The Rhythm of the Rain (Patrick Stump / Fall Out Boy Fanfic)

Chapter 8 - Emotions That I Simply Do Not Have

Lily Matthews

I don't know what Patrick and I did that night. None of it came back to me, except for a brief moment of kissing him on the dancefloor. I remember that happening, but everything after that is a blur. All I remember in full detail is waking up half naked and vulnerable, and turning around to see him lying in my bed. He was just as naked as I was, and I panicked. He hadn't said a word that morning, which terrified me. It made me think he was lying when he shook his head to say we didn't do anything more than kissing. It made me think he regretted something.

Now, we could barely stand to look at each other. It's been two months since the incident, and we've only spoken sparingly. I do his makeup, I style his hair, I wish him luck, and then he's gone, one night after the next. Pete didn't pester me about him anymore, which made me believe he told Pete what had happened, and that upset me even more. What happened should have stayed between us, even if it did shut Pete up.

Tonight, we were driving into Florida, on our way to a show in Tampa tomorrow night. I was on my bus, lying in my bunk with my knees drawn up to my chin and my phone in my hands. Pete was texting me, trying to convince me to come to dinner with him and the guys tonight. My fingers hovered over the screen of my phone, trying to think of a decent response. Finally, I typed out a half-hearted message. Can't tonight. I'm not feeling well. I knew he probably wouldn't buy it, but I set my phone down and leaned my head back against the wall behind me. I could hear Marcus watching TV in the front lounge, and I wondered if he had any idea that the guys were going out together for dinner without any security.

My phone buzzed a moment later, so I reached for it and opened the message that Pete had sent. What's wrong? It was a perfectly reasonable response, and as much as I hated lying to my friends, I text back a short answer. Upset stomach. I stared at the screen, watching as the little bubble popped up that signified he was texting backing. He seemed to be writing a lot, and my stomach did, in fact, churn at the thought of what he was going to say. Finally, the text came through in a gray bubble. Patrick won't be there, so if that's why you're feeling sick, you can make a miraculous recovery now and join us as soon as the busses stop in two hours.

I smiled a little, but also sighed. He wasn't stupid, I'll give him that. Fine, was all I typed back before setting my phone down. I went to take a shower, avoiding the others on the bus as I tried to get ready for dinner with the guys. As I stood under the steaming water, I started to wonder if Pete was lying to me. Why wouldn't Patrick be going with them? He wouldn't sit on the bus by himself and skip dinner while the rest of us were out. Then again, even if Pete was lying just to get me to go with them, I didn't want to let Patrick ruin my relationship with the rest of them. Our problems shouldn't negate the fact that Joe, Pete, and Andy were still my close friends.

I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a white towel, then stood in front of the mirror and began to blow-dry my hair. As I brushed through it and stared at myself, I decided that I could do with some makeup tonight. After all, I didn't want Patrick to know how awful I felt. I didn't want him to think he had that kind of power over me. So I did just that, making sure I looked like I was ready to have the time of my life with the guys tonight.

Just as I was finishing getting ready, I felt the bus give a small lurch and the engine cut off. I walked out to the front of the bus and could see that we had stopped, and out the side window, I saw Pete and Andy walking off of their bus. I grabbed my purse and checked my hair in the mirror once more, then skipped down the few steps to the pavement beneath the bus. Pete smiled widely at me as I approached them, and Joe walked off the bus immediately after.