But... What About the Band?

Brendon's POV

“Where am I gonna sleep?” I asked Khadijah as we walked to her room. We had just left Asia and Mikey, who Asia obviously liked, in the living room.

“We're not going to sleep right away!” said Khadijah. Her eyes seemed to be glistening. “We're gonna-” she stopped. We were in front of Vivien and Gerard's door. We stood there.

Khadijah put her ear to the door. “What the hell...” she whispered. She looked at me wide-eyed. “Is he...growling?”

And indeed he was. I was a bit dumbstruck. The growl wasn't even like a groan, but animal-like. “Is it supposed to sound like that!?” I asked in a panic. This sent Khadijah into a fit of giggles and, all of the sudden, the growls stopped and we heard footsteps. I had to drag Khadijah to her room. Once we got in, I locked the door.

“We almost got caught!” I said, my voice still filled with surprise. I didn't understand why she was laughing.

“You should have seen your face!” she said between her laughter. When she had finally contained herself, she added “And no, I've never heard anyone growl during sex. Just another strange thing about that Gerard.”

“That was freaky.” I agreed.

She laughed. “I'd rather not know how he sounds when he's having sex.”

I sat on the couch in her room. The room was decorated black and offset with bright, eye popping colors. While lounging, I noticed the Wii in front of the armoire. Next to it was a case that read Rock Band 2. In the corner of the room, a drumset was set up.

“YOU'VE GOT ROCK BAND 2!?” I yelled, possibly waking everyone in the neighborhood. She smirked. “Wanna give it a go?”

“Hell yeah!” I said enthusiastically. “Ya know I'm a wiz in Guitar Hero. No one can touch me in that game!”

“Well, this ain't Guitar Hero.” she replied.

“But it's almost the same!” I retorted.

“Whatever you s-” Khadijah was cut off by someone who would possibly knock her door down by the unnecessarily hard banging. “Yes?”

“I heard you little pervs at my door!” yelled an angry Gerard. “I'm gonna get you little...argh!!!!”

“Gerard?” I opened the door.

“What the hell do you want?!” he replied. He was wrapped in a towel and had bedhair.

“Why were you growling?” I asked, putting on my best innocent, childish look.

“Mind your own goddamn business!” yelled Vivien from her bedroom.

Gerard cocked his head to the side. “What she said.” He grunted and walked back to the bedroom and slammed the door.

“I cannot believe you just asked him that.” Khadijah asked in shock. “That's almost as bad as asking him to tell you his personal sex stories.

“But I didn't ask that.” I smiled and for the rest of the night, we played Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Smash Bros. Brawl, and had an awesome time.

“O-M-G, you slept in here?!” Asia busted in the door of Khadijah's room. I was laying on the bed, fully clothed and Khadijah was asleep besides me, fully clothed, but underneath her blankets. Asia's loud entrance had awaken me.

“No!” I yelled. “It's not what it looks like, I swear!” And, of course, it wasn't. I was fully dressed and so was she.

“Surreee....” said Asia, rolling her eyes and closing the door.

“Khadijah, wake up!” I started to poke her. She stirred, but she didn't wake up.

“Khadijjaahh...” I poked her again and she popped up and hugged me, laughing. It was the most cheerful way a person had ever awakened, from what I had witnessed.

“You looked so cute and peaceful asleep.” I said. She laughed and slightly blushed. “Asia just came in here. She saw us.”

She laughed. “Oh well, we didn't do anything.”

“She thinks we did.” I said.

“Whatever.” Khadijah replied. I pulled her up and we walked to the kitchen.

Breakfast was being cooked and served already. Spencer and Hayley had, somehow, found 2 chefs hats and were working on some culinary miracle.

“We've got pancakes!” sang Hayley.
“and sausage!” sang Spencer.
“and orange juice!”
“and grits!”
“and toast!”
“and oatmeal!”
“and-” The dynamic duo was cut off by, who else, Gerard.

“Would you shut the fuck up and serve our goddamn breakfast!?”

“Get lost, you janky asshole.” Asia glared at Gerard, the two exchanging equally hateful glances.

“Janky? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” snarled Gerard.

“I have no idea.” Khadijah said as we made ourselves visible to everyone. “She's been saying that since we were little, living in our parents homes.”

We sat down at the table. There were two empty chairs, right next to each other, with Gerard and Mikey at either end, bordering us. I sat down next to Gerard and Khadijah was between Mikey and myself.

“Hey.” Gerard tapped me.

“Yeah whats up?” I answered back.

“Did you tap that?” he whispered.

“What!?” I said in a voice that was probably too loud.

“Did you get laid?” he raised his eyebrows in extreme interest.

“Umm, eh-” I started. Gerard smirked. “Thats what I'm talkin' about!” he whispered back enthusiastically, slapping me on the back despite the lack of confirmation.

“So who's eating what?” Spencer the Chef asked his friends.

“Umm...I'll take toast, oatmeal, and orange juice.” said Frank. “I'm a vegetarian.”

“I'll take the same.” I said.

“I'll have grits, sausage, pancakes, and orange juice.” ordered Khadijah.

“Same here.” Asia called.

“I'll just take orange juice and oatmeal.” said Mikey.

“Well, I wanted eggs,” started Gerard. “But I'll settle for sausage and toast. I also like coffee with my breakfast, but I'll settle for orange juice.”

Everyone groaned and started to eat their breakfast.

“You all really have to excuse my brother.” said Mikey. “He can't help it. He's always like this...he really means no harm.”

“Did I ask you to take up for me?” asked Gerard. Mikey was silent and seemed to shrink back. “I didn't think so.”

“You shouldn't be so rude to him.” I said. “It's really not cool.”

“He's my fucking kid brother.” Gerard snapped back. “I'll talk to him however the hell I want.”

“It's called courtesy!” yelled Hayley from the kitchen.

“Did anybody ask your cooking mama ass?” said Gerard. He was obviously getting very angry with people from all sides gaining up on him. His face was reddening.

“Don't talk to her like that!” Spencer and Khadijah snapped simutaneously.

“You don't talk!” spat Gerard, directing his attention to Khadijah. “You're the slut who slept with a guy you barely know!”

“Motherfucker, I did no such thing!” Khadijah fired back. She stood up for her seat, looking ready to pounce. “I dare you to call me a slut again!”

“Yeah, I dare you, too!” yelled Asia. “You don't call her a slut! I kick ass for my short one!”

“Well, Brendon, you didn't deny it!” Gerard said, getting in my face.

“Everyone, cool down!” Mikey was trying to be the peacemaker but everyone seemed to be attack/defense mode.

“Well, dickhead, if you had given me a chance to speak,” I retorted back, looking down because I was taller than the little man who I was yelling at. “I would have told you that we fell asleep! I wasn't even under her blanket! We were fully clothed!”

“Check yourself before you call people sluts, dude!” called out Frank. “That's really not cool.”

“Whats going on in here?” Vivien had been asleep and no one had noticed her absence, until she walked in.

Everyone started talking at the same time, well, more like yelling.

“SHUT UP!!!” Mikey yelled. Mikey's yelling over everyone caused everyone, including Gerard, to settle down. When a guy like Mikey yells, it creates an awkward situation. Mikey's a timid guy. He's the type that doesn't talk a lot, doesn't piss people off, and definitely don't yell. The type that strives to stay neutral, for fear of pissing off one side of the schism.

“I can't take it anymore!” yelled Mikey, clutching his hair. “Of course I don't like Gerard talking to me like that! Who does? But that's his freaky ass nature and it does one good to let him think that he's in charge of everything!!” Everyone, it seemed, was shocked besides Hayley. She came to the center of the room for her monologue.

“And you definitely had no right to call Khadijah a slut, especially when you don't have the whole story!” started Hayley. “I can't understand people like you. You don't have respect for anyone and its really sad because I would see you as a really nice guy if you weren't so much of an asshole!”

Gerard looked genuinely hurt. Not a fake hurt that would go away as soon as you glanced away.

“I know where I'm not wanted.” chocked Gerard. He was going to cry. The tough guy was going to cry. He turned to the door. Mikey and Vivien started to go after him but he stopped them. He put his finger to Mikey's chest. “No.” said Gerard, and he walked out of the door.

For the next 3 days, everyone felt as if they had done something wrong. Vivien felt devastated because Gerard wouldn't return her calls. The people in the house felt a sor t of guilt for driving Gerard away. I felt guilty, too, like it was my fault when it wasn't. With Gerard, we knew that he couldn't help himself. We knew that some people are just like that, but we got fed up.

On the 4th day, Gerard came back.

“Gerard!!” Vivien dropped the book that she had been reading and ran over to Gerard and jumped onto her boyfriend. They smiled and shared a kiss.

“Could I, um, have everyones attention?” said Gerard. The word spread like wildfire and everyone gathered, regardless of what they were doing, in a record 10 seconds.

With Vivien on his lap, Gerard started.

“Um, I'm sorry for the way I've acted. No one had ever told me about myself like you all did. They just call a name and get it over with. You all didn't deserve how I treated you; I know that now. I know I haven't been the good guy but if you all are willing to accept me back, well, I'll be home.” His eyes were pleading.

Khadijah was the first to accept him back, besides Vivien, of course. She held out her hand to his. “I accept.” He shook her hand and she smiled.

“Sorry for calling you a, uh, ya know, slut.”

“Apology accepted.”

Gerard stood up. He walked over to his little brother and embraced him. After getting “awws” from everyone in the room, he came back to the middle.

“I can't change instantly, I hope you all know that.” Everyone nodded. “But I swear, I'll try my best.” Gerard was awarded with cheers, thumb ups, and pats on the back. Gerard came up to me after the majority of people had left the room.

“You don't know how hard that was.” he said.

“I can imagine.” I replied, trying not to laugh.

“So, did you get laid yet?”

“No!!”

He laughed. “She's a good catch. Totally your type.”

I laughed nervously, noticing some truth in his words. “We'll see...”

“Who's ready to make some music!?!??” yelled Gerard.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“There are two broken-up bands in this house.” he said. “Plus, 4 groupies.” I eyed him. “Or tag alongs, but what are we waiting for? We're musicians! Lets do what we do best! We've got a lyricist, myself, Mikey plays bass, Frank is on guitar, you and I can do vocals, and Spencer can be on drums!”

“I play piano, guitar, and accordian!!” I yelled. I'd been waiting to say the following line forever. “We need a band name, right?” The moment I'd been waiting for...

“Yaa...”

“BURNING PANIC WITH A VENGENCE!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“What!?!” the people throughout the house yelled back.

“You heard him!” said Gerard. “That's the name of our new band!”