Humannequin (twenty one pilots-RUBY)

2.Three Cool Cats

June 2015

Everything was telling him to run away, to stop. Letting someone in like that was insane. There was no way it would end well, and Tyler would get even more broken than before.
They had been getting to slowly know each other. Tyler was very reserved and cautious but Josh made him want to talk, to open up.  

Something from a tv show popped into his mind. 'What you get back when you love someone far outweighs the risk.'

He didn't believe that, no. In fact, he knew it was bullshit. But he was so sick of being alone. And Josh seemed very different from anyone Tyler had ever seen. Maybe this time will be different.

___________________________________________________

"So my parents were convinced for some reason that they were going to have a girl, that's why they had painted my room pink."

The boys were currently in Josh's room. Josh had invited Tyler over for dinner.

"But when they found out they were going to have a boy, they decided to just keep adding some shades of deep pink and some red until it became a beautiful shade of red," Josh went on. "Which I later found out was called 'ruby'. Because, you know, it was easier to do that than make it blue. Also they were trying to make an anti-sexist colour statement or something," he laughed. "And that colour sort of grew on me all these years, as you can see," he pointed to his hair, "so we decided to recreate it here when we moved." 

A small smile lit up Tyler's face. He knew something about Josh. Josh had told him a personal story about himself. It didn't reveal anything about his character, his hopes or his dreams. It didn't tell Tyler anything about Josh's past and it certainly gave no apparent reason to like the boy but Tyler felt closer to him now. Because it was the kind of story old friends knew about each other.

... friends? Were they friends? Well, they had spent a fair amount of time in each other's company and Josh definitely seemed to like him. Inviting him to his house and all. And Tyler definitely liked the ruby-haired boy. But.

[You never had friends. You never had friends. Everyone hates you that's why you've had to spend every single lunch break crying in the men's room, that's why your own father hasn't been sober in ten years, no one can stand you and those who are obliged to put up with you either avoid you at all times or find other ways to tolerate you, they can't stand your STUPID FACE]

"Josh?" 

"Hmm ?" Josh murmured still looking at the wall, his mind obviously somewhere else.

"Don't you have friends? " Tyler couldn't help asking.

Josh chuckled. It warmed Tyler's heart. But he was still curious.

[He's mocking you he's laughing at you you're laughable you're pathetic he's gonna kick you out any second now you pathetic piece of]

"Josh?"

"Yeah? Oh. Yes, I do have friends, Tyler," Josh smiled. Why did he have to be so mysterious? 

[He doesn't want to talk to you shut up just shut up for once get out of here before he pulls some weird prank on you
he will if you don't just get OUT OF HERE]

Tyler felt trapped. He felt like screaming, he needed to get out of there right away.
Josh was out to get him. He was about to get up and run away when Josh opened his mouth.