Let's Recelebrate (a Joshler story) (Celebrate ALTERNATE version)

⭒ XCVII ⭒

Hello friends! It's very early morning for me as I'm writing this, 'cause I have to drive two hours to meet with my friend while having gone to a Post Malone concert yesterday and it took us another 2 hours to get home in the middle of the night so I slept 4 hours 🥲 I'm dead but happy!

Having less pressure put on myself by being able to write a smaller chapter really helped a lot! I wrote this in one go and am super excited to hear what you think of the length and what's happening in this chapter both! ♥️

Thank you for all your support and replies to last chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Can't wait to see your votes and hear your opinion ♥️ still quite long - not as short as I thought it would be - but it didn't feel right to end it earlier. Enjoy!

Word count: 3706

~~

Josh's first week of college was... weird, to Josh. He felt uncomfortable, through a lot of it, and didn't really talk to anyone besides Colin and Gracie, from work, who was in her second year. He said hi to some of Colin's friends in the hallways, but he never really spent his breaks in the cafeteria because he didn't want to sit alone and he didn't want to sit with Colin's whole friend group because he'd feel like the odd one out, especially as a freshman. Sometimes Colin found him outside and sat with him, but other times Josh ordered him to sit with his other friends, so he was sure that they'd still hang out with him. Josh didn't want to be the reason why Colin's friends suddenly stopped hanging out with him.

Josh's roommate, Fred, was quiet. Never rude; when Josh came into their dorm, he said hi, gave him a soft smile, but that was mainly it. He was straight back to his computer, with his headphones on, and Josh was too awkward to even check exactly what he was doing. Was he studying? Was he just gaming all day? Josh wouldn't know, and he never looked.

He just said hi back, and kept to himself. He went to Colin's dorm as often as he could, since Colin's roommate was out most of the time anyways, and if he was not, he'd watch a show or movie together with them. He was nice to Josh, a bit of a stoner, so a bit distant mentally, and quiet. Josh didn't mind; he kind of liked it that way.

One person that he kept bumping into, whether it was in school or on campus, Josh's work or outside of all of that, was Dustin. Josh thought he was nice, always asking how he was doing, but slightly intimidating too. Everyone that wasn't Colin, and was in their third year, was quite intimidating to Josh.

Since Josh was doing a music minor, he had music classes as well. He always said he played drums, but in college they specifically called it percussion. Sure, fine by Josh.

Though the first few days, they hadn't actually been able to play any of the instruments. They'd been doing music theory, which Josh didn't like that much. He just wanted to play, really.

Josh thought back to the night prior, and he felt his heart drop slightly. Right. That happened. He didn't tell Colin about it, 'cause he felt kind of awful about it.

Josh - and all the other freshmen - had been invited to a freshmen-only party hosted by the university, to get to know each other after their introduction. He'd asked Colin to come, but Colin told Josh he couldn't, as it was solely for first years. He assured Josh he didn't have to go, but maybe he'd find someone to talk to and befriend who he had classes with. That could be good.

Since most of the first years weren't allowed to drink yet, it was an alcohol-free party. Josh swallowed his anxiety meds and Colin brought him to the location of the party, then told Josh he'd come pick him up at the time Josh and he agreed on, so he didn't have to walk back alone. If Josh wanted to leave earlier, Colin would be on standby.