In Your Shadow (Patrick Stump)

Chapter Two

SHADOW’S POV

Ringggg

The bell rings and we’re all sitting in class, waiting on the teacher’s instructions for the day. Mr. B, nice guy, weird style of teaching. On the board, he wrote that we are supposed to read a chapter from the textbook and fill out a note packet with the information. Everyone talks while we do this, so this is my perfect chance to talk to my perfect guy.

“Hey Dean? Can we talk?” I question him.

“Of course. What’s up?” He smiles as he turns in his chair to face me.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing. You’ve been acting sadder and distant around me. Everything okay?” I put on my concerned face.

“Uh, Shadow can we talk about this later? Maybe I can come over tonight and we can discuss this. That cool?” He touches my hand as a sign of sincerity.

“Yeah that’s fine. It’s nothing we can’t handle, right?” A smile a little to show the brighter side of this situation.

Dean laughs a little nervously, “Heh. Yeah…”

*Time lapse to the end of the day*

PATRICK’S POV

Finally the final bell rings. I don’t know about you, but getting made fun of all day, every day doesn’t make you enjoy being at school for 8 fucking hours. That’s our whole group though. Everyone except for Shadow and Dean. Ever since she started going out with him, she became off limits to all bullies. That’s probably the one good thing that has come out of their relationship. She had it the worst of all of us. One time back in 8th grade, she missed a week of school because a group of girls were sending her death threats online. She was too scared to step within 100 yards of that school. That was a difficult week for all of us. She doesn’t talk about it anymore. Sometimes I wish she would, I always thought talking it out would help. Maybe talking just isn’t her thing.

I decide to stop by her locker to walk with her and Pete home like we usually do. I see her walking out the door with Dean. What was that cracking sound? Oh it was just my heart. Why the hell didn’t she tell me she was gonna walk with him today? As her best friend, I see it fit that she lets me know when she changes our normal routine to lick her boyfriend’s face (or whatever they do) the way back to her house. Whatever. I’ll just go find Pete. Scratch that. He’s nowhere to be found. Lovely. What about Andy and Joe? As long as they’re not doing anything with each other I’m sure I can walk with them. Nope, they already left. Perfect. It’s gonna be a long walk back home.

Long story short, it was a long and boring walk home. I finished my homework and decide to go for a walk to clear my head. I can’t stop thinking about her the whole time. I’m snapped out of my blissful thoughts when I see a group of jocks from school. Shit I think to myself. If Dean or Shadow were here, they’d leave me alone. But now that I’m by myself, there’s no chance in hell that they would leave me be. Maybe if I walked a little faster, they’d say a few things to me, but not enough to make me care. Yeah that could work…

They spot me. Shit shit shit shit. They start whispering, laughing, and looking in my direction. And unless they find the scenery behind me funny, they’re talking about me. Come on, Patrick. Keep walking. You got this.

“Hey Stump!” one of them yells.

Keep. Walking. Don’t make eye contact. Don’t give them the fucking time of day.

“Hey I’m talking to you, fatty!” the same guy yells.

Ow that hurt. Brush it off, Patrick. You’ve heard it all before. Wait a second… are they… running after me? FUCK. RUN PATRICK. GO NOW.

“Hey dickheads!” A female voice screams.

We all stop running and turn our heads in the direction of the disturbance. Shadow Williams, I could kiss you! Maybe another day...

“Shadow? Uh, hey… sup?” One of the ‘dickheads’ said to her. I’m still pretty far away from the action, but not far enough where I can’t hear them.

“Sup? Really? Since you idiots are failing, what, half your classes? I’m pretty sure you aren’t too bright, so let me tell you a thing or too. Patrick over there, is not fat. At all. And I mean seriously? What were you gonna do when you caught him? Take his lunch money? Grow up and act like gentlemen. Maybe that’s why you don’t have girlfriends. That, or the rumors are true and you’re all gay for each other. Now the best thing you guys can do right now is go home, not do your homework because you weren’t going to do it anyway, and leave Patrick alone. Or you’re gonna have to deal with me. Understand?”

If I wasn’t in love with Shadow already, I am now after this speech.

“Yeah yeah. Sorry, Stump.” One of the dicks said to me. Yeah right…

“That’s better. Now scram,” Shadow pointed to the other direction. That’s when the all slowly walked out of there.

“They didn’t hurt you right?” Shadow asked with concern.

“No, they didn’t. Seriously, Shadow. That was awesome. Thanks for saving my ass,” I smiled at her.

“No problem. I’ll save your little ass whenever you need me too,” She smiled back at me.

“You’re the best. And the same goes for you, Miss Williams,” I spoke the truth to her.

“Thanks, Pat.”

We started walking towards our houses. Living next door to each other is the reason why we would walk together every day. Pete always tagged along so we could hang out and do our homework together. Sometimes we even like to make some music. Shadow kills it on the piano, Pete is great with guitar and bass, and yours truly can drum like there’s no tomorrow. We mostly do Metallica and Blink 182 covers.

We weren’t talking for a while so I decided to ask something that was on my mind since I first saw her. “So… you walked home with Dean?”

“Yeah we got back to my place and talked and stuff. I came out for a walk because you know, nice weather.”

I still didn’t know why she would rather walk home with him all of sudden without asking me. I was intended to find out.

I spoke up, “Why did you walk home with him in the first place?”

“Um like I said, we had stuff to talk about. Why?” Shadow responded, getting a little frustrated.

I wasn’t going to lie to her. “I was just wondering why you didn’t tell me what you were doing before you did it…”

“Didn’t Pete tell you? I asked him to let you know what I was doing,” she said with confusion.

“No I couldn’t find him.” I told her.

“Well did you look around or just glance around?” She says, pointing out that maybe I should have looked farther.

“No I just kinda glanced. Sorry, Shadow.” I apologized for my stupidity.

“Don’t apologize, Patrick. It’s fine, no harm done.” She smiled that award winning smile of hers.

We arrived back at my house. We were greeted with a bored looking Pete Wentz sitting on my porch.

“Fucking finally! I’ve been sitting outside here for like an hour! Where the hell were you two?!” Pete yelled at us.

“You know what Pete? Just don’t ask,” Shadow said and chuckled.

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Hello again my friends. I decided to upload this tonight because I knew I wouldn't have time tomorrow. Anyway, thanks for the reads and stuff. I'm super excited for the next few chapters. Things really start to heat up pretty soon. Comment and vote if you liked it, and thanks again!

~Kira