Trigger warning for internalized homophobia and slurs. Sorry pals ):

Also I live half an hour from Missouri so every roast and shit talking comment comes from the heart 😌✨ Scarlettesville is made up but still based on certain towns in Missouri and a few I've even lived in in other states

"How was you first day of school today, bud?" Chris asked as he scooped some potatoes onto his plate. This was their tradition. Tyler's dad usually worked pretty late leaving the boy to fend for himself with microwave TV dinners and ramen noddles, but every time they moved to a new town they spent the night after Tyler's first day of school eating a nice dinner his father had cooked and talking about their days.

"It was alright," Tyler shrugged, stabbing the pile of green beans sitting on his plate.

"Why the hell do ya have that goose egg sittin' on ya head, then?" Chris asked, his Alabaman accent prominent. Tyler found it funny that even though he himself was born there and that they had moved to 12 different states in his 15 years of life, the two still had very different dialects.

Tyler sighed, setting his fork down. "Some kids tripped me when I walked off the bus this morning."

"Jesus Christ, Ty," Chris sighed as well. "Why didn't ya tell me sooner?"

"Because," he replied in a small voice. "I'm used to it. It's not the first time someone's hurt me, Dad. You remember what happened in Texas."

"And you remember what 'appened ta them when I found out," he retorted gruffly. "Damn middle schoolers."

Tyler just picked his fork back up and resumed eating. He wasn't in a good mood. He rarely was.

"Bud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor."

Tyler look up and saw a tired look on his father's face. He instantly felt bad for worrying him. "What is it?"

"Make some friends. Ya didn't talk to anyone in Louisiana an' ya rarely had acquaintances anywhere else we lived. 'M at work all the time an' I don' want ya gettin' lonely and more depressed," he frowned.

"Maybe if I wasn't a fag I'd have friends," Tyler mumbled under his breath, hoping his dad didn't hear him.

"Tyler Robert Joseph," Chris spoke and the 15 year old instantly knew he had been caught. "No one gives a shit whether ya like boys or girls. At least the people that matter don't. Stop puttin' yaself down 'bout it all the damn time. I don' love ya any less. The Lord don' love ya any less either. It don' make ya any less Christian. I'm proud of ya tellin' me but if ya goin' put yaself down all the time I'd rather ya be straight."

Tyler didn't reply at first. He didn't know what to say. His dad always told him this and he knew his dad was right but he couldn't help but feel disgusted with himself for being gay. He was a small, puny, fag that deserved nothing but to rot in hell. That's how all the kids had known. Tyler had't said one word to them but they could tell just by looking at him that he was a good for nothing faggot. "There's a guy named Josh," he finally spoke.

"Josh?"

"Yeah. He's a senior. He was in the nurse's office today when I was. One of the guys from the same group of guys beat him up. I don't think he'll become my friend but he was the first person to show kindness to me so that's gotta count for something."

When Tyler looked back up, his father was smiling at him. "Atta boy," he nodded. "That's what I like ta hear. Anything else happen today?"

"I hate my art class so I might go in tomorrow morning and ask to be switched to another one or something."

"What'da end up takin'?"

"Painting but I'm horrible at it and it's messy and I don't like it. I think I'll switch to drawing if I can. I just need to get my credit in."

"Well keep me updated," his father told him. "Let me know how things are goin' and stuff."

"I will," Tyler nodded. "Love you."

"Love ya too, bud," Chris smiled. "Before I forget, 'm goin' be workin' late tomorrow."

"Already?"

"Yeah. There's been a couple a murder cases they tryna solve and they wanna see what I can do. There's a reason I transferred here," he laughed. "I'm good at what I do and this shit show of a town needs me."

Tyler let a crooked smile rest on his lips. His father wasn't a cocky man. Sure he was loud mouthed but he was humble and disciplined. If he was saying he was good at something he meant it. And it was true. They had started out moving all over the country because his father was requested in towns with high crime rates. It eventually turned into him transferring to places he thought needed help too and that's what brought them to Scarlettesville. "You're right, Dad. They do need you."

"Thanks for always backin' me up, kid."

"Of course."

The two finished their dinner in relative silence. They really had nothing else to talk about. Tyler's father wasn't a "talker." He didn't like to talk about his feelings and he really wasn't good comforting other people but when he did manage to have those conversations Tyler always felt a little bit better. Maybe it was the dad magic.

Once they were done and the dishes were washed and laying on a towel to dry, Tyler let out a yawn. "I'm gonna go to bed."

"Alright, I don' know if I'll be here when you get home. I love ya. Good night."

"Night, Dad."

Tyler made his way down the short hallway of their one level house entered his small bedroom. He and his father weren't poor, they were actually fairly well off, but the available houses in Scarlettesville didn't offer much and they had to take what they could get. The room was cramped, its carpet had a weird unknown stain on it, and the walls had scratches and dents and holes in it but it wasn't anything a rug and some posters couldn't fix. Tyler made it work. He always did.

The brunette quickly changed into his pajamas and set his clothes in the hamper before crawling into bed.

Sure he lived in a shitty town with his dad and sure he hated himself and his life but he had a feeling Scarlettesville wouldn't be as bad. Or at least it wouldn't be as lonely. And maybe Josh had something to do with it. He didn't know. He couldn't tell. A small part of him just hoped that the older would want to be along for the ride just as much as that small part of Tyler wanted him to be.