My Lonely Road - Joshler

Chapter 1

Tyler was alone.

Tyler didn't mind being alone, for he was always alone.

Because he was never lonely.

He was alone at his school, roaming the halls like a zombie, never talking to anybody, nobody talking to him.

He was alone at his house, with his brothers and his sister and his parents. He didn't engage with his siblings much. He didn't really feel like he was part of his family. He was just there, living in the same building as his big happy family.

Tyler hated to admit it, but he sometimes wished that his family wasn't there. that it was just him. His family seemed to love each other very much, and Tyler wished he could do the same. Maybe he did. He couldn't tell.

He heard that love made you feel wonderful inside.

Tyler felt a lot of things inside, but wonderful wasn't one of them.

He was alone now, as he sped down the street on his bicycle, pedaling in time to the beat of the music blaring through his earbuds. He didn't really know where he was going. He did this a lot, biking at the crack of dawn while listening to music. He liked to watch the sun rise before he went to school.

Tyler knew he wasn't like other teenagers. But that was okay. Because he was alone.

A few minutes passed and Tyler found himself at a lake in some place he vaguely recognized.

It was 5:45. He still had 15 minutes before he had to go home and get ready for school. Tyler sat down by the edge of the water, watching the ripples appear and fade in the lake.

He wished he could fade away like that.

A few more silent minutes passed, and he figured it was about time to start heading back when the sound of a skateboard rolling on the sidewalk met his ears. Tyler didn't turn around to see who it was, however. eye contact equals engagement, and engaging in anything with anyone else equals not being alone.

So he kept his eyes glued on the lake. he didn't notice that the rolling noise had stopped.

And when someone came and sat down on the grass next to him, Tyler was surprised, but he didn't show it.

The stranger stared at the lake as well, not saying anything at first. Tyler didn't even turn to see who was sitting next to him. He just started straight ahead at the ripples in the water. The stranger did the same.

When it seemed like that had sat there just about forever, the stranger who Tyler had still not even looked at suddenly spoke out into the chilly morning air, his breath visible.

"School starts soon. See you around."

And Tyler sensed the presence next to him leaving, and the sound of the skateboard met his ears again.

And Tyler was alone again.

>>>

Once Tyler was at school, he finally had some time to think. That's when he did all of his most important thinking. It was kind of annoying, how his brain never seemed to want to focus on what it was supposed be focusing on. His mind was always wandering and processing every little thing that he saw intently, as if trying to find a reason for their existence other than to simply be.

He thought back to the lake, and the stranger. The person obviously went to his school. And he sounded like he was around Tyler's age. But why did he come and sit next to him? Tyler was a loner. He didn't have any friends. and he didn't want to make any friends, either.

During math class, Tyler stared at the board blankly. Math was useless. Tyler was going to be a musician, and calculus had nothing to do with music. That is, if he didn't kill himself before he became an adult.