Happy Miserable Mess (FOB/Patrick Stump FanFic)

Chapter 16

Author's Note (Basically The Same One As The One In "Keep Me Out Of Trouble): Hey guys! I'm so sorry for updating this book a day late. School's been keeping me busy and then yesterday I went to a Panic! concert last night and I know my reasons are lame, but please don't be upset with me. I try my best. I hope this update isn't too bad and thanks for reading! -Rachael

I turned the car into the almost completely empty parking lot that was buried underneath a thin blanket of snow, gigantic piles of snow heaped up in the center of the bus loop. I pulled into the back and parked the car right in front of one of the windows I had become quite familiar with over the years.

I took the key out the ignition and heaved a sigh, memories instantly flooding back to me. The corners of my lips curled up into a small grin.

"Where are we?" Parker inquired, sitting up in his car seat and leaning to the side to get a better look over the dashboard at the building in front of us.

I looked back over the seat at him and answered, "The place where your mom and I first met."

"What place is it?"

I unbuckled my seat belt and pushed the car door open, stepping out and closing the door behind me. The wind that cut through us like swords had died down and had been replaced by a coldness that lingered in the air, hugging our warm bodies.

I opened his car door and began to get him out, "My high school. Somewhere your mom and I talked about sending our kids to, but never got to do." I picked him out and hoisted him up so that he was sitting on my hip. I used my free hand to close the door and began to approach the window we were parked in front of.

"Why?" He asked his very favorite question.

"Because we moved," I replied simply, setting Parker down in the snow. I took the gloves off of my hands and shoved them into the pockets of my coat, hooking my bare fingers underneath the bottom window railing and using all my strength to pull it up. It wasn't easy. Not because it was locked (this was one of the few windows in the school that was never locked), but because it was frozen over.

A little while later, I got the window to budge and slid it up. I shook my frozen hands out and quickly slipped my gloves back on. I then picked my son up and helped him through the window, setting him down on the floor inside before climbing in myself. I closed the window behind me and shivered.

"Daddy, it's dark," He murmured, frightened, hugging himself as his small teeth clattered against one another.

"It's okay, Buddy, I got you," I reassured him, taking hold of one of his hands and guiding him through the abandoned classroom, all of the chairs flipped over up on the desks. I grasped the doorknob and pulled the door in, revealing a hallway that was illuminated every some-odd lights.

I looked down the hall left and right, biting my lip as I thought about which way I should go. I hadn't been there in years and I didn't know what had changed and what hadn't. I glanced back over my shoulder and up at the room number, 126. If I remembered correctly, the classroom I wanted to take Parker to was 215. Which, I believe, was way on the other side of the school. I heaved a sigh.

"Here," I started walking down the hallway, leading my son along behind me, "We're going on a little field trip."

"Why?" He questioned once again.

"Because I don't know where the room I want to take you to is."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes and continued walking, "You ask too many questions sometimes, Park. Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay, daddy," He replied, smiling up at me. I smiled back.

After a couple of turn-arounds and many hallways walked down, I came across the classroom, the one I was looking for. A smirk crawled upon my face.

"You know what room this is?" I asked him, though I knew he didn't know the answer.

He shook his head no.

"It's the room I first met your mom in."

*****

I was sitting in Mr. Harrison's English class, doodling in my notebook when I really should've been taking notes, when she walked in. The principal stood behind her with her hand on her shoulder. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, much different from the rest of the girls in my school.

My teacher stopped reading the passage he was in the middle of and glanced over towards the doorway. He took his glasses off. "Can I help you?" He asked, bothered that his class had been interrupted, irregardless if it was the principal.

"No. But you can help her," The principal retorted, gently pushing the girl forward. She stumbled on her feet. "She's the newest addition to your class, James. Make her feel welcome, would you?" And with that, the principal left the classroom.

Mr. Harrison was one of the younger teachers at our school. He didn't look much older than twenty-five, and when he wasn't trying to get something accomplished, he was pretty laid-back. But when he had something to do, he grew a hard-shell and didn't care for anyone's bullshit. He even gave one of the douchebags in my class a detention for answering one of his questions "inappropriately" (or so he claimed...that day happened to be his "get something accomplished" days). Other than that, though, he was a pretty cool guy. He was actually one of the reason I started talking to her.

Mr. Harrison sighed, "Newest addition, huh?"

The girl nodded her head yes.

"You do know this is your senior year, right?" He asked her exasperatedly. She didn't respond. He rolled his eyes and pointed to the back, where I was sitting. My eyes widened and my heart nearly stopped. "Well, welcome to Glenbrook South. You can sit next to Patrick. You and I will talk after class."

She nodded her head in understand and walked to the back of the classroom, all eyes on her as she slipped into the seat beside me and set her backpack down on the ground, pulling out a notebook and a pen. I found myself staring at her like every other student - only difference between them and me is that I kept staring at her - and so did she. But instead of telling me to go fuck myself or smacking me across the face (things that both had happened to me before), she just smirked and returned her attention to the front of the classroom.

I bit my lip and went back to doodling, failing to hide the smile that wanted to stretch across my face.