Fall Out Girl

*Pete’s POV*

Emmy kicked me out of the house around three the next day, claiming that she had to get ready since I had told her to dress nicely. I booked us a table at a fancy restaurant in the city for seven-twenty tonight. At around five-ish, I showered and got ready for the evening ahead. It was going to be perfect. I would take her to the fancy restaurant, and then we would walk along the bay, just enjoying each other’s company. I wanted to show her that it was okay to move on. I wanted to be the guy, if we ever break up, that she looks back on and says “he showed me that there is so much worth living for. I’ll never forget him.” But, hopefully, that won’t happen. I plan on being with her until the end.

As it was approaching six-thirty, I grabbed one of my few nice jackets and walked out the door. I started the car and drove to the other side of the street. I gulped nervously before letting my hand meet the doorbell. Patrick opened the door and laughed. Then came the other three guys. They, in turn, cracked up at the sight of me. Kay and Josie walked over to see what the commotion was about. They cooed.

“Aweh! That’s so sweet,” Kay said before smacking Andy on the chest. “How come you never dress up?”

He looked at her like she had just grown another head. He started rubbing the spot where she hit him. “You hate dressing up. You shuddered violently at a dress that we passed in the mall yesterday and exclaimed very loudly that you wouldn’t be caught dead in- and I quote: that crazy contraption or the torture devices that accompany it.”

Kay shrugged. “It’s the thought that counts.” She said before walking back to the couch. Andy rolled his eyes and followed her, muttering under his breath the entire time.

Josie smiled at me. “Very nice. I’ll go get Emmy.” She said before running up the stairs.

“What’s wrong with you, man?” I asked Patrick as I walked in the house. He had an odd look in his eyes.

“Nothing.”

“Hey, Pete, you’re early.” I heard from the stairs.

I grinned up at her. She was in a beautiful dark blue spaghetti-strapped dress with that draped around her body nicely and flared out at the bottom. It stopped just above her knees. Her hair was pin-straight, the black showing brilliantly through. I saw a small chain of silver wrapped around her neck. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the ring that was normally on her finger was attached and rested peacefully on her breast bone.

“Hey to yourself.” I replied when she stopped in front of me. I grabbed her hands and smiled. “You look so good in blue.” I whispered to her as I led her out the door.

She wrinkled her nose as I opened the car door for her.

“Perverted stalker?” I asked.

“Perverted stalker.” She confirmed with a small smile and nod, tucking her legs under her as she sat in the seat. I ran over to the driver’s side and slid in.

“How can I make it better?” I asked, turning the engine on.

She “pondered” for a bit before grinning at me. The look in her eye was a dead giveaway. I kissed her lightly on the lips before pulling out of the driveway and taking to the highway.

The drive was filled with music and random jokes. She gasped when I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. “Pete? Oh my god! You didn’t say we were going here! To Bella Nocte! I would have dressed up more.”

I laughed lightly and got out. I opened her door and took her hand. “Why? You’re perfect the way you are.” That earned me a kiss. I really should try to act like a gentleman all the time around her. She seems to take to it better than my usual cocky self. She was smiling discreetly as we made our way to the hostess stand. “Reservation for Wentz.”

The hostess clucked to herself as she flipped through the book. She looked up at me carefully before going through the book again. I sent a puzzled glance to Emmy. She didn’t seem to be paying attention. “I’m sorry, sir, but there is no reservation under that name. Please exit the restaurant.”

My face fell. Emmy giggled from beside me. “Come on, Pete, there’s other stuff we can do.” She was tugging on my arm. I let her lead me out of the building and to the car. She held out her hand expectantly.

“What?”

“Um, Keys? I know where we can go.”

“No…just, let me do the second half first?”

She nodded and walked over to the passenger side. I opened it once again and closed it when she was secure in her seat. I walked back over to my side glumly and drove to the park. “Hey, Mopey, lighten up. It’s ok.”

“Mopey?”

“Yes, you’re the eight dwarf.”

I cast a quick glance over at her. “But I’m not a midget.”

“And?”

“And dwarfs are short.”

“Pish posh. Details are frivolous. You’re Mopey and I’ll make sure it sticks. Where are we going now?”

“Well, we could either eat somewhere else or go to the park.”

“I’m not that hungry.”

“The park it is then.”

The drive was filled mostly with the sound of the radio. Emmy would occasionally giggle and laugh at my crest-fallen face. I pulled into the park parking lot and turned off the engine. My attention was brought back to me when her hand rested midway up my thigh.

“Stop. It’s ok. Really. This is fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” She said with a smile. Our lips met for not even a fraction of a second. this is getting pretty old. I want to show her how much I like her. All this innocent kissing is making me crave her more.

I smiled back at her and got out of the car. I opened her door and led her through the park. We were close to the center when I felt a tug on my hand. I looked back to see that she had stopped. I gave her a questioning look. She just smiled and looked at our intertwined hands. I looked at the knot of fingers as she slowly pulled me toward her. I grinned as she knotted our free hands together.

“Stop stressing, Pete. It’s ok.” She spoke as soon as our bodies pressed up against each other. Our hands were out to the side. I tried to grab her waist, but she kept my hands captive.

I looked into her eyes. They were more blue than I remembered. I bit my lip, resisting the temptation to kiss her as hard and passionately as humanly possible. “I’m sorry, it’s just…I wanted this night to be perfect. I wanted to show you that there are other guys worth dating. I wanted to be your knight- like Parker.”

Her brow knitted in confusion. “Pete, tonight has been fun. Sure, we ate park hotdogs instead of some Italian dish that I can’t pronounce at the most expensive restaurant in Chicago, and I trekked all this way in the most uncomfortable shoes man has made, but that’s ok with me…because I spent time with you. Pete, I’m dating you not your wallet. honestly, I couldn’t have cared less if we stayed at one of our houses stuffing our faces with junk food and watching old horror movies or stupid action movies. The setting doesn’t matter to me. I thought you would understand that I like you for who you are. You don’t need to impress me with heaps of gifts and expensive things, you just need to prove to me that you’re real. That you’re not some fake-ass thing and agree with me so that you can access my pants. As for Parker, yes he was a great guy, but you’re not him. You can’t be him. You’re name is not Parker Lewis. It’s Peter Wentz.” She was looking at me so fiercly that I had to look away. She let go of my left hand and began rubbing my arm. “Does that make sense? I don’t want a Parker-imitation. He’s dead. I want Peter Wentz. He’s living and breathing and standing in front of me…And I’m wondering why he hasn’t shut me up with his lips ye-”

I cut her off with my lips on her. Damn, she talks too much. She let go of my right hand and circled her arms around my neck. I quickly enclosed her waist in my own arms. Wanting to kick it up a gear, I flicked my tongue over her bottom lip. She hesitated before parting her lips a little then quickly clamping them. I gave her a hard peck and pulled away.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. I was really concerned. I didn’t want to take things too fast, but I also didn’t want everything to go to a grinding halt. She avoided my gaze. Gently, I grabbed her chin and made her look up. “What’s wrong, Sweetie?” I asked again, a little more forcefully. I wanted to call her “baby” but Patrick gave me specific instructions not to. When I pressed him on the matter, I learned that that is whather father that man used to call her. I had to break myself of the habit quickly.

“It’s just… I’m really…I can’t explain it. I have a million things and emotions running through my head right now…and, well, I don’t know if I’m ready yet. It’s confusing, I kno-”

I cut her off again with my lips. It was completely innocent. I barely brushed our lips, but it was enough for her to shut up and relax. She smiled when we pulled away. “thanks, but I’m not ready for anything else. I am so sorry.”

“It’s ok. As long as I have you. Be my girlfriend?”

“Yes, and for our first official thing as a couple, I want to take you somewhere….after I ditch the shoes.” She said. She steadied herself on my arm and slid her high heels off. She buckled them together and grabbed my hand with her free one. “come on, it’s not far, but we have to hurry.” So we ran to God knows where- me in my dress suit and her in a cocktail dress with her shoes dangling from her hands.

I laughed at our destination. Grinning, she pulled me into the arcade. There were blinding lights everywhere and the sounds coming from the machines were deafening. She pulled me over to the center of the building where a huge DDR machine loomed over us. She threw her shoes and purse next to it and jumped onto the platform.

“Come on, Mopey.” she said, the grin evident on her face.

“Nu-uh.”

“Come on! I wanna see you dance!”

Exasperated, I climbed onto the platform next to her. Still grinning, she dug a roll of quarters out of her purse and inserted it into the machine. We played 10 times. I only won the last one, but I think it was because she let me beat her. Talk about role-reversal. After the arcade, we went back to the park. It was going great until an incredibly gay guy came up and man-groped me. I felt so violated. Emmy found it completely hilarious, she was just mad that the guy interrupted our kiss. It was then that I dubbed her the ninth, and only female, dwarf: Jealousy. Because everyone is jealous that she’s going out “with a hot ass like me.” Her words, not mine…although it is true.

When we got home, Patrick was waiting on the porch. I gulped loudly. She grinned and kissed my cheek. “Don’t worry. He won’t kill you…yet.”

“Thanks, really. How do you do it?”

“I’m special like that.”

I can’t believe she’s this amazing.

“Come on, at least help me out of the car. My feet are killing me from dancing so much. Do you know that it takes more energy to lose than to win?”

“Hey, whatever happened of never speaking about it again?” I asked, opening the door for her.

She grinned up at me and kissed my cheek. I pouted.

“Now the other one doesn’t feel any love.”

Rolling her eyes, she kissed my other cheek.

“And this?” I pointed to my lips.

She quickly kissed me, her teeth pulling my bottom lip out slightly. I was shocked. That’s the gutsiest move she’s done.

Still grinning, touched my nose and left, calling a “see you tomorrow at school” over her shoulder before Pat engaged her in a hushed, rapid conversation. I touched my lip before jumping back into my car and parking it in my driveway. I fell asleep with the memory of the night playing on repeat in my head.

Even though everything went wrong, it turned out so perfect.