Burdens and Bulwarks (Tyler Joseph Fanfiction)

Chapter One

The wind sweeps through my hair and plays with it as I close my eyes for a moment, taking in that bittersweet feeling of wanting to kiss the wind as it kisses my skin and dances along with my hair, while also wanting to fix my hair and just yell at the wind to stop . The park's bench is cold and gray clouds fill the sky, which is exactly how I like it.

I take a sip of my coffee as I sit with my knees squeezed to my chest and my feet flat on the bench, looking down and not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. I simply want to enjoy the environment.

I open my journal and begin to write, writing is something I use as an escape-- because sometimes the words and the thoughts just don't make sense in your head because you can't physically see them, so I spill them onto paper. Although, even then, I'm not sure I understand myself.

As my pen glides across the page, I hear footsteps. I continue to stare at my paper, not looking up, as the person sits down on the bench, as far away from me as possible. I look up just enough to catch a glimpse of the person's knees.

"This seat taken?" The boy mumbled.

I finally look up timidly, he has warm brown eyes and brown hair that goes together perfectly and is wearing a backpack and a black hoodie.

"Oh, u-uhm," I cleared my throat, "No."

He nodded, taking a Capri sun and a sandwich out of his backpack. He puts his backpack back on and then looks down and sits "criss-cross apple sauce" as any kindergarten teacher would describe.

"There's other benches around here, you know." I stated, looking down at my notebook.

"Yeah," he hummed, "I can move if you want me to. I'll move if you don't want me to sit by you, I understand." The boy rambled.

I stood quiet.

He takes off his backpack again and takes out a notebook and a pen and places it on his lap. He sets his backpack on the floor, letting it rest against the bench.

Then, he began to write.

"So... You new?" He spoke as he wrote, his voice low and unsure as if he is wondering whether or not he should be talking to me.

I look up slightly and look back down, "Oh ... yeah. I just moved here... with my mom."

"Well, this whole... You know, talking to humans thing is hard for me, especially to ones I don't know." He hesitated a little, "But, I'd be happy to show you around. Be a friend."

Friend. Be a friend. Friend, like the ones who told me they'd stay. Friends, like the ones who got to know me my whole life and then just stopped talking to me after I moved. Who else is going to want to spend 16 years just getting to know me? I'll never get that back. Maybe I don't want it back anyways.

I closed my notebook and grabbed my coffee, "No, really, I'm fine." I stood up, "I really wouldn't want to be a bother."

"No, you wouldn't be-" He started as I began to leave. "What's your name?"

I heard him ask from behind and I turned around slightly but continued to walk, "doesn't matter."

You wouldn't remember anyway.

-------

I was walking home, hoping not to get lost because of the new environment, but the sun is almost all the way up and I don't feel like going home just yet.

I don't know my way around this place. Just between you and I, I don't think I'm exactly ready to start learning a whole new town just yet. I mean, I like a little adventure... however, this adventure may be just a little too much for me to take in right now.