Jealous Orchard (Brendon Urie) 01

It was muggy. So muggy that I felt like the stiffness of the air was wrapping itself around my throat and choking the happiness right out of me. I had never been a big fan of the heat, and the constant sweat of Vegas weather was a constant reminder. I could care less about how many friends the move made me, it's been five years and I still hate the damn desert.

"Get over it, Paige. One more year and then you can go wherever your cold little heart desires," My mom reminded me, silencing my woes with a piece of buttered toast.

I sighed, picking up the toast and looking at it before deciding there was too much butter on it and setting it back down. "It's not just one more year. it's one very long year. There's no Melanie to keep me sane."

She looked at me from the corner of her eye and smiled knowingly, "I don't think it's Melanie that has you so worked over, Paige."

I glared at her, silencing the subject before it could be brought up. "I guess I should head," I mumbled, grabbing my pathetic messenger bag and throwing the strap over my shoulder. I kissed my mom's cheek goodbye before scurrying out the door, cursing the sweltering heat the second the door shut behind me. My eyes went straight across the street to where Monica's house was and I felt my eyes dullen at the reminder of her absense. I let out a sigh, pulling my keys out of my pocket and opening the car as I tossed my bag into the passenger seat.

I spent the drive there trying to list off as many positives to this situation as I could.
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"Could you look anymore pathetic?" Jared laughed, sitting down next to me in homeroom.

"I probably could, yes," I informed him, letting my head fall to rest on my crossed my arms as I let out a groan. "How are we going to survive a whole year without Monica?"

Jared smirked at me, looking at me with that same knowing glint in his eyes as my mother had had earlier. "Without Monica? Or withour Brendon?"

I could feel my face harden at the mention of his name,only causing Jared to laugh. "No, I meant without Monica."

He sighed, rolling his obnixious green eyes at me, "You can't be made at him forever, Paige."

"True, but I can stay mad for a long time," I argued stubbornly, lifting my head back up and directing my attention to the front of the room where Ms. Leighton was currently speaking.

"And what is staying mad going to get you?" He asked, ignroing my attempt to drop the subject. "Ignoring his phone calls and emails isn't going to make him come running back home to apologize. Does he even know why you're mad?"

I glanced at him for a second, long enough for him to see the guilt in my eyes, before looking back at the front. "I don't want to talk about Brendon."

"Fine, I'll drop it." He mumbled, his annoyance clearly showing in his voice. "But the tour doesn't last forever, Paige. They have a break in a few weeks and he'll be back wondering why you won't speak to him."

"If he can't figure it out, that's his fault." I replied curtly, not even bothering to look at him this time.

"How is he supposed to figure it out?!" Jared yelled, earning the attention of the rest of the class and casuing him to blush from the unwanted attention. "One day you and him are best friends, the next you won't talk to him. You can't blame him for being confused," He added, his voice significantly lower this time.

"Well, maybe he should ask Tanya what my problem is," I whispered back, the harshness in my voice surpising Jared as he leaned away from me. He looked at me for a moment before a look of realization seemed to wash over his face, causing a sympathetic sigh to leave his mouth.

"Paige, he wasn't going to wait forever." He said softly, as if this piece of truth was somehow comforting.

"I know that," I said back, my voice taking on the same softness as his. "It's just fantastic that he gave up when I was finally ready."

Jared remained quiet, clearly unaware of how to brighten the situation after that little confession had left my mouth. I let my attention drift back to Ms. Leighton, trying not to let my mind settle on the fact that Brendon, and the others, would be back in town in three short weeks.