Prequel | Gotham's Sweethearts

Part 14. What Is Fall Out Boy?

Pat didn't remember how he got home that night, and smelled his mother smell of alcohol. But no one shouted and condemned him, so he start to realize it didn't happen. Patricia left early for work on Friday. Pat woke up around noon, knowing that no one woke him up. Pat really needed a rest, because he wanted to devote to preparing for the concert whole day. He still couldn't believe that tomorrow he had to first get on stage and play in front of crowds of people. Thinking about it, the boy feel excitement in his chest. It prevented him to hit the strings when Pat pulled out his guitar and tried to rehearse a song. His fingers sweated fast, and he slid the guitar neck like butter in a frying pan. Pat played more complex pieces, but now it seemed just an impossible task. And Pat sincerely doubted that he was good enough to be a guitarist in the band.

On Saturday, Pat jumped up at five in the morning. He had an unpleasant dream, from which he could no longer sleep and decided to spend time on his feet. He flipped through the notebook in the dim room, because the sun had yet to appear on the horizon. He rearranged his entire wardrobe, trying to find something cool enough to perform on stage. But the entire Pat's style was limited to only t-shirts, hoodies, caps and jeans. Pat knew that he would look like a laughing stock if he went in what he went in every day. Then he got from the depths of the wardrobe blue jeans, which he never wore before. They were large slits in the knees, so that seemed like the owner of the clothes was bitten by a fighting dog, and they are kept literally on a couple of threads. Pat felt uncomfortable when he put them on. He saw his own pale sharp knees, and knew that others too will see them. But this is how, in his opinion, punk rockers look like. He put on a blue t-shirt with the inscription "The Stereo", put on a whole bunch of wristbands, chose from a variety of hats blue knitted hat with a visor, and pulled out sneakers. When Pat saw himself in the mirror in the new image, he had terrible feeling. He knew his mother wouldn't let him out of the house looking like that. He didn't eager to go in jeans, which strove to turn into shorts. But if he had to make a sacrifice to be in the band, he was ready to do it.

— It is strange that the jeans still your size — confessed Patricia at breakfast, — We bought them over two years ago. I never got around to sewing them up.

— They don't need to sew, mom — carefully explained Pat. He ate fish soup, and his mother was genuinely surprised that he wasn't tired of eating only fish and vegetables.

— Why are you even wearing them? — surprised woman, — I was hoping to throw them away, or give to the needy.

— I... I want to go out with friends — said Pat, peering from under the brim cap, — Well, I thought it would be nice to dress that way.

— Don't even think it about it — reminded Patricia, — It is already October, young man.

— You wouldn't let me go this way if it would be summer anyway — murmured Pat under his breath and buried his head in a bowl of soup.

— Did you say something? — asked Patricia.

— No — gasped the boy and stirred the soup with a spoon.

— You didn't even tell me about Halloween and your friends — the woman said, — Who are these Pete and Mick?

— Mike — corrected Pat, — He's... He's from the school team of American football, I guess. He's a funny. But sometimes he says such stupid things... and Pete, he... he's on the team, too. Everyone thinks he's the most valuable player. Still he is an excellent student...

"And the musician" added Pat, but didn't say out loud, " And I think I love him"

— And...? — Patricia insisted.