Fall Out Boy Is Family

“Ryan!”

Today I had my “#2 fan” scarf tied around me like a sash.

Ryan Ross smiled at the sight of it.

“Sam!”

Brendon ran up to me and smothered me in a hug.

“Don’t tell Ryan,” he whispered, “but I drank four Red Bull this morning!”

“Great!” I said back. “Go say hi to Felice!”

He obeyed and raced off after my best friend.

“Hey, Sam.” Ryan smiled down at me.

“Hey yourself.”

We hugged for a moment, then he retreated and gestured to the beautiful
blonde girl behind him. “This is my girlfriend, Keltie.”

I smiled easily. “Nice to meet you.”

She smiled back and shook my hand. But her smile said “I-don’t-need-to-worry-about-you-taking-my-boyfriend-because-I’m-older-and-prettier-than-you-HA!”

“And Keltie, this is Sam.”

“His number two fan,” I chanted, holding up two fingers.

She raised her plucked-to-perfection eyebrows. “Oh. How nice. It rhymes.”

I don’t like her.

“You’re my number one, Kel,” Ryan said, putting an arm around her waist.

“Oh, I know I am.”

Dang, conceited much?

They kissed quickly, then Ryan said, “Sam, did Pete set aside a place for Guitar
Hero?”

Keltie made a disgusted face.

I shrugged. “I have no idea. Check with Brendon.”

“I’ll do that.” He took Keltie’s hand and they walked toward where Bden and Felice were conversing in hushed excited vices.

Keltie turned to glare at me.

I smiled sweetly back.

She sneered and turned around.

Take that, punk.

Bronx toddled up to me and pulled at the hem of my skirt. He and his mom had flown in that morning so we could have our party-gathering at the hotel.

‘What’s up, little guy?” I asked, bending down to give him a hello hug.

“Big guy scary,” he pouted.

“Which big guy?” I asked.

Bronx pointed, and I rolled my eyes. It was so obvious. Zack, the big Panic bodyguard, had just squeezed himself through the doorway.

“Don’t worry,” I told Bronx, placing him on my hip. “Big guy is nice.”

His big eyes followed Zack as he lumbered over to Jon, Ryan, Keltie, Brendon and Felice.

“Bronx?” a worried voice called.

“Ashlee?” I called back.

“Sam?” Ashlee came into view. “Oh, thank you. Bronx Moglie Wentz…”

“You were scared of Big Zack,” I said to Bronx as he buried his head in my neck to escape his mother.

Ashlee raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Well, hello, Samantha.”

I gave her a one-armed hug then passed Bronx over to his mom.

“Thanks again, Sam.”

“No problem,” I said back.

“See you later.”

“Bye.”

“Do I get a hello?”

Ashlee smiled and walked away as I hugged Pete.

“Happy thirtieth,” I congratulated.

“Oh, gee, thanks,” he said sarcastically. Then, he smiled deviously. “I challenge you to a Guitar Hero Battle on Medium!”

“I accept!”

Yeah, we were that weird.