The One I'm Not (Twenty One Pilots)

Why won't you speak?

Tyler woke up to a text message on his phone.

[Mark]: Tyler, where are you? Class starts in ten minutes, you said you'd get here by now so that we could work out who's saying what...

[Tyler]: I'm coming now

He had trouble falling asleep again, but Blurry wasn't as mean last night which give Tyler a boost of confidence from his five hours of rest as he ran out the door to his theater class.

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The theater group volunteered to go second just to get it over with. They watched the first group go first and they killed it with a complete two minute reenactment of the Romeo and Juliet death scene, but their song was simple and short to Tyler's ears. Now it was their turn. Mark agreed to do all the talking since he only kinda helped with the music production of it.

"So we got the play 'A Doll's House' and this is our song 'Dollhouse.'"

They didn't have any cool reenactments, it was just two guys rapping about a play as the other dude looked cool in the background. They performed their song and the class applauded reasonably and they sat down to watch the others.

Tyler had never really performed in front of people like that before and although it was sorta terrifying and nerve racking... he wanted to do it again; he enjoyed it. To perform his songs, maybe that's really what he wanted. Tyler felt his phone vibrate. It was a text from Josh.

[Josh]: So how'd your song go?

[Tyler]: Two boys rapping, how'd you think it went?

[Josh]: Pretty amazing if you ask me. Also I'll be back at two tomorrow.

[Tyler]: Okay cool and yeah it actually went pretty great. I enjoyed it. I'll text you later, gotta watch the rest of the songs.

[Josh]: Have fun. See yah

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Josh was at his grandpa's house awaiting for him to come through the front door. He was released from the hospital today so he was excited to spend time with him, plus it seemed like Tyler was alright when he texted him so he was happy.

He heard the door open and his dad and grandpa came through the door.

"Joshua!"

"Hey grandpa."

They hugged and were then greeted by the other family members. They all sat around the living room and Josh sat on the couch next to his grandpa.

"So Josh, how's college treating you?"

"Oh it's good. I have a really cool roommate."

"That's good! Is he undecided like you?"

"Oh yeah, but he's really passionate about music too."

"Are you going to form a band with him? You're passionate too, son."

"Hmm yeah, I don't know. We've talked about it, but I don't know."

"If you do, tell me about it. I want to be at your first concert."

"Thank you, grandpa."

Josh's mom was watching them distinctively.

"Let the boy live, if he wants to pursue music, let him. This may be his Plan A, and it looks like he doesn't have a Plan B."

"I don't it's true." Josh laughed.

"I just want you to be happy and successful in life." His mom said.

"Maybe this is how it will be then, mom. Maybe I won't be successful at first but I may be successful later on. All I know is I love music, and it helps me."

It was silent for a couple minutes.

"Okay, Josh. You know I'll support you. As long as I can come to your first concert too!"

"I'm not even in a band yet, but you got it!"

Josh was beyond happy that his mom finally fully supported his passion and was stoked to tell Tyler the news.

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It was almost midnight and Tyler was yet again, still awake. His mind was running wild and he felt like he was in trouble. Everything was so loud and so quiet at the same time. He couldn't stand to be alone in this dorm room for another minute, so he decided to go out and take a walk.

He walked out the dorm hall, off campus and well, just kept walking. He didn't know where he was going but he didn't really care.

He walked past a outdoor mall playing some crappy pop music for some rave.

He walked past multiple food trucks that his stomach wanted him to walk to but he wasn't hungry according to Blurry.

Keep walking.

Take a left.

Take a right.

Go straight.

Take another right.

Stop.

Tyler looked around. He was surrounded by trees. He was unsure about how he got here but one thing was for sure: Blurry was silent in these trees. Tyler walked slowly around the trees. He could feel a breath, but it wasn't his own. Blurry's maybe? He wanted to know Blurry. Why was he torturing him? Why couldn't he go to someone else's head? Tyler wanted to see, he wanted to say hello.

Tyler screamed at the top of his lungs, "Is there anybody out there?!"

No response. His mind was silent. These trees were silent. Why was Blurry silent? Would anyone hear him now?

Tyler screamed one more time, "Hello?!"

Nothing. He was safe here, he felt. Blurry wasn't here, but what was he without him? Maybe he knew that Blurry's the one he's not.

He went to reach for his journal in his jacket pocket but there was nothing there. Tyler started running, trying to find his way out. He had to have his journal, he always had it with him. Where was it? It seemed like he was running for miles before he found his way out of the trees to the bridge leading to campus. He walked onto it and noticed a bench, and a person on that bench. He didn't want to interact with the person, but he felt drawn to whoever it was. He approached the bench and sat down, looking at the river underneath. The person came to look at Tyler and Tyler looked back.

It was Jenna, the girl at the party. The beautiful girl, who's face didn't blur to him.

"What are you doing out this late?" Jenna asked.

"I could ask you the same." Tyler responded.

They were silent and Tyler saw Jenna shiver.

"Are you cold? Here take my jacket."

He took of his jacket and put it over her, and something fell out of it. Jenna picked it up.

"Thank you. Here."

It was his journal. It was in his pocket the whole time.

"It that a journal of some sort?"

"Yeah, I bring it with me everywhere just it case I have a random thought to something."

"So a thoughts journal?"

"Sorta."

"Thanks, that's really intriguing. I'll see you around Tyler."

She walked off almost like she was a ghost but she wasn't because she took Tyler's jacket with her. Tyler took the pen from his shirt pocket and wrote his thought down from before.

Blurry's the one I'm not.