Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > Go Ahead and Burn it Down.
The Pictures
The ringing phone woke her up. Chris flung an arm out onto the nightstand. “Hello?”
“Are you ok?”
“Sara?”
“Ya.”
“I’m fine,” Chris replied, confused. “Why?”
“Is Pete there?”
“No he’s flying back from New York today. He had the Angels and Kings opening last night.”
“Ya…” Sara trailed off.
“What’s wrong Sara?”
“It’s just that there’s this picture…on the internet.”
“There’s always pictures,” Chris replied laughing to herself thinking about the whole Pete’s Sidekick getting hacked incident.
“Chris…these don’t look good…”
“Where are you looking?” Chris asked, resignedly getting out of bed and going to her laptop that she had left in the kitchen. She typed in the web address Sara read her. The pictures loaded. It was a picture of Ashlee Simpson and Pete. “Really, Sara? This isn’t a big deal.”
“Did you read the caption?”
Chris read aloud, “’Pete and Ashlee: Young Hollywood’s Latest Hot Couple?’ Sara, if I believed everything they wrote about him, we would’ve broken up years ago.”
Sara was silent for a few moments. “You haven’t scrolled down yet, have you?”
Chris couldn’t help the feeling of dread that swept over her as she scrolled down. She gasped. “Oh. My. God.”
There it was, for all the world to see. Ashlee was kissing Pete. Her Pete.
“Sweetie?” Sara jolted her back to reality.
“There has to be some explanation,” Chris rationalized, hurriedly. Then in an unsure voice, she asked, “Right?”
“I’m sure there is. I-“
Chris cut her off. “I have to go. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. Call if you need anything.”
“Bye.” Chris hung up and immediately dialed Pete’s number. It went straight to voicemail. She looked at the time. It was later than she thought. He was on a plane and would be home soon.
Chris’ sour mood deepened as she remembered how excited she had been earlier. She had been down in Austin for a few weeks and she wasn’t supposed to be home in Chicago for another three days. She had missed Pete so much that she flew home early to surprise him.
Chris huffed and got into the shower trying not to jump to conclusions about the current situation until she could talk to Pete.
She had just finished pulling her t-shirt on, her hair still wet, when she heard the elevator doors open. Despite what she had seen earlier, Chris couldn’t help grinning. As she ran to the foyer to greet him, she heard him talking on his phone.
“Hey, Peter! I missed-“ The words died in her throat as she came to a dead stop in the foyer. He hadn’t been talking on his phone. He had been talking to…her.
“Chris?!” Pete exclaimed, startled. “What are you doing home?”
“Well I came home early to surprise my boyfriend.” She emphasized the word, staring daggers at Ashlee. “But I see I’ve interrupted something.” She spun on her heel and marched back to the kitchen, mind whirring.
Pete was struck speechless for a moment before he rushed to say, “Ashlee’s got some work stuff to do in Chicago,” he explained following her.
“This is some kind of work, Peter,” she said fighting to keep control as she brandished her computer at him. He looked at the picture, not saying anything. “Really? Nothing to sat at all?! Fine.” Chris stalked back to the foyer. As she passed Ashlee who hadn’t moved from the foyer, Chris spat, “I hope you two are very happy together.” And she continued to walk into the still open elevator.
Pete was now running back into the foyer to catch her, yelling, “This isn’t what it looks like!” But he was too late. The doors were already closed.
Chris had heard him, but right now, she didn’t care. She couldn’t process any of this. It wasn’t until she was almost on the ground floor that she didn’t have any money with her…or her phone…or shoes. The doors opened to the lobby and Chris shrugged and kept going. Out onto the city street, she walked east. Not really thinking about where she was going, Chris was a little surprised when she ended up in front of Patrick and Stacy’s building a half an hour later. Remembering that she didn’t have her phone, she went to the desk asking to ring Patrick’s apartment.
The receptionist was on the phone with Patrick when she asked Chris, “Who should I tell him is here?”
Chris didn’t have the patience. She leaned over and practically yelled into the phone, “Trick it’s me. I saw the pictures. Let me in.”
The receptionist winced, but after a second she nodded and said, “Yes, sir.” After she hung up the phone, she said to Chris, “You can go on up, miss.”
She muttered a quick thanks and then took off toward the now opening elevator door. When she arrived at Patrick’s apartment, he was waiting for her at the door. Before he could say anything, Chris said, “Tell me it isn’t him in that picture. Tell me someone photoshopped that.”
“Chris,” he said, sorrow in his voice reaching out to her and pulling her into the apartment. “I have no idea when that happened. I just saw it. I’m sorry.” From further into the apartment, Patrick’s phone rang. She nodded to his unasked question of whether he should answer it. He disappeared and Chris followed him at a slower pace. When she arrived in Patrick’s living room, he was standing there, holding out his phone to her. “It’s Pete. He wants to talk to you.”
“Too fucking bad.” Chris fell back onto his couch.
“She won’t take the phone. And honestly, man? It looks bad.” He paused. “Hold on.” He covered the microphone with his hand. “How do you want to play this? Do you want me to refuse to hear his side in solidarity, or do you want me to try to figure out what happened?”
Chris couldn’t help but smile. Typical Patrick. Super thoughtful. That’s why he was her best friend. She had found that Patrick knew parts of Pete that she didn’t. Parts that she had missed when she was gone. And Patrick understood better than Sara or Becca or even Stacy sometimes when Pete was doing something that bugged her. There were more than a few occasions, especially during this past year of recording, where Patrick’s ability to think things through and his thorough knowledge of both Chris and Pete that led to clarity in situations which could have very well been the end of Pete and Chris. She sighed and said, “Find out.”
Patrick nodded and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, he reappeared, putting in his pocket. He motioned for her to move her feet so he could sit. Her feet now in his lap, Patrick began to talk. “First, and Pete wanted me to stress this, Pete is very sorry.”
“Does he have something to be sorry for?” Patrick didn’t have to answer. She could see it in the way he looked at her. “So this isn’t some story? It happened?”
Patrick looked down. “Ya.” When he looked back up, there was something in his expression that looked suspiciously like anger. It was even more evident when he spoke. “He said, not that it matters at all in my opinion, but he said that he was ‘really drunk’ and he and Ashlee had been talking earlier about how she was coming to Chicago to meet some record producer or something, and a group of people were yelling out at them to kiss assuming they were together…” She sighed and he asked, “What are you gonna do?”
Chris shook her head. “I don’t know. He made a mistake. A huge one. But it happens. It was one kiss…” It was Patrick’s turn to shake his head. “What?”
He turned his computer towards her. There was a different page up than the one she had been looking at earlier. This had pictures of the two not only kissing in several obviously different locations, but there was one of them leaving holding hands. And one of them getting into a cab together.
Chris felt tears begin to leak out of her eyes. She swiped at them furiously. “You know, I put up with a lot. I’m understanding about the stuff that is written about him. I didn’t get upset when he decided his private life, namely me, should stay private after the disaster at the VMAs. I don’t get pissed when the stupid fan girls treat me like a groupie and not like an actual person. I put up with the always staying in. I put up with the sad drunken phone calls when we have to be apart. But I don’t have to put up with this. I do not have to stay and be made a fool of.”
“Chris?” Patrick was worried. “What’s happening?”
“I’m getting the hell out of dodge. That’s what’s happening.”
Patrick was silent, looking away. When he turned, Chris was startled by the look of fear in his eyes. “Please don’t disappear again.”
Chris felt her own anger ebb away. She sat up to hug him. “Just from him. Promise.”
Patrick nodded. “What can I do?”
“All my stuff is at Pete’s…”
“I can go get that. Do you want me to call Stacy or Becca?”
She shook her head, pulling out her phone. “I’ve got to call Sara.” He nodded and left.
The phone barely rang before Sara picked up. “Chris?”
“Hey. Do you think I could come back and sleep on your couch for a while?”
“That bad, huh?”
“So it would seem.”
“Absolutely. When do I need to come pick you up at the airport?”
Chris hesitated. “I don’t know. I haven’t really gotten that far yet.”
“Ok. Well let me know.”
“Love you Sara.”
“Love you too.”
By the time Patrick returned, Chris had called her parents to explain her sudden departure and the rest of the boys and Becca. Both Joe and Andy were angry with Pete and volunteered to pay for Chris’ ticket home. She also called her academic advisor (and professional mentor and friend) to tell him she was returning to Austin and needed a job; he promised to start looking. When Patrick lugged two suitcases full of her stuff, Chris had a plane ticket leaving the next morning, dinner plans with her parents, and much needed support from her friends.
“This was all I could take. I figured one of us could go back and get the rest and send it to you.”
She stood to hug him. “Thanks, Trick.”
“No problem.” They sat. “Tell me the plan.”
Chris leaned into her best friend and told him she was meeting her parents for dinner, he was welcome to come. She was flying back to Austin tomorrow to stay with Sara and find a job.
“I’m sorry you have to go.”
“Me too. But this won’t be like last time. I promise to keep in touch.”
“You better. Besides, I know how to find you this time.”
Chris smiled up at him. Then it faltered when she asked, “Was she there?”
Patrick looked down at her, pity in his eyes. “Ya.”
Anger flashed in Chris’. “Did he even act upset?!”
“He did. I honestly have no idea what he’s playing at.”
“Whatever. I’m over it.”
Patrick nodded. They spent the rest of the day hanging around, occasionally Chris would burst out in tears or shouting at nobody about how unfair this all was. She went to dinner with her parents to say goodbye and returned to Patrick’s. The next morning, Patrick drove her to the airport. Andy, Joe, Stacy, and Becca met them there. Chris thought she caught a glimpse of Pete as she turned to give a final wave after going through security.
A/N: yayyyyyyyy. ok. go review!
The ringing phone woke her up. Chris flung an arm out onto the nightstand. “Hello?”
“Are you ok?”
“Sara?”
“Ya.”
“I’m fine,” Chris replied, confused. “Why?”
“Is Pete there?”
“No he’s flying back from New York today. He had the Angels and Kings opening last night.”
“Ya…” Sara trailed off.
“What’s wrong Sara?”
“It’s just that there’s this picture…on the internet.”
“There’s always pictures,” Chris replied laughing to herself thinking about the whole Pete’s Sidekick getting hacked incident.
“Chris…these don’t look good…”
“Where are you looking?” Chris asked, resignedly getting out of bed and going to her laptop that she had left in the kitchen. She typed in the web address Sara read her. The pictures loaded. It was a picture of Ashlee Simpson and Pete. “Really, Sara? This isn’t a big deal.”
“Did you read the caption?”
Chris read aloud, “’Pete and Ashlee: Young Hollywood’s Latest Hot Couple?’ Sara, if I believed everything they wrote about him, we would’ve broken up years ago.”
Sara was silent for a few moments. “You haven’t scrolled down yet, have you?”
Chris couldn’t help the feeling of dread that swept over her as she scrolled down. She gasped. “Oh. My. God.”
There it was, for all the world to see. Ashlee was kissing Pete. Her Pete.
“Sweetie?” Sara jolted her back to reality.
“There has to be some explanation,” Chris rationalized, hurriedly. Then in an unsure voice, she asked, “Right?”
“I’m sure there is. I-“
Chris cut her off. “I have to go. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. Call if you need anything.”
“Bye.” Chris hung up and immediately dialed Pete’s number. It went straight to voicemail. She looked at the time. It was later than she thought. He was on a plane and would be home soon.
Chris’ sour mood deepened as she remembered how excited she had been earlier. She had been down in Austin for a few weeks and she wasn’t supposed to be home in Chicago for another three days. She had missed Pete so much that she flew home early to surprise him.
Chris huffed and got into the shower trying not to jump to conclusions about the current situation until she could talk to Pete.
She had just finished pulling her t-shirt on, her hair still wet, when she heard the elevator doors open. Despite what she had seen earlier, Chris couldn’t help grinning. As she ran to the foyer to greet him, she heard him talking on his phone.
“Hey, Peter! I missed-“ The words died in her throat as she came to a dead stop in the foyer. He hadn’t been talking on his phone. He had been talking to…her.
“Chris?!” Pete exclaimed, startled. “What are you doing home?”
“Well I came home early to surprise my boyfriend.” She emphasized the word, staring daggers at Ashlee. “But I see I’ve interrupted something.” She spun on her heel and marched back to the kitchen, mind whirring.
Pete was struck speechless for a moment before he rushed to say, “Ashlee’s got some work stuff to do in Chicago,” he explained following her.
“This is some kind of work, Peter,” she said fighting to keep control as she brandished her computer at him. He looked at the picture, not saying anything. “Really? Nothing to sat at all?! Fine.” Chris stalked back to the foyer. As she passed Ashlee who hadn’t moved from the foyer, Chris spat, “I hope you two are very happy together.” And she continued to walk into the still open elevator.
Pete was now running back into the foyer to catch her, yelling, “This isn’t what it looks like!” But he was too late. The doors were already closed.
Chris had heard him, but right now, she didn’t care. She couldn’t process any of this. It wasn’t until she was almost on the ground floor that she didn’t have any money with her…or her phone…or shoes. The doors opened to the lobby and Chris shrugged and kept going. Out onto the city street, she walked east. Not really thinking about where she was going, Chris was a little surprised when she ended up in front of Patrick and Stacy’s building a half an hour later. Remembering that she didn’t have her phone, she went to the desk asking to ring Patrick’s apartment.
The receptionist was on the phone with Patrick when she asked Chris, “Who should I tell him is here?”
Chris didn’t have the patience. She leaned over and practically yelled into the phone, “Trick it’s me. I saw the pictures. Let me in.”
The receptionist winced, but after a second she nodded and said, “Yes, sir.” After she hung up the phone, she said to Chris, “You can go on up, miss.”
She muttered a quick thanks and then took off toward the now opening elevator door. When she arrived at Patrick’s apartment, he was waiting for her at the door. Before he could say anything, Chris said, “Tell me it isn’t him in that picture. Tell me someone photoshopped that.”
“Chris,” he said, sorrow in his voice reaching out to her and pulling her into the apartment. “I have no idea when that happened. I just saw it. I’m sorry.” From further into the apartment, Patrick’s phone rang. She nodded to his unasked question of whether he should answer it. He disappeared and Chris followed him at a slower pace. When she arrived in Patrick’s living room, he was standing there, holding out his phone to her. “It’s Pete. He wants to talk to you.”
“Too fucking bad.” Chris fell back onto his couch.
“She won’t take the phone. And honestly, man? It looks bad.” He paused. “Hold on.” He covered the microphone with his hand. “How do you want to play this? Do you want me to refuse to hear his side in solidarity, or do you want me to try to figure out what happened?”
Chris couldn’t help but smile. Typical Patrick. Super thoughtful. That’s why he was her best friend. She had found that Patrick knew parts of Pete that she didn’t. Parts that she had missed when she was gone. And Patrick understood better than Sara or Becca or even Stacy sometimes when Pete was doing something that bugged her. There were more than a few occasions, especially during this past year of recording, where Patrick’s ability to think things through and his thorough knowledge of both Chris and Pete that led to clarity in situations which could have very well been the end of Pete and Chris. She sighed and said, “Find out.”
Patrick nodded and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, he reappeared, putting in his pocket. He motioned for her to move her feet so he could sit. Her feet now in his lap, Patrick began to talk. “First, and Pete wanted me to stress this, Pete is very sorry.”
“Does he have something to be sorry for?” Patrick didn’t have to answer. She could see it in the way he looked at her. “So this isn’t some story? It happened?”
Patrick looked down. “Ya.” When he looked back up, there was something in his expression that looked suspiciously like anger. It was even more evident when he spoke. “He said, not that it matters at all in my opinion, but he said that he was ‘really drunk’ and he and Ashlee had been talking earlier about how she was coming to Chicago to meet some record producer or something, and a group of people were yelling out at them to kiss assuming they were together…” She sighed and he asked, “What are you gonna do?”
Chris shook her head. “I don’t know. He made a mistake. A huge one. But it happens. It was one kiss…” It was Patrick’s turn to shake his head. “What?”
He turned his computer towards her. There was a different page up than the one she had been looking at earlier. This had pictures of the two not only kissing in several obviously different locations, but there was one of them leaving holding hands. And one of them getting into a cab together.
Chris felt tears begin to leak out of her eyes. She swiped at them furiously. “You know, I put up with a lot. I’m understanding about the stuff that is written about him. I didn’t get upset when he decided his private life, namely me, should stay private after the disaster at the VMAs. I don’t get pissed when the stupid fan girls treat me like a groupie and not like an actual person. I put up with the always staying in. I put up with the sad drunken phone calls when we have to be apart. But I don’t have to put up with this. I do not have to stay and be made a fool of.”
“Chris?” Patrick was worried. “What’s happening?”
“I’m getting the hell out of dodge. That’s what’s happening.”
Patrick was silent, looking away. When he turned, Chris was startled by the look of fear in his eyes. “Please don’t disappear again.”
Chris felt her own anger ebb away. She sat up to hug him. “Just from him. Promise.”
Patrick nodded. “What can I do?”
“All my stuff is at Pete’s…”
“I can go get that. Do you want me to call Stacy or Becca?”
She shook her head, pulling out her phone. “I’ve got to call Sara.” He nodded and left.
The phone barely rang before Sara picked up. “Chris?”
“Hey. Do you think I could come back and sleep on your couch for a while?”
“That bad, huh?”
“So it would seem.”
“Absolutely. When do I need to come pick you up at the airport?”
Chris hesitated. “I don’t know. I haven’t really gotten that far yet.”
“Ok. Well let me know.”
“Love you Sara.”
“Love you too.”
By the time Patrick returned, Chris had called her parents to explain her sudden departure and the rest of the boys and Becca. Both Joe and Andy were angry with Pete and volunteered to pay for Chris’ ticket home. She also called her academic advisor (and professional mentor and friend) to tell him she was returning to Austin and needed a job; he promised to start looking. When Patrick lugged two suitcases full of her stuff, Chris had a plane ticket leaving the next morning, dinner plans with her parents, and much needed support from her friends.
“This was all I could take. I figured one of us could go back and get the rest and send it to you.”
She stood to hug him. “Thanks, Trick.”
“No problem.” They sat. “Tell me the plan.”
Chris leaned into her best friend and told him she was meeting her parents for dinner, he was welcome to come. She was flying back to Austin tomorrow to stay with Sara and find a job.
“I’m sorry you have to go.”
“Me too. But this won’t be like last time. I promise to keep in touch.”
“You better. Besides, I know how to find you this time.”
Chris smiled up at him. Then it faltered when she asked, “Was she there?”
Patrick looked down at her, pity in his eyes. “Ya.”
Anger flashed in Chris’. “Did he even act upset?!”
“He did. I honestly have no idea what he’s playing at.”
“Whatever. I’m over it.”
Patrick nodded. They spent the rest of the day hanging around, occasionally Chris would burst out in tears or shouting at nobody about how unfair this all was. She went to dinner with her parents to say goodbye and returned to Patrick’s. The next morning, Patrick drove her to the airport. Andy, Joe, Stacy, and Becca met them there. Chris thought she caught a glimpse of Pete as she turned to give a final wave after going through security.
A/N: yayyyyyyyy. ok. go review!
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