With every step closer to Brendon's house, Gerard felt a bit better. The uneasiness that the bald man brought was becoming a distant memory. For Ryan, it had appeared to have become a distant memory even faster than it had for Gerard. The hippie themed boy had an excited look in his eye and a wide grin on his face.

"I love Brendon's parties!" Ryan exclaimed, spinning on his heel before continuing forward. "Memories tend to just pop up after you drink a little too much punch."

"I think you enjoy them too much." Gerard laughed with the raise of his brow.

Ryan turned to Gerard, wiggling his eyebrows before looking back ahead.

"Dude!" Gerard held his side as he laughed. Ryan just ran ahead with laughter of his own.

They were only a few houses away from Brendon's, as evidenced by the flashing lights peaking through the curtained windows of a two story, pale blue house. Gerard picked up his pace in order to catch up to Ryan, holding his binder close to his chest. Once caught up to Ryan, he let his pace slow. He grinned at his friend as he pushed strands of his red hair out of his face.

"Eager, much?" Gerard asked.

Ryan looked down with a shrug. "It's our last one..." He spoke softly as they walked up the house's driveway, "Maybe..."

Before Ryan could finish, the front door of the house was thrown open. Breezy was rushing out of the house with screaming giggles as Dallon chased after her. He was armed with a large super soaker, wearing nothing but a pair of faded, floral shorts and a tie around his head like a bandana.

They had run around the front of the house by the time Brendon appeared in the doorway. He was stripped down to a pair of black underwear that didn't leave much to the imagination and a flashing pair of shutter shades over his eyes. He was looking around wildly, but froze when he caught sight of Gerard and Ryan. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Y'all made it!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. He ran over, quickly engulfing Ryan in a hug.

Gerard bit his lip to hold back giggles. Ryan had visibly stiffened. How he had managed to move enough to hold Brendon back was an absolute mystery.

"You guys make everybody!" Brendon cheered as he released Ryan and moved to hug Gerard, "Well, except Jon and Spencer, but they had a thing." He pulled out of the hug with a wink, "If ya know what I mean."

"FOUND BRENDON!"

As a voice screamed his name, Brendon's eyes grew larger than saucers behind his flashing shades. "Gotta go!" He spun on his heel, rushing back towards the house. "Come on in!" He added with a yell before vanishing.

Gerard stepped forward a few steps before turning to grin at Ryan. The brown eyed boy had cheeks as red as Gerard's hair and eyes wider than Brendon's had been. He was frozen, looking towards the space where Brendon had disappeared.

"You okay there?" Gerard asked with amusement.

Ryan's eyes snapped over to Gerard. "I need to get to the punch." He responded with the shake of his head.

Gerard laughed as he and Ryan started forward towards the open door of the house. A song with an energetic beat was playing as they stepped over the threshold. Fairy lights lined the halls in replacement of regular overhead lights; they flashed irregular colors while still keeping the atmosphere relatively dark. To the side of the entrance hall, the boys could peak into the living room/makeshift dance floor. Several bodies were mashed together there, indistinguishable in the dim light. The staircase across from that room was draped in toilet paper, as well as, someone's multicolored bra. At the very end of the hall was the lit kitchen, which is where Ryan immediately ran.

Gerard was slower to make his way down the hall. He listened to the music, which just seemed to be a beat. He watched the lights flicker colors, casting different shadows with every new shade of light. The sounds of his friend's amused squeals and laughter made him smile as he passed the living room.

For a short second, he was taken back to his first party with these people. They played spin the bottle, they gossiped over different celebrities they found attractive, and just enjoyed their time together. This was possibly the last time they would have anything close to that together.

When Gerard entered the kitchen, he was greeted by louder music and four other bodies. Ryan had his head thrown back as he emptied a red solo cup. A girl with two colors in her hair, split right down the middle from the drama class was swaying the skirt of a pale, pink dress. Gerard believed her name was Melanie, but he wasn't entirely sure. She was relatively new to the school, joining up with the group through Kellin Quinn and Vic Fuentes.

He looked away from her, only to have his stomach drop. Frank had Jamia pressed up against a wall. He kissed her lips, hungrily, while running his hands up and down her sides. Gerard hastily looked away as Frank's hands roamed up to his girlfriend's chest.

Leave it to Gerard to walk in on that.

"Gerard!" Ryan slid in front of him, nearly spilling the liquid in the two red cups he held in his hands. He held one out to his friend. "You look like you need a drink." He said with the slight jerk of his head in Frank and Jamia's direction.

"I don't really-" Gerard tried to deny the drink, but Ryan insisted. The red head sighed, taking in his hand and bringing the cup up to his lips. "Cheers?" He questioned, already able to smell the alcohol hidden in the red liquid. He took a sip, only confirming what he already knew to be spiked punch.

"Definitely!" Ryan grinned, "I'm already feeling better."

"I'll hold your scarf when you're puking in an hour." The girl with two halves of her hair dyed said as she walked over. She stood on her tip toes and tapped the top of his head, earning a giggle from Ryan.

"I love you, Melanie, you're the sweetest." He smiled at her before bringing his cup back to his lips.

"What are friends for?" She laughed. She turned to Gerard as he set his cup on a counter. "Have you seen my boys? They were coming here for drinks, but I also saw them grabbing the water guns."

"What the hell is happening with that?" Gerard asked, attempting to speak higher than the bumping music.

Melanie laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever it is, it feels like war." She replied. She then gently slid past Gerard and down the entrance hall.

Gerard turned back to the kitchen, going to talk to Ryan, but the hippie boy was gone. Gerard spun in a complete circle, only to find himself alone in the kitchen with, the currently focused solely on making out, Frank and Jamia. An awkward feeling set in Gerard's gut. He needed to get out of here. Dancefloor or hallway?

"WHERE'S THE FUCKING PIÑATA, BRENDON!?"

Dance floor living room was suddenly looking like the best option.

Before Gerard could move, however, the two pulled apart with heavy breaths. Frank had a drunken smirk on his face while Jamia covered her mouth as she giggled.

"I wanna dance!" She yelled at a level that Gerard could barely hear over the loud music.

Frank leaned into her ear in response, speaking something lowly to her. When he pulled back, she nodded, kissed his cheek and hurried past him into the dark, strobe lit dancing room. Frank pushed his fingers through his long, dark hair as he turned away from the wall he had Jamia up against. His eyelids were hung low and there was a sway to his motions that indicated he had drank a fair share of the punch. Even through his low hung eyelids, he grinned when he saw Gerard.

"Heyyy!" Frank waved before walking over, "What's up, Gee?"

"Hey, Frank." Gerard smiled. The smell of something other than alcohol seemed to be surrounding Frank, but Gerard didn't comment. He really couldn't, after taking a sip of whatever was in the punch himself, but they were all underage here; they could all get in serious trouble.

"Doesn't Jam look great tonight?" Frank asked as he leaned back against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Gerard nodded, feeling his heart tear at the words. He tried to mask his emotions with a smile as Frank continued.

"She's everything to me... Hey, can you keep a secret?" Frank's eyebrow raised as he looked at Gerard. Upon the redhead's nods, Frank's hand shot down to his pocket and began to dig. His tongue stuck out of his mouth before his eyes widened. He pulled his hand out of his pocket with a triumphant look. His fingers were covering something box-like that made Gerard's heart stop beating for a moment.

Then, Frank's fingers straightened to reveal what he had been hiding, and Gerard's heart just sank.

"Like, not yet, but soon." Frank grinned, completely blind to Gerard's drop of emotion. "It's gunna be rad, maybe after graduation. I-I just know she's the one, man." He was looking at the box, lovingly. He was probably picturing Jamia's face when the question was popped.

Gerard felt empty. He'd never have a shot now. How could he get over Frank knowing that he was going to get married to his highschool sweetheart? Gerard's highschool sweetheart had always been out of reach, and now, would always be.

"-Grandma's ring..." Frank's words drifted in and out of his hearing. Gerard forced a smile as Frank rambled on, but he could feel the emotions boiling in his chest.

"That's awesome, Frank!" Gerard yelled over the music so that his friend could hear, "I'm so stoked for you!.. Hey, I gotta pee, I'll see you around."

Frank nodded, shoving the ring box back in his pocket. He drifted towards the dark, party room while Gerard rushed back down the hallway. The squeals and laughter that made it through the music hit Gerard's numb ears as a dull echo. He felt sick. He felt hurt. He felt like he shouldn't be feeling this way at all.

He rushed up the stairs to the second story, finding the bathroom just to the side of the hall. He rushed inside and locked the door behind him. He dropped his binder to the ground as he pressed his back to the door.

Was it selfish to feel so hurt over someone he never had a shot with? What would have happened if Gerard came clean with his feelings?.. Nothing would have changed... Frank would still eventually marry Jamia. Gerard would still have to face getting over it.

He slid down the door as loud laughter and footsteps rushed past the bathroom. He looked at his dropped binder. Some papers had spilled out again, but there was one in particular that Gerard's eyes landed on.

Fun Ghoul was looking back at him, almost in a taunting manor. A sigh escaped his lips. He reached out for the picture, lifting it slowly into the air.

"Why couldn't I be Party Poison?" He whispered as he looked over his drawing, "He'd know exactly what to say to you... He already has you..."

He sniffled, looking down. Things were so much simpler in his comics... If only he could be there instead.

It took a few minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor before he gathered his spilled papers, rose to his feet, and pushed the door open. He wiped his eyes as he stepped out into the hallway. There didn't seem to be anyone on this level as he made his way to the staircase. He was slowly making his way down before something hit him.

The music had stopped.

There was no sound blasting anymore. Gerard hesitated on the steps, wondering if the party had been shut down by the cops, but there wasn't even the faint sound of a lecture being given.

Gerard reached the bottom of the stairs with furrowed brows. The lights continued to flash over different colors, but there was just no sound. As he stepped into the hallway, Gerard noticed a mass laying on the floor.

"Josh?" Gerard questioned before hurrying over. His curly, blue hair had given him away as he lied on the ground with closed eyes and his mouth slightly ajar. "Josh!?"

Shaking the blue haired boy's shoulders did nothing to wake him up. Gerard looked around as a panic filled his chest. "Guys!" He yelled, "I think Josh is hurt!"

There was no response.

Gerard rose to his feet, looking around in uncertainty. His eyes fell upon the dark party room, where most of the group had been. He hoped someone was still there.

Gerard hurried into the dark, but quickly found himself falling to the floor. He let out a soft 'omph' as he landed, somehow managing to keep everything in his binder this time. He rolled onto his back and pushed himself up in order to see what had made him fall.

"Tyler?" He asked, noticing the ring of tattoos around his arm in the flashing background lights. "Tyler, are you and Josh..." Gerard looked around, feeling his eyes widen as he saw more and more of his friends laying on the ground as if they had all decided to take a group nap where they stood. "What the..."

"Gee?.."

A strange, yet familiar, feeling washed over Gerard as the voice called out. He shook his head in a quick confusion before looking around the room again.

"Ryan!"

The hippie themed boy was leaning against a wall, looking groggy and confused. Gerard crawled over to him, careful to avoid his friends, but also feeling increasingly tired with each inch closer to Ryan. "What's going on?.."

Ryan blinked, not even seeming to really see Gerard in front of him. "I feel funny..." He muttered before his eyes shut and his head drooped.

"Ryan..." Gerard attempted to reach out to his friend, but his own eyes were drooping. He couldn't control it when his body just gave out and he hit the floor entirely.