Chapter Text
“You know,” says Spencer. “It would have been nice if you’d told me.”
“Told you what?” Ryan says blankly, eyes wide and innocent, and Spencer is so not loving this bullshit.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Okay,” Ryan says. “I get it. I’m sorry I broke your alarm clock, okay? I should’ve told you, but I didn’t want you to yell.”
“You broke my – what? That’s not what I’m even talking about, but what? You’d better be buying me a new one, asshole.”
“Shit,” Ryan says. “Okay, what were you talking about, even.”
“I’m talking about
Brendon
, you idiot. If you pull another Brent I will literally slice your throat.”
“There will be no need to slice my throat,” Ryan says. “Brendon is
real
. I think I’m in love with him. I was never in love with Brent.”
“Your break up with Brent nearly destroyed the band,” Spencer says flatly. “I don’t want to deal with that again. There are only so many times I can do damage control for you.”
“Have you already had this conversation with Brendon?” Ryan snaps. “I’m sure you were all ‘Be careful, Ryan’s
evil
, blah blah blah, break your
heart
blah blah – ’”
“I’m serious, Ryan. This isn’t a joke, okay? Brendon is an actual person with actual feelings and you can’t just break his fucking heart. You’d ruin the band, for one, and Brendon’s my
friend
and I don’t want to see him hurt.”
“I thought I was your friend,” Ryan says coldly. “Or are we just disregarding that? Because I’m the bad guy who breaks hearts and ruins lives?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Spencer says, rolling his eyes and immediately regretting it. “It’s because you’re my best friend that I’m telling you this. You won’t listen to anyone else.”
“I’m so fucking sick of everyone accusing me of being this evil heartbreaker,” Ryan says, and his voice sounds hoarse and angry in Spencer’s ears. “Honestly, go fuck yourself.”
This stings, and Spencer tries not to show it, but clearly he fails because Ryan immediately apologizes.
“I’m sorry,” he says, and grips Spencer’s shoulder. “You’re not – I’m sorry.”
“No, whatever,” Spencer says. “Whatever, but I’m not cleaning up your mess. If you break Brendon’s heart, you’re gone, not him.”
“What if he breaks mine? Or is that not a possibility?”
“Fuck you, Ryan,” Spencer says, and Ryan laughs and then Spencer laughs, too.
“Just be careful,” Spencer says, hoarse, and Ryan laughs again.