn’t know what to say. He could ask "then why take a biology course?" but he felt it was none of his business. It was then that he realized how rare it was that he’d actually have conversations with people his own age. Sure, he’d talk to the kids in choir, he’d talk with the people on the basketball team. But that’d be about choir, and basketball. There’d be a common ground. As far as Tyler could see, Josh had no reason to be nice or patient with him. And yet, he was.
“Well now that that’s out the way,” Josh says discarding the piece of paper. “I have some questions for you of my own.” Tyler must’ve expressed some sort of a startled expression because a light laugh began to escape from Josh’s mouth. “I’ve never seen you around before, so you must be new here?”
“Oh, well yeah.” Tyler expressed shyly.
“So, I assume you used to go to some sort of catholic school, right? Or a private school?”
“Yeah, Catholic school.” Josh’s eyes were beaming. “How’d you know?”
“You’re very.. Well kept?” Josh sounded confused. “I mean, you’re a choir boy.”
“Something wrong with being a choir boy?” Tyler asked in a mocking tone.
“No, not really. You seem pretty okay for a choir boy.”
He nudges his arm lightly. “I mean you haven’t gone off about my hair being sinful or chaotic yet.”
Tyler couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “No it’s really,” Pretty. “Cool.” You’re really pretty.
The teacher brings the attention of the class back to the front of the room. She continues on with a normal ‘first day’ routine. Talking about how the next week will be, an outline of the next few units, how this ‘isn’t a class you can slack off in’ but the vibe of the room seems determined to prove otherwise. When the bell rings, Tyler can’t help but feel slightly disappointed that he didn’t get to speak with Josh more. He’s packing up his backpack when he feels a finger up against his forearm. Josh runs it down the length of his drawing and then looks up at Tyler.
“Pretty cool if I do say so myself.” He says with mock confidence, which then melts into a soft expression. He follows the crowd of people out the door to his next class.
So that’s Josh’s way of saying “See ya later.” It’s nice, if only it didn’t leave Tyler with a flushed face.