A Newfound Home - Adopted by Josh Dun

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V I C T Ø R I A
"I'm gonna help you."

Lily leaned against the locker next to mine as I was gathering my books. "With?" I shoved them into my bag and shut my locker.

"With this whole Max ordeal. It doesn't make any sense to me." I nodded and we walked out of the school, stopping by the parking lot.

"Well, I don't care anymore, but go ahead." David honked his horn and Lily flipped him off, looking back at me.

"I'll let you know what I find." She hopped into his car and I waved to her as the two of them left.

"You're talking with Lily?" I turned around to see Max.

"It's complicated." I pushed past him, but this time he didn't follow me home.

I arrived home to an empty house. Josh went to visit the record label, preparing for the tour slowly coming up.

I went downstairs and connected my phone to the speakers, putting on the song Ruby chose for the duet.

I closed my eyes and practiced the dance, messing up on a spin and falling.

I stopped the music and scrolled through my playlist, landing on a random song and playing it. I stood up and closed my eyes, letting the music flow through me and moving my body to the beat.

"That's beautiful." I stopped and looked over at the stairs to see Ruby standing there with her bags.

"Sorry, I let myself in." She set her bags down and threw two shoe boxes at me.

One had ballet slippers and one had pointe shoes.

I tried both on and they fit perfectly.

I threw the pointe shoes back at Ruby and put on the slippers, starting the song over and moving to it.

By the end of the song, Ruby finished sewing the ribbon onto my shoes and breaking them in.

"Okay, so if you wanted to use those for your duet, they're ready!" She shoved her slippers on and I changed the song.

M A X W E L L
I had twenty minutes left of my shift.

Because I wasn't doing any sports until summer, Mom wanted me to get a job. So, I started working at Target.

"Hello, did you find all that you were looking for?" I turned around to help the person who came through my line and was met with Lily.

I scowled as I scanned her items.

"Hi to you, too, Max." She pulled out a card from her pocket and shoved it into the card reader.

I didn't say anything else and handed her the receipt.

"So, how's your girlfriend?" She shoved the receipt into her bag and I shallowly laughed. She can't be serious.

"Girlfriend? You mean Tori?" She shot me a look as she shook her head. "No... Mikayla. You two are dating, right?"

My laugh quickly dissipated.

"Mikayla and I are NOT dating. Why would you even think that?!" She huffed and shot me a look.

"Mikayla told Tori you two are a couple. That's why she's been avoiding you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What the hell?! I can't believe she said that!" I shoved my register drawer shut with pure frustration.

"So you and Mikayla aren't a couple?" I nodded and shut my light off. "Tori's the only girl I like and want to be with."

Now it all makes sense.

I clocked out and walked out with Lily. I couldn't believe Lily was actually being nice.

"Hey! I was in town and figured you could give me a ride home?" Mikayla's voice made its way through my ears and I turned around to see her.

"Have you been telling people we're a couple?" Her smile faltered and I saw Lily move closer. "You have, haven't you?!" I spoke more harshly.

"Well, yeah, but." I cut her off.

"Mikayla! I don't like you that way! I never have and I never will! You completely wrecked my friendship with Tori!" I pushed past her and headed toward my car.

"But I need a ride!" I looked over the roof of my car.

"Walk. Walk out of my life and ruin someone else's." I shut my door and stared at the steering wheel.

Someone knocked on my window and I looked over to see Lily. I rolled the window down.

"So what now?" I checked the time on my phone. "I'm gonna go talk to Tori and explain everything."

Lily shook her head. "Don't do that. She'll think you broke up with Mikayla for her. I say wait it out at least a little longer. And it's late."

For once, I agreed with Lily.