But Who Would You Live For?

This Time It's Alright

Josh:

This was possibly the best night of my life. And according to Brendon, it was only going to get better. I was standing in the center of the dance floor of the club Fall Out Boy rented for their after party. A flurry of celebrities and just normal gorgeous people danced and laughed around us. Tyler and I weren't as social. We thanked the people but stayed to ourselves.

Hayley was here someone. She'd been standing in front of me a second ago. Hugging me and telling me how good we did. How she would try to come to as many shows as possible. I smiled at that. Hayley Williams was one of the first big names to be nice to us when we started making music. Making her proud made me proud.

"You kicked ass!" Pete was like a Tasmanian devil tonight. He was spinning everywhere around the room at once. Greeting people. Telling jokes. Doing that one awkward dance move he couldn't seem to stop doing. It was great. "Didn't they kick ass?"

"Fuck yeah, they kicked ass!" Brendon popped up on the other side of us. He somehow had more energy than Pete did.

"Thanks, guys." Tyler beamed at the praise from our friends. Pete Wentz and Brendon Urie were our friend. "I was nervous. Could you tell I was nervous?"

"Hell no." He visibly relaxed at Brendon's exclamation. "You were amazing. The voice of an angel. Take this." He pushed a cup into Tyler's hands. "And this." My cup was handed to me by Pete.

"A toast! To the beginning of a beautiful tour!" Pete held his cup high. Well, as high as he could.

"To a beautiful tour." Tyler and I spoke simultaneously. Holding our cups to his level.

"Yeah, tour shit." Brendon moved his own cup too quickly. Some of the dark liquid spilled onto his hands.

Pete made a show of finishing the drink. Brendon threw his back joyfully. The most of it missing his mouth entirely but he didn't seem to mind. I couldn't help but wonder how many similar cups had floated through his hands in the small amount of time since the party started. Tyler, of course lowered his cup, not bothering to indulge. I was tempted to do the same thing by nature. But something stopped me.

This was the best night of my life. I'd just had he best and biggest performance of my life. With better and bigger ones to soon come. I was in a room full of famous people. Surrounded by guys with whom I'd gone from being a fan to friend. It dramatically felt like the start of the rest of my life. The moment I dreamed of since I was a kid. The moment Tyler and I wished for years ago and everyday since. What better time than now to try it?

Tyler watched, slack jawed, as I pressed the rim of the cup to my lips. Parting them just enough for the sip.

I held back my grimace. It was awful. The worst tasting thing I'd ever put in my mouth. My tastebuds tingled in a vain attempt to fight off the bitter flavor. As the drink slipped past my tongue and down my throat, I regretted it even more. The cold liquid somehow managed to heat the inside of my throat. So that was alcohol?

"Wow."

"My man!" Brendon cheered. Tipping the cup further. Sending a larger amount into my mouth. My immediate thought was to spit it out. I didn't need a repeat of that experience so soon. But I didn't. I let it slid over my tongue again. This time, my tastebuds were prepared. My throats still warmed but it didn't quite burn. The third sip was my own and the liquid's journey was even easier. Maybe it was like playing the drums. The more you did it, the more natural it became.

"Is that William Beckett?" Pete pointed somewhere over my head.

"Son of a bitch. It is!" Brendon made a mad dash in the direction Pete was pointing.