I Never Told You What I Do For A Living

Ryan’s POV

I woke up to the bedroom door closing shut. I blindly felt the spot on the bed next to me to find that Brendon wasn’t there.

It didn’t take that long to get a glass of water, did it?

I frowned, blinking a few times before sitting up. Brendon stared at me, hand still on the doorknob and eyes wide, as if he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be.

“Um. You can go back to sleep, Ryan, it’s just me,” he whispered, taking off his jacket and throwing it on top of the dresser. I arched an eyebrow, still half-asleep.

“Where’d you go?” I asked. He smiled.

“I told you, just to get water. Maybe you were still half-asleep and you don’t remember,” he laughed. “Just go to bed, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“But you don’t get changed out of your pajamas to get water,” I pointed out. His smile vanished.

“I can if I want to?” It came out as more of a question. “Are you telling me what I can and can’t do now, Ryan? God, I just wanna get changed and go to bed, why do I have to be quizzed?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Brendon, I’m not an idiot,” I mumbled sleepily. “Did something happen?”

Brendon sighed, defeated, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Promise you won’t be pissed off?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged.

“Sure.”

Brendon smiled slightly.

“I went to go talk to my mom,” he stated simply. I stared at him, eyes wide; unsure of whether I should be furious or just confused as fuck. I said it wasn’t a good idea, didn’t I? And if he really wanted to see her that bad, he should have taken me with him, to stop him from doing anything he’d regret later. It’s not like he needed to sneak out or something, right?

“What? Why would you do that?!” I sputtered. He rolled his eyes.

“Because I wanted to talk to her,” he replied simply, shrugging. I scowled.

“Brendon, I told you that wasn’t a good idea, what happened? Did you kill her? You killed her, didn’t you? And now we have to fucking move again, we just got here, damn it!”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t kill her,” he replied, sounding annoyed. “But I’m really glad that that’s what you immediately think.”

I sighed in relief.

“Well Brendon, what am I supposed to think? Do you remember how upset and furious you were when she came here? You should have taken me with you! What happened?!” I asked hurriedly. He shrugged.

“We made amends. I don’t see why you care all that much. The second I mention my mom, all you have to say is bad things about her,” he spat, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. I gaped at him. Was he being serious?

“Brendon, all I’ve ever heard from you is bad things about her!” I snapped. “Of course I care, I’m just concerned, and with good reason to be! I mean, you’re a fucking murderer, and you went out to go see your mother, who alienated and disowned you, in the middle of the night! That’s why I said it wasn’t a good idea; I just didn’t want you to do something you’d regret!”

“Well I’m not a fucking kid, I don’t need people to tell me what to do!” he hissed, glaring at me in the dim light. “This isn’t even any of your business, she’s not your mom, and she’s never even talked to you before. Can’t you just leave it alone?”

I scowled, standing up and looking at him incredulously.

“I wasn’t telling you what to do, god damn it Brendon, for the last fucking time, I was just saying I didn’t think-“

“You always tell me what to do!” he snapped, and I realized we were no longer whispering. “All the fucking time! Go wipe the handles off for fingerprints, even though everyone already knows who we are. Right now, Brendon. Brendon, I don’t like the wig, you wear it today. You were the one who decided that you wanted to be like me, you were my follower, so we stop to piss when I say we stop to piss! We’re getting up at half past the asscrack of dawn, because I said so, and also I’m sleeping on the right side of the bed because I like that side better, move to the left side. Oh, this is your childhood friend? Let’s lock him in the motherfucking trunk until I decide it’s okay to let him out. And we’re not allowed to trust him, by the way. Brendon, Jon isn’t allowed in the house and I’ll kill him if he is, I don’t care what you think or say because my opinion is the only one that really matters. You shouldn’t go try and make up with your mom, I know she destroyed your childhood and all and you want to go see if you can make amends, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, so. No. God forbid you don’t get your way! It’s insane; I don’t even know why you’re so mad that I went to go see her!”

I just stared at him, gaping. I wasn’t that bossy, was I? I mean, he never acted like he minded. If he did, he could have just said something. I only assumed that if I wasn’t going to keep us from getting caught, no one would. Brendon’s reckless and sometimes doesn’t think things through, he knows that as well as I do. I just wanted to keep us from being put to death or something.

“God forbid I don’t get my fucking way?” I exploded, taking a few steps closer. He arched an eyebrow, telling me to go on. “Fuck you, Brendon! Fine! I won’t fucking try to keep us safe anymore! Sorry I’m so fucking bossy, and you’re too much of a pussy to fucking say something about it!”

“I’m not a pussy!” he growled. “I’m not-“

“No, shut the fuck up!”

“There you go again with fucking telling me what to do!” he shouted. I blinked at him.

“Are you for real?! Holy shit. I’m fucking leaving, you’re a fucking dick,” I hissed. I don’t need to deal with his shit this early. Spencer said there was more than one spare room, right? Yeah. Fuck this, fuck him.

“Good, asshole. Hold on, let me open the door for you, your majesty, I’m here to fucking serve,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he opened the door the rest of the way.

“I fucking hate you,” I snapped. He looked surprised, but his scowl returned almost immediately.

“Awesome! Nice to know! Have a good night, now, prick,” he hissed, and I groaned in frustration and walked into the hallway, slamming the door behind me.

It was probably a good thing no one lived too close to here, or they might have called the cops or something.

I frowned as I realized that I really didn’t know where the other spare rooms were, and it was dark, so I felt around for a doorknob.

Eventually, I found one, and opened it, flicking on the light on the wall inside.

I sighed.

Fucking closet.

“What happened?”

I turned around to see a tired-looking Spencer standing behind me, looking concerned. I shrugged.

“Brendon’s an asshole. Where’s the spare bedroom?” I asked. Spencer bit his lip.

“Well, actually, since me and my sister are adults now and my mom never really comes here, we use the other two for storage. You know, so we don’t have to pay for actual storage? My mom can be cheap,” he let out a light laugh. “Um, but, you can come sleep in my room if you want, I don’t really mind. I kind of like the couch better, because the temperature is nicer downstairs, and I don’t have to go as far to get something to drink if I get thirsty. Plus, I won’t hear it if there’s any more late night fighting.”

“I…oh.” I sighed heavily. All I wanted to do was fucking sleep. Damn the Smith family and their storage. Damn them all.

“Are you sure you don’t mind if I stay in yours?” I sighed. Spencer nodded.

“Yeah, not at all.” There was a pause. “Um, so. If you don’t mind me asking, how was he being an asshole? You two woke me up with your yelling and door slamming.”

I smiled apologetically.

“He went to go see his mom in the middle of the damn night,” I growled, frustrated. “And then we both just started yelling, I don't know. He's just an ass.”

Spencer nodded.

“Well, he’s always had a short temper, and it seems to me like you’re both overtired anyway,” he offered, shrugging. “You’ll make up.”

“I don’t wanna make up, he’s a dick,” I hissed. “He’s so stupid.”

Spencer laughed.

“Stupid? What are you, five?”

“Shut up.”

Spencer nodded, turning around and leading me to his bedroom, which was actually close to ours. Well, damn. Why didn’t I try that doorknob?

He leaned into the room and flicked on the light, and then turned to face me again.

“Just don’t go through my shit?” he asked, and I nodded. I heard footsteps from the room Brendon was in, and scowled.

“No problem.”

“Spencer, who are you talking to?” Brendon asked, and it was muffled by the door. “It better be Jon, because Ryan’s a-“

I don’t know why, I’m sure it was out of spite; but as the bedroom door cracked open, I surged forward and pressed my lips against Spencer’s. He didn’t respond; he just seemed frozen with shock, and honestly, I was sort of shocked too.

I pulled away and glanced at the doorway, where Brendon was standing, looking furious and upset.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” he hollered. I smirked.

“I don’t have a problem. Goodnight, Spencer,” I said, a smug grin on my face as I walked into Spencer’s room and locked the bedroom door behind me.

I was sure I just did something particularly stupid, but at the moment, I didn’t really care all that much.