Josh set his lunch tray down with a sigh. Ashley smiled at him, but Tyler didn't look up. They had a third person with them that day; a younger looking guy with purple hair that Josh recognised from Tyler's team. He studied Josh in confusion.

"New kid, right?" The purple-haired boy asked.

Josh nodded. "What's your name?"

"Awsten," the boy replied.

Josh narrowed his eyes. "Awsten Knight?"

Awsten hummed. "How'd you know?"

"I read an article about you," Josh said. "I, uh, read through a bit of the school newspaper when I heard I was moving here. You were mentioned."

"Oh, the basketball thing," Awsten chuckled. "Yeah, well, Tyler was the star of that." He turned to the mentioned and his expression grew serious. "Speaking of, how are you? Y'know... after yesterday."

Tyler flinched at his words. "I'm fine. It was nothing."

Awsten lowered his voice and Josh pretended he wasn't listening when he said, "You can talk to me. We're friends, man."

"It's really nothing," Tyler lied. "I promise."

Awsten nodded slowly, obviously unconvinced. He shifted slightly and pulled the sleeves of his pink sweater over his hands. Josh squinted his eyes, trying to see what was written there.

"You'd be paranoid too if everyone was out to get you," Josh read aloud. "Nice."

"Thanks," Awsten grinned. "Wrote it myself. Totally worth ruining the sweater."

"Ruining?" Josh scoffed. "Dude, the writing looks awesome. It suits the sweater in a weird kind o' way."

Awsten smiled. "Thanks, man."

Ashley leant over to Josh as if she was sharing a secret. "He never takes it off."

Awsten chuckled and playfully shoved her shoulder. "Says you. You've been wearing plaid since 2014."

"It's true, Awst," Tyler chimed in. "You just rotate between that sweater and your rainbow Guess shirt."

"And you just rotate between ridiculously oversized shirts," Awsten retorted. He craned his neck to read his friend's shirt. "'Led Zeppelin'? Ty, do you even listen to Led Zepp?"

Tyler gasped and held a hand to his chest. "Of course I do! They're my favourite classic rock band!"

"Is it because that guy you love likes them?" Josh chuckled.

"Dean Winchester has nothing to do with it," Tyler replied. "Man, you guys don't even know me. I love Led Zeppelin!"

"What's your favourite song?" Ashley grinned.

"It's a draw," Tyler said, "between Ramble On and Good Times, Bad Times."

Awsten scoffed. "Ramble On is Dean's favourite song! Are you kidding?"

Tyler rolled his eyes. "That is a complete coincidence."

Josh chuckled as he watched the trio continue to argue. Tyler was different around them. He was comfortable, his shoulders loose and his usual trembling turn to relaxed swaying. This was the normal Tyler. The true Tyler. Josh had only seen projectiles of fear-driven decisions, save for the occasional glimpse of a personality. That only slipped through when his favourite show was on, though. At school, surrounded by his friends, Josh could finally see Tyler.

The playful banter that was going on was also something that Josh wasn't used to. Russia, at least for him, definitely wasn't like that. Although he was treated like a mostly-normal teenager, people still feared insulting him. Rumours about his father followed him wherever he went- except for America. There, no one knew, and there was no fear as the friends playfully argued.

"Josh, what do you listen to?"

Josh looked up at Awsten, who had asked the question. "Don't really listen' to it," he replied.

That was a lie. Josh was obsessed with Kino, a huge Russian band that was big in the 80s. American music wasn't entirely popular in Russia, though, so he had little experience with it. He had heard some songs on the radio, of course; fast, bouncy songs that he didn't enjoy. He had also heard a few rock songs on Supernatural, which was why he knew about Led Zeppelin. He liked that, but he still didn't have enough knowledge of American music -or English-speaking music, for that matter- to form an opinion.

Awsten gasped. "You- you what? God, how could you not like music?"

Josh shrugged. "I just haven't listened to much of it."

Awsten shook his head. "Tyler, your cousin doesn't listen to music. He doesn't listen to music. Please, please help him. Actually, you know what? Josh, I'm making you a playlist. Prepare yourself, you mysterious stranger, for the mixtape of a lifetime; Awsten Knight's Fantabulous Playlist."