Ch. 13

Courtney *POV*

* 1 Year After Courtney Leaves*

"Yeah okay... Yep... Okay, Mo- I got it... Alright! Love you- bye," I quickly closed my phone. God my mom could go on for hours!

I was taking my usual morning walk around the campus. I usually grab a cup of coffee and just get lost in thought. I took a sip of my coffee and approached my student mail box. I grabbed the few letters and spam mail lying in the small compartment and shut it again. I was flipping through when a bright purple note caught my eye. It said:

Dear Student, you received a package too big for the mail box. Go to the mail room located in building 201 to pick up your package.

Huh? I wonder what that could be. Maybe Gerard sent me another trinket from some venue he played at. If you were still wondering, yes, I am still dating Gee. Before I left I told him my plan and he fully supported my choices. He said I had the right to pursue my goals and that I shouldn't let him hold me back. I just think he was happy I wasn't going to be sharing a small apartment with four other dudes. I smiled at the thought.

After about 30 minutes of wondering around the campus and asking for directions I found the mail room. I pulled out my ear buds and walked up to the desk, there was no one there. I peeked over the desk to check if anyone was bent down, still no. Then I noticed a little note that read, "Press Me For Service". I went ahead and pressed it then heard a thump come from the back.

"Be right with you!" I voice called from the back room. Then a guy popped his head out, he had a big teethe grin. His hair was parted and slightly falling in front of his face, which was framed with glasses. He walked up to the counter carrying a little box, he set it down and fixed his hair, pushing it to the side. He took a breath then turned his attention back to me, "Can I help you? Well, of course I can, that's why you're here," he said, answering his own question.

"Yeah... I receive one of these," I said producing the purple slip from my backpack, "I'm here to pick up a package." He took the slip and inspected it as if he was checking if it was legit. Why would anyone want to forge a mail room notice?

"Alrighty, everything seems to be statutory. What would your legal birth name be?" he asked.

"Well some people call me MC Wizzie, but my name is Courtney Parker."

"So Parker comma Courtney?" he asked with a straight face, not much fun. I nodded and he disappeared into the back once more. I wonder what Gerard sent me this time? Maybe another teddy bear I can keep on my bed? Oooo or some weird candy he found from some bizarre store? When the boy came back he was looking down at the two packages in his hands. "There seemed to be two parcels with the name Courtney Parker on them. Did you fail to receive two slips?" he asked concerned.

I looked through my pile of envelopes, "Uhh yeah, I only got one. Sorry."

"Oh no need for apologize. It was the faulty mail system that is at fault here. I promise I will look into it and personally discipline the person responsible," he said furrowing his brow.

"Uhhh, no that's alright. The main thing is that I got my package," I said giving him a shaky smile. This guy was starting to freak me out. "By the way, what is your name?"

"Edmond Nigma, but my friends call me Ed," he said smiling.

"Ohh, well bye Ed," I quickly turned and exited the building. Freaky.

I hurried back to my dorm to open my packages. I opened the door, threw down my backpack, and dropped onto my bed with my two packages. One was a small box wrapped with brown paper. The tag said it was from Rohde Island, interesting. I ripped it open and read the little white card tapped to the top of the box. It said:

Hey Sugar, how's it going in the land of sun and botox? Hope you're having a fun time at college. You'd better be, considering I haven't seen you in months! Anyway hope this finds you in such a good mood I found it in. Love you!

-Gerard

I smiled and opened the small dark purple box. Sitting in the middle was a ring with a little black rose sitting on top. The actual ring was a beautiful swirling copper design of vines and leaves. I slipped the ring on and held my hand out in front of me, it was beautiful!

Then my eyes drifted to the other mysterious package that came for me. I picked up the medium sized manila folder and red the white sticker, it said it was from Chicago! It's from the guys! After I left we fell out of contact since the guys were so busy with their music and me with college. My eyes went wide, as well as my smile, I hadn't heard from them in months! I quickly flipped the folder over and ripped the flap open. I slid my hand in and pulled out a random CD and a note card. The CD had "TTTYG DEMO" sprawled on the top with a sharpie, I recognized the messy handwriting it was Patrick's. My smile softened as I put the CD down and grabbed the small note. The writing matched the kind on the CD, the whole package must be rom Patrick. He wrote:

Hey Courtney, it's been real long since we last talked, too long. I mean, these guys drive me crazy without you here to keep them in check. Anyway, I hope you are having a fun time in college. We are having a pretty surreal time out here in Chicago, our record is finally done. I managed to swipe a demo for you, cause I know you wanted to hear it. Wish you were here with us when we were recording. I just didn't feel the same without you here. So we wrote you a song and it made its way onto the record. We decided to call it "Homesick at Space Camp". I hope you like it. It should be about track 5 so be ready when it comes on. Well, that's all I've got so you stay away from drugs and those crazy parties! and stay in school!

-Always Yours, Patrick Stump

I couldn't help but chuckle, he signed his full name, what a dork. So this CD is their new album, I'll have to write back and ask when it comes out. I hopped off my bed and walked over to my boom box. I pressed down on the lid and it popped open. I took out my MxPx CD and replaced it with the demo. I pressed play and laid back down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The first song was raw and angry, I loved it. I could tell that this song was written for Allie, some of the lines came form that poem Patrick wrote back in high school. The second was cool too, but nothing really special. It was the next one that sent chills down my spine. It opened up soft and quiet, it was just Patrick's soft little voice, his words echoed in my head:

Where is your boy tonight?
I hope he is a gentleman
And maybe he won't find out what I know
You were the last good thing about this part of town

My eyes were the size of saucers and I was frozen. This song... it can't be. How many songs have played? I quickly went back and tried to count, I don't know? This has to be the song Patrick was talking about! Oh my god. I kept listening:

When I wake up
I'm willing to take my chances on
The hope I forget that you hate him more than you notice
I wrote this for you

You need him
I could be him
I could be an accident but I'm still tryin'
And that's more than I can say for him

Where is your boy tonight?
I hope he is a gentleman
And maybe he won't find out what I know
You were the last good thing about this part of town

Someday I'll appreciate in value
Get off my ass and call you
In the mean time I'll sport my brand new fashion
Of waking up with pants on at four in the afternoon

The song ended and my hand was over my mouth. The phrase played over and over in my head, "Where is your boy tonight, I hope he is a gentleman - you were the last good thing about this part of town." But-but this song, it's an angry love song. Is-is he telling me he wants me back? My heart started to race, I quickly pressed the rewind button. I listened to it over 2 or 3 times, it has to be. What else could it mean? Who else could this be for? My stomach felt fuzzy, "He loves me," I said softly to myself.

Hey guys! Did you know that Grand Theft Autumn was actually about Courtney? Crazy right, what a coincidence! *cough cough* So I hope you liked the chapter, if ya did leave a comment. If you didn't, I hope you finish you drink only to find a dead spider lying at the bottom on the mug/cup. JK... maybe. Anywhore... Thnks Fr Rdng!