Man Up (A Brendon Urie/Brallon Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

My heavy heart to hold me down.

Patrick's PoV

He dithers for a long time. I stare at him, trying to work out what he's going to tell me. He likes Brendon, that's nothing new. It can't be that. So... what else is there?

"I better just say it outright." He starts, bringing my attention back to him. I watch, deciding not to rush him as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Audrey and Brendon... uh... well, she's not good for him."

"Dallon..." I try weakly.

"No, no, not like that. I like Brendon, yes, but earlier I heard them in the dressing room, and she... oh my God..."

He tells me everything in a wild rush. Everything. The hitting, the burns, the emotional breakdown. I feel my eyes fill up with tears when I think about Brendon back the bar. This must have been going on for months, his suffering going ignored for so long. Why didn't any of us notice? It's so obvious now. I start to panic, watching Dallon pace and cry.

"W-What do we do? We can't leave him with her now we know." I say, my voice cracking. Dallon stops in his tracks and turns to glance at me, fear filled eyes so apparent in the dimly lit alleyway.

"How do we tell people?" He whimpers.

"Tell people what?"

We both jump. I whip round to see Brendon in the doorway, leaning against the fire escape. Audrey's on his arm. She waves delicately at us.

"N-Nothing." Dallon tries. I straighten up. He has the opportunity to end his best friends suffering right here and he's ignoring it completely. I look at them both quickly, my eyes flickering from him to her. I see the fear in his eyes. I see the lies in both smiles. I see her grip, too tight on his arm. I decide to attempt the trick Dallon did inside and pull ten dollars out of my pocket.

"Audrey, could you go grab another round?" I ask, offering the money.

"Do I look like a waitress?" She retorts, batting her eyelashes at me. I chuckle weakly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"No, it's just that I need a bit of fresh air." I try.

"And what? We drink them in the fire escape?" She says with a playful laugh.

"C'mon Audrey, I'm thirsty." I wine. She sighs, and takes the note from my hand, before pocketing it and laughing again. As she takes it from me, I study her hands. At the blood she just didn't quite get rid of from under her long fingernails.

"Alright, come on then Bren," she says, and begins to turn back around to go back into the bar. I grit my teeth.

"Y-You don't both need to go, do you?" I try wearily. Brendon gives me a knowing look, Audrey laughs again.

"Four drinks, two people. It's basic maths, hun."

This is the most infuriating conversation I've ever had. I grit my teeth, feeling my hands clench into fists.

"Give it up Audrey." Dallon, who hasn't spoken in a while, snaps, squaring up to her. He's much taller than her, even when she's in heels.

"We know everything. And we're going to the police, unless you leave him alone and never come back." He growls. Her face flickers over with fear.

"What do you mean?" She asks nervously.

"I mean this."

What I do next is dreadful, I know, but I have to do it. I grab hold of Brendon and yank up his right sleeve, exposing his wrist to the three of us. He pulls it out my grip but we all saw.

"How could you?" I hiss at Audrey.

"Y-You don't understand. He's rude to me, he deserves it. He makes me feel awful about myself." Audrey stutters, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"No, he doesn't. Brendon wouldn't do that." Dallon growls. "You're an abuser. I heard you earlier, in the dressing room."

Audrey stops pretending to cry and stares coldly at him.

"You heard nothing."

"Oh yeah? So if I took off Brendon's shirt right now he'd have completely undamaged skin?" He hisses, taking a step closer to her.

"You. Heard. Nothing." She growls. Suddenly, she slips her cardigan off and shoves it in Brendon's hands. I step back, confused, as she messes up her hair and make up, before ripping her shirt slightly.

"What are you—" Dallon is cut off when Audrey bursts into tears and charges back into the bar.

"HELP!" She screams at the top of her lungs. We stand in the fire exit and watch her. My stomach twists up in fear.

"What's wrong Audrey?" I hear Zack ask.

"Brendon, Dallon and Patrick... they... they..."

Oh, she's a brilliant actress. Everyone looks to us and the place goes silent. Someone even turns the music off.

"They raped me!" She screams, pointing at us. There's a collective gasp and I start to cry.

Oh God. What have we done?