The day for their first performances of what they had been practicing came quickly. Though they would just be performing to their fellow drama kids and teacher, everyone was in a frenzy to get ready.

Brendon and Ryan seemed to move slower than the chaos around them. Their skit came near the end of the show. They would be watching from the seats in front of the stage until it was their turn.

Brendon tugged the dark trenchcoat over his arms as Patrick rushed past him, waving a red scrunchie over his head. He turned to Ryan, who was silently pulling up his knee high socks.

"Finally show time." Brendon forced a smile. He was still hurting from the event that had taken place a few weeks ago, now. He tried to move past it, but his brain kept that shitty feeling in the front of his mind.

"Yep." Was all Ryan said in response. He had been quiet these past weeks as well. He cut off their usual flirting, leaving rehearsal without a word to anyone. He wore jackets more often than not, even on hotter days. Brendon tried sneaking over, but Ryan's window was locked and had a dark curtain to block peering eyes.

"You excited?" Brendon tried again, wanting to hear more of Ryan's voice. He missed it. It wasn't normal to him to go so long without hearing it.

Ryan shrugged. Brendon wanted to press on, but Hayley was calling for places. That basically meant get on stage or go get your ass in a seat. Brendon walked alongside Ryan with many of the others. They sat in the third row, nestled behind Pete and Steven who were dressed in colonial outfits.

Pete turned back in his with a grin. "Patrick's group is up first." He whispered, excitedly.

"We finally get to see their secret project!" Steven exclaimed with a small fist pump, "Max wouldn't give anything up."

"Neither would Patrick or, apparently, Tyler." Pete said, sliding down in his seat to face Steven.

Brendon turned to Ryan, who was folding up a piece of paper. Ryan had been writing a lot, recently. He kept it angled so that no one could ever get a glimpse of it. "Finally finish your epic story?" Brendon teased weakly, nudging Ryan with his elbow.

"You could say that." Ryan admitted, saying more than Brendon expected him to. He took that as a small success.

"Ladies, non-ladies, and everything in between!" Jack ran onto the stage, speaking into a microphone that had a bra dangling off of it. "Who's ready for a party!?"

A cheer from the audience.

"Well, don't get your hopes up. We're drama kids, we don't do parties. We get crippling social anxiety that lead to moments like what we'll see in our first act." Jack began to scoot himself across the stage while gesturing to the area behind him. "Give it up for Michael In The Bathroom, performed by someone not even named Michael, Kellin Quinn!"

The group in front of the stage clapped as the curtains pulled apart to reveal Kellin in a dark shirt with CREEPS written in bright, green tape across his upper torso. His eyes were red and puffy by the time he was done with the song. His boyfriend, Vic, shared the same dilemma as he helped move the props off stage.

Jack slid back onstage. "Now that we're all sad, we should shove some sweets in our faces because that's the thing to do!" He grinned out at the crowd before holding one of his hands up in the air. "Welcome to their candy store!"

As Jack spoke, the music for the song started and three figures danced onstage to the rhythm.

"Oh my god!" Pete exclaimed with laughter, pointing up at the stage.

Patrick lead the group, wearing a smirk on his face as his hips shook in the plaid skirt he wore. Behind him were Max and Tyler, equally as into the routine. Jack turned to them with wide eyes as they stepped closer to him.

"I like!"

"Lookin' hot. Buying stuff, they cannot." Patrick gestured to the crowd with the lyric, but kept his eyes on Jack.

Jack tried to move off stage, but Tyler and Max rushed forward to grab hold of his arms. Never once did they miss a beat.

"I like!"

"Killer clothes, kicking nerds in the nose!" Patrick kicked right in front of Jack's face, causing him to squeal and the audience to erupt with laughter. Even Brendon found himself laughing. The dynamic change from the usual Patrick to Heather Chandler Patrick was too much not to find amusing.

Max ran excitedly to the center of the stage as Jack was finally able to sneak off. "WOAAH, Honey, whatchya waiting for-"

He was cut off by Patrick running up to him and pushing him out of the way, "SHUT UP, HEATHER!" He yelled before smiling widely out at the crowd and holding his arms out. "Step into my candy store!"

By the time their performance was over, Patrick was about as red as the scrunchie around his wrist as he apologized to Max. Tyler wrapped his arms around the two as they made their way off stage. Jack was much more wary as he announced the next few acts.

"We should move backstage." Brendon whispered as Steven rapped Guns and Ships to an engaged Pete, who was dressed as George Washington. Ryan nodded in agreement.

The two took the long way around, leaving the theater and re-entering through the drama room. The space was fairly empty, except for two people.

Dallon was applying eye make up to Kenny in the corner. Brendon kept moving through the room to avoid any kind of contact with them, causing Ryan to have to run in order to keep up. Brendon just couldn't deal with any kind of Dallon interaction right now...

"Hey." Ryan whispered as they positioned themselves side stage. Brendon turned to him, hoping that Ryan meant to spark some kind of conversation. Instead, Ryan held a folded piece of paper out to him.

"What's this?" Brendon hesitantly took it, beginning to unfold it as he brought it close.

"Don't open it!" Ryan exclaimed, freezing Brendon's movement. "I just... Not yet, okay?" That's when Ryan did something rather strange to accompany the way he had been acting recently. He stepped forward and pressed a kiss against Brendon's lips. Brendon's eyes widened, but he didn't object.

"It's been awhile..." He spoke softly as Ryan pulled away. When he met Ryan's gaze, he noticed tears in his eyes. "Hey, are you-" he reached out as he spoke, but he was cut off by Jack announcing that it was there turn.

"Let's go." Was all Ryan said before rushing to his spot on the stage, which Zack and Rian were moving across the stage.

Brendon tucked the paper that Ryan had given him into a pocket inside the trenchcoat he wore. He then waited a moment for the stage to get set before walking out. He took a deep breath and waited for the music.

"You chucked me out, like I was trash, for that you should be dead! But, but, but..."

Brendon continued, feeling the energy build as the climax grew closer and closer. His earlier sadness was lost in the moment of the song. He was smiling as he sang. He moved around the stage. He could feel something.

"Veronica, don't make me come in there. I'm gunna count to three!" Brendon sang against the door, letting his hand linger against the knob. "One. Two. FUCK IT!" He pretended to have difficulty with the door before pulling it open.

A chill ran through him to see Ryan in that position, but he continued with the act. He dropped to his knees, looking up at Ryan with shaky words.

"Please... Don't... Leave me alone..."

He reached out to Ryan, but his hand stopped. Usually, during practice, Brendon could easily desern the steady rise and fall of Ryan's torso under the Veronica costume.

At the moment, there was nothing.

Brendon looked up at Ryan's face, forgetting the words he was supposed to say next. Ryan's face was blue. Ryan's face shouldn't have been blue.

"Ryan!" Brendon cried out. He shot to his feet, quickly grabbing hold of Ryan's legs and attempting to hold him up. "Help!"

Confusion was bubbling from the crowd of drama students as Rian and Jack rushed onstage. They looked confused as well, until they saw Brendon's tear filled eyes and Ryan's blue face.

"Oh, fuck." Jack gasped.

Rian rushed forward, pulling a pocket knife from his pocket and sliding it along the rope.

"Boys? What's going on?" Miss Mulany was at the edge of the stage, now. Her eyes were filled with concern.

Jack shook his head as Rian managed to cut the rope loose. Brendon fell with the weight of Ryan dropping onto him. He hit his head on the stage, immediately having his vision blur. "Call 911."

"Oh my-"

"Someone call 911!" Jack yelled, trembling as Brendon blacked out.