You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Aislin wakes up three hours later. She stretches and rubs her eyes. She didn't know she was tired, and doesn’t remember falling asleep. The lights in the den are off, but the TV is still on, filling the room with an eerie bluish light. Images of Grissom and Catherine in the lab flash across the screen. She grabs the remote from the table and clicks a button. The screen and the room both plunge into complete darkness.

She knows the layout of the house well enough to make it out of the den and upstairs without seriously injuring herself. She finds her room without much difficulty; the sleep light on her MacBook is flashing. She opens the laptop and waits for the computer to wake up. The machine automatically signs her on AIM, and a notice pops up. Someone named northerndownpour has sent her an IM. She clicks the button to accept.

northerndownpour: is this aislin?

Aislin has never seen the screen name before, but she quickly types a response.

KidA: Who is this?
northerndownpour: this is ryan ross from panic at the disco
KidA: How did you get this screen name?
northerndownpour: your friend. kelcie, i think. she gave it to me
KidA: Oh shit. That means she posted those songs.
northerndownpour: yeah. she put them on the message boards on our website, and our bassist found them
northerndownpour: theyre really good
KidA: Not that I care or anything, but how do I know that this is actually Ryan Ross?
northerndownpour: this is the screen name for our fanclub. we were thinking about using it to talk to fans, but we never gave it out
KidA: Oh, okay.
northerndownpour: the songs are really good, though
KidA: Thanks, I guess.
KidA: I don't like your band, though.
northerndownpour: then why did you do that?
KidA: Kelcie didn't tell you?
northerndownpour: no
KidA: It was a gift.
northerndownpour: oh. i see you like radiohead. kid a is a good album
KidA: Yeah. So do you. And yeah, it is.
northerndownpour: how did you know?
KidA: Kelcie mentioned that today.
KidA: She's pretty much obsessed with you guys.
northerndownpour: i know. jon made an account on those boards to contact her so we could contact you.
northerndownpour: he sent her a message and told her to im me.
northerndownpour: i had to block her; she was getting annoying.
KidA: Sorry. That's just how she is. I have to put up with it everyday.
northerndownpour: wow, that sucks. im sorry
northerndownpour: look, were in the process of writing material for our second record.
northerndownpour: i talked with the rest of the band, and they all agree that they would love for you to work with us for a while.
northerndownpour: so...do you want to come write songs with us?
KidA: I don't know.
KidA: I don't really like your music that much.
KidA: And I've never written a song before.
northerndownpour: that doesnt really matter
northerndownpour: were changing our sound this time around
northerndownpour: weve grown up and were listening to different music
northerndownpour: like, i just discovered the beatles. theyre amazing.
northerndownpour: and you dont really have to write songs with us.
northerndownpour: we just scrapped half an albums worth of material
northerndownpour: we can always use second opinions
KidA: You're just now getting into the Beatles? Wow, Ross, you're behind in the times.
KidA: I've been listening to them since I was 5.
KidA: No joke.
KidA: Well...
KidA: Okay. I guess I'll give it a go.
KidA: I can always leave if I'm bored, right?
northerndownpour: awesome!
northerndownpour: and yeah, if you dont like us, its cool, you can leave.
KidA: Okay.
northerndownpour: where do you live?
KidA: Do you honestly think I'm going to tell you that? I don't even know who you are!
northerndownpour: do you have a webcam, and do you know what someone in the band looks like?
KidA: Yeah, and Brendon.
northerndownpour: hold on, then.

Ryan invites Aislin to a video session, and since her MacBook has a built-in webcam, she accepts.

The screen pixelates, and Aislin sees a long hand push a boy in front of the computer screen. It's definitely Brendon. Aislin can tell, even though the resolution's a little crappy and it looks like it's dark in the room. Brendon's hair is shorter now than it was two years ago, but from what Aislin can tell, it looks good on him. He's wearing a plaid button-up and a pair of dark thick-rimmed glasses.

"Hi," he says. His voice sounds scratchy, but it's just the microphone.

"Hey. Brendon, right?"

"Yeah. And you're Aislin?"

"Yup."

"Cool. I can't believe you didn't think Ryan was who he said he was."

"Well, you know, it's easy to lie online."

"True, true."

"Get her address and number and get the hell off of there, Brendon," Ryan yells. "We've got shit to do. And you have to wake up early tomorrow."

Brendon turns his head to the right. "Why?"

"You're going to pick her up tomorrow."

"What the fuck, Ryan? I didn't volunteer for this shit!"

"Brendon," Ryan warns, and his tone is enough.

"Fine. But I'm taking your car."

Brendon turns back to the computer screen, and Ryan lets out a long stream of curses and protests. "Sorry about that," Brendon apologizes. "And I don't mind coming to get you. I'm just not really a morning person."

Aislin smiles. "It's cool. I live in Summerlin, by the way."

"Cool, that's where I grew up. What's the address?"

Aislin tells Brendon where she lives, and she can hear the keyboard clicking; he's typing out her address.

"Dude, that's a couple streets away from my parents'. I can find that, no problem."

"Sweet," Brendon says, half to himself. "Phone number?" he asks Aislin.

Aislin gives Brendon her number, and he types that down, too. "Sweet. I'll be there around noon. That cool with you?"

"It's fine," she replies.

"Sweet. See you tomorrow."

"See ya."

Brendon disconnects the video session, and northerndownpour signs off. Aislin signs off as well, shuts down the laptop, and climbs into bed.

Part of her is looking forward to tomorrow, to Brendon, even though she knows she shouldn't.