Chapter Text
“Road trip?” Brendon asked as he switched his amp off.
“Huh?” She mumbled as she looked up at him from her phone.
“Did you wanna go on a road trip? This weekend?” He offered again.
“That’s a bit sudden?” She questioned with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, I feel like we could both use one, and I know you’re free this weekend. Stuff has been stressful lately and it would be nice to get out of the studio. I can invite the band, you can invite some friends. It’ll be fun. We could go to the Grand Canyon or something for the weekend.” He explained as he continued rolling up the cord for his guitar.
“That’s not exactly next door.” She pointed out as she swung her feet from her stool.
“No but it’s close enough. We’ll take shifts driving through the night and have at least a full day there. I’m sure I can get Pete to loan me a tour bus or something for the weekend.”
“You’ve really thought this out, huh?” She asked, slightly surprised by the sudden enthusiasm. Brendon was not normally the organised type.
“A little. I can even invite Spence for you.” He winked. It all suddenly became clear as to why he was so keen on a trip into the middle of nowhere in a confined space.
“Yes, he would be included in ‘the band’, Bren.” She said sarcastically as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
“I know you’re into him.” He added casually as he slipped his guitar into its case. She glared at the back of his head, trying to think of a way around admitting it. She’d managed to get this far without anyone knowing, but clearly, she hadn’t been hiding it as well as she had thought. She eventually resigned herself to defeat.
“Then why are you the worst wingman ever?” She huffed.
“I try to remain objective.” He grinned as he picked up the case. “C’mon.” He said as he walked out the door. She followed closely behind, stuffing her hands in her hoodie. They walked in silence until they reached the trunk of his car. She mulled over her options: road trip with friends, albeit a potentially awkward one, or sit alone at home all weekend because all of her friends were on a road trip without her.
“A road trip might be fun.” She said quietly as he loaded in the guitar.
He looked at her with a hopeful smile. “Really?” She met his excited gaze, letting out a deep sigh before giving him a firm nod. “Great! I’ll organise the bus.”
* * *
Her backpack landed with a thud on the couch as she looked around the tour bus. It was a pretty run-down vehicle, Brendon had told her that the record company didn’t use it anymore. But it still functioned. It had a small living area, beds, and it drove fine. It lacked any form of kitchen utilities, or working ones anyway, but they had already planned food stops. She heard footsteps ascending the steps up into the bus behind her and spun around to see Jon.
“Oh, hey!” She said with a smile.
“Hey!” He grinned as he pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad you suggested this to Brendon. We’ve been suffocating in that studio this week.”
“Huh?” She frowned at the taller man in confusion as he moved back from the hug.
“He told us that you suggested the trip?”
“Ah, did he just?” She asked with an eyebrow raised.
“Did you not..?” He asked hesitantly.
“It was a joint effort.” She lied. “But it’ll be fun! My friend is meant to be here soon. Where’s the rest of your lot?” She asked, trying her best to seem casual.
“They’re on their way. Ryan was taking a while to pack and he was meant to be bringing Spencer. I don’t know where Brendon is but he said he’d be on time.” He answered as he flopped onto the couch. “I brought a deck of cards. Want a quick game?” He asked as he pulled the pack out of his pocket and began shuffling.
“Sure.” She smiled as she sat down next to him.
They played cards for the next while until the others slowly started filing into the bus. Her friend, Helen, came first, and decided to spend a while sorting through her things at the back of the bus to make sure she had brought everything. Brendon arrived shortly after, and a devious smirk spread across his face as he entered the bus. “Spencer not here yet?” He asked in a horrible attempt at a casual tone as he glanced around. She felt her shoulders tense up slightly at the question, but tried to avoid giving him a reaction.
“Ryan was taking ages last I spoke to them.” Jon answered without looking up from his cards, clearly lost in thought at his next move.
“Hopefully he’ll be here soon, eh?” He winked as he dumped his bag at the back of the bus and wandered into the front. He took it upon himself that he was going to take the first driving shift and busied himself with making sure that everything was in working order.
“Your turn.” Jon muttered as he grimaced at his own cards.
“Your poker face is terrible, Jon.” She laughed.
“Shut up and take your turn.” He grumbled.
By the end of the game everyone was sitting in the lounge area, and not long after they had thrown in their cards, raised voices could be heard from outside.
“I told you that was the wrong way!”
“You did not! You said to go left!”
“And you went right!”
“Well you should have specified what turn you were talking about.” Ryan frowned as he pushed his way into the bus. “Hi guys.” He said quietly as he quickly made his way to the back of the bus. Spencer wandered on shortly after, letting out a frustrated sigh before smiling.
“Sorry we’re late.” He sat down on the floor in front of everyone. “Have I missed much? What are we playing?” He asked as he nodded to the stack of cards on the empty couch seat.
“You’ve missed nothing!” Brendon announced as he stood up. “Let’s set out some ground rules before we set off.” Everyone nodded in agreement as Ryan came back out to the lounge, leaning against the doorway separating the front of the bus and the back. Spencer spun around on the floor and leaned back against the base of the couch. She could feel his shoulder leaning slightly against her knee and tried her best not to think about it. Despite her best efforts, Brendon instantly saw and shot her a knowing smirk before continuing.
“Firstly; we’re gonna have a buddy system for driving. One person drives and the other keeps the driver company so that nobody falls asleep at the wheel, because we will have to drive through the night to make it on time. Secondly, we should arrive at about midday tomorrow if we keep to a tight schedule. I hope everyone brought snacks but we can pull over for toilet breaks and major meals. Third and finally; there are four single bunks and one double bed, because whatever band had this bus before us apparently liked to do some… interesting things on tour.” He chuckled. Ryan let out a quiet ‘gross’ under his breath. She felt her face flush and suddenly realised why Brendon was all too keen to organise transport for the trip. He’d pulled Pete in on his damn plan too. “Long story short two people will have to agree to bunk together.”
“I’ve already unloaded my stuff into a bunk.” Ryan replied with a lazy shrug.
“Same.” He friend piped up as she raised her hand.
“Well…” Jon started as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.
“I’ll share with someone.” Spencer answered. “Anyone except Bren, anyway. I’ve heard your stories and I’d rather not be trapped in the same bed with you.” He laughed. Brendon answered with a loud laugh.
“I think our beards would get knotted together.” Jon tried to joke, doing his best to seem casual about not wanting to share. “And Cas might get a little jealous”
“As she should, what with how irresistible I clearly am. I guess it’s us, huh?” Spencer asked as he nudged her knee with his shoulder. He looked up at her with a smile.
“Guess it is.” She gave an anxious smile back, before looking up to see Brendon giving her a sly look.
“So, let’s hit the road! I’ll be on first driving shift. Does anyone want to buddy with me?”
“I will.” She volunteered with a glare as she stood up quickly, nearly knocking Spencer over in the process.
Everyone settled into the bus before they took off, Brendon taking the driver’s seat. She sat down in the passenger seat next to him before punching him in the shoulder.
“Why would you do that?” She hissed under her breath.
“Ow.” He pouted as he rubbed his shoulder. “I’m just trying to… provide you with an opportunity.” He answered.
“You’re just providing me with the perfect opportunity to be the awkward shit that I am.” She mumbled as she crossed her arms, slouching in her seat.
“You know that he won’t mind. You’ve known him almost as long as I have. Spence is a nice guy, he’d never hold that sort of thing against you. And I’m pretty sure you’re blind to all the hints he’s dropping.” He chuckled quietly.
“You could’ve just asked him for me.”
“That’s so highschool.” He rolled his eyes. “Just see what happens. You’ll be sharing a bed, you’ll know by the end of the weekend.”
“Assuming we even talk.”
“You’ll talk. You never shut up.” He grinned. She shoved him hard in the ribs. “Ow! Stop hurting the driver!”
“Break it up you two!” Jon shouted from the lounge.
“Why are you one of my best friends?” She sighed as she began fiddling with the radio.
“You love me.” He laughed.
* * *
He drove for a few hours, eventually the air cleared between them and their friendship returned to its usual joking nature. When dusk started clearing into the early night he found himself yawning.
“Should we call it?” He asked as he rubbed his eyes. She nodded in response as he began pulling to the side of the road. When they’d come to a stop they unbuckled their belts and wandered back into the lounge. The rest of the road trip crew were sitting on the floor playing a board game. “Who’s up next?”
“I’ll drive.” Ryan volunteered. “I’m a bit of a night owl anyways.”
“I’ll offer for company?” Helen suggested as she stood up.
“Sure.” He shrugged as they walked into the cab of the bus.
“Well I might adjourn for the night.” Brendon said as he stretched his arm above his head.
“That’s why you took the first shift isn’t it? So that you could sleep through the night?” Jon asked as he narrowed his eyes at the singer.
“It’s not my fault I was the only one planning ahead.” Brendon mused as he walked down towards the bunks. “Enjoy your night everyone! See you in the morning.”
“He’s smarter than most people think.” Spencer laughed. She shook her head in the direction of her friend before joining the two men on the floor.
“What are we playing?” She asked as they began setting up the board again.
* * *
“No, no, no! That’s not what I said!” Jon laughed as he leaned back into the couch, his foot brushing against the board game on the floor that had long since been abandoned.
“I’m pretty sure that you just said you kept a pair of panties that were thrown on stage!” Spencer reminded his friend as a grin spread across his face. She found herself trying to supress her own laughter.
“I said that I took them backstage, to throw them out!” He defended as he held his hands up.
“Can anyone verify that, Jon?” He smirked.
“Hey, it’s not my fault that none of them ever reach the drumkit.” Jon shot back with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m pretty content without the used underwear from fans, thanks.” He chuckled as he leaned forward onto his knees. “I think it’s getting pretty late.” He sighed as he checked his watch. “I might hit the sack.”
“I should probably go see if Ryan wants a break.” Jon said as he stood up and walked to the drivers’ area.
“I uh… I guess I might go to bed too then.” She said nervously as she sat up on the couch.
“You don’t have to go just because I am. You won’t wake me up if you come in later.” Spencer assured as he met her gaze.
“No, it’s all right. What am I gonna do out here anyway if everyone else is either driving or sleeping?” She reasoned, trying her best to not show how awkward she was feeling. He gave a short laugh before standing up.
“After you, then.” He said with a gesture to the back of the bus.
She walked through the corridor lined with singles bunks to the small door at the back. It opened to reveal… a fairly cramped room, even for a tour bus. There was a window at the very back above the double bed that faced the road behind them and the other two sides of the bed were directly against the wall. There was a bit of space at the foot of the bed for bags but mostly, the room was just bed.
“I’ll let you get changed.” She heard him say as he shut the door. She let out a shaky sigh as she looked around the room. It wasn’t exactly much space. Not much space at all for two friends to be sharing, clearly the larger bed had been all that was required. By the time she had changed and put her things back in her bag she heard a soft tapping at the door. “Good?” She heard his voice call through the thin piece of wood.
“Yeah, good.” She nodded as she went to sit at the head of the bed, leaning back against the wall. She drew he knees up to her chest, hoping maybe she could curl into a ball tight enough to disappear from this dimension and not have to deal with this. He gave a small smile as he walked back in. It was instantly clear things were awkward, or at least that’s how both people in the room felt anyway. She sat staring at her knees, trying her best to not overthink things as he quickly changed his shirt.
“Cool for the lights to be off?” He asked as he leaned forward from the foot of the bed towards the switch. She wanted to make a sarcastic joke about how ‘that is the way most people sleep, yes’ but instead it just came out as a nod. She moved under the blankets, suddenly thankfully for the darkness to hide her blush as she felt him climb under as well. The room seemed dark at first, but as their eyes adjusted the street lights they passed regularly illuminated the small space. She could see the slightest hint of a starry sky above them, but as quickly as her eyes focused on it another light swept through the room and her eyes had to correct themselves all over again.
They laid there in silence for a few minutes, watching as every four seconds they passed another street light. Spencer let out an agitated sigh. Voices could be heard very faintly at the front of the bus, and eventually she heard someone return to their bunk, though she couldn’t be sure who. 1… 2… 3… Light… 1… 2…
“This is awkward, right?” He asked. She moved her head to look at him, seeing him staring back at her.
“Yep.” She answered with a firm nod as she looked back at the window.
“I, uh… I’m glad you suggested the trip to Brendon. It was a good idea. We’ve been at each other’s throats lately trying to record the new album so the break will be nice. Even though I guess we’re in an even more confined space now than we were before.” He added as he ran a hand through his hair.
“I didn’t suggest it to Brendon.” She admitted.
“You didn’t? He told us it was your idea.” She could hear the frown in his voice without even having to look.
“It was definitely his idea. He kind of conned me into tagging along.”
“Oh... Really? Sounds like we might have had… similar conversations with him.”
She took in a shaky breath before finally deciding maybe things would be less awkward if he knew. At least then if he didn’t feel the same way back they could move into single bunks or something and not have to be in such a confined space with each other. “His bargaining chip for getting me to come along was… you.” She confessed, instantly feeling like shrinking into the blanket so she didn’t have to deal with the aftermath of this. The time he was taking to reply only made the atmosphere even more awkward. 2… 3… light… 1… 2… 3…
“I… wait…” Spencer stumbled, trying to make sense of his racing mind. “Did we have the same conversation with him?” He asked in confusion. She laid there in silence, unsure what to say to that. He brought his hand to her shoulder, making her face him. “He got me to come because he said that given you organised it, you’d definitely be here.” Her eyes widened at his words.
“So… you? Hold on… We did have the same conversation with him?” She said as she rolled over to fully face him. They looked at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing. “How long?” She asked, a smile playing on her lips.
“Too long. You?”
“Longer than I can remember.”
“Man, if I had’ve known…” He muttered, letting the now comfortable silence hang in the air between them. A smile crept across his face as he reached out and put a strand of her hair behind her ear, eyes suddenly brighter than they were a few minutes ago. As his hand brushed across her cheek she tried her best not to show the effect it had, but instead just ended up laughing. An idea suddenly struck her.
“Hold up, so… Has Bren known all this time that you’ve been into me?” She asked.
“Uh… mostly, yeah. I was really distracted once during practice and he got it out of me.” He chuckled at the memory.
“Well, he’s known about me for god knows how long but I only admitted it the other day. He’s sat there knowing we’re both into each other and not saying anything. He conned us both into coming this weekend under the pretence of the other being here, and let us just be awkward instead of telling us.” She rattled off. Spencer nodded in response. “I’m thinking… maybe we shouldn’t tell him that we know?”
He scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Why?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, if he’s spent who knows how long not saying anything but then decided to do this impromptu road trip, clearly he’s sick of seeing us fumble about. He said to me that he was pretty sure by the end of this weekend he expected things between us to be out in the open. So, what if we pretend that this didn’t happen? And let him stew in defeat that his match making didn’t work?”
“Oooo… he hates defeat.” He said with a devious tone. “Are you sure? I think that would drive him crazy.”
“Good.”
* * *
Ryan and Jon tried to keep their singing to a minimum, but it was hard when the 3am radio stations kept playing their favourite songs. Ryan had never been great at sleeping, so he was happy to drive through the night and was glad to have one of his best friends as company. As another fantastic duet between the two ended, their quiet laughter filled the cab of the bus.
“So… I’m pretty sure that Brendon was actually the one who organised this trip.” Jon noted as he cracked his passenger window to get some fresh air.
“What makes you say that?” Ryan asked as he flicked over to a new station.
“He lied when he told us it wasn’t his idea.” He answered.
“Did he just? Why would he lie about that?” The younger man hummed as he thought over this new information. “Do you think he..? No…”
“Is he that smart?”
“I mean Spence does talk about her a lot.”
“And we’ve been trying to get them alone together for a few months now.”
“That scoundrel.” Ryan laughed. “Oh no, but what if it works…” He added as his face suddenly fell.
“What do you mean?” Jon asked as he turned his attention to the driver.
“The walls on this bus aren’t exactly sound proof… He’s trapped us all here with them!”
“The bastard!”
* * *
Their alarms woke them up at around dawn so that they could take their driving shift. Both were extremely groggy and they gazed at each other for a moment, trying to remember the events of last night. Spencer stared back at her sleepily, a lazy smile playing on his lips. “This may very well be the best morning ever.” He said, his voice deep from sleep. She blushed deeply, burying her head into her pillow. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “Sorry.” He said quietly.
“Don’t be.” She mumbled. “It’s just… all still very new.”
Het let out a content sigh. “Trust me, I know.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back lightly. They laid there in silence for a few minutes. “We could just make out now to get it out of the way? It might make things less awkward?” He offered. She laughed loudly.
“How romantic, Spence.” She said with a roll of her eyes, shuffling back out of his grip.
“It was only a suggestion.” He shrugged with a smirk.
“A bad one. I don’t even wanna kiss you anyway.” She huffed with feigned annoyance as she looked away from him.
“You don’t?” He moved his hand from her waist to her cheek, and she turned to meet his gaze.
“Nope.” Her voice cracked ever so slightly.
“Good.” He shot back, moving slightly closer to her. His eyes looked darker than what they had been a moment ago.
“Good.” She repeated, feeling their breath mingling. He closed the distance between them, their lips crashing together and instantly they both felt the room warm up by a few degrees. The feeling shot straight through her. He moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck, earning a shuddery breath from her in response that ended up lost in the kiss. His stubble rubbed against her chin as she moved her hand to his chest. They moved apart, both breathing heavily. She swallowed hard and he looked back at her, pupils blown. “That… uh…” She stuttered.
“Yeah… it, um…” He tried to agree. “We should maybe get out of bed and take our shift at the wheel.” He changed topics anxiously.
“Sounds good.” She nodded. They both sat up, looking at each other for a moment before smiling sheepishly.
They walked out of the small room at the back of the bus, swapping places with Ryan and Jon who had happily chatted the night away but were now very keen for naps before breakfast. As much the new couple wanted to constantly talk about how to make up for lost time, they refrained. Keeping any hint of romantic talk to hushed whispers in case Brendon heard. About an hour and a half into their drive they heard someone behind them before a hand was planted firmly on each of their shoulders. “Gooooood morning.” Brendon sung with a large smile plastered on his face. “How did you guys sleep?” He asked enthusiastically as he turned to look directly at her. Not that Spencer noticed anyway as his eyes were trained on the road.
“Good.” She answered with a simple shrug. He kept his eyes locked with hers, clearly prying for more information that wasn’t coming. After a moment he decided that any saucy details weren’t flowing freely.
“No, uh… no rowdy dreams?” He smirked with an eyebrow raised. Spencer let out a loud laugh.
“What? I’m pretty sure those are your dreams, man.” He said as he shrugged Brendon’s hand off his shoulder. “That’s the exact reason I wouldn’t share with you.” He added. Brendon frowned slightly at them before walking back into the lounge. The two shared a look before a smile twitched at Spencer’s lips, forcing himself to look back at the road as a light red tinge coloured his cheeks.
They arrived at their pit stop for the morning; a small diner just on the outskirts of the canyon area. The six of them piled out of the bus and into a booth before ordering some food, happy to be free from the confined space. Ryan and Jon both had visible bags under their eyes from being awake all night, the former wearing a pair of sunglasses to try and dull the fluorescent lights in the diner.
“I could really go a burger… and some chips… and a strawberry milkshake…” Ryan muttered as his eyes ran over the menu.
“For breakfast?” Brendon grimaced. “Any idea how many calories you’re consuming and it’s barely even dawn?”
“Calories? What are those?” He replied as he leaned back in the booth, lowering his glasses again.
“I’m gonna get some hashbrowns.” Spencer said with a definitive nod, placing his menu back into the middle of the table.
“Same.” She agreed, following suit with her own menu.
“Huh.” Brendon said, loud enough for people to stare at him until he eventually continued. “Same breakfast, you guys would make a great couple.” He said, trying to fight a devious smirk.
“Don’t they say opposites attract?” She shot back, staring out the window at the passing cars. She felt Brendon kick her under the table and she turned to see his confused frown, but didn’t say any more.
The diner was mostly empty. Being that they were in the middle of nowhere and it was only just starting to hit a reasonable hour, their breakfast was served in record time and eaten just as fast. They decided to fill the tank at a gas station nearby, which again had no other customers. Brendon was all too happy about this as it meant that they could get back on the road and stay on schedule. He took the next shift at the wheel, being the last shift before they were meant to reach their destination.
“Would you like to keep me company?” Brendon asked bitterly, shooting her a glare as he walked towards the cab of the bus.
“Uh, I just took a shift, but sure.” She said as she stood up from the couch, throwing her hand in from the card game they were playing. “Back soon guys.” She said back at them, eyes lingering on Spencer for a moment who smiled back warmly. He barely even gave her the time to sit down in her seat before the barrage of questions started.
“What the hell was that?” Brendon asked, clearly agitated.
“What was what?” She asked, trying her best to feign innocence.
“In the diner, I set up a great moment for you and Spence there and you shut me down. Why?” He grumbled.
“Oh, well it… it wasn’t a good time.” She said, trying to play her bad answer off as nervousness about Spencer and less about being able to think of a better excuse.
“Did you guys not talk last night?” He asked with a sigh.
“Not really. We slept.” She shrugged. He let out a groan.
“You guys are the worst…” He mumbled under his breath. “Just talk to him.”
“How, Bren? It’s not exactly an easy thing to discuss. ‘Hey, do you know I’ve been crushing on you for a few years now? Haha, fun facts, right?’ I’m pretty sure he’s not into me anyway.” She said as she looked out the passenger window. The silence hung between them for a moment and she knew he was fighting with himself over outright telling her that her opinion was wrong. He rubbed his eyes tiredly before looking back at the road.
“Just… talk to him.” He repeated, before turning up the radio.
* * *
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Grand Canyon, things still slightly awkward between herself and Brendon. When they climbed out of the bus she was grateful for the fresh air and change of company. The six of them stood there, staring out into the vast red landscape.
“It’s uh… it’s very… big.” Jon said as he stared up and down the rock formation.
“You are not wrong.” Ryan nodded, adjusting his sunglasses.
“Spencer, didn’t you say once you used to come here a lot as a kid?” Brendon asked loudly.
“Um… a bit, I guess.”
“Want a tour of the canyon?” He asked, now turning to her. “I remember you saying you’ve never been and Mr Smith here is a great guide.” He added with a smile, trying to be nice but that mischievous glint in his eyes. “You’re up for giving a tour, right Spence?” His friend gave a silent shrug. She gave an anxious look to Spencer, who tried to maintain his look of indifference.
“Sure.” She said hesitantly, walking over to him. The two of them walked off, keeping a good amount of space between them.
They walked in comfortable silence until they were a decent distance away from the group.
“What did Brendon wanna talk to you about?” Spencer asked as he kicked a rock into the canyon, hands shoved into his pockets to force him to keep them to himself.
“He’s super pissy.” She chuckled. “I told him that we didn’t talk much, and that I thought you weren’t into me. I swear he nearly outright told me just out of pure frustration.”
“I imagine he’ll pull me aside later to ask what we did on this walk… That boy…” He shook his head.
“Isn’t he older than you?” She laughed.
“Hey! Only by a few months. And I am definitely the more mature one.” He answered proudly. He looked over at her, smiling sweetly. “I’m glad we’re here together, this place is nice.”
“It’s not bad. It’s lots of… rocks.” She said, looking around the barren landscape.
“He’s right you know… I did used to come here a fair bit as a kid. We used to drive out here for family holidays; it was only about a four-hour drive. Dad would pile us in the car before sunrise and we’d be here by mid-morning. Spend the day running around and then head home once it started getting dark. It’s a beautiful place, particularly at night. One time, Brendon and I drove out at sunset and spent the night on the hood of my crappy car, talking shit.” He smiled fondly as he looked down the sharp cliff face. “I might’ve told him then that it was my ideal spot to take a girl out. Which is probably where he got his fantastic idea of where we should road trip to.”
She looked behind them, seeing that the group were well and truly out of sight before nudging his arm with her elbow. He gave her a questioning stare, looking down to see her holding her hand out. She waved her hand slightly before he got the point, pulling his hands out of his pockets and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, making her blush. “You’re awfully sweet when you want to be, Spence.” She said as she smiled down at her feet.
After a while of walking they decided they should head back to the group, once again keeping their distance. “Tell me some Grand Canyon facts, quick.” She said as they approached the group. CoHe was confused, but obliged.
“You guys took a while.” Brendon shouted in a suggestive tone as they approached.
“Did you know the bottom of the canyon is about 2 billion years old??” She asked as she walked up to him. Spencer chuckled almost silently as he walked in the other direction. Brendon looked dumbfounded. “And that it’s over 250 miles long? That’s nuts!” She said as she looked back at the landscape spread out before them. Brendon was silent for a long time before she heard him trudging off back towards the bus, making her laugh quietly.
“What’s up with him?” Ryan asked as he wandered over, taking a drag on a cigarette. She shrugged in response. “Did you make out with Spence at the canyon? He has totally wanted to do that since he was like… fourteen.” He added nonchalantly.
“A little.” She admitted. “But don’t tell Bren that.” He laughed loudly, but nodded.
“Your secret is safe with me.” He said, flicking the ash on the end of his cigarette. “Glad you guys finally sorted it.” He smiled.
“Thanks, Ry.”
* * *
The group had a small picnic lunch at the edge of the canyon and mostly sat around talking. Brendon moped a bit, but nobody really paid him any attention so eventually he stopped. Still though as he sat he kept his eyes trained on the two people who had deliberately sat at opposite ends of the group to each other, wondering where he went wrong. They got back into the bus a little after the sunset, giving themselves the moment to watch it over the canyon before setting out on the road. Spencer offered to take the first shift, expecting her to offer as his company. And she would have if she hadn’t been interrupted midway through her sentence.
“I’ll join ya, buddy!” Brendon said, already walking to the front. He slapped his friend on the shoulder as he walked past, leaving Spencer looking a bit confused as to what had happened. He shot her an apologetic look before moving into the driver’s seat. “How are things?” Brendon said with an overly large grin.
“Fine.” Spencer shrugged as he started the engine.
“Only fine?” He prodded. “You’re not having the best weekend ever because you’re trapped inside a bus and sharing a bed with the girl you’ve been into for years?” He added more quietly.
Spencer let out a short laugh as he turned onto the road. “Well that is nice, but it’s not exactly going anywhere.”
“What do you mean? Just make a move!” He suggested as he nudged his friend’s shoulder.
“You know I’m bad at that. I’m pretty sure the feeling isn’t mutual anyway.” He scratched his beard anxiously, feeling the nerves building from all the questioning. He dearly hoped it just looked like normal crushing-on-someone-nervousness. Brendon stared at him for a long moment before letting out a sigh.
“Well you’re gonna be stuck with her again tonight, so now’s gonna be your best chance.” He reminded.
“I know, I know… I make no promises though.”
Brendon groaned loudly in protest before muttering angrily under his breath. His ability to be nice about the situation was fast diminishing.
Eventually Brendon went back to the lounge, deciding that it was a better chance to try and force them together again than for him to poke at Spencer. “He asked for you.” She heard him say as he flopped back onto the couch.
“Oh?” She asked with an eyebrow raised as she met his gaze. He seemed very agitated so she figured Spencer mustn’t have said anything. She stood up and walked up to the passenger’s seat, leaning against it as she spoke. “Bren tells me you asked for me.”
“I did no such thing.” Spencer chuckled. “But your company is certainly welcome.” He added as he patted the seat next to him.
“Gladly.” She smiled as she took the seat. “What are we gonna do about him? He can only ask us so much before we’ll admit it.” She asked quietly.
“He’ll crack soon. I reckon by tomorrow morning he’ll be throwing things around. That boy can’t be patient to save his life and if he thought this great road trip plan would work, he must already be feeling like he’s running out of time.” He switched stations on the radio until he found a song he liked, drumming lightly on base of the wheel in time with the song. She watched his hands for a moment before looking up to see his blue eyes looking back at her. He grinned sheepishly, looking behind them to make sure the coast was clear before leaning over and kissing her briefly. “Head back there and send Jon up. Say you want an early night or something to piss Brendon off.” He winked.
“You’re evil.” She laughed quietly.
She walked out of the driver’s cab, Brendon’s gaze instantly flicking up to her. “I don’t know what you were talking about Bren, he said he didn’t ask for me. Jon, do you feel like taking my place? I’m beat and could go for an early night.” She said with a faked yawn. Brendon’s jaw dropped.
“Oh yeah, no problem! Rest up. You can take the last shift back into the city if you want.” He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Ryan nodded in agreement, slipping a finger in between the pages of his book so that he could close it for a moment.
“Yeah, rest up.” Ryan repeated with a hint of a knowing smile. Jon stood up and walked to the front of the bus and she instantly heard conversation spark between the two bearded men.
“You uh… going to bed so early?” Brendon asked, trying to think of a way to put them back together. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to not show half of the stress he was feeling.
“Yeah, it’s been a hell of a trip and we walked around quite a bit today. I have too many Grand Canyon facts in my brain that I need to process.” She laughed. He went to add something else but she cut him off. “G’night! See you tomorrow guys!”
“Sleep well!” Ryan sung out, not looking up from the book in his lap.
The plan was for her to go to bed and to wait until Spencer to joined her once his turn at the wheel had finished, but he ended up getting caught up in conversations with Jon and staying later than he originally intended, so she fell asleep. Brendon had tried to stay up to eavesdrop on them but he hadn’t made it either. Spencer walked back from the driver’s seat to see Brendon drooling on the couch. He tried his best not to laugh as he came into the room at the back of the bus, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned around to see her asleep on top of the covers, her phone half hanging out of her relaxed hand on the bed. A soft chuckle escaped his lips before he kicked his shoes off and got changed into his pjs. He pulled the covers up over the two of them before falling asleep himself.
* * *
They woke up the next morning, already hearing voices outside in the lounge. Spencer gave a loud yawn, stretching his arms up above his head. She meanwhile was not half as happy to be awake, pressing her forearm over her eyes in the hope that things could stay dark.
“I would’ve thought you’d be well rested given you were asleep when I came in.” He laughed.
“Waking up is never easy.” She grumbled.
“Well, I’ll meet you out there then.” He said as placed a quick kiss to her forehead. She felt him get up off the bed and then heard the door shut behind him. It wasn’t long after that she heard the raised voice of Brendon, though what exactly he was saying she couldn’t tell. She laughed slightly as she lowered her arm, looking out the window above to see it was still early morning. After a few deliberately waited minutes, she walked out herself. It looked like Ryan and her friend must be up the front, because Jon and Spencer were playing cards while Brendon looked angry on the other end of the couch. He didn’t even look up at her when she walked in.
“How long until we arrive?” She asked as she rifled through the collective box of food they had formed on the floor of the lounge.
“Not long, about four or five hours.” Jon shrugged. “Pretty sure you and Bren are on the last shift.” He added.
“Awesome.” She said as she pulled out a muesli bar and sat on the floor. Brendon made no response, either lost in thought or too busy moping.
Soon enough it was time for them to take their spot at the wheel, and Brendon still hadn’t spoken a word. His hands were tight around the steering wheel, his knuckles going white under the pressure. He had already adjusted the radio to a volume that wasn’t ideal for conversation, so she hadn’t tried. Instead she sat there on her phone or looking out the window. The scenery had started fading from the red rocks and turning back into something resembling home. Eventually he started pulling the bus over to the side of the road, assumedly to offer a toilet break. But much to her surprise as soon as the bus had slowed to a stop he got out of his seat and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her up with him. She let out a surprised yelp but complied and walked out into the lounge with him. He dragged her down to where Spencer was sitting on the couch, who looked at the two of them wide-eyed.
“WILL YOU TWO FUCKING KISS ALREADY?” Brendon shouted angrily as he let go of her shoulder, half pushing her towards Spencer in the process. Silence hung in the room until he let out a frustrated groan.
“What?” Spencer asked him with a frown.
“You two have been into each other for ages, just get it over with for fuck sake!” He grumbled as he ran his hands up his face, pulling at his hair in slight agitation.
“Wait… you… you knew all along?” She asked with a gasp. Ryan tried to hide a laugh under his breath. Brendon was silent for a moment.
“Yes! Yes, I knew! But you two are too damn awkward to do anything!” He complained. She moved to sit next to Spencer on the couch, but Brendon was still too caught up in his own rage to notice.
“You mean to tell me that you set up this trip to deliberately make us feel awkward?” Spencer asked.
“Maybe! I don’t know! I just thought maybe you guys would finally talk.” Brendon reasoned as he started pacing around the room. Spencer wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
“Bren, that’s so mean! Why didn’t you just tell us?” She asked.
“I thought it would be better for you to sort it out yourselves, or I dunno, something like that.” He let out a deep sigh as he stopped pacing abruptly, staring at the floor for quite a while. “Look, I’m sorry, I just-” He stopped short as he looked up at them.
He remained silent for a while, trying to piece together what had transpired in the room while he had been talking. “You guys… tricked me?” He asked after a long moment.
“Sorry, buddy. Fair’s fair.” Spencer smiled at him.
“What the fuck?!” He shouted as he sat down on the floor before flopping onto his back and sprawling out, his hands flying to his head. He let out numerous frustrated noises before they eventually turned into laughs. “I can’t believe you two. Whose idea was it?”
She raised her hand. “It’s not nice to force matchmaking, Brendon.” She smirked as he wiped his hands down his face, meeting her gaze.
“How long did it take before you two spilled your guts?”
“Five minutes into the first night.” Spencer admitted.
Brendon laughed loudly. “Knew it…” He mumbled to nobody in particular. Silence returned to the group again until Jon cleared his throat.
“Well, I’m happy for you guys.” He said with a warm smile. The two of them laughed before thanking him. Brendon spent a few minutes recovering until he sat up and looked at them on the couch, eventually having settled his thoughts enough to articulate words.
“I would like to be the best man at the wedding.”
The rest of the drive home progressed with no awkward silences, no moping Brendons and no hiding conversations under hushed whispers. Everyone was their usual happy selves and soon they arrived back at where they had started. They packed their bags and unloaded from the bus, almost sorry to see it go. Brendon tucked the keys under the front door step before walking away.
“So… Can I take you on a date?” Spencer asked as he reached out and took her hand in his.
“I’d love nothing more.” She grinned up at him. They walked together quietly, vaguely listening to the distant chattering of the rest of the group behind them; Ryan seemed to be doing most of the talking from what they could hear. Things seemed to be going well until the peaceful atmosphere was broken, as per usual, by Brendon.
“RYAN, YOU FUCKING KNEW FOR A WHOLE DAY AND DIDN’T TELL ME?!”