FicWad

Several weeks later, Emily was home alone while her friends practiced. She was cleaning the kitchen, a sponge in hand. She scrubbed at a stain on the counter absently, staring out the window. She was daydreaming; The guys were on a big stage, playing for a thousand kids. 'FALL OUT BOY' was printed on the huge banner behind them. The thought made her smile, and she turned back to her work, humming 'Pretty in Punk'
When the kitchen was relatively clean, she wandered into the living room and sank onto the couch, bored. She rolled up the bottom of her jeans and looked at her tattoo; it didn't look half bad, and it didn't hurt anymore. She traced the words with her finger, remembering all her good times with the guys. The thought of the incident at the Laundromat entered her mind for a moment, then shook her head, trying to forget.
Suddenly, The front door opened, and she looked up and expected to see Joe and Patrick, exhausted, stumbling through the front door. But instead, Pete burst through, then Andy, then Patrick and Joe. Emily smiled and got up, wandering over to them.
"Hey, you guys. You staying for dinner?" but her question was never answered.
"We got a record deal, Em, we did it!!!" Pete cried, enveloping Emily in a hug.
Emily's face lit up, and her heart soared. They had made their first step towards fame! All those months of practicing in Andy's mother's basement and performing at itty-bitty venues, of struggling to make ends meet.
"Oh my God, that's great! I told you you could do it!"she shrieked.
"We're recording at Smart Studios!"
Emily's heart stopped.
"That's in Wisconsin." she whispered, her eyes wide.
"I know, Emily." Andy's voice came gently, and she pulled herself away from Pete's arms, hugging the others. Tears stung her eyes as they all sat down in the living room. Andy put his arm protectively around his friend.
"When do you guys have to leave?" she whispered, her voice quivering.
"A week."
Emily couldn't contain her tears any longer, and she leaned into Andy's chest, not looking at any of them.
"This changes everything." She whispered.
"You can come to visit, Em."
"It's not the same! You guys won't be down the hall from me anymore, a phone call away. We'll have to plan and save before we can even see each other, visits will last a week or so. Then I'll come home to an empty apartment." She cried.
"Em..." Andy whispered helplessly, stroking her dark hair lovingly. The friends were all silent for a long time, not knowing what to say, and Emily sobbed silently, her delicate shoulders shaking. Andy ran his fingers absently through her hair, over and over, as if in a trance. Then, suddenly, Emily pulled away from his arms and wiped her eyes hastily, looking embarrassed.
"No, no, guys, don't mind me. This is great, this is amazing, You totally deserve it."
They all smiled, finally able to show their happiness.
"Don't worry, Em, it'll only be a year or two; we'll record the record, we'll tour, we'll come home." Patrick told her soothingly.
"We'll sell, like, ten copies." Pete added laughingly.
Emily laughed sarcastically.
"No, you're too amazing. This is the beginning of something big; Chicago will never see your famous asses again."
"Hey, don't say that " Patrick argued, "This is home. Wilmette is home. We'll be back as soon as we can."
Emily rose slowly form the couch, her eyes suddenly filled with anger.
"No, you're all wrong."
"Emily " Patrick cried desperately, standing up, "Look, we're going to see each other again "
She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Joe.
"Why don't you just come with us?" he asked meekly, looking torn.
"Because my entire life is here! My family, my friends, people I care for!I'm starting university here in the fall, I can't just up and leave,like you guys are doing!"
"What friends?" snarled Pete suddenly, standing up and stepping forward, "Emily, all you have is us, and you know it."
"I...I...you..." Emily stammered, and then she found her voice; "You know what? Fuck you " and with that, she whirled around and stormed out of the room.
"Emily!" Patrick called helplessly after her, following her several steps, and then gave up. He spun around to face Pete, his face a mixture of anger and sadness.
"You idiot!" he yelled.
"She damn well knows that we're all she's got!" Pete cried indignantly.
"And she's all we've got." Andy cut in calmly.
"Look, everyone just, like, FREEZE " Joe cried, jumping to his feet, "We are not making this any better! Look, here are the key points; ONE: we have a record deal. TWO: we have to move out in a week. THREE: we have to NOT LOSE IT!"
Everyone looked at Joe in shock. Pete spluttered for a moment, fumbling with words. He finally gave up, and looked weakly at his friend.
"What are we supposed to do?" Patrick said in a hushed voice, tears in his eyes, "We just got the chance of a lifetime. We will be kicking ourselves all the way to our graves if we refuse. But Emily's...everything."
"Look, we can't just pass this up because it means we have to leave for a while." Andy argued.
Patrick, Joe and Andy exchanged ideas, concerns and thoughts, but Pete stood in silence. It was finally sinking in; he was leaving. He wouldn't see Emily everyday anymore.
"...right, Pete?" came Patrick's voice.
Pete snapped back to reality.
"Hmmm?"
"Emily will come visit often as possible."
"Yeahyeahyeah, of course, of course." he said quickly, in a rather hyper way.
Andy sighed sadly.
"Well, kids, this is the beginning of an adventure."

Emily cried and cried into her pillow for hours on end. Finally, when she felt her tear ducts had dried up, she raised her head and looked out the window; pitch black. Her clock read 11:32 p.m. Suddenly, she was filled with an overwhelming urge to be held, to be cuddled and loved. She wondered how mad Joe and Patrick were. Her cursing HAD been directed at Pete, but they might've got the wrong impression....Emily sank back into her pillow, pulling the covers up around her neck, closing her eyes, and bitting her lip. My life is over. I mean, they have a record deal, this is amazing! But why do they have to leave? Pete's right, they're all I have. She took a deep breath and rose from her bed, padding carefully to her door. She clicked it open and crept down the hall to the open door of Joe and Patrick's room. She knocked on the doorframe.
"Emily?" Joe called softly.
"Mmhmm." she answered pathetically, bitting her lip to keep from crying.
She heard him sigh.
"Come in here, Em."
She stepped into the darkness, feeling her way to Joe's bed, which was closer to the door than Patrick's. She crawled in bed beside Joe and cuddled up to him.
"What's wrong, Em." Patrick asked, joining the conversation.
"You damn well know what's wrong!" she snapped, her voice hysterical with tears.
"Emily, please don't get mad at us." Joe muttered.
Emily felt the mattress sink as Patrick crawled into bed next to her, and she found herself once again squished between the two boys. Unable to contain her tears any longer, she buried her face in Joe's bare chest and cried for the millionth time that night. She felt Patrick's arms around her now, and Joe's fingers in her hair.
"You guys can't go." she sobbed.
"Emily, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Patrick explained patiently.
"You don't get it, though. Pete's right, you're all I have."
"Don't listen to him, Emily, he's being an ass hole." Joe snapped viciously.
"But he's right."
Nobody answered her, but both Joe and Patrick knew he was.
"And you're all we have, Emily." Patrick whispered softly.
Suddenly, Patrick couldn't contain himself any longer. He was by far the most sensitive out of the guys, but he never let his tears show...until now. He felt the hot rush of liquid to his eyes. One thing lead to another, and he set off Joe. The three friends lay there, squished into Joe's twin bed, crying, Emily cradled in Joe and Patrick's arms.

And they cried themselves to sleep.