Listen (Patrick Stump / Fall Out Boy Fanfic)

Chapter 10 - Glenview Never Meant a Thing

            The morning of Christmas Eve, I was early getting to Aria and Meagan's house. It was first thing in the morning, actually, because I needed time to give Aria her first gift as well as time to drive out to Glenview, where my mother lived. I stood on the front porch awkwardly, glancing back at my car where the dress waited, and shifted nervously from foot to foot. After a moment, I heard Meagan shouting that the door was unlocked, so I nervously pushed it open and stepped inside. I looked around for Meagan, taking my coat off as she came running down the hallway into the entryway.

"Patrick!" She gasped, quickly hugging me and then scrambling to put her boots on. "It's in the car?"

"Yeah, passenger's side. Be careful with it!" She flew out the door before I could even finish speaking, and I was left to stand awkwardly in the middle of their living room. I could hear Aria fumbling around in the bathroom, probably getting ready to leave, and I almost felt a little bad knowing that she would have to change her dress. Nevertheless, as Meagan flew back into the house with said dress, all of my worries vanished. She ran to Aria's room to lay the dress out, along with my note, then came back to smile at me, her cheeks red with the cold and the rush.

"She's going to love it," she gushed, "It's beautiful, Patrick!"

"Thanks," I said, blushing because I knew Andy had actually picked it out, "I can't wait to see her in it."

"She's going to look gorgeous," Meagan assured me, gently touching my arm as she moved past me towards the kitchen. "Make yourself at home," she called back to me, "Do you want coffee or anything?"

"No thanks, Meg," I yelled back as I settled on the couch. As I sat down, I heard the bathroom door open, followed by a second door, which I could only assume was Aria's bedroom. I smirked to myself, wishing I could see her reaction to the dress on her bed. A few minutes passed, and Meagan walked back out to the living room with her coffee in hand. She sat on the chair beside the couch, smiling at me.

"So what's the plan for today?" She asked.

"Well," I said, sitting on the edge of the couch cushion, "I'm taking her to my mom's today. She'll meet most of my family, and then I'll take her back to my place. I think I'm gonna ask her to stay over, just to make Christmas morning easier."

"Ooooh," Meagan giggled, sipping her coffee with a knowing smirk.

"No, it's not like that," I laughed, "I'm going to be a perfect gentleman, and I'll sleep on the couch."

"Sure you will," Meagan laughed, getting up from her seat. "Can I at least warn her, so she knows to bring her present for you with her for tomorrow morning?"

"She got me a present?"

"Patrick, it's Christmas, of course she got you a present."

"Oh...well, then...uhhh, yeah. I guess you could warn her."

Meagan giggled at me again, then shuffled off to Aria's bedroom. I heard her gasp when she walked in and I stood up, ready to rush off to see what was wrong, but then I heard the two of them giggling and sat back down. After a moment of waiting, the door opened again and I launched back onto my feet. Aria walked around the corner of the hallway first, her blue eyes beaming and her smile lighting up the whole room. The dress was red and reached down just above her knees. She had chosen to wear a pair of black leggings beneath it, to stave off the cold, and she wore a pair of boots on her feet. Her hair was curled slightly, and fell over one shoulder, framing her face beautifully.