Chapter Text
The fluorescent lights are burning. This isn't abnormal because usually, Tyler can hear them, but right now it feels like they're tanning his skin. Right now he can practically feel the buzzing all the way into the marrow of his bones. 17. Never been kissed. "There's nobody here-" Mark whispered. Mark was a boy with dirty blonde hair. He was the same age as Tyler. They grew up together in their hometown of Ravenna, Ohio. They went to a little church beside a mini mart. A small church, filled with a lot of people. Maybe too many Tyler typically thought. It was a decently sized hallway that had a side hallway as well, which is where they were, pictures hanging up of Jesus, the disciples, Mary. A cross with a realistic crucified Jesus that honestly always creeped Tyler out..
Tyler nodded in response to Mark. It was quiet. You could hear a fly land on the white-painted wall. Tyler feels absolutely no courage. He has no clue what he's doing, he only knows why. This boy is cute. He always thinks that. Looking into Marks eyes, in a quick motion, he grabs marks arms and pulls him in and kisses him and stays there. An innocent kiss. He feels his heart flutter, before all the butterflies are turned into vicious vultures, trying to claw their way out from his stomach, up through his esophagus, and out of his mouth.
Tyler's mom Kelly was standing in the hallway with her jaw practically to the floor, hand over her mouth. She had the appearance of a ghost, maybe even a ghost twice dead. All he knew was that he was almost there as well. Before he knows it he's tumbling backwards against the wall, he hits his head with a loud thud and falls to the ground. He didn't know Mark could push with that much force. He wipes his mouth with his hand, almost trying to savor the kiss that was ripped away from him. The boys are looking each other in the eyes for what feels like an hour, yet it's only a few seconds before Kelly is gripping Tyler's upper arm to pull him off of the floor. He's wincing in pain but his mom couldn't care less at this moment.
"Tyler Robert Joseph?! What on earth are you doing??" He's stunned. Stuttering. "W-what?" The look on Kelly's face morphs from shock to disbelief. "Are you kidding me? What? Stand up!". When he gets to his feet, his mom is looking him deathly in his face and telling him to straighten up and wipe the tears out of his eyes. He didn't even realize he was crying.
"Kelly- I-" But Mark is cut off. "Hush. I won't tell your mama about this for your parents sake. Get in the fellowship hall where you are both supposed to be. Now." Mark leaves, but not without looking Tyler in the eyes before leaving the hallway.
"Mom, please-" Tyler's voice cracks as he begs his mom for some ounce of mercy and compassion, which probably made him look somehow even more pathetic. And as they're walking into the lobby, the hallway walls are still painted white, but he thinks they have black dripping down them, mold crawling up the sides. Black toxic brain melting mold. The mold that if they find it in your walls, you basically have to burn your whole house down. The pictures of the one who was supposed to protect him, now having scratches and burn marks in them. Walking past Mary and her halo has broken and her face was shaded with haunting shadows where the light doesn't touch.
They get past the hall and into the church, his mom practically dragging him into the office where the pastor sat. He looked up, curious and startled as Kelly wasn't typically so distraught. "Yes- Oh! Sister Joseph! What brings you in? Tithe maybe?" Kelly took 4 deep breaths before speaking.
"Pastor." She gave a quick smile before continuing. "I um." She clears her throat. "I have something I need to speak with you about." Pastor's eyes widen before grimacing with concern. "Please- shut the door and sit down." He takes his glasses off, sets them on his desk and takes his cross bookmark and places it into his bible before closing it. Kelly sits down, straightening out her long jean skirt that went to her ankles.
After the door shuts Tyler loses some ability to hear what they're saying. But he's plenty aware that it isn't good.
"..have my confidence, Kelly."
Some sighing and shuffling.
“..And that.. Eshleman- ..Trouble. "
Tyler frowned. Mark wasn't trouble. Actually, Tyler was considered more troublesome than him, and he was just a band kid who listened to music 24/7, and a pathetic homebody. He didn't get into any trouble ever. People only got onto Tyler because they felt it was questionable for him to be so kept to himself. He wasn't normal.
"I- I'm sorry- what did you see?"
Tyler felt ill. oh shit. He felt the tears well up in his eyes this time. Stupid.
"I'm sorry... Can't find out."
Kelly walks out of the office. Tears streaming down her made up face. "Tyler Robert. Get up." He knew better than to question that. He stands up and feels his legs begging to stay down. His knees popping. "What happened..?" Dumb move.
"Don't start. We'll talk at home."
When they get home, he can see the look on his dad's face. Tyler already knows that his dad knows. "Sit down, son." Tyler sits on the couch, his parents standing in the living room in front of him. "Uncross your legs." He says in between sighs and a pinch to his nose bridge.
"Sorry." He knew he was feminine in some ways, but it still hurt when he got caught.
Chris has his hand on his mouth before inhaling and speaking. "Tyler. Do you understand what you just did?" "..I kissed-" He gets a hand flashed in his face. "I don't need to hear it. Knowing about it is bad enough."
"This is disgraceful, Tyler. First, you quit sports to sit in a chair and make noise from a hunk of metal-"
"What about marching season?.."
"Don't interrupt me that's rude. I wasn't finished." Chris shakes his head and Tyler slumps on the couch. "You quit sports to play music, and now you're- you're kissing other boys? Tyler do you understand what you have caused?" Tyler shakes his head. "We have to leave. We can't stay here. Do you realize what they'll do to us if we stay here?"
Tyler's face heats up. "Don't start crying, boy. This is your fault. Own up to it. We have to uproot our lives because you sinned." How is Tyler not supposed to cry when these are the words that are being stabbed into his heart? "Get your stuff ready because we're leaving as soon as we get someone to buy this house once we've put it on sale. Go to your room."
When Tyler gets to his room, he sits on his bed and look at his walls. This is the home he grew up in. Are they really leaving? Over something so small and unimportant? He feels like his body is tightening as he lays down on his bed, not lifting the covers, and not getting into pajamas. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe he didn't kiss the cute boy from church.