Dementophobia • tyler joseph •

twenty-two // leave me alone

The collage at the top is what Hayley and Pierre look like in this fanfic.

--Jenna's P.O.V--

My footsteps echoed across the tile as I emerged from the bathroom and hurried towards Josh, who was standing off to the side as other people ordered their food. We were currently getting food from Taco Bell and it honestly felt weird for only the two of us to come inside and order for everyone else.

Usually Tyler always came in to order no matter what his mood was, but today seemed quite different. After the festival ended, he climbed back on the bus and refused to talk to anyone. Courtney didn't even come back on the bus until an hour or so later. She was hanging out Hayley which was a good thing because I could hardly stand her. However, I hoped Tyler felt better by tomorrow for the second day at the festival.

"Our food is taking so long to get," Josh complained, running his fingers through his faded red hair. "Don't they realize that I'm hungry?"

I chuckled. "And don't you realize that we ordered food for like five people? It's going to take them some time to make everything, including everybody else's orders."

Josh grumbled in response.

This was the first time I had been alone with Josh since the start of the tour. I hoped that I would have been able to talk to him before the tour fully kicked off, but he and Tyler both lately have been attached to Courtney's hip. I've found it quite hard to even say a word to Tyler when she was in the same room as us.

He seemed fascinated by her. There was no way she was just an opening act that he chose because he thought she was talented. There had to be some deeper meaning.

Tyler did tell me that they had history, but he didn't exactly go into details. He just said that Courtney and him were best friends in the hospital. From the way he was currently acting, I was guessing that they might have been friends with benefits. However, Josh was the only one that seemed to have the answers and might be willing to tell me some of the details.

"Hey, Josh," I began, "can I ask you a question?"

He raised his eyebrows at me out of curiosity. "I can't promise that I'll have the answers, but sure."

I really didn't know how to approach him with the question without him being automatically on guard. He was Tyler's best friend. If Courtney and him really did have something going on, Josh would know about it and be wary about discussing the topic.

"So did you know Courtney around the time Tyler first did?"

Josh seemed slightly taken back, but not suspicious yet. "Tyler pointed her out to me a few times, but I was never properly introduced to her until I became her music teacher."

I casted my eyes downward. Josh wasn't going to tell me anything I didn't know, so I had to make it seem like Tyler had already told me everything to do with Courtney.

"It must have been hard on both Tyler and Courtney when he got discharged since they were an item." I was praying that I sounded remotely convincing.

Josh shrugged. "Tyler took it really hard at first. Courtney was his first love and he felt like he failed her by leaving. He promised to always be there for her, but her problems were far worse than his. There was no way she was going to leave at the same time as him."

"However, Courtney took it the hardest. I heard she was on suicide watch from the time Tyler left to the time she was discharged. Well, that's at least what he told me anyway."

My heart felt a pang of misery as I thought about Tyler actually loving Courtney, maybe still loving Courtney.

"Did Courtney love him back?" I asked.