Just for a Little While

Chapter One

I lay on my bed, earbuds in and staring at the ceiling. I was supposed to be working on job applications- now that my time with House of Heroes was ending, I needed to find a new second job- but that just wasn't gonna happen right then. Instead, I was thinking about new songs, new drum patterns, and how badly I needed to find a band-mate or two. Yup, that's me- the master procrastinator.

Suddenly, my earbuds were jerked from my ears by a five-foot-nine puppy dog with serious substance abuse problems. Yeah, I'm talking about Brendon Urie. God, that boy was a train wreck. Have you ever watched someone drop a plate loaded with food, seen it just before it happened, had a warning ready, and then been powerless to do anything? Yeah, that's what hanging with Brendon was like. He was a hurricane that absorbed everything in his path, and I knew that all he was gonna do was self destruct.

"Joooooooooooosh," he said, grinning at me. Yuck. I could smell the alcohol on him already. "Come ooo-oo-on! I wanna go. Pete and Patrick have already left!"

Well, at least he wasn't drunk yet. Part of me wondered how much more alcohol his poor liver could take.
The rest of me said that that's why they all call me Mamma Dun. Always worrying.

"Remind me where we're going again?" I asked, standing up and yawning. Brendon frowned at me- apparently my boxer shorts and tank top weren't good enough for him. I was used to Brendon barging into my room and demanding I accompany him to some party or rave or whatever. I normally went: sometimes to have fun, but most of the time to keep an eye on him. Despite the fact that he was total trainwreck and a tool about half the time, I loved the kid like a brother.

"Josh, how could you forget?" he demanded. "Ryan's uncle's cousin's best friend's daughter's fiance is having his birthday party tonight, and we have to go! Ryan promised he'd be there, and so did I."

"I don't see what that has to do with me," I muttered, but I started getting dressed anyways. Brendon plopped a kiss on my cheek, lingering a bit too long.

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

Maybe I should recant the above statement- he was most certainly a little drunk already.

Brendon and I had an interesting relationship- though I was seen as the mom of our friend group, and I was constantly running around after Brendon to keep him from doing something stupid, he was like an older brother to me. Well, except for when he was in the early half of a drinking binge- then he was more like a new puppy. I had learned to keep him away from dangerous things like wires, poisonous plants, and chocolate when he was like that.

I slid into black skinny jeans, a loose white tanktop with slits down the sides, and red vans. Simple enough to allow me to just blend into the background and act as Brendon's bouncer and bodyguard. Then, when he was too drunk, high, or tripping out on some drug cocktail, I'd be able to just lug his sorry ass home.

We left the apartment, and I was grateful to discover that Pete and Patrick had left us the car that the four of us shared. They knew how Brendon got at parties, and it was kind of them to leave me a way to get him home. I'd have to thank them later.

Brendon seemed to be under the impression that he was driving, to which I simply frowned at him. He sighed. We'd had this fight often enough that he knew he wasn't gonna win. He handed me the keys and slid into the passenger seat, while I took drivers.

"So why, exactly, did Ryan promise to be at this person's birthday party, again? Aren't those usually just for... you know, friends?" I asked as we began to drive. Brendon had given me an address for a house in a rather swanky part of town, which didn't surprise me. Ryan's uncle was loaded.

"Well," Brendon said with a smirk, "This guy loves to party. And so it's kind of more... open invitation. I dunno, Ryan just said be there. He said that he's known this guy for forever, and it would be rude not to turn up. Social obligation, you know."

Uh-huh. It was more likely Ryan just wanted to get wasted. However, Brendon happened to be madly in love with Ryan, so I wasn't going to say that. "Oh. And how are you and Ryan doing?"

Brendon grinned. "Great. God, Josh, Ryan's amazing. And not just in bed, either."

"Gross!" I protested. "Save the details of your sex life, Brendon."

He laughed, taking another big swig from a flask he had brought along. "Oh, right. I forgot you were a prude. Sorry, mom."

I shot a glare at him. "Hey! Am not. I just don't wanna here about how big Ryan is for the millionth time. It gets old after a while."

"Whatever. We should start calling you the Virgin Mary." Brendon punched me as I parked in front of the massive mansion that the party was at, the house already full of people. He practically exploded out of the car before it was even off, and I sighed.

Hurricane Brendon, at it again. Oh well. I had better go follow, so I could pick up whatever pieces he left behind as he fell.