<4:25 pm, Friday>

"It's quite a small world, huh?" Tyler tried to make small talk. He'd forgotten that Josh was the most reckless person he'd ever met. He jaywalked all the way from the coffee shop down three blocks, almost getting them run over at least twice.

Tyler didn't try to speak after Josh didn't respond, looking at his feet or at the red curls that plastered the back of Josh's neck. He couldn't believe how the universe had completely fucked him over. Out of everyone he could've ended up with, he somehow ended up with Josh. Again.

When they made it to Josh's car, Tyler stopped and gawked. "This is-"

"My old Monte Carlos," Josh finished his thought. "Didn't think it'd see the light of day after the accident, but my Dad is the best with cars."

Tyler traced his hand along the side of the car. "I feel sick." Josh nodded.

"I couldn't even look at the car at first. Too many bad memories," he said, unlocking the car and climbing in. "Hop in."

Tyler hesitated before stepping in, holding his breath while he buckled the seatbelt. Memories of the crash flashed before his eyes- the honking, the glass littered everywhere, the explosion, visions of Ashley and Josh. The blood.

Nether spoke while Josh drove away.

Tyler wanted to ask him where he went for three years during their senior year. He wanted to demand why he left him at the point in his life where he needed him the most.

But the words got stuck in his throat. Not seeing or hearing from Josh for three years and then suddenly being in a car with him was like whiplash. It wasn't like their first four year hiatus, where they would see each other in halls or get into fights in back alleys until Josh closed that painful gap during their senior year. No. This was so much different.

Rumors spread after graduation about what happened to the infamous Josh Dun, but eventually the truth rose to light. Melanie called Tyler halfway through their first semester, telling him Josh had attended Juilliard. He got semi-monthly updates until she, and the rest of his friends, lost touch with him after he stopped answering phone calls and canceling plans at the last minute.

It's not like he could ask Josh's parents. They hated him. Ashley and Abigail forgave him, even Jordan came around eventually, but his mother and father never did. But no one could blame Tyler more than he blamed himself.

"Hey, earth to Stanford."

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Tyler shook his head, rubbing his hands together. "Just... lost in thought, I guess."

Josh chuckled, but no humor echoed. "Guess you haven't changed that much, then."

Tyler tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, Lava boy? Three years can change a lot about a person."

"I don't think I've changed that much, maybe just the hair." Josh kept his gaze on the road. "How've you been?"

"Gee, let me think. My best friend disappeared on my graduation day, I have no friends, I hate my job and my life, my arm is broken I'm a soon-to-be college dropout, my baby sister killed herself, and I accidentally found my lost best friend on a suicidal Tumblr so we could kill ourselves together. How do you think I am?"

Josh smiled but it looked more like a scowl. "I can see you still have a sense of humor that is as twisted as ever."

"And I can see you're still an asshole who leaves people behind without a word before popping back right into their lives," Tyler shot back. He slapped his hand over his mouth, his entire face going red.

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. This whole situation is just so weird and confusing and it's been so long since we've seen each other. I don't know how to react seeing you again after three years of worrying and wanting it all to be over and-

"One, stop apologizing. Two, you're not wrong. I am a dick for pulling that disappearing act on you."

Tyler looked down at his hands. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What have you been doing for the past three years?" Tyler asked, tracing the cast on his arm. "Besides, you know, going on suicide websites."

Josh shrugged, taking a turn into a neighborhood made of apartment buildings. "I went to college for a year and a half. I stopped drinking, going cold turkey, had a fling with Troye before he moved to London or some shit. Mel and I hung out a bit, studying together until I dropped out after being accused of drugging and raping some poor girl at an off campus party."

"Oh my god."

"Yeah. The police ended up finding out that Matty did it, but not before suspending me and suing my family. They almost charged me as a sex offender. So I fell off the grid, holing up at Brendon and Dallon's apartment for a couple months until Brendon kicked me to the curb. My sister took me in and I practically just researched how to off myself conspicuously but failed greatly. Have you ever been to the mental ward section of a hospital?"

"No shit, it's my job."

The atmosphere was of death and insanity. The hallways made Tyler feel like his mind was unraveling whenever he watched the clock tick on starch white walls. If Tyler hadn't been as fucked up as he was, the place wouldn't have such a harsh affect on him. The other nurses and interns were fine, only occasionally mentioning the sad feeling most get when they have a patient that they can't do much to help.

"Right. Then you know how much of a damper it is. I couldn't afford any medicine, and I was not going to have Abigail paying for my meds. So they put me in therapy. I got better, only a little, but then I just went down again. I ended up ditching therapy a couple months in and started to get into, er, heavier coping mechanisms."

"Drugs."

"Bingo. Drinking, too."

Tyler shook his head in disbelief. "I'm- I'm so sorry, Josh. That you had to go through that after everything else from before."

"What's done is done. What fucking sucks, though, is that I thought I was getting better. Maybe I could actually get through college with semi decent grades and not become a drunk. Then it hit rock bottom. As you might already know, I tried to hang myself in my separate room and ended up breaking the ceiling fan. Abs found out and would've strangled me if my throats wasn't already fucked up from the rope.

Josh pulled into a spot and killed the engine. He turned to Tyler, a dull look on his face. It was almost lifeless, stagnant and idle and ready to give up. Just like how Tyler felt.

So they were actually going through with this. It want a dream. Josh was real, and he was going to do this with him. One last adventure.

They both exited the car and stood beside the newly restored Monte Carlos. Josh swung the keys and motioned for Tyler to follow.

"Don't be so shy, Stanford," Josh teased. "Don't worry about my sister. Abigail won't be out for a couple hours. We have time to plan, eat, and pretend life is back to normal."

Even if said life will be over in two months.