line in the sand [gen]
line in the sand
816 words // pg // gen
[prompt: hs_bingo - sneaking out]
It's not sneaking out that's hard, but the sneaking back in that's a bitch.
Brendon blinks against the sudden onslaught of light. He's halfway through the window, a knee braced on the sill as he looks up to see his father in the doorway.
Well, shit, he thinks, then finishing crawling through the window. Standing up, he looks at his dad again. He doesn't say a word, knowing that it will be fruitless in the end.
"Brendon Boyd Urie." He winces at the tone, the disappointment and anger that runs through his name.
It doesn't get much better after that.
Brendon's pushing the macaroni and cheese around on his plate when Spencer slides into the seat across from him. Brendon watches a small frown appear between Spencer's eyes when Brendon just mumbles a greeting.
"Everything okay?" There's worry in Spencer's voice that makes something warm twist in Brendon's stomach. He ignores it. Instead he gives Spencer a smile that makes him frown even harder.
"Okay," Spencer draws out, giving Brendon a disbelieving look. "Now you want to try that again, but for real this time?"
Sighing, Brendon pushes his food away and puts his arms on the table, laying his head down. Concern immediately washes over Spencer's face and Brendon totally, totally ignores that little thing in his belly again. Finally, he mumbles, "I think I'm going to move out."
"What?" Blue eyes widen and Brendon just sighs again.
"I just." He shrugs a shoulder. "I'm not what they want me to be, you know?"
Burying his face in the crook of his elbow, he says, "I don't think I'll ever be what they want. Not really."
"Jesus, Brendon." Spencer sounds shocked, a little angry. "I didn't realize it was that bad. Why didn't you tell us?"
"Tell us what?" There's the sound of something hitting the table and Brendon automatically thinks, Dostoevsky. It's too heavy to be Steinbeck and Ryan's been on a Russian kick lately.
"That he's about to be kicked out."
Brendon raises his head then and glares across the table. "That's not what I said."
Glaring back, Spencer retorts, "It's pretty much the truth though, isn't it? You don't act like this unless your parents catch you doing something they don't approve of."
It hurts to hear that. Brendon does his best not to think about it that way-that his parents are the ones that want him gone-instead of Brendon choosing to be the one to leave. His chest aches when he thinks like that.
Turning to Ryan, he tells him, "I was just thinking of moving out, okay? They expect certain rules to be followed when I'm under their roof. It's their prerogative, right?" Ryan just stares back at him and Brendon rushes on. "And I don't happen to fit with most of those rules and it's, well. It's causing a lot of tension. So-" He shrugs again. "I've been thinking about getting my own place."
Ryan hums noncommittally. "Is your job enough to pay for that?"
Brendon is thankful that Ryan's not questioning him, at least not the way that Spencer is. But then, Ryan understands. "I've talked to Dale about picking up some more shifts."
"Brendon, that's stupid!" Spencer's shaking his head. "You're already falling behind in Pre-Cal as it is. How are you going to keep your grades up if you're working even more? Junior year is really important, you know."
Brendon snorts. "If I don't do this, it's not going to really matter, is it? I'd be expected to work and then go on Mission. Then I might-might-go to BYU."
The word mission makes his head hurt. It's been so long since he believed in any of it. Last night, he'd nearly blurted that out. The thought that it might be the last straw and they would throw him out, made him keep his tongue. That, and the reason he was sneaking out in the first place. That would definitely be a deal-breaker.
Spencer looks like he wants to argue further, but Ryan says his name quietly. They have one of those stupid silent conversations that Brendon is always jealous of and finally Spencer slumps back in his chair. Pushing his tray away, he mutters, "Fine. Just don't expect me to do all your homework, dickweed."
A second later, Ryan nudges Brendon with an elbow. "If you're off this weekend, we can go looking for an apartment?"
"Yeah?" Brendon asks softly. There's a nod in return, a small smile on Ryan's face. Brendon glances over at Spencer.
He's definitely not happy about the whole thing. Worried about him, Brendon knows. Still he can't help reveling in the little swirl of warmth in his stomach when Spencer rolls his eyes and smiles. "Of course, like we wouldn't help. Stupid."
The smile that crosses Brendon's face is genuine this time, wide and happy.
next | master list | previous
816 words // pg // gen
[prompt: hs_bingo - sneaking out]
It's not sneaking out that's hard, but the sneaking back in that's a bitch.
Brendon blinks against the sudden onslaught of light. He's halfway through the window, a knee braced on the sill as he looks up to see his father in the doorway.
Well, shit, he thinks, then finishing crawling through the window. Standing up, he looks at his dad again. He doesn't say a word, knowing that it will be fruitless in the end.
"Brendon Boyd Urie." He winces at the tone, the disappointment and anger that runs through his name.
It doesn't get much better after that.
Brendon's pushing the macaroni and cheese around on his plate when Spencer slides into the seat across from him. Brendon watches a small frown appear between Spencer's eyes when Brendon just mumbles a greeting.
"Everything okay?" There's worry in Spencer's voice that makes something warm twist in Brendon's stomach. He ignores it. Instead he gives Spencer a smile that makes him frown even harder.
"Okay," Spencer draws out, giving Brendon a disbelieving look. "Now you want to try that again, but for real this time?"
Sighing, Brendon pushes his food away and puts his arms on the table, laying his head down. Concern immediately washes over Spencer's face and Brendon totally, totally ignores that little thing in his belly again. Finally, he mumbles, "I think I'm going to move out."
"What?" Blue eyes widen and Brendon just sighs again.
"I just." He shrugs a shoulder. "I'm not what they want me to be, you know?"
Burying his face in the crook of his elbow, he says, "I don't think I'll ever be what they want. Not really."
"Jesus, Brendon." Spencer sounds shocked, a little angry. "I didn't realize it was that bad. Why didn't you tell us?"
"Tell us what?" There's the sound of something hitting the table and Brendon automatically thinks, Dostoevsky. It's too heavy to be Steinbeck and Ryan's been on a Russian kick lately.
"That he's about to be kicked out."
Brendon raises his head then and glares across the table. "That's not what I said."
Glaring back, Spencer retorts, "It's pretty much the truth though, isn't it? You don't act like this unless your parents catch you doing something they don't approve of."
It hurts to hear that. Brendon does his best not to think about it that way-that his parents are the ones that want him gone-instead of Brendon choosing to be the one to leave. His chest aches when he thinks like that.
Turning to Ryan, he tells him, "I was just thinking of moving out, okay? They expect certain rules to be followed when I'm under their roof. It's their prerogative, right?" Ryan just stares back at him and Brendon rushes on. "And I don't happen to fit with most of those rules and it's, well. It's causing a lot of tension. So-" He shrugs again. "I've been thinking about getting my own place."
Ryan hums noncommittally. "Is your job enough to pay for that?"
Brendon is thankful that Ryan's not questioning him, at least not the way that Spencer is. But then, Ryan understands. "I've talked to Dale about picking up some more shifts."
"Brendon, that's stupid!" Spencer's shaking his head. "You're already falling behind in Pre-Cal as it is. How are you going to keep your grades up if you're working even more? Junior year is really important, you know."
Brendon snorts. "If I don't do this, it's not going to really matter, is it? I'd be expected to work and then go on Mission. Then I might-might-go to BYU."
The word mission makes his head hurt. It's been so long since he believed in any of it. Last night, he'd nearly blurted that out. The thought that it might be the last straw and they would throw him out, made him keep his tongue. That, and the reason he was sneaking out in the first place. That would definitely be a deal-breaker.
Spencer looks like he wants to argue further, but Ryan says his name quietly. They have one of those stupid silent conversations that Brendon is always jealous of and finally Spencer slumps back in his chair. Pushing his tray away, he mutters, "Fine. Just don't expect me to do all your homework, dickweed."
A second later, Ryan nudges Brendon with an elbow. "If you're off this weekend, we can go looking for an apartment?"
"Yeah?" Brendon asks softly. There's a nod in return, a small smile on Ryan's face. Brendon glances over at Spencer.
He's definitely not happy about the whole thing. Worried about him, Brendon knows. Still he can't help reveling in the little swirl of warmth in his stomach when Spencer rolls his eyes and smiles. "Of course, like we wouldn't help. Stupid."
The smile that crosses Brendon's face is genuine this time, wide and happy.
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