Do You Know What It Feels Like?

Monday, 2:30 PM
Phoenix, Arizona

"I'm dying of hunger," Andy expressed, stretched out on the couch of the dressing room and left no space for any other to sit. It had been a long, albeit interesting, photoshoot. Fact is that it was a nice experience to watch the Panic boys pose so charismatically in front of a camera with the guide of a not-so-manly photographer. Another fact is though that they had taken so long to get the "right" pictures and it made Andy regret not eating breakfast and eating an early dinner.

"So why didn't you grab a bite from the vending machine?" Spencer asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the coffee table in front of the sofa. The photoshoot had exhausted them all. Some people might think that it's not a very difficult thing to do since all there was to do was stand in place and make pretty poses. Obviously, those people have never done a photoshoot in their lives. They have never experienced standing in front of bright, hot lights, posing for an uncertain amount of time until the photographer says to move to the next pose, and they've never experienced having a photoshoot with a demanding photographer and a not-so-expressive member.

"There's a vending machine here?"

Spencer nodded at Andy's question, although his eyes were focused on someone else. Although he didn't know the full extent of the story, he was sure that the reason why Brendon was feeling so down was because of Taylor. He wasn't one to judge, but he couldn't help but blame Taylor alone for all the misery Brendon's been going through. He'd heard enough of their arguments to know that Taylor isn't favoring Brendon as much as she did before. And although he was usually one to remain as a third-person observer in situations such as these, he walked over to Brendon and reached out his hand for him to take.

Brendon looked up at him as if to say that he didn't feel like getting up, or moving at all, but one look in Spencer's soft icy-blues was all it took for the lead singer to take the offered hand and follow their youngest outside.

"Where're those two going?" Pete asked, pointing at the door that Brendon and Spencer had just exited out of. They were all supposed to wait in the dressing room for Taylor and Patrick to come back so that they could all leave to eat for lunch together.

"Maybe they're gonna go talk about why Bren's in such a bad mood," Jon answered, followed by a shrug of the shoulders. It wasn't really very difficult to figure that out, why couldn't this genius song writer?

"Maybe it's coz he's hungry." Andy sat up from her position on the couch and placed a hand on her grumbling stomach.

"Can it, Andy. We're all hungry, just wait a couple more minutes."

x

"So, what's up with you and Taylor?" Spencer asked, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall opposite Brendon. Spencer led them to an empty corridor, away from other people who might recognize them.

"Nothing," was the monotonous answer. Although whether such a blank and seemingly meaningless answer was meant to convince Spencer or to convince Brendon himself, neither knew. Eitherway, it hadn't worked.

"I call bullshit. I know you're pissed off that she's out with Pat and not here with you." The younger of the two ran a hand through his hair in what he had hoped was an impatient gesture and not one that indicated he desperately needed a bath - which he did, in any case.

"So why'd you ask?" Brendon retorted, an irritated pinch at the patch of skin between his eyebrows. He hadn't meant to snap at Spencer - nobody ever really does - but with everything piling on top of him, he could burst out at the most innocent person at the moment and not feel regret (until perhaps later).

"Because I'd rather hear it from you, Bren. You've hardly spoken to any of us." Spencer thought maybe going for the slight-guilt-trip-approach might work. Brendon always did have a soft spot for his members and maybe he'd give in just-

"Yeah, well, what do you guys know?"

Or maybe not. The drummer let out a huff of breath and gave Brendon a pointed look, to which the vocalist, thankfully, gave an apologetic look in return.

"Sorry, but it's just... What can you guys do? It's between Tay and me. I don't even blame Pat."

That certainly didn't surprise Spencer in the least. Brendon may have his flaws but at least he knows what's what. And what's what walked down the hallway just then and entered the room they had recently left, where Spencer could vaguely hear voices asking of their whereabouts.

"Alright, we'll leave you alone about it. But you can't just expect us to let you mope around and not do anything about it. Okay?"

The vocalist sighed and nodded, appreciating the warm hand that found its way onto his shoulder and the equally warm smile Spencer offered him. They made their way back to the room with a lighter step in Brendon's walk and a hint of a smile on his face. Spencer could only hope that it would last the whole day at least.