I'm Exactly Where You Like Me || B.B.U.

Chapter Fifteen

We were backstage at the concert. We had ten minutes until we had to go on stage. I was shaking and I guess Brendon could tell. He wraps his arms around my waist. "You're going to do great, Rye. I know you can do this." Brendon said. "I don't- I don't know Bren. I'm really scared." I say. "It's okay. Like I said before, Kenny will be there and Dallon will be there and Dan will be there and I will be there." Brendon said. "Brendon, who's Nicotine about?" I ask. Brendon stared at the ground. "It's- It's about Ryan. I wrote it after he left. I wrote it during Vices & Virtues. It didn't make it into the album because the feeling of it didn't match the rest of the songs. I added it to Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! because it fit with the other songs." Brendon said. I felt my face get tingly. I felt like I was going to throw up. I run to the bathroom and sit down in front of the toilet. Brendon runs after me and sits down behind me. I throw up. I finish and flush the toilet. "You okay?" Brendon asked. I nod my head. Brendon hands me a stick of gum. "It's time for tequila shots!" Kenny yelled. Brendon and I stand up. We take the shots and I put the gum in my mouth. "We walk to the stage. "Wait here. When I call your name walk out on stage." Brendon said to Dallon and I. Brendon, Kenny, and Dan walk on stage. "Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen!" Brendon said into the mic. The crowd roared with cheers and claps. "So I know this is a different way to start off a concert but I would like to introduce new members of the band. The first person I'm going to introduce is a returning member. He's here to stay. Everyone I would like for you to give a round of applause for Mr. Dallon Weekes!" Brendon said into his mic. Dallon walked out on stage and the crowd cheered. "I'm glad to be back." Dallon said into his mic. "We're glad to have you, man." Brendon said and hugged Dallon. The crowd awed. "Okay, so now the next person I want to introduce is very good at singing. She can come up with guitar riffs right off the top of her head. She's my girlfriend. I would like for you to give a round of applause for Rye Thompson!" Brendon said into his mic. I took a deep breath and walked on stage. The crowd was silent for a minute. I felt tears coming on. "They hate me." I thought to myself. The crowd cheered and I smiled. Brendon walks over to me and kisses me. The crowd roars. "I told that they'd like you." Brendon whispered. "Let's get this concert shall we?" Brendon said into his mic. Dallon, Dan, and Kenny started to play Ready To Go [Get Me Out Of My Mind].

You've got these little things
That you've been running from
You either love it or guess you don't
You're such a pretty thing
To be running from anyone
A vision with nowhere to goSo tell me right now
You think you're ready for it
I wanna know
Why you got me going
So let's go
We'll take it out of here
I think I'm ready to leave
I'm ready to live

"I'm ready to go." Brendon sang. Brendon, Kenny, Dan, and Dallon stared at me and waited for me to sing. I didn't do anything. I felt frozen. "Come on Rye." Brendon said to me. People from the crowd screamed, "You got this Rye!" Then everyone including Brendon, Dallon, Dan, and Kenny were chanting, "Rye, Rye, Rye...!" I put the mic up close to me. "Get me out of my mind, get me out of my mind!" I sang. "I'm ready to go Oh, oh, oh." Brendon and I sang together. We finished the song and started to sing Miss Jackson. Brendon and I sang. Brendon got on the drum stand and was getting ready to do a back flip. I stand beside him. "Are you sure you can do this?" Brendon asked. "You sure do doubt me a lot. I got this," I say. "Trust me." Brendon mouths a simple, "Okay". I grab his hand. I stare at him. We do the back flip together. "I love her anyway!" Brendon and I sang together. We finish the song and get to singing I Write Sins Not Tragedies. Brendon walks toward me and presses his forehead against mine. He was holding the mic close to us. "Oh, well imagine, as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor, and I can't help but to hear, no, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words." We sang together. Brendon runs to the other side of the stage. He points his mic towards the crowd and he begins to sing. He stares at me and smiles. I stare back at him. After the song, someone backstage brings out two gay flags. One was for me and the other was for Brendon. "You should have a colored heart. Put it up against your flashlight on your phone while we sing Girls/Girls/Boys." Brendon said. "We want to see that pride flag." I say. We sing Girls/Girls/Boys. We finish the concert and go back stage. "You're the shit, you know?" Dallon said. "Me? No." I say. "You really are. Brendon really likes you. I can tell that his decision to put you in the band was a good one. We're like Paramore but not." Dallon said. I laugh. We met a few fans but one fan in particular I remember. Her name was Jay. She walked up to me. "You did really good tonight." Jay said. "Thank you. I just have such bad anxiety that I thought I was going to die from shaking so much on stage." I laugh. "Can I take a picture with you? You are really an inspiration. You were a bad ass on stage." Jay said. "Sure, but how am I an inspiration?" I ask. "It takes real balls to get out there on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people and sing like that. I could never do that. I don't ever sing in front of anyone but my friends caught me one time and they said I had a really good voice. This was around the time of the talent show and they wanted me to do it but I couldn't. I'm absolute shit at singing in my opinion. You inspired me to give my voice a chance and sing in front of people." Jay said. "Can I hear you sing?" I ask. "Uh, I don't know." She said. "Come on, I believe in you." She said. She started to sing Say Amen (Saturday Night). She was really good. I smile at her and begin to sing with her. Then Brendon started to sing. Then Dallon and then Kenny and Dan. We stop singing. "That was amazing!" I say. "Thanks!" Jay replied. I took a picture with her and she left. We get in the Suburban and go back to the hotel. Brendon and I were laying on the bed. He rests his forehead up against mine. "See? I told you they'd like you." Brendon smiled. "What would I do without you?" I ask. "I don't even want to think about that. Just kiss me." Brendon said. I kissed him passionately. My mind had this one thought. "He's the love of my life. And I want to hold onto him forever."

Hey guys! The book is finally over! NooOOOOOooOOO! All good things must come to an end. I'm hoping to start a new story this summer. I love you all so much and I will see you in the next book! Bye for now!