But It's Better If You Swear to Shake It Up.

Ryan's P.O.V

I woke up to sun pouring in my eyes and groaned, shutting them quickly and rolling on my side. When I opened them again the sun didn't sting and burn like it had, so I sat up and looked around the room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I saw Pete and Jon sleeping on my floor cuddled up to each other, Pete missing a shirt and Jon missing his pants. I tried to stand up but fell back all too quickly as a sharp pain shot through my head. It felt as though it had just been cracked open.

“Ugh,” I moaned as I collapsed onto the couch, but as soon as I hit it the couch moved and yelled. I clambered up and didn't even notice the pain in my head as I looked behind me to see why my couch was talking to me.

“Jesus Ryan! You look fucking anorexic skinny to most people but your bony ass fucking hurts,” I heard Spencer say as I turned around and looked at him rubbing his stomach where I had fallen. At least I think that was why.

“Why the fuck are you yelling?!” I heard Brendon's voice say from the stairs. I looked over and saw him standing on the bottom step rubbing his head. Well at least I knew I wasn't the only one who had gotten positively plastered and was feeling it. But when the fuck did he get here anyway? Oh yeah, last night was his birthday party. But why is he coming from upstairs? Usually when we all get drunk we pass out in the same room or at least somewhere downstairs because we're too fucked up to make it up the stairs without breaking our necks.

“Because Ryan over her still seems to be drunk and stumbling,” Spencer grumbled irritated as he got up and walked towards the kitchen. I got up and followed him. I walked in and could already smell coffee, but I didn't know who made it. Then I saw someone I didn't recognize at first. But then I realized she was the girl from the concert the other night, but I still couldn't remember why she was in my kitchen.

Brendon walked in the doorway and walked over to the girl. Oh god what was her name?

“Hey babe,” He said and placed a kiss lightly on her lips. What the fuck?

“Here, take this. It'll make you feel better,” She said and handed Brendon an aspirin and a glass of water. “You want one, Ry?”

“Huh?” I asked, not really paying attention.

“Do you want an aspirin? I'm sure you have a splitting head ache, you were pretty hammered last night,” She said looking at me.

“Uh, no. I'm just gonna drink some coffee and that should do it. Thanks for offering though,” I said blankly.

“Hey, it's your house. Do what you want,” She said shrugging and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“You aren't hungover, Cali?” Spencer asked her. So that was her name.

“Nope, I usually don't. I'm lucky in that aspect. I get sick sometimes, but I'm usually still drunk when that happens,” She answered.

“Wow, you were as drunk as Ryan. But your only eighteen. You probably haven't been drunk as much,” He said.

“You'd be surprised,” She said smiling as she sat at the table with Brendon, well actually sat on Brendon.

I poured a cup of coffee for my own self and then went to get a bowl of cereal. But as I was getting a bowl, they all fell out and made a loud crashing noise. I moaned and held my head in one hand as pain surged through again. Did I mention how much a fucking hate hangovers? “Ugh my head!” I whined and Spencer laughed at me.

“We tried to get you to stop, but no! You wanted more, more, more! Maybe if you would listen to someone for a change you wouldn't be so miserable the next day,” Spencer told me and I knew he was right. But I wasn't about to let him know that.

“Shut up. At least I know how to have fun. Your so fucking stiff I don't believe you've ever touched a beer in your life,” I said as I grabbed some Lucky Charms out of my cupboard and poured them in the bowl. I went to the fridge to get the milk but it wasn't in there. “Where the hell's the milk?”

“Chill, Ry, it's right here,” Brendon said holding it up for me to see the half gallon of two percent milk in front of him.

I grabbed it from his hand and poured it in, drowning the marshmallows in the creamy white liquid.

I sat in the chair opposite Cali and Brendon and stuffed the soggy cereal in my mouth.

I jumped as the silence in the kitchen was broken by music. Cali shot up and reached her hand in her pocket, pulling out a cell phone and sliding it open. “Hello? Oh, hi Trav,” I saw Brendon's face fall when she said that and she walked towards the back door and talked on the back patio.

“You okay?” I asked Bren as he stared down at my cereal. “You hungry?”

“No, I'm fine,” He said not looking up.

I put my spoon down and got up, grabbed his arm and dragged him into the dining room next to the kitchen. I knew he was lying and wasn't going to let him get away with it. And I couldn't just sit there and watch my best friend like that.

“What's the matter?” I asked pushing up in a chair and looking at him.

“Ryan, there's nothing wrong,” He said.

“Liar,” I said and he just stared blankly at me.

“You sound like a five year old.”

“And you're as headstrong as a fucking thirteen year old. Now tell me what you're problem is. As soon as Cali got on the phone with whoever the hell 'Trav' is, you've been mopey,” I told him.

“Travis, is her boyfriend,” He said.

“And that upsets you why? What are you even doing with her? Doesn't she live in like California?” I asked.

“No, she lives here, in Vegas. Just a street over from you actually,” He said.

“You like her don't you?” I asked. I knew it was true. I could just tell with how he acted. It had to be a pretty special girl to make him this way.

“No, I love her. And we're kind of dating. It's complicated, but I forgot about him until just now,” He told me, and when mentioning Travis he spat it out as if it were some type of toxin that would kill you in seconds if you swallowed it.

“At least you're something with her. And have you talked to her about her boyfriend? Is she going to break up with him or something?”

“She said she will, but she doesn't know when. I hope it's soon. But there's really nothing I can do except for wait and see.”

“Okay,” I said, but I knew there was something he wasn't telling me. I decided not to push the envelope and left it for another time. “Come on let's go.”

As we were walking back into the kitchen from the dining room, Cali walked in from the back porch.

She stood in front of the counter and Brendon walked to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She cuddled into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a kiss firmly on his lips.

“Babe, I'm sorry. But I gotta go. Call me later?” She asked as she pulled away lightly.

“Yeah. Bye honey,” Brendon said.

“Bye, Sweetie. I really am sorry,” She said.

“It's okay,” He said pecking her lips once more before she turned for the door and left.