Melt Your Headaches, Call It Home

I stared at the figure wearing jeans and a black hoodie in the doorway, who was waving the magazine around wildly, grinning like a maniac.

Ryan snatched the magazine away from him and slowly walked over to the couch, he sat down heavily next to me. Pete Wentz danced inside, and after shutting the door squished onto the couch next to Jon. I caught a glimpse of the cover before Jon took it away from Ryan. The main picture was Ryan and I, in what appears to be a passionate kiss and in three side bubbles, Alice was kissing Brendon in three different poses. A bolded title screamed at us: Pretty Odd?

Jon flipped through the magazine until he found the right page, and we all leaned in to read the ridiculously lengthy article.

"Panicking Panic at the Disco fans have been wondering where their favorite emo pop stars turned Beatle-maniacs have been for the past two weeks. Not three months after the new release of their sophomore album, Pretty. Odd., the fab four have gone AWOL, just like their exclamation point. Their manager abruptly announced that the rest of Panic at the Disco's tour would be canceled, due to personal reasons and that they would be rescheduled for some time in the future. Last time their absence was announced, guitarist Ryan Ross' father had passed away. This time not specific explanation was given and so we had to do a bit of delving on our own, luckily for you, we got the exclusive scoop.

It just so happened that one of our reporters was in the right place at the right time, following a completely unrelated story. We found Brendon Urie, main vocalist of the band, with a blond woman in her early twenties in a park downtown, sharing some ice cream. The pale, dark-haired 21 year old, has been a tween girl favorite ever since Pete Wentz helped the band to stardom. "The two seemed flirty and intimate," remarked a bystander. Had Panic canceled a tour to spend time with a girl? Jon Walker and Spencer Smith, however, are the only members of the band with reported girlfriends, (Ryan Ross split from his girlfriend in late April). A new fling? After about ten minutes of heavy flirting and giggling, Urie had the guts to kiss the girl and soon the pair was engaged in what was soon to be a full make out session. They had no regard for the public, including the young children playing nearby.

Not ten minutes later, Ryan Ross made his way into the park chatting with another mystery girl in a wheelchair while he pushed her along. Urie and mystery girl #1 spotted Ross, and not wanting to be seen, they snuck away and made for their separate cars. The newest pair purchased ice cream from the same stand and sat down in the same bench that with out their knowledge, Urie had occupied moments before. What's shocking is that the skinny, intellectual 21 year old guitarist sports the remnants of two black eyes and his entire left arm covered in a hard cast. The pretty, wavy-haired brunette in the wheelchair had both a wrist and an ankle encased.

As our reporter took a closer look at these casts, flirtatious messages could be seen scribbled all over in brightly colored paints. Ross' cast includes messages like "Ryan Ross loves Charlotte Labelle" and the woman's leg cast (confirmed as being Charlotte Labelle) has phrases like "Mrs. Charlotte Ross" scrawled across its surface. Putting these messages aside, the biggest question on everyone's mind is: What happened? Ross is thought to have had no contact with Labelle before the band's break; rumors suggest that they were involved in a car accident and have since become friends... or more.

The starting dynamic between this duo sets a stark contrast to Urie's. After carefully helping Labelle onto the bench next to him, Ross concentrates on finishing his ice cream. Labelle watches the group of young children playing before instigating a quiet discussion with him that takes a serious turn as they talk about a subject that pains them both. Their past perhaps? Finally, an almost tearful Labelle embraces Ross, gingerly though, as if injuries lay hidden beneath their clothes. Surprised at first, Ross seems unsure of how to react, soon he wraps his arm around her. Both contentedly close their eyes reveling in the contact between them. As they break apart Ross brushes a small but intense kiss across her lips, and they smile happily at each other.

Soon the serious moment is forgotten and the two proceed with a flirtatious fight about the remains of Labelle's ice cream. Their little dispute ends, as they decide to leave, with ice cream spread across their faces and even wider smiles to match them. Hopefully this pair will let us know what's going on and what we can expect from them in the future."

I finished before anyone else did and leaned back shocked. I didn't expect anything like this to happen.

How does it even look like Ryan and I are kissing? Because if that happened, I sure don't have any recollection of it.

I looked to Jon and Pete on my right for reactions. Pete was positively giddy while Jon had a skeptically amused expression. Ryan had finished reading and was looking at the pictures of us and Brendon and Alice torn between disgust and amusement.

"You two certainly look cute," commented Pete, flashing that famous smile at us.

"Except for the fact that its fake," I countered.

"Sure it is," said Jon, looking highly skeptical, "You two have been itching to get at each other ever since you met."

Ryan and I quickly looked at each other, I blushed and looked away, trying to maintain composure. Ok, so over the past however long, I have crushing hard. I can't help it. I haven't even told Alice, but Jon and Brendon wormed it out of me our third afternoon. We had been on a grocery shopping trip that they had begged to come on and somehow tricked me into admitting that I did like him. They haven't shut up about it since.

"We never kissed," said Ryan, avoiding everyone's eyes for a minute, "Just hugged, but like anyone's going to believe that after this."

"We're just friends," I added firmly.

They just stared at us with yeah-rightexpressions.

"Brendon and Alice, however," said Ryan with a smirk, "have some explaining to do."

"Where are they now?" asked Pete, looking around the room like they might be hiding here.

"Well, they're supposed to be driving Spence to the airport, but it might take them awhile to get back," said Jon wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

We all laughed.

I took the magazine looking down at the cover and said, "Well, this isn't good."

"Yeah, we didn't even get in a car crash," protested Ryan.

"Have you told anyone that though?" asked Pete, "I mean, maybe you guys should set the record straight."

"Yeah, maybe," replied Ryan, uncertain.

"I'll do it," said Jon, "Webcast?"

Ryan nodded in agreement, "Is that ok, Charlotte?"

"Yeah, I mean it is unfair to cancel on everyone without a good reason. Then you can clear up some rumors too," I said, looking at Ryan.

He was fiddling with the hem of his shirt with an unreadable expression. He looked up and caught me staring but gave me a small smile before he got up to go get his laptop, which was sitting on his bed.

The second he was out of earshot, Pete leaned over and whispered, "You are so fucking fully in love with each other." I just rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"What was that?" asked Ryan as he walked back into the room and set the laptop on the coffee table.

"Oh, Pete was just saying how you and Charlotte secretly want to fuck each other," Jon said amiably. We all ignored him.

"Wow," said Pete, "You must think I'm a total ass, I'm Pete Wentz." He stuck out his hand.

"I've gathered who you are. I'm Charlotte Labelle," I returned as I shook his hand, and gave him a small smile. The truth is, I found his energy amusing and his presence certainly lifted the boredom we've felt for the past couple days.

"Ready?" asked Jon as he prepared to start the webcam.