Skies Do Fall

“B-B-Brendon? You want Brendon?” I stuttered in disbelief.

“Yes.” Ram looked so serious and determined that, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t have denied the truth.

“But…why?” I asked, my eyes most likely mimicking the size of the Sun.

Ram laughed a little, a flustered ring to the feebleness of it, before answering, “I don’t know, Robin. I’m just helplessly attracted to him. It’s not something I planned or anything.”

“No no, of course not,” I shook my head, not only in denial but also to clear my throbbing head a bit. “So…what part do I have in this?”

Ram gained some evenness at the question. “I was thinking that maybe you and me could be ‘friends’,” she used hand-quotations on the term. “…and then maybe I could get to know Brendon better and he’d get to know me better and maybe it’ll just, I don’t know, happen.” She shrugged, obviously not sure if this plot would work anymore than I wasn’t sure.

“And you’re willing to face rejection if it doesn’t happen, right?” I questioned her seriously.

Ram’s expression turned grave as she mumbled, “Yes.” Then she added something, her pale face brightening as she said it. “But if it does happen. If it does happen, Robin, I will be so happy and thankful that I wouldn’t ask God for anything else. If it does happen, I will be the happiest person on the world.” Her emerald eyes sparkled and glittered and shone so brightly that I almost believed it to be a fact that Brendon would take her.

But something tightened in my chest at the thought.

I knew what had caused this and I pushed all of those thoughts away, ignoring and neglecting anything that was even vaguely related to that feeling. I was not going to give in.

“Well I hope this works out to your advantage.” I smiled convincingly. “You really are crazy about him, huh?”

Ram sunk down softly, a wide-eyed, dazed smile dazzling her face. She dreamily confessed, “I am. I am so crazy about him to the point that everything doesn’t even matter anymore except him. When he shook my hand that day, I just…I felt so, complete.”

The bliss that rose on her face couldn’t have second that thought any better.

She opened her mouth to continue on that thought when another voice shouted over her, “Ram! You coming?”

We both turned to see that the group of emo-punk kids had already piled into a silver Lexis and were watching and waiting for Ram’s reply.

Ram immediately turned back to me. “So you wanted to study today?”

I nodded. “That was my evil plan, yeah.”

Ram looked back to the group and yelled, “No, there’s not enough room for the two of us. You guys go ahead. We’ll take a cab.”

Without a response, they zipped off, a roar of howls slowly echoing off where they had been seconds before.

I smiled at Ram. “So you want to go get a shake across the street and put my horrible Language Art’s skills to shame?”

“Hell yeah, biotch!” Ram shouted and jumped up, grabbing her backpack and sprinting away from me. “Last one there is buying the shakes!” She called over her shoulder with a smirk.

“First one there buys the cab ride home!” I smirked back before racing off after her.

X…..X

“Oh shit,” I announced worriedly.

“What? Did you forget how to spell ‘attitude’ again?” Ram smirked but didn’t receive one in return.

“No, I’m so late!” I shouted, leaping out of my seat and piling the papers and textbooks together into one unorganized clump.

“For what?” Ram questioned.

I was beginning to stuff all of the schoolwork in my bag as I answered, “Dinner. We’re having the Uries’ over and my mom is making this huge meal. My dad is even going to get off early for it and it’s just this huge thing that I have to be at.”

“The Uries’ meaning Brendon Urie’s family?” asked Ram meekly.

I nodded as I tried to zip up my bag without meeting success. “The very same; except not exactly his family, just his grandma and him.”

“Oh,” Ram replied quietly, staring down at her hands rather than at my confused expression.

Then it hit me.

“Did you…did you want to come?” I asked.

Ram looked up and her face was lighter than a 100-wat light bulb. “Oh would you mind? That would be so great! Thank you so much, Robin! You’re the absolute best!” She plunged at me, embracing me in a tight hug that attracted many of the restraunt’s other customer’s attentions.

“Um…you’re welcome. But, Ram?” she made an excited squeak in reply. “Well, if we’re going to be ‘best friends’ then there are two things you need to know. One--I really prefer to be called Rob, Robby, or Robs rather than Robin, and two--best friends don’t really like to look like they’re trying to be something beyond the companionship level, if you know what I mean.”

In an instant, Ram was off of me, blushing embarrassingly. “Oh, sorry about that, Robin--er--Robby.” I grinned, my way of commending her, and she smiled back.

“Well we got to hurry. Dinner started five minutes ago,” I said, my voice regaining the urgency tone again.

“Right,” Ram agreed, beginning to collect her things.

If only I knew just how this one lousy dinner was going to turn out.