For The First Time

„Hey Bren."

Josh climbed up the stairs into the tour bus and closed the door behind him.

„Can I come in??"

„Aren't you already inside??" Brendon answered and offered him a seat next to himself on the couch. Josh sat down, the closeness to Brendon making him nervous.

„So what circumstances do I owe the pleasure of your visit??"

„Uhm, Pete and the others have a little party and I thought you'd like to know."

„Are you going to be there??"

"No," Josh answered and turned his snapback, so that it was facing back now, "I don't really feel like partying and was on my way to our bus."

He screwed up his face. The bus of his band was not nearly as comfortable as Panic's.

"I may also stay here, would you like to keep me some company??" Brendon offered.

The relief was visibly on Josh's face.

"I'd love to."

Brendon gave him one of his knee weakening smiles and then continued to focus on what laid on the table in front of him.

"What's that??" Josh asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Do you mind weed??"

Josh's pulse suddenly seemed twice as fast as normal.

"Uhm, I don't know. I mean is it legal here??"

They were in Colorado right now and Josh doubted that smoking weed was allowed here. To his concern Brendon also just shrugged and continued to work on what would probably turn out as a joint.

"Did you ever smoke weed??"

Josh shook his head. After a short break Brendon turned his face to him and said: "Do you want to?"

And something in his eyes made Josh nod, although every inch of his brain screamed no with the voice of his mother, but Josh pushed that voice somewhere into the back of his head and instead watched Brendon, who now continued whatever he was exactly doing. Josh was super nervous and Brendon must have felt it, because he stopped his motions and said: "We don't have to, if you don't feel comfortable."

"No, it's fine."

He did not want to seem like a coward in front of Brendon.

"Really," he added as Brendon raised an eyebrow at him. Still not seemed to be fully convinced, Brendon took out a little chewing gum box.

"Sure?"

"As long as you're taking care of me, of course."

"I will, I promise."

With that said Brendon opened the little blue box and revealed its content to Josh. It looked like a few clumps of dry leaves, which absorbed a really strong smell.

"You keep your weed in a chewing gum box??"

Brendon just shrugged.

"This way it doesn't attract any attention."

He gave Josh a vicious smile, who shyly returned it.

"What's this??"

"This," Brendon said and held up the little metal box, that he put the weed in now, "is a grinder. It's for shredding the weed into tiny bits, so you don't have to cut it by hand for ages. By the way, do you mind some tobacco in it? I just prefer it that way, a blunt is a bit too heavy in my opinion."