Miss Believer

i.

It was late 2009 when I had just begun exploring the world of a person named Joshua Dun. We met at a Guitar Center in Columbus, Ohio, where he worked until he joined Twenty One Pilots as their new drummer later in 2011. We were both 21 at the time, his birthday before mine in June while mine was in September. It was December 22nd when I first walked into the store, a cold Tuesday in Ohio. I was wearing black tights, a knee-length black skirt, a blouse with red roses, and a thick wool pea coat. I had some old Doc Marten's on, they were scuffed like crazy and the leather was faded but I cherished them. I wasn't allowed to wear very "alternative" stuff when I was living with my parents, who were very Christian, but they had gotten them for my 18th birthday. The door chimed when I walked in and I kicked slush off my boots before smiling at the man on the register, a middle-aged fellow who was playing around on the computer. I walked around a bit, checking out ukulele strings, picks, and random other things until I found myself staring at a huge drum kit they had set up in the back. It was being worked on by a guy with longish brown hair, tunnels, a lip ring, skinny and seemed my age.

"Hi, do you need help or anything?" He caught me staring and smiled at me.

"Oh! No, I was just wondering what you were doing..." I wasn't lying, I knew about drums since my brother had played them in the high school band, but I haven't seen such a huge kit like this.

"Just tuning up a little, making sure everything is tight. I'm gonna mess around on them when Mike goes on his smoke break." He leaned in when he said the last part, whispering like it was a secret. I adverted my eyes from his adorable smile and glanced at his nametag. Josh.

"D'you mind if I watch?" I took a seat on an extra drum stool.

"Not at all. This is gonna be sick!" Josh seemed like a really fun person, I smiled as he excused himself to find some drumsticks. I stared at my old boots, my hands smoothing my short hair, then fidgeting with the stool's leather, I took out my flip phone to check the time. It wasn't too late, not like I had a curfew anymore since I moved out, but I hadn't had dinner. Josh returned and was grinning to himself, his eyes squinting and teeth gleaming. He sat at the drums, looking engulfed in all the shiny metal and blue plastics. Engulfed, but completely at ease. He produced drumsticks from his back pockets and I watched him expectantly.

"It's gonna be really loud." He warned, lighting hitting the drum pedal.

"That's okay." I was anxious now, no one was in store and I wanted to hear this total stranger play drums. He tapped out on random parts until he started pounding out a familiar rhythm, Sugar We're Going Down, by Fall Out Boy. I jumped up and grabbed a ukulele and picked up on the second verse. We jammed out kept our eyes on each other, grinning like fools the entire time. When the song finished we were both out of breath.

"That was amazing!" I finally said, laughing. Josh got up from his drums and walked over to me.

"Yeah, that was sick. What's your name?"

"Abraham." I said, then frowned. I don't usually tell people I just met my real name. "But just call me-"

"Abe! That's so cool. Have you always lived in Columbus?" He cut me off so I went with it.

"Yeah, well, not exactly. My parents moved here when I really little. We lived in Viringia. What about you?"

"Born and raised here. How long have you played the uke?"

"Since I was 16, my uncle got one for me on my birthday. How long have you played drums?"

"It's been on and off since middle school. My parents wouldn't let me listen to a lot of music or play it, but one of my friends owned a kit and I loved playing on it when I came over."

"Let me guess, your parents are strict Christians, too?" He laughed, nodding.

"Yeah, it sucks sometimes but I love them. Glad I moved out, though."

"Me too! I live in one of those tiny Garrison apartments down the street."

"No way! I live on the third floor!" We both gasped.

"I live on the second! Oh my gosh!"

"That's so crazy. I've never seen you before."

"Isn't it? We've lived in Columbus basically our whole lives and now the same apartment building and we haven't seen each other before. Although I'm inside painting or playing most of the time, that's like 19 years of never meeting you."

"You're only 19?" He asked incredulously.

"No, I'm 21! I moved here when I was three." Josh looked embarrassed that he forgot.

"Oh, sorry..." He mumbled. The guy from the counter, Mark, came up. He smelt like cigarette smoke.

"Josh, I need some help in the back if you aren't too busy. Lauren left the storage room a mess."

"Yeah, okay. I'll be right there. She just needs help with something." Mark accepted the answer and went back behind an "Authorized Personel Only" door.

"I get off at 9, do y'wanna hang out?" He asked quickly.

"Sure, uh, I live in room 22. Do you like pizza?" I could just order some and eat with him later.

"No, I love pizza." He grinned at me and ran to the back. "Bye, Abe!"

"Bye, Josh." I said to myself since he disappeared. What a strange kid, but I can admit to myself he was really cute. I left the store, the door chiming, and saw the snow falling from the sky, illuminated by street lamps and headlights. I walked briskly to my apartment and entered the warm lobby, wiping my shoes on the mat before trailing up the stairs to my room. When I got there, I took off my shoes, coat, skirt, and blouse, tugging a long blue shirt over my tights before slipping on a pair of cotton shorts that hid underneath the shirt. I called the local pizza place and had them deliver a large half pepperoni and half cheese pizza. I grabbed a bottle of apple juice before I sat on my old loveseat, the only furniture in the small living room besides the TV and its stand. The TV was one I had since I moved to Ohio, and probably the heaviest thing in the whole apartment. I flipped over to MTV and listened to whatever came on while reading The Secret Life of Bees, which was turning out to be a really interesting story. It was maybe 30 minutes later when the pizza arrived, I thanked the younger kid and gave him a $5 tip, putting the pizza in the oven, even though I was tempted to dig into it now. Self conscious, I began cleaning up my room, the kitchen, the bathroom. Living here by myself I wasn't too picky with the appearance of it, especially since I paint often and I get a little too into it, but that doesn't mean I let it get too messy. I was raised to be neat. After cleaning I check the time; 8:38 PM. Josh would getting off work soon, and I wondered if he was just as nervous as I felt right now.