The Problem with Patrick || Fall Out Boy

i'm such a happy mess

It hadn't been easy to find a practice space before their final show at last minute, and it had cost Pete an arm and a leg, but here they were.

Patrick was giddy. Not was he about to get his cast off after this practice session was over, he was about to teach the song he wrote to his bandmates, and then he was gonna perform it tomorrow night. This was going to be the very best two days of tour, and it was only just beginning.

"So... why are we here?" Joe asked, looking around the empty studio.

Patrick grinned. "I'm gonna sing tomorrow night."

"Sing? You?" Andy turned to his friend. "I mean.... Sing? You?"

"Yeah." Pete folded his arms. "'Trick's got a plan. He wrote a song, right? And it's gonna be a little bit of a prank on Brendon, just to finish the tour off and pay him back for all the shit he did to Patrick."

Joe smiled. "Awesome. Play us the demo."

They stood around the computer, and Patrick pushed play. Pete watched his bandmates faces as they heard it for the first time, and was relieved to find them smiling and nodding along to the beat.

"That's awesome, Patrick." Joe grinned. "You wrote that while on tour?"

Patrick nodded with a smile. "I just, Brendon was being a bit mean for a long time and it was just something that I did to get some anger out, and I think it's pretty good..."

"It's amazing." Pete assured him. "So listen guys, the plan is we're gonna run through the set as normal, and then just before Grenade Jumper, Patrick's gonna get the microphone and get up and play this one, and then he'll finish the set off. Sound good?"

Andy nodded. "Sounds good."

The song didn't take long to learn, not with everyone giving in their all in the practice space that Pete had booked. Pete loved the song, and everyone else loved playing the song, but most of all, they loved seeing Patrick happy again.

It was hard not to swell up with pride when he belted out the chorus at the top of his lungs, something he hadn't had a chance to do in a really long time. Patrick was really going for it, and having a really great while doing so. Music was such a quintessential part of Patrick's life and who he was as a person, that going back to it after having it torn away for a period of time just made him feel whole again.

His excitement was infectious. Everyone was having a good time down in the studio, and the song sounded so much better when everyone was playing it together. The more they practiced, the more excited Patrick got to get back up on stage and belt it out to a crowd.

The tour had been bittersweet for that reason. Those songs were Patrick's babies, he'd worked so hard on them. Sure, it was great that they were being played to crowds and taken around the country, but it was also hard to sit back not be the one presenting them. But tomorrow night, when it was finally the last show of the tour, he was gonna get a chance. And it was going to be glorious.

"Hey, we've only got the space for another hour, and this song is sounding pretty dope, so do you guys wanna run through the end of the set together?" Pete asked. "Just grenade jumper, Chicago is so two years ago and Saturday."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea." Joe nodded. "Is that alright Patrick?"

Patrick nodded with a grin, still on his high from actually making music again. "Yeah, sounds good."

They started with Grenade jumper, and Patrick started out pretty strong. "My heart ticks in beat with these kids that I grew up with, Living like life's going out of style, And you came to watch us play like a "Big shot talent", But at the end of the day you know... u-um...."

The music stopped, and Patrick looked down at his hands. "W-What's the next line?"

"You don't remember?" Pete asked softly, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.

Patrick hesitantly shook his head.

"Where we come from, and were we call home. Then it's straight into Hey, Chris." Andy informed, concern visible on his face. "

"Okay, okay, I remember now." Patrick nodded quickly. "Can we go from the beginning?"

"Course, buddy." Pete assured, playing the opening again.

They went from the beginning, and Patrick did a little better, getting through the first few verses until he trailed off again. "U-Uh..."

Andy opened his mouth to say something, but Pete cut him off. "Hey, let's play though the other ones and come back to Grenade Jumper, alright?"

Pete's hope was that the other two would jog his memory, and he'd remember the first song they played when they came back to it. That was quickly diminished when Patrick trailed off 4 times during Chicago is so two years ago, and six times during Saturday.

"Patrick, dude..." Joe sighed. "When was the last time you looked at the lyrics?"

Patrick went red in embarrassment and looked down at his shoes. "This morning?"

"Maybe you should give the microphone back to Brendon after your song?" Andy suggested with a pained expression. "I mean, I know you want to sing, but buddy, if you blank on stage..."

"No, no, we'll find a workaround." Pete was quick to jump in after seeing the look of despair on Patrick's face.

"Pete." Andy frowned. "Patrick, I know you want to sing, and the rest of us want you to sing too, but you're not exactly better yet. I mean, we shouldn't have even come on tour in the first place..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want to hurt you, but at the same time, I don't want you getting more hurt..."

"I w-won't pass out or anything, I promise!" Patrick scrambled for an answer. "A-And there's no proof that the seizure was caused by bright lights anyway!"

"Buddy, this is your health, and this is your reputation, as well." Andy breathed. "What happens if you blank, and can't recover the song? What's the crowd gonna think? I mean, with the internet and stuff..."

"Andy, c'mon, we'll figure something out." Joe sighed. "It's one show. And even if he blanks, the crowd will probably keep going with the lyrics anyway, so he can easily recover."

"I just don't want to see you hurt, Patrick." Andy put a hand on his shoulder. "You've been hurt far too much for one lifetime, and you don't deserve anything else on top of that. We can do a better show, where you sing the whole set once you're all recovered and stuff, I just don't know if you're ready yet."

"Let's just see how you're going tomorrow, and we'll make the call then." Pete took Patrick's hand. "We have to be out of the studio in 10 minutes, so we gotta pack up now. But we'll figure it out, okay 'Trick?"

"Okay." Patrick mumbled glumly.