The Only Difference Between Love and Envy is Press Coverage

Cornering Baby

Ryan Ross was, in short, the most important person on this campus. If you didn't already know him, you wanted to know him. And if you did already know him, you were lucky he let you know him. Every guy on campus wanted to be him. Every girl on campus wanted to fuck him. Who was he kidding? The guys probably wanted to fuck him too. Ryan was like a god around the college. He couldn't remember the last time he'd even heard the word no. So obviously being stood up on Saturday was bothering the hell out of him.

Who the hell did Brendon Urie think he was? Nobody kept Ryan Ross waiting for so long without an explanation. What if Brendon didn't like him? What if he did want to battle with Ryan to become the most important man on campus? Whatever his reason was for not showing, Ryan was going to confront him. And soon.

He stepped out of his car and walked over to where his friends were waiting for him. They were all wearing green. Like this was some weird remake of mean girls. Ryan was wearing all black. Black T-shirt, black jeans, black boots, black head band. It looked like such a simple outfit, but it cost damn near a thousand dollars.

"Ryan Ross coming to school on time on a Monday morning?" Jon gasped theatrically.

"Fuck off, Jon."

"I'm shocked too." Andy shrugged.

Gee didn't speak. He was typing away at something on his phone. Probably tweeting about Ryan coming to class.

"Did you have a good weekend?" Pete asked.

"Yes."

"You didn't go to any of the parties." Gee pulled out his handheld mirror.

"I didn't see you all weekend." Pete shrugged.

"I texted and called you." Jon added.

"Are you alright, Ryan?" Andy asked, taking a step towards him.

"I'm fine." Ryan lifted the sunglasses that were hanging on the V-neck of his T-shirt and palced them over his darkened eyes.

He was anything but fine. He was worried sick. And not in the caring and considerate way. He was worried in the most selfish way possible because he was worried about himself and only himself. There was a chance his fame around campus could be taken from him. Was it really even fame? Fame was usually described as being known for some kind of achievement. Ryan couldn't remember the last time he'd achieved something positive.

No, he was more of the infamous type. Yeah, he was known for being the most attractive, wealthy and best dressed person on campus. But that was only the half of it. People knew Ryan as the party animal. The drinker. The guys with the best drugs in town. There was nothing positive about that. Brendon, on the other hand, probably accomplished a lot of shit. He would be famous. Now the question was which was better, Fame or Infamy?

Ryan would never admit how much being stood up one time bothered him. His entire weekend consisted of alcohol, pills, weed, cocaine and masturbation. Every time he closed his eyes he saw that cocky little bastard who stood him up. So he tried not to close his eyes. That could be why he looked so... Not well. Lack of sleep. Surplus of drugs.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Andy asked again.

"I'm fine. What time does class start?"

****

"Gerard!" The professor called out to him. "Do you know the answer?"

Gee looked up from his phone to stare at the teacher. He paused with his eyeliner pencil an inch away from his face. The confused expression he was wearing clearly giving away the fact that he had no idea what the teacher was talking about.