We Only Fell Apart

Danielle and Katrina stood among all the teenagers feeling out of place. Here they were, two women in their twenties, standing with a bunch of seventeen-year-olds hoping to get an autograph from the biggest band in pop/rock.

"Could this take any longer? Geez!" Someone behind them expressed. Danielle and Katrina looked at each other and held back their laughter.

"Could you guys move a little faster? We have an impatient girl here! Heaven forbid should her $15 neon green nail polish start melting off," Katrina shouted towards the front of the line. People laughed.

"Ugh! Whatever!"

Danielle looked back at Katrina.

"What?" Katrina shrugged her shoulders.

"I just can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

* * *

"Hey! That's not fair! You cheated!"

"It's not that I cheated, you just suck."

"Maybe I don't want to play with you anymore then Trohman." Danielle set the controller on the table and sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh come on Dani! I'll let you win the next game..."

"No."

"Please...Dani California..."

"No. You suck Joe Trohman."

"All right. Fine." Joe put the video games away. "You wanna go get some ice cream then?"

"Um...yeah." She got up as Joe grabbed his mom's car keys and they left.

Joe sat across from Danielle at the table. He pushed her ice cream over to her.

"I love you, Dani."

"I love you, too.

* * *

Danielle and Katrina finally made it up to the table. Many years had passed and Danielle was sure Joe wouldn't recognize her. Maybe she was just hoping he wouldn't recognize her. Andy started the line off and it ended with Joe.

"Look, there he is," Katrina whispered and gestured to Patrick.

"Ew," Danielle said.

"Oh whatever. He's way better looking than that Joe boy."

"If you say so." Katrina tried to make small talk with Patrick which she wasn't doing a very good job at. It wasn't that he wasn't interested; she was just doing a terrible job. Patrick glanced at Danielle and then down at the poster. She could swear he just did a double take at her. Then he was flat out staring at her.

"What?" Danielle asked.

"Nothing, sorry. You just look like someone I used to know."

That's because you once did. "Oh. Okay." He leaned behind Pete's back and said something to Joe. Joe looked at Danielle and then said something back to Patrick.

"Dude, what did you do?" Katrina quietly asked.

"Nothing that I know of," Danielle responded and shrugged. Pete quickly signed her posted and shoved it to Joe. Joe looked up at her and signed his name. Instead of handing it to her, he kept his hand on it.

"Danielle? Your name's Danielle?"

"That's what it says..." she said.

"Dani?"

"No, no Dani. I hate that nickname. People know not to call me that."

"Oh."

"Yeah, she's hated it ever since this one boy broke up with her," Katrina added.

"Kat! Shut up!" she whispered.

"Danielle Martin?" Joe asked with shock.

"No I think you now have me mistaken for someone else." She walked away.

"Danielle! How does he know you?" Katrina took her poster and went after her. She caught up with her and asked, "How does Joe Trohman know you?"
Danielle felt someone grab her arm. She turned and came face-to-face with Joe.

"You are Dani...Dani California." He made eye contact with her. The look she gave him confirmed it.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Katrina asked.

"Me and Joe used to date but then Fall Out Boy made it and he broke up with me."

"Which was a really stupid thing to do and I'm so sorry. I've missed you so much."

"Joe, now's not the time. It's to-" He cut her off by kissing her.

"Please wait until we're done. We only have ten more minutes," Joe pleaded.

"Okay, fine." He took them back over by the table and told Dirty to take them to the bus.

* * *

"Okay, so, let me get this straight. You used to date Joe?"

"Affirmative."

"When?"

"When we were kids. Teenagers."

"And then Fall Out Boy happened and he broke up with you?"

"You got it."

"Wow. What a douche. Who breaks with Danielle Martin?"

"Boys named Joe Trohman."

* * *

Ten minutes later, just like he said, Joe walked onto the bus. He directed her to the backroom and they both sat on the couch.

"I'm really sorry about the way everything happened. If I could take it all back, I would."

"I know. I would to."

"I seriously regret breaking up with you. I tried to call you but you had your number changed and all."

"Yeah, I actually moved, so."

"So, how are things going?" He asked as he moved closer to her.

"Things are good. I finally started teaching on my own."

"You're a teacher now? What grade?"

"Fourth."

"Just like you always wanted."

"Yep." They both fell silent as Joe touched her arm. Danielle knew she shouldn't but something came over her. She didn't know what it was because when Joe started kissing her, she kissed him back.

* * *

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Joe asked Danielle as she put her clothes back on.

"I have to get home before Richard starts wondering where I am."

"Who's Richard?" Danielle stopped and looked at him. She looked at the ground for a second.

"My husband."

"Your hus-you're married?"

"And I have a little girl named Lacey."

"Kids also? Wow. Um..."

"I'm sorry I never told you Joe."

"No, it's fine...I guess." He put his clothes back on also. He walked with her to front.

"You know, you can still call me," she said.

"Okay," he said as she wrote down her number. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Danielle whispered and disappeared off the bus.

"So, you got a girlfriend now?" Pete asked.

"She's married," Joe said and walked away.