Death Pact ~ Joshler

Twenty-Seven

No one's reading this, yet, I still update it. Happy late Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever you celebrate!
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"You can't stay mad at him for something that he didn't even do." Frank pointed out, dipping a chicken nugget into some bbq sauce before taking a bite out of it.

"I'm-I'm not mad, I'm just..." Josh trailed off, eyes falling to the table that separated the two of them.

It had been eight days since the incident and Josh still hadn't mustered up the courage to talk to Tyler. He even got Frank to explain to him what had happen just because he couldn't do it himself.

Tyler had stopped texting him once he had talked to Frank, not wanting to trigger him in any way. So instead, he bugged Frank ever other hour to check in on Josh.

"You're scared." Frank finished for him, pushing back a stray strand of black hair from his eyes. "And that's understandable. You've been through hell, but that doesn't mean that you should push someone away that didn't even hurt you."

"Why are you defending him? Don't you, like, hate him or something?"

"I️ don't hate him. I️ mean, I️ don't like that he's hurt you before when he wasn't allowed to see you. And I️ get jealous because you're practically in love with the guy. Oh, and I think it's stupid that he continues to stay with his abusive boyfriend when he could get with you, but then again I️ guess I️'d be a hypocrite if I️ said that I️ had never fallen beneath Brendon Urie's charm. But just to counter your accusation, all in all, no, I️ don't hate him."

And that's what Josh loved most about Frank. He always told him the truth, no matter how painful it was to hear. He wasn't even embarrassed about admitting that he was jealous, because they both knew that it was true and Frank figured that there was no reason to deny it. He had come to terms that he had been completely friend-zoned and he decided that as long as Josh was happy, he was happy. Now, Josh tried his best not to get too close to the boy in order to spare his feelings. He wouldn't dare kiss him again because he didn't like Frank like that and he refused to use him.

"How can I apologize to him when I️ can't even look at him?" Josh asked no one, picking up a fry, but then dropping it back onto a napkin. "Even just the thought of him makes me think of..." He trailed off, but Frank knew what he meant.

Josh had told Frank about the nightmare he had concerning Tyler in quite vivid detail, and Frank told Tyler about it. However, he was a bit more subtle and less vulgar in his explanation.

"Then write to him. Send him text or something." The other boy said casually, licking his lips.

Josh nodded, already thinking about what he would say. Because this was so much easier. Expressing yourself is a whole lot easier when the person that you're talking to isn't right in front of you. No accidental stuttering or random spur of the moment words, just well thought out sentences that Josh had timely conjured up.

"I️ can't believe that I️ offered to take you somewhere and this is where you chose." Frank stated, shaking his head. "Could've gone to any place you wanted and you picked Wendy's."

Josh grinned, dipping a fry into his frosty before popping it into his mouth.

Usually Josh would have never eaten out in public, not with all the people who might be watching him. But with it being four in the afternoon, there was only one other elderly couple sitting in the back besides him and Frank.

"You and your ice cream." The shorted male rolled his hazel eyes.

"Excuse me, this is not just 'ice cream,' this is a frosty." Josh stated in mock offensive, scooping up a big pile onto his spoon and eating it.

"That's for the clarification, I'm sure it'll get me far in life."

"Piss off." Josh grinned, smiling for the first time since that night.

"Piss off whom?" Frank asked, smirking back at him. "I'm quite good at that, don't you know?"

"You're impossible." Josh snorted, and this time, he was the one to roll his eyes.

-

To: Ty🌸💖                   7:35PM
Hey... it's me. I'm guessing Frank caught you up on what was going on. I️ really have no words to describe how sorry I️ am. You did absolutely nothing wrong, I️ want you to know that. Please forgive me.

It wasn't even a minute later when Josh's phone began ringing. The boy picked it up, holding the device to his ear. "Tyler?"

"Hey." The boy on the other line breathed. "It's so good to hear your voice."

"I️ literally only said one word."

"Yes, but that word was my name, and it sounded so beautiful coming from your lips." Tyler paused, realizing that he accidentally said that out loud. "Sorry, that was over the line, I️ shouldn't have said that."

But Josh couldn't help but smile, moving to sit down on the edge of his bed. "How have you been? How's-How's Brendon?"

"Oh, uhm, we sorta... Broke up."

Josh gasped, sucking in a deep breath of air and holding it for a good moment before he exhaled. "What? Why? What happened?"

"I️-I️ thought a lot about what you said, about having second thoughts about him and well- I️ have been... for a long time, I️ just... I️ guess I️ was too dependent on him. I️ mean, I've been with him for so long and he was always there for me and his house was where I️ practically lived." Tyler explained to him. "He didn't take it well, but-but I️ ran away before anything else could happen. I️ feel awful about it but I️ didn't have a choice, I️ could see the anger that was beginning to fuel him and I️ didn't want to stick around for the aftermath."

"You did the right thing, Ty." Josh said, and suddenly he felt giddy inside. Tyler was finally single. Then again, Tyler was also the person that he had previously had a nightmare about.

"I️ guess, but now I'm stuck at home with my own parents and they're driving me insane." He huffed. "But, anyway, that doesn't matter. How are you holding up?"

"I'm... okay." Josh replied, putting his phone on speaker and placing it on his chest as he laid down. He knew that his mother would be out until late and Frank had already left to his own family so it was just him for a while. "And, yes, I️ mean that, I'm really alright."

"Good." Tyler said softly, nibbling on his bottom lip. "I️ was actually about to call Frank to tell you something since you weren't really talking to me."

"I️ know, and I'm sorry, I️ just needed space. Even though you have literally done nothing wro—"

"Josh, it's okay." Tyler cut him off, his words soft and almost soothing to hear. "I️ understand. Just- I'm not sure if you're ready to hear this, which is another reason as to why I️ was going to go through Frank."

"What is it?" Josh asked, suddenly worried.

"The judge has approved your case... Your accusation against Pete is going to court."