You're Not Even Mine to Miss [Fall Out Boy - Wattys 2014]

➽ Epilogue (Pete's POV).

Epilogue (Pete’s POV): You know I’ve learned from my mistakes. How much have I got to lose? You find my heart hard to break. Can’t keep playing the fool.

(July 28th, 2008)

‘…I will never end up like him; behind my back, I already am. Keep a calendar; this way, you will always know. The last time you came through, oh darling, I know what you're going through…’

Both of Patrick’s eyes were closed in concentration as he sang the remaining lines of the soon-to-be-released song entitled “Headfirst Slide to Cooperstown on a Bad Bet” that was set to be included in the track list for ‘Folie à Deux’.

The rest of Fall Out Boy and the staff were all watching the vocalist from behind the glass of the recording booth. Everybody was smiling and nodding their heads, visibly impressed by the dirty blond-haired young musician’s voice as we went on listening to him. Even I was smiling, feeling proud that my best friend had improved through the years of singing for the band.

Just a few seconds away from the ending of the song... Patrick was leaning too close towards the microphone, his one hand clenching the air like he was gripping something tightly (maybe the overflowing emotions were the cause of that hand gesture) as he sang the last line. ‘…the last time you came through, oh darling, I know what you're going through.’

When he had finally opened his eyes and looked over at me standing just outside the booth as he took off the headphones he was wearing upon finishing the song, Patrick mouthed to me with a rather anxious expression on his face, straightening his eyeglasses, “Was it good?”

I answered him with two thumbs-up, grinning widely at him as I mouthed back, “Perfect.”

Loud clapping and hooting welcomed Patrick Stump the second he had stepped out of the recording booth. His cheeks reddened immediately as he looked around at the people who were surrounding him in a circle, complimenting him for another job well done. After all, he had been the one who arranged and composed the music for the song, with Joe, Andy and I helping him to straighten out some major-to-minor details.

Patrick was making his way towards us through the sea of people who were giving him friendly pats on his back and various praises that they could ever think of, a sheepish grin plastered on his face. He each gave Joe and Andy high-fives before they both ruffled his hair like he was a little kid. I raised my hand, waiting for him to give me a high-five as well—which was sort of our band’s usual yet weird habit in almost every situation—as I exclaimed, “That was awesome, ‘Trick!”

The younger man had smiled back at me and was about to raise his hand too, but he was thrown backwards – literally – when somebody had launched towards him to strangle the life out of him.

Honestly, that wasn’t what really happened. It seemed that way, though, because of the way the person had hugged my best friend, too possessively, with the arms wounded around the little guy’s neck, seemed so painful already, as if the person was trying to kill him instead of showing affection.

Only did I realize that the person who had locked Patrick in her vice-grip kind of embrace was none other than his brunette girlfriend for nearly two months and Fall Out Boy’s assistant manager for almost half a year, Rachelle Jane Daniels.

Dropping my hand, I decided to tuck both of my hands inside my pockets and watched them have their own moment as a couple instead, grinning from ear to ear. But, even though I was genuinely happy for Patrick’s fast progress in his new love life after being a bachelor for such a long period of time, I couldn’t help but think of Donnie. I just missed her so much, and I couldn’t wait to see her come back in Chicago.