FicWad

‘Pssst.’ Brendon whispered across the isle towards Grace, whom he hoped was still awake. Grace soon peaked her head out of her bunk and looked over at him.

‘What?’

‘What are you wearing tonight?’ he joked. She rolled her eyes and lay back down.

With in seconds her bunk curtains were being pulled back and Brendon was crawling in with her. He kissed her softly on his way over her. ‘What are you doing?’ she whispered.

‘I was thinking about you. It’s our first official night to sleep together; I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.’ She chuckled a little bit as he brought her comfortably into his arms. She snuggled into his chest.

‘I love you.’ He whispered kissing the top of her head.

‘I love you.’ She said looking up. It was dark but there was still a certain sparkle that she could see in his eyes. The sparkle she loved so much. That sparkle that made Brendon perfect in her eyes.

Grace fell asleep that night comfortable in Brendon’s arms. He lay awake a little longer thinking about what she said her ideal man was:

‘Someone that I can fall asleep with that holds me in his arms and never lets go.’

‘I’m never letting you go Grace.’ He whispered kissing the top of her head again before shutting his eyes to go to sleep.

‘Where is Brendon?’ Grace heard Ryan say the next day.

‘I’ll give you three guesses…the first two don’t count.’ Jon said. Ryan, Jon, and Spencer stood in front of Grace’s bunk. Ryan quickly swept the curtains back to find Brendon and Grace asleep together. He would have a hard time breaking this as they looked so peaceful and in love cuddled up tangled between each other and the blankets.

‘He’s gotta get up.’ Spencer said, ‘We have sound check in an hour.’

‘I realize this.’ Ryan snapped. Grace heard all of this and slowly opened her eyes looking at the three boys in front of her.

‘Hey Gracie, listen we have sound check in an hour, Brendon has to get up.’ Ryan said.

‘Alright I’ll wake him up, close the curtains it’s bright.’ She said closing her eyes again. Ryan shut the curtains while she rolled over meeting Brendon’s sleeping face.

‘B beary.’ Grace whispered soothing some hair out of his face.

‘Hmm?’

‘Babe you have sound check in an hour, you gotta get up.’

‘No, I don’t want to.’ He mumbled.

‘Come on, get up.’ She whispered kissing his lips softly.

‘Fine.’ He mumbled opening his eyes.

‘You didn’t take out your contacts last night.’

‘No I forgot.’ He said pulling her closer.

‘Come on.’ She said opening the curtains and crawling out of bed. Brendon emerged a few minutes later.

‘When did we get here this morning?’ he mumbled.

‘About 12:30.’

‘What time is it now?’

‘1:45.’ Ryan said.

‘Why are you guys just waking me up now?’ he asked.

‘We had no reason for you to be up causing trouble. There was nothing to do.’ Ryan answered sounding like an annoyed mother. Brendon mocked him before Grace walked past him. He grinned as he looked at her butt in the jeans she was wearing.

‘Whatcha reading?’ she asked sitting down next to Ryan.

‘Music reviews.’ He mumbled.

‘I wrote a review last year in one of my classes. I got an A on it.’

‘Who did you write a review on?’

‘Oh…uh…no one important, you probably wouldn’t even know who it was.’ She said avoiding eye contact.

‘You’re a really bad liar.’ Ryan said louder than he intended.

‘I recent that. I am not!’

‘Who did you write it about?’

‘It’s not important.’

‘Tell me who you wrote it about.’

‘No.’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘Yes.’

‘No.’

‘Yes.’

‘Look Ryan you’re not going to win this argument have you met my boyfriend?’

‘I’ve basically lived with your boyfriend non stop for the past three years. Now who’s not going to win?’

‘Look I just had to compare two bands that were big on the music scene for a class, my teacher published it in the newspaper and then it got picked up by some magazine.’ She mumbled, ‘It’s not a big deal.’

‘What magazine published it?’

‘Spin?’

‘You had a music review published in Spin?’ Ryan asked in disbelief as the other three boys were sitting at the table by this point.

‘Yeah, it’s not a big deal.’ Grace said doodling with Ryan’s pen.

‘So who did you write about?’

‘I wrote it about Fall Out Boy and Panic at the disco, okay?’

‘You wrote a review about us?’

‘No it was more like a comparison of the two bands not so much a review.’ She stressed.

‘You wrote a review of us and got published in a major music magazine?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘What was the article called?’ Jon asked walking into the area with a big scrapbook his mom had made.

‘A new Alternative.’ Grace said.

‘No way!’ Jon said pulling the article out of the book.

‘You have it?’ Grace asked in disbelief.

‘Yeah, I loved this article!’ Jon exclaimed.

‘You read it?’

‘We all read it.’

‘I didn’t read it.’ Brendon piped in.

‘Good don’t, it sucked.’

‘Grace it was an amazing article; it was sarcastic yet serious all at the same time. I couldn’t put it down.’ Ryan said.

‘Okay I wanna read it.’ Brendon said.

‘NO!’ Grace said quickly, ‘You don’t need to read it Brendon.’

‘Why not?’

‘Isn’t there a part in here about Brendon?’ Ryan said as a smirk formed on his face. Grace dropped her head to the table.

‘Fine, I don’t think I could be more embarrassed now than I already am. Go ahead.’ She said.

‘I’ll read it.’ Jon said picking up the paper and beginning to read it out loud to the table.
Fall Out Boy. Panic! At the Disco. Two of today’s biggest bands. One discovered by the other, but one quickly writing the other into history books. As both bands blow up, even more so than they already have, their differences become much clearer; though we could go on all day comparing these two bands major factors shine through more so than any others: Their performance and their musical influences.

There are people on either side of the spectrum that says their band is better than the other but as one that has seen both stage shows many times, it is clear to me which is the better performer. As one listens to Panic! At the Disco’s first CD, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, a mental picture is drawn out, a picture filled with circus characters and large animals, elaborate costumes and exotic instrumentation. When watching the stage performances it’s as if this Las Vegas based band has taken that image inside your head and transformed it into reality. Anyone can go and enjoy a concert, but only those with that image enjoy the Panic experience that is like no other. A big part of a stage performance is the lead singer, not only does he personify the song and lyrics but he captures that last bit of attention from the audience. Brendon Urie, front man for Panic, is a phenomenon on stage. He is charismatic, gorgeous and has a voice that gives angels competition. As one that steals the show, Brendon leaves girls, and some guys whishing that for just a moment, they were a fly on his microphone stand. From the beginning of the show, where a ring leader comes out to introduce the band, to the finale of the show, where the band, dancers, and extras bowed like they had given the performance of their lives, the surprises during the show keep the audience on their toes. There is never a dull moment at a Panic concert! Fall Out Boy might not even be in the same category of performances. When one goes to a concert of any kind they expect to see a band playing their instruments and singing their songs as they are on the record, which is not the case when one goes to see a Fall Out Boy shoe. While their show is mediocre, their performance is even worse. Not to say that Fall Out Boy is a bad band, they just might not be as strong performers. Their shows consist of over the top special effects, from flying out of underground boxes to fire shooters on either sides of the stage, a last attempt at catching the audience’s attention. Though no true native Chicagoan will turn their back to this band; they share roots, an accent, and a longing for deep-pan Chicago style pizza, this band just doesn’t stack up in comparison to Panic! At the Disco. Pete Wentz, only famous for his risqué photos leaked to the internet and his less than famous Simpson sister girlfriend, his attempts to steal the show with his stupidity from jumping off various over hangings and his “diamond in the sky” hand movements leave skeptical fans wanting more of Brendon Urie’s seductive, piercing voice.

One of the biggest determinates of a band is their influences. Their influences determine what kind of band they will turn into. As kids of the 1990’s we grew up on bands such as Third Eye Blind, Queen, Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, and the late 90’s band Blink 182. Panic! At the Disco is no different. It’s a little known fact that these boys also grew up in the 90’s listening to that same genre and the same bands as every other 90’s kid in America which is why it’s no surprise to anyone between the ages of 17 and 21 that Panic’s main influences were bands such as Third Eye Blind, Smashing Pumpkins, and Blink 182. No band around today or in the past has made it an entire career without playing some form of a cover of an influential band. For Panic, they cover songs such as “Tonight, Tonight”, a classic Pumpkins song; or “Karma Police”, a Radiohead hit that was a release in 1997. As Panic continues to write music their influences become clearer as one can hear the lyrical influence, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and Stephen Jenkins (Third Eye Blind) has had on the lyricist, Ryan Ross. Though Fall Out Boy has similar musical interests as Panic, their influences are widely different. As I said above, Panic grew up in the 90’s, Fall Out Boy grew up in the 80’s listening to such musical selections such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis Costello, which is also very pronounced in their music and their lyrics. Not only is Fall Out Boy’s lyrics inspired by 80’s genre music, but also films with song titles such as “Thriller”, taken from the 1982 release from Michael Jackson, and the song title “A little less sixteen candles, a little more touch me” which is taken from the 1984 release of the movie Sixteen Candles. Without these influences, neither band would be who they are or where they are today. It’s influences like this that continues to shape the future of up and coming American bands such as Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco.

When comparing these two, there is a never ending list of comparisons between the two bands along with the never ending arguments between fans and non-fans alike. Bottom line, you can be a fan of one without being a fan of the other, it’s inevitable. While I only compared performance and influences, I’ve just taken you through two of the most important deciding factors of a band from creating to the end of their career. These band will be forever known for their performances as they put them together and continue to perform and will more than likely later influence a new age of music but for right now, they are what they are regardless of opinion.

‘Wow! You wrote that?’

‘Yeah.’ Grace mumbled with her forehead still on the table.

‘Told you guys I was amazing.’

‘Her opinion doesn’t count, she’s your girlfriend.’

‘But she wasn’t at the time!’ Brendon argued.

‘He has you there Ry.’ Jon said.

‘Regardless, Grace you should be proud. You got an article published in Spin.’

‘I am but it just wasn’t an article I really wanted published. It’s a good thing I didn’t know you guys read it earlier.’ She said getting up and starting back towards her bunk to find some clothes to change into.

‘You know when I had that dream. Remember in the hospital room when Jon came in, you looked all googly eyed at him, Turns out you though I was attractive.’ Brendon said.

‘Hey there buddy, if you’re going to tease me about this forever, I’ll take it all back.’

‘Hey, I’m sorry that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me.’ Brendon smiled wrapping his arms around her waist resting his hands on her butt.

‘Oh you mean aside from Oh EM GEE I like want 2 have ur babies Bden.’ Grace mocked.

‘I never want to hear that out of your mouth again. We don’t talk about that around here.’ Jon said pointing a finger.

Grace chuckled while Brendon rolled his eyes, ‘Jon I’ll have your babies too.’ Grace joked. Jon turned around and glared before walking over and picking her up and throwing her over his shoulders.

‘We’ll be right back.’ Jon said walking into the back and shutting the door. Moments later laughter was heard and Grace was yelling mercy as Ryan opened the door to find Grace lying on the floor as Jon had both her hands pinned above her head with one hand and was tickling her side with the other.

‘Say it.’ Jon said.

‘No.’

‘Say it G. Bra.’

‘Never!’

‘Alright, well I don’t have anywhere I have to be for a couple of hours and I’m pretty comfortable where I am.’

‘FINE!’ she yelled.

‘Let’s hear it.’ Jon said as he let her sit up. Grace looked at him and glared pushing him back and getting up and running towards the front of the bus jumping onto Brendon’s lap forcing him to protect her from the wrath of Jon.

‘That was cheap now you’re really going to get it.’ He said.

‘Brendon!’ she squeaked.

‘Hey, I’m not getting in the middle of this.’ He said holding his hands up.

‘Get in the middle and you’ll get in something else.’ She said with a seductive look.

‘Oh no! You’re not bribing me with a bath.’ Brendon said. Jon and Grace both stopped and looked at with blank stares.

‘What?’ Jon asked.

‘You said Get in the middle and you’ll get in something else. Bribing me with a bathtub, come on baby cakes, you can do better than that.’

‘Brendon…you’re dumb.’ Grace laughed.

‘What?’

‘She meant her, you’d get in her, as in sex?’

‘Oh!’ Brendon said, ‘In that case.’

‘Yeah forget it it’s not funny anymore.’ Grace said walking back to the back with Jon.

‘Are you up for some guitar hero?’ he asked.

‘Sure.’ Grace said.

Brendon pouted looking over at Ryan; he chuckled before following them back.

‘Come on guys, who knew that’s what she was talking about.’

Jon, Ryan, and Spencer all put up their hands before Grace burst out laughing, ‘I still love you Beary.’ She snorted.

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I'm on a roll with this updating thing, I bet it's the new tattoo, anyway you guys should be on a roll with the reviews too!!!