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Josh had only been back from his break for a few hours. It wasn't too bad of a day, for Josh. Although, he could not stop thinking about how Tyler looked in that little tiara. How Tyler’s soft smile felt so warm and inviting, the way his full lips would pull up and show his crooked teeth. Whenever Tyler would look at you with his bright brown doe eyes, they would seem to fill with wonder when he spoke.
Maybe when he is done with his shift he can go and bother Tyler again. Maybe he can ask Tyler to pierce his ear, or maybe just another lipsmackers. Maybe trusting Tyler with a piercing gun isn’t the way to go to get to know him more. Something about Tyler was so infatuating. Josh just felt too allured to Tyler, like there was an invisible force pushing Josh towards him. As he is thinking about Tyler, he could hear that sing-songy voice radiating throughout Spencer’s. Tyler was here?
“Oh yeah, you know. I can't always bother Mark on my breaks. I'll probably get banned from GameStop or something. Gotta change it up.” Tyler gave Auttie an uneasy laugh. Josh could just barely see Tyler. He looked a little panicked. Tyler was also holding..two? Baja blasts from Taco Bell? Why does he have two?
“You got any sales going on though? Sales are always great. I’m just going to take a look around” Tyler sniffled out.
Josh finally stepped fully into Tyler’s view. “Hey Tyler! Finally on that break?” Josh’s smile lit up his whole face. “What’s with the two Baja Blasts though? Must be thirsty”
Josh laughed through his smile.
“Can’t a man be thirsty?” Tyler looked at Josh with annoyance as he rolled his eyes, he handed Josh one. “Actually one is for you, for saying thank you earlier. No big deal or anything..” Tyler's words had wandered off, as if he were nervous. “Soo yeah, you can have it or whatever.” He extended his hand outwardly. With a grin showcasing his crooked teeth.
“Oh! Thanks Tyler. I’m a lucky man today since I get to see you again and a free drink? Living such a lavish life.” Josh ran his hand through his hair and grabbed the drink with his free hand, with a big smile plastered across his face. “D’ya need help finding anything, or you want to look around?”
Tyler’s eyes shifted around the store, scratching his face with his free hand. “Uhhh, I think I will uhh..” Tyler scanned the rack with all the beanies displayed on it, and grabbed a red beanie from the rack. “ I think i will just buy this y’know? Red’s my favourite colour so i’d like to buy this. Yeah.” Tyler had nodded as if he was satisfied by his decision.
Tyler handed Josh the red beanie. “Red IS a nice colour, it probably looks good on you.Is this everything then?” Josh led Tyler to the registers to ring him up.
“Yeah that should be great, and honestly you aren't wrong. Red is my colour. I own that shit.” Tyler yammered on.
“So that’ll be 16.67, cash or card?” Josh looked into Tyler's shy eyes.
“What? No discount? C’mon Josh give me your staff discount, i just bought you a drink, maaaan.” Tyler batted his eyelashes at Josh.
“Woah woah woah asking for my discount already? At least take me out to dinner first!” A playful smile had formed on Josh’s lips.
“Uhh you know what, here.” Tyler placed a 20$ bill on the counter. “Heres a twenty. Keep the change. Gotta go.” Tyler grabbed the hat off the counter and bolted out like a spooked deer.
Josh watches as Tyler takes off, he wonders what goes through Tyler's head. He seems like a person who is easily spooked. If Josh wants to get closer to him he’ll have to be careful. Although it is cute seeing Tyler’s face fill up with red with embarrassment whenever Josh pays him a compliment.
As his shift was nearing the end, he could not wait to go see his best friend, and tell her about his day. Debby had been Josh’s friend for as long as he could remember. They’ve been through everything together. She's basically like another sister to him. She was the first person Josh had come out to. She was so supportive of him. Took him out for ice cream after his first big heartbreak.
Debby had natural soft brown hair that looked like warm caramel when the sun hit it just right. Spiralling down her shoulders in waves. Recently she's been sporting a bleached blond hair, with jet black eyeliner to accentuate her soft brown eyes. She had a smile that could light up the room. She always smiled big whenever she saw Josh.
Josh walked into build a bear when his shift was over, “HELLOOO Ms. Ryan where have you been, my love? It's been awhile!” Josh had shouted so loud, that Debby had quickly turned around, her jaw had dropped.
“Joshie!!! My best man, I’ve missed you, how come you haven't been to see me in a long time? I'm also only a text away, don't be like that now.” Debby had reached up and messed up Josh’s mohawk.
Josh paints a playful smirk on his face, “Okay okay that's enough from you.” He grabs her hands and holds them down. “Ive got things to tell you, now is it just you here, or is Cas here too?”
“No no, it's just me. Cas left for the day, something about aura farming boomers. Whatever the hell that means.”
Cas was an odd boy or girl, Josh still didn’t really know. They felt more like a cool younger brother to Josh. They could pull anything off. Debby even ordered them a bigger size work shirt on accident and somehow they still pulled it off. Cas always kept the baggy shirt tucked into their abnormally large cargo pants. When they weren't working, Cas would always wear a backwards cap. Reminds him how Tyler wears his hats backwards. When he's not wearing a tiara that is. Josh chuckled to himself over the fact of Tyler wearing a mini tiara again.
Debby’s eyes widened impatiently, while Josh’s mind wandered with thoughts filled with Tyler. “Hello?? Earth to Joshua?? Are you there??”
“Oh sorry. My mind must’ve trailed off, anyways I have news about that guy i told you about.” Josh shook the thoughts out of his head and smiled down at Debby.
“Oh? Will I actually get a name this time? Please. You need to tell me more. As your best friend you are legally required to tell me, Josh.” Debby is always good at getting what she wants. She always pushes the right buttons with Josh.
Josh sucked on his teeth, while debating on how much he should actually tell her. “Okay, well his name is Tyler, and he works at Claire’s and-” Debby cut him off.
“Wait. Hold up. TYLER Tyler? The annoying dude who always is first in line for Pokemon drops? Ohhh dude. Him? Really? Josh, I think you can do better.” Concern filled her soft features.
“Debs. He's actually really cute, he was wearing a tiara today. And I just can't stop thinking about how flushed his face went when I told him he looked good.” He placed his hands on Debby’s face. “I think he's just shy and sad. Doesn't know what he really wants. Let me have this.”
Debby placed her hand on Josh’s chest. “Oh Joshua, you seem like you're really into him. I just don’t want you to get hurt. He’s not a stable person. He’s always working to keep himself distracted. I don't know much about him, only what I see when he comes in, or what Jenna or Mark tell me.” She patted her hand over Josh’s heart with a soft smile.
“That's ok Debs. I'm patient, I can wait on him, really I can take care of myself and him if anything happens.” Josh had slid his hands from her face, and held the hand that was previously resting on his chest. “But can we back up a minute. Is this the same Tyler that Mark would talk about? Car radio stolen Tyler?” Josh’s worry-filled face now lighting up with a big smile.
“Yup. Same Tyler, same guy who also lines up first thing in the morning whenever a new Pokemon bear drops. He even misses work sometimes. I've told him I'll put one aside for him but he says it doesn’t feel the same. He does the whole ritual too. He loves the Build a Bear ritual. The only time I've seen him smile honestly.”
“He does the whole ritual? Oh my god Debs, please tell me you're lying. That's like literally the cutest thing I've ever heard. When's the next release? I need to see him do it.” Josh was the one who was blushing now, the thought of Tyler kissing the heart with his full lips. The whole thought was running through his head. Josh was so sick of thinking of it.
“Aw Joshie, you are so gross. You are literally yearning over a man you barely know in my store. Just be glad Cas isn't here to speak their mind. You’d never hear the end of it. If you want, maybe I can give Jenna your number to give to Tyler? Would you like that?”
“I’ll have to think about that one, don't want to spook him too much. I remember once I went to sit with him on break but he got up, and ran so fast. You swore his house was on fire or something.” Josh had looked down at his hands and picked at the skin around his finger nails. “It was weird, but I was kind of worried about him when he didn't go back for his shift.
“But it seems like he's having a good day today. He even came into Spencer’s. He brought me a drink but then he bought something and ran out. So maybe he isn't having a good day. Do you think I should go see him again? I could totally go in again” Josh shuffled out a laugh. “Maybe he can pierce my ears.”
“No, oh please no Joshua. Do not let him pierce anything on you. I wouldn't trust that man with that piercing gun. There's a reason Jenna or Allie usually do the piercings. He’s bad.” She looked mortified at the thought of Tyler piercing his ears. He is now intrigued, thinking about Tyler piercing his ears again, how bad could it be? It’s a challenge worth trying.
“Anyways Debs. I should go. I don't want to take up too much of your time. Please we need to have a movie night with the biggest bottle of wine ever. Then you can tell me all you know about Tyler. Please Debby, I need this and you know that I love you.” A big smile displayed on Josh’s face. “And as your best friend you now legally have to tell me everything.” He stuck his tongue out at her as he was ushering himself out the front doors.
Now Josh didn't really need anything from Claire’s, if he's being honest with himself. He just kind of wanted to see Tyler. Okay, not kind of. Like actually a lot. Debby would be so disappointed in him. Whatever, he didn't care. He could just say he wanted another lipsmackers or something. Or maybe he could pick Tyler up a pretzel or some other lame excuse. Although Nova, Lindsey's best friend and coworker at Auntie Anne’s, would probably think Josh was weird for going there twice today. But then again, they were always really nice to him, and sometimes they gave him a discount. So he really couldn't complain.