Alone Together {Patrick Stump}

Chapter 1

The fateful day started as any other, normal day would have started. I got out of my uncomfortable orphanage bed after a rough night of little sleep and changed into a band tee shirt, black ripped jeans, and some old, worn out tennis shoes. I went into the breakfast hall to find we only got a small piece of toast with little jam spread across it that morning. I had grown used to the mediocre bites of food (yes, I know what mediocre means, and yes, I used it in the right sense) over the past ten years. I got my breakfast and went into the sitting room. A group of the girls that lived in the home as well approached me.

"Give me your breakfast," the leader of the group, Reese, said.

"It's my food, and you know we don't get very much," I countered. Reese grabbed my hair and pulled me to the ground, taking my toast from my grasp. Tess, one of the girls in Reese's group, kicked me in the stomach. Then, Tess kicked me in the chest, knocking the wind right out of me. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was going to die right then and there. Then the girls left without another word to me. Despite my pain, I got up from the ground and made my way slowly upstairs to the room I shared with Aleah and Kendall, girls who were in Reese's group.

After a few minutes, my breathing was better and I didn't feel like I was going to die. There was a knock on my bedroom door, and Miss Helen opened the door.

"Lyra," she said. "You're needed in Ms. Diver's office." I nodded. Great. Ms. Diver only needed to talk to you if you were in trouble, or getting adopted. It's been ten years and I haven't been adopted, so I figured Reese or Livia went to her with some made-up excuse to get me in trouble.

Despite how I felt, I trudged down to Ms. Diver's office on the main floor. I knocked on the door.

"Come in!" I heard her call. I opened the door. "Lyra, take a seat, dear." I sat in the chair opposite her desk, slightly nervous. "Lyra, I'd like to inform you that you've been considered for adoption! We've already done most of the paperwork, but he wants to meet you before he signs the final papers finalizing the adoption. His name is Patrick and he has plenty of money. He's kind, sweet, outgoing, and has a great sense of humor." I stared at her in shock.

"Me?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Ms. Diver said. "He's a single man, but he's the perfect father candidate. He'll be here in ten minutes to meet you." I nodded.

"Is that all?" I asked. She nodded, so I stood up and went to the sitting room to wait. Ten minutes later, I saw a face walk in that I never in my life expecte to see, especially in the orphanage. The man walked into Ms. Diver's office and she soon came out alone.

"Lyra, he's here," she said with a smile. My jaw dropped slightly, but I closed it as I stood up and composed myself. I lifted my shoulders and walked with purpos into the office. I held in a scream as I came face to face with Patrick Stump, lead singer of my favorite band. He looked down at my shirt and smirked. It was then that I realized I was wearing a Fall Out Boy shirt I had gotten at the Good Will. 

"You must be Lyra," he smiled. "I'm Patrick. Although, I'm sure you already knew that." I nodded my head. He stuck out his hand and I took it. We shook hands. I shook hands with Patrick Stump. Patrick Stump!

"I'm- I'm a huge fan of your band," I stuttered. He merely smiled his perfect smile. 

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "Couldn't adopt someone who hated our music, now could I?"

"You really want to adopt me?" I asked in surprise. "Me of all people?"

"I sure do," he smiled. God, his smile was perfect. "I like her. Let's sign the papers, shall we?" Ms. Diver had a smile on her face.

"Of course," she said. "After the papers are signed, you can take her in three to five days."

"Is it possible to make that today?" He asked. "If not, I guess I could wait."

"I'm sure we can work something out with the social worker," she replied. "Lyra is a. . . special child. She's been through a lot in the ten years we've had her." My face was blank. She was referring to all the times I went to Miss Helen with injuries given to me by Reese and her gang.

"That would be great," Patrick smiled. 

"Just sign these," she said, handing Patrick a small stack of papers. "I'll get the social worker on the phone."

By the time Patrick had finished signing the adoption papers, Ms. Diver had gotten off the phone with my social worker. She was explaining to Patrick that he could take me today, but my social worker would have to do a follow up the following week to check that I had stable living conditions and liked where I was. Patrick agreed to his terms and I was told to go upstairs and pack. I did as I was told. As I was packing, Aleah and Kendall came in.

"What you packing for?" Kendall sneered.

"I'm leaving," I said.

"For how long?" Aleah butted in.

"Forever," I replied. "I've been adopted. I'm leaving today and never coming back to this hell hole."

"Who adopted you?" Kendall asked in a snarky voice.

"If you'll come downstairs with me, you'll see," I replied. I tried to be as vague as possible.

I finished packing with Kendall and Aleah constantly breathing down my neck. Right before we left the room, Kendall grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me back. She grabbed my hair while Aleah had ahold of my throat. When they finally let me go, I stumbled out the room, anxious to get out of this place. In my haste to get away from them, I ran right into Patrick. I looked down, not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Patrick asked. He was genuinely concerned. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said, fighting back the tears. "I'm fine. Honest. Let's get going." 

I sent a fearful glance back at the top of the stairs, where Aleah and Kendall were standing, smirking. Patrick nodded and took my bags from me, leading the way outside to his car. I found out that he drove a four-door, black BMW. It was a really nice car. Patrick put my bags in the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat. I climbed into the passenger seat and found expensive leather seats. We drove off, leaving the orphanage and all the horrible people inside behind. I was glad to finally be leaving that place forever.

"So you've been there for ten years?" Patrick asked as we drove.

"Yeah," I replied. "I spent a year in a group home before the orphanage, but I ran away with a stack of cash I'd stolen. I was four. Then my social worker found me and brought me to the orphanage. I've tried running away from there a couple times, but he always took me back. I hated it there. The girls were always bullying me. It was worst in the morning when I got up and at night before I went to bed. They would beat me occasionally throughout the day for various reasons."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He asked.

"I tried," I said. "The girls that bullied me always came up with some kind of a story that the staff believed."

"Well, you don't have to deal with them anymore," Patrick said sternly. He then pushed a button on the car. "Call Pete," Patrick said. The car rang and then someone spoke.

"Hello?" came a voice.

"Hey, Pete," Patrick said. "So I just adopted a fourteen year old girl."

"What!?" the voice, who I assumed was Pete, screamed.