As a rule of thumb, I usually avoid reading/writing fanfics about real characters. However, I couldn't help myself after seeing a London (5 pm) SPACE tour video of Days of Summer and Back to Hogwarts. If you haven't seen it, I recomend seeing it as it helps you one better understand this fic. It was posted by 'thatpinprickoftime'. Anyway, if you don't want to watch it, Brian completely derps up one of the parts, and I have been wondering what was going through his head during and after that. So, this one-shot was born. Also, I'm not saying any of this actually happened. I felt obligated to clear that up. They probably went backstage and laughed it off. Brian probably laughed at himself and his stupidity and this fanfic is purely from my imagination and only has a touch of reality.

Also, I feel like I must explain the title as it has more importance than you think it does. In the SPACE tour I went to (not telling you which one), Brian says, "whoever replaces Darren is going to have to be the best of us." I found the quote slightly more fitting for the situation.

The Best of Us

Brian (Holden)'s POV

The band began playing the intro to 'Back to Hogwarts', as it had the last show. Brian and his fellow StarKids faked surprise as the audience screamed with excitement.

"Okay, um, huddle up," Lauren said, as rehearsed. "Huddle up."

Brian felt a buzz in his fingertips as they huddled on the stage as he did every concert and every show right before the finale. This time was different, though. This time, he would be taking his friend's place while singing a song that represented Team StarKid. He had to do this right.

"Is everyone's microphone off?" Lauren asked, following a script that was probably under a seat on the bus.

"Our mics are off," Brian assured her.

"The green means off," Joe agreed.

"We didn't tell the band to play this," Brian began. "What is going on?"

"You know we can't play this song without Darren," Joe insisted.

"You're right!" Joey exclaimed. "Well, we're just going to have to replace him like we've done before."

"Guys, whoever replaces Darren has got to be real good. I'm talking real good." Brian almost smirked with anticipation. This is it.

"You know what, Brian? I think it should be you," Meredith announced.

"Me?" Brian repeated, faking surprise. The audience screamed loudly. "Uh, dur... I don't –okay, I'll do it."

The intro ended and the actual song began. Brian stepped forward just as Joe cut him off. Brian stared at his friend with mock disbelief. Everyone slowly migrated back to their microphone stands; Lauren patted him on the shoulder as she went back to hers.

I'm going to have to think of more creative things to do, Brian decided as he put his microphone back in its place. After all, this is going to happen every show. I should probably make the best of it.

Brian watched Joe sing, inserting appropriate dance moves and facial expressions wherever he deemed necessary. He pretended to try and go up again just as Jamie cut in. Brian couldn't even pretend to be angry anymore, though. There was something about that song that could probably cheer anyone up.

Brian watched Jamie run out of the spotlight. My turn. Brian grabbed his microphone and walked to the middle of the stage.

"I'll see my friends; gonna laugh 'til we cry," he sang. "Take my firebolt; gonna take to the sky. No way this year anyone's gonna die, and it's gonna be totally awesome."

Hope Darren's proud, Brian thought as he launched into the next verse.

"This year I plan –" he began, and then he stopped. The audience sang the rest of the line for him; the only problem was it was in the wrong verse.

Holy shit, Brian thought, trying not to panic. Oh, shit. Shitty fuck-tastic goddamned shit.

"N- no," he stuttered as the audience sang the next part of the wrong verse. Brian blanked out on what the actual line he was supposed to be singing was. "AND DO IT ALL WITH MY BEST FRIEND RON 'CAUSE TOGETHER WE'RE TOTALLY AWESOME!" he interrupted before he could get anymore off track.

Brian couldn't have been more grateful for Joey at that moment. Having the spotlight focus somewhere else gave him a chance to collect his thoughts. Most of his thoughts were on the next part of the song and how embarrassing that had been. It wasn't like anybody had laughed at him (although his "friends" were probably thinking about it in the back of their minds); he was more ashamed that he had messed up the song. Darren's song. The StarKid trademark.

Brian realized he had to start singing again and pushed his humiliation to the back of his head as he joined in with Joey. Just try to enjoy it, Brian told himself. It's fun. Enjoy it.

Throughout the rest of the song, though, he couldn't forget that tiny little mistake. That one little mistake that shamed the very name of Team StarKid and that shamed Darren and all of his supermegafoxyawesomehot song writing and singing talent.

~Time Skip to the End of the Second StarKid Precarious Auditory Concert Experience~

"I'm an idiot," Brain decreed when they got back on the bus.

"You're not an idiot," Lauren insisted.

"We may have to disown you from the name of StarKid, but you're not an idiot," Joey assured Brian. Lauren glared at Joey.

Brian sat down in a chair and let his head fall rather painfully against the back. He closed his eyes, wishing that the entire concert had been a dream. He heard the distinct sound of thumbs clicking on a keyboard. His opened his eyes and stared at Meredith, who had her phone out.

"Are you texting Darren?" he demanded.

"No," Meredith muttered.

Dylan peered over her shoulder. "Yeah she is."

Brian let his head fall back on the chair again. "I'm an idiot," he repeated.

"It's not like you're the first StarKid to mess up a song," Lauren insisted.

"Remember the clown thing?" Jamie asked, causing both her and Joey to burst into laughter.

"But that was Brant and that was I Wanna Be," Brian whined. "That's different. He didn't mess up the song that every single StarKid fan knows." He grimaced. "I knew this would happen if you guys gave me too many solos."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Brian, stop being so depressed. It's not that big of a deal."

Yes it is, Brian thought, but he didn't say it. "It's official; I'm leaving the SPACE tour. You can have my solos," he told Joe.

"Dylan, lock the door," Joe commanded. "You're not going anywhere, Brian."

Joey, however, had found another (and much less important than Brian's depression) problem. "Wait, what about Different As Can Be? You both sing that!"

Joe glared at Joey. "That's not important right now!"

"You can sing that if you want," Brian offered.

That seemed to please Joey, but then his face fell. "Wait, does that mean I have to replace you for Stutter? I can't learn that much choreography that quickly!"

Lauren slapped Joey, which he probably deserved. Then, she turned to Brian. "Do I have to sing Get Back Up to you?"

"I'm fine," Brian muttered, staring at a random spot on the floor.

Lauren crouched down, occupying the space he was staring at. Brian shifted his position and stared at another spot on the floor. "Hey, mirame." Brian continued staring at the floor. "Well, this won't work if he won't look at me. Joe, do you want to try cheering him up?"

"Sure." Joe squatted down in front of Brian so they were face-to-face and gripped his shoulders. "You are a worthwhile person," he began in a deep Up-like voice.

Everyone on the bus burst into laughter, and Brian felt the edges of his lips begin to twitch. No, he told himself. No smiling. No being happy. You don't deserve to be happy. You ruined Darren's song. Brian decided that that was he heart talking.

"When I look into your eyes, in the mirror, I get a pleasant feeling," Joe continued with a completely straight face. Joe paused. "No homo," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Jamie was practically in tears on the floor, and Meredith was taking a video of them on her phone. Dylan looked slightly insulted by Joe's last comment, but he was also laughing. Joey was leaning on a chair to prevent himself from falling, and Lauren was clutching her stomach.

Joe, however, glared at Brian. "Come on. Not even a chuckle?" He got up and turned around, addressing all his fellow StarKids except Brian. "Okay. Huddle up. We have to think of what to do to cheer up Brian."

Everybody obeyed and began to discuss what to do in low and hushed voices. Brian rolled his eyes and got up. As it turned out, Dylan hadn't actually locked the door to the bus, and Brian was at least half a dozen yards away from the bus by the time the rest of them realized he was missing.

Joe's POV

"So, what are we going to do?" Joe asked as they huddled.

"Sing Get Back Up?" Lauren suggested again.

"Talk about embarrassing moments we've had on stage?" Meredith offered.

"Like the time Joe's shoe fell off?" Joey asked curiously.

Joe shook his head. "That won't work; Brian's too stubborn."

To prove his point, Joe looked up, expecting to see Brian still staring at the same spot on the floor. That's when he saw that his depressed brown-haired friend was missing. The seat he had been sitting in was empty, and the bus door was slightly ajar.

"Dylan, I told you to lock it!" Joe exclaimed.

"I didn't actually think he'd leave!" Dylan argued defensively.

Jamie and Lauren were already moving towards the open door. "I've got this, guys," Joe told them.

He headed towards the door, stopped, turned around and grabbed a Red Bull from the cooler. If there was one thing that Brian couldn't say no to, it was a Red Bull. With the alcoholic drink in hand, Joe walked off the bus. To his relief, Brian hadn't gone far, which meant Joe didn't have to chase him down.

Good. Less running for me, Joe thought as he approached his friend.

"Would you like a delicious Red Bull?" Joe asked, whipping up the Red Bull canon and addressing a nonexistent camera.

Brian looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. There was a long pause, but eventually, he reluctantly took the Red Bull. Joe smirked as Brian opened it and began to drink. One point to Team Walker.

"Look, it's not the end of the world," Joe told him.

Joe wasn't surprised that he ignored him. Brian was too depressed to listen to logic. In one last desperate attempt to cheer his friend up, Joe cleared his throat and hoped he could remember how to do it right.

"You cheer up right now or I'll…" Joe paused and considered stopping as his voice wasn't quite Voldemort-y enough. He could see the corners of Brian's lips twitching, though, and plunged into the rest of the quote, "I'll eat your pillow! You'll be having a dream that you're eating a giant marshmallow, and when you wake up, your favorite goose feather pillow will be missing!"

Brian's lips continued to twitch as he fought the urge to smile. Joe was convinced he would crack soon, though. "If I had enough money to buy a goose feather pillow, I wouldn't be here right now," Brian said at last.

"IT SPEAKS!" Joe shouted victoriously. He chose to ignore the fact that Brian had indirectly insulted him.

"I do that sometimes," Brian agreed. "I can also sing, although not that well. If I could sing well, I wouldn't have messed up that solo…" Brian drifted off and stared at his shoes.

Damn it, Brian. Cheer up, Joe thought angrily. He considered pulling a Taz and slapping Brian. He knew full well that that wouldn't work, though. Brian was going to keep being depressed. Or he would get angry.

"Look, Brian, if it makes you feel better, you are the best of us," Joe told him.

I can't believe I'm saying this, even if it's for motivational purposes, Joe thought. Oh well. If it gets him out of this, then it's worth it.

"What?" Brian looked very confused.

"Of the seven of us on the SPACE tour, you are the best, and Darren probably wouldn't have chosen anyone else for the part in Back to Hogwarts," Joe said.

"You're just saying that," Brian insisted.

"Kid, I don't just say things," Joe answered in a voice that probably would've made Nick proud.

Before Joe knew it, Brian was hugging him. Joe smiled and returned the hug. Another point to Team Walker.

Oh, and happy birthday Joe and Darren. ;)