But Who Would You Live For?

Hometown

Jenna:

I couldn't stop thinking about Tyler. He made the most adorable first impression ever. Though he didn't really do anything. He didn't even speak to me. All he did was stand there and stare at me.

But it was his eyes that made the meeting memorable. They were brown eyes, like any other pair of brown eyes, only they weren't. Tyler's eyes held depth. Like there was layer upon layer upon layer of colors under that brown. With each layer telling a different story. Stories that for some reason I needed to hear.

My mind reminisced on his adorable Hey Jenna right before he went on stage. I never liked hearing my name as much as when Tyler said it. Ashley said that she'd never seen Tyler so quiet or nervous. She said he must have been mesmerized by my beauty. Of course I brushed it off since she was obviously joking. But secretly I wanted that to be true. I wanted Tyler to be as mesmerized with me as I was with him.

"What are you smiling about?" My sister looked away from her computer.

"Nothing."

"I can see that." She slid away from the desk. "So is nothing a person, place or thing?"

"Nothing is nothing."

"He's a boy, isn't he?"

"Who?"

"The nothing that's got you smiling like that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I grabbed one of the pillows from the couch. Squeezing it to my middle. Ducking my face into the top of it.

Kristin slumped down on the couch beside me. She tried to pull the pillow away but I wouldn't let it go.

"Tell me about him, Jenna." She urged. "Do I know him?"

"I don't know. Probably. Everyone around here kinda knows Tyler I guess."

"Tyler?" She repeated the name thoughtfully. "What's his last name?"

"Joseph."

"Tyler Joseph?" She laughed. "Twenty One Pilot's Tyler Joseph?"

"Yeah." I blushed. 'I think that's the name of his band."

"Good taste, Jenna." She poked at my side. "He's adorable."

"We met briefly. Before the show last night." I wanted her to know that I actually met him. That I wasn't just some fan girl with a crush. "He was staring at me but he was too nervous to talk."

"That's so cute." Kristin managed to pry the pillow from my arms. "You have to call him."

"I don't have his number."

'You're right!" I didn't think she was listening to me. " That's too subtle. Go to his house and tell him you like him."

"If I don't have his number, I definitely don't have his address, Kris."

"I've figured it out!" She hopped off the sofa. "We can call Ashley. I'm sure Josh's sister will know where his best friend and band mate lives."

"That's actually not a bad idea-" I looked over and Kristin already had her phone out. Dialing our friend's number. She put it on speaker so the sound of the rings filled the room.

"Hey, Kristin!" Ashley's chirpy voice came on the line.

"Hey, Ash. How are you?"

"I'm great. How-"

"I was wondering if you had Tyler's address."

"I-uh what?"

"Tyler Joseph. Would you happen to know where he lives?"

"That's a strange request."

"I know." Kristin laughed a little too long. "It's for Jenna. She's kind of into him."

"Kristin!" I gasped.

"She's into Tyler?" She sounded uncomfortable. "Josh's Tyler?"

"Yeah, Josh's friend." Kristin pointed to the phone and rolled her eyes.

"I-uh, okay. He lives with Josh."

Kristin and I shared a confused look. "They live together? Like in the same house?"

"Yeah. They rent a place with a few of their friends." She quickly explained. "They live right across the street from the Johnson family from church. In the two story house."

"Thanks, Ash." Kristin hung up the phone. "You got that?"

"I got it!" I was already walking towards the door with the key in my hand.

Kristin waved me away as I got in the car. My heart raced faster each block I drove away from my house. Each block I drove closer to Tyler's house. I was darn near hyperventilating when i finally arrived on the familiar block where the Johnson's lived. I drove past their house. Parking directly in front of the house Ashley said was Tyler's.

I checked my reflection in my front mirror. Wiping the corners of my mouth where my lip gloss wasn't perfect. I used my fingers to tease the front of my hair. After spending an additional three minutes in the mirror approving my appearance, I got out of the car.

I couldn't feel my face as I knocked on the front door. It didn't take long for the door to swing open.

"Hey there, beautiful." A short man with light hair greeted me.

"Hey." I tried to look past him into the house. "I'm sorry, I don't know if I have the right house. I'm looking for Tyler. Tyler Joseph."

"Oh. You're a fan of Twenty One Pilots?"

"Not really. I met Tyler yesterday and-"

"And he gave you his address?" He seemed skeptical.

"Well no. Ashley gave me the address."

"Ashley Dun?"

"Yeah." I laughed uncomfortably. This wasn't going as I planned. "I know her from church?"

"So you're a friend of the Duns?"

"Sort of-"

"So you're looking for Josh. Not Tyler."

"No! I'm looking for Tyler!" I snapped. Who was this guy? His body guard?

"Well, Tyler doesn't live here."

"I don't?" Tyler, who was walking past the door, stopped when he heard his name.

Just like the first time we met, he froze up. Standing in front of me with wide eyes and parted lips. I smiled at the fact that I had the same effect on him the second time around. This time it only lasted a second. he recovered smoothly. Pushing his friend to the side and leaning against the door frame.

"Hello, Tyler." My voice was higher than normal.

"Hey." He pointed to me. "It's Jenna, right?"

"Yeah." I flipped my hair over my shoulder. Who was I? What was I doing? I wasn't the high voice, hair flipping girl. "I know you're probably wondering why I'm at your house. Or how I knew where you lived for that matter."

He shrugged. "It crossed my mind."

"It's just I-I never got to actually speak to you last night. And I really wanted to. But I didn't have your number or-"

"You want my number?" He seemed surprised.

Wasn't it obvious? Was I not making my interest in him clear? I'd driven to his house the day after meeting him for goodness sake. How much more forward could I be? Clearly I needed to get directly to the point.

"I-I'd maybe rather a date."

The left side of his mouth lifted into a half smile. it made my stomach flutter. I wrapped my arms around my middle in a weak attempt to smother the feeling. He took a step towards me. A step out of the house. Pulling the door closed behind himself.

"Then let's go on a date."