The Flier (Patrick Stump)

12 - Manipulated

(there is another POV in this, just as i promised. however, most of this is zenna's. enjoy.)

/Chapter 12\

Patrick and Pete both looked terrible when Joe and I went inside. Patrick, who was sitting on the arm of one couch, sported a black eye and a bruised cheek, and Pete was laying on the other couch clutching his stomach. Andy occupied the space on the floor under the couch arm that Patrick sat on. When our shoes hit the wooden floor, the three of them looked up.

"Zenna," Patrick whispered over the thumping music still playing. I only looked over at him. "I can explain what-"

"Joe already did," I sighed. Pete and Patrick both perked up at that, and Pete pushed himself up.

"So you know what happened?" Pete asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah," Joe said. Then, he turned to me. "Do you have any questions? It would probably be better to ask them now, since things seem to have calmed down."

"Well, I'm not currently ripping his eyes out, am I?" Pete grumbled.

"Asshole," Patrick quietly responded.

"I swear to God, if you keep that up you will be right back on-"

"Why did Gina commit suicide?" I questioned over Pete's threat, and he immediately stopped. A look of despair crossed both his and Patrick's faces. Everyone was silent for a long thirty seconds after the question was asked. At least the talking and laughter of other people at the party took away a small fraction of the tension in the room.

"Depends on who you ask," Patrick finally stated.

"Okay, then I want to hear both sides. Patrick?" I say. Patrick took a shaky breath before starting.

"When Pete and Gina were together, she had bad problems, and that asshat over there tried to take advantage of them. He manipulated her, made her believe that he was the only one who loved her."

"Not true! I never said that to her!" Pete shouted.

"Shut it, Wentz. It'll be your turn soon enough," I snapped, sending him a small glare. He nodded, a little surprised (judging from the wide-eyed look on his face), and closed his mouth.

"Gina was an amazing girl. Always caring, never took things for granted... Just amazing. Then she changed when she dated him. He changed her. He got it stuck in her head that she wasn't strong on her own, and that she needed him. It was horrifying how much her disorder worsened after meeting him," Patrick explained.

"Okay, my turn. Nothing that happened was my fault. I didn't try to manipulate her or any of that shit. I wanted to protect her from herself. I knew how bad she was getting, and I wanted to help her so badly, but I didn't know how. I'm not the one who caused her to end it, and I don't see why you're blaming me for this," Pete jumped in, aiming that last sentence at Patrick.

"Because I know what you said to her! She told me almost everything that you said."

"Then what did I say? Hm?" Pete pried, smirking and relaxing back into the couch he was sitting on. In that moment, he reminded me of a snake: cunning and quick. Always eager to call someone's bluff. Ready to strike when attacked. "If she told you so much, then name three things."

"1," Patrick started, holding up his index finger, "she said that you didn't like her friends. They were 'whores', and you didn't want them to 'taint her purity.'" Pete's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, but still remained.

"It wasn't a lie."

"2." Patrick's middle finger joined his index finger. "You thought her parents were too controlling, to which you said that she should run away with you. And 3," he said as his ring finger went up with his other fingers, "you told her that I wasn't good for her. You convinced her that exes couldn't be friends. That was the funniest one, actually."