house of memories; adopted by brendon urie

paris

it's strange - louis the child

Maya shoves a pencil into her bun, taking off her glasses before stepping out of her room to meet Amelia as the pair walk downstairs "How's the art?" She mutters, looking at her phone. Maya shrugs "Okay, I might call Gerard later if he's free." Brendon hands them a box of pizza as they enter the kitchen "How's studying kiddos?" He asks as the four sit down. Maya takes a bite of her pizza, lying down with her head in Sarah's lap "Boring." Amelia nods, leaning on Brendon "Boring." The two adults laugh "You've been up there for hours, you need to take a break." Maya sighs "I've gotta finish this drawing." Brendon raises his eyebrows "Gerard flew home last week, he's probably cool to help you." Maya shrugs "I might text and see if I can go over to their studio. Lindsey could help too." Sarah nods "Okay, but you two are taking a break tonight. We're watching a movie." Sarah opens netflix, scrolling through movies. Maya squeaks "Paddington! It's the movie we watched on my first flight to a show." She smiles and Sarah grins, remembering "That was a good flight. And the shows were so good." Brendon smiles "That was almost four years ago now, damn." Maya and Amelia sigh "Weird." Since the forum concert three years had passed, the band was doing better than ever and Maya and Amelia are about to graduate. Sarah and Brendon can't believe how much their girls have grown up.    

"Where's my favorite human tornado?" Maya jokes, stepping into the Way's house. Bandit calls Maya from the sofa "Hey Maya!" she smiles and hugs the older girl. Maya hugs her back before standing again "Any idea where your mom and dad are?" She asks, picking her bag up. Bandit nods toward the back of the house "Mom's in her studio, I don't know where dad is. He might be in his office." She shrugs, turning back to the video game she's playing. Maya nods, walking up the hallway. She surprises Lindsey with a hug, and the woman laughs "Maya, you've gotta stop doing that." she smiles "I'm getting too old for you to sneak around." Maya rolls her eyes, kissing Lindsey's cheek as she hugs her again "You're not even that old." Maya places her bag on the floor, pulling her art folder out "I was wondering if you and G could help me out on my final assessment, it's a prac piece, and I'm struggling." She hands Lindsey the folder and the woman nods, glancing over the work "I can tell why," she begins, sitting on the table and motioning for Maya to do so too "This is so not you. You've got a rubric, right?" Maya nods "Does it specify a medium to work with?" She shakes her head "But paper's what everyone else it doing, and-" Lindsey places the paper down "Maya when have you ever cared about what everyone else is doing? You've gotta do you, c'mon, Gerard might have something we can start on." 

Maya follows her upstairs, knocking on Gerard's office door before walking in. Gerard turns around in his chair before he stands, hugging Maya who smiles "Hey, long time no see!" She grins before pulling away "You've been busy, not me." He jokes before turning to Lindsey "What's up?" Lindsey hands him Maya's folder and begins explaining "They don't have a specific medium to work with, but everyone else is doing paper." Gerard rolls his eyes "If everyone's doing paper then you find the furthest thing from paper space girl." Maya looks sheepishly at her feet. Gerard hands her the folder again, walking behind a bookshelf that divides the room "I've had this lying around for a while, Mikes was meant to come pick it up a few years ago and then we both forgot about it and he left it here. He's cool if you take it." He walks back out, carrying a pink bass guitar. Lindsey smiles, nudging Maya "Told you so." Maya smiles "Okay, I'll admit. That looks much more exciting." Gerard nods "Damn right it's more exciting." Maya giggles as the three return to Lindsey's studio and Gerard rests the bass on a table "Okay, we can strip it back and repaint it, or go over the pink." Maya glances at the guitar before turning around, rummaging through the pots of brushes and pencils, pulling out a sharpie and a whiteboard marker. Gerard raises his eyebrows as she begins tracing and drawing things on the pink with the black whiteboard marker. She finishes one outline, stepping back to show the two adults who nod approvingly "Much more you." Gerard hugs her, before returning to his office. Lindsey smiles and Maya hands her another whiteboard marker "Start on the headstock for me?" She grins, continuing to trace patterns into the body of the guitar.

Before they realise it's almost nine pm. Bandit opens the studio door "Dad's got dinner ready." Maya glances at her phone, pushing her glasses onto her head and rubbing her eyes tiredly "I should probably get home," she begins, before Lindsey shakes her head "Brendon and Sarah won't want you driving home this late, and neither do we. You can stay over, it's okay." Maya frowns "Are you sure? I've already taken up most of your day-" Lindsey only laughs, grabbing her arm and leading her back through the house to the kitchen "It's fine Maya, you're always welcome." Maya smiles, hugging Lindsey before walking into the kitchen to help Gerard serve. 

Maya wakes up early to help make breakfast, and clean up the bass in Lindsey's studio. Gerard wraps it in bubblewrap for her, and takes it out to her car as she eats breakfast with Bandit "Do you want me to drive Bandit?" Lindsey glances up from across the table "B? Do you wanna go in with Maya?" Bandit looks up from the book she's been reading for the past day, and shrugs "If it's cool with you." Maya nods, smiling "Cool beans." Lindsey shakes her head and laughs. Bandit and Maya say their goodbyes, Gerard telling Bandit he'll pick her up after school, before telling Maya to text them how she goes with the guitar. Maya thanks them again before the two girls leave. Maya flicks her indicator on as they stop at a red light, turning to Bandit briefly "So how's school B?" Bandit groans "Still gross. The teachers suck ass." Maya laughs "Yeah, that doesn't get any better kid." Bandit passes Maya her phone when it begins ringing, and Maya puts it on speaker before handing it to Bandit to hold as she drives "Hello?" She glares as a car cuts her off, before the other person replies "Maya? You driving?" She grins "Yeah Noah, you're on speaker I'm driving Bandit to school." Noah laughs "So you stayed over with the art final?" She nods, biting her lip as the car turns a corner "Yeah, Gerard gave me one of Mikey's old basses to use. It's so much better than paper." She sighs, Noah nods, leaning against his locker "Tell me miss way, how d'ya think the guitar looks?" Bandit giggles "It's sick, Maya's drawing on it with a sharpie, and it's uncle mikey's old pink bass. It looks awesome." Noah laughs again "Well I think that's the only seal of approval you need Maya." Maya rolls her eyes "I wish." she mumbles "Okay, drive safe, I'll see you at school." Maya nods "Yeah I'll be about fifteen, there's a little traffic. Is Mel there yet?" Noah glances around "Don't think so, but have a good day at school Bandit!" Bandit smiles "Bye Noah!" Maya shakes her head, smiling "Okay, bye Noah." she hangs up, pulling up at McDonalds drive-through. Bandit stares at her, wide-eyed "Don't tell your mom and dad." Maya laughs, ordering a coffee and Bandit a chocolate shake.

They pull up at Bandit's school, and Maya hugs Bandit, who's still drinking her shake, smiling "Thanks Maya! Good luck for your art." She hugs her a final time before walking into the school. Maya nods, waving as Bandit runs to her friends. She parks her car outside her own school building, where Noah's waiting outside, Piper talking to him. Maya smiles, carrying the bubble-wrapped along with her actual bass as she kisses Noah's cheek, saying hi to Piper before going to her locker. Amelia's standing in-front of her own open locker, next to Maya's when she arrives "So, what'd you do? How'd it go?" Amelia springs the questions on her as soon as she sees her sister, who laughs, rolling her eyes "It was great, G gave me one of Mikey's old basses to use. Lindsey helped me with some of the patterns, Maya pulls away a bit of the bubblewrap to show Amelia, who nods approvingly "Nice. You're gonna do great." Maya sighs, taking a sip of her coffee "I hope so." Amelia raises her eyebrow at the takeaway cup in her hand "Is that McDonalds coffee?" Maya nods, raising her eyebrow in return as Amelia sulks away "Damn, here I was thinking you actually had tastebuds." Maya rolls her eyes "Any coffee's coffee when you need caffeine. Dad's turned you into a coffee snob." she mutters, closing her locker door and grabbing Noah's hand as he walks up to her, the pair walking to their music class.

a/n: i'm so excited for this book, i hope you guys like it to ! please leave any ideas you have in the comments :)

grace x