Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > Between Your Smiles & Regrets
Back Where We Began
2 reviewsAlly was going back to the place where everything started - Wilmette. As a music journalist, she was there to report on the wave of bands that started sprouting up in the wake of her favourite band...
0Unrated
I couldn't believe I was driving back to Wilmette. I swore I'd never go back there again. Not after what happened. But as I passed the sign ("WELCOME TO WILMETTE, ILLINOIS"), I knew there was no turning back.
"Say it's over, dead and gone. Dead and gone..."
"I wish I could, Patrick," I said to myself softly. "I wish I could." I sighed and laughed a little at the thought that I'd lived in the same place as my favorite band my entire life and I'd never even met, much less seen one of them. I turned the volume up a little louder and started to sing along. The rain was really pouring now.
I drove past half-familiar streets and passed half-remembered buildings. I'd only been here once before with my mom. She'd picked out my apartment and had it furnished. I didn't really care. I was here for the job. I'd gotten a job at TheScene.com. It was a site that promoted bands and music for free. They didn't have anyone here, in Wilmette and after Fall Out Boy started making a few waves with their music, the Editors-In-Chief, Allison and John, decided they needed someone here to cover the wave of bands that suddenly started appearing all over the Wilmette area.
The pay was good and I decided it was about time I went back there. After all, it wasn't the place that hurt me to begin with. It was just him. And I convinced myself that I had to learn to face that. Hopefully, I was right.
I checked and double-checked the address taped to my steering and decided I was oo the right track. Sure enough, I reached the place in less than ten minutes. I stared through the rain at the 5-storey apartment building. I couldn't even make out what colour it was. I drove a little closer and discovered that (thankfully) they had underground parking. I found a place near an elevator and slid the van into the slot.
*
Two hours later and all my stuff was in the living room of my new apartment. I'd only been here once before, barely staying long enough to get a quick look at all the rooms. I was lucky the whole apartment came fully furnished and with all the necessities - water heaters, air conditioners, a refridgerator. Everything was pretty much set except the essentials - my clothes, my cds, my guitar and my books. I decided it was time to do something I probably should've done a long time ago.
I pulled out my handphone and slowly dialed Macy's number. I hadn't spoken to her in ages, what with the moving and all. It rang once, twice, th-
"Hello?" said a familiar female voice from the other side.
"Hey, Macy? It's Ally." I replied.
"ALLY?! Holy shit, where've you been?" She continued.
"Umm... Mace, I've got something to tell you..."
"What?" she said cautiously.
"Umm... Well, I'm back in Wilmette."
"WHAT?!" I heard her scream.
"Mace? What's going on?" I heard a guy's voice say from the other end of the line.
"Nothing, I'm fine." I heard her reply.
"Macy, are you okay?" I said.
"I'm fine. Just tell me what you address is, I'm coming over right now!" She replied.
"Now?" I said, laughing. "I just got here. Look, I need some time to settle in. Why don't you come over tomorrow, we could go watch a movie or something?"
"Umm... I can't, Ally. I'm going to watch.... Hey, wait a minute. You like- No, look, tomorrow night, get ready be 7.30, okay? Just wear something comfortable. I've got a surprise."
"Okay," I said, slowly. "Where are we going?"
"You don't have to know," she replied. I could almost hear the expression on her face.
"Okay," I said again. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I need to get this place sorted out."
"Okay, see ya," she said laughing. "You're so going to owe me for this."
I sighed to myself as she hung up. I hoped she wasn't taking me to a dance party or something - she was really into techno music. I sighed again and started unpacking.
*
Five hours later and it was night-time. I ordered a pizza and sat at my new dining table, eating alone. I'd get the other stuff tomorrow. I took a shower and went to bed, still wondering what Macy was planning.
It was 7.15 and I was waiting for Macy to get here. I'd decided to put on jeans and my favourite t-shirt. It said "Loose Lips Sink Ships" and I'd gotten it a long time ago as a birthday present from my grandmum. Yeah, she was cool like that. My black hair was out of it's usual bun and hanging around my shoulders. The faint red eyeshadow and pink lipstick seemed to cover up most of the sleepiniess still left in me. I stared at myself in the mirror in the hall and decided I looked okay. But my eyes seemed a more drawn kind of grey than usual. I was just about ot sit down on the couch when Macy arrived.
The moment I opened the door, she gave me a HUGE hug and started with her ritual (we met up every 6 months) "Where have you BEEN?!" I just laughed and hugged her back. Then I realized someone else was standing outside my door.
"Ally, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Joe," said Macy as she pulled him through the door. "He plays guitar in-"
"Fall Out Boy," I finished for her. My jaw just dropped.
"Hi," said Joe, laughing at my expression.
"Macy," I said as we walked out of my door. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
"Say it's over, dead and gone. Dead and gone..."
"I wish I could, Patrick," I said to myself softly. "I wish I could." I sighed and laughed a little at the thought that I'd lived in the same place as my favorite band my entire life and I'd never even met, much less seen one of them. I turned the volume up a little louder and started to sing along. The rain was really pouring now.
I drove past half-familiar streets and passed half-remembered buildings. I'd only been here once before with my mom. She'd picked out my apartment and had it furnished. I didn't really care. I was here for the job. I'd gotten a job at TheScene.com. It was a site that promoted bands and music for free. They didn't have anyone here, in Wilmette and after Fall Out Boy started making a few waves with their music, the Editors-In-Chief, Allison and John, decided they needed someone here to cover the wave of bands that suddenly started appearing all over the Wilmette area.
The pay was good and I decided it was about time I went back there. After all, it wasn't the place that hurt me to begin with. It was just him. And I convinced myself that I had to learn to face that. Hopefully, I was right.
I checked and double-checked the address taped to my steering and decided I was oo the right track. Sure enough, I reached the place in less than ten minutes. I stared through the rain at the 5-storey apartment building. I couldn't even make out what colour it was. I drove a little closer and discovered that (thankfully) they had underground parking. I found a place near an elevator and slid the van into the slot.
*
Two hours later and all my stuff was in the living room of my new apartment. I'd only been here once before, barely staying long enough to get a quick look at all the rooms. I was lucky the whole apartment came fully furnished and with all the necessities - water heaters, air conditioners, a refridgerator. Everything was pretty much set except the essentials - my clothes, my cds, my guitar and my books. I decided it was time to do something I probably should've done a long time ago.
I pulled out my handphone and slowly dialed Macy's number. I hadn't spoken to her in ages, what with the moving and all. It rang once, twice, th-
"Hello?" said a familiar female voice from the other side.
"Hey, Macy? It's Ally." I replied.
"ALLY?! Holy shit, where've you been?" She continued.
"Umm... Mace, I've got something to tell you..."
"What?" she said cautiously.
"Umm... Well, I'm back in Wilmette."
"WHAT?!" I heard her scream.
"Mace? What's going on?" I heard a guy's voice say from the other end of the line.
"Nothing, I'm fine." I heard her reply.
"Macy, are you okay?" I said.
"I'm fine. Just tell me what you address is, I'm coming over right now!" She replied.
"Now?" I said, laughing. "I just got here. Look, I need some time to settle in. Why don't you come over tomorrow, we could go watch a movie or something?"
"Umm... I can't, Ally. I'm going to watch.... Hey, wait a minute. You like- No, look, tomorrow night, get ready be 7.30, okay? Just wear something comfortable. I've got a surprise."
"Okay," I said, slowly. "Where are we going?"
"You don't have to know," she replied. I could almost hear the expression on her face.
"Okay," I said again. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I need to get this place sorted out."
"Okay, see ya," she said laughing. "You're so going to owe me for this."
I sighed to myself as she hung up. I hoped she wasn't taking me to a dance party or something - she was really into techno music. I sighed again and started unpacking.
*
Five hours later and it was night-time. I ordered a pizza and sat at my new dining table, eating alone. I'd get the other stuff tomorrow. I took a shower and went to bed, still wondering what Macy was planning.
It was 7.15 and I was waiting for Macy to get here. I'd decided to put on jeans and my favourite t-shirt. It said "Loose Lips Sink Ships" and I'd gotten it a long time ago as a birthday present from my grandmum. Yeah, she was cool like that. My black hair was out of it's usual bun and hanging around my shoulders. The faint red eyeshadow and pink lipstick seemed to cover up most of the sleepiniess still left in me. I stared at myself in the mirror in the hall and decided I looked okay. But my eyes seemed a more drawn kind of grey than usual. I was just about ot sit down on the couch when Macy arrived.
The moment I opened the door, she gave me a HUGE hug and started with her ritual (we met up every 6 months) "Where have you BEEN?!" I just laughed and hugged her back. Then I realized someone else was standing outside my door.
"Ally, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Joe," said Macy as she pulled him through the door. "He plays guitar in-"
"Fall Out Boy," I finished for her. My jaw just dropped.
"Hi," said Joe, laughing at my expression.
"Macy," I said as we walked out of my door. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
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