What A Catch, Patrick (Patrick Stump/FOB Imagine Short Story)

Voices In Her Head

The next day, the guys are at the studio. They're supposed to be working on their next big hit, but it's impossible when Patrick's out of it half of the time, and the other half, he's leaving the room so he doesn't break down in tears in front of his friends.

You leaving him was the hardest thing he'd ever gone through. Patrick loves you with every ounce of blood in his body. There is nothing more in this world that he loves. Not his music, not his family, not his friends. You're everything to him, and not having you there, it's taking a toll on him.

Out of the blue, Patrick gets up from the chair he's sitting in and pushes through the door out into the hallway for the fifth time that day, tears streaming down his cheeks as he starts finding it harder and harder to breathe.

"What's his fucking problem?" Joe grumbles under his breath, setting his guitar down against the wall.

Andy heaves a sigh, tossing his drumsticks to the side, "I don't know."

"Whatever it is...he needs to get his shit together. We have an album to make and we can't do it without him."

"He probably realized what a mistake he made marrying (Y/N) and is rethinking every life decision he's ever made," Pete mumbles under his breath, strumming the bass strings softly. Andy and Joe both glare over at him. "What? I'm just taking a guess...she's a bitch."

"Didn't you used to date her?" Andy inquires, standing up from his drum kit and walking over to Pete. "Yeah...didn't you date her, like, ten years ago or something?"

"Twelve years ago. And yes, I did. But she was a mistake," He replies, his voice deep and low as he avoided the gaze of both of his friends, "That's all she ever was. A big, fucking mistake." Pete throws his bass to the side and brushes past Andy. "You want to know why I called it off with her? I called it off because she's mental. Like, seriously mental. As in, something's not right up here." He points to his head.

"What do you mean?" Andy asks.

"She's got something wrong with her. She wants to think that she's sane and that there's nothing wrong with her. But that's because the voices in her head tell her that she's okay. That she's sane and that there's nothing wrong with her." He crosses his arms over his chest, continuing, "I've heard her talk to them, you know. Late at night. She'd be sitting in the corner of the room, her arms wrapped around her legs with her knees pulled tight into her chest, rocking back and forth, talking to those fucking voices."

Andy and Joe stare at Pete, not knowing how to respond.

Pete shakes his head, "I'm telling you, guys, she needs to go! She needs to be put in a fucking asylum, or something!"

"Pete, stop it. You're just saying that because you're just jealous."

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Pete screams, scaring both Joe and Andy. "Jealous is the last thing I am when it comes to her, okay? Because I am one hundred percent, completely okay if I never see her face again. Okay? She sees more people in a room than there actually are. She hears things when there's silence. She tried killing me one night because the voices in her head told her to, okay? She tried...to fucking...kill me."

"She tried to kill you?" Andy croaks, his voice quiet and his eyes wide.

"Yes. The only reason I'm still here today is because I'm a light sleeper and I woke up before she could pull the trigger. But Patrick?" He chuckles, "There's no chance for him if she does what I'm afraid she's going to do." The guitarist and the drummer stare at the bassist in shock, trying to absorb everything that their friend was telling them.

"Guys, I want to save Patrick before she does something crazy. For example, trying to kill him like she tried to kill me. Because I don't want there to be a day where Patrick doesn't show up one day because he's dead in his house, slit across the throat while (Y/N)'s out of the house, trying to hide the bloody knife."

The two of them meet each other's gazes before Joe says, "We have to tell him, Pete. Before it's too late!"

"That's what I've been trying to do!" Pete shouts, "But he won't listen to me! And he sure as hell isn't going to listen to you! (Y/N)'s got him wrapped around her finger so tightly that he'll believe anything she says. And I know this because she did the same thing to me. But I was lucky enough to realize what she was doing and leave her sorry ass. As for Patrick? No. He's a goner. There's no way he's getting out of this if we don't do something now."

"What are we going to do then?" Andy questions, "If he's not going to listen to us, and he's not listening to you, Pete, who's he going to listen to?"

Little did they know that Patrick was right outside the door the whole time, hearing every word of their conversation after Pete said you were a mistake. Tears sting Patrick eyes as he pushes himself away from the door and storms out of the studio, rushing over to his car and getting in, slamming the car door behind him.