Flipping Coins

“Thanks for the jog,” I thanked Brendon once he had pulled in front of my apartment.

Brendon looked at me and said, “No problem. We should do this every week.”

I frowned. “Well, I would say yes, but it would be a while before we could actually start a routine like that. What with you being on tour for two months and all.”

Some of the color in Brendon’s face drowned out a little, but he turned away before I could witness his full reaction from my words. I knew it was tough for him to leave behind his friends and family (and girlfriend, I guess), but he usually didn’t linger too much on the fact, or else it would get to him. All of the guys had learned to adapt to that concept pretty quickly ever since they had first gotten famous, Brendon being the first of all of them. Touring was a part of his life that he had already learned to accept, at least that’s what I had thought up until now….

“Are you okay?” I concernedly leaned closer to Brendon, placing a hand on his bony shoulder. “Brendon, talk to me.”

When he turned back around, his face was alarmingly pale and had a sick tone about it. With colorless lips, Brendon explained softly, “Emie, I--I need someone to go with me.”

“Go with you where?” I asked, rubbing his back gently. “On tour?”

He shook his head weakly. “No. I need someone to go with me---to the hospital.”

I tried not to react in a way that showed the concealed surprise inside of me, but swallowed the relentless lump of shock stuck in my throat and asked softly, “Why do you have to go to the hospital?”

Brendon seemed to feel strong enough to explain thoroughly, “Well, the doctor wants to have a check-up with me before I go on tour for two months. He wants to make sure the blood transfusion is still sticking well to my body’s systems.”

“Okay, that’s understandable. What about that are you--er--particularly sensitive about?” I questioned, still puzzled.

After a couple of hard swallows, Brendon looked down and acted as though he were speaking to his thighs as he babbled on worriedly, “Well, what if the blood isn’t mixing well? What could that mean? I just keep thinking about what could happen in that office on Wednesday, what the doctor could say. Emie, I’m just--I’m not ready to di---“

“Stop,” I commanded, almost getting sick myself. “Just stop. Brendon, you’re overthinking this big-time. You’ve made it this far, haven’t you? You don’t realize how close you came to it the first time, and I find it unbelievably hard to think that you would shrink down to that point again when you’re sitting here, as healthy as fucking Michael Phelps, can jog two miles without breaking a sweat---“

“Yeah, but normally I would swea---“

“No buts, Bren!” I shouted, unable to try and even consider his view of things. “There are only two things that are going to happen on Wednesday. One: you are going to march into that office and listen to the doctor’s praises on how ridiculously healthy you are. And two: I’m going to be right there beside you, screaming ‘I told you so’ in your ear until you’re as deaf as Spencer’s Great Aunt Joyce.”

I met Brendon’s surprised smile as I said these words, giving a sure nod. I was going to be there for him tomorrow, and there wasn’t a damn thing that could stop me. Not even a booth advertising a free, guaranteed Ricky Martin Lap Dance, no matter how tempted I might be to oblige.

Without another thought, Brendon grabbed my forearms and pulled me into his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder, scooting close enough to my ear to whisper, “Thanks, Emie.” He held me for another moment before we broke apart.

I desperately tried to ignore the popping sparks of electric currents rushing all over my body from where Brendon had touched me and smiled convincingly at him. “So, I guess I have to go….”

“Right,” Brendon said, trying to stop the lurking awkward silence from creeping into the conversation. “Yeah, Ryan.”

“Well, I’m actually just watching his girlfriend’s niece. I’m not having a fashion spree with the freak-a-zooid or anything, even though that does sound pretty damn entertaining, in the horrific type of sense, of course.”

Brendon laughed and nodded. “Okay, that makes me feel better that I’m not the only one who has a crappy schedule for the day.”

A lightbulb popped above my head, and I suggested, “Hey! Do you want to babysit with me?”

Brendon looked very unsure as he contemplated his options. After a moment’s hesitation, Brendon sorrowfully shook his head. “I would be more than happy to, only Evelia wants to spend the day with me. She’s getting paranoid about losing me for two months to this ‘touring business’ and apparently thinks I’m going to go throw myself at the first semi-attractive fan that screams my name.” He rolled his eyes.

I corrected him, “Or himself. Let’s not be sexist, Urie.”

Brendon cocked an eyebrow. “Are you calling me gay? You haven’t been reading my diary, have you Brooks?”

I gave him a slight push to the shoulder and laughed until my eye’s met with his dashboard’s clock.

“Shit!” I yelled, pushing open the door. “I’m going to be a wreck by the time Ryan shows up! I still have to shower! Shit, shit, shit!” I looked back at Brendon once I stumbled out of his car. “Anyways, well, thanks again for the workout! Another time then, okay? Bye Bren!” Without waiting for his goodbye in return, I slammed the door shut and scurried into my apartment’s building, a sweaty mess of ugliness in its purist form.

X………….X

A distant screech of discomfort sounded from down the narrow hallway, muffled by a closed door.

Nearly dropping the fresh package of Twizzlers I had been slowly but surely emptying, I leapt up from my warm spot on the edge of the fancy davenport, getting in my action stance. I darted down the hall and swung open the door dramatically, acting as though I had kicked it. I was totally going for the Harrison Ford look, but epically failed, of course, when my shoe popped off into midair.

The ragged Rocketdog landed quite gracefully on top of a pile of distorted Barbies, plopping faced up onto the harassed dolls. I was so excited that I had managed to pull off such a move that I lost my cool and squealed happily.

A tiny chuckle drew me out of my thoughts, and my eyes found the tiny figure standing on top of a lacey pink bed.

“Hey Josie!” I greeted her cheerfully, breaking my rule by using the forbidden high-pitched tone. It was ridiculous. I mean, yeah, you’re talking to a child, but come on! They aren’t dogs, people. They can understand you minus your pitch change.

Josie rubbed her left eye with the heel of her hand and sent me one of those adorable toddler smiles those midgets can pull off perfectly. She shyly responded, “Hello, Emie.”

I had the strong sense that my eyes twinkled with amusement at that moment, but I ignored it and asked politely, “Do you want some juice or fruity snacks?”

She immediately nodded her head enthusiastically, suddenly excited. Then, out of nowhere, her expression went shy again. She asked quietly, “Um--Emie?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

Her face went slightly pink as she feebly said, “I need to go potty first.”

Holding in a laugh at how adorably humble and innocent she was, I grinned and offered her my hand. “Alright! Let’s go and put the finishing touches on the digesting process!”

And that, ladies and gents, is why I would not do well as an elementary teacher.

Ryan and Fran arrived an hour and a half later, walking in to find Josie and me playing Scrabble. It hadn’t really occurred to me that a four year old probably wouldn’t be the best person to play this game with until Josie tried to pass with the word shoes using the letter-order of S-A-O-S. Well, learn something new every day, I guess.

While Fran accompanied Josie to the kitchen for some chocolate milk, Ryan and I cleaned up the game pieces.

“Soo, how did it go?” I asked interestedly. I was starting to truly believe that Fran was the actual one for Ryan, which was saying a lot considering Ryan’s longest relationship had lasted a mere 7 months, further proving that he was a tad bit of a player.

Ryan put on that dazed smile that I had seen so many numerous times before as he explained, “Absolutely wonderful. You know, she fell at least four times today, and two of those times she fell into my arms. One time she actually kissed me, not even on purpose! It was awesome.”

I laughed. “That was definitely a first. A boyfriend glad that his girlfriend has a knack for falling and injuring herself? You’ve got priority issues, Ry.”

Ryan held the silver bag open as I scooped in all of the letter pieces, scowling at me humorously. “You know what I mean. Anyways, we were leaving the restaurant, right? And out of nowhere, Brendon and Evelia show up! Fran was so shocked by their sudden presence that she actually jumped and---“

“Wait, Bren was there? At the restaurant?” I interrupted.

Ryan nodded and answered quickly, “Yeah, he was arguing with Evelia about something until they saw us. Anyways, so Fran jumped, and my arms happened to be---“

“They were arguing?” I repeated. “Did you hear what they were arguing about?”

Shaking his head again, Ryan quickly said in irritation, “No, I couldn’t really tell. Something about going to some karaoke place with a friend---“

“A karaoke place?” I repeated again, my heart sinking. “Was Evelia upset?”

Sighing, Ryan crossed his lanky arms and answered, “Well, yeah, they were both pretty mad. But what does it matter? So what if they were arguing? It doesn’t mean they will break up---“

“You don’t know that!” I yelled, my eyes widening in fear. “You don’t know that, Ryan! What if they do break up? What if it’s all because of that damn karaoke place?”

Ryan shrugged. “Why are you getting so worked up about it? I thought you had a thing for Brendon anyways. Isn’t them breaking up what you’ve wanted?”

“Not for the wrong reasons, Ryan!” I shouted, running my fingers through my hair. “God, I have to go now. I have to fix this.”

“Go?” Ryan asked, watching me gather up my things. “But don’t you want to stick around? We’re going to watch the season finale of The Office later.”

“That sounds like fun, but I can’t,” I answered, slipping on my thin hoodie. “There are just some things I have to take care of.” I turned and walked toward the front door at the end of the hallway.

“Well, call me before or at Friday! We can all go out for dinner or something!” Ryan yelled.

“Will do. Bye Fran! Bye Josie!” I called before I shut the door and stepped into the upcoming night.