House Of Memories

10-Stall Me

"...Where's Brendon?"
Melanie asked, glancing at the lunch table that was only occupied by Ryan.

"He's not here." Ryan mumbled, picking at his food.
Patrick and melanie sat down across from him.

"You mean he's not at school today...?" Melanie asked, puzzled.

"No, melanie, I mean he's not here. With me. Not anymore. So, dont worry, you guys don't have to force yourselves to like him anymore."

"Oh thank god." Patrick said. Melanie elbowed his side.

"Patrick!" She scowled under her breath. She turned back to a blank faced Ryan.

"What did he do?"

"I-just, don't worry about it, okay?"

"No, I wanna know what this fucking cock muncher did to you this time so I have a reason to hang him by his spinal cord."

"Jesus melanie-" Patrick muttered.

"Look, it's really, it's okay...I guess, I guess pete beat him up in the bathroom yesterday and he sorta, i dont know... I went to talk to him and he explained to me that he never really actually cared about me and he never will and he was just using me to see if he liked dick and now thats its over he realizes he doesn't and he just wants me out of his life. But, you know,"
Ryan swallowed, shaking his head.
"It was...mutual."

Melanie looked down at her tray.
"Ryan, it wasn't. You know that. God, I warned you about this asshole! Here, have my pudding-"

"Yeah, and, and mine too-" Patrick joined, sliding his snack pack across the table. Ryan laughed.

"Haha, guys, i, thanks...it's, it's okay."
Ryan muttered, giving a small, sad smile.

"Alright. Good."

****

"Uh, hey! Sarah! Wait up!"

"I don't wanna talk to you Brendon."
Sarah said, not stopping to look back at Brendon as she strut past him.

"Sarah, please, just listen to me-"
Brendon grabbed her wrist and spun her around, backing her into a locker and moving his hand to beside her head.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing, really..."
Brendon's hand drifted down to hers, lacing their fingers together,
"Just a second chance."

"I thought you said you were gay."
She remarked, quirking a brow.

"No, I know, But-" Brendon chuckled, moving his thumb under Sarah's chin and leaning closer,
"That was a joke. Of course im not gay-"

"It wasn't fucking funny," Sarah spat, swatting his hand away from where it was interlocked with hers.

"Heyheyhey, babe..."
Brendon soothed, moving his hand down to Sarah's waist.
"Look, I'm sorry, I am, I just...I got a little nervous when I was with you, you know? You're just, so beautiful...I was scared I was gonna mess it up."

Sarah smiled,
"...really?"

Brendon laughed, moving his other hand down to her waist as well,
"Yes really! Look, okay, if I were gay, would i do this?"

And suddenly Brendon cupped her face and his lips were on hers.
He fucking hated it.

He hated taste of her lips.
They tasted like cherries and Brendon didn't like cherries.
He hated the smell of her perfume.
It smelt fake, artificial, poisonous.
He hated how cold her skin always was.
Ryan's skin was always warm.
Ryan's lips always tasted like lemonade.
Or orange soda.
Ryan's cologne smelled like wilderness.
He hated that she wasn't Ryan.
But, more than that, he hated that he felt that way.

Brendon gently pulled away, smiling at Sarah and letting his hands gently caress her cheeks, fingers gliding over her lips.

"I wanna go out with you. For real, this time. Not some dumb hook up." Brendon's lips were moving faster than his thoughts.

"You mean like...you wanna...be my boyfriend?" Sarah asked, batting her eyelashes and swaying ever so slightly.
She was putty in his hands.

"Uh-ha, yeah. Yeah I do."

Sarah blushed as Brendon took her hand, walking with her down the hall.

Back to square 1.

****

//Saturday//

It's been four days since Brendon and Sarah started dating.
Ryan didn't know what to think.
How was he supposed to react to this?
What was he supposed to do?
Was he supposed to just go back to the way things were?
Was Brendon going to catch him in the halls and pummel him again, like before?
Was Ryan doomed to return to late nights in bed with bruised cheeks and hot, uneven breaths?
He couldn't just let things reset.
He refused.
He couldn't just move on.

"Ryan you need to move on."

"Huh?"
Ryan spoke in a monotone voice, staring down at the selfie of him and Brendon on his phone.
They weren't actually together for long, only about a week,
But it was different.
Because Brendon and Ryan had been together for nearly ten years before that-
Not romantically, but friends.
And Ryan really liked to think there was always something there.

So when he was finally with Brendon,
Seeing him and feeling him and tasting him,
It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
It was unforgettable.

"You've been hung up on Brendon all week. I know it's been hard for you but you only dated for a few days and I'm tired of watching you get all mopey over him." Melanie said, adding the finishing touches to her purple and black nail design.
Patrick sat quietly on the other side of Ryan's bed, his nose shoved in a John Green book.

"What am i supposed to do, mel? I think I, I think I really loved him..." Ryan trailed off, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Oh nononono! Ryan! Don't cry!" Melanie exclaimed, rushing over to him and wiping tears away with her thumb, careful not to mess up her nail polish.

"I know what we need to do. We need to get you a date to the winter dance!"

"Wh-what?" Ryan sniffled.

"Melanie I don't think thats a very good idea.." Patrick added.

"Why not?! You get a super hot date for the dance, you get over Brendon and he gets super jealous!"

"And then he remembers how much he cares about me and breaks up with Sarah?!"

"What? No! No, we don't want Brendon back, Ryan."

Ryan tilts his head.
"Wh-why not?"

"Because he's an asshole." Patrick turns the page of his book.

"Exactly," Melanie adds, "because he's an asshole. I just wanna see the look on his face when you prove that you can get over him just as fast as he can get over you.
Besides...might be nice to get a legitimate boyfriend for a little while."

"Yeah...yeah! Okay!"

"Great!" Melanie clapped.

"But...where am I gonna find a guy?"

"Oh, don't worry. I've been waiting to set you up with my friend for weeks. His name is Josh, he's super cute."

"Oh... Do you-do you have a picture?"
Ryan asked, curious.

"Yeah, here. This is from his instagram. He's a drummer."

"Oh-oh my god." Ryan snatched Melanie's phone out of her hand, staring at the beautiful boy.

"Right. You think he'll work?"

Ryan gulped, nodding.
"Uh-huh."

(WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD okay im so
This story
HOOOO GEE BOY UR IN FOr a wiLD RIDE)