Church Boys † Brendon Urie

23✝ One Last Kiss for the Far too Young to Die

There we stood, jaws hanging open as we watched the house of the Lord go up in smoke. The smell of singed memories and teenage revelry filled my nose as we stared up at the building in a state of pure shock. Flames spit into the evening sky as the sacred structure began to fall apart, and all we could do was stand and watch.

"What do we do?" I cry, looking to the group for an answer. I was expecting an immediate response, but as I turned to look at them, I was met only with blank faces paralyzed in shock.

"C-Call the... call..." Dallon stutters, eyes transfixed on the incandescent flames flying in the air.

Nodding in response, I grab the phone from my back pocket in a haste, trying to steady my shaking hands. It had been no more than a few days since I had last called this number, and my fingers hesitated slightly, hovering over the numberpad before punching in the familiar digits: 9-1-1.

"Nine-one-one, What is your emergency?"

"Th-there's a fire," I say absently, staring up at the smoke that poured from the windows,

"What is the address?"

"Um, it's at Friends and Family Church on..." I paused, realizing that I didn't even know the address. I began racking my brain, my eyes searching everything around me as if the answer was inscripted on the concrete parking lot.

"Uh... it's um-"

I look up as something inches its way into my peripheral, and see a hand extended towards me,

"Here, hand me the phone," Brendon says quietly, his attention finally averted from the fire. I place my phone in his palm, and watch as he brings it to his ear.

"Yes, it's five three oh nine North Crimson Avenue..." he speaks into the receiver, turning away from me as he notices my unconscious gaze. I stare at his back as he aimlessly takes a few steps away from the group. Listening for a second, he turns back around. His eyes scan down my body before he steps farther away from the group and examines them all up and down, 

"No, no I don't think anyone's injured..." He listens again, "Yes, everyone is out of the Chur-" He stops in the middle of his sentence, turning hastily to face the burning building behind him, "Holy shit! No, oh my god, no!" Brendon shouts in alarm and anguish as my phone falls from his hand and drops with a sharp crack onto the pavement,

"Brendon, what are you-" Dallon calls behind him,

"My dad! My dad's in there, I- I have to-" He immediately begins sprinting towards the building, faster than I've ever seen anyone run in my life.

"Brendon, no!" I scream, running after him in an attempt to catch up. I reach my arm out as far as I can, struggling to grab his, but finally I get a hold, pulling with all my might to keep him from moving any further toward the flaming Church.

"Vanessa! What are you doing?" he asks in incredulity, his eyebrows knitting together, "Stop, let go of me." His voice is firm as he shakes away the grip I had on him. As he looks down, his eyes finding mine, I noticed immediately the distance he was facing mentally, and I was aware that what I was about to say would more than likely have no affect on him.

"You can't go in there, Brendon. It's- there's fire, it's burning. It's not safe, you can't-"

Suddenly he grabs my face, pushing his lips against mine to quiet me down. Sparks rush throughout my cheeks and down my neck, his kiss something that I hadn't realized that I'd so badly missed. Pulling away, he stops to look me in the eyes before grabbing me in a second's long embrace.

"I'll be okay, in and out in no time, just please... stay here." And with that, he turned away, disappearing into the building. I'm left there, frozen in shock.