JOSH DUN VS THE WORLD ✓

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: WE'VE GOT A LABEL DEAL, BITCHES

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING...

SAVING COMPLETE!

It takes three days for Josh's promise to Tyler to break. He's just too curious, and it could very well be a matter of life and death for him to know. After work, Josh heads for Max's apartment, telling Tyler he's going to an unscheduled band practice. It's a pretty bad lie, but Tyler believes him.

Considering the conversation Josh eavesdropped into while he was in the hospital was already suspicious, he thinks it has something to do with the multiple timelines. If Tyler is too uncomfortable telling him, it wouldn't hurt if Josh found out answers another way, right?

The moment Josh walks through the front door, using the key he never gave back, he's bombarded by yelling. Not bad yelling, like it usually is, but the loud conversation between max and Hayley still catches him off guard and makes him stop when he says, "good afternoon, mother-"

He stops abruptly. "Uh."

"This is fucking insane!" Max shrieks as he paces through the middle of the room, dragging his mic stand along with him. "I can't believe this is happening. Holy, shit. It's real."

"It's about fucking time, we've been working for this since senior year," Hayley says from her spot cross cross on top of their kitchen table, flipping her drumsticks in the air.

Halsey and Young Ryan sit on the couch, watching the fairly loud conversation bounce back and forth between the two. Josh waves and shuts the door behind him loud enough to grab their attention.

"Oh, hey, dick ring," Hayley says casually as if she just wasn't yelling at Max.

Max sees Josh and his face is excited instead of mad, which is odd considering they were just screaming at each other. "Dude, great timing! We have got some big ass news to tell you."

"Besides this domestic dispute?" Josh throws his jacket at the coat hanger and misses.

"Dude, this is about the domestic dispute," Hayley laughs.

"What're you doing here anyways?" Max asks. "Is it about Jon joining the league of evil exes and wanting revenge for you breaking his heart for a gay American whoremonger?"

"No, I was actually here to ask you about- wait, what? Jon did what?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Halsey squeals in delight and jumps off the couch to give him a hug.

"I beg to differ, Hals, I think that's really important-"

"You won't have any clue who sent you guys a letter this morning!" Young Ryan interrupts him, jumping up and down in excitement. "You have to guess!"

"Uh, Daft Punk?" Josh throws out, shrugging.

"Nope." Max tosses Josh a dense, profesional looking letter, which he catches with one hand. It's addressed as SEX BOB-OMB: URGENT in black bold lettering over the front. "It was none other than- Young Ryan, drum roll, please."

Young Ryan bangs on the couch armrest as Josh pulls the thick packet out of the envelope, his heart skipping enough beats to render a heart attack. All negative thoughts leave him mind he sees the name at the top of the first page.

"No fucking way," he says, breathless.

"Yes fucking way," Max bursts, trying and failing to look dead serious. "The one and only Dallon Weekes, owner and producer of Mister Sinister Records."

"We've got a label deal, bitches!" Hayley howls, Halsey and Max joining her.

Josh scans through the page without really reading, a wide smile spreading across his face as he zeroes in on the words national tour. "This is nuts."

"Isn't it? I was so shook when I saw it," Max laughs.

"Please don't use slang," Young Ryan says.

"This is cause for celebration. We need to throw a fucking party or something!"

"I'll call up Eilish, see if she can hook us up with another frat party to announce it." Hayley is already dialing on her phone.

Josh's face drops slightly. "Wait. Isn't Mister Sinister the same record label Debby's with?"

"Don't you mean Radio Rebel and the Heartstrings?" Halsey mocks.

"Don't worry, I doubt she cares enough to pull some... heartstrings," Max sends him finger guns.

Josh just stares at him in disbelief. "You never make puns. Holy shit, I think we finally broke Max."

"Bold of you to assume we all haven't lost our shit in the past six months," Hayley says. "Don't look so glum, dude. It shouldn't matter if your ex who cheated on you is signed to the same record label that miraculously offered a very generous deal. We made it. No more performing to drunk people at 2 in the morning before call time. No more paying to play at venues and hoping we can make that money back up in tips."

It's too good to be true. Something keeps bothering Josh, but he ignores it because he sees how happy the others are and knows this is a once in a lifetime deal. So, he shoves the disconcerting voice in the back of his mind.

"Okay. Let's go and get shit faced!"