Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Linkin Park. All of the things in this story and in the original story "Wonderful" are strictly fictional. The problems being faced by certain band members in this story may or may not be true. All ideas have come straight from my messed up mind. The only thing I do own about this story is the plot. If you steal this plot, I'll tell everybody and everybody will hate you. So, don't try it.

WARNING: This fic contains issues that some people might find offensive, including but not limited to m/m relations and slash, suicide, self mutilation, heavy drinking, drug use, and profanity.

A/N: This, my dears, is the sequel to my LP fic entitled "Wonderful". If you didn't read "Wonderful", you'll be totally lost. So, I suggest you do so before reading this. I decided to start uploading this fic today (March 25) because it is the release date for Meteora. If you don't have Meteora already, go buy it NOW! This chapter is set as if everything were happening today. This chapter is all from Mike's POV.

"A Different Story"

Chapter One~ Perfect

Perfect (noun)- in a state of undiminished or highest excellence; without defect; flawless. Well, yes then, my life was perfect. It was absolutely and totally perfect. For three days, things were flawless. I can't remember much before those three days. Come to think of it, I can't remember anything besides those three days. Everything else seems unimportant.

Do you know how much it hurts to be around the one and only person you love and not be able to tell them how much you love them? Not that he doesn't know. Oh, he knows. He knows everything. Everybody knows everything. Well, everybody in the band that is. Though, I have to admit, that's probably my fault.

It was a month after Chester and I had broken up. Well, actually I still don't know if we were ever officially going out, but that's beside the point. We had delayed recording our second album as long as we could for Chester's sake. Chester was a mental and physical wreck. Though, he had a right to be. What would you do if your wife killed herself because of what you had done? You know, I'd like to think Chester was so torn apart because of what had happened between him and me, but I know it was all because of Sam. I constantly doubt if he ever loved me. But it could have just been bad timing to fall in love with each other.... Wow, that sounds tactless. Anyway, back to what I was saying.

The first day we went into the studio to start recording everybody was very tense. Besides the fact that we were under the pressure of recording a follow up to Hybrid Theory, everybody was walking on egg shells around Chester. None of the guys really knew what was going on between Chester and me at the time. Of course, we had told them about us being together. That was the day before we found out about what Sam had done. We never really told them about our fall out with each other, though I'm sure they had a pretty good idea. Well I went in to record my vocals for a track called "Faint". Everything was going pretty smooth. When I walked out of the booth, Chester was sitting on the couch, crying. Something just snapped in me and I went off.

"Chester, shut the fuck up! Stop fucking crying! Get over it; she's dead!" I screamed.

Everybody looked at me like I had lost my mind, but that didn't stop me. I kept yelling.

"Do you have any idea what I'm going through? What about me? You're so God damned selfish, Chester. Are you fucking blind? I love you! I do, not her. She's gone. Sam's gone, Chester! Get over it! Look what you have in front of you: me. How dare you just drop me like you did! I gave you my heart, damn it!" I shouted, tears falling down my cheeks and onto my shirt.

Brad stood up and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me out of the room. I jerked away from him and swiftly walked over to where Chester was sitting. I looked down on him and continued assaulting him with my words.

"Do you hear me? Do you hear me Chester? I love you! I love you so damn much! Why can't you see that!?" Chester looked horrified.

"MIKE!" Brad yelled, grabbing my arm again and forcefully dragging me out of the room.

I don't know what I was thinking that day. I haven't talked to Chester ever since then. It's been four fucking months since that day. We some how got through the recording of the album, as high as the tempers were. The album was released today. We're already on the road for our follow up tour. We're driving to our first show as we speak, actually.

Life on a tour bus, ha! The last time I was on a tour bus was the day I realized I had feelings for Chester. I remember I was complaining about him stealing my shoes. I smile slightly at the thought. He came up to me, his hip cocked to the side and his hand placed on it, and said "Well, obviously they're on my feet Mike" when I asked him where my shoes were. It was so cute.

"That's the first time I've seen you smile in a while." I look up and see Brad leaning against the doorframe.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You were smiling. Haven't seen that in awhile." He says.

"Oh...."

"Can I sit down?"

"Sure." I say, moving my legs.

"You alright?" He says, sitting down.

"No." I say simply.

"What's up?"

"Do you have to ask?" I say, laughing slightly.

I can always talk to Brad. He's been my "counselor" over the last four months. I can't even count how many times I've called him in the middle of the night, crying my eyes out.

"Chester?" He asks.

"Yup."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, it's just that things are gonna be really hard living on a tour bus with him, what about having to do a show with him? I dunno how I'm gonna do it." I say, toying with the drawstrings of my hoodie

"You still love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do." I whisper.

Brad puts his arm around my shoulder and brings me in closer to him. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh.

"You know, I still can't believe how I yelled at him in the studio. I don't know what came over me. And what's worse is I haven't talked to him since. Do you have any clue how bad that sucks?"

" Mike you really need to talk to him. This isn't easy for him either, you know." Brad says.

"I know it's not easy for him. His wife committed suicide."

"I'm not talking about Sam. I'm talking about this thing with you and him. You know you aren't the only one who confides in me."

"What?" I ask.

"He still cares about you Mike. He's just scared...."

"Of what?"

"You...." Brad says cautiously. "Whenever you were yelling at him that time, it really got to him, ya know? He's literally scared of you."

"Fuck...." I say, putting my hands over my face.

"Mike, you've gotta do something about it. You can't go on living like this. Hell, the band can't go on living like this. It's impossible to be a band when the two frontmen won't even fucking talk to each other! This is tearing the band apart. When we were recording we could deal with it. But now... but now with this tour going on, we can't. You guys have got to somehow resolve this. If you don't... there won't be a Linkin Park anymore."

"I know, I know. It's just so hard. I knew.... I knew when I first starting liking Ches that nothing good would come out of it. But, it didn't stop me from falling in love with him. Brad, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"For doing this to the band. I couldn't help it though. I tried so hard not to fall for him. I really did." I say.

"It's okay, Mike. Just fix it. I know it'll be hard. But you have to."

I nod slowly. Brad squeezes my shoulder one last time before getting up. He looks back at me and sighs.

"Mike?"

"Yeah?" I ask.

"I'm tired of you being so depressed. Talk to him for your sake. Okay?"

"Yeah.... Thanks, Brad." I say. He smiles before leaving the "room".

I sigh heavily. Brad's right. I have to talk to him. It isn't fair to the band if I don't. Perfect, just fucking perfect.

A/N: So...? Guys, I really want this fic to rock as much as you say Wonderful did. I'm amazed at how much people liked and reviewed Wonderful. As of today, I have 97 reviews for Wonderful. 97. Wow. I want this fic to do just as well if not better than Wonderful. The only way that will happen is if YOU tell me what you think about it. In other words, give me reviews. GO BUY METEORA!