Fear has its use, but cowardice has none - Mahatma Gandhi

After meeting Josh for the first time, Tyler was a completely different person. He was no longer depressed, and started striving through life once again.

Josh visited him everyday, and they were always together. They'd sit in the basement all day and smoke weed from the Gatorade bong, which Tyler took pleasure in embracing.

In the middle of the day, while Tyler took out the trash, he turned around and saw a pile of trash scattered all over the ground in front of his garage.

Tyler knew right away who it was, and it annoyed him more than anything.

He walked over to the other side to pick them up, but before he could touch it, the neighbor came running after him.

It was the same neighbor he and Josh stole the weed from.

The boy was too afraid to stand his ground, so he got up and immediately walked away.

When he got back to his house, Jenna dropped off Josh for the day, and the two spent time together in the basement.

Josh sat on the couch and sniffed the weed plants while Tyler stood by the window and watched for the neighbor.

He remembered the night they stole the weed plants from him, and he was heavily afraid he was coming back to seek revenge.

As he was sniffing the weed plants, Josh took notice of Tyler standing by the window.

"What's wrong, darling?"

The boy looked at him.

"I'm just worried."

"About the neighbor?"

He looked back out the window.

"I just don't understand. I mean, I used to be invisible to him, but now he keeps looking at me, like he knows we stole these plants from him."

He turned back to Josh.

"I'm just being paranoid, right?"

"Well, these buds are called Purple Thunder Paranoia, but no. You're not being paranoid."

He looked back out the window once again.

"Of course I am."

As he watched, Tyler saw the neighbor walking down the street, which gave him the feeling he was coming for him.

"Like right now. It looks like he's coming over here. He looks pissed."

He looked at Josh, with fear in his eyes.

"Why would he be coming over here pissed?"

"I don't know, Tyler. Maybe because you smashed his window, stole his weed, and shat in his boot."

He stepped down from the window.

"You're the one who smashed his window."

"You. Me. What's the difference?"

Tyler sat down on a chair next to Josh.

"What is the difference?"

As he gathered his thoughts, the boy looked up and saw the clock was speeding rapidly, then he looked down and saw that his feet shrunk.

He was feeling strange.

"Josh, I think there's something in that weed."

"I don't know so, dear." Josh said; picking up his bong. "There's only one way to find out."

As he lit his bong. Tyler started tasting blood on his tongue. He reached into his mouth and pulled out a tooth.

He looked at Josh; confused and frightened.

"That's weird, right?"

The man blew smoke from his mouth.

"Yeah. That doesn't happen till later."

"Later?"

Suddenly, there was a harsh knock at the door. The boy jumped from his chair; startled and afraid.

He didn't know if it was the weed, or if he was loosing his mind.

"Josh, what's going on?! Am I dreaming?!" I wanna wake up now."

"Tyler, there's something I need to tell you. I don't think you'll remember this, but perhaps, that's for the best."

"No!" The boy cried. "None of this is real! There's no way he would know it was me!"

"That's the thing I need to tell you, darling."

Josh looked at Tyler, with a slight grin on his face.

"He knows."

~

Tyler woke up on the basement couch to a harsh knock at the door. He looked around and saw that nothing has changed.

He breathed a sigh of relief; knowing it was all a dream.

After grabbing a box from his coffee table, Tyler went upstairs to the living room.

When he answered the door, he saw Josh standing there all by himself this time.

Tyler was surprised that Jenna wasn't with him.

"Josh, what are you doing here? I thought Jenna was bringing you over."

"She doesn't care." The man replied. "She trusts you now."

Tyler smiled at him.

"Well, I'm glad to see you."

Josh smiled back.

"Up for a stroll, darling?"

The boy looked at him for a moment, then he agreed.

While walking on the street, Josh took notice of the box Tyler was holding.

"So, are you gonna tell me what this is?"

Tyler looked down at the box in his hand.

"It's for you."

He handed it to him.

"Open it."

Josh chuckled.

"Tyler, you don't have to tell me to open it. I know to open it."

Tyler chuckled back.

"Okay, but it's very special."

Josh opened the box and took out a bone.

"It's a homemade bone that I bought from a Haiyan butcher. It's the best money can buy."

The man sniffed the bone.

"Can you feel that weight? It's fantastic."

Josh looked at Tyler and shrugged his shoulders, which told him that he wasn't pleased with the gift.

The boy was disappointed that he didn't like it.

"I thought you'd be excited."

"You want me to be excited, Tyler?"

"Yes, I do."

"Buy me a new bong, or better yet, a vaporizer. But a bone? It's like giving a basketball to a black guy."

"It was meant to be a token of our friendship."

Hey, speaking of token, let's spark up some of that weed we nicked from the neighbor. Maybe we can vaporize it in my new bone."

Josh took another sniff at his bone, then rethought his idea.

"No. Won't quite work, will it?"

As they walked, they stopped at a neighbor's yard and saw the police talking with the owner, Mr. Gonzalez.

When he saw him, he walked over to Tyler and Josh.

"What's going on here?" Tyler asked.

"What kind of sinful monster would spray paint the statue of the Virgin Mary?! It's a hate crime!"

During the conversation, Josh walked into Mr. Gonzalez's yard and started eating from the birds nest.

When he saw this, he looked back at Tyler.

"Hey, holy boy, is that your dog?"

"No, I'm just watching him for a friend."

"My wife is extremely fearful of dogs. When she got bit in the last neighborhood, we had to call animal control to put the beast down. So would you please tell your dog to back off?"

Respecting Mr. Gonzalez's request, Tyler looked to Josh and called to him by his given name.

"Jim, come."

The man turned to him, but didn't move.

"Please."

This time, Josh obeyed. He walked back over to the boy.

"It's not like I was gonna bite her. The last time I bit a Catholic chick, she gave me the shits for a week."

As he stood next to him, the neighbor came riding by in his motorcycle. Mr. Gonzalez started shouting at him.

"Come back to the scene of the crime! I know it was you! I know it was you!"

The neighbor ignored him and rode past him.

"I had to call the cops on that man a few weeks ago. I am certain that this is his revenge."

As the two started walking, Josh looked at him.

"That motorcycle dick is ruining the neighborhood. You need to put that asshole in his place."

"What's the point of a confrontation? I'd just get my ass kicked!"

"So what? It'll be less painful than walking around in constant fear."

"Then, what would you suggest I do?" Tyler asked.

"You march over there, look him straight in the eye and say, "I'm the man who shat in your boot", then bent him over, and root him right up the ass."

Tyler looked him at him awkwardly.

"You want me to have sex with him?"

"It's called domination." Josh told him. "It's how dogs handle it. And believe me, it's very effective."

"And have you done this with another dog?"

"Every fucking day."

"I can't imagine a scenario in which I would do something like that."

Josh looked at him.

"Well, then, you have no imagination."

Tyler scoffed.

"If only that we're true."

Josh smiled and took his hand.

"Come, my dear. Let's go back to your place and smoke some of that weed."

Tyler smiled back, and the two made their way home.

~

When they got home, the two went down into Tyler's basement and started smoking the weed they stole from the neighbor.

However, after what happened that night, Tyler had a feeling that he was coming back for revenge, so he looked out the window to watch for him.

As he did, Josh took notice and looked at him.

"What's wrong, darling?"

The boy looked at him.

"I'm just worried."

"About the neighbor?"

He looked back out the window.

"I just don't understand. I mean, I used to be invisible to him, but now he keeps looking at me, like he knows we stole these plants from him."

He turned back to Josh.

"I'm just being paranoid, right?"

"Well, these buds are called Purple Thunder Paranoia, but no. You're not being paranoid."

Tyler stepped down from the window and sat down on a chair next to Josh; still trembling in fear.

"Of course I am."

As the boy sat and gathered his thoughts, Josh inhaled his bong, which caused him to remember the strange dream that he had.

He looked up at the clock and saw it wasn't speeding rapidly. Then, he looked down at his feet and saw they were perfectly normal.

Finally, he put his hand in his mouth and didn't feel any loose teeth.

"Tyler, there's something I need to tell you."

As Josh blew the smoke out of his mouth, there was a harsh knock at the door.

It was the same knock from Tyler's dream.

When he heard it, the boy jumped from the chair.

"Is that?!"

"It is. Darling, the thing is, he knows."

"What?! No! How is that possible?!"

"Because, after we broke into his house, I think I may have left your wallet under the window."

"What?!"

"Actually, wait. No. No. I definitely did do that."

As Josh took another hit from his bong, Tyler stood back and stared at him; shocked.

~

Tyler and Josh rush upstairs to find the neighbor banging on the door; shouting at them.

"I know you're in there!"

The boy looked at Josh; demanding answers.

"Why the fuck would you leave my wallet outside his window?!"

"I don't know, Tyler. I mean, think about it."

The man sat on the arm of the sofa.

"Why is the sky grey? Why is the grass grey? And, why is the rainbow grey, grey, grey, grey, grey, and infa-grey."

He stood up and looked at the frightened boy.

Now, open the door, pull down his pants, and tear that ass up!"

Refusing to listen to Josh, Tyler opened the door and allowed the neighbor inside.

"Hey, Tyler! Lose something?"

He held up his wallet and hit him in the head. As it dropped, Tyler caught it.

"Uh, Oh! Well, I've been looking for this!"

"Yeah, because you dropped it when you broke into my house, you fucking piece of shit!"

"Enough words, Tyler." Josh said; standing up and walking next to him. "I'll hold him down, you get his pants off-"

"No!" Tyler cried. "I can explain!"

"Go ahead!" The neighbor cried. "But I'm not a very good listener!"

"They, uh... th-they broke into my house too!"

"Come on, Tyler." Josh said. "Only a complete tosser would believe-"

"Keep talking." The neighbor replied; giving in to Tyler's story.

"Y-Yeah, they stole my wallet. They must've dropped it when they broke into your house."

"Bullshit!" Josh and the neighbor cried.

"N-No! No bullshit. And, that sick bastard, took a dump on my piano!"

The neighbor stood back; shocked.

"He shit in my boots!"

Josh whispered into Tyler's ear; unsatisfied.

"You think you're so clever, eh, Tyler?"

He turned to him.

"Yeah, I am."

Josh scoffed and sat back down on the arm of the sofa: crossing his arms with displeasure.

Tyler looked back at the neighbor.

"I guess we're both victims here."

The neighbor nodded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even get your name."

"Zeke."

The boy grinned; nervously.

"I'm Tyler."

They both shook hands.

"You know, it's funny. I've seen you around the neighborhood, and I always thought you were a dick, but now, I feel like I'm the dick."

Tyler chuckled.

"I'm sorry I barged in on you."

"Hey, it's fine."

Zeke smiled then left.

Once he was gone, Tyler turned to Josh, but he held his hand up to him; refusing to hear him speak.

"You make me sick."

"You're mad at me? You're the one who set me up!"

Josh stood up.

"You pussed out!"

"I did not puss out!"

"Sometimes when I look at you, I can almost see a giant tampon string hanging out of you."

Tyler looked down to see if it was there, but it wasn't.

Josh placed his hands on the his shoulders.

"Tyler, you can't run away from your problems."

"Look, I took care of this my way. The way that did not get my ass kicked.

Josh shook his head and turned away.

"He's gone, and he's not coming back."

"Well, that's interesting, because he's at the front door."

"No, he's not."

Tyler looks back and hears Zeke knocking at the door.

He looks at Josh, who points his finger at nose, silently telling him to keep an eye on him.

Frustrated, he answers the door, only to see Zeke holding a computer and a pack of beer.

"Hey, now I think you're cool and you think I'm cool, I was thinking we could hang out!"

"Oh, um-"

"You like hot babes?"

Tyler looks at him; unsure on what to say.

"God, what am I? Some kind of idiot?" Who doesn't like hot babes?!"

As Zeke walks into the house, Tyler looks back at Josh as he shuts the door, but it's too late to say or do anything.

~

After settling in, Tyler, Josh, and Zeke sat on the sofa together and watched hot babes on the computer.

Zeke was having the time of his life, but Tyler was feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Damn, this shit gets me rock hard."

He turned to the boy; holding up his fist.

"You too, right?"

"Uh-"

The two fist pump.

"Y-Yeah, I guess."

"Having fun, Tyler?" Josh asked. "Just another lazy Sunday, watching hot babes with your drunk, rock hard neighbor?"

Tyler fake smiles.

"It's all good!"

"I'm having a great time too, buddy." Zeke added. "It's hard to believe 4 hours ago, we didn't even know each other!"

"4 hours, yeah." Tyler said.

He turns back to the computer, but doesn't look at the screen.

"Hey, how long does that battery last anyway?"

"Oh, shit. I should've brought my cord."

Zeke looks at the boy.

"You're not Mac guy, are you?"

"Well, the thing is-"

Before he could finish, Josh places a Mac battery cord on Tyler's lap.

When he sees this, Zeke gets excited.

"Nice save! Good doggie!"

He pats his head.

"Now we can watch hot babes all night!"

Tyler fake smiles again.

"Great."

He tries to find a way to get out of watching the hot babes videos.

"Well, let me just feed Jim his lunch, and then we can resume watching hot babes."

Zeke smiles.

"Of course, buddy!"

Tyler and Josh get off the sofa and get into the kitchen.

"Okay, lunch wise, I'm thinking of having-"

"I'm not making lunch, Josh!" The boy cried; whispery. "It's like you're torturing me, for fun! Why?!"

"I'm giving you a gift." The man replied. "And it pains me to watch you squander it!"

"A gift? What you're giving me is a sociopathic porn crazed pain in the ass!"

"Oh, I forgot. You're the resident authority on gift giving!"

He holds up the bone that Tyler gave him.

"That bone is a nice gift."

"It's a shit gift!" Josh cried; nudging him in the chest with it. "What I'm giving you is far more valuable!"

"What is it?"

"A chance to be rid of that knuckle dragging asshole once and for all!"

"I'm gonna get rid of him, my way."

Tyler and Josh head back into the living room, where Zeke is still watching hot babes on his computer.

The boy stands over him, while Josh goes into the other room.

"Hey, buddy. I think I'm a little too horny to continue watching hot babes."

Zeke closes his computer.

"Oh, I get it."

He stands up and faces him.

"Sometimes I come off a little bit strong, at least that's what my co-worker says."

Tyler chuckles.

"So enough hot babes?"

Before the boy could respond, Zeke grabs him and holds him in a headlock.

"Let's hit the titty bar!"

Tyler feels as if he's being strangled to death, but keeps himself together.

"O-Oh, t-that sounds fun."

He frees himself from Zeke's grip.

"But, I think I should clean out the poop from my piano. It's been a few days."

Zeke smiles.

"Oh, okay. Rain check, buddy."

Just as he prepares to leave, Josh starts shouting from the other room.

"Hey, Tyler! Let's smoke some of that weed we stole from Zeke!"

"What is up with your dog?" Zeke asked.

"Nothing." Tyler replied.

"Yeah, we stole your weed! Right here! I'll bring it out!"

"He is like, freaking out."

As he tries taking Zeke outside, he turns and sees Josh coming out of the room with the stolen weed in his hands.

"Should we see what's up with him?"

In a panic, Tyler pushes Zeke outside and changes his mind.

"Hey, you know what, let's go to the titty bar!"

"Great!" Zeke cried. "First round jerk jobs on me!"

Tyler glares at Josh; holding the weed in his hands, then leaves.

~

Later that day, Tyler and Zeke arrived at the titty bar, and were met with loads of girls stripped down to their asses.

Zeke was delighted by the sight, but Tyler was extremely uncomfortable and didn't want to be there.

As they sat down to watch a few strippers dancing on the poles, the door opened. When Tyler turned to see who it was, he saw Josh running in.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! Did I miss anything?"

"Josh! What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Relax!" Zeke said; patting his back. "Don't worry about your dog, just watch these girls with me."

Although he was heavily disturbed, Tyler nodded and watched the girls dance, while Josh went over and sat down on a chair; receiving a few lap dances from the other girls around him.

Despite the unpleasant sight of the girl's ass in his face, Tyler kept a close eye on Josh as he was enjoying the girls all over his body.

As he watched him, he felt quite amused, but at the same time, he was worried the employees wouldn't like it.

He looked at Zeke, who was watching the girl dancing on the pole in front of them.

"Are you sure it's okay to have my dog here?"

"Hey, anything goes at Club Midea!"

Tyler kindly corrected him.

"I-I think it's pronounced, Medea."

Zeke was shocked by Tyler's supposed smartness.

He hit him on his arm; excitedly.

"Your new nickname, "The Professor!"

Tyler nodded, but his attention drew right back to Josh as the girls helped him stand to his feet.

Again, he was amused.

"Hey, Tyler! Check this out!"

He pointed at the girl on the pole, whose tits were pointed at them.

"Look at those wrecked utters!"

Then, he pointed at another girl, who was entertaining an older man.

"Ooh, check out this disaster!"

Tyler nodded; nervously.

"Listen to me, this is how jaded you get when you have a transexual stripper for a dad, and he had perfect breasts!"

"Yeah." Tyler replied. "I saw them in the porn you showed me."

As Zeke continued to enjoy the dancing girl, Tyler turned and saw Josh dancing on a nearby stripper pole, which caused him to get a bit horny.

He enjoyed watching Josh's sexy dancing, and even pictured himself on the pole dancing with him.

However, before he could picture it further, he went straight back to reality.

Zeke was still his new disturbing best friend, and Josh is trying to help him tell the truth.

Tyler looked at him, and decided to confess everything.

"Listen, Zeke, there's something I need to tell you."

He smiled.

"You can tell me anything, Tyler! And I want you to be completely honest with me. My last buddy, Simon, he was a liar and a thief, and that's why I punched him in the throat and ripped off his ear!"

He calmed down.

"Now, what is it you want to tell me?"

When he heard him talk about his last best friend and what he did to him, he immediately backed out.

Instead, he thought of something else.

"I-I was just gonna say, um..."

He looked over at a nearby girl, standing by the back room.

"That stripper has weird breasts."

"Oh, nice! Where?"

He took out his laser pointer and started pointing at some of the girls.

As he did, Josh came out of the back room and saw a red dot swerving on the curtain. When he tried to reach for it, it disappeared.

"Hmm, that was weird."

Tyler looked back at Zeke, and saw fluids leaking through his pants.

"Shit, I am so hard!"

"Well, do you want to go? It is getting late."

Zeke started getting up; pressing his hand over his crotch.

"Yeah, let's go."

Tyler gets up from his seat. As he does, he feels something hard. When he looks down, he sees that he's had an erection.

Shocked over what he's done, Tyler looks up to Josh, who smiles and winks.

"Hey, buddy!" Zeke cried. "You coming?"

Tyler presses his hand upon his crotch.

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm coming!"

Despite the enlargement of his penis, he chooses to ignore it and follows Josh and Zeke out of the titty bar.

~

When they arrive by Zeke's house, Tyler takes Josh's hand and they prepare to part ways.

"Well, I'll see you around."

"Hey, wait."

Tyler turns to him; still holding Josh's hand.

"What is it?"

"I've got half a bottle of taco shells inside my house, the night is young!"

"Well, taco shells it is!" Josh said.

He lets go of his hand and starts walking towards Zeke's house. Tyler attempts to go after him.

"J-Jim, come here!"

"Relax, buddy." Zeke said. "I know how to get him back."

He takes out his laser pointer and started pointing it at his fence. Josh sees it and tries to catch it, but it moves to a different direction.

Zeke laughs as he moves the laser around; enjoying Josh struggling to get it.

"Look at that dumb dog."

"Tyler, are you seeing this?!" Josh cried.

Zeke continued to laugh, and Tyler begins to join in.

"This... defies... all... logic!"

He hits the garage door.

"Why... can't... I... reach... it?!"

Josh goes insane, and starts calling for help.

"Tyler! Make it stop! I beg of you! Do something!"

He laughs as Josh loses his mind over a laser pointer.

"Jim's been misbehaving all day. He deserves this!"

Zeke chuckles.

"Okay, check this out!"

Zeke puts the laser on his chest, which makes Josh believe it has disappeared, but he refuses to give up catching it.

He stands his ground; thinking it'll show back up.

"Where are you, you great bastard?"

He starts screaming.

"Show yourself! Let's finish this!"

As he screams, Mrs. Gonzalez comes out from her house; angered by the noise.

"What's going on! What's all the noise!"

She turns to Josh, and he sees a red dot on her forehead.

He mistakes it for the laser pointer, and gets into defense mode with the innocent woman.

"There you are!"

He charges at Mrs. Gonzalez, who screams in fright.

"Josh, no!"

Tyler tries to stop him, but it's too late.

When Mr. Gonzalez comes out, he sees his wife being attacked by the dog man.

Immediately, he calls animal control. When they arrive, they restrain him and tie him to a gurney to be taken away.

As Josh is being put in the back of the truck, Tyler becomes worried about what will happen to him.

"What are you gonna do with him?"

"Don't worry, we're gonna take him to a nice farm upstate."

When he heard where he's going, Josh gets excited.

"Ooh, a farm! With duckies, and piggies, and ponies! I wonder if I can kill a pony!"

Tyler looks to the control man and makes a plea with him.

"There must be something I can do. Please."

Seeing how much he cares for his dog, the control man takes pity on him.

"Alright, give me 50 bucks. I'll leave him leashed up to the dumpster behind animal control."

Tyler sighed; taking out his wallet.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

As he hands the money to him, Zeke calls to him.

"Hey, Tyler! I just found this Persian chick on Craigslist who said she'll let us throw a shoe at her!"

He walks up to him and is enraged when he sees who he's handing money to.

"What the fuck is he doing here?!"

The control man looks up and immediately recognizes him.

"Zeke."

"Simon."

Tyler looked at the man; confused.

"Wait, you're Simon? Zeke's ex best friend?"

"Yes he is." Zeke said. "He's the little bitch who stole my girlfriend and my toaster oven!"

"You banged my mom!" Simon cried.

"One time! And I texted you the minute I finished! I didn't fucking lie about it!"

Simon looked at Tyler.

"You're friends with this asshole?!"

Zeke stood next to Tyler and put his arm around him.

"Best friends!"

Simon was pissed.

"Huh, well, in that case, the deal is off!"

He threw his money at Tyler and started to walk away, but he went back to him and told him one last thing.

"Oh, by the way, there is no farm! Your dog is getting the needle!"

Simon walked off and got into the truck. Tyler watched as Josh smiled at him as they drove away.

"So long, Tyler! Come visit me at the farm, and bring bread for the ducks!"

Tyler felt guilty. He had never been in a situation like this before, and he needed to get Josh out of it before it was too late.

~

A few minutes later, Tyler and Zeke arrived at the animal control center. When Simon saw them, he refused to see them.

"What the hell! I told you, the deal's off! And why did you bring him?!"

"I'm only here because my new best friend asked me to come."

Tyler looked at Simon, who still didn't want to help him get Josh back.

"You two have some things to talk about."

He looked back at Zeke.

"Right, Zeke?"

He nodded.

"In the meantime, may I have five minutes alone to say goodbye to my dog?"

Even though he was angered by his supposed friendship with Zeke, he agreed.

Ten cages down, on your right."

Tyler nodded and went down to see Josh.

As he was walking down to see him, he saw him talking to a dog in a cage next to him, with a cigarette box in his hand.

"Yeah, I hear you yapping. You want the smokes, but what are you gonna do for me?"

He held the box down to him.

"You think it was easy smuggling these things in? Believe me, it didn't tickle coming out."

Josh turned and saw Tyler standing in front of his cage.

When he saw him, he gave a small grin.

"It's about time."

"Yeah, I know."

"You good to go?"

"I'm working on it."

Josh nodded, but wasn't happy.

Tyler felt very guilty, and apologized.

"Look, I shouldn't have let Zeke tease you with the laser pointer. I'm sorry."

Hearing his genuine apology, Josh looked at Tyler and nodded.

"Apology accepted."

Tyler smiled, but felt he needed something from him.

"Isn't there something you'd like to apologize for."

Josh shook his head.

"Not that I can think of."

When he heard his answer, Tyler got agitated.

"You ain't gonna apologize for my wallet, and everything else you've put me through today?!"

"Tyler, why would I apologize for giving you a gift? If anything, a thank you would be nice."

"I'm scared, Josh!" Zeke told me what he did to Simon, and I'm afraid the same thing will happen to me if I confess!"

He looked at him; desperate and helplessly.

"I need you, Josh. I know we've only known each other for a few days, but that doesn't change how I feel about you."

Josh looked at him. He seemingly knew what Tyler was trying to say.

"What are you trying to tell me, darling?"

Before he could respond, Zeke and Simon came walking whilst arguing with each other.

"Uh, yeah, she was your girlfriend, but she was a fucking prostitute!" Simon cried.

"You knew damn well she didn't work on Saturdays. You banged her on shabbas, man!"

Hearing the conversation, Josh smirked at him.

"Seems like you have everything under control, eh Tyler?"

"Getting my ass kicked isn't gonna solve anything, and you know it."

Josh sighed.

"You never know."

Zeke and Simon walked next to him, standing by the cage.

"Tyler, will you please tell this lying thief the meaning of loyalty?!"

"Oh right!" Simon shouted. "This coming from the guy who took advantage of my mom! My sweet innocent mom when she was on ecstasy!"

"Okay, guys! Enough!" Tyler shouted.

He looked at Zeke.

"Zeke, you may not think what you did to Simon was wrong, but he thinks it was wrong, and he was hurt by it."

He then looked at Simon.

"Same goes for you too, Simon."

Tyler looked at Josh, who still wasn't happy, but was quite impressed with what he's doing.

He looked back at the two guys.

"And, if caring about your best friend's feelings isn't important to you, then maybe you don't know what friendship really is."

Moved by Tyler's words, Simon forgives Zeke and chooses to let Josh go.

"Take your dog." He said; opening the cage. "I'll lose the paper work."

"Thank you." Tyler replied.

Once Josh walked out of the cage, Tyler held onto him and didn't let go.

As Simon turned to walk away, Zeke took him aside.

"Have you watched any hot babes lately?"

Simon looked at him.

"I have a government job."

He chuckled.

"All I do is watch hot babes!"

The two fist pumped and started walking off together, but Zeke turned back to Tyler, who still held onto Josh.

"Tyler, do you mind?"

Tyler smiled to him.

"Not at all. Go porn out."

Zeke smiled back and walked away.

Tyler smiled at Josh, feeling relieved that he'll never have to deal with him again.

~

After picking up some food for the night, Tyler and Josh arrived home.

Tyler felt so happy to spend time with his real best friend and go back to his normal life.

"So Zeke is back with Simon, and I didn't get my ass kicked. I guess I can run away from my problems."

However, when he opened the door, they saw Zeke and Simon on the sofa, watching hot babes while yanking their dicks together.

When they saw him arrive, they got excited.

"Hey, the third amigo as arrived!" Zeke cried.

"And the saga continues." Josh added.

"W-What is he doing?" Tyler asked.

"I was just on my way to Zeke's to grab the drinks."

He looked and saw a bag of Chipotle in Tyler's hands.

"Nice! You brought food for the crew!"

He grabbed some of it, stuffed it in his mouth, then went out to Zeke's house.

"Simon and I let ourselves in." Zeke said. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind." Josh said. "Tyler, do you mind?"

Zeke stood up.

"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking. Once we all get nice and wasted, bottle rocket fight! Then, assuming there's no major burns, we head over to the water slide park-"

Tyler listened to everything he said, but it was too much for him to bare. He looked at Josh, who silently urged him to tell him the truth.

He realized what Josh was trying warn him.

Filled with both fear and confidence, Tyler looked back at Zeke and finally confessed.

"I shat in your boot."

When he heard this, he was bewildered.

"What?"

"I broke your window, I stole your weed, and I took a shit in your boot, and then I lied to your face."

Hearing that it was him all along, Zeke was betrayed.

"W-Why?"

"Because your an asshole, Zeke!"

The man started approaching him.

"How am I an asshole?"

Tyler became frightened.

"B-Because you, you rib your motorcycle up all hours of the night, you sprayed the Gonzalez's statue, and you leave your damn trash cans in front of my damn garage-"

Zeke punched him in the face, causing Tyler to fall in the ground. Then he held him in a choke hold.

"You steal from me! Lie to me! I am gonna rip your-"

Suddenly, Josh took his bone and knocked him out, then he looked down at his friend and saw he was hurt.

"Are you alright, darling?"

Tyler started crying.

"J-Josh. Oh, J-Josh."

He helped him to his feet and held him in his arms.

"Shh. It's okay, darling. I'm here. I'm here."

He looked at his face and saw how badly bruised it was.

"Holy shit, Tyler. Are you alright?"

"A-Am I alright?"

Tyler started to taste blood on his tongue. When he reached into mouth, he pulled out a tooth.

"I-I lost a tooth."

Then he felt extremely pain near his eye.

"And, I think he may have broken my eye socket."

As he processed this, he realized something.

"Josh, I-I was in a fight."

The man nodded.

"W-With a scary dude, a-and I'm alright!"

He smiled; no longer feeling scared.

"Thanks, Josh."

He smiled and held up the bone Tyler gave him.

"Thank you. This turned out to be a pretty nice gift after all!"

The two laughed and hugged each other, but it was shorted when Simon came back. He was holding a bottle of vodka, and was heavily drunk.

Through his drunkenness, he saw Zeke's unconscious body on the floor.

"What the fuck?"

Tyler started to panic.

"I-I, uh-"

"He has 10 seconds to get his friend out of your house?"

Tyler repeated what he said.

"You have 10 seconds to get your friend out of my house."

"Or else the same thing is gonna happen to him."

"Or else the same thing is gonna happen to you."

Simon got scared.

"Oh, shit."

He got down on his knees and started dragging him out of the house.

"And if you ever see his face again, your gonna slash his families's throats in their sleep, and then go to their funerals and slaughter everyone who shows up."

Josh got excited.

"Oh, that's gold! Say that, Tyler!"

Tyler looked at him.

"I'm not saying that."

Josh sighed.

"You are such a pussy."

~

The next morning, when Tyler went to take out the trash, he saw Zeke putting his out, but he knew what would happen the next time he fucked with him.

When Tyler saw he was scared of him, he walked back into his house, smiling with delight.

After he got back into his house, he and Josh sat in the basement, smoked weed, and played a little game.

"Okay, Tyler. What's the next question?"

"Who would you kill, screw, or marry? Toto, Lassie, or Marmaduke?"

He handed him the note pad, then picked up the gatorade bong and started huffing it.

"I don't know, that's a tough one." Josh said. "Um, I guess I'd screw Toto, marry Lassie, and kill Marmaduke."

He handed the note pad back to him, then took the bong from him.

"You're turn."

"No thanks. Dogs aren't really my thing."

"Answer the question, Tyler."

"Uh, okay. I guess I'd screw Debby Ryan."

"No, no, no, she's not on the list. Go pick someone on the list."

Tyler looked at the notepad.

"These are all dogs."

Josh glared at Tyler as his mouth huffed the smoke from the gatorade bong.

"Okay, Lassie."

Hearing his answer, Josh put down the bong and hit Tyler on the head with the notepad.

"You can't screw Lassie, she's my wife! Now pick someone off the list!"

Tyler looked at the notepad again.

"The only other name name on here is Scrappy-Doo."

When he heard his new answer, Josh was disgusted.

"That's sick, Tyler. He's only 10 months old."

He took the note pad away from him.

"What are you into kiddies? Is that your thing?"

"I didn't have any other choice."

"I'm taking a pass."

He put the notepad on the coffee table.

"Go get the play-doh."

Tyler got up and brought a few jars of play-doh, along with a musher.

As he put the doh through the musher, Josh noticed something wasn't right.

"You're doing it wrong."

"No, I'm not."

"You're missing the whole point of the toy."

He put down his beer bottle.

"Give it to me."

Josh took the musher and started playing with it, making it sound and look like as if someone was taking a shit on the toilet.

Tyler watched and laughed. He thought it was the cutest and funniest he'd ever seen.

When he was done, he threw the musher back on the coffee table and took a drink from his beer.

Tyler continued to laugh at what he did. It was the first time Josh ever made him laugh.

After enduring the torment of his actions, Tyler was no longer afraid.

He finally felt safe with his best friend by his side.