This Feeling is Not Love

Chapter 4

"Can I document your historic rise to fame?" Brendon asked, as they were all hanging out in the bar after Tyler and Josh's performance, squished around a tiny table together, constantly jostled by the people walking and dancing by. "I've been told I'm an excellent director. I'll do your story justice."

"Sure thing," Josh said, throwing an arm around Brendon's shoulder, and pulling him closer, causing Brendon to stumble. "Shit, sorry," Josh apologized. "I totally forgot about the balance thing."

"I'm too drunk to read lips right now," Brendon said. He tipped his head backward, resting it on Spencer's shoulders, even though Josh's arm was still around his shoulder, and stared up at his soulmate with wide brown eyes. Spencer laughed at him, steadying his stumbling soulmate with one hand while signing with the other.

"Sweet," Brendon said flopping his head forward to stare in Josh's direction. "Thanks dude," he said, and kissed Josh on the check, something Brendon liked to do with all of his close friends. Andy may be warming up to these people, but he was never going to let that happen.

"Guess what, guess what, guess what, guess what?" Halsey squealed as she tore through the crowd towards their table, Dan hot on her heels. "Oh my God you guys are never going to guess what just happened. I can't even ... Oh my God ... This is so exciting," she added, vibrating with excitement. She latched onto the arm of Josh that wasn't around Brendon still with a two-handed white knuckled grip.

"Like oh my God, what?" Josh teased her, watching in amusement as she tugged on his arm like a little kid in a candy store.

"I just talked to the Shred Rogers on the phone," Halsey said.

"The Shred Rogers," Tyler said, his eyes wide. "As in the lead singer of the Shred and the Dirty Ds? Arguably one of the biggest punk rock bands of the last 10 years who's music helped launch the alternative movement, and changed the course of music and history forever."

"Uh, yeah," Halsey said, raising her eyebrow at Tyler and glancing at Josh with a wry smile. "Apparently one of his 'close personal friends' was here at the bar tonight, and I may have lied and told the guy I was your manager, but that's beside the point. They want ... this is so exciting," she said, bouncing up and down on her feet.

"Well, spit it out," Pete teased her as both Josh and Tyler leaned in closer to her.

"They want you to open for them!" she said, and emitted a high pitched squeal. "It would be just one concert, here in LA in May. But you'd be the first opening act for Shred and the Dirty Ds. You can't so no. Please don't say no."

Both Tyler and Josh were shocked into complete silence. Tyler looked like someone completely froze every single muscle in his body, while Josh gaped like a fish out of water.

"I, I, I don't know," Tyler finally said, shaking his head.

Josh released Brendon to grab Tyler's hand, lacing their fingers together. "It's okay," he said. "You can do it. I believe in you. You'll be amazing."

Tyler melted like an ice cube under the hot desert sun. "Okay."

"Of course we'll do it," Josh told Halsey, bumping his shoulder against Tyler's.

Halsey squealed in delight. "Okay, good, because I already told Shred you would. Oh my god," she said, grabbing the lapels of Dan's shirt and tugging him so they were face to face. "I just spoke with Shred Rogers on the phone! And I totally kept my calm the entire time!"

"That you did," Dan said, patting her head with an amused smile.

She tore away from Dan, and launched herself at Tyler and Josh, hugging them both around the waist. "There are a lot of details to work out still, but we can work all that out later, and I am totally going to manage everything no arguing. Right now, it's time to celebrate," she said, grabbing a shot off the table and throwing it back.