First Date

“Happy birthday Zack!” I shouted, running up to him and giving him a giant hug.

“Amanda?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me. “When did you get back? And how’d you get backstage?”

“My plane landed yesterday. I talked to mom, who talked to Dre, who mailed mom a backstage pass. I picked it up after I landed and here I am,” I said, letting go of him.

“Dre was behind this? He didn’t tell me you were coming!”

“Of course not, that would ruin the surprise! Wow, I can’t believe you’re a bodyguard.”

“Zack, I didn’t know you had a sister,” one of the guys standing around spoke up.

“Oh, sorry. Guys, this is my sister, Amanda. Amanda, this is Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith, the members of the band I guard, and Shane Valdés, friend and photographer of the band.”

“Where were you?” Spencer asked.

“France. I went to college there for four years. I haven’t seen Zack in three years because he’s always been on tour when I come back to the U. S.”

“It sucks that you haven’t seen him in years, but it’s cool that you went to college in France. I took French in high school.”

“Really? That’s cool. Et tu? Parles-tu francais?” I asked Brendon.

He laughed and shook his head. “I can speak a bit of Spanish, that’s it.”

“Oh boo, you’re no fun! French is way cooler.” I said laughing.

He smiled and shrugged. “Sorry, I am what I am.”

“What’s it like being in a famous band?”

“It’s surreal. All I’ve ever wanted to do was play music, and now I’m getting paid to do it every night. The fans are amazing. They’re so generous and they’re always singing all the words, even for new songs. But enough about me, what do you do?”

“Nothing as glamorous as being a rock star,” I said, smiling. “I worked in a restaurant, as the pastry chef.”

He nodded. “What did you major in?”

“Culinary arts. Have you ever seen the show Ace of Cakes?”

“I’ve heard of it. They make crazy cakes, right?”

“Yeah. I want to make desserts like that. But, honestly, any job in the culinary career will keep me happy.”

“Hey, sorry to break this little party up,” Zack said, putting a hand on my shoulder, “But it’s almost time for the meet and greet.”

“Oh, cool, what should I do?” I asked him.

“After I give them the speech, go through the line and ask them their names. If they’re not on the list, don’t let them in. Don’t let someone who’s on the list bring anyone else in.” He said, giving me a piece of paper with about 15 names on it.

After Zack’s speech, which included something about a house made of stairs and no touching and no food and blah blah blah, I went down the line and let everyone on the list in. There were a few people trying to sneak in, but most of them left after I told them too. One girl was being really stubborn and bitchy to me, until Zack came over. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and scurried off.

During the meet and greet, I pretty much sat next to Zack and observed. Panic! at the Disco really did have amazing fans. Over half of them had something to give to Brendon and Spencer, and everyone had a smile on their face.

For the pictures, some people had Brendon and Spencer do goofy things, but most just put their arms around the guys.

After the pictures, the fans were let into the venue, and Brendon and Spencer started to get ready for their set. They usually headlined, but since they were playing a show with Fall Out Boy and Blink 182, they would be the first to go on.

“So, what do you do when Panic! plays?” I asked Zack.

“I mostly just watch them. Sometimes I hand out beers in between songs and sometimes I spray the crowd with a supersoaker, but mostly I just watch.”

I nodded. “Ah. What’s it like guarding a band?”

“It’s awesome. I mean, besides when I have to deal with annoying fans. There are some crazy people out there. And some of them get pissed at me because I’m really sarcastic with them, but I don’t really care.”

“What’s the worst thing a fan’s ever done?”

“There was this one girl who baked cookies for the band, and it turned out, she baked a pubic hair into each one. That was just disgusting. She ruined it for all the other fans, because now, I don’t let them give food to the band. It goes right into the garbage.”

“Wow, that’s messed up.”

“I know,” Zack said, nodding.

As Panic! played their set, Zack and I caught up on the three years we missed. I already knew the major things, because we had emailed, and I talked to our mom, but there was a lot of stuff I wanted to ask him in person, and vice versa.

After Panic! played their last song, they came backstage, smiling and sweaty. “Good show, good show,” Spencer said, high fiving Brendon and then Zack.

“You guys were awesome,” I said smiling.

“Thanks!” Spencer said, looking over at me.

“Yeah, thanks,” Brendon said, smiling.

“Okay, if you guys will excuse me, I need to take a shower,” Spencer said, walking out of the room.

“So, now you just watch the rest of the set?” I asked Brendon as he walked over to me.

“Yeah, pretty much. Fall Out Boy’s pretty good live, and I do a duet with them when they cover Don’t Stop Believing. And then Blink is amazing.”

“Oh, cool, they’re covering Don’t Stop Believing? Is it any good?”

“It’s as good as covers get, I suppose. Doesn’t hold a candle to the original version.”

Brendon and I talked while the stage was being set up for Fall Out Boy. Spencer joined us when he got out of the shower, and Brendon left when Fall Out Boy started playing Don’t Stop Believing. He was right, it wasn’t as good as the original, but it was still pretty good.

After the song, Brendon took a shower, and Spencer and I had some time to talk one on one.

“How long are you planning on staying?” He asked

“When does tour end?”

“Four days from now.”

“Well, I’ll probably go home tomorrow. Dre told me there was an extra bunk in Fall Out Boy’s bus, so I’ll sleep there tonight and take a flight back to my mom’s tomorrow.”

“No! Stay with us! We have an extra bunk you can use!” Spencer pleaded.

“Why so eager?” I asked, laughing.

“Because you’re fun. And…” he trailed off, looking around. “You didn’t hear it from me, but someone on this tour wants to take you out to dinner.”

“Really?” I asked, smiling. “Who?”

“Can’t tell you. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Spencerrrr! Give me a hint?”

“Promise to stay on tour until the end?”

“I packed like one other outfit!”

“Liar,” Spencer said without pausing.

“What? Am not!” I protested.

“You’re a girl. You pack options. You’ve got to have at least three other tops packed and one or two other pairs of pants.”

“Spencer, you know too much for your own good,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

“C’mon, stay?”

“Fine,” I sighed. “But only if you give me a hint as to who’s asking me out.”

“He has brown hair.”

“Spencer, that narrows it down to like ten guys!”

“You wanted a hint. There’s your hint. Take it or leave it,” he said, shrugging.

“Take what or leave what?” Brendon asked, rejoining us.

“Nothing, Spencer’s being mean,” I said, pouting.

Brendon laughed. “Spencer, I thought your mommy taught you to be nice to girls,”

Spencer rolled his eyes and shook his head.

When Blink 182 was playing their second-to-last song, First Date, Brendon touched my arm. I looked away from Mark Hoppus and into his eyes.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, following to an area away from everyone backstage.

“Um, well, we have a day off tomorrow, so I was, um, wondering if you’d want to go get dinner with me?”

I smiled at how awkward he was. I suppose that no matter how famous you became, you were still nervous when asking someone out. “I’d love to get dinner with you,” I said smiling.

He beamed and kissed me on the cheek. “Seven sound good?”

I nodded. “Sounds great. By the way, asking me out during Blink 182’s First Date is probably the cheesiest thing someone could do.”

He laughed. “Hey, I’m a cheesy guy.”

The next day, Spencer, Brendon and I played hacky sack (well, Spencer and Brendon did, I tried and failed), Spencer and Brendon went skateboarding around while I watched, and we all just hung out.

By the time 6 PM rolled around, I started getting panicky. I didn’t know what to wear, I didn’t know where he was taking me, and I was just plain nervous.

I heard the bus door open and then close. “Hey, Amanda,” Spencer said, walking back towards his bunk.

“Spencer, you need to help me. What should I wear? How fancy is the place Brendon’s taking me?”

“Um, he’s taking you to a cute little Italian place. Just wear a nice pair of jeans and a sexy top,” he said, grabbing something out of his bunk.

“Thanks!” I said, sighing with relief.

“No problem,” he said, leaving the bus.

I changed into overdyed jeans and a flowy Amethyst colored top. I put on some eyeliner and lip gloss and then I was done. I still had a few minutes to kill, so I stole Zack’s laptop and wrote an email to my friend, Colette, who I had met in France.

After finishing the email, I noticed it was 6:45 and the restaurant reservations were for 7, so I signed my name and sent the email. I shut down the laptop and walked out of the bus.

Brendon was standing around, talking to Spencer. He had changed into black pants and a white button up shirt.

“Hey,” I greeted him. “Am I underdressed?”

“No, no, you look beautiful!” Brendon reassured me.

I smiled and blushed. “Thanks.”

The Italian place that Brendon took me to was very nice. I thought the date would be awkward, but we were talking and laughing like we had known each other for years.

After the servers cleared our dinner plates and before they offered us dessert, Brendon reached out and held my hand. I could tell that he was nervous, so I smiled and intertwined our fingers. He relaxed instantly.

We decided to forgo dessert as we were both full and we got the check.

“I don’t know how they do it in France, but in America, the guy pays for the first date,” he said, taking the check.

“Brendon, I lived in America before I went to France. I’m not some foreigner,” I said, laughing. “Are you sure you don’t want me to contribute?”

“I don’t want you to pay a cent,” he said, slipping his credit card next to the check.

“Do you want me to get the tip?”

“No. What part of not paying a cent don’t you understand?” He asked, smiling.

“The not part,” I said, laughing.

I let him get the check, and we left the restaurant. It was dark by the time we returned to the buses.

“Brendon?”

“Yeah?”

“That was a lovely date, thank you,”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re staying for the rest of the tour.”

“Me too.”

As we were walking along the side of the bus, Brendon suddenly stopped. I turned to face him and he took my hands in his. He started leaning towards me, and I leant towards him.

Our lips met in the middle, and he gave me the sweetest, tenderest kiss I’ve ever received.

“Where are you going after tour?” He asked me after we parted.

“I don’t know. I’m pretty free to go wherever I want. Maybe I’ll move to California,” I said smiling.

He smiled as well. “I’d like that,” he said, and we kissed again.