Eyes Bright, Uptight. (Twenty One Pilots)

Chapter 8: Before Noon.

Turns out, of all of the faces I've seen Josh make, this was the most confused expression he has ever given me. I was so startled that I had to process the words I had just said, there was no turning back.

"Excuse me?" Josh asked with that look on his face, completely confused as to why was Tyler even popping into the conversation.

"Nothing," I blurted out, praying that he had somehow miss heard. I wanted to run.

"Tyler? Of course he knows about me, he knew everything, what do you mean?"

"Yeah-yeah that, I mean I don't have a boyfriend but-Tyler, he's um...he's like really close and I tell him everything," I let out a heavy sigh along with how I blurted out the words. He seemed okay with the answer.

"Josh, I'm tired I think I'm gonna go now.." I said trying to get out of his car as soon as possible before he started asking more questions I wasn't gonna be able to answer.

"Do you want me to drop you off a your house?" He asked kindly.

"Just head home, I'll see you around," I replied sharply avoiding eye contact as I exited the car.

This exchange was an anti-climatic experience that left a bitter taste in my mouth. That was a close one and I can only pray that he doesn't mention this to Tyler, if so, I would have a couple of things to explain.

-

The difference a week can make in someone's life is crazy, since the afternoon I saw Josh, the world had been fixing itself around, my mom came back home, too ashamed to explain where she had been and too full of regret to keep her attitude on.

Maddie actually did a great job helping me study with exams, I'm talking hours on end going through books and memorizing stuff, but what happens when you pass all of your exams?

Graduation.

Which means spending one last event with irksome classmates and most of all, Tyler coming back., which had me more excited than anything else.

-

"I bought you this, it may be simple but I don't really know what you like this days.." My mom said, taking a black lace dress out of a bag, I opened my mouth ready to protest but she cut me off quickly  "Try it on at least, we can return it if you don't like it."

"I like it mom but, you shouldn't have," I grabbed it in my hands to take a better look at it, it was pretty and better than any other dress I could get with my  own almost non existent money. "You deserve it Mia, I'm proud of you for getting this far," she said as an apology, it felt weird because she was never in such a calm demeanor but a glimpse of a smile was threatening to appear on my face, "Thank you," I said sincerely, pondering wether or not to hug her.

Maybe in some other time, a smile will do now.

-

Everyone has their diploma on their hands, mortarboards have been thrown up in the air and the sea of people are gathering to hug each other. Too much people for my liking, too little space.

I walk away not trying to be sneaky, just trying to get some more air for myself. I roam the empty hallways thinking of how easy it all seemed now looking back at it and how hard thing might get, thinking about all of the times I ran down these halls because I was late, or how many times I had fallen asleep in the library.

I walked past class rooms, bathrooms and the principals office, finally walking into the giant gym, the lack of people filling the bleachers made it look even bigger, every step I took echoed throught the room and inside my head, I felt a bit of nostalgia and relief, thinking it might be my last time there.