FicWad

Three days later Molly walked into her room after he last class of the day to see a package sitting on her desk. Curiously, she eyed it as she moved around her room unwrapping her winter clothes from her body. Once she had unpacked her things and was settled Molly sat down at her desk and looked at the unexpected package. The post mark on the shoebox sized package said Wilmette, IL. and the return address said P. Wentz.
"Pete." Molly said outloud to her roomate who had come into the doorway a few seconds before.
"Yea that was waiting downstairs when I got home. Any idea what it is?" Kyle asked as she walked into the room and sat down on Molly's bed.
"Honestly, not a clue."
"Wellllll...usually one opens a package when they recieve it."
"Usually one didn't piss off the package sender. I'm not yet sure if its gonna blow up."
"Just open the damn thing." Kyle said tossing a rolled up sock that had been sitting on the bed at Molly.
"Fine. Didn't anyone ever tell you paitience is a virtue." Molly shot back as she tried to rip through the tape Pete had liberally applied to the box. After a full minute of struggling Molly opened her desk and pulled out a box cutter. "Ha! I win box." Molly said as she poked the box with the box cutter.
"You're weird. Like, a lot."
"You've lived with me since August. It's February. Welcome to my world."
"Soooo...what is it?"
"Packing peanuts. Lots of packing peanuts."
"Well that's boring. Sad thing is I've met him and wouldn't put it past him to have just sent you packing peanuts."
"Oooo! CD!" Molly squealed as she held up a pink and yellow cd for Kyle to see.
"Uhh...that's very, colorful? What is it?"
"It's a cd. You put it in a stereo and sound comes out."
"Very funny. I mean what band."
"Oh. Peter's band. Fall Out Boy. They're from back home. And sweeeeeet, I know a lotta these songs."
"Wait....Pete's band. You mean the one your ex is in?"
"Uh-huh. Wanna hear?"
"Fuck and yes. Put that shit on dude."
"How lady like." Molly said as she ripped open the plastic that covered the case and shoved the bright pink disc into her stereo. The first sound the girls heard was a quick drum roll before guitars burst through the speakers.
"What song is this?" Kyle asked. Molly flipped over the case and looked at the back.
"This says "Honorable Mention". I haven't heard this one yet."
"Its good. His voice is really really good."
"Oh I know. That's one thing I'll never be able to bitch about. Boy's fucking talented."
"Ooo...I like this one already." Kyle said.
"Yea this'd be another I haven't heard yet."
"Which ones DO you know?" Kyle asked as she bopped her head around to what the back of the cd said was "Calm Before the Storm".
"uhh...lemme see that," Molly said taking the cd back from her roomate, "Switchblades and Infidelity, Pretty in Punk, Growing Up, The Worlds Not Waiting, and Moving Pictures"
"Cool. Put one of those on."
"Umm...Ok. This is my favorite out of them, this one is called Growing Up. This was actually on their first EP release last year."
The girls spent the rest of the afternoon listening to the cd that Molly had recieved. Kyle asked all sorts of questions about the band that Molly answered as best as she could. At dinner time Molly said she was going to meet people for dinner and asked her friend if she wanted to borrow the album to burn for herself.
"Nah, it's ok. I'll borrow it later. I should be studying anyway."
"Ha yea, me too. I'll be back in an hour or so. I'm just heading over to "Kate's" for a bit."
"Ok. I'll see you later." Kyle went back into her room and Molly gathered up her purse and coat. Pausing for a second she also grabbed her portable cd player and stuck the cd into it for the walk over to "Kate's Joint".
As Molly walked the few blocks down to the resturant she listened closely to the album that was playing in her headphones. 'I should ask Pete what he wrote and what Patrick wrote on this' Molly thought to herself as a song titled "Short, Fast, and Loud" blared into her ears. Having dated him for so long Molly could understand what Patrick was singing at her first run through the cd and these lyrics she definitly noticed weren't exactly complimentary.
'and that's without even taking into account this "Parker Lewis" song. This one is just harsh.' Molly grumbled in her head hoping it was about one of Pete's multiple ex girlfriends and not about her. 'with MY luck it is about me. I'm so gonna be the girl to hate once the guys get famous. YES!'
Walking into the restaurant Molly turned off her headphones and stuffed them into her bag. Looking around she finally spotted her dinner companion in the back of the small room. Motioning to the waitress that she was joining someone she headed into the back.
"Hi Marc."
"Hi Mol. I ordered some appetizers while I was waiting. I hope that's ok?"
"That's fine. I'm starved anyway." Molly said grabbing a piece of bread and swiping it through the olive oil and rosemary that was sitting on the table before taking a drink of her water.
"Long day?" Marc asked
"You could say that. All my classes were lectures today and I was just exhausted so I definitly took a nap during U.S. History." Marc laughed at her response. Taking that as a good sign Molly continued, "And then when I got home there was a package waiting for me. Only it was from my ex's best friend. It's their bands first real cd. So I guess that was slightly mentally draining as well."
"Oh. Let me guess, you have become the subject of more then one "my ex sucks and now I'm gonna go cry into my beer" songs"
"Something like that."
"Then look at it this way my dear, you've been immortalized."
"I'll think that way once it's all sunk in. I'm sure it'll even be funny a few years from now. Right now though it's just weird."
"Hurts?"
"Actually, it doesn't hurt so much as makes me all weird feeling. But that might have a lot to do with the fact that they're growing as a band, they're releasing cds, touring, getting a fan base. And I'm here. and not there."
"Well, college is important. And this is your ex's band, I doubt you would have been that involved anyway."
"The fact that I'm here is the reason that he's my ex. You know I could have gone to Northwestern and done almost the same program."
"But then we wouldn't have met. And I just can not have that." Molly's right eyebrow went up at that final statement and the left joined it when Marc reached across the table and took her hand in his and squeezed it slightly. At that moment the waitress came over to take their orders and Molly almost reluctantly pulled her hand back to give her order to the woman. Once the waitress left the table a few minutes later Molly left her hands in her lap and shifted in her seat uncomfortably seeing where dinner was going.
"Molly," Marc started, "I know I said I wanted us to be friends. I lied. I think you're amazing. You're beautiful, smart, and funny. You're pretty much everything I've always looked for in a woman. You're nearly perfect." Molly held up a hand to interrupt him and stated simply,
"I am very much not perfect Marc."
"Ok, so maybe perfect is a bit much. But you are amazing. I don't know what idiot would ever let you go without a fight; but, his loss is my gain. I want us to go out. And before you say "we are out", I mean really out. Like on a date. Nice clothes the whole deal."
"For a college Literature professor you sure do babble."
"No using the fact that I'm a Lit professor against me. I'm still only thirty-three, it's perfectly normal to get tounge tied when asking out a beautiful woman."
"Yes."
"Also, don't get weird about me being a professor. I promise I'm not doing this to sle...wait what?"
"I said yes. I'll go out with you. Like really out out."
"Why?"
"Gee, not exactly the reaction I expected. But to answer your question, in the past three days I haven't been out partying once. I've been spending less and less time focussed on Chicago and what I left behind and more time looking to the future and what I can eventually achieve. I think you just may be a good influence on me."
"Well that's good to know. So when do you want to go out?"
"Ok, on that one I will correct you, as I'm pretty sure this qualifies as out out. It's not some random coffee shop near campus. This'd be a date." Molly informed the older man.
"Well in that case, you aren't paying tonight. No arguments."
"Alright."
"Alright?"
"Yea, I'm low on cash anyway right now." Marc rolled his eyes and laughed at Molly's grin.

It was three hours later when Molly walked back into the girls apartment and closed the door behind her. Kyle looked up from her place on the futon and eyed her roomate up and down.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I'm dating my old lit professor."
"WHAT?"
"Yea pretty much my internal reaction after I left the restaurant." Molly walked over and sat down on the futon. Turning to Kyle she continued, "I've been hanging out with Marc Robinson a lot. Tonight he actually asked me out. I said yes."
"Wow."
"Uh-huh."
"Re-bounding with a hot teacher. Talk about every students dream."
"I KNOW!" Molly squealed and both girls burst out laughing. "Wait, re-bounding?"
"Yea. You aren't over Patrick. I wonder if Robinson knows that?"
"Do you think he even cares?" Molly asked her roomate.
"God knows. I'm still pretty sure he just wants to get into your pants. But I've been saying that since September."
"True. Yea you're probably right."
"Good. Go out, enjoy yourself. Just don't sleep with him right away. Make him sweat it out a little. From what I've heard he's kind of loaded, family money and all that, get a few good dinners and presents out of him first." Molly rolled her eyes and told Kyle she was going to go to bed.

Closing her bedroom door behind her Molly moved around her room changing into her pajamas. Once she was fully ready for bed she walked over to her desk where the box was still sitting. Reaching inside Molly pulled out the envelope she had seen before but hadn't wanted to open in front of anyone. Climbing into her bed Molly stared at the handwriting on the front for a few minutes. It said in Pete's handwriting "Molly Anne." Ripping into the envelope Molly pulled out a folded sheet of notebook paper. Unfolding it she began reading Pete's handwriting.
Tinkerbell,
Well if you're reading this then I guess...ok who am I kidding, I know you're reading this 'cause I just sent it to you a few days ago (or if I want to be literal, a few days from now but whatever). Alright, so here it is. Our blood, sweat, and tears put together into a piece of plastic. "Evening Out With Your Girlfriend", catchy title huh? Don't take total credit for this one though. I promise it isn't all your fault, afterall you were with Patrick when a lot of the songs were written. But as I know you're gonna be wondering, yes Parker Lewis was written about you. Stop saying Fuck. You'll deal. You always do. And stop looking around for cameras...I just know these things.
Things are weird around here. Patrick and Miranda are still dating. I fucking do NOT like this girl. I don't know if you care or not, but she's annoying. Like nails on a chalkboard annoying. I thought Max was going to put her head through a wall the other day (and what I mean is Max was going to put Miranda's head through a wall...not that Max was going, well you get it). Miranda has decided that her and Max will, I quote "Totally be BFF because our boyfriends are in a band together." Max very calmly explained to Miranda that she already had two and didn't need another one. So, yay you Max still has your back forever. But you knew that too..in fact I wouldn't be surprised if Max had already told you this story.
It's another late night for me and I can't sleep, thus the letter. I hope you're doing well, I know we haven't talked in a while--but that needs to stop too little girl. Pick up the damn phone and give me a call. I want to hear all about your life there, I want to know whose ass I have to kick if they treat you badly. I want to hear stories about the wonderful things you're doing--and how you will be doing them in Chicago 3 years and 3 months from now.
Ok my Trickster just called my and yelled at me to go to sleep as we are going to be driving all day tomorrow for a show. Enjoy the album, hopefully despite the content the music will speak for itself.
Love Always,
PeterPan
P.S.- I've taken to clapping on a regular basis just to keep you flying. Clap if you believe in fairies and all that. So I hope you've been feeling cheerful lately, and if you have. I totally take full credit.
Molly laughed outloud all the way through the letter that Pete had included with the cd. Opening her night stand Molly slipped the letter into her journal for safe keeping. Reaching behind her she turned off the light and slid down into bed to dream sweet dreams that were for once not about a past life in Chicago but a brighter future in New York.


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A/N: Title from "Innocent" By Our Lady Peace. ya'll know my music taste rocks. ;)
Umm...nothing else to say about this one. Another one tomorrow. Maybe 2.