Yøu Ønly Live Twice

8- Size Of The Moon

A/N- I have several reasons for this early update:

1- This story has hit 1K

2- Apartment Twenty Øne has hit 3k

3- My crappy/weird/cringe-worthy one shot thingy that I posted like 3 years ago has hit 100 views

4- I have hit 100 followers! (Congratulations to ThugSama for being the 100th follower!)

I looked around, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. It feels like it’s been years since I last came home to my apartment with my stuff in it, not just a couple of months. I looked at the pictures of my friends and family I had propped up on shelves and hanging on my walls.

Everyone’s smiling, cheerful faces were once again looking back at me. As I entered the living room,  I ran my hand along the back of my couch. Instead of Tyler’s nicer brown leather couches, my worn out looking cloth burgundy sofas were here again.

I looked down at the picture of my whole family and I that was sitting on the coffee table. I sat down on the familiar, lumpy, old couch and held the picture in my hands. I looked at the smiling faces of my parents and younger siblings and I felt a slight ache in my heart.

I had missed them all so much, and I thought I’d never get to see them again. There’s so many thing I’m realizing I was taking for granted, including my family. I was surprised when I saw a drop of water fall onto the glass of the frame.

I brought my hand to my face and that was when I realized I had started crying. I sniffled and hugged the picture close to my chest and just let myself cry a little as I thought back on childhood memories. I have to go see them tomorrow. All of my siblings still lived at home, so it’d be easy to do.

I’d call Mom tomorrow and see if I could come over for dinner. I miss her cooking. I can cook pretty well, but it’s nothing compared to my mom. Abbey on the other hand, she couldn’t even boil water to save her life. I don’t know how long I just sat there clutching the frame, but eventually I snapped out of my reverie. I smiled at the thoughts and wiped the remaining tears off of my face. I set the picture back down on the coffee table and got off the couch.

I went into the side room that Tyler had used for storage and felt excitement bubble up in my chest at the sight of the one thing that always made me feel better. My drums. I walked over to the set and sat on my stool. I grabbed the sticks off of the snare where I had left them and gave a few experimental hits, warming back up to the feeling. I sound proofed this room after getting complaints from the neighbors, so without any hesitation or restraint I began to play.

I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I played. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed this. One song, turned into two, which turned into twelve. Before I knew it, it was nine o’clock and I still hadn’t eaten dinner. I stood up and stretched my arms over my head while thinking about what to do for dinner. I don’t remember what is currently in my fridge and pantry.

I wandered out of the room at a leisurely pace and made my way to the kitchen, only to be met with dismay. Apparently, I was going to go shopping after work today, because I had basically nothing. I didn’t even have bread or peanut butter.

With a sigh of slight frustration I went back into the music room to grab my discarded jacket. Looks like I have to go out again. I won’t shop tonight, I’d save that for tomorrow, but right now I really need food.

I whistled as I walked out to my truck, the cool night breeze tousling my hair. I decided on Taco Bell, I had been craving it for so long. My mouth was literally watering in anticipation.

I started singing a song under my breath as I walked out to the car. It was a song Tyler had written just for fun that I found on his laptop. It was called TB Saga, and it was basically six minutes of him and his friends professing their undying love for Taco Bell in humorous ways. It was beautiful.

I hummed along to the radio as I drove. I decided to go into the building and eat; I’d been trapped in that apartment for so long I’m using any excuse I can to stay out. For now. I’m sure I’ll go back to being a hermit in no time.

I walked in and my favorite cashier was working tonight. His name was Alex, a gangly high-schooler with a perverse sense of humor and incredible musical talent.

“Hey Alex!” I said, the bored expression immediately leaving his face. Instead his eyes brightened up a bit and a smile broke out onto his face.

“Josh! What’s up? I haven’t seen you in a whole day, I was getting worried.” He joked. Okay, maybe I did come here a little too often, but oh well.

“It’s been a crazy few days, but I think everything is finally settling down. You?”

“Just school. I hate it. You want your usual order at the usual price?” I smiled and laughed before accepting his offer and giving him my money. I was asking him how his band was going when he said something interesting.

“Hey, you play the drums right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“There’s this guy, another regular here I’m surprised I’ve never seen you two in here at the same time actually, his name is Tyler Joseph. He’s a sick musician and I think you two would get along well. Maybe you two could start a band together or something. I know he wants to do music as a full time job. Maybe you two could make it big, and then you could open up your record store afterwards and run it on the side. Just a thought.”

“Sounds cool man, I’ll try to get in touch with him.”

If only he knew.

“Sweet, he goes busking in the park a good bit, maybe you could find him there. Oh, here’s your food. It was good talking to you man.”

“Likewise,” I said with a grin as I grabbed the tray out of his hands.

I went over to my usual table. I set the food down on the table and went to go get my drink. After I was settled, I began to dig into my food. It took every ounce of self-control to not moan in satisfaction at the first bite. I watched out the window as I ate, admiring all the things I usually took for granted. Especially the moon, I could never see it from the windows of the apartment.

As I stared at the moon, I couldn’t help but think of Tyler. He was a light in the darkness for me; I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without my Baby Boy.

I thought of his smile, his laugh, his creativity, his wonder of the world. His eyes were always wide and alight with a child-like curiosity. I smiled as I thought of a phrase my friend Ryan, a regular at the coffee shop, used to say. Tyler’s eyes were the size of moon.

A/N- Favorite perfume/cologne? I like Muertos from Blackheart Beauty, they sell it at Hot Topic and it comes in this really cool red and white bottle shaped like a skull.