You Come Along Because I Love Your Face

The next day, William returned to Gabe’s hotel room. He now understood what William had meant when he said that his uncle was ‘flexible’; William hadn’t gone back to his respective room until three in the morning, and his uncle didn’t seem to care where he had been. (Which was good, since William and Gabe figured he wouldn’t be too pleased to hear that William was busy losing his virginity to a thirty-five year old TV show judge, doing all sorts of things he probably didn’t even know existed.) Moreover, he didn’t care where William was now, at one AM.

“So, William, where are your parents?” Gabe questioned, as he and William cuddled on the bed, watching a stupid cartoon that neither of them were paying attention to. Gabe wondered if William felt awkward doing these things, since he guessed the boy had never been in any kind of romantic relationship before. Especially since Gabe was moving so fast. But moving fast was the only way to go…

“Mmm,” William paused uncomfortably, “probably vacationing somewhere again. I barely ever see them.”

“Oh?” Gabe pressed.

“Yeah,” William went on. “It’s kind of lonely, I guess.”

“Mmm,” Gabe pursed his lips. He wasn’t very good at comforting people. “So, uh, are you excited for tomorrow?” He decided it was best to change the subject.

“Tomorrow?”

“It’s the first day of the competition.”

“Wow! Really?” William slapped his forehead. “I completely forgot.”

“But remember,” Gabe said seriously, “don’t talk about any of this.”

“I promise…” William replied, with the same tone a little kid might have after being lectured by their parent.

“Atta boy,” Gabe winked, and slumped down deeper into bed. William yawned, before snuggling by Gabe’s side. Their thoughts about tomorrow, their relationship, and everything in-between eventually tired them out, and they surrendered to sleep.

***
“Oh, shit,” Gabe cursed, once he realized he had fallen asleep entangled with William. It was twelve PM, but luckily the couple still had time to get ready. “William,” Gabe shook him awake. “You gotta get out of here.” William’s eyes flickered open slowly, and he mumbled something Gabe couldn’t make out.

“Jusss ten more minutes?” he slurred, and buried his face into the pillow.

“No,” Gabe pulled the covers off of William, making his shiver and curl up into a ball.

“I have to leave,” Gabe informed him. “And so do you.”

“Will I see you today?” William asked hopefully, and finally began to drag himself out of the bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and tried to contain a huge yawn that was trying to escape.

“We’ll see,” Gabe answered, and scrambled around, changing into a fresh set of clothing.

“See you at four, then… maybe,” William shuffled towards the door, and tiptoed out after exchanging quick waves with Gabe.

***
“Gabe?? What the fuck are you doing with that kid??” Ryan was passing down the hallway, when he saw Gabe grinding against that contestant that looked kind of like a chick.

“Uhh… what?” Gabe scoffed. “I was just helping him tighten his belt…” William pointed at a shiny, gold belt that was strung around his waist.

“But… I…”

“Ryan, you better get your eyes checked…” Gabe shoved Ryan out of his way, and proceeded down the hall to finish getting ready for the show. William began to follow him closely behind, but Ryan grabbed his shoulder tightly.

“Why was Gabe tightening your belt, kid? Wasn’t he doing it backwards or…?”

“I needed help, and I saw him first, so…”

“I could’ve sworn I… never mind. Go back to the dressing rooms,” Ryan muttered, and headed in the opposite direction of Gabe and William. He rubbed his eyes, and chuckled to himself. “Silly me… Grinding… Pfft…”

“Good one,” William whispered as he passed by Gabe, and winked.

***
The screams from the crowd made William’s ears hurt as he walked onto the stage with the 49 other contestants. He really felt like a rockstar; it had taken four hours to get his hair, makeup, and clothing—skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and a vest with shiny, gold buttons (to match his belt)—ready. Not to mention, he was dating Gabe Saporta. He figured only really important people got to do that.

“Hello,” the host boomed, and the audience was silent. “My name is Billie Joe Armstrong! And, as you know, I’m the host of America’s Best Singer. Now, let’s introduce our contestants…” Billie flipped through his notes, and cleared his throat. “Patrick Stump!”

“Hi, everyone,” Patrick gave the crowd a big, toothy smile and waved. He had on a black fedora and matching suit.

“Brendon Urie!”

“Hey, people!” Brendon cheered, and gave a flamboyant wave. He had on a purple, sequined top, some black skinny jeans, and a little black eyeliner around his brown eyes.

“Our youngest singer, William Beckett!”

“Hi,” William smiled shyly, and barely even waved. He had to admit, he was a little intimidated by the large crowd. He was only used to performing in the hallways at school… and getting food thrown at him.

Billie Joe called out some more names—that William paid no attention to—and before he knew it, it was time for the performances. He snoozed through most of them, seated on a cushioned chair to the side of the stage, but he was soon wide-awake when it was his turn to sing his heart out. William’s stomach was fluttering, and his legs felt like they could barely support him any longer as he shakily made his way towards the center of the stage. The crowd roared, the spotlights flashed in his direction, and William began to sing. The first few lines of Beware! Cougar! came out sounding quiet and unsure, but as the song progressed, William’s voice sounded bold and strong. He finished the song with a bang, and the crowd erupted with applause. Billie Joe walked over to him, and slung his arm around William’s shoulder.

“Good job, Will!” Billie complimented. “Now, let’s see what the judges have to say…”

“Ahem,” Pete cleared his throat. “Good, good, very good, especially since it was your first performance. Maybe some more interaction with the crowd next time. Seven.” William nodded his head.

“William, we meet again,” Ryan sipped some of his Coke, and cocked an eyebrow at William. “Eh, I thought your performance we pretty good. I agree with Pete; more interaction. I’ll give you an eight.”

“And lastly, Mr. Saporta,” Billie Joe said.

“Beautiful. Nine out of ten. That is all.”

The audience cheered, and William retreated back to his seat. The next singer—a girl called Cassadee—got up, and made her way to the center of the stage. William couldn’t help but notice that her whole family was seated along the front row, cheering her on. He wondered if his own parents even gave a shit that he was living his dream. They most likely didn’t. They probably wouldn’t even vote for him. And then the thought occurred to William… Who would vote for him? There was no one that would possibly care enough to do so. At least Gabe cares, William thought, he’s all I have now. And so, William silently cried to himself, because it was then that he realized how truly alone and insignificant he is.