Empathy [Josh Dun - Twenty One Pilots]

SIXTEEN

"I swear it's the best idea, Josh."

"You mean, it's the ONLY idea, Tyler."

"Well--" the boy sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed, powerless. His best friend sighed in return, spinning aimlessly in Tyler's desk chair. They were waiting for Debby, who was supposed to help them in their quest for their lost friend Mark, or so Tyler had convinced Josh. But the poor boy wasn't that certain her presence was necessary, nor useful. First of all, because he knew the situation Mark seemed to be in was far more dangerous than they could imagine, and he didn't want to involve Debby into this when they were just feeling around in the dark for clues they weren't even supposed to have. Second of all, because that meant they had to divulge their "abilities", or at least a part of them, to Debby, and that fact alone was scarier than anything they could discover.

"Don't you fear she'll think we're mad men?" Josh asked after a few seconds of awkward silence. 

"You know her better than I do, bro." Tyler shrugged.

Josh shook his head. "I'm not so sure of that," he stated matter-of-factly. He had known Debby for a few years, and they had been the best of friends for about that long. But ever since their break up, they haven't had much contact, and their relationship would have stayed stuck in that shallow in-between if it weren't for Tyler. 

"Tsk-tsk," Tyler clicked his tongue, the movement of his head following the showing of negation. "I've told you already, Josh. My Gift doesn't allow me to actually know people. You don't know people when you're feeling what they're feeling at some point in time. You know people by learning how they function through those feelings. And I haven't known Debby long enough for that. You, on the other hand..."

"But people change, Ty." Josh argued. "And I'm not sure I know the new pers--" 

The boy swallowed back his words as a few knocks were heard on the bedroom door. Automatically, the teenagers turned their heads towards the expected sound and waited for Debby's red hair to pop up in the doorframe. 

"What's up guys?" she sang as she entered the room, covering the place with a cloud of flowery scented perfume. "You wanted to hang out?"

Josh looked at Tyler, and Tyler looked at Josh before the both of them turned their heads again towards Debby, now standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She looked back at her friends, not feeling quite at ease, alternating between them in a constant motion. "Hello?" she insisted uncomfortably. "Is there something wr--"

"Okay," Tyler finally stood up energetically, motioning towards the girl and circling her shoulders with his arm, quickly glancing at Josh for what he guessed was some sort of approval. Josh shifted nervously in his seat, but only because he still felt uncomfortable involving his ex-girlfriend into this seemingly far-fetched story. Nothing to do with Tyler's arm around her, of course. "Just sit down there," Tyler demanded, practically pushing the girl down on the mattress and taking the old wooden chair that had been sitting in the corner of his room for God knew how long. He sat down in front of Debby so him and Josh could face her. 

"You're kinda scaring me, guys..." Debby hesitated on her words, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Just," Tyler started with conviction. "We're gonna need you to just listen for now, okay? Listen before you say anything."

"Okay," Debby chuckled nervously, now fiddling with a strand of her loose hair. "Wait," she spoke again as Tyler was opening her mouth. She looked up, seemingly thinking hard while chewing loudly on her gum. "Are you guys like a thing? I mean, are you--"

"Oh God, have you talked to my mom?" Josh exclaimed, highly exasperated. Debby sent him a questioning look. "No, it's not about Tyler and I. No, we're not gay. And you should know that. We're not gay. I like girls. Why do people keep think--"