Fallen Kingdom

•Chapter 31• {~_~}

Shit.

"Hey, Ashlee..." I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Hi, Patrick," she sighs, "I think we should talk at some point..."

"Oh, um, sure. Yeah, let me give you my phone number..."

She smiles sadly, "Thanks..."

She hands me a pen, and I write it on her arm. Red pen against tanish skin. Inky pen, I hate those.

She nods sweetly and trudges off.

I sigh.

Making my way to the lunch room, sitting across from Bob and Hayley—who both are looking a bit nervously at each other.

"Patrick!" Hayley smiles.

"Hey, man." Bob actually smiles for once in his hardcore life.

"I'm back..." I say.

"Hey so um, we're, uh," Hayley awkwardly looks at Bob as she speaks.

He grabs her hand, I smirk.

"Bout time you two got together."

I chuckle at their both horrified, then relieved expressions.

"Why were nervous to tell me? It's a heterosexual relationship." I laugh more.

Bob glares at me, "Whatever."

Hayley snorts, "Okay now we just wait for-"

"WHAZZZZZUUUUUUUP!!!"

I turn around to see Frank bolting towards our table, Gerard looking in disappointment in the distance, walking slowly.

"Oh god." Hayley says.

Frank jumps, fucking jumps into the seat next to me. He whispers something to me, but it's loud enough where both Hayley and Bob can hear too.

"Hayley...Hayley, don't tell Patrick cause he'll get mad, but I'm really fucking drunk..." he laughs, then freezes in a drunk haze, "Wait, sorry wrong person."

He walks away from me and to Hayley, "Hayley, Hayley, don't tell Patrick but I'm re-"

"Frank!" Gerard groans.

Frank turns to him dumbly, "What?"

"Ugh!" Gerard sits him down next to me and sitting next to him on his either side, "Why the hell are you drunk? How??"

Frank laughs, "Ashley-"

"Oh Jesus." I mutter.

"-gave it to me. Said it heals pain." He chuckles.

"Fucking hell..."

"That little-"

"Who the fuck does she think she is?" Bob says.

———

Last period ends, and I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I answer it as I exit the school.

"Hey, Patrick?"

I sigh, and I stop walking. I sit down on a bench and answer her.

"Yeah...Ashlee."

"Can we meet somewhere? To talk?"

"Sure."

"How about chipotle?"

I snort, "Sure."

She chuckles and speaks in a soft voice, "sorry, I'm just really hungry..."

I laugh, "it's cool. I could use something to eat too."

"Meet in a half hour?"

I smile, "sounds perfect."

I hang up the phone and sigh, starting to make my way to Gerard's car. He's leaning against the side near the front on his phone, Frank sitting on the hood and kissing his neck.

"Ew."

Gerard looks up, "oh hush. You're acting like you and Pete never-"

Frank kicks him, "Gee..." he hisses.

Gerard gasps, "sorry, I didn't mean..."

I shake my head, "it's okay."

"Okay. Back to mine?" He offers.

"Actually Ashlee, Ashlee Simpson, wanted to meet at chipotle with me so we can talk." I say.

"Oh alright," Gerard opens his car door, "you want to come over after?"

I smile, "Yeah, totally."

"Just ring one of us, and we'll get you." Frank says.

I nod and duck into the car's backseat.

Frank reaches for the Nirvana CD as we start to drive off.

"No! Radiohead!" I yell.

He groans, "fucking no! It's my turn!"

"SHUT UP FRANK ITS MY DAMN TURN!!"

"NO ASSHOLE YOU DON'T RIGHTFULLY HAVE A TURN!"

Gerard speaks, "How about we listen to my music-"

"NO!!" Frank and I shout in unison.

"Fine..." Gerard mutters, "then we'll drive in silence."

"Fine." Frank says.

The car ride isn't too long, and before I know it, I'm hopping out of the car and waving Gerard and Frank goodbye. My shoes hit the pavement and I'm on my own to go talk to the girl my dead boyfriend cheated on.

Oh glory.

I'm still not in a well functioning headspace, and I can't believe I just said Pete was-

"Patrick!" I hear as I enter the building.

I smile as I see the body the voice is attracted to. Ashlee Simpson, dark hair and pale skin with glowing blue eyes and long eyelashes. She always seemed to be the kind of girl to be with a rebel like Pete. But she didn't deserve Pete, and Pete didn't deserve her; in some sort of odd way. Pete was too deep in his head, down with poetry and coffee, and anger issues with some traumatic love and affection. She was sweet, kind yet sour; needing a calm man it seemed, with caring yet selfish features.

"Hey, Ashlee!" I call out walk up to her.

"Nice to see you again. We, uh, we should get some food."

I nod with a smile.

"And you better not judge me and my huge burrito." She says and I laugh.

"Oh god, please. Don't judge me for my two burritos."

She laughs.

"Okay!"

We get our food, and sit back down at the table she grabbed. The mood shifts from comfortable and goofy to more serious.

"So I'm assuming this is about Pete." I mumble.

"Um, yes." She sighs.

"What were you thinking?"

She looks as though she's searching for the words in her head to speak on, a thinking face—yet doused in pain.

"I just wanted to ask some questions and clear some things up, as well as just touch base with you and talk about your friends and Brendon and Dallon and just how everyone's doing. I know it's hard." She says.

I smile weakly, "thank you for caring, Ashlee. It must be difficult for you too..."

She nods.

"Let's just talk, as two strangers. Stranger-friends." I chuckle.

She laughs lightly, and smiles, "I would love that."