America's Suitehearts

Part 1

Patrick walked outside and it was cold, he notices the Chicago air is getting chillier. He walks back into his house and grabs his jacket. It's his first year off of school. He graduated just a couple months ago, but his band distracted him from signing up for the junior college classes in his town. He has absolutely nowhere to be this morning, or the next, or this week, except his usual gigs in the night. But he's dying to get out of his empty house. He misses his parents, the daily morning breakfast, the warmth of company. He slumps through the powdery snow on his walk way and scrapes off ice on his car windshield. As he starts panting from all this 'exercise' he hears footsteps walking on the sidewalk, someone talking on their phone. It's a girl's voice. "Patrick!!!" Mandy says. 'Oh shit...' Patrick immediately thinks. His ex girlfriend. Well, they were never official but they did a lot of 'couplely' stuff together; dinner, movies, coffee dates. Patrick never thought of her nothing more than a friend, but Mandy had a different perspective on it all, thinking they were actually going steady. She tried to make a move on Patrick, leaned in to kiss him when she was drunk on Thanksgiving. Patrick freaked when she did and backed away, his thoughts were of someone else. He broke it off after that incident, but she still calls and leaves messages. Patrick never knew how much of a pain in the ass she was until now.

"Mandy!... I... I really don't need this right now." Patrick says out of breath. This is his morning to himself. No interruptions are needed today.

"Patrick, I haven't seen you in forever!!! Are you going out to coffee?!" Mandy ignores his bluntness and starts to come closer. Patrick backs up a little, his mind racing for an excuse to not spend time with her. He actually was going to the coffee shop he loves, but he doesn't want her to join in on this day. "I'm not going there, no." He lies, he'll just go to his favorite record store instead and go to get coffee later. "Well where are yo-" "Mandy I gotta go, I'm uh, running late for something." Patrick jumps in his car, starts it and pulls out of his driveway. Mandy still stands there, looking desperate in her short skirt and leggings. 'This girl is crazy, wearing that in December' Patrick thinks. "I'll catch you later then, Rick!!" She calls back, Patrick sighs when he hears this. Only certain people are allowed to call him that, and she wasn't one of them. His tires screech as he pulls out onto the road, making a fast get away. His suburbia neighborhood is like a maze to get out of but he finally makes it out and drives to the record store, his music sanctuary.

Patrick changed his plans and ducked into a coffee shop before he hit the record store. He needed a pick-me-up after an encounter with Mandy. The cute barista flashed a million dollar smile at Patrick; he had sandy blonde hair, gauges, and a beanie. If he were anyone else, Patrick would ask him to join him to the record store, take him home, play some records, make out a bit. But he's Patrick Stump. Suburban, music obsessed, chubby, Patrick. No guy or girl would never go for this, Mandy was sounding better by the minute. He ordered shyly, and he retrieved his coffee. He braced the cold winter air and headed to his car. Finally on the way to the record store.