Six Feet Under the Stars

"Fuck off, Alex" Jack groaned as he chucked a pillow at his roommate who was sitting cross-legged against the wall opposite the brunette's bunk.

"Come on," Alex whined back, "You have to come. Zack said that some boys from town are coming, and they're supposed to be super cool. Plus, Pete and Patrick's new band is gonna play. You can't miss their first first gig."

The second week of school had just ended, and Zack was having a back to school party in his dorm's common space (how they weren't going to get busted by teachers and preps, Alex had no idea, but he was pretty sure Zack paid them all off). Honestly, Alex wasn't much of a partier himself, but he had been told that there would be booze and cute boys, so he figured that he might as well take his chances and go. He had really been hoping Jack would go with him though, if only so he didn't wind up sitting in a corner alone. Alex had some social issues, which was probably the main reason he wasn't much of a partier.

Jack sighed deeply as he rolled onto his back and replied, "Dude, I fucking told you I'm not going. I'm exhausted, I have to write three pages for Mr. Sykes's class, and my nose feels like its constipated. I wouldn't go to a party tonight if fuckin' Green Day was playing."

Alex rolled his eyes before responding, "You're no fun, Jack. Its the first party of the year, and you're gonna stay in your room and write a British history paper."

"And I'm gonna pass the class," Jack retorted, "And anyway, I'm the funnest person you've ever met. Just not when I'm sick.

"Whatever," Alex sighed as he got up and walked over to the full-length mirror that hung on the wall next to the door, checking his fringe and surveying his outfit, torn jeans, a worn out Sublime shirt, and scuffed up checkered Vans, one last time, deciding at the last minute to tie a bandana around his neck. "I'll just go hang out with all the cool kids," Alex continued with a slight smirk as he turned back around to face Jack, who was lying face down on Alex's bed (he had complained that getting into the top bunk was too much effort).

"Again," Jack replied, voice muffled by the pillow, "I'm the coolest motherfucker you've ever met in your entire life."

Alex chuckled as he walked towards the door, and as he left the room, he called over his shoulder, "Definitely."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The party was going exactly as Alex had feared. After initial greetings and introductions to the kids from town (Frank, Gerard, Bert, Jesse, William, Brendon, and Ryan), Alex had retreated to a corner with just a bottle of beer for company. No one really tried to talk to him, and if he was being honest, he didn't blame them. He was the new, awkward kid, and they had all known each other for at least a year. He probably would've ignored him too if the situation was reversed.

Alex felt a slight tap on his shoulder and jumped a little bit in surprise. Turning his head, Alex saw the freshman, Robert, standing beside him.

"Sorry," the younger boy muttered, ducking his head and hiding behind his bangs, "I didn't mean to startle you. You just looked kind of lonely, I guess."

Alex smiled at the teen's awkwardness and said, "Its okay, dude. I just wasn't expecting it. I was lonely though, you got that much right."

Robert peeked back up at Alex through his brown hair and said, "Why aren't you talking to anyone, anyway? Everyone here likes you, and you seem like a pretty social person to me."

Alex shrugged, looking around the room. "I guess I just get shy sometimes," he replied as he surveyed the kids around him, talking and laughing, "I mean, it'd be better if all these other guys weren't here and it was just us, Zack, Pete, and Pat. I just can't get comfortable around new people easily."

Robert nodded, "I know what you mean. I always feel kind of useless in conversations, y'know? Like I have nothing interesting to contribute."

Alex looked back at the freshman then and said, "I get that too. But honestly, you're a pretty interesting person in my opinion."

Robert smiled a little at that and replied, "Thanks."

Alex grinned back and then took a drag from his beer bottle before looking across the room to where Pete and Patrick were setting up a makeshift stage. "It looks like the band is gonna start soon," he commented, watching as Pete kicked over a mic stand and nearly knocked Patrick off the platform.

"They're gonna be awesome" Robert sighed, "Have you ever heard Pat play guitar? I swear, he's like Jesus with six strings."

Alex chuckled and set his beer down on the ground as Patrick stepped up to the microphone and gave it a quick tap to make sure that it was on. To Alex's surprise, he stepped back almost immediately and let Pete take the mic.

"Since Patty here is shy," Pete said into the microphone, smirking playfully at the already blushing Patrick, "I'm here to say that we are Fall Out Boy, and welcome to our first ever gig. You're about to witness history, boys."

Everyone in the room cheered collectively, raising their drinks above their head. Patrick walked back up to the mic and muttered, "This one's called Honorable Mention," and then launched into the song, singing and playing guitar as Pete hammered his bass and the two town kids, Joe and Mike, played their guitar and drums.

"I served out my detention, and in the end I got an honorable mention..." Patrick sang, surprisingly quietly in contrast with the instrumental chaos happening in the background.

Alex turned back to Robert, who was still standing in the corner with a look of amazement on his face as he watched the performance, and held out a hand, saying, "May I have this dance?"

Robert smiled largely at Alex then, and nodded, walking up to the older boy and taking his hand. "Quick warning," he said once he got next to the blonde, "I have no idea how to dance."

Alex laughed and replied, "That's okay. Neither do I."

They quickly made their way over to the group of friends and Zack turned to Alex and said, "Hey, look who's finally decided to socialize. I was about to go and drag you over here."

Alex replied with a, "Fuck off, Merrick," but he laughed as he did so. He didn't know what had changed his mood around so quickly, but it was probably the music. Shows always made him unreasonably happy.
Suddenly, Brendon yelled, "Open up this pit," and then ran into the newly formed opening with Ryan as they started swinging each other around, ring-around-the-rosie style.

Alex grabbed Robert's arm and pulled him into the 'pit' as well, and they started bumping off each other like idiots. Somehow everyone else joined in, and they had formed the most pathetic, but also most fun, moshpit of the century.

"I can be your John Cusack," Patrick sang, smiling now as he looked down at his idiot friends.

The song ended, and the group stopped to catch their breath, high fiving each other and cheering for the band. Alex wrapped Robert up in a huge hug and said, "Now, wasn't that fun."

The freshman nodded against the sophomore's shoulder and replied, "Fuck yeah."

Alex gasped, "I've never heard you swear before. I think you're gonna need to go pray for forgiveness for at least an hour now."

Robert just laughed in response, and that was the first time Alex heard his laugh, his real, unafraid laugh. He liked it.

"Okay, everyone," Pete called from the microphone, "That was good, but lets make this one even better. I like to call this one, 'Pretty in Punk'"

"Walking off the stage tonight..." Patrick started to sing, and the group started acting like idiots again.

Somehow, Frank had gotten on top of the platform and, ignoring Gerard yelling at him to get down and that he wasn't going to help if he broke his leg again, yelled, "Stage dive!" He was damn lucky Zack was a football player, because he was definitely the only one capable of catching Frank.

Alex looked to his left again and saw that Robert was laughing again, happiness all over his face, which made Alex happy too. The younger teen was always so reserved, always afraid to show his emotions, always so shy about everything and Alex was glad to see him genuinely happy.

Suddenly, Alex wrapped his arms around Robert's waist, and lifted the brunette up and called out, "Crowdsurf!", in response to which everyone gathered around and took Robert and carried him up to the stage on his back.

"I'm not the way you think I am, no," Patrick sang as Robert landed on the stage, looking slightly frightened but still happy. He looked into the crowd, and Zack nodded at him, making the freshman jump off the stage and nearly knock the football player over.

Alex laughed way too hard watching his friends struggle to right themselves, and in that moment he really was surrounded by the coolest people he had ever met.

Robert came stumbling back over to Alex, getting clapped on the back by William, Bert, and Jesse on the way over, and practically collapsed on the blonde in a fit of giggles. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever done," he laughed.

"And also probably one of the funnest," Alex replied, wrapping one arm around the brown haired boy.
Just then, Patrick finished singing the final, "I'm not the way you think I am, no," of the song, and Pete walked back up to the microphone to shout, "You guys are the craziest motherfuckers I've ever seen, and I love all of you."

Alex laughed again and then raised his (now warm) beer above his head, and yelled, "To being alive!"
As everyone else cheered in response, Alex looked down at Robert and smiled. That freckled spattered face and those brown eyes grinned back up at him.

Notes