Chapter Text
Tyler spent another two and a half months in Sick Minds, but he wasn't complaining. He was there long enough to see everyone else in his group graduate, and he was really happy for them all. Even Pete, who had been a giant dick to him from his first day there, wasn't that bad by the time he left. He even started calling Tyler by his name, since "Silent Treatment" no long fit him quite as well as it had.
Tyler kept the scrap piece of paper with Josh's number on it safe in his bag, waiting for him to leave. He was only supposed to be in for a few extra weeks, but things got a bit messier after he started talking to his therapist properly. The few weeks after he admitted what went on at home, his therapist started trying to convince him to file a police report against his father.
Tyler flat-out refused at first. Of course he did. Even if he was terrible of being around his dad, it didn't mean he wasn't him sent away. His family needed him, that's what he had always told them just when thy started to think of leaving. Home would only be worse without him there, Tyler reasoned with his therapist. They needed him.
Eventually, however, Tyler agreed. And then began the long process of having his younger siblings and mother removed from the house until they could find enough evidence to have his father sent away. Tyler decided to just stay at Sick Minds while that was happening, as he knew his father would seek them out faster if he was with them. He had always been the number one target in his home, and he didn't want to endanger his family any more.
Even after Tyler was finally released - his father not behind bars, but still under a strict restraining order from his family - he didn't call Josh at first. He felt guilty about breaking his promise, having told Josh that he would call as soon as he was out. As much as he wanted to, he knew it was still too soon. He was home and free from his dad for the first time, and his whole household had to adjust to being fearless and fatherless.
Not to mention the schoolwork. Even though Tyler had tried to stay on top of his studies while in rehab, he had missed far too many days and tests to graduate on time, meaning he had to repeat grade twelve if he wanted his diploma. He spent two full days in his room when he found out, full of fear even though he knew he would be safe now.
It wasn't until six months after returning home, almost nine months since he had last seen Josh, that Tyler dug the scrap paper out of the bottom of his bag. It had admittedly been in better shape, but the numbers scrawled across it were still eligible enough. Tyler's hands shook as he dialled the number, wondering if Josh would even remember him. He had probably moved on already, after all, it had been close to a year.
Tyler stared at the numbers on his phone screen, checking them over five times - just to be sure, not to stall or anything - before hesitantly pressing the call button and holding the phone to his ear. At first, he wasn't sure that Josh would answer. The phone rang for a while, and just when he was about to give up and try another time, he heard a voice on the other line.
"Hello?" Josh's familiar voice answered, sounding slightly confused, probably at recieving a call from an unknown number randomly.
Tyler was silent for a second, and it took Josh repeating himself before he spoke up. "Hi Josh," he whispered.
Josh didn't reply right away, but when he did he sounded even more confused than he had before, and a bit concerned. "Uh...do I know you?" he asked.
Tyler could feel his heart cracking at Josh's words, and half of him just wanted to say no and hang up. "Uh...it's Tyler," he added quietly, his little bit of confidence completely destroyed. It had been stupid to assume that Josh would remember him anyway.
The line was silent, and Tyler thought for a moment that Josh had hung up on him. Finally, Josh mumbled "You didn't call."
Tyler laughed slightly, less because of the humour of the situation and more of relief. "I know, I'm sorry," he said. "I got out a couple of months after you did, and everything's just been so crazy since then."
"How are you?" Josh asked quickly, and Tyler knew that he actually cared about the answer. Josh had been the only one to care before, and he didn't give that up.
"I'm good, really," Tyler said, pausing slightly. "My dad doesn't live with us anymore. He might be going to jail."
The line went silent again, before Tyler heard a small "Oh" from Josh's side.
"Yeah."
Silence again. You would think that Tyler and Josh would have been used to silence after spending months without speaking, but it still felt awkward for some reason.
"Do you wanna go out sometime?" Josh asked casually, as if they hadn't just been talking about something as serious as child abuse. Tyler laughed slightly at the idea of it, and he heard Josh laughing with him.
"Sure," he replied, just as casually. "Just text me."
"Trust me, I will."