A/N: most of the cross dressing fics I've read have Patrick being the one who cross dresses. So, let's make Pete wear skirts instead.
-------------------
Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee-
Pete groans as he slams the palm of his hand down on the snooze button of his irritating alarm clock, mumbling a quiet 'shut the fuck up' like he did almost every other morning. He nearly knocks the thing off the nightstand when it doesn't immediately shut off, but he refrains from doing so and just pushes the button more forcefully.
It finally stops.
He squints at the digital numbers glowing on the clock, 8:32 A.M. is what it read. He had about an hour before he had to be at work which gave him plenty of time to shower, get dressed, and eat a quick breakfast. But he just wanted to lay in bed all day and sleep for about a week.
He took his sweet time getting out of bed, practically rolling off the mattress and taking one of the blankets with him, draping it over his shoulders like a cape and wrapping it around his body. He drags himself to the kitchen, his bare feet shuffling against the plain white tile floor as he travels over to the refrigerator. He holds the material around his shoulders with one hand as he reaches up with the other to grab the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch from the top of the fridge before walking over to the cabinet for a bowl. He plucks a spoon from one of the drawers then takes a seat at the dining table.
Cereal piles out of the box as Pete shakes the contents into the little plastic bowl in front of him. It's not until he finishes pouring that he realizes he forgot to grab the milk.
"Dammit." He muttered before getting out of his seat to return to the fridge, leaving his blanket behind in the chair.
***
The opening riff to Green Day's Holiday erupts from Pete's phone, letting him know that he had an incoming call. He's just finishing pulling a black crop top over his head with the words 'On Wednesdays We Wear Black' written on the front. At least today actually was Wednesday.
The name Joe Trohman is visible on the screen, his friend from highschool who has always had his back and has been by his side. Pete picks up the phone and accepts the call, putting it on speaker while he sat at his vanity and did his makeup.
"Need a ride to work again?" Pete asks upon answering, getting out his eyeliner.
"Well morning to you, too, Wentz. Such a lovely day to call in sick and go to the pier, don't you think?"
"I'm not playing hookie with you again, Joe. I actually need money to live."
"Who doesn't? But I've been working for two weeks straight, I think I am entitled to a free day."
"If you want to call in then fine, just don't expect me to cover your shift again." After Pete felt that his cat eyes were perfect, he went on to adding just a bit of mascara.
"You don't have to. I've already asked Hayley to do it, she's gonna cover for me. Quick question though."
"What is it?"
"Can I borrow eighty bucks?"
Pete almost smears his matte red lipstick at that. "Bitch, what?! Hell no!" He practically yells at his phone. Eighty dollars paid for his electricity, eighty dollars paid for his dinner, eighty fucking dollars paid for his car, he wasn't going to just let Joe have it.
"But I need spending money for the pier later."
"No, Trohman."
"Aww, why?" Joe whines, somehow his voice is even more annoying through the phone's speaker. Pete swipes his lipstick across his lips one final time before responding.
"Because, like I said before, I need money to live." He quickly checks the time. "I have to go, dude."
"But, Pete. Eighty bucks."
"I told you no. Goodbye, Joe."
"Come ooon-"
Pete hangs up in the middle of his friend's unnecessary whining. He caps his lipstick and puts his makeup into his black shoulder bag, just in case he needed to touch it up later. He gets to his feet, smoothing out his skater skirt before picking up his bag and phone, finally leaving his bedroom and heading off to work.
***
The good thing about Pete's job is that he didn't have to wear a uniform. His boss and the owner of the café, Mr. Urie, didn't find them necessary since all his employees did was serve small baked goods from behind a counter ninety-five percent of the time. The other five percent was when Pete actually had to go to the tables and bring the customers what they wanted. He hated waiting tables, not because most people were assholes --well they were but that's not the whole reason-- but because Pete was so damn lazy and preferred to hide behind the counter. He needs the money though, so he does it anyway.
As he pulled open the door to the café, he was met with a small, blue haired woman carrying a spray bottle in one hand and a slightly dirty rag in the other. Pete nearly ran into her.
"Good morning, Pete!" She chirped happily as she dodged her coworker and headed over to one of the windows. "Looking fabulous as always."
"Thanks, Hayley." Pete smiled. He wished other people were more like her, optimistic, peppy, and sweet. "I see you dyed your hair again."
"Do you like it?" Hayley glances over her shoulder at Pete while she sprays the window and wipes it clean of smudges.
"I love it." Pete compliments before waving her off and letting her go back to cleaning the windows. She shoots him a quick smile before he goes to the back room to put his bag away.
They've only just opened for the day and people were already starting to file in, one by one the customers flowed and the little bell above the door seemed to chime endlessly. The damn thing was Brendon's idea, he thought it was 'cute'. 'Annoying' was a better word for the noisy piece of metal.
And speaking of a certain energetic owner who purchases bells to torture everyone, Brendon walks into the café with a smile on his face, a hand in his pocket, and a pep in his step. How could these people be so happy all the time, Pete wondered.
"Good morning, guys," Brendon practically sang to his employees as he walked past Pete and towards his office. But he pauses once he gets his hand on the door handle, glancing between both Pete and Hayley before asking, "Where's Tyler?"
Hayley simply shrugs her shoulders while Pete tells his boss that Tyler's probably running late. Again. Tyler was never on time but has yet to be fired, no one knew why exactly. He needed the job just as bad as anyone else so Pete knew he'd show up eventually.
Brendon nods and opens his office door, heading inside and letting it shut behind him. Hayley went back to tending the windows and Pete goes behind the counter to get the coffee machines started.
