Dendrophobia

Chapter 3

"Not everything everyone says is true."  You think to yourself as the bathwater swirls around your toes. It was a tough day at work. Customers were complaining all day and your boss just wouldn't get off your back. The hurtful things customers said to you still buzzed in your mind. Everything came down on you and you felt tears burn your eyes. You always hated crying, but sometimes you just had to let it out. It was almost as if all of the pain you felt was pouring out like water from a kitchen sink. The sink was filling with self-doubt and you were drowning.

                You wash your body, attempting to scrub off the dirt from your mind. The rag makes your skin feel raw and makes it a light shade of pink. It would eventually turn to red if you didn't stop. The tears continue to run down your cheeks like they were in a contest for who could be the heaviest. The rag falls from your hands and you just sit. Your fingers look puny, so you decide to get out.

                The towel falls down around your frame. No, you've never been quite fond of yourself, but you were trying. After drying off and putting on clothes, you decide to go to the park. The sun was setting. The sky began to turn an orange that can only be made in another world. You smile and wonder how humans deserved a world like this. Expecting to see the boy in the park lying on the grass, you're surprised to see him gone. You stop in your tracks and frown. Where could he be? Your phone buzzes from a text and you notice it's from the new girl at work.

                She was extremely kind. Her name was Melody and she shared a lot of the same interests as you.

                Mel: Want to go to a concert with me tonight? I have an extra ticket cause my friend bailed..

                You didn't really want to do anything besides lie in bed. Lying in bed wouldn't make you feel any happier, so you decide to go.

                (Y/N): Sure. What time will you pick me up?

                Mel: Around 6. We'll be in the pit, so be ready to mosh ;-)

                You glance around the park to make sure the boy wasn't coming, before beginning the walk home. The sun sinks down and leaves you in darkness. The sun will rise again tomorrow and you'll try to find the star boy again. Streetlights flash on and illuminate the concreate jungle with artificial light.

. . .

                "So, who are we seeing?" You question Mel. She smiles and glances over at you.

                "I've been seeing the band shirts you've been wearing, so..." You raise an eyebrow. "We are seeing... Twenty One Pilots!" Melody yells. Your heart stops and you smile wider than you have in a couple years.

                "Oh my God, Mel! Thank you so much!" You say while flinging your arms around her.

                She pulls into the venue parking lot and you hop out of the car. It's a concert hall that's fairly local to your hometown. You enter and only see about ten people there so far. You know hundreds of people will show as the night progresses. It was a sold out concert even though not many people know about the venue. You stand near the barrier and bounce on your toes as Melody laughs at your excitement.

                A red cloth falls in front of the stage making everyone scream in excitement. Your heart pounds thinking about seeing the boys live. After several minutes of people chatting excitedly, the curtain rises and Josh is sitting at his drums. The bass drops and you know that they're going to open with Fairly Local. Adrenaline pumps through your veins as the air begins to turn red again.

                Halfway through the show, Tyler stops and sits at his piano. "This song," he begins, sounding a little sad, "Is for Jenna. I'll always love you." Your heart breaks as you remember what happened about a year ago. Jenna was driving home one night when a man made a suicide attempt. He pulled the steering wheel, but crashed into the driver's side of Jenna's car. The impact killed her instantly. It was all over social media and Twenty One Pilots stayed silent for a while. Nothing was posted on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Tyler quickly fell back into his darkness and word got around that he was writing more songs like the ones on No Phun Intended.

                A slower version of Tear in My Heart begin playing. Tyler stopped and put his face in his hands. Josh got up and walked over to his piano. He gave Tyler a hug and mumbled something to him. Tyler slid on his sunglasses and spoke into the mic with a broken voice.

                "Stay alive, everyone."

                The concert was an ocean of emotions, but also the best night of your life. You unwrap a piece of gum and write, "Stay Alive" onto the wrapper. You quickly jump on stage and slip it into Tyler's ski mask that he left on the stage for the crew to collect. The setup crew gives you a look, making you scramble off stage. Your heart broke for the two band members and you just wanted them to feel okay again.

                While Mel was driving you home, she asked what happened to Tyler's wife. You explained the story to her with sadness in your heart. It was like Tyler wasn't even with the Clique anymore. He always had a dazed look in his eyes and never posted anything. Nobody saw him like clique art on social media or out in public. You look out the window and see that you're passing the park. A lone figure lays in the middle of the field looking lifeless as the moon rises over the treetops.

Hey, Lovelies!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It broke my heart to write this chapter.. But I love Jenna and don't want her to be the bad guy or anything. I'm sorry I haven't updated. I'm on new "happy pills" and the side effects are freaking me out a little. Thank you for reading and be sure to comment what you think! Stay alive |-/