Not Today - Twenty One Pilots

|-/ Chapter Four |-/

The teen drove as fast as the speed limits would let him go, sometimes going just above the limit whenever he would glance at the time on the car's radio. It was now half past four and Tyler felt sick to his stomach as he drove nearer to Mark's house.

Will he hate me?

Of course he will.

That question pierced Tyler's mind repeatedly as he drove past some empty, large fields that were lined by old rock walls along the road. The boy felt like he had screwed up big time as he over thought the whole situation.

Why can't my mind just be normal for once? he thought.

Tyler finally pulled alongside the road right in front of Mark's house six minutes later. He clenched his jaw as he stared at the three cars in front of his that were already parked. This meant that there were at least three other people there since Mark never parked his car along the road.

What are these people going to be like? Tyler asked himself, slowly reaching his key and turning off his car. He leaned back in his seat as he looked at the house, pondering if it was even worth it to get out.

They won't like you.

Mark wouldn't even know you didn't show up.

The teen frowned. Was it really worth it?

Mark was only trying to be nice.

He only invited you because he felt bad for you and didn't want you to feel left out.

It wasn't that Tyler didn't have any friends. He had a small handful of friends he would hang out with on his street. But still, he often thought of whether even they really enjoyed his company.

It's all just so stupid, thought Tyler.

"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered, opening his door.

He made his way soon enough to the front door where he knew Mark wouldn't mind him just coming in without knocking. But Tyler felt awkward about it. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets as he came up to the red door, idly sucking on the inside of his mouth.

Tyler soon heard fits of laughter coming from inside, obviously from Mark and his other friends. He frowned, thinking of how he would ruin everybody's time by being there. He was never one for parties and seemed to make everyone else not have a good time simply by being there. He was starting to second guess himself and decide to get back into the car and drive home. Or at least somewhere else.

But Tyler couldn't back out now.

He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans and took a deep breath, knocking on the door with his bony knuckles before waiting for a response. The laughter and whooping inside didn't cease, and Tyler was afraid that he wasn't heard.

Why can't I just do something normal for once without overthinking? Tyler thought.

It is pretty stupid how you can't even open the door, you loser.

He sucked in another gulp of air, knowing that Mark would just want him to come in. But how would he present himself to Mark's friends? Should he be that shy kid he usually is around others he just met or just come out as someone who is outgoing and hope for the best? Tyler wished he had two faces to prove which theory of his worked. He decided to just go with whatever came at him after a few seconds of thought. So finally, after forcing himself to grip the door handle, Tyler let himself in.

The volume of noise immediately raised as Tyler stepped inside the house. He guessed about five guys in total by the number of voices, including Mark, as he closed the door. He could smell food cooking on the grill out back and it smelled wonderful, like when you arrive at a barbecue cookout and your mouth starts to water because all of the scents are mashing together into one, glorious food plaza.