FicWad

Chapter Seventeen

1 week later:

"Where's Maddie, Josie," I said losing my patience into the phone. The cab I was riding in gunned through a yellow light and I sighed in frustration. I had very minimal time to see Maddie and convince her to come on tour with us. Pete had worked out the whole conversation for me down to small detail. Now the only thing in my way was a very obnoxious sister who would just not tell me the location of Maddie's work.

"You're losing your temper Stump," Josie said enjoying the raise in my voice.

"I didn't know you knew me so well, Josie," I said making sure to keep my voice monotone.

"Oh well you know Maddie has to talk to someone," Josie giggled showing pure delight for the second time in her life. "I know more than I'd like."

Now I felt purely disgusted. "Can you just please tell me where," I pleaded feeling my pride fall to the floor with the bits of candy and dirt.

"Fine," I heard Josie sigh and my heart leapt. "It's on the corner of Welsh and 43rd. It's called The Gas Stop."

"Thank you, thank you," I said before ending the call quickly. "Corner of 43rd and Welsh," I repeated to the cab driver who gave me a nod. Now on to the real task.


The Gas Stop turned out to be a small convenience store highlighting the suburban street. As I walked through the door marked ENT R the only other customer I saw was an old trucker looking through the displayed souvenirs. Currently he was examining a magnet in the shape of Illinois. He would flip it over look at it then put it down only to pick it back up again a second later to rethink his decision. I chuckled at this and turned towards the counter to see Maddie standing behind it. Her head was held up by her hand as she gazed starry-eyed into nothingness. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail and she wore a bright green polo which was inscribed with The Gas Stop. I smiled and made my way over.

"You thinking about me?" I smirked stepping into her view.

I saw Maddie's expression turn from starry-eyed to pure delight. "Patrick," she smiled leaned across the counter to grab my shoulders in a hug.

I gave a small huff as my body hit the counter from her pull. It didn't hurt that much though when I caught her scent and my mind did cartwheels. I forgot how much I missed it.

She pulled away quicker than I expected and gave me another smile. "What are you doing here?"

It didn't hit me until that moment that I had never told Maddie we were coming back to Chicago. It must've slipped by in our conversations. "The Warped Tour's in Chicago," I answered.

"Oh," she said her smile fading and a mystified look becoming clearer.

"In fact," I went on before she could vocalize any thoughts. "I came by to say I really need to talk to you about something."

"Um, okay," Maddie said folding her hands on the counter and looking for me to continue.

"But," I cut in. "I think this isn't really the setting I'd prefer," I said glancing back at the trucker who still hadn't decided if the magnet was a fair purchase. "Maybe," I continued turning back to Maddie. "You could come to the show this afternoon and we could talk."

Maddie still gave me a baffled look as if she was unsure what I was asking.

"We play at noon and have a signing right after, but I'm sure we'll be done by three at the latest," I continued ignoring the blinking of her eyes. "So you'll come?"

Maddie sighed and scrunched her eyebrows in a thinking mode. "I guess I could," she said. "If it's that important that we talk," she said clearly leading me to tell her now.

"It's important," I answered instead.

"Oh, all right," she caved leaning back. "I'll be there."

"Great," I smiled. "I'll see you then." After getting a reassuring nod from Maddie I turned back around to exit seeing the trucker passing by me, the magnet grasped in his hand.


I tugged on my hat to shield my eyes from the sun later that day as I walked back to the bus after Fall Out Boy's signing. It had gone longer than I had expected and left me a little more thought filled than hoped for. Don't get me wrong I believe we have the best fans, but sometimes they just need to realize I'm just a person like them. Because, seriously, who asks for another persons 'lock of hair'? I know I don't.

I slipped by the gate and saw our bus in the distance. A large figure stood at the entrance, hands raised in a dramatic conversation. I soon recognized it was Bob and realization soon hit that the person he had to be talking to was Maddie. I muttered a profanity as I sped up my pace from strolling to actually walking.

"Hey guys," I said coming to what resembled a cartoon halt in front of Bob's back. Bob did a turn about and revealed Maddie behind him. On her face was plastered a smile and her hair hung down unlike before. Then my eyes dropped to her waist where a small bump had become evident. I guess I hadn't noticed it before since she was behind a counter, but it hit me harder than I expected. So she was really pregnant?

"Hey Patrick," Bob said breaking my thoughts. "Guys," he added giving a wave behind me. I looked back to see Pete, Joe, and Andy coming our way.

"Maddie!" Pete exclaimed running to give her a small hug. "So nice for you to visit me."

Maddie laughed as Joe and Andy did their greetings as well. I stood transfixed at the sight still unsure if the bump on her stomach could be weight gain.

"So Maddie," Pete was saying. "I'm sure you're really excited about joining the tour…"

My brain was cleared at Pete's words and my hands in his face faster. "Um…Pete," I said barely catching the baffled look on Maddie's face. "I haven't asked her yet," I mumbled.

"You haven't asked her yet?" Pete repeated in his own booming voice.

So much for being subtle. "Patrick?" I looked to Maddie who mirrored me on tax day. "What's he talking about?"

"Um…w-well," I stuttered as I looked over at the guys just telepathically telling them to leave so I could talk to Maddie. Andy caught it first. "Um…I have to meet Holly now," he said turning to walk away. That's why he was my roommate.

"Uh…yeah…Marie," Joe muttered following suit.

Then came Bob and Pete. Pete looked very content staying to hear the conversation but thankfully Bob took Pete's arm and muttered, "C'mon Pete," and pulled him on the bus.

I turned back to Maddie just in time to catch her motherly stare. "What is Pete talking about?" She shot first. "I thought we agreed you'd go on tour and I'd stay in Chicago."

"Funny thing really," I started pushing my cap lower. "We sorta came up with a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yeah, and you know how much the guys adore you." Flattery, I had to push it. "And well you know that magazine you use to work for in high school…"

Now I knew I had her interest because her face lifted and she nodded. "Music Madness?"

"Yeah, well they came to us with an offer." Okay so I lied. Pete had to beg them. "They want you to come on tour with us and do a story on it."

Maddie's 180 expressions caught me in an embrace. "Are you serious?" She laughed. "How? But Why?" She stuttered pulling back still in my arms.

"I don't know," I lied again. "They just thought you'd be good for the job."

Maddie smiled again and gave me a quick kiss. "Oh Patrick, this is great," she said burying herself in my shoulder. "I get to write again."

I smiled too and held her head. This had turned out all right after all. Then I looked up at the bus window and saw Pete and Bob's faces plastered to the window. Bob smiling like a maniac and Pete giving a goofy thumbs up. Oh god, what had I brought her into?