Work Text:
(this is an au where fall out boy just started out in 2007, the band members are all late teenagers and still in high school so the timeline is different compared to reality, obviously.)
( 6AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
the alarm he had previously set the night before blared out at 6am on the dot, ringing out throughout max’s bedroom.
it was the annual autumn fair where they raise money for the high school, and max had volunteered to help run the stalls. he began to volunteer for school events since he was trying to up his GPA, his grades weren’t getting any higher and it was his last year until graduation.
max opened his eyes, turned to his side, and slammed the alarm clock with his fist to get it to stop ringing.
he turned back, facing the ceiling.
he had to be at school by 7:30, so he didn’t have much time to waste.
he begrudgingly got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, he had plans on showering the night before but he had got distracted so he had to wake up a little earlier to fit a shower in his morning routine.
( 6:47AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max set his hairspray on the lid of the toilet, teasing his hair slightly with his hairbrush. he had noticed how his natural brown roots were growing over his black hair, mentally noting to get his best friend to deal with that.
( 7:03AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max headed through the hallway of the small apartment into the kitchen, where he opened the fridge to see a couple tomatoes and beer. his dad was seemingly always at work, or just never home.
he shut the fridge and got a glass from the cupboard, turning the sink tap on and getting a glass of water and chugging it.
( 7:14 AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max looked in the mirror for the last time, adjusting the strap of his jansport backpack.
he turned off the small apartment hallway light and opened the front door, stepping out into the cold array of apartment doors.
( 7:21AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
he walked through the blocks of apartments, stepping on leaves as he went.
thankfully he didn’t live too far from the school, and the teachers were already used to him coming in late. (or just not showing up at all.)
( 7:36AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max arrived at his school, walking towards his locker quickly. the school was relatively empty due to the fact that only teachers and volunteers were around since classes actually began at 8:50.
he opened his locker to find a note, which he assumed was from mikey.
mikey way was the school hotshot, he flung himself towards any girl (and guy) who would give him a shot. max was drunk at a school party and unfortunately let mikey have his way, and now he wouldn’t let it go. his brother gerard way was friends with max, he was more quiet compared to his brother.
“i didn’t think you would actually show up!” a familiar voice rang out behind max.
max snickered, turning around to face them.
“yeah taylor, me neither.” max grimaced.
taylor was one of his best friends. she was always in on the school gossip and always had the best information on everyone in their school.
“what is that in your hand?” taylor reached out to grab the note, but max quickly reflexed back.
“probably something from mikey.” max muttered, facing his locker again.
taylor stayed silent for a second, before speaking up.
“you mean mikey way? gerard’s brother?” she asked hesitantly.
“yeah?” max turned back to face taylor, visibly confused.
before taylor could respond, another voice came from behind the pair. max turned around to face andy biersack, who he honestly could not stand.
andy and taylor were an on and off thing.
he was a total asshole to everybody and was so bratty, he had absolutely no idea what taylor could see in him.
but at the end of the day, she was really just like him. (but actually bearable!)
“sorry max, i think i actually have to skip the fair thing today. good luck with whatever you’re doing!” taylor had sucked back up to andy again, unsurprisingly.
(maybe he should retract the bearable statement.)
( 7:51AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max was helping set pumpkins on the tables with a boy called patrick, apparently he had just moved to the school and was going to perform at the fair with his band.
max didn’t really ask him too many questions because quite frankly, he didn’t really give a shit.
( 8:24AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
the gymnasium was finally fully set up for the fair set at noon.
max and patrick had swapped myspace ids, and max had promised to be there for his bands set at the fair. he didn’t really plan on keeping his promise.
( 8:32AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
people were beginning to fill the hallways around the school and max was debating if he should just bunk school for the day, which was incredibly tempting.
taylor was talking to him as they walked through the halls, muttering things about andy and about the upcoming fair. he wasn’t really paying attention until she subtly mentioned patrick.
“sorry tay, could you repeat that?” max stopped to a halt, facing his friend.
taylor rolled her eyes, “the new kid patrick formed this band called fall out boy, and apparently it’s huge on myspace… but honestly i’ve never heard of them.”
max thought about it, he did recall patrick mentioning that he’s seen many people with this song they wrote on their profiles and how it felt ‘like an ongoing blowjob was finally reaching release’. (?)
“i spoke to patrick, his band are doing a set at the fair in the gymnasium later. he made me promise that i’ll be there but im not so sure.” max scratched his head, looking behind taylor, meeting eyes with his other friend vic.
“i mean if they’re gonna be the next rock band to hit the scene, then we gotta be there right? i mean i was already gonna be watching the sets because andy and his band are gonna be performing.” taylor leaned against a random locker and faced max as she replied.
“mmm. maybe.” max remained his monotone expression, but mentally he was considering it.
( 11:10AM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
it was the last class of the day, since the day was halved for the fair.
max rested his head against his desk, facing the window which gazed upon the woods next to the school.
he didn’t have any friends he actually enjoyed speaking to in his modern studies class, so he either actually paid attention to the lesson or slept through it. his modern studies teacher was an old man who never really cared, it was obvious he was too old to care and that he just wanted that minimum wage so he could eventually retire. which was respectable.
he sat back up and looked around the classroom, his eyes stopped at the new kid patrick.
patrick was speaking to another boy who sat in front of him, who was also new.
his name was pete wentz, taylor had subtly mentioned him whilst on her tyrant earlier in the morning.
whilst max was thinking, pete locked eyes with max… and gave him the nastiest glare imaginable.
( 12:03PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
the lesson was over and the school day was finally at an end, max was only walking towards his locker when he heard his name get called from behind him.
he turned around to face his friend vic, who he saw earlier.
“hey dude!” vic dapped max up, before patting his back affectionately.
“heeyyy! what’s going on with you vic!” max stepped back and grinned.
“are you gonna go to the fair? i think danielle is volunteering and i wanna make a good impression, you know?” vic rolled his shoulders and met max’s eyes.
“man it’s so obvious she likes you! just go up and talk to her. you both keep posting statuses about each other and you’ve both admitted to your friends that it’s about each other. man up dude!” max heard that last part from taylor, obviously.
“okay. im gonna do it. you better be there man!” vic slapped max on the shoulder before joining the crowd heading towards the gymnasium.
( 12:15PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max walked into the school gym, immediately heading towards the door to the theatre at the end. some britney spears impersonator was currently performing and as much as max wasn’t interested, he knew that’s where taylor would be.
as soon as he entered the theatre and inspected who was sitting on the seats, he saw taylor making out with somebody who was not andy.
he walked up the seating steps and snuck up towards taylor and the mystery culprit, and snapped a picture of the pair with his digicam.
instantly the pair broke up and jumped back, taylor fearfully and hastily looking up towards the mystery photographer.
when she met eyes with max she calmed down, but the mystery culprit was already out of sight.
max was unsure if he actually liked taylor as a friend or if he only liked her as an informant.
( 12:27PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
the terrible britney spears impersonator was finally off the stage and another band began to set up. max was not paying attention until loud guitar was booming through the shitty school speakers and taylor began to squeal next to him.
he turned towards the stage and that’s when he saw andy and his band playing. of course.
( 12:50PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
andy and his group of hypocrites were finally done making their racket and finally left the stage.
surprisingly his band had actually amassed a small crowd, and he recognised a couple faces in the crowd.
another band started to set up on stage and that’s when max’s eyes met the back of pete wentz head. this new kid was also already in a band.
whilst glaring at pete wentz, taylor piped up next to him.
“i think it’s that myspace band now! im actually kinda interested to hear their stuff.” taylor muttered as she leaned towards max.
“interesting.” max replied.
the new band were nearly set up, and max glanced around to see that they had amassed an appallingly big crowd. maybe they were a big deal.
max and taylor were talking casually before being interrupted by someone speaking over the microphone.
“good afternoon everybody, we are so grateful to be able to perform for all of you. and as always, we are fall out boy. hit it!”
max snapped his head towards the stage and saw patrick speaking through the microphone. no wonder him and pete were talking in class earlier, they were in the same band!
it seemed to be a two piece band as of then, pete being on drums and patrick doing vocals and guitar. no bass.
the crowd were loud and enthusiastic for them, which surprised max.
before they were finished their set max and taylor decided to leave the theatre to beat the rush.
whilst back in the gymnasium, max spotted vic and danielle hanging out at the baked goods stall. how sweet!
( 1:21PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
the fair didn’t officially end till well after 4pm, but max didn’t feel the need to stay much longer. he said his farewell to taylor and left the school.
on his walk back to his dads apartment, he remembered the note from mikey in his pocket.
max scrunched the paper up and threw it onto the road.
( 1:39PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max shut the front door behind him, walking through the small apartment hallway into the kitchen.
he chucked his backpack down onto the counter and got another glass of water.
afterwards he headed into his bedroom and turned on his laptop, logging onto his myspace and MSN.
he was checking all his usual things and accepting friend requests when he noticed that pete wentz had sent him a friend request on myspace.
he clicked onto his profile and was instantly hit with loud blaring music, it was a song that he had heard his band perform earlier in the afternoon.
without thinking too much into it, he accepted the friend request and moved on. he shut his laptop and set it aside onto the floor, before falling back onto his bed.
it was finally fall break, he had two weeks off of school. he decided to go for a nap.
( 9:55PM , Friday , 30th October , 2007 )
max reluctantly opened his eyes, his room was pitch black. he must’ve had a very long nap since it was dark outside.
he sat upwards and leaned beside his bed and reached around the floor to find his laptop, he picked it up and set it on his lap.
he opened his laptop and basically got blinded by the blue light. he logged into his myspace, he had a couple unopened messages which he decided to combat first.
the name that caught his eye in his message list was pete wentz.
he clicked onto his name and the messaging tab loaded up. max blinked twice as he read the message.
5:35pm: “hey. i saw you @ my bands set at the fall fair thing. i hope you liked what you heard.”
?????
?????
?????
max didn’t forget the horrible glare that pete had given him only a few hours before the fair. what could’ve made him switch up so quickly?
max was still too tired to think properly, he just automatically typed a response with his keyboard.
9:56pm: “hey. it was cool. keep up with ur stuff.”
max clicked off his messages with pete and went onto his messages with taylor.
2:45pm: “hey max. just remembered about that photo u took earlier. could u delete? thx!”
3:03pm: “not in a weird way ofc. thx!”
3:17pm: “mistakes happen, and that was a mistake.”
okay. taylor was kind of a hypocrite. but even if he did end up showing that picture to andy, he wouldn’t of cared. he does the same thing after all.
teenage romance. endearing.
he was about to shut his laptop when he heard the myspace message notification, and was gawked to see it was pete wentz.
10:01pm: “thanks, it means loads for us as an upcoming band. and for me.”
and for me?
max reread the message again and again, before quickly typing something back.
10:02pm: “of course! <3”
max scratched his head and finally shut his laptop, setting it back on the floor.
he had napped for so long but he still felt so tired.
he got back under his duvet and surprisingly fell back asleep quick.
( 2:23AM , Saturday , 31st October , 2007 )
max woke up with a pounding headache.
he got up and rushed to the bathroom, where the bent over the toilet and threw up.
that wasn’t a good start to halloween.
he sat on the bathroom floor and leaned back against the wall, staring at the flickering fluorescent light above him.