Where Will I Be When I Wake up Next to a Stranger

“Josh PLEASE work my shift. I’ll fucking work yours Sunday and I’ll give you both pays, come on.” Katherine hassled Josh early Friday afternoon, trying to get someone, anyone to work her late shift.
“Look, I’ll work for you tonight. I just want the pay. You don’t have to worry about it.” Josh sighed as he wiped down the bar.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Katherine grinned and kissed him on the cheek, running out to the waiting cab with Jonathon.

“Hang out timeeeee.” Jonathon sang as the cab pulled away to the House Of Blues, where they go nearly every other week.
“Shush.” Katherine grinned as she called Peter.

They were all planning to meet up, with the rest of Fall Out Boy and just…hang out.

“Jonathon, I’m going to punch you in the face.” Katherine threatened as Peter answered and laughed on the other line.
“So violent.” Pete said.
“Well you gotta do what you gotta do.” She grunted trying to keep Jonathon from retaliating.
“So we’re still meeting you at House of Blues?” He questioned as the cab driver gave Katherine and Jonathon a weird look for their actions.
“Yep. Oh and I’m coming to your show tonight with Jonathon, unless I kill him before then.” Katherine said as she pushed her foot into Jonathon’s chest.
“Well good. Not the killing part, but the rest of it. So I’ll see you at House Of Blues, in one piece I hope?” Pete laughed as he heard some shuffling in the background.
“Yes. Bye.” Katherine said hastily as Jonathon twisted her leg so that she was lying on her stomach in the cab.
“Ow!” She yelped as Jonathon slapped her butt, hard.
“I’m gonna kill you.” She breathed as she loosened his grip on her leg and turned herself back over.

At the exact moment she was going to pounce on Jonathon, the cab came to a complete stop in front of the restaurant and she tumbled to the car floor.

“I win.” Jonathon said as he threw a 20 at the cab driver and left the rest of the pay up to Katherine.
“Son of a bitch.” Katherine sighed as she gave the driver a 20 as well, not caring about the change and climbed out.
“Looks like you just came out of a war.” Pete grinned as Katherine fixed her shirt and her hair.
“Or we just did a quickie.” Jonathon grinned as Katherine made a face at him.
“You wish, fucker.” She smiled as she made her way towards Pete and company.
“Hello.” Katherine greeted with Jonathon by her side.
“I’m Katherine, and this is my best friend Jonathon.” She introduced as she shook hands with three unfamiliar faces.
“I’m Patrick, the singer, that’s T.J. the guitarist, and that’s Mike the drummer. Nice to meet you.” Patrick, with strawberry blonde hair said as they all started to congregate to the restaurant.
“Nice to meet you all.” Katherine smiled as Pete asked for a table of six and they were instantly taken to the back.

It was a round table they were seated at while Katherine sat between Pete and Jonathon and the rest of the boys sat wherever.
They ordered quickly, Katherine and Jonathon sharing a Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tender Plate, and the rest of them ordered burgers.

“So are you guys ready for tonight?” Katherine asked excitedly as Pete couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m pretty sure we are. We have a couple of new songs we’re gonna try out.” Patrick said for the four of them as I nodded.

Jonathon continued to talk with Patrick about the band as Katherine messed with her phone.

From: Peter W.

Hi.

Katherine smiled as she glanced at Peter from the corner of her eye as he was on his phone as well.

To: Peter W.

Hello weirdo. Y are we texting when we’re sitting next to each other?

From: Peter W.

Uh. Idk. I feel like wasting texts with u?

Katherine felt her cheeks get warm, as she bit her lip to hide her smile.

“Well thanks, but I prefer to waste my texts with someone else whom isn’t sitting next to me.” Katherine said as she turned her head and grinned.
“Fine.” Pete pouted as he shoved his phone in the pocket of his hoodie and leaned on his hand.
“So what about you Mr. Wentz, are you ready for tonight?” She asked him as he shrugged.
“I don’t really think about it until it happens to be honest. So I can just do it on excitement and adrenaline.” Peter explained as Katherine showed interest.
“Ah I see.” She said as she didn’t really know what to say anymore, and took a drink of her water.
“So, last night…Now that I think about it I shouldn’t have left you alone…What happened? If you don’t mind me asking…” Pete said quietly as Katherine was kind of shocked at the subject change and choked on her water.
“What the hell Katherine?” Jonathon said as he smacked her back a couple of times.
“I’m fine.” Katherine coughed as the whole table now stared at her and her red face.
“N-nothing happened.” Katherine said quietly to Peter as she regained her composure.
“Oh, okay. I was just making sure, because he seemed pretty mad when I left.” Pete said as he took a sip of his own water.
“No, no everything is fine. Thanks for…Worrying when you don’t have to.” Katherine said as the food reluctantly arrived and interrupted all conversations at the table.

Katherine barely touched the food she shared with Jonathon as she continuously took sips of her water to seem occupied. Why would Pete be so concerned, if it didn’t even involve him whatsoever? It seemed odd to Katherine while she ran her fingers over her blackberry.

From: Pete W.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interfere with anything or sumthing of the sort. Are you ok?

To: Pete W.

I’m fine. Everything is fine. You didn’t do anything. You just don’t have to worry about me, alright?

From: Pete W.

But that’s what friends do. So, unless you don’t want to be friends, then I’ll worry about you.

Katherine couldn’t even try to hide her smile as she re-read this message at least 4 times before responding.

To: Pete W.

Fine. You can worry about nothing…Thanks though.

From: Pete W.

Good. No problem. Let’s blow this popsicle stand?

She laughed out loud to his childish antics as the rest of the table was already paying their checks.

“Mall mayhem?” Jonathon asked the table as everyone looked at each other.
“Of course.” Mike agreed as Jonathon grinned like a child and stood up throwing a couple of bills on the table for a tip.

Katherine debated if she felt up to causing mischief around the mall, or actually going home to sleep.

“Uh, guys I think I’m just gonna go home and sleep. I’m so tired. But you boys have fun.” Katherine decided last minute as they were all waiting around for cabs.
“Ah, no fun.” T.J. said as he fake punched her arm.
“That actually sounds good…” Pete agreed with Katherine as Patrick raised an eyebrow at him.
“I think I’m gonna head home too. I’ll meet up with you guys at the venue around 6, and we’ll rock this shit.” Pete said as cabs started to pull up for all of us.
“Alright, yeah…Yeah we’ll see you guys later.” Jonathon said as he shrugged and climbed into a cab with Patrick as the two other boys got a different cab.

Peter climbed into a cab with Katherine and they both sat their quietly as they headed to Pete’s place first as it was the closest.

“Okay, so in all honesty I didn’t want to go home and sleep. I kind of just wanted to hang out with you.” Pete said at Katherine laughed at him.
“Well if I go to your place, I’ll fall asleep…I don’t know if you want to hang out with a sleeping person.” Katherine said as she rubbed her eyes.
“No, it’s fine if you want to come to my place and hang out at least. If not its okay, and if you fall asleep there, it’s fine too.” Pete said as he hoped to God he didn’t sound weird and or desperate.
“I just really don’t feel like being alone…” He added as Katherine already decided at the beginning of their conversation that she would go to his place.
“Okay then.” Katherine smiled as the cab pulled in front of his apartments and he paid for the ride.

They both silently headed up to Pete’s apartment, trying to contemplate what to say or talk about.

“You want to lay down?” Pete asked her as she ran a hand through her hair, and nodded.
“If you lay with me.” Katherine blurted out as she tried to think of something else.
“Cause it would be weird if I laid in your bed alone…” She tried to cover up lamely and Pete noticed this, but didn’t say anything about it.
“Of course.” He smiled as she made her way up the stairs to the bed she felt was so familiar already.

She peeled off her black hoodie, leaving her in a red v-neck t-shirt and a pair of her favorite jeans. She kicked off her converse and slid in between the covers of the bed as Pete sat next to her, propping the pillows up behind his back and laying his legs out. They both sat there silently, Katherine turning over onto her stomach, closing her eyes.

“Why are you with him?” Pete asked so quietly that it seemed like he was asking himself.
“Because I’m scared.” Katherine surprised herself as her intentions were to keep quiet.

Pete made eye contact with her as she laid her head on her arms.

“I see…” Pete said as he touched a visible bruise on her arm.
“It’s not like you think…” Katherine tried to play it off as she grabbed a fluffy pillow and laid her head on it, hiding her arms under the blanket.
“Then what is there to be scared about if it’s not him?” Pete asked as she shut her eyes, trying to hide the truth.
“Being alone.” She said simply as he laughed harshly.
“I’m pretty sure you could get anyone you want Katherine.” He stated as she sighed.
“It’s complicated.” She shook her head, trying to bury herself into the bed.
“Well then explain it to me.” He pushed.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine. You shouldn’t even care anyways.” Katherine said defensively.
“If you were fine, you wouldn’t be so defensive.”
“Why the fuck do you even care?” Katherine shot suddenly as Pete took a moment to respond.
“I don’t know. I just do. You don’t seem happy Katherine. Even when you should be.” Pete said honestly as he picked at his nails.
“You don’t even know me.” Katherine said, on the verge of tears for the fact that a complete stranger can see right through her.
“I know enough.”
“I don’t want Amity to get hurt.” Katherine blurted out as she wiped her face on the pillow she was laying on, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

Pete scooted down the bed, sliding under the blanket himself and turned over facing Katherine and took her hand in his. Katherine’s and Pete’s hands were complete opposites of each other. Pete’s was rather rough, big, and boyish, where as Katherine’s was small, soft, and delicate. When Katherine squeezed his hand, he squeezed back, assuring her that he understood, but most of all that she wasn’t alone. They both fell asleep, hand in hand, not really thinking about time, whatsoever.