Wishes In The Dark - A Peterick Fanfiction

Thirty

MONTHS LATER...

I am a dork.

I've been called a lot of things in my life, but I've been called a dork the most, and as a result I actually believe that I am a dork. Isn't a chubby kid with gingery-brown sideburns and a wide selection of caps meant to be a dork? I think so. That's what the bullies said, anyway. They made my school life a living misery. But all that is different now...

Now, I'm living in an apartment in Wilmette with Pete Wentz, a super attractive bass playing, lyric writing, eyeliner loving ex-addict who I love, and he loves me back. What we have is real; it's not some teenage lust-fueled fling, it's serious, dedicated, real love. I'm 100% happy now. My life has dramatically changed for the better.

I won't lie, it hasn't been easy: there have been drugs, threats from a bully who happens to be dating my best friend, dangerous activities involving the Police, and some drug dealer woman who ruined Pete's brother's life. But like I said, all that is different now. Pete is no longer involved with drugs, and I couldn't be more proud of him. The threats from Chad ended up being empty threats – Pete apologized to him for everything, and they both saw how close Hayley and I are, so they decided to drop everything and start fresh, for the sake of the ones they love. It's safe for Pete and I to hang out with Hayley and Chad – although they don't talk much, they're not getting into arguments. I actually think they're starting to get along now!

Pete has given up the dangerous activities and because of Andrew's prison sentence, the role of Overcast Kids leader has been passed to him. The OCK still meet regularly, and we had the first meet-up since the "Kevin incident" recently. But it's not a dangerous gang anymore; Pete has ensured that the Overcast Kids meet-ups are no longer for kids from our school to run round the town doing dangerous things, but for kids from our school to all hang out, socialize and escape the hard work and stress that is school life. Some of the kids aren't alright with the changes, but the majority are.

Chelsea's murder was obviously solved quickly; I remember clearly the morning when Andrew got taken away from the apartment after furiously scrubbing the woman's blood off his hands. I'm in the car with Pete right now (it's actually Andrew's car, but Pete made it his own after Andrew got taken to prison) and we're on our way to prison to visit Andrew. Pete looks a little nervous but excited at the same time – although he's disowned Andrew as his brother, he still cares about him.

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Finally, after a very long car journey, we arrive at the prison. We make our way inside and sit down at a small round table in a fairly large room. All around inmates are sitting at round tables with people from the outside – friends, family, loved ones. A few inmates are standing by the door of the room, glaring at the inmates talking to visitors. Are they jealous that they don't have any visitors? It seems that way. It makes me a little sad to think that some inmates don't get visitors at all; they must be so lonely. A selection of Police officers are dotted around the perimeter of the room, I guess to make sure things don't get smuggled in.

"There he is," Pete says quietly as Andrew is escorted into the room by two cops. He's wearing a baggy beige shirt with beige trousers and chunky black shoes. He definitely looks scruffier; his hair has grown and he's starting to get facial hair. When was the last time he shaved? He sits himself down opposite Pete and I at the table looking miserable, and the two cops leave the room.

"Hi," Pete says casually.

"Why are you here?" Andrew frowns. "Why have you come all this way to see the brother you hate, the brother who ruined your life?"

"I guess I still care for you," Pete shrugs.

Andrew looks down. "Well, thank you. And I'm sorry...for everything."