falling too (joshler)

VII

"Well, we could just hang out in the basement," Tyler concluded after finding his siblings occupying the TV room.

"Alright," said Josh, "I'll kick your butt in Mario Kart another time."

Tyler snorted. "Yeah right."

When they reached the basement, Tyler flipped on the light switch and the room lit up. Josh's eyes instantly landed on the keyboard in the corner, papers scattered on and around it.

"This yours?" he asked. Tyler nodded. "Do you play?"

"I told you earlier I write, Josh," said Tyler, slightly annoyed that Josh hadn't remembered.

Josh looked confused.

"Uh... No you didn't." Maybe he just wasn't listening, or he'd forgotten. But he knew that wasn't the case: he hung on to every word that came from Tyler's mouth and wouldn't have missed it.

"Yes! I told you this morning when-" Tyler paused. "Oh." he muttered quietly. Josh gave him a questioning look.

"My bad. It was Jenna I told, not you. Sorry."

Josh was a little hurt, but he was determined not to show it.

"No worries," he replied, smiling. "How was that, by the way?" To his surprise, Tyler's face lit up.

"It was kinda maybe sorta amazing!" he beamed, "Jenna is really funny. And pretty, really pretty. You should meet her sometime!"

Josh could tell that Tyler was excited, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't convince himself to be happy for him.

"That's, uh, great Tyler" He said in a flat tone. "I'd love to meet her."

There was a moment of silence before Josh spoke again.

"Do you think you guys will be like... more than friends?"

"I don't know," Tyler replied, "she was so easy to talk to and I think... maybe I like her?" He explained how he had held her hand at the end of breakfast, while Josh nodded along.

"That's great dude!" He said, as convincingly as possible. Then, eager to change the subject, he asked about Tyler's music.

"Yeah... I uh, used to be in a band. The other guys left though," he said with a light laugh.

"That sucks, sorry,"

"It's okay. Do you play anything?"

"Drums"

kinda short filler chapter i have ideas i just don't know how to get there