Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > Outsiders
Love'll Die And Lovers Fade But You Still Remain There
2 reviewsHappy starts and sad goodbyes. Aww. ='(
1Moving
Two guitars… a little bag of picks… a trumpet… a laptop with Garage Band…
Patrick wasn’t great when it came to packing for tours. It seemed he put in all the musical things, and then forgot about clothes until the last minute. At least he wasn’t like Joe, who forgot to pack anything until the night before, or Pete, who tried to cram in so many hoodies and shoes until his suitcase broke. Andy was by far the best. He meticulously planned his packing to the point of being obsessive.
The phone rang and Patrick took his time answering. He was trying to fit the laptop with the guitar in its case.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey man, how you doing?’
‘Not too bad, not too bad. Laptop’s almost in. I’ve just gotta find a way to fit the trumpet–‘
‘Patrick. Have you packed any clothes yet?’
‘What?’
‘You know, clothes. Things you wear to cover your nakedness?’
‘…I’m on it.’
Pete laughed at Patrick’s instrument obsession as he hung up, and searched for another number on the phone. A few rings later…
‘Hey! Have you guys got your asses in gear yet?’
‘Well, most of us have. I was ready ages ago. But Ryan’s currently messing about with his hair in front of the mirror.’
Pete sighed as he heard Spencer hit Ryan with something. It was always like this. One band or another wouldn’t be ready in time and it was up to Pete to sort them all out. He gave Cobra Starship a quick call, and then dialled one last number.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey Bill, is everything going OK?’
‘No! I can’t get the guitar in the boot!’
‘Oh, don’t tell me you’ve done a Patrick. He always forgets to pack clothes and then goes overboard on the music.’
‘Uh…’ Some shuffling was heard. ‘Yeah, I – I might have done that…’
‘Well, get to it! We’re leaving tomorrow, asshole!’
He snapped the phone shut (it was all affectionately done, though) and went outside to the car. Earlier he’d been doing some ‘shopping’ for the bus (i.e. buying as much junk food as he could carry), and now he had one more trip to make. In half an hour he pulled into an all-too-familiar driveway. The door opened and out came two familiar figures. It was like déjà-vu. Except this time he couldn’t run to them.
‘Daddy!’
He grinned as Bronx toddled towards him happily. ‘Hey there, little dude, how have you been?! Hey, steady now,’ he called as Bronx started to wobble, and ran to catch him, pulling him into a big hug, whirling him round in the air. When he stopped he saw a smile playing on Ashlee’s lips, and he headed over slowly, being careful not to stare too much.
‘Hey…’
‘Hi, Pete. How are you?’
‘I’m good, you?’
Despite being able to answer he was mentally on another planet. He’d bought her that necklace. A couple of years back, when Fall Out Boy were touring in the Philippines. And her hair looked so dark and soft… It was a wonder Pete didn’t reach out and stroke it.
They went in and exchanged some awkward talk for a while before Ashlee went to the kitchen for some coffee. Pete sighed and turned to face Bronx.
‘Hey, buddy, can you help Daddy out?’
Bronx looked questioningly up at Pete.
‘You see, Mommy isn’t friends with Daddy right now. They had a silly fight. So I need you to be a big brave boy and help Daddy make it up to her. Can you think of anything? You know what Mommy likes.’
He thought hard, focussed on his train set. ‘Mommy likes it when I draw her pictures.’
Although this was a good idea, Pete didn’t think orange scribble and black dots would bring his wife back.
‘That’s great, I'm sure they're amazing. But Daddy can’t draw very well, you see.’
‘Really? I’ll show you!’
Bronx toddled across the room to get his crayons, but before Pete could stop him Ashlee returned with the coffee. He sighed again to himself, and managed to chat to her and play with his son in this awkward set-up for another hour, before it was time to leave.
He picked up Bronx and hugged him tight.
‘Now you promise to be a good boy for Mommy while I’m gone?’
He nodded, rubbing his head against Pete’s chest.
‘Daddy?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Why do you have to go again?’
‘Daddy does shows for people, you see. You remember Uncle Patrick? I go with him and–’
‘I know, but…’ He sniffed. ‘Why don’t you live with me and Mommy? Why can’t you stay with us?’
Pete and Ashlee exchanged an awkward glance.
‘Don’t you want to be my daddy?’
Pete looked into the teary face and felt his own heart break. ‘Hey, of course I do. You’re the best son in the world, Bronx, and I love you so much, no matter what. Come on buddy, don’t cry now. You’ll make Daddy cry too. You’re a big strong boy, I know you are.’
He stroked the dark head lovingly. ‘Now I won’t be gone for very long. I’ll be back again soon, don’t worry. And I’ll bring you some presents too, huh? I promise!’
Bronx still looked doubtful.
‘Hmm, what’s with this frowny face? I think Daddy needs to tickle your troubles away!’
He picked him up and blew raspberries on his tummy before Bronx squealed and giggled happily. He wriggled away and ran over to Ashlee, laughing into her leg. The adults breathed a sigh of relief, even exchanging a small smile. Crisis averted… just.
‘Well… I guess I’ll see you when I get back…’
‘Yeah, travel safely, OK?’
Pete took a step forward, to no objection from Ashlee, and pulled her into a hug before she could stop him. She didn’t respond, but it felt so good to be close again. He breathed in her perfume, sneakily stroked her hair, squeezed her tight… but it was all over too soon. Before he knew it he was pulling out of the driveway, looking in the rear view mirror at his estranged family, and tears suddenly trailed down his cheeks. He’d been patiently waiting, waiting for almost a year now, and still no reconciliation. He hoped, begged, prayed it would happen soon.
Patrick wasn’t great when it came to packing for tours. It seemed he put in all the musical things, and then forgot about clothes until the last minute. At least he wasn’t like Joe, who forgot to pack anything until the night before, or Pete, who tried to cram in so many hoodies and shoes until his suitcase broke. Andy was by far the best. He meticulously planned his packing to the point of being obsessive.
The phone rang and Patrick took his time answering. He was trying to fit the laptop with the guitar in its case.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey man, how you doing?’
‘Not too bad, not too bad. Laptop’s almost in. I’ve just gotta find a way to fit the trumpet–‘
‘Patrick. Have you packed any clothes yet?’
‘What?’
‘You know, clothes. Things you wear to cover your nakedness?’
‘…I’m on it.’
Pete laughed at Patrick’s instrument obsession as he hung up, and searched for another number on the phone. A few rings later…
‘Hey! Have you guys got your asses in gear yet?’
‘Well, most of us have. I was ready ages ago. But Ryan’s currently messing about with his hair in front of the mirror.’
Pete sighed as he heard Spencer hit Ryan with something. It was always like this. One band or another wouldn’t be ready in time and it was up to Pete to sort them all out. He gave Cobra Starship a quick call, and then dialled one last number.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey Bill, is everything going OK?’
‘No! I can’t get the guitar in the boot!’
‘Oh, don’t tell me you’ve done a Patrick. He always forgets to pack clothes and then goes overboard on the music.’
‘Uh…’ Some shuffling was heard. ‘Yeah, I – I might have done that…’
‘Well, get to it! We’re leaving tomorrow, asshole!’
He snapped the phone shut (it was all affectionately done, though) and went outside to the car. Earlier he’d been doing some ‘shopping’ for the bus (i.e. buying as much junk food as he could carry), and now he had one more trip to make. In half an hour he pulled into an all-too-familiar driveway. The door opened and out came two familiar figures. It was like déjà-vu. Except this time he couldn’t run to them.
‘Daddy!’
He grinned as Bronx toddled towards him happily. ‘Hey there, little dude, how have you been?! Hey, steady now,’ he called as Bronx started to wobble, and ran to catch him, pulling him into a big hug, whirling him round in the air. When he stopped he saw a smile playing on Ashlee’s lips, and he headed over slowly, being careful not to stare too much.
‘Hey…’
‘Hi, Pete. How are you?’
‘I’m good, you?’
Despite being able to answer he was mentally on another planet. He’d bought her that necklace. A couple of years back, when Fall Out Boy were touring in the Philippines. And her hair looked so dark and soft… It was a wonder Pete didn’t reach out and stroke it.
They went in and exchanged some awkward talk for a while before Ashlee went to the kitchen for some coffee. Pete sighed and turned to face Bronx.
‘Hey, buddy, can you help Daddy out?’
Bronx looked questioningly up at Pete.
‘You see, Mommy isn’t friends with Daddy right now. They had a silly fight. So I need you to be a big brave boy and help Daddy make it up to her. Can you think of anything? You know what Mommy likes.’
He thought hard, focussed on his train set. ‘Mommy likes it when I draw her pictures.’
Although this was a good idea, Pete didn’t think orange scribble and black dots would bring his wife back.
‘That’s great, I'm sure they're amazing. But Daddy can’t draw very well, you see.’
‘Really? I’ll show you!’
Bronx toddled across the room to get his crayons, but before Pete could stop him Ashlee returned with the coffee. He sighed again to himself, and managed to chat to her and play with his son in this awkward set-up for another hour, before it was time to leave.
He picked up Bronx and hugged him tight.
‘Now you promise to be a good boy for Mommy while I’m gone?’
He nodded, rubbing his head against Pete’s chest.
‘Daddy?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Why do you have to go again?’
‘Daddy does shows for people, you see. You remember Uncle Patrick? I go with him and–’
‘I know, but…’ He sniffed. ‘Why don’t you live with me and Mommy? Why can’t you stay with us?’
Pete and Ashlee exchanged an awkward glance.
‘Don’t you want to be my daddy?’
Pete looked into the teary face and felt his own heart break. ‘Hey, of course I do. You’re the best son in the world, Bronx, and I love you so much, no matter what. Come on buddy, don’t cry now. You’ll make Daddy cry too. You’re a big strong boy, I know you are.’
He stroked the dark head lovingly. ‘Now I won’t be gone for very long. I’ll be back again soon, don’t worry. And I’ll bring you some presents too, huh? I promise!’
Bronx still looked doubtful.
‘Hmm, what’s with this frowny face? I think Daddy needs to tickle your troubles away!’
He picked him up and blew raspberries on his tummy before Bronx squealed and giggled happily. He wriggled away and ran over to Ashlee, laughing into her leg. The adults breathed a sigh of relief, even exchanging a small smile. Crisis averted… just.
‘Well… I guess I’ll see you when I get back…’
‘Yeah, travel safely, OK?’
Pete took a step forward, to no objection from Ashlee, and pulled her into a hug before she could stop him. She didn’t respond, but it felt so good to be close again. He breathed in her perfume, sneakily stroked her hair, squeezed her tight… but it was all over too soon. Before he knew it he was pulling out of the driveway, looking in the rear view mirror at his estranged family, and tears suddenly trailed down his cheeks. He’d been patiently waiting, waiting for almost a year now, and still no reconciliation. He hoped, begged, prayed it would happen soon.
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