The Kids Aren't Alright // Fall Out Boy

2

September 14, 2014

Four guys sat in the a studio. One with curly hair and a guitar on his lap. Joe. One with a pair of glasses resting on his nose. Patrick. One with tattoos covering his body. Andy. And finally, one who was very obviously in deep thought. Pete.

"We should open that box." Andy suggested. They had gotten a package a couple days previous and were told to open it as soon as possible. The fact that they hadn't done so yet, made them guilty. To whom they were guilty to, they had no idea.

The others in the room agreed and pulled it out from under a table cluttered with bags of fan made items and letters. They carefully opened the box and was met with a note card that read: To Fall Out Boy and only Fall Out Boy

They moved the note and pulled everything out of the box. Sitting on top of the pile, were five envelopes tied in a neat stack with a thin red ribbon. Underneath that, many notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, and anything along those lines.

Each of the five envelopes said something different on it. Andy. Pete. Patrick. Joe. Fall Out Boy.

Without a word said, each of the boys picked up their respective envelope and opened them gently. Patrick was the first to start reading.

Dear Patrick,

Thank you. You're angelic voice calmed me down countless times. You put a faint smile on my face whenever I see you happy. Thank you for being exactly who you are and doing what you've done.

Unfortunately, when your voice got quieter, my screams got louder. You kept me going for so long. I was simply not strong enough. Other people are. Don't bring yourself down. Use your voice to help those who are stronger.

Other Kids Aren't Alright

Veleda

Andy read carefully :

Dear Andy,

Thank you. Thank you for being one of the most unique people I've ever laid my eyes on. You always seem so genuinely happy and remembering that always helped to make me smile.

Thank you for being as joyous as you are. Use it to save the weak and bring up the strong.

Other Kids Aren't Alright

Joe, near tears, read:

Dear Joe,

Thank you for being the perfect balance of recklessness and caution. You are a star in a sky of broken lights. Never go out. Burn like a sun until your breath stops. And even then, you'll linger.

Keep shining and I promise you, some of those broken lights will glow again.

Save the other kids. Those broken lights.

Veleda

And finally, Pete, who was letting out gallons of tears, read:

Dear Pete,

I'm so sorry. Thank you but it was never enough. One day when we meet, I'll show you just how sorry I am. Please, for me, turn your sadness into inspiration and help our time's young.

Don't you know that the kids aren't alright?

Veleda

The band members were all flustered and in shock. They expected it to be a package of fan art from a fan but they were so very wrong. Patrick was the first to reach for the envelope addressed to the whole band. He slid his thumb underneath the seal, careful not to rip it. He slid out a folded up paper with tear stains on it that the other papers did not have. After gently unfolding it Patrick read aloud:

Dear Fall Out Boy,

If you have not already read the letters with your individual names on it, please do that first.

You see, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm dead. They say it's a suicide but it was not. This was the act of mental murder. It was being stabbed by society from the inside out. However, I'm dying with pride. I refuse to leave without a legacy. I'm only 18 just before graduating and at that point in my life, there's not as big of an impact with my passing as there will be as I pass this package to you. I want you to use everything in here to create something. Use it to create my legacy. Make sure that it's used to save lives.

Now that I've given you your task, I want to thank you.

You've kept me alive for so long but society's knife cut through the barrier that you held up. If this makes you feel like this is your fault, stop. If it was your fault, I wouldn't be writing the following paragraph.

Thank you so much. Thank you for taking weight off of my shoulders when it was too heavy to the point where I couldn't walk. Thank you for giving me something to focus on when my thoughts were flying too fast to read. Thank you for telling me that everything was going to be okay. Thank you for telling the truth. Because everything is okay. I left with a spark and I think I can trust you enough to know that you'll take that spark and make it burst into a beautiful, burning, flame.

I loved you to the end of my days and I'll love you to your ends and after. In the end, I'd do it all again. I think you're my best friend. Save who you can with my death. Other kids need it.

Don't you know that the kids aren't alright?

With more love than you could ever imagine, Veleda.

With seas of tears and a heavy heart, Pete muttered to the air, "I'm gonna save you Veleda."