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Josh met Sam after the game.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said. I was angry with myself and I took it out on you. It was misogynistic and I don't think you're a slut. Can you forgive me?"
"I forgive you. Josh you don't want to go to a dance the day your dad died. I'll stay with you until your mom comes home, but as a friend."
Turbo walked behind them at that moment, "My mom died when I was fifteen."
That night when Josh's mom was planning the commute to Canada, he saw Turbo had texted him.
If you want to talk to me about your dad if you want
And ten minutes ago
Principle Burr tried to kill Ms Crumble
After the game Wes sulked around the halls. No one had seen Principle Burr since before the game, he probably followed Emmetts ambulance to the hospital for insurance stuff or because he was a good person. He wouldn't injure his cousin to get into state. He wouldn't let Hoyles bully kids or at least would've explained the age of consent to him.Wes decided to give his swords to charity or something. He didn't deserve them.
Ms Crumble was motionless in a pool of blood halfway up the stairs. Wes knew enough first aid to call an ambulance while he looked for his teacher's pulse.
The dance was called to a premature close and Turbo drove Wes to his big empty house and held him while he cried on the couch.
When Josh came back from the funeral he thought he shouldn't sit with his ex-girlfriend and he didn't have any other friends. So he sat with Turbo and after school he went to Turbo's house.
His mom didn't know what to say to him and instead didn't say anything. Maybe that wasn't fair and she was trying to give him space to bring it up on his own terms. Either way Turbo's blunt questions were a relief.
"Was it an accident or was he sick?"
"He was sick but I didn't realise it was that bad until after he was already gone."
"If he knew he was going to die he would've told you to come to Canada and say goodbye properly. It's better if he didn't see it coming. At least that's what people said when my mom died. Car crash."
The biology substitute didn't have Ms Crumble's lesson plans and the class wasn't going to stop him going over material they had already covered. No one could appreciate that ironically their grades improved enough to qualify for a real grant. Josh sat with Turbo and discovered the other boy was actually better than him at science subjects.
He was talking to the chemistry teacher when the boiler blew up.
Half his face and neck were covered in bleeding burns that would permanently scar. His voice box was beyond repair.
Josh had run to help. The piece of shrapnel he picked up would have caused first or second degree burns at worst if he left it. If he left it he would have kept his index finger. That was not the path he chose.
A lot of people visited Turbo in hospital. The whole school signed a card and sent a bouquet. Wes stayed for as long as visiting hours allowed, Josh was there almost as often. They got on like a house on fire and Turbo would have been jealous if Josh was any less hung up on Sam Dean.
Turbo's dad didn't come home. It was fine, he was doing important work and saving the kids. Turbo didn't expect him to drop everything and jump on a plane.
Josh's mom had been by his side as soon as the school called. Her boss gave her time off while Josh recovered.
Wes and Turbo hadn't talked between the homecoming game and the homecoming dance. They spent that night waiting to hear if Ms Crumble would be okay and then didn't talk until Turbo was in hospital.
Turbo was pretty sure Wes was about to end whatever it was between them.
Wes had visited Ms Crumble every day since she left the ICU. Wes respected her because legally changing your name to an insult is the kind of 4d chess power move that inspires a teenager, but asking her advice was a mixed bag depending on how she was doing that day. Asking how he could make amends led to a going conversation about when guilt was warranted and when it was more navel gazing than productive. Asking about romantic endeavours made her panic and Wes didn't know how "Some people use you to change grades so they can dress for their midlife crisis," could relate to him and Turbo. It was hard to understand that the person who encouraged him to take AP English and gave him a Film Struck password also pushed Ms Crumble down the stairs and fled the county instead of calling for help.
Wes first started at Glendale when Turbo was out of school grieving his mother's sudden death. They both played football. Wes dated Jessie Felk. For a while Wes thought the Turbo was homophobic, he didn't talk to or about Jessie, but after Jessie broke his heart and Wes retreated to the comfort of The Wire, Turbo invited himself over to play video games.
"I always thought Jessie was a dick."
They were friends and then they had sex. They never talked about it. Maybe it meant nothing, maybe it meant too much to put into words.
In that hospital room the truth was sure to be spoken and Turbo didn't think he could bear to hear it.
"Turbo, I like you a lot, but I don't like myself when I'm around you. After what happened with Emmett I promised myself I'd be a better person."
Turbo held up the mini white board he was using to communicate, Breaking up with someone in hospital is a dick move.
It had been written before Wes finished talking.
"I'm not breaking up with you, I'm asking you to be better."
What do u meen?
"Don't be an asshole to every guy that talks to me."
Wes didn't let Turbo write his protest.
"You basically set Hoyles on New Josh after we talked about swords and the tackle that twisted Curtis Bedford's ankle when he asked me to train with him was a hell of coincidence."
They were flirting
"Josh was dating Sam Dean and like the straightest -that's not even the point. People are allowed to flirt with me, we're not even dating and if we were the possessive shit isn't cute it's the prelude to a murder suicide."
Dramatic
"You're dramatic."
Can we be dating?
"If you can get the jealousy in check, then yeah, I'd like to date you."