We all have our masks [Twenty One Pilots]

Chapter Nine: Twenty One Pilots

When Lena finally entered her room that night, loneliness weighed on her shoulders more than it had ever done  since she set foot in her homeland. She couldn't believe that was actually only a few days ago. She stood there, her back against the hotel room door, staring at nothing in particular and thinking about everything she went through to get here. To think those last few days were only the beginning of her journey to find her family was exhausting, and she would have given anything  just to get rid of all these thoughts and doubts just for a second.

Lena had felt free the night before actually. During the band's show. And getting back to reality right after that was harder than she ever thought it could be. She sighed and stretched. As much as she wanted to think about that night, she had to shower before. She wasn't one to complain often about hygiene but working a full day with the boys and sleeping in a van without air conditioning was too much to handle.

As the hot water was running down her sore body, she thought again of the day before. They had gotten in Pittsburgh in the afternoon. Not forgetting about what Mark had said in the car earlier, Lena had decided to show him she could be worth the try in the crew and helped set up the gear. Which wasn't much, or at least, less than she was used to with her ex-boyfriend's band.

Twenty One Pilots' equipment consisted of a drum set, a piano, a ukulele and a laptop. That alone ignited her curiosity, but she fought the urge to ask anything. She would discover the band's music soon enough.

When the lights went out that night, putting a few hundred people in the dark, Lena could feel the tension building up amongst the audience. It almost felt like something big was going to happen... And indeed, it did.

Although the musicians were only two, the energy coming from the stage was breathtaking. Josh was hitting uncontrollably on his drums, almost like his life depended on the noise he could make with his sticks, while Tyler was literally pouring his heart and soul out to his audience to grab little pieces of it and feed on his thoughts. He seemed to have transformed from a shy and grumpy boy to an encouraging and hopeful man. You could see in their eyes that their music really meant something, not only to them, but to the people singing along.

And that's what moved Lena the most. She had seen a handful of concerts in her short life, all different from the others, but this... This was unlike anything she had ever seen. The harmony was palpable. This wasn't a show. This wasn't artists showing off their talent. This wasn't just a bunch of kids listening to music either. This was a gathering of people finding and giving encouragement, a sharing of emotions like no other.

"We are Twenty One Pilots and so are you." Tyler had said right before him and Josh left the stage. And at that second, Lena had promised herself to listen to those songs again, in the dark, focusing on the lyrics, because she was certain at that point that she would find, in their music, something to hold on to.

After her shower, still thinking about that experience, Lena slipped under the covers, shut the lights off and closed her eyes, submerging herself in the music. And as Tyler's words wrapped around her mind and her heart, she fell asleep. 

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Just a small chapter, nothing in particular, nothing really useful either. I'm working on the next chapter which will probably be longer, but which will also take some more time. Please stick with me.