Title: I Don't Have a Library Card... But I'd Love to Check You Out [7/24]
Author: Tiffany (spazzyskittles)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Ryan Ross/Brendon Urie
POV: 1st (Brendon's)
Summary: AU college. Brendon is close to flunking out of college, and his roommate and partner in crime, Jon, is not helping. He seeks refuge in the school's library and finds a little more than a place to study. This is a story about finding love, taking chances, and being true to one's self.
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Don't sue.
Author Notes: This is a completed story and will be updated every other day. Many thanks to my wonderful beta, pinkkchocolate. This fic may not have happened without her. Additional A/N at the end of the chapter.

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Chapter 7

I leave the library at nine. Jon had left a couple of hours ago because we didn’t see Sarah again that night and because it was dinnertime. I was kind of on a roll so I had decided to stay behind.

As I’m walking back to my dorm, my phone goes off. I check it and roll my eyes.

“Hello?”

“Brendon Urie, you do not go a week and a half without calling your mother!” The tone in her voice tells me that she’s extremely irritated with me. So I forgot to call her. I’m eighteen, I can take care of myself. I don’t need to talk to her everyday.

“Sorry, Mom. I’ve just been a bit busy,” I say into the phone.

She huffs. “Busy? You better be busy studying, Brendon. I don’t want my money going to waste.” I wince. Obviously, I haven’t told her anything about my being on academic probation. Why would I? It’s not like I need Dad’s and her disappointment on top of the pressure I’m under.

“I have been studying.” At least, that’s the truth. Though I’ve only just started last week. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Well, I won’t have to worry so much if you’d call me once in a while.” I roll my eyes again and kick at a rock as my building comes into sight. My mom is such a nag.

“Anyway,” she continues, “I called to tell you that your father and I will be coming to pick you up on Saturday at five. We’re taking you out to dinner for your birthday.”

Oh, yes. My birthday, I’d almost forgotten. I’m turning nineteen on Saturday. Hopefully, my parents will have me back at UNLV early enough to really celebrate it.

“Alright, Mom. I’ll see you then,” I say as I stand outside the door to my building.

“Okay, sweetie. Bu-bye, I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom. Bye.”

I hang up and am about to walk in when I remember something. I fiddle with my phone and find Ryan’s number. I had forgotten that he put it there last night after dinner. As it starts to ring, I start to feel nervous. What if he’s decided that he doesn’t like me after all? I mean, I came to see him, and he completely blew me off.

“Hello?” It’s him (obviously, since I called his phone), and at the sound of his voice, I start to feel tingles all over my body. It’s crazy to think that I’ve known the guy for less than a week, and just one word sends me into such a state.

I clear my throat nervously. “Hi, Ryan? It’s me, Brendon.”

There’s a pause, and it seems like he’d hung up so, to make sure, I say, “Hello?”

“Sorry, Brendon, I’m still here.”

I breathe out a relieved sigh. On his end, I hear some sort of commotion, but I just chalk it up to his TV being too loud.

“Look,” he begins, but then I hear a voice faintly interrupting him.

“That’s Brendon on the phone?” I hear a male voice question Ryan. I’m assuming he nodded because then I hear, “Give me the phone.”

It sounds like there’s some sort of struggle, then I hear Ryan yell, “Spence, give it to me. Spence... Spencer!” I’m a bit confused but sort of entertained.

“Hello? Is this Brendon?” he asks into the phone.

“Yeaaah,” I say, drawing it out to let him know that I have no idea what’s going on.

“I’m Spencer, Ryan’s roommate. I just want to tell you that Ryan’s a moron — shut up, Ry, you are – and that he’s really sorry for blowing you off today.”

On Spencer’s end, I hear Ryan say, “I can tell him myself, thank you very much.”

“And I was wondering,” Spencer continues, “if you’d like to come over tomorrow for dinner.” I hear Ryan yell out “Spencer!” in response.

“Dinner?” I ask.

Spencer laughs. “Yeah, I’m cooking, and Sarah should be coming over. You can bring your roommate too, if you want.”

Wow. I’d thought bringing Jon to the library would feel like I was introducing Ryan to my parents, but this would definitely feel that way. I’m tempted to decline to avoid the potential awkwardness of the whole thing, but I say, “That sounds like fun. I’ll be there.”

“Cool! 6:30 sound good?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, nice talking to you. Here’s Ryan.” I hear Spencer pass the phone to Ryan who mutters, “Asshole,” and gets a laugh in response.

“Brendon?”

I chuckle a bit. “I’m here, Ryan.”

“I’m so sorry. For blowing you off and for what just happened. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” It’s really very cute because he does sound sincere.

“No, it’s totally fine. Don’t worry about it. Sarah let me know you weren’t coming, and I want to go tomorrow.” I hear him sigh. “So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Ryan?”

“I guess so.” I can hear the slight smile in his voice as I myself grin into the phone. We say our goodbyes, and I finally go inside.

When I enter my dorm, I see that Jon himself is on the phone with someone.

“Alright. Cool. Thanks, man. Bye.” He hangs up the phone and just grins at me. He obviously wants me to ask him what the call was about.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What was that about?”

“Well,” he starts, “I just got off the phone with Pete.” Pete’s our sort-of friend who we see and hang out with at parties on occasion. He’s a senior and an all-around cool guy. “He said that we could use his apartment for your birthday party on Saturday. He’s also buying the alcohol.”

“Sweet,” I say in response. He’s got a pretty nice place, and it’s convenient being friends with someone who’s over twenty-one.

“So how was studying?” Jon asks. “Have you gotten enough done so that you can party with me tomorrow? Tomorrow’s Thursday, you know.”

“Yes, I do know, and I think I can take a break.” Jon has a triumphant look on his face. “But you and I won’t be partying tomorrow.”

Jon’s excited expression falls into a disappointed pout. I just grin at him. “That’s because,” I continue, “we’ve been invited to dinner at Ryan’s house. It’ll be you, me, Ryan, Ryan’s roommate Spencer, and Sarah.” At the last name, I see his eyes widen, and the triumphant look returns. Jon then questions me about it, and I give him the details of the phone call I just had.

“Won’t it be weird?” Jon asks.

“Yeah, probably. But I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see him. And, you know, I know you want to talk to Sarah so...”

“Yeah, Brendon, I get it. I would’ve done the same thing. I just hope it’s not too awkward.”

“Me too, Jon. Me too.”


--------------------------


The next day, I come back from class to find Jon sitting on his bed, just staring at the space in front of him. I walk up and stand pretty close to him, and still I can’t get his attention. Finally, I pinch Jon’s arm who finally snaps out of it with an “Ow!”

“Finally. What the hell were you doing? Are you stoned or something?” I ask Jon who is rubbing the spot I had pinched.

“No,” Jon mutters. “I just... I’m so nervous. Why the fuck am I so nervous?”

“You’re nervous,” I repeat, hoping Jon would give me more to work with.

Jon looks slightly embarrassed. “I don’t know what to wear.”

As much as I don’t want to laugh, I can’t help the snort that comes out. Jon frowns at me. “You know, it’s your fault I’m like this. You come back from the library one day, gushing about some Ryan guy, and before I know it, you have me freaking out about some girl. I swear, it’s contagious.”

Now, I don’t mind laughing at him. “Come on, Jon. You know this was bound to happen some time.” Jon huffs in what I sense is fake indignation. “Now, come with me,” I say as I pull on his arm so that he’ll follow me to his closet.

“Not to be the stereotypical gay guy,” I say, “but I am excellent at picking out clothes.” This earns an eye-roll from Jon as I open his closet to examine what I have to work with.

“So-” Jon starts, but I shush him and hold up my finger to tell him to give me a minute while I think. He’s standing next to me patiently, rocking on the balls of his feet with his hands clasped in front of him, and I can’t help but be slightly amused.

After a minute, I nod to myself, then pull a black sweater from the closet and hold it up in front of Jon. I decide against it, put the sweater back, then grab a blue-gray one and hold it against his chest. That’s the one. I hand it to him, then say, “Here, and wear your nice jeans. The ones I got you for Christmas. Trim your beard, and for the love of God, please wear shoes.”

Jon gets this offended look on his face. “I will not. They’re so confining.”

I sigh because I’d known that was going to be his answer. “At least, wear your nice ones. Don’t wear your cheap, rubber ones.”

“Okay, Mom,” he says as he starts to change.

Now for the real problem. What will I wear?



----------------------------



An hour and a half later, Jon and I are walking down to where Ryan lives. I’m dressed to kill in my best outfit, and I have to say that I’m looking good. I mean, I should be after the amount of time I spent on my hair. I’ve ditched my glasses for my contacts and a bit of eyeliner, which Jon laughs at me for having on.

We come up to Jose’s, and I smile as I look into the window and see the same guys behind the counter, taking orders and wrapping burritos. I nudge Jon and gesture to the place. “Ryan took me there the other day.”

He nods, “Ah, on your ‘not date’.”

“It wasn’t a date,” I say.

All he can say to me is “Uh huh.”

I point to the building across the street and pull out my phone to call Ryan.

“We’re here,” I say when he answers. Already I can feel a strange churning in my stomach.

“Okay, I’ll come down and get you,” he says.

I hang up and turn to Jon. “This is going to be interesting,” I tell him, and he just nods in response.



----------------------------

A/N:

In case you don't have this journal friended and are curious, I wrote up a sort of making of for this story. Won't be the last one though since the story is only a quarter done.

Also, sorry this was a bit filler and set up for the next chapter. But hey, introducing Spencer Smith's awesomeness makes up for it, no?