JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER SEVEN: BREAK UP WITH YOUR FAKE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND

YOU'VE DECIDED TO:
BREAK UP WITH HALSEY

AKA:
THE ONLY RIGHT CHOICE.
OBVIOUSLY.

Two-Player Mode switched OFF.

+1 single life
-12 asshole
- 1 girlfriend
+3 gay
BONUS: you've obtained one (1) heart!
You must give it to your significant other in order to switch back to two-player mode

The library is quiet except for the sound of music blasting from a high schooler's headphones and Mozart playing over the loud speakers. Why they're playing music in a library when it's supposed to be silent, Josh doesn't know, but he doesn't question it.

Josh follows Halsey to the research area, only half-listening to the high school gossip she's catching him up on. Apparently, there had been a party the night before, and it was nuts. He doesn't care about the party, but he listens because he cares about her.

"- and John just came to school next day with a hangover. He didn't remember anything from the party!" She laughs, adding a third textbook to the stack Josh is holding. "Isn't that crazy?"

"Yeah, yeah," Josh mumbles.

She must notice his Debby Downer mood- ouch, Debby- because she quickly switches the subject to something just as bad and boring. "It must be so weird to be in a library after being out of high school for so long," she sighs.

Josh thinks of her and flinches. "Yeah, let's talk about something else."

Halsey counts the books in his arms and smiles to herself. "I think that's all I need. I want to go the arcade before my study group session at one."

They walk down the stairs side by side, cracking jokes. Josh's stomach sinks at the top of the stairs when he sees the man at the bottom, handing the same package from his dreams to the librarian behind the counter. He looks up like he feels Josh staring and smiles, seeming to recognize him. Josh freezes, clutching the books tightly.

"Baby?" Halsey's voice sounds far away. "Do you know that guy?"

Josh shakes his head and forces himself to keep walking, never breaking eye contact with the stranger on roller skates. The man's eyes flicker from his to Halsey's, and his smile falls a little. He nods and says goodbye to the woman before whirling away, leaving he building before they even reach the bottom of the steps.

As Halsey checks her books out, Josh calls his sister from the bathroom stall of the library.

"Abby, I think I'm gay. Or bi," he says before she has a chance to say hello.

"Uh, yeah, no shit. What do you want?"

Her reaction is calm and not exactly what he was expecting, but he relaxes a bit. "I don't know what to do. I like Halsey but there's this guy and I think he's the love of my life."

"Why don't you start with breaking up with your fake high school girlfriend?"

He winces. "Because I- I really like her too. She's perfect in every way. The last thing I want to do is hurt her feelings."

"But..?"

"But this guy. He's- I don't know! Oh, you have got to see him, Abs. He's so beautiful. His eyes and his hair and- oh my God, I heard his voice in a dream and it was perfect." Josh pauses for a moment and says, "I think I'm in love with him."

"Then you really need to break up with your fake high school girlfriend. You'll hurt Halsey more if you go out with her and someone else at the same time. Josh, you of all people know how shitty it is to be cheated on."

Josh glances at the door. He can hear her singing from outside the bathroom.

"You're right. Thanks, Abby."

"No problem. Call me when you do it so I know you didn't chicken out."

She hangs up. Josh puts his phone away and stares at himself in the mirror. He has to give himself a hype speech just to walk out of the bathroom.

"You can do this," he says. "You can break up with her. She'll understand. It'll be easy."

It is not easy. It's the opposite of easy. In fact, it might be one of the hardest things he had to do in his whole life.

Josh stands awkwardly in the middle of the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Halsey is a few feet in front of him, the long string of tickets falling from her hand and onto the neon patterned carpet.

He's actively avoiding looking at Halsey's face, knowing he'd have to look right into those pleading eyes. Her eyes are so pretty, soft green-brown that pop with the freckles on her cheekbones.

He shakes his head slightly, trying to rid that image of her from his mind. The last thing he wants to think about is how pretty she is because he's sure his heart can't take it.

"You're breaking up with me?" She asks in a sad, hiccupy voice.

He can't look her in the eye, he might start crying if he does, so he just stares at the screen where NEGA NINJA is beating up Josh's player. "It's not you, as cheesy as it sounds. It's just- Jon was right. I'm too old for you and you- you're too good for me."

Which is partially true. She deserves the world and more. Josh can't do that, not when someone else could give her that so much better.

"But- but I love you," Halsey whimpers.

"I'm sorry, Halsey. I really am."

Josh holds his arms out as a peace offering, one last goodbye hug, but instead she slaps him. He finally looks into her eyes. Halsey has tears in her eyes, angry tears streaming down a face of betrayal. If he didn't feel bad before, now he feels awful.

"Halsey-"

"Don't," she hisses. Quickly, she composes herself, wiping her tears away and looking up at him defiantly. "Oh, god I hit you."

"Yeah, you did."

"I'm so so so so so sorry. I was sad and angry and I didn't mean it."

"It's okay, I understand how you feel. If I could, I would hit me too."

She frowns.

"I mean I'm the one who should be sorry," he says, clarifying. "I'm a jerk, I know. I really didn't want to hurt you, but..."

"But you love someone else," she finishes.

Josh's face burns. "Maybe. I'm not sure. Can we... still be friends?"

Halsey nods, and she actually hugs him this time.

He walks her home and rides the bus back to his apartment alone this time. Despite everything, he smiles, thinking about the man on roller skates.