Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > I’m Two Quarters and a Heart Down
The next morning I went through my usual routine. Up, get a quick shower and get dressed, out the door with the dog for a nice long walk or a trip to the dog park. Our dog is a full grown male Great Dane. The last time we were at the vets Roy outweighed me by 5lbs. He’s big, very big. That’s why we have him. My neighborhood isn’t the worst in the city, but it wasn’t the best either. People are scared of him, but he’s really the sweetest thing alive. This morning, on the way to the dog park my phone rang.
“Hello?” I didn’t recognize the caller ID.
“Hi…Um…Is this Sky?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“It’s Pete…from last night.”
“Hey, Pete from last night.” I said with a chuckle. “So, how’re you today?”
“Better, thanks. I’m, umm... I... I’m calling to just, well, just to say thank you again. And…”
At this point in time Roy saw a squirrel, and decided to chase it, with me in tow. My arm was nearly pulled out of its socket, and I almost dropped the phone. Roy was barking like mad and I was yelling at him to stop. When I put the phone back to my ear all I heard was laughter.
“I’m sorry, I’m walking the dog and he saw a squirrel. And as everyone knows, squirrels are enemy number one. It’s his duty as my guard dog to protect me from them.” I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and Roy too.
“You have a dog too? I need to take Hemingway out for a good long walk. Is there a good place nearby?”
“Where are you?”
“Same place as last night.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, there’s a great dog park not too far from there. Roy and I are on our way to it now. If you would like, we can stop by and pick you up.” I couldn’t believe I was being so forward. I’m not like that usually.
“Yeah! That would be great. How long until you get here?”
“About ten minutes? Maybe a little less.”
“Ok, if we’re not outside just knock on the bus door. I still have to get dressed.”
“I’ll see ya in a few then. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I smiled at Roy and said “Let’s go get some new friends.”
I got to the bus about ten minutes later and saw no one outside. So, I knocked on the bus door. Joe opened the door looking half asleep. He smiled and said “Hey, you’re the girl from last night.”
“Yeah that’s me.” I replied laughing. Then Joe’s eyes got real big as he saw Roy.
“Damn, that’s a big dog!”
“Don’t worry, he’s well trained. He won’t hurt you. His name is Roy. You can pet him if you want too.”
Joe just kind of looked at us like he didn’t really know what to think. Then Roy moved forward just enough to lick Joe’s hand. That was enough to break the ice and Joe started to rub Roy’s head. “What are you doing back here?” Joe asked me.
“I’m picking up Pete and Hemingway. We’re going to the dog park.”
“Oh, ok. I’ll go get him” Joe went back up the steps and yelled for Pete.
“Hey, Sky.” Pete said from the top of the stairs. He had Hemmy on a leash and was pulling on a hoodie. “Holy shit, that’s one big dog!”
“Don’t worry about him; the only thing he likes to chase are squirrels. He’s really very sweet and docile.” I had to laugh at the look on his face. “I promise he won’t hurt Hemmy. He’s very gentle with puppies. We play with some at the park all the time.” I tried to assure him.
“Well…ok, I guess.”
Roy and Hemmy hit it off just fine. Pete and I fell into an easy conversation about anything that came to mind. About a block from the park was a café. I hadn’t had breakfast yet and asked Pete if he wanted anything. He stayed outside with the dogs and I went in to get our coffee and muffins.
When I went to pay, the girl behind the register asked “Isn’t that Pete Wentz?!?”
“Who?” I asked. I didn’t even think anyone would recognize him.
“The guy out front. Isn’t that Pete Wentz?” She was starting to scare me a little with the crazy look in her eye.
I turned and looked at him through the window. He was in profile, so she didn’t have the best view of him. I looked back at her and I made myself laugh and said “No, that’s my friend Rick. He gets that sometimes.” I took my change and the food and left. When I got back outside I smiled and shook my head. Pete looked at me like I was crazy.
“The girl in there thought she recognized you. I told her you were someone else.”
“Thanks. So…I guess you know who I am now?” He asked me. He seemed disappointed that I might know who he was.
“Kind of? But not really. Cloud told me who your band is last night. But, I need to make a small confession. I still don’t really know who you are. I mean, I don’t really know your music. I’ve heard a few of your songs, but I couldn’t tell you the names.”
He smiled a big smile and laughed a little. “That’s ok. It’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t have any preconceived notions about me.”
“What kind of preconceived notions do people have of you?”
“That I’m an asshole.”
“Hmm, we’ll see. But I don’t think you’re really an asshole.”
We got to the park and let the dogs off their leashes so they could run with the other dogs. We sat on a bench and watched the dogs play, laughing at the puppy. Hemmy was adorable.
After a few minutes of a comfortable silence while we ate our breakfast Pete asked me “Is what you said last night true?”
“Yes, all of it was.” I replied. “What do you want to know about?”
“Who broke your heart?”
“His name was Jack. He was…Well, he was…” I stopped and thought for a minute. “He was the love of my life. Or, at least I thought he was.” I paused again to think about what I would tell him. “He was unlike anyone else I had ever dated. He was beautiful, and a jock. He was a Rugby player. A frat boy I met in college. He was rich, and from an old family. Very blue blood.” I paused again.
“His family are the type to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and hobnob with ‘Society’. They didn’t really like me much. I wasn’t rich enough, and my family wasn’t high class enough. I’m pretty sure they thought I was a gold digger. But I didn’t care about any of that. I was in love, and he said he was in love too. We were together for three years. I was ready to get married and have a family.” I stopped, took a deep breath and sighed.
Turning to look at him, I continued, “Then he told me he had been seeing another woman. And that he was leaving me for her. She was everything I’m not. Tall, blond, beautiful, from a rich family, you know the type, ‘perfect’. He said he had just been ‘slumming it’ with me. And his family loved her. Oh, they fucking thought the sun shown out her ass they loved her so much. They got married six months later. And from what I’ve heard, they had a little boy about a year ago. It’s been a little over three years now. It still hurts when I think about how easy it was for him.”
“How the fuck did you get over that?”
I went on to tell him about everything. My depression, my therapy after the break up. Moving in with Cloud and Ashley. He asked me questions and I answered all of them. He told me about his therapy, and answered all of my questions. He was the first person in a long time I felt comfortable enough to say anything to. We talked about my art, and about his music and his writing. It was a breath of fresh air to find another artist who was as passionate about their art as I was about mine. We talked about any and everything that came to mind. After about two hours his phone rang. It was Patrick, wanting to know where he was. I guess Patrick was still worried about his friend.
“I’ll walk you back to the bus.” I said as I called over Roy and put the leash back on. Hemmy came over at the same time, he looked tired out. The poor little guy needed a nap.
“Hello?” I didn’t recognize the caller ID.
“Hi…Um…Is this Sky?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“It’s Pete…from last night.”
“Hey, Pete from last night.” I said with a chuckle. “So, how’re you today?”
“Better, thanks. I’m, umm... I... I’m calling to just, well, just to say thank you again. And…”
At this point in time Roy saw a squirrel, and decided to chase it, with me in tow. My arm was nearly pulled out of its socket, and I almost dropped the phone. Roy was barking like mad and I was yelling at him to stop. When I put the phone back to my ear all I heard was laughter.
“I’m sorry, I’m walking the dog and he saw a squirrel. And as everyone knows, squirrels are enemy number one. It’s his duty as my guard dog to protect me from them.” I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and Roy too.
“You have a dog too? I need to take Hemingway out for a good long walk. Is there a good place nearby?”
“Where are you?”
“Same place as last night.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, there’s a great dog park not too far from there. Roy and I are on our way to it now. If you would like, we can stop by and pick you up.” I couldn’t believe I was being so forward. I’m not like that usually.
“Yeah! That would be great. How long until you get here?”
“About ten minutes? Maybe a little less.”
“Ok, if we’re not outside just knock on the bus door. I still have to get dressed.”
“I’ll see ya in a few then. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I smiled at Roy and said “Let’s go get some new friends.”
I got to the bus about ten minutes later and saw no one outside. So, I knocked on the bus door. Joe opened the door looking half asleep. He smiled and said “Hey, you’re the girl from last night.”
“Yeah that’s me.” I replied laughing. Then Joe’s eyes got real big as he saw Roy.
“Damn, that’s a big dog!”
“Don’t worry, he’s well trained. He won’t hurt you. His name is Roy. You can pet him if you want too.”
Joe just kind of looked at us like he didn’t really know what to think. Then Roy moved forward just enough to lick Joe’s hand. That was enough to break the ice and Joe started to rub Roy’s head. “What are you doing back here?” Joe asked me.
“I’m picking up Pete and Hemingway. We’re going to the dog park.”
“Oh, ok. I’ll go get him” Joe went back up the steps and yelled for Pete.
“Hey, Sky.” Pete said from the top of the stairs. He had Hemmy on a leash and was pulling on a hoodie. “Holy shit, that’s one big dog!”
“Don’t worry about him; the only thing he likes to chase are squirrels. He’s really very sweet and docile.” I had to laugh at the look on his face. “I promise he won’t hurt Hemmy. He’s very gentle with puppies. We play with some at the park all the time.” I tried to assure him.
“Well…ok, I guess.”
Roy and Hemmy hit it off just fine. Pete and I fell into an easy conversation about anything that came to mind. About a block from the park was a café. I hadn’t had breakfast yet and asked Pete if he wanted anything. He stayed outside with the dogs and I went in to get our coffee and muffins.
When I went to pay, the girl behind the register asked “Isn’t that Pete Wentz?!?”
“Who?” I asked. I didn’t even think anyone would recognize him.
“The guy out front. Isn’t that Pete Wentz?” She was starting to scare me a little with the crazy look in her eye.
I turned and looked at him through the window. He was in profile, so she didn’t have the best view of him. I looked back at her and I made myself laugh and said “No, that’s my friend Rick. He gets that sometimes.” I took my change and the food and left. When I got back outside I smiled and shook my head. Pete looked at me like I was crazy.
“The girl in there thought she recognized you. I told her you were someone else.”
“Thanks. So…I guess you know who I am now?” He asked me. He seemed disappointed that I might know who he was.
“Kind of? But not really. Cloud told me who your band is last night. But, I need to make a small confession. I still don’t really know who you are. I mean, I don’t really know your music. I’ve heard a few of your songs, but I couldn’t tell you the names.”
He smiled a big smile and laughed a little. “That’s ok. It’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t have any preconceived notions about me.”
“What kind of preconceived notions do people have of you?”
“That I’m an asshole.”
“Hmm, we’ll see. But I don’t think you’re really an asshole.”
We got to the park and let the dogs off their leashes so they could run with the other dogs. We sat on a bench and watched the dogs play, laughing at the puppy. Hemmy was adorable.
After a few minutes of a comfortable silence while we ate our breakfast Pete asked me “Is what you said last night true?”
“Yes, all of it was.” I replied. “What do you want to know about?”
“Who broke your heart?”
“His name was Jack. He was…Well, he was…” I stopped and thought for a minute. “He was the love of my life. Or, at least I thought he was.” I paused again to think about what I would tell him. “He was unlike anyone else I had ever dated. He was beautiful, and a jock. He was a Rugby player. A frat boy I met in college. He was rich, and from an old family. Very blue blood.” I paused again.
“His family are the type to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and hobnob with ‘Society’. They didn’t really like me much. I wasn’t rich enough, and my family wasn’t high class enough. I’m pretty sure they thought I was a gold digger. But I didn’t care about any of that. I was in love, and he said he was in love too. We were together for three years. I was ready to get married and have a family.” I stopped, took a deep breath and sighed.
Turning to look at him, I continued, “Then he told me he had been seeing another woman. And that he was leaving me for her. She was everything I’m not. Tall, blond, beautiful, from a rich family, you know the type, ‘perfect’. He said he had just been ‘slumming it’ with me. And his family loved her. Oh, they fucking thought the sun shown out her ass they loved her so much. They got married six months later. And from what I’ve heard, they had a little boy about a year ago. It’s been a little over three years now. It still hurts when I think about how easy it was for him.”
“How the fuck did you get over that?”
I went on to tell him about everything. My depression, my therapy after the break up. Moving in with Cloud and Ashley. He asked me questions and I answered all of them. He told me about his therapy, and answered all of my questions. He was the first person in a long time I felt comfortable enough to say anything to. We talked about my art, and about his music and his writing. It was a breath of fresh air to find another artist who was as passionate about their art as I was about mine. We talked about any and everything that came to mind. After about two hours his phone rang. It was Patrick, wanting to know where he was. I guess Patrick was still worried about his friend.
“I’ll walk you back to the bus.” I said as I called over Roy and put the leash back on. Hemmy came over at the same time, he looked tired out. The poor little guy needed a nap.
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