Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III
Selected by L.M. Cole
I.
You memorize the lines that Pete sings so that you can sing along with him. You recite his lyrics like they are a prayer, like it’s not a coincidence FOB has the same amount of letters as GOD. The posters on your bedroom wall are nothing more than a shrine but your LiveJournal entries can’t compete with his.
II.
Your first Pete Wentz fanfiction is titled “Meeting Peter,” which matters, because you know Pete’s full name: Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III. You assume this makes you better than everyone else, as if you know him better than anyone else. He has a baby with Ashlee Simpson at some point - Bronx Mowgli - and all your friends expect you to be crushed. But you and Pete are both bisexual and you think she’s hot, so you just crush on Ashlee, too.
III.
It is the Xth time you have seen Fall Out Boy live, but this time you have found yourself in a meet and greet line. You snap one photo of Pete before a security guard shoves you along, the next fan in line taking their turn with the band. You briefly speak to Patrick, get Joe and Andy’s autographs, too. You’re forced to leave the show before Fall Out Boy goes on. They break up a week later. You cry.
IV.
You explore other hobbies and interests. Things you can do with Fall Out Boy playing in the background, because your love for Pete never really fades away. You find out they got back together while sitting in Sociology class, which matters, because you use your phone to post a Facebook status that reads: “Fall out boy is official and I'm in class shaking and trying not to scream and cry okay.”
V.
Suddenly you are the age Pete was when you first fell in love with him, and he’s still your type. You feel like you grew up with him, still relating to every lyric he has ever written. Relating more now than ever before. You take your partner to see Fall Out Boy live and halfway through the show, he leans down to whisper in your ear: “Fuck, I think I have a crush on Pete Wentz now, too.”
VI.
Your first Pete Wentz piece since childhood is this, which matters, because he’s still your celebrity crush. And you think his current partner is hot, too.
Melissa Martini (she/her) is the Founder & EIC of Moss Puppy Magazine. A Capricorn from New Jersey, Melissa received her Master’s in English with a focus in Creative Writing from Seton Hall University. Her debut chapbook, Faded Fur & Stripped Skin, was published by Bottlecap Press.