The Do Over (Peterick)

four.

As Patrick arrives back home from the barber shop, Wendell and his mother are waiting for him in the kitchen. His mother gasps when he comes in the door, rushing over to get a closer look at his hair.

"Patrick Martin Stump, what did you do to your hair?" Patricia asks her son, crossing her arms as she waits for an answer.

When he doesn't come up with a response immediately, Wendell jumps in and saves him. "I like the colour, hun. It makes him look older and suits his personality. Besides, blondes have more fun, right, son?"

"Uh, yeah, for sure." Patrick says, and Wendell smiles at him. Although Patrick doesn't like that he's called him 'son,' Wendell did help him out. And Patrick recalls Wendell saving his ass more than a few times these next four years.

"I guess the colour does suit you pretty well." His mother mutters, ruffling his hair before sending him upstairs to get cleaned up and dressed for 'weekly work dinner,' which is where they all go eat at a high-end restaurant in Chicago with some of Wendell's co-workers.

He rushes up the stairs and drops his backpack on his bed, not worried about the homework he has. Patrick is a smart guy but usually struggles in any class that isn't history or English, both of which he takes the advanced courses in rather than normal. He is complete shit at any sort of math, and don't even get him started on science.

Patrick exchanges his ripped jeans, band tee, and Vans for a pair of navy slacks, a black button-up, a pair of black Cole Haan's, a navy bow tie, and a navy blazer. He also takes his contacts out and opts to wear his glasses since his eyes are hurting.

Just as he's adding his silver cuff links that have a black 'P' on them - he received them last Christmas from Wendell's mother - to finish his outfit off, his mother calls up to him. "Patrick, Joseph and Raymond are here! They're coming upstairs now, but we have to leave in twenty minutes!" Which is basically code for either 'get them the fuck out of here before we have to leave' or 'get them dressed to go with us.'

Patrick is fixing his hair in the mirror when Joe and Ray come in his room, both raising their eyebrows at the way he's dressed. "Weekly work dinner get moved to Monday nights?" Joe asks, and Patrick nods firmly, rolling his eyes when Joe moves to straighten his bow tie and button his blazer jacket to 'avoid creases.'

"Of fucking course. Just my luck, right? I don't suppose either of you would be down to put on some fancy ass clothes and come with?" He tries, and Ray snorts, shaking his head almost immediately.

"It's a no from me, sweetie." Ray says, so Patrick turns to Joe, who is already searching through Patrick's closet for something to wear.

"I knew I always liked you better, Trohman." Patrick smiles, and Ray flips them both off before going to join Joe, giving in and deciding to go with his stepbrother and his best friend.

They come up with two outfits similar to Patrick's. Joe's is grey instead of navy, and Ray's is black. While Ray wears all black down to his shoes, Joe instead chooses a white button-up under his grey suit. He also decides not to wear a tie, unbuttoning three buttons of his shirt.

They're both fixing their hair in the mirror when Patricia calls up the stairs again. "Boys, whoever's going, we're leaving now!"

All three of them shrug and walk down the stairs together. Patricia is dressed in a beautiful, tight black dress that has Patrick hitting Ray on the back of the head for staring too long. Wendell is in a simple suit but somehow makes it look more sophisticated than it should.

"We've got the whole crew tonight." Wendell says, a smile on his face as he ushers everyone out of the door. They head for Patrick's mother's black Range Rover, the one that Wendell bought her for Christmas.

"I really appreciate you guys coming with me to this dinner tonight." Patrick says, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he gets into the car. The other guys do the same before closing the doors on each side of Patrick.

"It's no problem, really. All we had to do was homework, anyways." Ray says, shrugging the fact that he has homework due tomorrow off.

"Homework?" Patricia asks, turning around to face them. It's times like these he hates that Wendell drives everywhere. The three boys avoid her stare, suddenly taking an interest in the Illinois scenery. "I'll expect all three of you to get on that when we arrive home."

"Fuck." Patrick mumbles, elbowing Ray, who just gives an apologetic look in response.

They arrive at the restaurant about ten minutes later. When they all get out of the car, Joe buttons Patrick's blazer back, rolling his eyes at Patrick's sideways smirk, indicating he'd forgotten.

"Where would I be without you, Joey?" Patrick jokes, wrapping one arm around Joe's shoulder and the other around his waist from behind. He feels Joe stiffen for a second before immediately relaxing and laughing it off.

As Patrick lets go, he realises he should probably quit touching Joe that much. he understands now why Joe had a crush on him.

The five of them enter the restaurant and are taken to the normal table they sit at every week. The only thing different this time, is that Pete, Hilary, and their parents are sitting at the table directly next to theirs.

What in the fuck is going on?

—

plot twist a lot of shit is different this go round patrick ol boy. u thought u had shit figured out but ya just keep fucking things up dontcha

also imagine joe .. he looking like a snacc rn in my mind thinkin bout him in them clothes😍