Going Back to Sin City

Shoot Me Already, I'm NOT Worth It

Mrs. Urie had enough of Brendon's anti-social behavior, it was like he was trying to spite her. She hated seeing him sit on that damn step, she hated seeing him on the couch doing nothing. She couldn't yell at him because it wasn't like he wasn't doing his chores. He was doing his chores like it was the only thing he cared about. She had never seen a clean place but still couldn't stand it. She gave Brendon strict instructions, no sitting on the steps and no coming inside. Brendon didn't know what to do, he couldn't hang with the neighbor kids, they probably thought of him as the bastard that made their dear friend move away. He stood in the driveway for a bit trying to think of where to run. It was a cool Saturday morning, so it made more sense for him to wear the purple jacket than the other days. He could feel his mother's eyes on the back of his neck watching from the window. "Why did she force me out here, I hate it here." He muttered walking closer to the road. That's when a beat-up dark green car drove up to him. There were the three kids he made the worst first impression with.

Ryan rolled his window down. "Hey, you play laser tag?" Brendon wondered if this was God showing him a sign. It was too convenient, but then he remembered he had no interest in being friends with these kids. They all looked at him waiting for an answer. Brent seemed annoyed while Spencer just sat there staring. They all had a staring problem, did their mothers not teach them anything? Looking at their haircuts most likely not. He had been staring there for about three seconds before he responded. He looked up at the window his mother was watching him. "Yeah." He was slightly pissed, this was his mom's fault, this was his dad's fault, this was that stupid sales job's fault. He was making friends, and why the fuck was he doing that for! He didn't want roots. "Get in then" Ryan rolled his window back up and the door opened for him just like that. Brendon looked back up at that window and sat his ass right down in that car. He was sitting down in the back seat with the Spencer kid. Brent didn't seem too happy he was here. Good that they were on the same page. The two in the front seat were whispering at each other before Ryan finally said: "Brent, You and Spencer would team up on me during tag and then I would get taken out instantly. At least with four people, it's two against two." Brendon was just a placeholder pick

Something to fill the gap, but they could have asked any other fucking teenage boy. Why did they choose him? That's all that rang through Brendon's mind. "I would rather play with Patrick." Brent groaned and then looked out the window ending the conversation. "Ouch, that stings." Brendon chuckled a little, but then stopped and cowered back into his shell when the air got too quiet. "Don't listen to him, he's just grumpy I didn't let him drive MY car." Ryan was trying to save the air. Man this was rough, they all missed Patrick, but Patrick didn't even make any effort to send a damn letter, or even call them every once in and while. He had been gone for four weeks now. No contact, they were anxious and were trying to find a distraction. Thank God that he sent them the most pathetic teenage boy. The car ride was quiet, mostly because Brent decided to ruin the mood.

Brent had become an issue in the past couple of months, even before Patrick's departure. One more wrong move and Brent was no longer a part of the team. Spencer was the only one keeping this from happening. Spencer thought that Brent couldn't do that much harm. They made it to the Lazer tag place, but then realized Brendon didn't have any money on him to play. "Sorry guys, you'll have to find someone else."

"I'll pay for you." Ryan wasn't having that, he didn't drive for twenty minutes just for the rando to not have money. "Just play with us." Ryan had desperation in his voice. Patrick leaving wasn't as bad in the first week, but when it hit the second week, Brent and him were clashing, and Spencer and him were clashing. They needed a fourth-person bad, something to level it out. Brendon just stood there awkwardly, he used to be so outgoing, what happened? You couldn't get him to shut up most days. Now he just stood there and waited for them to give him the okay to speak. Maybe he did want these kids to like him, maybe he did want new roots.

No, he didn't, he didn't want to be replanted, that was the last thing he wanted. "Ok." He finally muttered something while they went inside. Ryan paid for his ticket, great, now he's in debt to the man. The place was practically dead, which made no sense it was Vegas, it was just four teenage boys with light-up vests. They all knew the game's rules, and the guy running the place seemed not to care about them being there. It wasn't a real arena, just a big room with some structures for hiding. They weren't trying to play, Brendon got zapped out immediately by Brent. Cementing to Brendon that Brent didn't like him very much. That's fine, Brendon didn't like Brendon very much. He could live with it, on the other hand, Spencer and Ryan were too busy trying to zap each other. Both getting zapped by Brent. "This place is usually more fun when other people are here." Spencer put his gun down. Brent was the winner, meaning Brendon could go now. He played the game, he can go back to sulking on the front steps. Unfortunately for our boy, he committed to the team without knowing it. "We can go get some food, come on."Ryan stood up and yanked on Brendon a little. He left the play area, they were only in there for at least twenty minutes. It seemed like the usual for them. Soon the usual for him. He had become the replacement, his friends in Hawaii had most likely replaced him by now. God, how he wished to call Bill up, but the long-distance call would cost an arm and a leg. He was about to go get food with the kids he didn't even want to be around. His mom would be so happy about that, maybe it was worth it with her? Well, she didn't think his desk was worth it. It is not worth it. He's not worth it, she's not worth it, his desk wasn't worth it, so nothing is worth it,

Brendon would like an iced tea with a side of "Shoot me already", thank you.