Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > Burn Down the City to Show you the Lights: A Patrick Stump Story
Chapter 1: Friends and Fading Away
0 reviewsThere's a new neighbor next door, and Kitty lets her curiousity get the better of her.
0Unrated
She perched daintily on the chair, her straight, blonde hair flowing over her shoulders. She tried to hide her proud smile as she recited melodically her thesaurus-stained pages. She stole, with excessive self-proclaimed perfection, my idea. She truly believed herself unique, every word swelling her body with happiness further and further, until her own self-confidence exploded out of her huge grin. She paused, taking a calm breath, then broke out into giggling laughter and skipped away. An uncomfortable silence followed, and then excited whispers filled the room.
I glared down at my pathetic excuse for a personal experience, angrily cursing her for stealing my essay idea. The bell buzzed quickly, and childish proud students poured into the hallway. A group of young, thin freshman leaned forward and giggled as I passed. I kept my gaze downward as I exited the hall into a grassy patch situated between two school halls. The Hill, as lovingly nicknamed by infamous alumni years past. A couple girls jumped up, screamed my name, and ran over to embrace me as I faked a cheerful smile.
“Kitty!” screamed a perky, poofy-haired brunette.
She wore faded red streaks in her hair, the result of a thoughtless hair experiment. Isabelle had an uncomfortable-looking, gangly boyfriend who awkwardly grasped her hand. Today she wore hot pink opaque tights under a denim miniskirt, her latest attempt at being unique. Next to her stood my “best friend”, a short, chubby girl with a tired look on her face. Jessie pulled me next to her and spewed her latest drama about another member of the Knoll. Calvin, her latest love interest, was a tall, dangerously thin boy with messy, curly black hair. His scars adorned the length of his arms, wrapping sinuously across his stretched skin. He adjusted himself in order to uncover his art.
“Calvin told me that him and Cassy broke up through text-message, then he made her want to kill himself. Obviously, he didn’t. I just want him to be happy,” she whispered while stealing a furtive glance in his direction. I mentally rolled my eyes, but physically furrowed my brow and frowned with feigned interest. I muttered an excuse, then quickly hurried away, already needing a break. I decided to take a walk off-campus, allowing myself to breathe fresh air. I smiled and waved at the campus supervisor, excusing myself off the school grounds, where I belonged. My stomach growled ominously, sending my brain an ignored reminder.
I stole a glance at a reflection of myself in a sidewalk shop window. My long, brunette hair hung like curtains covering my pale face. My loose clothes hung off my tall figure, slightly slouched. As my eyes peered up at my tired eyes, my physical and mental entities refused to meet and coexist. I was faced with a terrible case of premature maturity. Stuck in a hapless town, the tips of distant skyscrapers teased me by peeking over the horizon. I tuned to face a plethora of delicate gift shops and found myself on the verge of tears.
_________________________________________________________________________
The sky glowed deeply blue, faintly illumining the autumn night sky. A warm wind blew through the air, and the atmosphere of night engulfed me. Why don’t I come out at night more often? I asked myself. Sand parted beneath my bare feet as I carefully stepped across my driveway into the orchard. Across the fence, festive voices and laughter sounded from the oversized house. Having strangers so close, invading my personal bubble that made up my property, enraged me. My home was my private resting-place, not somewhere I had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
But in the dim darkness, a veil hid me from sight. My pace slowed as I crept forward, trying not to be distracted from my purpose. I silently unlocked the gate to the orchard, and carefully closed the chicken pen. A loud noise echoed through the still night with a bang. I sharply inhaled and furtively glanced over my shoulder at the house. Laughter followed, and my pulse slowed. I focused and silently twisted the stems of ripe apples on a nearby tree, and placed them in my basket. I snuck back down the orchard’s hill, past the chicken cage, and turned to return back to the house. Wait. Something caught my eye. Turning around, I crept forward towards the boundary that ended my personal bubble.
A figure stood, facing away from me, his features hidden in the twilight glow. His body stood tall and thin, leaning against the fence. More silently then ever, I stepped being the coop, squinting through the dark. With a closer look, he wore a light jacket and old denim, blonde hair carelessly curled at the tips. I hadn’t seen him before. Something soft brushed against the back of my calf, and I audibly let out a muffled yelp, echoing in his direction. My stomach lurched, and my heart skipped a beat. I whipped my head around and my cat rubbed against my leg. Risking a glance around my shoulder, the figure swiftly turned and his eyes glowed with curiosity in my direction. I stood like a deer in the headlights for a moment, immobile. I felt my legs turning me around and running way, all I knew how to do. My vision refused to change—still reflecting his bright eyes.
What the hell had happened? Breathless, I burst through the door, my eyes wild. My dad looked up at me with wide, curious eyes. I glanced down and realized I’d dropped my basket in the confusion.
“Umm…,” I stuttered, “I couldn’t find the apple tree.” I darted up the stairs, and locked my door. I sunk down on my bed and stared at the nonchalant white ceiling. Why was he here? Why do I even care this much? Words swirled through my head, and my mind began to wander. Words became pictures as the ceiling blurred and my head swam.
I stood knee-deep in swiftly flowing grass, my legs itching and my long skirt billowing in the wind. The sky shone blood red, and a warm breeze stirred my long hair.
“The Sahara is warm this time of year,” I spoke peacefully to the sky. I giggled and the corners of my lips curled up, and I pushed my way through the brush. A cricket chirped, and music echoed in the distance. A swift breeze lifted my hair into motion, swirling around my body, dancing in the dusk. The temperature suddenly dropped alarmingly, and the light dimmed. I frowned. A figure appeared at the treeline, then begins to run desperately away. I followed him, running for my life.
Get away. Far away.
I glared down at my pathetic excuse for a personal experience, angrily cursing her for stealing my essay idea. The bell buzzed quickly, and childish proud students poured into the hallway. A group of young, thin freshman leaned forward and giggled as I passed. I kept my gaze downward as I exited the hall into a grassy patch situated between two school halls. The Hill, as lovingly nicknamed by infamous alumni years past. A couple girls jumped up, screamed my name, and ran over to embrace me as I faked a cheerful smile.
“Kitty!” screamed a perky, poofy-haired brunette.
She wore faded red streaks in her hair, the result of a thoughtless hair experiment. Isabelle had an uncomfortable-looking, gangly boyfriend who awkwardly grasped her hand. Today she wore hot pink opaque tights under a denim miniskirt, her latest attempt at being unique. Next to her stood my “best friend”, a short, chubby girl with a tired look on her face. Jessie pulled me next to her and spewed her latest drama about another member of the Knoll. Calvin, her latest love interest, was a tall, dangerously thin boy with messy, curly black hair. His scars adorned the length of his arms, wrapping sinuously across his stretched skin. He adjusted himself in order to uncover his art.
“Calvin told me that him and Cassy broke up through text-message, then he made her want to kill himself. Obviously, he didn’t. I just want him to be happy,” she whispered while stealing a furtive glance in his direction. I mentally rolled my eyes, but physically furrowed my brow and frowned with feigned interest. I muttered an excuse, then quickly hurried away, already needing a break. I decided to take a walk off-campus, allowing myself to breathe fresh air. I smiled and waved at the campus supervisor, excusing myself off the school grounds, where I belonged. My stomach growled ominously, sending my brain an ignored reminder.
I stole a glance at a reflection of myself in a sidewalk shop window. My long, brunette hair hung like curtains covering my pale face. My loose clothes hung off my tall figure, slightly slouched. As my eyes peered up at my tired eyes, my physical and mental entities refused to meet and coexist. I was faced with a terrible case of premature maturity. Stuck in a hapless town, the tips of distant skyscrapers teased me by peeking over the horizon. I tuned to face a plethora of delicate gift shops and found myself on the verge of tears.
_________________________________________________________________________
The sky glowed deeply blue, faintly illumining the autumn night sky. A warm wind blew through the air, and the atmosphere of night engulfed me. Why don’t I come out at night more often? I asked myself. Sand parted beneath my bare feet as I carefully stepped across my driveway into the orchard. Across the fence, festive voices and laughter sounded from the oversized house. Having strangers so close, invading my personal bubble that made up my property, enraged me. My home was my private resting-place, not somewhere I had to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
But in the dim darkness, a veil hid me from sight. My pace slowed as I crept forward, trying not to be distracted from my purpose. I silently unlocked the gate to the orchard, and carefully closed the chicken pen. A loud noise echoed through the still night with a bang. I sharply inhaled and furtively glanced over my shoulder at the house. Laughter followed, and my pulse slowed. I focused and silently twisted the stems of ripe apples on a nearby tree, and placed them in my basket. I snuck back down the orchard’s hill, past the chicken cage, and turned to return back to the house. Wait. Something caught my eye. Turning around, I crept forward towards the boundary that ended my personal bubble.
A figure stood, facing away from me, his features hidden in the twilight glow. His body stood tall and thin, leaning against the fence. More silently then ever, I stepped being the coop, squinting through the dark. With a closer look, he wore a light jacket and old denim, blonde hair carelessly curled at the tips. I hadn’t seen him before. Something soft brushed against the back of my calf, and I audibly let out a muffled yelp, echoing in his direction. My stomach lurched, and my heart skipped a beat. I whipped my head around and my cat rubbed against my leg. Risking a glance around my shoulder, the figure swiftly turned and his eyes glowed with curiosity in my direction. I stood like a deer in the headlights for a moment, immobile. I felt my legs turning me around and running way, all I knew how to do. My vision refused to change—still reflecting his bright eyes.
What the hell had happened? Breathless, I burst through the door, my eyes wild. My dad looked up at me with wide, curious eyes. I glanced down and realized I’d dropped my basket in the confusion.
“Umm…,” I stuttered, “I couldn’t find the apple tree.” I darted up the stairs, and locked my door. I sunk down on my bed and stared at the nonchalant white ceiling. Why was he here? Why do I even care this much? Words swirled through my head, and my mind began to wander. Words became pictures as the ceiling blurred and my head swam.
I stood knee-deep in swiftly flowing grass, my legs itching and my long skirt billowing in the wind. The sky shone blood red, and a warm breeze stirred my long hair.
“The Sahara is warm this time of year,” I spoke peacefully to the sky. I giggled and the corners of my lips curled up, and I pushed my way through the brush. A cricket chirped, and music echoed in the distance. A swift breeze lifted my hair into motion, swirling around my body, dancing in the dusk. The temperature suddenly dropped alarmingly, and the light dimmed. I frowned. A figure appeared at the treeline, then begins to run desperately away. I followed him, running for my life.
Get away. Far away.
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