By Your Side (Twenty One Pilots)

Tyler Joseph: Figurative Heart-Breaker

Days passed and so did the miles. Pictures were taken, journal pages were filled, mothers were called, hearts ached for a permanent home, nights were spent without sleeping, and wallets were growing empty.

"I mean I'm not too worried, but we're blowing through money faster than I thought," Josh commented as he drove down the highway. They were close to a large city so the traffic had picked up. He didn't mind the traffic. He had alway been a more patient person. As long as there was music playing on someone to talk to, Josh could sit in traffic all day. That, and as long as he didn't have to pee.

"Yeah..." Tyler replied. "I may or may not have accounted for gas prices changing from city to city. Sorry man."

Josh shook his head. "No worries. I forgot, too."

"So what do you want to do?"

"We could always rent a place for a month or two, get a job at some place , then go back on our way. I really don't want to ask anyone for help. And we could do this is multiple places. Maybe find a new city to live in."

Tyler smiled. "Yeah I like that thought. But hey, I also want to start like, trying things. New restaurants, tourist things. Like staying in the forest back there. I really liked that. It was an adventure. So far we've basically just been driving. You know? Meet someone. Fall in love. Break their heart!"

"Ty," Josh laughed. "You couldn't break someone's heart. You're too gentle."

Tyler shook his head no but soon replied. "You're totally right."

They fell into silence as the lull of the road and traffic put Tyler to sleep. Josh turned on some music, bobbing his head along to the slow beat of a love song.

It was a song that Debby used to listen to a lot, especially when she was missing something, whether it be her parents, her brother, or even Josh when he was away playing drums for a local band.

Debby. Josh missed Debby. Part of Josh was still in love with Debby. Or was he?

No. He wasn't. He was sure of that. He loved her still, yes, but in the sense that he cared for her and called her every now and then to see how she and Richard the cat are doing. Yes. He loved her. But he wasn't in love.

Josh had a hole in his chest. It was empty. It was big. Every now and then there was this feeling that something was filling it, but it would be gone in a second. Over the past few days there were three times he felt whole and complete again. One was when he and Tyler watched the sunset, the other when they stayed in the forest, and the third was just that morning. They had spent the night in the car again so it was a normal day, but Tyler had surprised him with hot chocolate when he woke up.

Maybe it was the small things in life. Nature, clouds, a nice cup of soemthing warm when everything is is freezing.

But then why didn't they stay longer? Why did they go away? Josh was around those things all day every day. Why were they different in those moments?

A car honked and Josh was ripped away from his thoughts. Tyler mumbled in his sleep. Josh was suddenly aware of how hungry he was.

He pulled off the highway and drove up to a fast food burger place. He got ten of their burgers and two large drinks, proudly walking back to the car because he had spent eleven dollars on lunch, but had found ten bucks on the way in, so he had only spent one dollar if his own money. Josh was more than happy and excitedly woke up Tyler to tell him. Tyler laughed and took five burgers, whispering something along the lines of "such a cute little dork."