oneshots 🧷 joshler

the party

well, i've lost ryan.

i didn't wanna come to this stupid party, but i didn't want to say no to ryan, 'cause who would do that? it's ryan. you don't say no to ryan. so i said yes, and i threw on this stupid masquerade mask and a pair of jeans, and now he's gone from my sight.

i take a sip of the water in my cup. everyone else has some sort of alcohol, but i have school in the morning. i can't- i can't drink. i've never been good with alcohol, anyway. it's okay.

as i bring my cup down, i start to nervously fidget with my fingers. i'm not good alone. i don't like being alone. i hat being alone, especially in crowded places like this.

why didn't i just stay in our dorm and eat mini kit-kats all night? maybe watch, i dunno, coraline or something, sleep a little. i might just ditch this and walk back.

i push the mask up and off my face, setting my water completely down on the floor. that sounds like a fantastic idea, tyler! i'm just gonna walk myself home and curl up in my own bed, maybe read. make some hot chocolate. no, mix the hot chocolate with the kit-kats! yes! exactly!

tyler, you are a genius.

i get up from the floor and push myself through people's laughter and conversations, even a few masked make-out sessions. disgusting.

i like halloween, yeah. i just don't like the parties, or the people there.

i'm about to go out the door when someone takes ahold of my wrist. i've learned to not say anything, so i just yank my hand away and look back to see if i can see who did it.

nope. i don't see anyone. everyone's engaged in a conversation or dancing, no one even noticing me.

all of a sudden, a skeleton hand reaches out and takes my wrist again, tugging me toward whoever it belongs to. i let out a small yelp as it tugs harder, pulling me through the crowded floor.

"lemme go!" i manage out, stumbling when the tugging stops, and i feel my mask drop back down onto my face. the skeleton hand lets go, and i look to see who it happens to belong to.

there's a person with a skeleton jumper on, a zipped-up mask covering their face.

"uh, hello?" i ask, talking over the music.

"hi," the voice replies. it sounds like a guy, no doubt about it, and there's something in his voice that makes me sad. i don't know what it is, but it makes me almost want to pity him.

"why'd you decide to tug me?" i ask him. "who even are you?"

"all questions for later," he sighs, taking my hands. "i hafta dance with you, okay? then we can talk."

dance?? dance?! "dance?"

he doesn't answer this time, just starts to dance with me to the blasting music.

this is fucking weird.

at least he's an okay dancer.

i mean, i guess dancing with a stranger is better than just.. being alone. i would rather be home right now, but i made the wrong decision an hour ago, and look where i am now.

the song ends, and i hear him chuckle, both of us slowing down as i realize he's done. i hope he'll answer my questions now.

but no, he takes my hand again, pulling me along to another place.

"hey man, what the hell?"

"the name's josh. josh dun," he says hurriedly. "i gotta do this, okay?"

"...okay..?"

"okay."

the next song starts up, and we start to dance again.