Yes, this really is an update. I'm as shocked as you.

Sorry for taking ridiculously long with this, but I had a lot going on and kind of lost the inspiration to write this.

I'll explain the reason for what is in this chapter at the end

and the line 'The Return of The Sid' was definitely by my same best friend, Paige while we were in Ceramics class and she was making a clay dragon while we were fighting about LOTR and Star Wars. I don't know why that's important, but it is. Go read now.


"Since when did this job get so boring?"

"When we officially watched every movie we sell here." Brandon answered, his voice conveying just about how bored we were. Both of us had been sitting at the counter with our hands holding up our heads by being tucked under our chins, trying desperately to think of something to do.

When we first officially watched every movie, the last one being Gummo, we had a sort of celebration. It was something that we'd been trying to do ever since we started working here, and the goal was finally accomplished. However, we didn't realize how dull the job now became.

We played Spiderman Monopoly, but never finished because Brandon does not do well with counting money, saving money, or really anything to do with money. I pointed out the irony, what with him being a cashier and everything, but he just glared at me blankly and said that he didn't get the job because he could count money; he got the job because he could bring in the customers. The female customers.

I threw one of the game pieces at him, and it must've been a hard throw because he still had a little scrape on his cheek from where it cut him.

"You get cuts on your face a lot." I observed. He turned his tired gaze towards me, his eyebrows raised in an expression that clearly read 'Really? Wow, I didn't know that.'

I shrugged. "I'm just sayin' is all."

"Thanks." He said flatly before turning his gaze back to the perpetually empty store.

I tried thinking of games, but it seemed we had done everything possible.

Dungeons and Dragons

A Star Trek crossword that was finished in less then three minutes because of Brandon's super-genius brain

The podium was completely filled with Top Five lists

We yelled at innocent bystanders on the streets

We, obviously, played Han and Leia role play, though I wouldn't really mind doing that again…don't think Brandon would either…

We had many the light saber battles

I'd already thrown random objects, like precious chocolate muffins, at him

An impromptu game of chase because I brought up that when he went to camp when he was sixteen the boys in his cabin took the blankets off him while he was sleeping and took pictures of him with his Rorschach, Hell Boy, and Gambit action figures tucked into his side and then proceeded to show everyone on campus. He never slept without them up until then, and now he makes sure he doesn't.

We alphabetized everything

Had a competition of who could find the dirtiest fan fiction ever. He thought he'd find the best in the Harry Potter section, but I knew where the really crude stuff was and immediately went to Twilight.

"The Twilight people are the most sexually frustrated." I stated after he read the dirtiest one I could find, and it easily won over his HP stuff.

"But…why?" He asked in astonishment. I couldn't believe he really asked that question.

"Because Stephenie Meyer kept us all hanging for four books, and then doesn't even deliver properly in Breaking Dawn! You know how hard it was to read for three books all of that tension, and expect something great and it just failed in epic proportions? Team Edward was crying just because of her attempt of a lime!"

He looked at me in a scared way.

"You're a little passionate about this…I mean…I didn't think it was that bad…" He said.

"That's because you're a boy." I pointed out.

"I'm a man."

"Still have your Gambit action figure?"

"…It's on my dresser…"

"And who's next to Gambit?"

"…Rogue…"

"Still fantasize about that?"

There was silence.

"You're a boy." I concluded before smiling smugly.

I was brought back to the present by a sort of noise coming from my left and I turned just in time to see Brandon sit up excitedly.

"I just had what alcoholics would refer to as a moment of clarity!" He said, his eyes bright.

"Okay, Jules, what is it?" I asked. I didn't have a lot of enthusiasm, however. I doubted this game would give us much enjoyment for long. It would probably last for about ten minutes before we both got bored again.

Han and Leia role-play, however…

"Lets see how many times we can quote Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas in a single day." He said. Immediately I stopped fantasizing about Han's arrogant nature and the tight black pants that would undeniably look very good on Brandon, and turned my head towards the man in question very slowly. He looked at me like he could barely contain his excitement.

"Fear and Loathing? As in my favorite movie and book?" I questioned. He nodded vigorously.

"Why the hell didn't we think of this sooner?!" I exclaimed, quickly leaning forward and kissing him quickly. He was still smiling when I pulled away.

"I just thought of it!" He said. I laughed and nodded my head, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

In order to get why I was excited, you would have to understand that Fear and Loathing was the entire reason that I started to love movies. And books. And music. It was my reason for everything, literally. I read the book, or my dad read the book to me, at the age of six and took me to see the movie the first day it came out. My mom thought I was too young, but my dad knew that whatever I was exposed to as a young child would carry on when I grew older and he wanted me to be exactly how I am today, and he was right. I wouldn't be who I was today without it.

I already quoted the book/movie nearly everyday, but actually making a game out of it? That's the most amazing thing I've heard of in my life.

"Okay, okay…we just need a customer to come in so we can talk to someone else besides ourselves…" I said.

"I don't think I've ever played a quote game before…" Brandon said dubiously, and I smiled widely before reciting, "Is that right? Well, I guess you're about ready then, aren't you?"

He immediately caught on, his smile matching mine.

"Nice." He commented. I shrugged.

"I do try."

It was amazing how many situations you could apple to the script/text.

Simple questions that would have been "Can you put some music on?" became "Music, man. Put that tape on."

When Brandon was staring out at the people on the street and I asked what he was doing, he responded with a "Just admiring the shape of their skulls." And a crooked smile.

Hours passed and the game seemed like it would probably go on into the next day. I didn't quite care if it did.

"I hate to say this, but this place is getting to me. I think I'm getting the Fear." Brandon said when it was almost closing time.

"Right-io man, right-io." I nodded. He started laughing lightly, and so did I, when the bell tolled.

"Hi, welcome to-," I started in a friendly voice, but cut off when I saw who was standing there.

Brandon looked up in confusion, and when he finally set eyes on her, the rag he was holding so he could dust off the Hendrix statue fell to the ground.

"The Return of The Sid." He whispered. I would have laughed, had I not been completely shocked.

"Hi, guys…" She said quietly. There she was in a white mini skirt, pink tank top and Rainbow flip-flops. Her hair was curled, make-up light and hair curled and a lot shorter. Where it used to hang below her waist, it was now a couple of inches past her shoulders.

She looked completely different. Not Sid.

"What are you doing here?" I asked at the same time that Brandon asked, "What happened to you? Turned your back on us, eh?"

"One of the things you learn from years of dealing with drug people, is that you can turn your back on people, but never turn your back on a drug." I said in a side-note to Brandon. He nodded to show that he heard it. Seemed like the game was still playing.

She seemed nervous as she twirled and tugged on her hair and stepped up to the counter at the same time that I took the two steps necessary to stand next to Brandon, my hand slipping into his.

"I know you guys are probably thinking of physically hurting me or something-,"

"I just wanted to carve a little Z on your forehead." Brandon said automatically. She looked mildly confused before continuing.

"And I know you have every right to be mad at me, but Taylor, what you said to Josh, who happens to be my boyfriend now, was very mean-,"

"With a bit of luck, his life was ruined forever." I said, but my voice couldn't carry the slow, calculating and slightly drugged way that Johnny Depp had said the words. My voice was full of venom, and Brandon squeezed my hand in comfort.

"Look, I'm really sorry-,"

"We know what you're up to, man." Brandon said suddenly.

"What are you talking about?"

"What do you want, Sid? Rides somewhere? Friendship? Free food?" He counted off. She stood there shocked for a second.

"Look-," She finally started, but I interrupted.

"Just answer us this: who are you? Are you Sid or are you Sylvie? Because this image that you turned into for this…Jake guy, I don't know her and I don't want to. Are you that or are you just another freak. In the freak kingdom?" I finished. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, maybe from shock, I don't know. But it was sad to see her change so dramatically from what we knew-thought-she was.

"Perhaps, if I explained things, she'd rest easy." Brandon whispered to me before turning towards Sid/Sylvie.

"Sid, you really hurt us by saying the things you did and acting the way you did. Now, Taylor and myself might have said some…not nice things about Jake or whatever, but it's in our nature to make fun of jocks and the people that are generally not us. We also saw that he was changing you into something that you weren't, and do you really think we'd like a person that did that to one of our best friends? Understand where we're coming from, kid. You hurt us just as much as Taylor hurt Jock guy."

"Hey!" I protested, but he squeezed my hand again to let me know that he was just trying to make a point and didn't really mean it.

She puffed out a cloud of air and looked at the counter.

"I guess I can see your side too…" She finally mumbled. I sighed quietly in relief, but kind of choked up when she looked at us with a devastated expression.

'So that's it then? You're done with me?" She asked. I guess Brandon didn't know how to answer that, because he was silent for longer then necessary, so I walked up to the plate.

"No, not done…well, if you're going to carry on with this mask you put on for this Jake guy, then yes, we are. Sid, we'll always care for you, and we'll always be here for you, but only if you're there for yourself as well." I said. I thought I had gotten to her, really. I thought she was going to nod, give us both hugs and ask if I had a Ramones shirt in my trunk to cover up the pink monstrosity she was wearing. I thought she'd be able to play the Fear and Loathing game with us.

After a contemplating silence she nodded her head, and I was prepared to tell her that I didn't have a Ramones shirt, but I did have a Joan Jett one tucked into the dark recesses of my trunk, when I caught that almost predatory glare on her face. Guess I was wrong…

"His name is Josh, not Jake." She said before turning on her heel and walking out of the store. I took that as "I'm not giving him up for you guys." Or something along those lines, and as I watched her walk away, I said quietly, "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind not even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die." Though I didn't say it for the game, It didn't bring me joy to say one of my favorite quotes of all time, and for a long time Brandon and I looked at the spot were she left us forever.


Alright, reason for all the sexual frustration is that my other best friend likes to torture Paige and I in one of her stories (Revolution by RiotRadio1969 if you're interested) well, anyways, I have a lot of sexual frustration in real life and in that story, and it channeled into this story.

and, this is the first time I've mentioned Twilight, which kind of shocks a few people. I didn't want to mention it, because it seems like a cliche now (that makes me tear up a bit, that fact) but it just kind of slipped out.

Wow, two AN's and I don't think people ever really read these, and now I'm rambling but it's 5:01 am right now, so I'm a bit delirious.

Thank you so so much for whoever is still reading this story, and sorry again for taking so long, it won't happen again.

You're all utterly amazing, and if I could give you all your own Brandon's, I would.