Visiting the local mall with his friends—Ash, Kieran, and Liam—was a common occurrence for Josh, usually going out to grab some food and browse for some new clothes. The stares from strangers became a little more bearable with company. Usually he’d just hide away in his room whenever he was alone.

Sipping from his blue raspberry slushie, Josh and his friends made their way over to Hot Topic to look for band tees and new accessories. However, there was a group of people standing near the entrance. A group of four girls to be exact.

Spotting alternative girls in this part of Columbus, Ohio, was as rare as finding a unicorn among a herd of horses, let alone a whole group of them.

With a playful ‘psst’, Ash caught everyone’s attention and subtly gestured toward the girls with a head nod.

“Hey, check this out,” he whispered, prompting Josh, Liam, and Kieran to turn their heads in unison. Kieran couldn’t help but smirk.

“Josh should totally go say hi,” he teased, giving Josh a playful shove. Josh responded with a light swat on Kieran’s arm, his face turning a deep shade of red from embarrassment.

“Come on, man, cut it out.”