FicWad

Chapter 17: The F word and the Club

I am back with probably a better chapter than the last one. Sorry, really confused right now.

I can't believe it. Summer's almost over and I've only made a very small amount of chapters. I apologize. Well, there's about a week left, and I think I am going to spend a portion of time writing.

Expect a one-shot next week.

There are a lot geographical boo-boos in this story. I am so very sorry for that. I'm from another country and I've only been to the US once in my life. Sad and shocking as it is, I am not lying.

For Kim (one of the best people here on FicWad, no offence. You all should be afraid. HEH!): I just re-read your recent comments and I am already considering changing Alyssa's name to Ashley. Heh! I am already thinking of plots for the new series.

I am typing this while my dad is watching Star Wars 6 (there's a marathon going on today because it's the anniversary). YODA DIES?!! WTF?! Why didn't anyone tell me!!!?
xoxoxo

A Week Later...

Everything that was wrong seemed to have blown down after a week, Ryan and Isaab seemed very much in love, Brendon and Alyssa rekindled their friendship, and Pete backed off... for awhile. Backed off, meaning ignoring Isaab almost completely. Everything seemed okay, but then there were things that still made the tour wrong. Isaab missed talking to her brother and the rest of Fall Out Boy, seeing as she couldn't talk that much to them, being in the Panic! bus most of the time. Mostly she missed Pete, not talking to him didn't make life right. And now, she felt like she couldn't talk to anyone. She felt awkward with Alyssa, Brendon was too busy spending time with Alyssa, and Ryan... she didn't want to screw things up by saying something stupid. Things were going great between them.

She decided to be the bigger person and set things right with Pete and call him.

Thinking this should be only between Pete and herself, she kept the topic secret from anyone. This was very hard especially when Alyssa would try and get something out of her besides one syllable words and sounds and when Ryan would try to pull away from Isaab sucking his face to try to figure out what was wrong. Making out every time he went near her sure did say something was wrong, but he decided to leave her alone to figure out for herself, the best person to find out what was wrong. She must admit, at least her friends were trying.

One night, when everyone was sleeping, Isaab crept into the sound-proof bathroom (which she thanked God and whoever thought of sound-proofing bus bathrooms was a good idea) with her cellphone in hand. She sat on the toilet and pushed down her jogging pants to the floor, opened her phone and dialed the speed number of Pete.

"Hello?" A miserable voice answered.
"Pete?" She asked, wondering if this was a bad idea.
"Isaab?" the voice said with growing enthusiasm, and who obviously not checked the caller id. She also heard a deep voice in the back saying "Where?" and smiled.
"Yeah, it's me. Can we talk?" She asked with fingers crossed. There was a pause.
"Sure... ok... sure. Wait, hold on a sec." A thud and pitter-patter sounded and after awhile Pete came back. "Hello? Isaab? You still there?" he asked in an almost whisper.
"Yeah, I am here."
"Uh... so... what do you want to talk about?" Pete asked a little bit awkwardly
"Um... well... about last week, and us."
"What about it?"
There was a pause. Isaab weighed down her chances that what she was about to say would not push Pete away.
"I am sorry, Pete. So sorry." She blurted out, her eyes starting to well. There was another pause and Isaab just continued.
"I said some things I didn't mean, and I did some things I didn't mean-"
"Like kiss me?" Pete interrupted in a louder voice.
"Pete..." Isaab's voice trailed off when she realized that she had nothing else to say.
"No. What were you going to say? That it didn't mean anything?"
"Well, what do you expect? I am with Ryan, remember?"
"So, it didn't mean anything to you? Is that what you're saying?"
There was another pause.
"Tell me the truth, Isaab. I want your brutal honesty."
Isaab sighed. "You want the truth, Pete? Okay here it is. You love me? Well, I love you too. Okay? I spit it out already, happy?
"Yeah and when I mean I did some things I didn't mean to do, I meant slapping you in the face if you remember that."
"How about the kiss? Did that mean anything to you?"
"Yes, it did." She said flatly. There was another pause. This time it was longer than the others. "Pete, I just wanted to call to apologize and ask if we can be friends and go back to normal. I guess that's not going to happen.
"Good-bye Pete." She took the phone out of her ear and almost pressed the red button when she heard Pete's voice from the speaker and phone vibrating. She put the phone back to her ear and heard Pete talking.
"I am sorry Isaab. I am so very sorry. I want everything to be normal again, but it isn't as easy as saying sorry."
"Yeah, I can see that". Isaab interrupted.
"It isn't when you have a boyfriend named Ryan and a brother who's one of my best friends."
"We can at least be friends, right?" She said it, the inevitable word that Pete tried his hardest not to lead her to saying it, but she said it; The F word.
"Yeah, I guess." He said reluctantly.
"Yeah, that's what I am talking about, going back to normal. We can be friends like before, not each others love interests"
Pete paused before responding.
"Sure, we can be friends. I mean, how hard can it be? We were friends before, we can be friends again!"
"This is so great!" Isaab said not seeing how hard it was for Pete to say this.
"Yeah, it is." Pete agreed. "But Isaab?"
"Yeah?"
"You have to understand that my feelings about you are still not going to change, okay?" Pete's voice sounded stern. Isaab sighed.
"Yes, I guess mine are not either."
"Well, it's getting late. I'll call you tomorrow?" Pete asked.
"Okay. Talk to you tomorrow!" Isaab said good bye happily.
"Bye" was the last thing Isaab heard from Pete because she had pressed the red button already.

**
"Bye Isaab" Pete had said, but it was too late. He already heard the dial tone before he said 'Isaab'. Pete stood from the toilet, pulled his boxers up and smoothened his hoodie out. He walked out of the bathroom and climbed to bed.

(This chapter's too short)
**

The next day...

"Wake up... wake up..." Alyssa said happily in a sing-song voice while gently shaking Isaab's sleeping body. Alyssa knew that waking Isaab would cause a broken arm or two, but singing to wake her up would probably end with Isaab holding a smoking gun. But it was all for fun, after all.
"Shut up, whoreface"
Alyssa clapped. "Yay, you're up!" Isaab groaned and shifted her body to the other side of the sofa.
Alyssa sighed and groaned herself. "You want me to start singing another song? A much happier one?"
But before Isaab could retort, Brendon came into the room holding two steaming Styrofoam cups of coffee.
"OOH, COFFEE!!!" Alyssa bellowed and Isaab dug the pillow that was already covering her ears, deeper. Alyssa reached for one of the steaming cups from a laughing Brendon.
"Thanks, Brendon." Brendon nodded and faced Isaab. Isaab looked at him and pointed her hand at Brendon signaling to give her the other cup.
"Oh no, this isn't for you. This is for Jon. I was just helping your boyfriend carry these cups to all of you coffee drinking people. His treat." Brendon said smiling at the coffee drinking comment for he did not drink coffee, because he didn't need to, ADD addled in all.
"Pssh, Brendon. Shush." She faced Isaab. "So your /boyfriend/, eh? Is it serious?"
Isaab, who had fully awoken at the smell of fresh caffeine in the room, rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's very serious. Don't give me that look! I have not given it up yet. I am waiting." She pointed at Alyssa's smug face that vanished quickly.
There was a knock and Ryan came in tip-toeing with 3 steaming cups of coffee. He walked slowly to Isaab. "Go ahead. Get one. Careful it's really hot." He whispered. Isaab smiled, stood up and took a steaming cup from him.
"Thanks, Ry." She kissed him on the cheek. Alyssa made a noise, a whee if Brendon could be sure.
Isaab glared at her. "Whose is the other one?" she asked.
"Oh, for Spencer. Wait, me and Brendon will just give these to Jon and Spencer." He turned to Alyssa. "Care to wake them up for us?" Alyssa nodded and ran out of the room to the bunks. Brendon followed with Jon's cup and Ryan put his arm around Isaab's and followed the three out.

Few hours later...

"WE'RE HERE!" Alyssa, Brendon, and Isaab yelled after they stepped out of the bus, arms linked together. They let go and held each others hands and danced around in a circle.
"Hey! You left your stuff on the stairs!" Jon exclaimed after almost-tripping over Isaab's guitar case. Ryan came from the bunks with his stuff and picked up a duffel bag and held it up, as to ask who owned the bag. Alyssa raised her hand as to say she was the owner and Ryan tossed to her.
Alyssa groaned and caught the bag. "Careful, RYAN!" Ryan winced and apologized.

They had stopped at a hotel situated in Pittsburg where their next show was. Isaab had already told the people in the bus that she is okay already with Pete. She hoped Pete did the same thing. The six took their own stuff and carried out to the lobby of the hotel. Bellhops awaited them and took their bags with creepy smiles on their faces. They six looked at each other with weird faces while the bellhops took their things and then recovered by waiting for Fall Out Boy because it was Pete who the rooms were reserved under, at the sitting area of the lobby. While waiting, some were already getting restless (AN: Hey, it was a long time). Alyssa started bitching and making a fuss over literally nothing. Brendon was drumming the coffee table with his fingers, making an agitated Jon even more agitated and finally shouted at him and threatened him, shouting something about holding an army knife everywhere. This woke up a very sleepy Spencer that took out his very own army knife, almost getting the three of them thrown out of the hotel. Lastly, Isaab was panicking, waiting for her brother. She had her cellphone glued to her ear, calling all four one by one but could not reach any of them because there was no signal in the hotel lobby. And Ryan was trying to calm his girlfriend down and complaining to the concierge about why there was no signal in the lobby, asking if there was anyway they could just check in without Pete, and apologizing profusely for the three with the army knife.

After 15 minutes, things started to blow over. Alyssa remembered that her iPod was in her purse, and Brendon settled to share the iPod with Alyssa. The two were seen humming and constantly belting out the chorus of several songs. Isaab lent Jon her PSP and Jon sat, his eyes fixed on the TV screen, muttering curses under his breath. And Spencer fell asleep sitting and curled up on the sofa. (AN: Oh, what a difference technology and fatigue make) But while the four found comfort in time, Isaab and Ryan did not. Ryan stopped arguing with the concierge and started to comfort Isaab and tried to distract her from worrying about her brother/'s' /and Pete/. It was clear to him that Pete was no longer a 'brother' or a familiar, trustworthy face. He was kind of the enemy, after all. But since Pete is a big part of Isaab's and his own life, he decided to just let it go and bring any anger or anything when it really was needed.

Another 5 minutes came and finally the Fall Out Boy bus was seen outside the lobby and the first ones out were Patrick and Joe. Ryan poked Isaab, who was half-asleep and she saw her Patrick and Pete. She shrieked and only little people looked her way but the other four quickly stopped what they were doing to see. She shrieked again and ran to Joe's open arms and the four watched Joe pick her up and spun her around.

"Whoa" A now alert Jon muttered to himself.
"I know, it's like they're not brother and sister." Responded a now awake Spencer
"Well, she did not see him for a week or two. That's the longest they both have been without seeing each other in... a short time."
"It's still freaky." They said together.

A few hours later...

Pete finally checked all of them in, and was now giving room assignments.

"Okay, since they already booked me in one of the rooms, Joe and I will be in one room." He gave Joe low five. "Isaab, you'll be with Alyssa. I got another room just for the two of you. Ryan, you're with Jon and Spencer will be with Patrick, leaving Brendon with Andy. Okay? If you don't like your roommate-"
"You can exchange." Finished everyone.
"We get it, Pete" Joe said. And Pete rolled his eyes. Alyssa raised her hand and people looked at her weirdly. Brendon glared at them. "Alyssa?"
"Yeah, um... where are our stuff?" she asked awkwardly.
"Oh, um they're all in my assigned room." He rolled his eyes again.
"Pete?" Isaab asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can we go now, I wanna see our room."
"Sure. Here." He handed her the keycard. She linked arms with Alyssa and they started skipping toward the elevator. After them, they rest claimed their keycards and they all went to Pete and Joe's room. Ryan obviously noticed Isaab and Alyssa's stuff weren't there asked Pete what room they were in and where.
"I don't really know, I didn't check. Well, the rooms are all in this floor and are either in front of this one, so just knock at the next 5 rooms. To the left." Ryan nodded and walked off on his quest. It was quite easy, okay, REALLY easy because the room was just beside the one he was in.

When Ryan opened the unlocked room, he saw the two girls unpacking their stuff. They were just chatting, like they didn't notice he was there; which they really did. When he closed the door, this changed.

"Hey Ry. Want to help?" Isaab asked hoping he would help.
"Sure" Ryan walked over to Isaab and helped her unpack.
"You do know that you have to help me unpack to after this, right?" Ryan joked. Isaab rolled her eyes.
"Fine." She muttered.

After unpacking, they decided to help Alyssa with her unpacking. They made small talk and joked around while unpacking. And after the three went to Pete and Joe's room to get the stuff of Ryan, to find that all of the others were still in the room and Pete was talking to all of them.

"Where were you?" Joe asked.
"Yeah, we were calling you." Patrick said holding his phone up. Brendon and Jon also did.
"We were unpacking, and it was kinda fun." Alyssa admitted.
"Okay well, good thing you people didn't miss much." Pete said not that loud. "I was just about to say that tonight there's this club that someone told me was a must-go." He shrugged at Andy's eyes rolling. "Anyone game for tonight?" Pete said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Alyssa and Isaab looked at each other and nodded at Pete. "Sure, sounds fun."
Andy slapped Joe, who seemed to not digest the words Pete just had said in his mind. "Huh? Oh yeah, you're not coming." He told Isaab like it was nothing at all. He noticed the faces with murder in their eyes and continued, "Just kidding. You can go, just don't get too drunk, you'll get pregnant."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I have a boyfriend, dumbass. Actually, you know what? You sound really drunk, don't get any girls pregnant when you get to the club, okay?" Isaab said and Alyssa laughed. Joe looked at Ryan who, like the rest, had a face of question.
"Ryan, don't take advantage of my sister, or you're dead" Ryan rolled his eyes.

**

A few hours later...

Everyone had now unpacked and was now getting ready to go to the club. Isaab chose to wear a blue silk handkerchief halter top with a black and gold harlequin pattern on it, a light blue corduroy short skirt, and cute comfy blue flats. And Alyssa chose to wear a black strapless top with a red cross on it, matching red gaucho pants and sequined black boots that came up to just below the pants.
Alyssa wore just the right amount of black eyeliner, blood red lipstick, and just a little bit of blush, while Isaab had put (to her and my horror) the least amount of eyeliner she could and mascara and lip gloss. Alyssa lent Isaab a blue head band and helped her put it on.

"We look ridiculous" Alyssa finally said when they both looked at a full-length mirror in the bathroom. They broke into laughter.
"We are just rad like that." Isaab said half-joking.
"Yeah, we can pull it off, not like the rest of them."
"Like OMG, YEAH!" Isaab agreed in that preppy, valley girl voice.

There was a knock at the door. Alyssa opened it and it revealed Ryan looking sharp in a long-sleeved white dress shirt, a black tie, under a navy blue blazer, ripped jeans and leather loafers.
"Wow, Ry, looking sharp!" Alyssa said patting him on the shoulder. Ryan smiled.
"You too, Lyss!" he complimented her. And from Ryan's shoulder peeked Brendon's head. He came from behind sporting a grey bomber jacket zipped up; part of a plain white T-shirt peeked through and black pants. He wore his black rimmed glasses.
"Whoa, Bren, you look pretty hot." She said not thinking. She and Brendon blushed while Ryan tried to stifle a laugh.
"Where's Isaab?" Ryan asked.
"Right here" Isaab said walking out of the bathroom. She was holding two long coats, a blue one and a black one, and two purses. She walked out of the room and handed Alyssa one of the long coats, a black one, and a black purse.
"Check if the keycard is with you" she told Alyssa before closing the door.
"It's here." Alyssa said nodding.
"Okay, let's go." She said after closing the locked door.

Ryan helped her get into the blue coat and Brendon did the same thing for Alyssa.

Brendon offered an arm. "Madam, would you allow me to escort you this evening?" he asked in an old-fashioned manner.
Alyssa laughed a little. "Sure" she linked arms with him and skipped along, trying to catch up with Ryan and Isaab.

All four of them climbed into the elevator that brought them down to the lobby. They met up with everyone else there who all looked sharp and ready to party. Jon whistled after the two girls and received death glares from Brendon, Ryan, Pete and Joe. Patrick just laughed it off.

"You look great, Iz" Patrick complimented Isaab. Isaab smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "You look pretty too, cuz" Alyssa did the same thing.


There were two rental cars awaiting them outside. This meant there were two designated drivers. Pete assigned Ryan, Andy, and Joe, who all volunteered. They would need one more person, in case they would need to carry some people to their rooms.
They all went out side and filed the three cars. Pete, Joe, Patrick, Spencer, and Andy in one car and Isaab, Alyssa, Ryan, Brendon, and Jon were in the other one. The car ride was silent, because some people were still tired. The club was thirty minutes away, which gave time for the other three to fall asleep. Ryan, of course had to stay awake driving and all, and Isaab wanted to stay with him. She leaned her head on Ryan's shoulder and Ryan leaned his head on hers, both just watching the road in silence. Ryan took this as a good time to ask her something he could not do in the bus.

"Do you love me?" He asked trying to sound tired. Isaab looked up at him. His eyes did not move.
"Of course I do." She said.
"Then why can't you say it. I told you for the first time in our relationship, and you ignored it."
"I did not ignore that." She said with a serious voice.
"Then, why didn't you say you love me?"
"I wasn't ready, I guess." She said true at heart, yet she shrugged. Ryan sighed.
"Are you ready now?" he asked.
"Why are you rushing me into this?" she said trying to change the subject. She took her head out from under the cork tree Ryan's head and went back to her original position on her seat.
"I am not, I am just asking whether you are or not" he said, his voice getting louder. He looked at Isaab for a second before looking back to the road. She looked totally taken aback. He sighed again. "I am sorry, it's just..." his voice trailed off.
"Yeah, I bet." Isaab muttered. Ryan looked at her again for a second. She took out her cellphone from her purse, and decided to text Pete. Ryan seemed to have noticed because he stopped looking at the road and was looking at Isaab.
"Who're you texting?" He said as he ran a red light and received many angry beeps. He looked back to what he was doing.
"None of your business, can you please look at the road? You'll have us killed." She said without looking up. He looked back at her and tried to grab it from her. He ran another red light, and succeeded because Isaab let it go. Her eyes grew big and she pointed outside the windshield.
"RYAN!" she shouted and then a flash...

(nope this part is not a cliffie.)

"Isaab... wake up... wake up, we're here." Isaab fell asleep once her head hit the window. "Please don't have gotten a concussion when your head hit the stupid thing." She heard Ryan's panicky and worried voice.
"Huh? Ry?" She opened her eyes to Ryan's smiling yet worried face.
"Good you're awake. We're here" he said. She looked around; it was a dark car-filled parking lot. She looked at Ryan and immediately hugged him.
"My God, I had the worst dream; I thought it was real." She said putting her hand on her forehead.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't tell me. It might get you scared even more." He said stroking her hair. "Now let's get out of here. This place is freaking me out." Isaab laughed and they separated and got out of the car. Ryan locked the doors of the car and walked with Isaab toward the club, hand in hand.

The club's name is Chipin' Start (AN: I really have no idea if there really is a club named that. If there is, /I DO NOT OWN IT/. Got it?), and was packed with people. All of them, either dancing or drinking made clubbing look like the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off thing to do in Philadelphia.

"This is what I thought a rave would look like." Isaab tried to whisper but ended up yelling in Ryan's ear because of the loud music. Ryan responded with a laugh.
"I think Paris Hilton is here somewhere." He joked. Isaab laughed at that too.

They tried to look for the 8 and found them in one of the tables beside the dance floor. Why they were not in the VIP lounge, or something, puzzled and frankly disappointed Alyssa. Yet, this decision was fine. People were too drunk or busy dancing and doing their own thing to notice both bands. When Isaab and Ryan got to the table, she noticed a tequila bottle and two shot glasses in front of Pete and he was trying to convince everyone to do shots with him. She saw Alyssa with one shot glass still full, yet she looked a little drunk already. Half must have not hit her yet. Pete noticed Isaab.

"Dude, let's do shots!" he suggested loudly.
"You sound drunk." She told him.
"Actually, I am not." He said and then he smiled. "In awhile I will be though. Care to join me?" Isaab looked at Joe and he nodded and she looked at Ryan who nodded also.
"If you're brother says yes, it's always fine with me. Just don't turn into an alcoholic, okay?" he said. She laughed and kissed him in the cheek.
"I won't if you won't." She whispered in his ear. She took a one of the two only free seats at the table, and Ryan took the other one.
"Hit me!" she yelled at Pete. Pete poured her one and slid it to her hand. "You still sober? Have you drunk anything?"
"No, I was waiting for someone worth taking a shot with." He smiled at her.
"Thanks" she said blushing. She held it up, toasted Ryan and downed the shot. Thinking she should swallow it all in one gulp, she choked but Ryan whacked her gently in the back. "Thanks Ry. Hit me, Pete."
Pete looked reluctant and drunk at the same time. "Are you sure? You might choke again."
Ryan looked uncertain too. "Yeah, Isaab, maybe you should order something instead, a Cosmo?"
"Hit. Me." Ignoring the fact that Ryan just said something REALLY gay.
"Okay..." he said. She slid him her glass and he refilled it and slid it back to her.

This time, she swallowed in two gulps. She choked a little bit, Ryan was already ready to help her, but she just coughed it all out.
"Ahh... that's pretty good." She said
"Yeah, it is since your not stuttering yet, and your eyes aren't red slits yet." Ryan said admirably.
"I guess the alcohol hasn't hit her yet." Pete responded, talking to Ryan for the first time in a week. He was shaken a bit because of the alcohol.
"Why? Should I be feeling it now?" She asked, feeling as normal as can be.
"Yeah, you should be flinging to Ryan right about now." Patrick joined in, fresh from the dance floor, red as Elmo, looking as drunk as ever.
"Whoa, Patrick, you're drunk dude. How much have you had to drink?" Ryan said, Pete sitting him down in the now empty seat beside him.
"Not much, just a beer." He smiled drunkenly and passed out on the table.
"Well, I am kinda in the mood to dance. Wanna dance, Ry?" Isaab spoke up, the alcohol hitting her little by little.
"No, uh, go ahead; I need to take care of Patrick." She faced Pete.
"Yeah, I'll help him too".
"Okay..." then she noticed her best friend in her seat, the shot glass still full. She was wearing the same smile Patrick did before passing out and her body seemed to swirl around in her seat. Brendon, just sitting in the seat next to hers, was holding a beer and just watching her; a bit oblivious that she looked quite drunk. He snapped out of his trance. "Lyss, you okay?" he asked her. She looked at him.
"Yeah, Bren, I am alright." Isaab didn't agree.
Isaab stood up from her seat and walked to Alyssa.
"Lyss, want to dance? You can shake off the alcohol, if you can, and the alcohol can hit me whole. What do you say?"
"Sure."

And the two ran toward the dance floor.

"Ten bucks says Isaab will come out of there drunk enough to pass out"

xoxoxo

WOW! 10 pages? NO freaking way! That must be a record for me!

10 pages, I guess because that's probably the age difference between Pete and all of the people who are so "1yk In tAWlaLLY In LuRVE WiT HmI!!1"

(Okay, it probably is more. But I just couldn't reach that number of pages. I'd probably never write again after, because I had no more ideas. LOL!)

HAPPY BIRTDAY PETE! This is my gift to him, being a fellow t33ni3.

REVIEWING will make me feel better about the world.