Engulfed

Chapter 16

"I know you," Pete said later that day, after I'd calmed down a little, "You would never create that much pain and suffering for yourself."

Speechless, I sat with my hands folded between my knees.

He waited a while, like maybe it was too hard to admit it, "She must be real. You'd never go this far for a fake, even if you didn't know."

I smiled, a real smile.

Pete dialed Brendon. He was happy to help. Brendon's always been looking for a way to repay me. It won't happen - I won't let him - but this would be good enough for me.

Brendon promised Dallon would be there as well. Spencer was a no show. None of us had really heard from him in the last few days. He was out living his own life.

I called for Joe and Andy, who I hardly needed to ask. They came right away.

We met out in the city, an open park to spread out across.

I took the apartments in the area. Pete and I circled and went inside every one of them.

Joe, Andy, Dallon, and Brendon reported back with nothing, absolutely nothing. There was just no sign of Allie.

I've realized... I don't even know her last name. There's so many Allie's out there, but only one real Allie.

I slumped down in the passenger seat and sighed, looking down at my chest.

Pete nudged my shoulder and I let my head roll towards him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the phone rang again. I jumped to it and picked it up.

"Hello?" I said eagerly, kicking my feet to bring me upright.

"Hey, Patrick, it's Dallon..." he said a little nervously.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to sound calmer than I was.

"Umm... I think I know someone who could help us... but we'd have to fly there," Dallon told me.

I glanced to Pete. He heard it. He was watching me, waiting for the go.

"It's all up to you, buddy" I imagined him saying.

I nodded and he pushed the car into drive, "Shoot," I told Dallon.

In a matter of ten minutes, we were on a plane ride back to London. Our mystery person would meet us there and - hopefully - take us to Allie.

What if Allie isn't real? I thought. What if Pete was right and she actually was a hallucination? I'm sending my best friends running in circles with me for nothing. Hell, we're flying halfway across the world just to find her.

But this mystery guy/girl... They gave me hope. Someone else knows an Allie, or at least knows where I can find her.

What will I say? Do I shake her hand? Do I just thank her and walk away? - that's all I really wanted... Do I run up and kiss her? Do I even want to know?

Pete wakes me from my daze and rubs my shoulders. I allow him to.

"You're a busy man Mr. Stump... You put it on yourself," he said.

It took a lot quicker at the airport without luggage. We ran through security and gathered our little group in the waiting area. It was crowded, too easy to get lost. I kept everyone as close as possible.

Dallon looked around. We didn't know who to look for, but Dallon seemed to. He pointed to a man with his back turned towards us. He had black hair and wore a gray shirt with black jeans. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, like I might've met him before.

Brendon turned to Dallon, recognizing who it was.

"Frank!" he called out.

The man turned around. I expected a smile, but there was none. The poor guy had bags under his red eyes. He's been upset for a while.

I ran names through my head as I ran with the group towards him. Frank... I know a Frank. Where do I know a Frank.

I'll tell you one thing, I only know one Frank with a scorpion tattoo on his neck.

Frank Iero...

It'd been years since I last talked to Frank. He was in My Chemical Romance with Ray, Mikey, and Gerard. Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco are pretty good friends with them.

I slowed down as his face sunk down. I didn't mean for my first question to be, "So... Where's Allie?" but it was.

He smiled weakly and put his hand around my shoulder, placing his palm on my back, "Come on, I'll show you."

We couldn't all fit in the car. Pete, Brendon, and I went with Frank while Joe, Andy, and Dallon went to go stall until we came back.

"Don't be too awkward little man," Brendon whispered to Dallon before he left, clapping him on the back. Dallon cracked a smile that Brendon didn't see.

Brendon's relationship to Dallon reminded me of mine to Pete's. We both have a lot in common:

1. Our fans ship us for some reason.
2. We're both best friends.
3. We both have stuck to the band since the beginning.
4. We're both musically inclined.
5. We both want what's best for each other and look out for each other.
6. We're all in this together...

Pete and Brendon took backseat riders, leaving me shotgun. The two are constantly talking and joking around, but not this time. It's dead silent.

Frank tapped his cigarette on the window next to him and held it to his mouth, eyes fixed on the road.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth, puffing out smoke before answering, "Yeah. Allie's my best friend. We were friends since junior high and still are."

I smiled, "What's she like?"

He smiled back, slightly. It didn't last long, "Tall, black hair, innocent, sweet, would-never-hurt-anyone kind of girl. She's super smart and knows her way around."

"...and she lives around here?"

I tried to focus on Frank's eyes, but they were hidden behind thick, dark sunglasses.

"You could say that..." he said. His voice seemed to trail off.

We were driving on the same, long asphalt road for a while now.

Pete leaned in between us and looked from me to Frank, "We getting close?"

Frank waited a little and then nodded.

"Are we going to her specifically?"

Another nod, more delayed this time.

I had a feeling that something was wrong. I always had, but never real until this moment. We hit the concrete road and turned a side-street.

In this moment, I wish I didn't come. I'd much rather would've left it a mystery if I'd have known it would come to this.

My eyes fog up and my hands start to tremble.

She can't be...

~ Becca