My Little Raspberry

This was going to be hard, really hard, because the girls that had played actually had something to go on. Then there was the question if they were old enough to be in a place like this, but everyone was ignoring that fact while they were discussing which band had been better.

“I think the first guys should win!” Sammy shouted out.

“It’s because you’re going home with the drummer tonight,” Gwen said and rolled her eyes.

“Just because you found out that their singer was gay.”

“What are you talking about? Simon’s not gay,” Matthew threw in from where he set beside Sam. There was this awkward moment.

“What? So he’s just saying that guys are hot?”

“Basically, because he’d never begin something with a dude. He’s too into girls for that.” The awkward silence was back for a few seconds. Brendon, still sitting in Gwen’s lap, held one hand on his mouth, doing the noticeable expression of thinking deeply.

“So, I guess that was what he was trying to tell me before I started cuddling with him.”

“I suppose he doesn’t know what he wants at the moment. I can’t believe I was so stupid to let you have him.”

“And if you continue giving all the good ones, you’ll end up alone in the end. Change your fucking tactic if you wanna get somewhere in life.”

“Shut up.” She pushed him onto the floor. “Buy me another drink and point out someone good for me then.”

Brendon was already on his way toward Fred, literally pushing himself forward. Battle of the bands was a good way of drawing people to the pub on weekends, but it only happened, say, one time in two months. The good thing was if you were a regular customer, you’d have a better chance of getting your drinks faster, so Brendon only had to wait for a few minutes. Even though he only dropped by now and then, he had a special bond with Fred.

“Hello gorgeous,” a blond woman said just as he was about to head back. It wouldn’t be too nice of him not to stop for a small chat.

“Great, Brendon just found one,” Gwen said as she sighed when she saw him stopping and putting her drink down on a table.

“Are you sighing at the fact that you want your drink, or that Brendon just got taken from you by a blond chick,” Betty commented.

“I really want my drink, and if you’re suggesting that me and Brendon are supposed to be a “thing” then you really need to get your brain checked.”

“You two are as close as a married couple should be.”

“But if we really got together and stuff, he would probably start hitting me, and I would start drinking without control , and when we got kids they would get bullied at school, and he would go to jail for attempting murder on me. That would just so not work.” Betty stared at her with her eyebrows raised, incapable of answering. “We’ve already discussed that.”

“Fine, I’ll drop that, but let me continue my thoughts of you being the perfect boy and girl for each other. Did you notice that Sammy went away with that Matt-guy?”

“Yeah, and if we go out in the alley, we’ll probably find them stuck to the wall, suffocating each other with their tongues.”
“Hey ladies, I’m out for the night. Here’s your drink, Gwenny,” Brendon said in a haste, putting the drink down before Gwen and trying to leave as quickly as he could. Gwen gasped a little and received a look from Betty which said ‘you get him!”

“Fuck you too, Brendon Urie. I really thought you would help me tonight, but now you’re leaving with a blond dudett? What happened to ‘no sex on the first date’ you man-whore?”

“But it really feels like I know her right now, and I’m so eager about it, and I’m kind of drunk so I have something to blame it on.”

“That’s no fucking excuse. What happened to the Mormon you?”

“It got lost in the transformation, I guess. Was I supposed to help you with something?”

“You know I fucking suck at meeting people at bars. Just look at that singer. And you’re making me swear an awful lot right now. Just point out somebody you think is good enough for me.”

He scanned the room in search of someone looking slightly lonely, but still surrounded by people he knew. He finally managed to find a guy that didn’t look like he was taken by anyone, that looked a lot like Gwen’s type of guy and hadn’t got ‘the creepy guy’ written all over him.

“He’s all yours, baby,” Brendon said, pointing in his direction.

“He’ll do. Okay, just make sure that she’s not a crazy fan-girl, who has her friends waiting outside to abduct you and then rape you brutally, and keep you in a basement for a number of years.”

“And then she destroyed all my good thoughts of her. It’s alright, I’ve already checked that. She doesn’t even listen to our music. I’ll call you tomorrow? Night babe.” He easily kissed her cheek with consideration before he went back to the woman who’d been waiting by the door. She didn’t look so bad after all.

“It’s your fault if I get raped tonight!”

Someone else that didn’t look so bad was the guy Brendon had pointed out for her. She focused on getting eye contact with him for a few minutes, and when she got it at last, he looked kind of interested in her too. It took him a while to get where she stood.

“How are things?” he asked, stroking her bare arm, making her shiver.

“Can’t complain about them.” She was trying to play hard to get, if only for a little while.

“What do you say about getting out of here?”

“You don’t even know me yet.”

“Well, hello, my name is Ryan, and I work at a small factory here in Vegas. It’s no great salary, but it’s enough for me to live and come to places like this on the weekends. What about you?”

“Uhh, I’m Gwen. I help a friend run a café nearby during the days, and it’s great for social points, so the salary doesn’t really matter. And on weekends I mostly come here, because of the free drinks I get when I’m behaving.”

“You wanna follow me outside? The air is starting to get hard to breathe in.” He was right, and she couldn’t resist his sense of charm. Besides, this kind of guy wasn’t going to throw himself at her, was he? She nodded her head and took his hand as he led the way toward the door. Betty, as well as Christian, was throwing her looks that said basically ‘don’t do anything Sammy would do.’

When left the room and bar as well, Gwen pulled her cardigan over her shoulder. The temperature had gone from cool to cold under a few hours. He held on to her hand and led her to the wall a few metres away from the main entrance of Benny’s.

“So, what do you want to become when you grow up?” Gwen laughed at the irony of the question.

“Probably a full-time musician. That wouldn’t be so wrong. What about you?”

“Head of the factory, of course. That’s probably every man’s dream.”

“I know some who definitely would have something to say about that statement.”

“Is that so?”

“Uh, huh.”

“Anyhow. Are you seeing someone right now?”

“Me? Oh, no, not right now. But it gives me much more time to spend with my friends at least, if you’re trying to look on it on a more positive side.”

“That’s great. I’m really glad you made eye contact in there. I was about to go under of boredom.”

“My pleasure, really.”

“Why won’t you just… follow me,” he said and took her hand gently. She wasn’t thinking of where they we’re going, but she found herself walking arm in arm with him in the park that lay nearby. He really didn’t seem like a creepy guy, so she’d let her guard down just a little. He was really good at making her laugh, but not in the way all of her other guy friends could.

“I’ve always wondered about that weird statue.” It was clear he wasn’t from the neighbourhood.

“It’s always been there. I think some old important man made sure to put it up. No one has ever gotten the purpose of it, but everyone is kind of stuck on it. Why are you stopping?” She was a little ahead of him and turned around to face his face.

“It’s fucking hard when people won't understand.”

“I’m very aware of that. Is something wrong?”

“You wouldn’t understand anything, you stupid whore, you’re just like everyone else.” Something seemed to just have clicked inside of him, and she wasn’t sure she liked it, but she was stuck on her spot.

“Whore? It’s not like you picked me up at a fucking brothel.”

“Just shut up!” He was coming toward her and smacked her across the face. She fell to her knees, holding a protective hand over her sore cheek. He forcefully grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the grovel. She was so not going to sleep in her own bed this night, she thought as she felt a huge pain in her entire body.