Chapter Text
Brendon gazed across the room and locked eyes with Matt. They held on to each other until Matt grinned and looked down to his tray in the table across the cafeteria. 'So close yet so far away' Brendon thought as he looked down to his own tray half-filled with food. For a moment he imagined Matt walking the 25 feet from his table to Brendon's own, imagined him sitting down next to him, grabbing his shirt and pulls Brendon toward him attacking his mouth with his own.
"Brendon!" Dallon smacks his hand on the table, snapping Brendon back into harsh reality.
"Wh-hhaat!" Brendon whines and glances back to Matt's table. They're all laughing at some unmentioned joke and Brendon wishes he was there laughing with them. Dallon carefully follows Brendon's eyes across the room to rest on Matt.
"Matt Webb, uh?" He sighs and turns back to his food without any more comments.
"Shut up" Brendon pouts and turns back to Dallon.
"I'm just saying" Dallon shrugs "if you actually ask him out, you will stop looking like you want to jump his bones every time you see him' he smirks and Brendon only glares at him, which sets Dallon into hysterics.
"What's so funny?" Ryan ask with a smile as he sits down.
"Brenny here was just fantasizing about your old pal Matt" Dallon playfully slaps Brendon's back.
Brendon just glares daggers at Dallon and groans annoyed at the use of his obnoxious nickname.
"Matt Webb?" Ryan asks in what he hopes is a nonchalant tone. He picks invisible lint off his shirt while he waits for Brendon to answer, not looking anyone in the eye.
"Um... Yeah" Brendon bites his lower lip while he rubs the back of his neck "Um.. We... We have chemistry together"
Ryan snaps his head up to finally look at Brendon and mumbles in a bitter tone "I bet you do" before looking away again.
"No!" Brendon moves his hands spastically from left to right "I meant we have the same chemistry period, you know, with Mr Walker" Brendon offers Ryan his lopsided grin and slightly blushes.
"Oh!" Ryan mutters and his whole face become a deep scarlet flush as he looks off into the distance, silently scolding himself for jumping to conclusions.
They both remain quiet for a minute until Dallon clears his throat, trying to lift the awkward veil that had just fallen upon them.
"So...Um..." Dallon clear his throat again "what I wanted to tell you when you were drooling over Mr Gorgeous over there" pause for laughs. No one laughs, continue anyway "Was that... I talked to Ms Crawford and she said she'd be cool with letting us use the band room after school to practice, but we have to sign it off at the office like, right now dude" Dallon cleared his throat yet again realizing what he had just said.
Brendon looked at Ryan who in turn was looking at the floor, his face hidden from view by his hair. Ryan tore his gaze from the floor and offered an innocent smile to Dallon but there was something hidden. Something only Brendon could see. In those glassy eyes Brendon could see that Ryan was in the verge of tears. Brendon got up and so did Dallon.
"Have fun with band practice, then!" Ryan called out to them with the fake-cheerful tone Brendon knew all to well.
"You know... If you want... I mean we could... We still don't have a steady guitarist since you...." Dallon's worlds hung in the air.
"No..." Ryan's face was turning ashen now "it's better this way" he surreptitiously glanced at Brendon and then rose from the table "I'll see you later?" It was a question not a statement but Ryan slipped away before getting an answer.