Øn yøur mind // Tyler Joseph

State

Everyone's eyes bore into my back as I walked the halls with my books in my hand. Tyler put an arm on my back protectively, and I sighed feeling uneasy.

This is what Kelsey meant when she'd said I was "popular" when we'd first met. Tyler and I weren't exactly the "popular" type, just athletic and smart I guess. And people knew us by sports, even though we had maybe five friends total.

People whispered as I walked by, a girl muttered a bit too loudly in the girls locker room. "I'd heard she was raped." She stared at me in disgust, and eyes raked my bruised knees and scratches lining my back.

I ignored it and sighed, throwing my hair up. Good thing I was leaving early today with Josh. I almost couldn't take all of these rumors around school about the several cop cars parked outside my house last night.

Kelsey was right. I was "popular" because everyone stared at me with such disgust, or curiosity, that I felt tears well up in my eyes during second hour.

"Hey." Emma passed me in the halls. I was a bit early to class, talking to her wouldn't hurt.

"Hey." I gave a small smile back. Things were still a bit awkward between us, after all of the fighting, but she grabbed my hand lightly as she led me to the bathroom. I didn't object.

"So... I'm sorry about the stuff going around school. I don't know what happened, and that's none of my business, but I still wanna be friends with you... and stay strong okay?" She wrapped me in a hug with a look of sympathy, as I nodded my head.

"Okay." I stepped out of the hug.

"See you at practice today? Co cap." She laughed.

"Actually I'm going with the basketball team to State today. I'm just watching."

"Oh." Her face fell into a frown, but she replaced it with a smile and shook her head. "Have fun with your boyfriend, wish him luck for me?" She walked off to class and I nodded, feeling good about the whole situation of today now.

I sat down in class and sat upright, ignoring the comments. Someone whispered, "Is her dad in prison?"

This is why rumors shouldn't be spread around the school. Dave wasn't my dad, he wasn't in prison. He was going on trial, while sitting in our county jail.

"Good morning Miss Ro. You look nice today." My teacher complimented.

"Thank you." She smiled and frowned to herself, hearing whispering and kids' eyes on me.

"Is there a problem students? Why are we so chatty?" She glared at them and they didn't respond. "Well I'm sure you guys are done with last nights homework then." I groaned and turned it in, as everyone stopped their hushed voices around me.

"Oh, I'm sorry I just got here Mrs. Kelly, I have to leave for the state game." I dug through my bag for my note.

"Note?" She smiled sweetly, well at least one of my teachers liked me.

"Here." I handed her a crumpled paper.

"You're good to go. Have fun." She smiled as she handed me a hall pass. I sighed in relief, so glad that those rude kids weren't talking about me anymore.

I walked the lonely halls with my backpack filled with snacks, and my music just in case I got bored on the trip there.

"Aye!" I heard a shout from behind me, a voice that always brought a smile to my face with his positive energy.

"Josh!" I ran to him and pulled him into a tight hug, something I didn't even expect myself to do.

"Woah there." He hugged me back and studied me, I'd stopped being so touchy with Josh once I started dating Tyler. "You okay?" He asked then regretted it. Shoot he'd heard about last night, has everyone in this darn school?