Chapter 14

Ten minutes later saw Spencer and Ryan back in the common room. They had both watched Brendon disappear but Spencer was the first to move. He had dragged Ryan downstairs and shoved him onto a sofa before making two huge mugs of good coffee.

Ryan accepted the steaming mug gratefully and watched as Spencer sank into an armchair opposite. He still marvelled at the fact that Spencer was the only boy in the whole school who seemed capable of growing any facial hair. He clearly hadn't shaved recently and the stubble was building up. Spencer brought a hand up and waved it in front of Ryan's face.

"Okay, I know my beard is fascinating but we have rather more pressing issues here," Ryan nodded apologetically and took another gulp of coffee. Spencer rolled his eyes.

"Okay, seeing as you seem shocked into silence I'll provide a summary. You got drunk, you passed out, Brendon took you upstairs, Brendon hauled you into a shower and hosed you down, somewhere along those lines your clothes disappeared and you woke up in a towel."

Ryan nodded grimly. The fact that Brendon had seen him naked had been apparent for some time now, he was almost over it. It was the fact that he'd passed out that was the problem. He could have told anyone anything and he wouldn't remember it. He could have blown the entire operation and not realised, what he didn't get- was how he could have passed out. Spencer appeared to be thinking along the same lines as him and picked up where Ryan's brain had left off.

"What I don't get," he mused, furrowing his eyebrows, "Is how you passed out. I mean, a glass of tequila and seven vodka shots? That's a lot in a short space of time...but not enough to make you pass out and not remember anything, right?"

Ryan nodded again, he knew his limits, and that wasn't close.

"So what do we do?" He muttered, hoping Spencer would pull something fantastical out of the bag, a way of getting Brendon to talk.

Getting Brendon to talk. But what if Brendon had been talking? Ryan froze as he remembered the bug he had placed under the lampshade in their shared room. If Brendon had said anything incriminating- or if he had said anything...he could find out. There was a loop on the mic that deleted at midnight every day, but providing he checked it before he went to bed- he might go to sleep feeling a little more aware of his surroundings. He tried to keep his face clear and sat up straighter.

"Or maybe it doesn't matter. You know? What's done is done." He smiled. Spencer wasn't buying it and looked distinctly confused. He only had time to open his mouth before the common room sprang into life. Ryan turned around towards the sound of the shouting.

The front doors opened to admit Frank, Gerard, Bob, Mikey and Ray who all looked like they'd broken up with each other, twice. Frank looked particularly angry. Ray muttered something to Bob as Gerard stalked into the kitchen, cursing under his breath as he went. Frank's mouth dropped open as he managed to hear some of what his best friend was saying. He flipped his middle finger at Gerard's retreating back before running up the stairs, Mikey then rolled his eyes at everyone before taking off after him. Bob and Ray shared a few worried glances before quietly sitting down on the sofa with Ryan.

Mikey nearly ran straight into Bill and Gabe who were coming down the stairs, looking distinctly crumpled Ryan noted. He then wished to un-notice as Bill wiped the corner of his mouth and winked at him. As soon as the front door closed, it opened again to admit Pete who staggered in clutching his head as though he wanted to cut it off. His shirt was ripped at one shoulder and his tie looked like it had been dipped in chocolate. Ryan turned back and put his coffee down, eyeing is suspiciously. It was turning into an even more interesting morning. Gabe and Bill tried to sit in the same armchair at the same time, causing a brief struggle that ended with Bill tangled up round Gabe like a pretzel. Once they had stopped wriggling Spencer spoke up, he raised an eyebrow quizzically at the assembled group. There seemed to be an aura of treaty in the whole group. Everyone was tired and confused so feuds and personality clashes were hung up out of the way for the time being.

"Okay, explanation time. Who wants to go first?"

Gabe raised his hand immediately but Bill slapped it down, and glared. Pete sat down on the floor in front of their armchair and leant against the arm. Gabe's hands flew into Pete's hair and began massaging circles into his head. Pete sighed dramatically and closed his eyes.

"Bill choke on your dick again Saporta?" He mumbled. Bill threw his hands into the air in exasperation but smiled lazily at the back of Pete's head. Gabe laughed gently,

"He nearly dislocated his jaw actually." He moved his hand to Pete's shoulders and started to rub them soothingly. Pete moaned a little too sexually for Ryan's liking.

"Nearly? Clearly wasn't tryin' hard 'nough" Pete muttered. Bill slapped a hand to his face and shook his head,

"Just because you're the only person stupid enough to actually dislocate your jaw while sucking dick, that does not suddenly become a challenge!" He lifted one corner of his mouth, "Anyway, I was too busy trying to relay coherent information about Ryan's little escapade through non verbal communication to worry about my gag reflex." He raised an eyebrow at Ryan, who looked away.

"Seven vodka shots and a tequila." Gabe repeated, smirking at Spencer. Spencer shot him a look.

"Can we not?" Muttered Ray from where his head was resting in his hands, "I think I poured enough vodka last night to float Alex's ego on." Bob nodded and cleared his throat,

"And we haven't exactly had the best morning. Bert showed up at the waffle house." He grimaced, "It wasn't pretty. I'm guessing you saw Gerard with him last night?"

Spencer winced and Bill and Pete exchanged glances.

"Yeah, I saw them." Bill said, through gritted teeth. Ryan was so out of the loop with the whole Bert thing, it was starting to get annoying. However, it was clearly a personal matter. He was surprised to note that it seemed to be a year wide topic though, even Pete looked concerned.

"Were they?..." Spencer asked, tentatively. Ray's head bobbed up and down. There was a unanimous sigh from the group. "Guessing Frank called him out on it again?." More nodding from Ray.

"Frank went a bit far this time though, made it personal." Grumbled Bob, sounding perpetually tired, "I suppose we should...?" He poked Ray and pointed to the stairs. Ray looked up and nodded. They both stood up stiffly and headed for the stairs. Ryan thought it was odd that neither of them stopped to talk to Gerard in the kitchen, but then, what did he know?

"What about you Ry? Spoken to Bren?" Pete spoke with his eyes closed again. Ryan was about to retort that it was none of his business when Spencer cut across him.

"Yeah, we have. Ryan doesn't remember anything and Brendon's acting suspicious and Ryan woke up naked and wrapped in one of Alex's towels."

At this Pete opened his eyes and sat up straighter, even Bill looked lazily interested. Pete cocked an eyebrow.

"Been there bro, never a good one. You think you and Brendon might have...?" He wiggled his eyebrows, his tone of voice amused but not serious. Ryan swallowed. He'd forgotten about that possibility. He thought about it carefully, taking Pete's question seriously.

Spencer scoffed, "Ryan is straight you dick. Like, actually straight. If anything happened, Ryan didn't mean it to." He looked at Ryan for confirmation, Ryan nodded. It was true. Pete shrugged, nonplussed.

"I'll ask Bren- subtly," he added, when Ryan looked alarmed, "but I reckon he probably dragged you into Jalex's en suite, hosed you down and chucked you into bed. I wouldn't read too much into it."

Ryan and Spencer exchanged a look that Pete caught instantly.

"look, I see where you're coming from," Pete reasoned, brushing his fringe back, "But Spence, you of all people should know what Brendon's like with people now. He won't even touch me anymore, he shoved Bill off the other day and that takes some doing."

Bill shrugged and flipped his hair, Gabe nodded.

Ryan didn't miss the comment about 'Spencer of all people' and filed that away for future analysis, but never the less he relaxed. It appeared that the popular opinion was that Brendon was still a monk and therefore his virtue was intact. That still didn't explain his sudden unconsciousness though. His head was spinning with the different stories and ideas that kept leaping out at him and frankly, He had had enough. He had a microphone recording to listen to that might clear things up.

"I'm going to go for a walk." He announced, standing up. Pete pouted,

"You haven't heard about my exciting night of debauchery!" Ryan looked at his chocolate dipped red tie and decided he really didn't want to stick around. Luckily Spencer intervened.

"Sure Ry, go for a walk to clear your head. You must have God's own hangover." Ryan smiled, gratefully. But then froze, he didn't have a hangover. At all. He should do, he passed out from drinking too much didn't he? But he felt like he'd just woken up from a good ten hours of sleep.

"Curiouser and fucking curiouser." He muttered as he walked to the door, hearing Pete launch into an account of what sounded like a minor orgy. He started to trudge down gravel path towards the main school and his batcave when he registered a second pair of feet behind him, a slight echo to his own footsteps. Ryan frowned but kept walking, when he reached one of the solid stone benched lining the pathway he stopped and sat down letting the ridiculous and slightly frightening situation wash over him. Bill sat down beside him.

"Hey." Bill whispered, winding one of his long arms around Ryan's back. Ryan looked up and frowned. Bill was one of the student's he'd never been properly introduced to.

"Hi." He replied, just as quietly. Bill, in a surprising show of strength, tugged Ryan into a sideways hug.

"I know what Pete said, about Brendon not being capable of rape or whatever but I know how you feel right now and having no idea what happened especially in a new place with new people who keep going on about how they want you to be gay-" he paused for breath.

"I know how you feel and if anything did happen I will personally put LSD in all of Brendon's food and smash up his baby grand. No one should have to go through something like that alone. If nothing happened then that's fine, but if it did then I've got your back." He looked at Ryan and there was a definite sadness in his eyes that Ryan didn't dare to try and place. There was a confession in there somewhere, Bill had let something out and shared with Ryan, a student he'd only really just met. Ryan sagged into Bill's side. For a tall, bony kid; Bill was good to cuddle.

"I might be gay; I've never even kissed a guy. I feel like a bit of me is lying when I say I'm not because I have nothing to go by." Ryan whispered, sharing one of his own smaller thoughts.

Bill smiled softly and lifted a hand to Ryan's cheek, brushing it gently with his long fingers. He leant down, cupping Ryan's face gently and kissed him lightly for the briefest of moments.

"Still straight?" He breathed, searching Ryan's face. When Ryan nodded, he smiled. "There you go then; you have something to base your statement on." He nudged Ryan upright and stood up himself.

"If you ever change your mind, you know where I am. I'm practically a girl anyway." He tilted his head, "See you around Ryan." Ryan continued to stare into the middle distance until long after William Beckett had drifted away. He then pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Helena.

"My darling son! How nice to hear from you!" Helena picked up almost instantly and her shrill voice brought Ryan back to life. Instead of forming anything close to words Ryan let out a noise like a dying whale. It was all too much.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Helena's voice took on an icy tone and Ryan winced, he'd forgotten about their non conversation from earlier that day. He sighed and decided the truth was better than nothing.

"I might have been compromised, I don't remember any of last night so I have no idea what I might have said, there was a party that I remember about half of. I don't know if I can do this 'Lena. This place is saturated in drama and feelings; it's not like a one off job. I'm forming actual relationships." Ryan thought of Bill's kind words and Spencer back in the common room, he bit his lip. At the other end of the phone Helena went very quiet. After a long period of silence she spoke,

"I can't help you with the first part but you had better get it cleared up ASAP so we can pull you out if we need to." She inhaled, "However, let's assume last night's you is not a complete idiot and you're still undercover and haven't been gang raped," Ryan winced, "You will inevitably take away feelings from this job Ry, I did from my first deep cover. I mean, hell- I still use my cover name."

"Wait, you do?" Ryan frowned. Today was wreaking havoc with his world view.

"Sure, my real name is Hayley. Did I never mention it?"

"So it's Hayley, not Helena?" Ryan frowned into the phone.

"Yeah, Hayley Williams." She sniffed, "You have mics set up right?" Ryan told her where he had placed them and she hummed appreciatively, "Go and check their recordings and see what you can get from them about last night. I'll try and calm Farro down and convince him you were just tired earlier." She paused, "Love you, Ry. It'll be fine."

Ryan pressed the end call button and slid the phone back into his pocket. A week ago her voice would have been enough to soothe any anxiety he had, but now- sitting on a stone bench in the middle of nowhere, Ryan felt utterly helpless.

Even more so when he realised he had spotted one of Brendon's hoodies draped over the lampshade in their dorm. If that had been there the night before, the thick material could have stopped any voices reaching the mic. Ryan buried his face in his hands and wasn't at all surprised when it started to rain.

Excuse typos, it's been a long night, it's a little sad this one.

Blowjob dislocated jaw story is dedicated to a friend of mine who that actually happened to (don't laugh)

7,056 views to this story, thank you to every single person. It's crazy! If anyone gets fed up of waiting for chapters and wants to know the whole complex plot, I have it typed up for people who want to know what happens. This chapter felt a little slow, but the pace should pick up in the next chapter which glosses over time and brings us up to October break at StMs.

I hope I'll have time to update over summer and after exams, if you guys are still reading and reviewing it'll always be worth it!

Kat x