Hold A Lover Close (Ryden)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Ryan POV

"Ryan! Look out!" yells a voice just as a dodgeball hits me dead on in the face. I fall backwards from the impact on my ass and laughter erupts throughout the gym. I blush bright crimson and try to hide behind my long brown bangs.

"Dude, are you alright?" Spencer asks offering me his hand. I take it and he helps me up. I don't answer. I don't have to. Spencer knows me well enough to know when I'm alright and when I'm not. Spencer Smith and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. We did everything together. We even started a band together.

"Ross, you alright?" Mr, Dablow, the gym teacher, yells over to me. Spencer gives him a thumbs up since I refuse to talk to anyone.

"Alright. Well sorry but you're out."

"Here hold on." Spencer says. He walks to the half court line where a dorky freshman is waiting to pounce. The kid sees Spencer and throws the ball. It hits Spencer in the foot without a sound. Ten to one Spencer didn't even feel it. Then Spencer follows me off to the bleachers. Instead of being normal like most schools and having those who are out wait for someone to catch a ball to run in, if you get out you're out for the entire game.

"Are you alright?" Spencer asks again. Then, "Conner's such an ass man." I just shrug.

"Hey man are you alright?"

"I don't know. I'm just a little nervous." I admit.

"About what?"

"The auditions tonight. What if no one comes? Or what if only a few people come and they all suck?" I ask.

"We'll figure it out. We always do." Spencer assures me.

"If you say so man." I say sighing. We spend the next few minutes sitting on the bleachers in silence until Mr. Dablow blows the whistle telling us to the hit the showers. Spencer and I hurry to get dressed then we leave. We have lunch right after gym so we can just leave whenever, as long as its after Dablow blows the whistle.

We get our lunch then sit at a table in the very back by ourselves. Though not soon after we are joined by our other band mate, Brent Wilson.

"Hey guys. How's it going?" Brent asks. I just shrug and Spencer mutters a quick answer. Brent just nods and starts to eat his lunch. We're friends and all but we aren't that close to Brent. He's a little...odd.

"So are you guys excited about the auditions tonight?" Brent asks. Spencer nods seeing as his mouth is full. I just shrug again. Lunch passes by quickly. Spencer and Brent talking about whatever it was they were talking about. I had zoned out the moment I left the gym. Left to the thoughts running through my mind.

The bell rings and Spencer and I head off to our sixth period class, Chemistry. Lucky for me, Spencer and I have every class together. And since I don't talk to anybody but him and occasionally Brent, he is my lab partner. After a long and boring 45 we are heading to our last class which passes by just as slow and dreary. And believe or not I was still dreading school being over. Because the auditions were supposed to be after school.

"Come on Ryan, we don't want to be late." Brent yells suddenly as Spencer and I are walking down the hall from our lockers. I roll my eyes but he doesn't see, thanks to my long bangs. Then I pick up speed and follow after him and Spencer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The auditions were being hosted in the choir room, seeing as it was the only room we could convince the principle to allow us access to. We had been lucky to get this room. Lucky enough that Brent worked as an Office Aid third period and managed to score us the keys to the room. But we were only lucky enough to get the room for an hour. Meaning auditions would have to be quick.

When we made it into the choir room my heart stopped. There were only four people. Three guys and one girl. The girl I recognized as Felicia Gibson, the school's gothic reject. The boy with the messy blond hair and narrow blue eyes I knew from my Math class; Ethan Hannigan. The one with the buzz cut and several piercings was Alex Weldfell.

And the last boy, I had seen far to often. For the third boy was none other than Brendon Urie. And I had been staring at Brendon, from afar, for more than 3 years. With his brown hair, wide brown eyes, and ADHD, Brendon had captivated me from the get go. There was just something about him that intrigued me. And so I had often watched him. But it's not like he'd ever noticed. Brendon was friends with Warner Thompson, the school's second coolest guy, and would never take the time to notice someone as nerdy as me. I was a loser. And Brendon Urie shouldn't waste his time on losers.

"What a crowd." Brent says sarcastically. Spencer rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Brent is a real asshole sometimes.

"Well let's get this show on the road." Spencer says as we take our seats behind a card table.

"Who wants to go first?" Brent asks.

"I will." Felicia says standing. She walks to the front of the classroom and begins to sing..... Paint it black...

Don't get me wrong, it's a good song and all but it was obvious what kind of music Felicia was into. And our band was nothing of the sort. So when she had finished we were all dead silent. Spencer cleared his throat thanked Felicia, then when she had taken her seat called for the next person.

Buzz stands and walks to the front. Where he nervously starts to beatbox. Again not our style. So we were a little relieved when Ethan stood up and sang Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy. An to be completely honest he wasn't half bad.

"That was good man." Brent says nodding at Ethan.

"Alright final audition," Spencer says. I can't help but stare at Brendon as he rises from his seat. I watch as he collects his guitar from under his seat and strides to the front of the room.

"So umm I'm Brendon." he says like its not obvious who he is.

"Alright." Brent says trying to hurry it up.

"Well I guess I'll sing now..." Brendon says. He throws his guitar strap on and positions it. Then clearing his throat he begins to play a song I am absolutely in love with.

"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere. Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, he took the midnight train going anywhere. A singer in a smoky room, the smell of wine and cheap perfume. For a smile they can share the night it goes on and on and on and on..." he sings.

I am in awe of his voice. Of his talent. And the way he plays the guitar, it sends shivers down my spine. I am awed by him. I am so awed that I don't even notice that he is staring right at me as he continues to sing the song.

When he has finished we are all dead silent. Not like before with Felicia when we were silent because it was bad. But we were silent because we were all speechless. For we had just heard a voice that shamed angels. A voice that gave our goosebumps goosebumps. And the voice had come from Brendon Urie. Our new band member.