~*September 26, 2007*~

Pete stood at the two ominous-looking black gates, twiddling with the solitary blue rose in his fingers, along with Patrick’s infamous “I Heart Bingo” hat.

Pete sighed. “I can’t do it,” he said, turning around to face Joe and Andy.

“Pete, you need closure on this. Everyone knows it… even you,” Joe urged. He put his hand on Pete’s shoulder, but Pete shrugged it away.

“But I’m not ready-” Pete began before Andy jumped in.

“Look, Pete. NOBODY is ready for something like this! But it happens! Pete, if you don’t go then this will eat at you until you can’t take it anymore and either kill yourself or go insane. I’ve seen that happen before… and we don’t want you to go through that.”

Pete, startled by Andy’s words, had already backed through the tall gates a few steps before turning around.

“Fine” was all he said before walking away. Andy took a few steps forward to follow him before Joe grabbed his arm.

“They’ll be better off by themselves,” he said. Andy nodded, knowing he was right.

~*.*.*.*~
Pete had walked the long and winding road (no Beatles pun intended) for a while until he spotted Patrick leaning on a water fountain. Patrick smiled as he saw Pete approaching.

“Hey, Pete.”

“Hey, Trick.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Pete spoke again.

“Andy and Joe said I should come here… get some closure…” Pete said, trailing at the end.

Patrick sighed.

“Pete… they’re right.”

“I know, but-”

“There. You just said it yourself.”

“But Tricky-”

“Pete, both of us need to move on… you in your way and me in my way,” Patrick explained, his voice quiet.

Pete let out a breath that he was unaware of holding. A small sob escaped his lips.

“Why can’t you just come back?”

Patrick gave Pete an “isn’t it obvious?” look.

“Sorry… it just hurts, Tricky,” Pete said, a tear streaming down his face.

“I know, Panda,” Patrick replied, tears simultaneously flowing.

Patrick wiped Pete’s tears with his finger. Pete smiled at him, then looked down at the rose and the hat.

“Hey… I brought you something,” Pete said, an out-of-place brightness in his voice.
Pete held out the hat and the rose to Patrick. Patrick looked at them and smiled, wiping his face with his wrists.

“Thanks, Panda.”

“You’re the master of love ‘em and leave ‘em. You know that, right?” Pete joked.

Patrick laughed. “That was a good one.”

“I just thought of it.”

“An improve artist, I see!”

It was Pete’s turn to laugh. “Yeah…”

There were a few seconds of awkward silence.

“I’m gonna miss moments like this,” Patrick reminisced.

“OUR moments,” Pete replied. “Heh…”

“So… this is goodbye then…”

“Just for now.”

Patrick drew Pete into his arms. They stood there for a while, with Patrick kissing the top of Pete’s head every once in a while. Pete looked up at Patrick, who lowered his head and kissed Pete on the lips.

Finally, it was Pete who let go of Patrick.

“I think I’m ready now,” Pete said.

“Good,” Patrick replied.

Pete looked away awkwardly. Remembering something, he turned and opened his mouth to say something, but Patrick was gone. Pete smiled.

“You ass,” Pete said, jokingly.

Pete walked forward a foot or two and moved the many CDs, teddy bears, and cards to the side before kneeling in front of the headstone.

Patrick Martin Stumph
April 24, 1984-September 5, 2007
Beloved Son
A Fall Out Boy Until The Very End

Pete smirked at the phrase Patrick asked be put on his tombstone if he should die while the band was still together.

“Thanks for the memories, Trick… and yes, I know that sounded cliché, but hey? I’m the master of clichés, right?”

Pete chuckled at his own joke. He looked at the hat and the rose before placing them on a teddy bear directly under Patrick’s death date.

“Goodbye for now, Patrick,” Pete whispered. He kissed the top of the headstone before turning to leave the cemetery.

And so I was dead wrong
All along
You said it for my sake
When you thought I lost my way
When I was dead wrong
All along
You said it for my sake
That I would not lose my way
Did I really lose my way?
Or are you afraid?