You Drain The Life From Me.

"Do you have all your chargers?"

He nodded.

"Jackets?"

Another nod.

"All your shoes and beanies and-"

"Leigh, he'll be fine, he's not going backpacking through the Amazon," Brian interrupted with a laugh.

"Well it's his first tour, I don't want him to forget anything," I defended with a huff.

"He's not a baby," commented John.

"Thanks, Leigh. I love you."

He kissed me full on the lips and smiled. "I'll miss you. Call me, okay?"

"Every day, baby. And I'll update you on the doctor's appointments and stuff."

"We'll Skype. And make sure that Gar-"

"Dude, seriously, we gotta go!" yelled Josh. Jess smiled at me apologetically.

"Bye, Leigh!" He kissed me once more and I couldn't help but wonder what he was going to say about Garrett.

I waved at him and sighed. Alone. I was all alone now.



"Pour some sugar on me! Ooh in the name of love! Pour some sugar on me! Come on fire me up! Pour your sugar on me! Oh, I can't get enough! I'm hot, sticky, sweet from my head to my feet, yeah!"

I moved my head from side to side and jiggled my butt with a giggle. It was cleaning day at the apartment. Now that Stephen was gone, there were no distractions. I could barely hear the music over the vacuum, even though the volume was turned up as high as it could go.

I just hoped the neighbors didn't mind.

Once I had finished vacuuming the entire living room, I shut off the cleaner and plopped onto the couch. So far, I had cleaned the bathroom, washed the sheets (God knew those sheets needed washing after what we had put them through before Stephen had left), done laundry, organized the CDs, and vacuumed the entire house. All I had left to do was to unload dishes and bake cookies.

I turned down the volume so it wasn't blaring and changed it to the demo CD that John had dropped off for me earlier that week.

It was some rough tracks for their EP, The Way We Talk. They were getting ready to record it, and tonight, they were celebrating their signing to Fearless Records.

Of course, I was designated driver, but I was still extremely excited to go. My best friends and brother were signed to a record label. I wouldn't miss the celebration for the world.

Just as I opened the dishwasher to start taking out dishes, the doorbell rang. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and hurriedly walked to the door to see who it could possibly be.

I was greeted by Pat's smiling face, and under it was Garrett's.

"Please let us in," Garrett groaned, "Pat begged for a piggy back ride and my back is killing me."

I stepped backwards with raised eyebrows and an amused smile.

"You owe me," grumbled Garrett.

"Well I was the one who reminded you about the candle," he defended.

"Fine. But no more piggy back rides."

Pat shrugged. "Fine with me."

The candle?

What candle?

My mind suddenly flashed back to the conversation that Garrett and I had at the apartment warming party. He had said something about his mother making him buy a candle, and him forgetting it at home.

"So all you came here to do was give me a candle?" I asked, amused.

"Well we came here to hang out with you, of course!" explained Pat.

"We heard you were lonely and all without that Mexican kid and we decided to help you out with that!"

I chuckled mentally. That Mexican kid? Ha. Garrett didn't try to hide his dislike for Stephen at all.

"Well you came at the perfect time! You can help me unload dishes!"

Both boys groaned at the exact same time, and both gave me the same displeased look.

My lips curled into a smirk and I turned to the kitchen, motioning for them to follow me.

"Onwards, boys! If you help me now, you'll get cookies!"

Once Pat heard that, he scampered into the kitchen faster than both Garrett and me.

When we all were at the open dishwasher, Pat froze. "But wait...I can't do these. I'll break everything."

"He's got a point," mumbled Garrett.

"Well, how about you help me make cookies later? You can pick which kind we make," I suggested.

Pat nodded his head excitedly.

"You can go watch Full House in the living room, Pattycakes."

"How come he gets out of it?!" Garrett exclaimed with a huff.

"Because I don't want him breaking my plates and shit."

"Well, I could just as easily drop them!"

"No, you're more careful than that. Pat has...problems."

"Well-"

"Nope, end of discussion. You're helping me or I'm calling your mom."

Garrett's eyes widened and he immediately went to pick up a plate and put it in the open cupboard.

I chuckled. The mom trick always worked with him.

I looked him up and down. "Nice outfit."

It barely matched. He was wearing a white jacket with black polka dots, a green, black, and white striped shirt, black jeans, Converse, and an orange sweatband around his head.

He smiled at me, obviously not picking up the hint of sarcasm in my remark. I chuckled once more as I stuck a dish towel on the inside of a wet glass, wiping it dry then handing it to Garrett.

"So how's it been, you know, without Stephen?"

"Less sex, that's for sure," I answered, knowing it would make him annoyed.

"Really, Leigh?"

"Yup."

"You did that on purpose didn't you? That was payback for the question I asked at the party."

"Sure was, sweet pea," I replied with an exaggerated Southern accent.

"Whatever. But really, is it like, quiet?"

"Yeah, I have to have music on all the time because there's no one to talk to. Lauren's been coming over a lot, but she's been hanging out with Pat."

"You should like, get someone to move in with you while he's gone. Not officially. Just like a month long sleepover."

He was hinting at something and I knew it. "I suppose that someone would be you?"

"Look, Leigh, while he's gone, I'm going to try my best to convince you that you should be with me. Because no matter who's fucking baby it is, you're still mine and I'm still yours. I never thought we'd give that up."

"M-Maybe it's time to grow up. I mean, you must have known that we'd have to grow up eventually."

He slammed his hand down onto the counter in frustration. I heard Pat gasp from the living room. I myself jumped in surprise.

"You're lying to yourself, Leigh! Don't even fucking go there because you said it yourself that this would last forever."

We had been sitting on the roof after a long day at school, dealing with judgmental people and harsh teachers. We had both finally finished our homework and once that was done, we had climbed on his roof and watched the stars. It was such a cliché thing to do, really. But we always did it when it was even just slightly cold outside in Gilbert, Arizona.

"Garrett, dude, we're getting old."

"Why do you say that?"

"I mean, we're already sophomores. Next thing you know, we're going to be graduating and moving on with our lives."

"But we'll still be friends, right?"

"Of course. Maybe more."

"Yeah, can you believe our parents think we're gonna get married?"

"Yeah. I mean, it wouldn't hurt anyone. We're already practically married, according to John."

"It's always been that way, hasn't it? I'm yours and you're mine?"

"It'll always be that way, Gary. It'll be that way until we both die. It'll be that way when you go on tour, it'll be that way when I go off to college and do whatever it is I'm supposed to do when I grow up."

"Forever?"

We linked pinkies.

"Forever."

Tears pooled at my eyes as I thought back to the night when we ended up staying there all night, freezing our little butts off.

It had been two or three years ago, but it rang clear in mind.

"I'm still yours and you're still mine," I reassured him. But it sounded like I was reassuring myself rather than Garrett.

"Prove it."

My eyes flickered to the living room where Pat sat, eyes glued to the television.

"I want you to prove it to me, Leigh. Prove to me that you still love me. You've said it before, but how am I supposed to know? Those were just words."

"You've never needed actions, Gare," I spat.

"I need them now. After all of this," he said as he stuck his arm out, motioning to the apartment, "And you picking him, and leaving me, and ditching me to have sex with him."

"You're jealous, Garrett."

"I am! And it's not like I don't have a reason to be. The girl I've loved since I was seven years old is here, living with another guy. It seems like she's forgotten and replaced me. So please, Leigh. Show me you love me. Prove it."