Alone Together {Patrick Stump}

Chapter 10

  "Lyra," Pete said suddenly. "Is it because of us? It's because of us, isn't it? You're face is so easy to read sometimes." Pete looked disappointed. This was what I wanted to avoid. "Lyra?" I nodded slowly. Patrick looked more upset than I'd ever seen him. He looked disappointed, too, like Pete. 

I stood up abruptly and ran from the room. I threw open the front door and ran. I didn't know where I was going, or how far I'd go. I just needed out. I felt like I was suffocating in there. My phone was in my back pocket. Someone was screaming after me while I ran. I heard pounding footsteps behind me from several pairs of feet. I kept running. I didn't look back. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. Eventually, the footsteps faded. I didn't stop until I was too out of breath to go any farther. I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have run. What was I thinking?

My phone pulled me from my thoughts when it started ringing. I pulled it from my pocket and saw Patrick's name lighting up the screen. I hesitated. I didn't know what I would say. I decided to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked slowly, out of breath still.

"Lyra?" Patrick asked in a panic voice. "Where are you? I'll come and get you." I was quiet for a moment. "Lyra? It's not your fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. Please, Ly, tell me where you are." He sounded on the verge of tears. I was about to say something when two people appeared from the shadows. Aleah and Kendall. How did they find me? How did they know where I was?

"Oh god," I whispered. My heart was racing. They approached me.

"We have unfinished business, slut," Kendall spat. She slapped me and Aleah aimed a kicked at my stomach. I dodged, but barely.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed, my phone forgotten in my hand. "Go the hell home and leave me alone! Haven't you two caused me enough pain in the ten years I was with you?" Patrick's voiced echoed from my phone speaker.

"Why should we leave you alone? You deserve everything," Kendall spat. "I would tell you to just kill yourself and end all of our suffering, but killing you ourselves would be so much more fun." She kicked me in the stomach and I dropped to the ground.

"Lyra?" Patrick called from the phone. "Lyra, are you okay? What's going on?" I lay on the ground in pain and held the phone against my ear. I listened to Patrick's voice for what may have the been last time.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled in pain. "I love you. Tell Pete I'm sorry. I didn't want it to end like this, Patrick, I swear. Tell the guys I love them. Tell Brendon, Sarah, and Dallon I enjoyed meeting them. And don't forget to tell Chloe, Summer, and Danni they were the best friends I ever had. I love you guys." I was hit with another blow to the stomach. I cried out in pain. The alley was dark. No one could see us. Aleah kicked me in the chest and I got the wind knocked out of me. Patrick's voiced yelled from the other end of the line. I couldn't speak. Something hard hit my head. I was seeing spots.

"Lyra? Ly, where are you? I'll come get you. I promise I won't let anything happen to you!" he was almost crying now. Kendall took my phone and put it on speaker.

"I hope you're saying your final goodbyes, slut," she said, loudly enough for Patrick to hear. "Even though I doubt anyone would care what happened to you, bitch." She kicked me in the stomach again and I cried out in pain.

"Get away from my daughter, you bitch!" Patrick's voice yelled from the phone. "Leave her alone!" He sounded angry.

"What are you gonna do? You don't even know where we are, Patrick." Kendall spat his name.

"Don't you dare say his name!" I screamed with all my might. "Alley! Frosties!" I needed to tell him where I was, but I could only use what I saw in my view. 

"I'm coming, Ly," Patrick cried. "I'll be there soon. Hold on." I screamed in pain as I was hit in the head again. They were really going to kill me. They were serious this time. And Patrick called me his daughter. I don't know how to feel about it. I always thought we had a brother/sister relationship, but I kind of like hearing someone call me their daughter. Kendall laughed and ended the call. 

"At least let me call one person," I said through the pain. "One more goodbye. Then you can do whatever you want to me and I won't put up a fight. I need to hear one more person's voice before you kill me. Please." She and Aleah shared a look.

"Fine, but I'm making the call and it's going on speaker," Kendall said. She opened my phone with the password I gave her and called the person I asked her to. The phone rang for barely a few seconds before he answered.

"Lyra?" Pete asked. It brought tears to my eyes. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay and Patrick has you."

"I can't make any promises, Pete," I cried loudly. "Don't ask questions. I can't answer them. Just talk to me, please."

"Lyra, you are going to be fine," Pete said. "We all love you more than you can imagine. You'll be okay. You'll come back home tonight and everything will go back to normal. We will never ask you anymore questions about your life in the orphanage. We will always protect you."

"I'm sorry, Pete," I cried. "That can't happen. It won't happen. I love you guys, too. I'm sorry it ended like this. Tell everyone I'm sorry and I love them. Be there for Patrick and be there for each other. You're going to need to be there for each other. Patrick will need you. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Pete." I screamed in pain as Aleah kicked me again. Pete's voice faded as Kendall ended the call.

"A deal was a deal," she smiled maliciously. I nodded. 

I was ready. I heard Patrick and Pete's voices for the last time. I was as satisfied as I could get. I knew they wouldn't let me talk to Joe and Andy now, so at least I talked to Patrick and Pete. I could die knowing they would be okay. They would never be perfectly fine, I knew that, but, with time, they would learn to be okay. They would learn to live without me. In the end, everything was going to be okay.

I finally blow to the head knocked me out. The world was black, but there was a faint light. Everyone always said there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't think I'd be in this position when I found the light. I figured I'd die at the hands of girls in the the orphanage, but never after being adopted by an amazing man, much less the lead vocalist of my favorite band. I didn't expect to have met my favorite people in the world before I died. This last week of my life had been better than I could ever have imagined. I just hoped Patrick would be able to move on. I know he'll never forget me, but he deserves happiness. I just hoped he would allow himself to be happy again.

The white light became much brighter. I was standing still at this point. I needed a minute. I knew I was at the end of my short life. People say life is short, but I never believed them. Now I do, though. My life lasted fourteen short years. In those fourteen years, I suffered more than a fourteen year old should have. But, in the end, my life turned pretty great. I found Patrick, who helped me find Pete, Andy, and Joe. Together, they gave me everything I needed. I was only with them for eight days, but it was the best eight days since my family died. I never thanked them properly, but they knew. They knew I loved them all. That was good enough for me.