Flexible--Rydon--32

Ryan's been glued to his computer since Pete Wentz responded to their songs.

"He wants to fly down and meet us," Ryan tells the rest of the boys. "He says he wants to sign us to Decaydance."

"No way!" exclaims Brendon, pumping a fist in the air.

"You know what this means, right?" prompts Ryan.

Brent scratches his head. "We're gonna be famous?" he tries.

Ryan shakes his head, a grim smile on his face. "No," he says. "We need to practice like hell so we're perfect for when he comes."

And practice they do. Everyday, for hours on end, and when they're done, more often than not, Ryan or Brendon or Spencer or Brent end up spending the night at someone else's house, whispering about the band, about Pete Wentz, about who they're going to be.

*

Pete Wentz (7:48:06 PM): You guys look good. The chicks gonna be swooning?
Ryan Ross (7:48:38 PM): once we get a keyboard player who can do all of the sampling we want to do it will be alot better too. its like we know how we want to sound, but just finding the right way to do it i guess is what we are working on.
Ryan Ross (7:48:40 PM): hahaha
Ryan Ross (7:48:51 PM): i dont know man, we look alright i guess
Ryan Ross (7:48:57 PM): we look young
Pete Wentz (7:49:42 PM): Youngs not bad at all
Pete Wentz (7:49:47 PM): How does the singer look
Ryan Ross (7:50:05 PM): dead sexy.
Ryan Ross (7:50:41 PM): he's no pete wentz. but still
Pete Wentz (7:51:42 PM): Hahaha
Pete Wentz (7:51:54 PM): Goddamn as long as he looks cool.singing

*

"So what exactly do you and Pete talk about?" asks Brendon one night as he and Ryan are huddled together in his bed.

"The band," mumbles Ryan, burrowing his face in Brendon's neck. "Music. How things are going to be if we get signed."

Brendon frowned. "'If'?" he repeated uncertainly.

"You never know." Ryan shrugged. "I don't want to be build all my hopes up on something which could fall through."

"That's just like you."

Ryan didn't ask what he meant by that, and Brendon didn't offer an explanation.

*

Spending the night at Spencer's is always a treat for Ryan, and when the four have a band sleepover, things get even better. The patchwork of noise and mismatch of sounds and voices and shouting and laughter and friendship drowns Trevor out with ease.

"Stop hogging the Player 1 controller!" Spencer snaps at Brent.

"Here I go, going down, down, down!" loudly sings Brendon, springing off the couch to tackle Spencer. "My mind is a blank! My head is spinning around and around, as I go deep into the funnel of love!"

Squalling, Brent roll out of the mass of flailing arms and kicking legs and crashes into Spencer's drums, sending the high-hat the floor with crash.

"Dude!" bitches Spencer. "Dude! Watch the drums."

"Sor-ry," Brent whines.

"It's such a crazy, crazy feeling! I go weak in the knees. My poor, old head is reeling as I go deep into the funnel of love!" continues Brendon cheerfully,

And all the while, Ryan just sits on the couch, knees curled to his nose, and watches his friends with a happy smile curved on his face.