You Drain The Life From Me.

The previous show hadn't been the boys' first show; it was their fifth. But that fact didn't stop us from still being down to party, as my brother said frequently.

We went down to 8123, the old parking structure that John, Moose, and Halvo had found. We decided to make it a tradition that we would come here after every show. And as the boys had added, "When we make it big, this is where we'll come after every tour! No matter how big or small, opening or headlining, we'll party here at 8123, always." They were always big dreamers. And of course, I supported them no matter what.

So now we were at 8123, unloading the coolers and tuning the guitars. I was helping Garrett unfold the lawn chairs when Pat stepped out of the van.

He wasn't alone.

"Lauren!" I squealed.

"Hey!" she replied.

I nudged Garrett. "I see you were successful in getting them together."

"Duh, I'm magical. And not just in relationships. In the bed, too. I think you of all people would know that, Leigh, considering how many times we've actually--"

"Um...wow. That's the second time I've heard Garrett make a sexual comment about you guys. Are you sure you aren't fuck buddies or something?" Lauren asked, giggling.

"Um, oh my God, no. Garrett's just..." I trailed off, searching for the right word to describe Garrett's childish personality.

"Garrett's a perv is all," replied Pat. "And he really li--"

"Pat, shut up! I'll shove my toy dinosaur up so hard your ass that you'll see stars!"

See? I wasn't kidding about Garrett still playing with plastic dinosaurs.

"Garrett!" I scolded, "That was horrible. Leave him alone. What were you going to say, Pat?"

Just as Pat was about to open his mouth, Lauren coughed. "Um, Leigh, we should go uh, get a beer! Let's go."

I raised an eyebrow, confused as to what she was doing and why everyone was avoiding Pat's sentence. I shrugged and walked with her to one of the coolers.

I could hear a faint, "Dude, I told you not to tell her!"

Pat's whiny voice shot back, "I'm sorry! You know she's practically my sister and I tell her everything. This is the one thing I've never told her."

I wondered what it could possibly be as a figure loomed above me. "Leigh, Lauren. What's up?"

"Johnny Ohh, you did wonderful tonight. It was lovely," I assured my brother.

"Leigh, are you sure you can have beer? I mean..." John was fretting over me, just like he did every time I drank.

"John, have I ever had an accident while drinking?"

He shook his head.

"Have I ever whored around because I was drunk?"

He shook his head, again.

"Have I ever driven home drunk?"

He shook his head then looked at his shoes.

"I know you're worried, but I'll be fine. Especially since I have you, the boys, and now Lauren to take care of me! And you started drinking when you were seventeen too."

I handed Lauren a can and took one for myself. "So did you get any fangirls' numbers, Mr. Suave?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "Fuck no."

"Good, I don't want you hooking up with some band slut."

"You don't have to worry."

I took a sip of my beer and laughed at John's pained expression as I did so.

"John, stop being a protective ass and let her drink!" said Garrett. His arms were around my waist and I leaned into him. It was an automatic action. I was so used to doing this that it just felt right. That's how me and Garrett were. We couldn't be apart for more than an hour or two. Sometimes we could get by with three hours apart. But somehow, we always ended up together again.

Garrett and I were friends, okay? Just friends. I liked him, but I was sure that being friends was better than being more.

John playfully narrowed his eyes at me, warning me not to drink too much. I laughed and drank up, only to have him shake his head and walk away. Lauren smirked at me. I knew what she was smirking about. She knew that there must have been something going on between me and Garrett.

She voiced her opinion. "I don't understand. You should be together. Have you even considered being in a relationship with each other, at all? It'd be pretty much perfect, you know."

"Nah, if Leigh and I went out, there wouldn't even be a change. We'd just have lots of sex, just like we do now. Except, I'd be more open about it."

"Like you aren't already," I sarcastically replied.

Lauren raised her eyebrows.

"Jesus, Lauren. You don't actually think this little wanker is serious, do you?"

"I don't know why you choose not to talk about our relationship in the bedroom, Leigh!"

I broke out of his arms and slapped him lightly in the face. He shouted, "God, Leigh! I was just asking a harmless question, you didn't have to bitch slap me like that."

I knew he was kidding and he knew I was too. I took him by the arm and started to walk away when Lauren said we had to talk later. I nodded and dragged Garrett over to a lawn chair. Lauren followed us but instead sat in a chair next to Pat's. Garrett plopped in one and I was going to go sit in another, but he took my arm and sat me down on his lap.

"I don't wanna sit with you, jerk."

"Please sit with me you're the best friend I've ever had I'll be your slave for the rest of the night. Or if we're too wasted, I'll be your slave tomorrow!"

"Fine."

The opening chords to Answering Bell by Ryan Adams played from John's guitar and Garrett and I started singing.

"Did I slip? No, I stumbled.
Did I trip? Cause I know I fell.
All I know is I'll wake up in my clothes tomorrow.
Oh girl, I wish I knew you well!"

Okay, it wasn't as much singing as it was screaming. So what? Garrett and I didn't care. It was 8123! No one cared. Plus, everyone was pretty much drunk anyway, including me and Garrett.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three Ryan Adams and two Third Eye Blind songs later, Garrett and I were completely wasted. When he was wasted, Garrett was even less careful about what he said out loud.

"Leigh...I know I'm not supposed to...but...I li--"

Before he could finish his sentence, John had pulled me to my feet and threw me over his shoulder. "That's enough for today, potato chip. C'mon."

I hated it when John called me that. It had come from the fact that my name sounded exactly like Lay. And you know that kind of potato chip called Lay's? Get it? Yeah.

"John, you know Leigh hates it when you call her that!" yelled Garrett, right when I yelled, "John, I hate it when you call me that!"

"I get it, you two, damn. You didn't have to say it at the same time. I'm still going to call you that anyway."

"Dickhead," I mumbled.

He plopped me in the van and walked away, helping the other guys clean up. I was trying to figure out what Garrett was going to say, but I got distracted because Pat was about to climb in the van, but he stopped and ran over to Lauren, giving her a kiss on the lips.

I smiled, happy that they were happy.