Chapter Text
Dylan.
I stare out the window and watch as the trees quickly pass by. It’s nowhere near noon yet, but I am already sweating like a pig. The sun is burning and there isn’t a cloud in the sky.
I can’t help but think about the last time I made this drive. It still amazes me how much things can change in just a couple of years. Back then rain had been pouring down, soaking me as soon as I had stepped out of the cab. I had been alone and feeling hurt and confused.
Merely five years have passed and yet I am a completely different person. I have a stable life now, being a freelance journalist for Rolling Stone and working part time for Decaydance records. According to Pete I have a sixth sense for finding the next big thing in music. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve said goodbye to London and moved to New York city, never regretting the decision.
And most importantly, I was able to figure out my feelings. I found an amazing guy who had a tremendous amount of patience for me and was able to glue the pieces of my hurt soul back together. I am reminded of that when I feel fingers being linked with my own. It causes me to divert my gaze from the passing landscape.
I find Alex staring at me with a smile on his lips. “What are you thinking about?” he asks me after staring in silence for a couple more minutes.
“About how lucky I am, how sometimes it’s still hard to believe you really are mine,” I pointedly ignore Johnson’s snort coming from the front seat. “And also about how much things have changed since the last time I was in a cab on my way to Warped tour.”
“Yeah, so much has changed in five years,” Johnson offers his opinion. “It’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Clandestine Industries took over as a main sponsor.”
Johnson isn’t looking at us while speaking and misses the eye roll Alex sends in his direction. I smile when Alex glances in my direction again and tighten my grip on his hand for a moment. Words aren’t necessary to make him understand that hadn’t been really what I meant. But of course, Johnson doesn’t know as much about my past as Alex, so it’s not odd that he misinterprets my words.
Alex simply hums in response to Johnson’s statement, before saying, “Be glad Pete got the crazy idea to sponsor Warped when Vans decided to step aside. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be making this drive right now. Be excited!”
“I know I am excited!” I throw my own opinion into the conversation. “And very curious to see which bands are coming on tour.”
Sophie, Johnson’s girlfriend, chooses the next moment to join the conversation. “I heard a rumor that My Chemical Romance is coming out and that Pete got Bob Bryar to rejoin for Warped?”
The words could form a statement, but they come out as a question directed towards me. It causes Johnson to finally turn around in his seat, also casting a questioning glance in my direction.
“Hey, don’t look at me!” I raise my hands in defense. “I only helped out with the logistics of the tour. Pete personally took care of gathering all the bands. You might not say so, but Pete can be very secretive if he wants to.”
The others laugh before launching into a conversation about all the line-up rumors that they heard. It gets me even more curious about the bands that will be on this tour. All I know at the moment is that Pete has been calling everybody that is even the slightest bit connected to him, either via Decaydance Records or on a personal level. And he invited all of them and their families to join the tour. I have no idea who declined or accepted the invitation.
The conversation ends when the cab driver announces we have reached our destination. I pay the man and thank him for the drive before getting out of the car. I wave at Marshall and Joey and their girlfriends, whose cab pulled up behind ours. Alex is already busy unloading our luggage. He refuses to let me help, so I take a moment to take in our surroundings.
I can already feel the familiar buzz of excitement in the air. Crew members are running around, cabs are driving on and off. And there are tour buses, a lot more then I remember from my last Warped. I wonder if there is anybody who declined Pete’s invitation.
“Dylan!” I suddenly hear a familiar voice yell in my direction. Smiling I turn around just in time for Brendon’s embrace. At the same time I feel two small arms close around my right leg.
I quickly peck Brendon on the cheek before stepping out of the embrace and sweeping the little girl that is attached to my leg up from the ground. “Hey munchkin!” I say while ruffling her hair.
The three year old in my arms giggles before throwing her arms around my neck in a hug. “Missed you!” she whispers in my ear. The next moment she squirms out of my arms and back onto the ground. With a smile I watch her run off towards her mother. She really is a miniature version of Sarah, only with the hyper character of her father.
Brendon watches his daughter and wife for a moment. Then he turns his attention back to me. “So, how about you shed some light on the latest rumors for me?”
I shrug in response to his question. “Like I said to Johnson and Sophie earlier, there’s really not much I can tell you. Pete personally took care of contacting the bands and…”
Brendon interrupts me with a loud laugh, flashing me two rows of pearly whites in the process. His reaction catches me off guard, making me frown in confusion. Brendon only laughs harder when he sees the look on my face.
“I’m not talking about this tour,” he explains when his laughter eventually dies down. “I’m talking about you. Rumor has it – again – that Singer finally proposed to you.”
Understanding downs on me when I realize what Brendon is talking about. The engagement rumor has been swirling around in the press for a while now. And while neither Alex nor me talk about our relationship much, everybody knew it would only be a matter of time before the rumor became the truth. So I just smile as I raise my left hand and wiggle my ring finger at Brendon. My engagement ring sparkles in the sunlight. “It stopped being a rumor about three weeks ago,” I happily confirm.
Brendon mirrors my smile when he grabs my hand to study the ring. “Congratulations!” He hugs me tightly again.
When he releases me out of his embrace he goes to hug Alex, who has appeared next to me. “Dylan just told me the news. Congratulations, dude!”
Alex thanks him with a smile while he links our fingers together.
“It’s a relief really,” Brendon says with a smile. “Spencer and I were honestly doubting if you would ever have the guts to ask her.” He barks out a loud laugh. “But now that you did, please promise me,” he says, his face suddenly serious. “Promise me that you’ll take good care of her.”
Brendon’s genuine tone of voice reminds me of why I like him so much. When I started dating Alex, neither of us had much contact with the Panic guys anymore. It was only when both bands finished a new record and the label decided they should go on a co-headlining tour that I saw Brendon and Spencer again. I expected meeting them again would be awkward. And I was very cautious when meeting them for the first time, afraid of painful memories. But the moment I laid eyes on them it was as if something changed. I realized all of us had grown up, and mostly that what happened in the past wasn’t their fault. We talked about everything though and decided to leave the past be. Brendon immediately opened up to me again. And even though we don’t see each other as often as either of us would like, we’ve grown closer than we were the first time around. I guess it’s just hard not to like Brendon. The way he makes music, the way he can make you laugh, it’s great. The way he cares about people close to him is heartwarming.
Alex doesn’t question Brendon, of course he understands why he brings it up. He simply nods before saying, “Of course I will.” His voice is sincere and doesn’t leave any room for discussion.
Satisfied with Alex’s answer, Brendon gives him a quick nod.
The next moment the seriousness in the air is gone and the tone of the conversation is very light again. I feel Alex slip his arms around my waist and despite the warmth I can’t help but lean into the embrace. I soon lose track of the conversation between Brendon and Alex, instead focusing on our surroundings again.
In the distance I see the other members of The Cab dragging luggage towards the buses. I notice Dallon Weekes free Spencer from an embrace of the girl that was hugging my leg just minutes ago. Both of them wave when they catch my stare. In the corner of my eye I take notice of a few cabs arriving. Not really to my surprise, because I knew Pete would want this to be as big as it gets, not only the four current members of My Chemical Romance appear when the doors open, but also Bob Bryar and his wife step out.
And then, when a bunch of crew members pass on their way to the trucks with stage equipment and I notice them carrying the large red F, O and B filled with light bulbs, it suddenly hits me. It is in that moment that it downs on me how much I’ve missed being part of Warped. And I already know this is going to be an amazing summer.