Chapter 39

"Seriously, out, the both of you, I have no time for my wife and my side-piece," Josh said, still standing by the door, keeping it open with his hand, motioning for us to move along with the other.

"It's cute that you think that you're the main character, when I clearly am," Tyler said, letting himself fall on his couch.

Just to really drive that point in, Miss Puss decided to take that moment to jump on the couch right beside Tyler and walk around, trying to get his attention. Tyler was beaming over this, petting the cat.

Josh glared at him. "Do you have any proof of that?"

"It only gets interesting when I'm in the room," Tyler said, still grinning, while picking up Miss Puss properly, which just made Josh glare at him more, since his cat wasn't fighting him off.

"He makes a good point," I agreed, grinning at my best friend.

Josh scoffed. "Don't encourage the side piece."

I gapped, pressing a hand to my chest. "Wait, wait, I'm the wife?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "Of course, you're the wife."

I turned my attention back to Tyler, "Alright, Josh is the main character."

"No loyalty from either of you," Tyler said, pointing between the two of us.

"Well, am I the side piece or the wife?" I asked him.

Tyler grinned, like he was already proud of what he was about to say. "I'm more of a trouple kind of guy."

Josh snorted and went to let himself fall on the couch beside Tyler, trying to get his cat back. "Total cop out."

"Coward move," I agreed, sitting on the recliner.

"No, no, brilliant move, just brilliant, brilliant," Tyler disagreed.

"It's like when people put love triangles in their stories and just kill one of the options so the main character doesn't have to make an actual choice," Josh started to explain, getting into one of his random tangents.

"They still decided to kill someone, so there's a choice," Tyler pointed out, almost proud.

"The author made the choice! Not the character!" Josh snapped.

What were we really talking about here? Was Josh thinking about Jayden never having the chance to pick him, because he died? Or was I just reading into it, because now that I knew I was analyzing everything Josh said? Josh was known for saying random stuff. I shouldn't be assuming anything all the time.

"Same thing," Tyler said with a grin.

Josh glared at him and then turned to me. "Blake, drag him out of my apartment."

"Here, I'll give you back your cat, don't kick me out," Tyler said, handing him Miss Puss.

Josh gapped at him. "Giving me back? It was never yours to begin with!" he said, and snatched Miss Puss out of his hands. "Blake, get him out."

"So, what are the plans?" Tyler asked completely ignoring Josh's slight meltdown. That was usually the right way to deal with Josh.

"Yeah, what are we doing now?" I added, playing along, while Tyler and I just kept looking at Josh expectantly. To piss him off, really.

Annoying Josh was always a great way to distract him. And I didn't want him to have to think about sad things now. I wanted to cheer him up.

"What? You expect me to entertain you? I'm not the one in charge of entertaining when you two idiots just barge in here, saying nonsense," my best friend whined.

"What were you planning on doing with your evening?" I asked, like I was talking with a confused toddler.

Josh really wasn't helping his case, because he stared at me, pouting a little, with his arms crossed over his chest while Miss Puss nestled on his lap. "I made kimchi stew and I was going to watch Boys Over Flower."

Tyler looked at him confused. "What?"

"Korean drama this time?" I asked. Josh had already mentioned he wanted to watch it, that was how I knew.

"It's to match with my menu choice. I played games online last night and got yelled at in Korean, so I suddenly craved kimchi stew."

I snorted, nodding. "Yes, yes, of course, this all makes a lot of sense."

Josh glared again. It got less and less threatening the more he did it. "Did you guys want dinner, or did you just want to bitch and moan?"

"I mean... I'm not against the moaning part," Tyler said, and then, of course, started to let out highly disturbing moaning sounds.

Josh made a disgusted face. "Thanks, now I know exactly how you sound when you're faking it," he said, and then got up and headed to the kitchen.

"Should we follow him?" Tyler asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm hungry and he makes good food."

"He does make good food," the youngest Grayson agreed.

So, we both got up, and headed to the kitchen.

When we got there though, we were greeted to more than just kimchi stew. The whole kitchen counter was covered with side dishes. With all the food there was there, Josh must have been cooking all day long.

"Jesus, were you expecting company?" Tyler asked, taken aback by all the food on Josh's counter.

I wasn't surprised though. This wasn't the first time I caught Josh making too much food. He often did it when he had something on his mind that was bothering him.

I could guess what it was this time.

"What?" Josh shrugged, unbothered. "I felt like making food."

"Yeah, Blake, keep your pretty mouth shut, Joshieboobear made a lot of delicious food, and you're being rude," Tyler said, and I made a what-the-fuck face.

"What the fuck? I said nothing!" I gapped, glaring at Tyler.

"We all know what you were thinking," Tyler replied, looking at me with a judgy face.

I still gapped, kind of looking around me, unbelievably. "You're the one who said something!"

Tyler ignored me, and went to pat Josh on the shoulder. "Josh, you're an extraordinary cook."

Josh snorted. "Keep up the bootlicking."

Tyler grinned. "With pleasure, babes."

"What is this? This is clearly not fair!"

"Whatever, you guys help me bring everything in the living room," Josh said, unbothered and started to stack bowls in his hands.

There was... a lot of food.

After three trips, Tyler went to the bathroom, and while he was away, and Josh and I were finishing to set up the food on the huge coffee table in his living room, I asked tentatively, "How are you doing?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "You're asking me like Jayden just died."

I wondered when it would feel normal, to be talking about this, Josh's feelings for my brother. It still felt like such a foreign concept. "Sorry, I know, this is old news for you, and it's normal, in a way. It's just... all new for me."

"It's new for me too, I guess," Josh chuckled, not looking in my eyes. "It's really strange to be talking about it with you. To be talking about it with anyone, really. I've been keeping this secret for so long. It's really strange to be openly talking about it with you."

"Does it feel good? To finally talk about it?" I asked, setting down the bowls and arranging them so everything would fit.

"I don't know... It's easier to ignore the sad stuff when you're not constantly reminded of it. It's easier to forget my feelings if I never acknowledge them," Josh replied softly.

Once again, how had he managed to hide this pain for so long? Josh was a lot stronger than me.

"For me it's usually the opposite. Keeping it all in, it just makes it worse. I kept my feelings for Lexi inside for so long, that they just grew, and ate at me," I admitted.

Keeping things inside for me just made them have even more of a grasp on me.

Josh snorted, shaking his head. "You're not an example though, you were obsessed with her."

"Obsessed with who?" Tyler asked, walking into the living room.

"Your sister," I replied.

"My gross, gross sister," Tyler said, nodding his head.

"Your gross gross sister," Josh agreed.

I rolled my eyes at them. "Lexi is not gross."

"You're right, she's not gross, she's gross, gross," Tyler corrected.

I let out a pained whine. "She's not gross, gross either."

The youngest Grayson shrugged, sitting on the ground in front of the coffee table between me and Josh. "Agree to disagree."

I made a clicking sound, while sitting beside him. "This is the reason why you're just a side piece."

Tyler gapped at me in horror. "Wait, wait, wait? You too?"

"Drama queen," Josh snorted, sitting down too while giving us utensils.

"With reasons. I've just been told I was both of your second choices," Tyler whined, a little pouty.

"Actually, you're more like my ninth choice," Josh told him, giving him an apologetic grin.

"NINTH?" Tyler shouted.

"Josh is fickle," I pointed out, with a forced grin.

"Just start the damn show, so I can soundlessly cry over my soup," Tyler mumbled, being all grumpy making me laugh.

Josh glared at him. "It's not soup."

"Whatever. I'm just the ninth side piece, who cares what I say," Tyler replied, in an annoyed voice.

"Josh, you need to hug him to apologize," I told my best friend.

Josh lifted his hands beside him, like he had no clue what I was on about. "Hey, you're the one that pushed him over the edge when you called him your side piece."

Tyler ignored the both of us, and started to say, almost to himself, "I need to find myself another boyfriend, that will truly love me for who I am. You two are unreliable bastards."

"It's just because you came along too late," I tried to offer as an explanation.

"That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," Josh pointed out.

"Just start the damn show," Tyler whined.

Josh chuckled, but indulged him and started Boys Over Flower.

I wasn't familiar at all with Korean, so it was a lot more confusing to watch than a Thai show. The production was better though, which was saying a lot.

Josh's food was unsurprisingly delicious. All the cooking skills I lacked, he owned.

Tyler was shit with chopsticks which amused Josh greatly.

It was funny too, because we were all kind of quiet, while concentrating on eating, and reading the subtitles.

"See, the thing I don't understand is the haircut. And the bullying the girl thing, but mostly the haircuts," Tyler said, when the credits at the end of an episode started to roll.

"You know nothing, side piece," Josh told him, "This is height of hair fashion. If you were in a k-drama you would be the hateful jealous girl."

Tyler scoffed. "That's grand coming from the comedic relief of my story."

"Comedic relief? Comedic relief?" Josh repeated, incredulous.

"You heard me," Tyler replied.

"Blake, hold him down while I beat him up," Josh said, glaring at the Grayson.

"Stop threatening me with a good time boys," Tyler automatically replied, smooshing his lips at us.

Josh started to swat him with his hands and Tyler swatted back, and it turned into the two idiots just slapping each others hands, looking a lot more comedic than threatening.

It probably would have been a bad time that they were actually the comedic relief to my story.

I did not want to get in on that bitch slap fight.

We started another episode, eating more.

The show was painfully cliché, but it was like a car crash we couldn't look away.

"Don't you think that it's so bad that it's good?" Josh asked.

"No, I think it's just bad," Tyler snorted.

"Maybe I should have made you watch Coffee Prince. Gong Yoo is dreamy," Josh sighed dreamingly.

"I don't wanna," Tyler replied, eyes fixed on the screen, the keep up with the drama.

"I swear that one is good," Josh said.

"Isn't it that cross-dressing one?" I asked, chuckling.

Tyler looked away from the screen for two seconds to narrow his eyes at Josh. "What do you want me to watch?"

"It's good."

"Honestly, don't complain, because otherwise he'll make you watch Thai dramas instead and those ones are..." I made a face, not continuing.

"Heart wrenching. Beautifully produced. Life changing," Josh continued for me.

"Train wrecks," I corrected.

Josh suddenly had a pensive look. "I don't actually remember seeing a Thai drama with a train accident in it. Memory loss though. Memory losses all over the board. You'd really think that losing your memory is a super common occurrence if you watch any Asian dramas."

"I wish it was a super common occurrence. I wish I could forget this evening," Tyler grumbled.

"This is why you're the side piece," Josh told Tyler, grabbing his neck in a headlock.

"SMASH MY HEAD ON THE FLOOR AND TAKE MY MEMORIES AWAY!"

Josh winced. "Aaaaaaah. Right in my fucking ear."

I laughed at their antics, feeling right at home with two brothers that weren't actually my brother.

I wished Jayden would have been here to see this. 

_______________________

Happy Monday my little Pumpkins!

Sorry if this is late. I fell asleep too early and woke up late and then I had stuff to do and forgot to post. XD

I hope the fun chapter makes up for it's lateness. 

In Kay-uploading-late related news, I'm going to New York on Thursday, and coming back on Monday. Technically, there shouldn't be any problems with the uploading, but in case something happens or I'm too busy, don't be too surprise if next week's chapter is uploaded a lil late. 

I'm going to New York technically for work. I help out at the art gallery my best friend Eve works at from time to time, cuz all the art schooling I got should be useful for something, and we're going to New York for an art expo to find new artists. It should be fun. :D 

So yeah. Hopefully there is no issue with uploading. We're going by plane, so I'm gonna try to write there. I basically grew up in airports, and I was flying by myself when I was like 14, but it's gonna be Eve's first time in a plane, so that also should be amusing. 

Alright, gonna go make myself something to eat now, and I'm gonna try to be productive. I've been working more lately so I've been useless when I come back from work, barely writing, so yeah. Aaaaaah. I need a whole week off again. :') I need to get back into like my NaNoWriMo writing frenzy. 1500 a day. I could do that again. I have SO many writing plans. I need to get my shit together.

Aaaaah. Anyway! Going now! I love you guys! See you all next week (unless the subway rats of New York eat me). Byyyyyye! <3