Wishes In The Dark - A Peterick Fanfiction

Eighteen

After a while I make my way downstairs and head back to the kitchen to get a drink. As I reach over the table for a glass, I feel a tap on my shoulder from behind. I spin round and see Chad trying to stay on his two feet right in front of me – clearly drunk.

"Hey Patrick," he says, his words slurring. "You're, uh, so....you're tight with Hayley, right?"

I frown slightly. "Uh...tight?"

"Buds. Pals. BFFLs. Ya know, partners in crime."

He playfully punches my shoulder. How drunk is he, exactly?

"Yeah..." I say slowly. Why is he talking to me? And why is he talking to me about Hayley?

"She's hot," he says. "Do you think she's hot?"

He thinks she's hot! I silently celebrate that my friend's crush has just admitted to finding her attractive, but hold back my joy and stay silent.

"Uh, sure," I say, so quietly he can't even hear me.

"Does she like me?" he asks.

"Uh, I don't know," I say. Then I decide, for some bizarre reason, to play matchmaker, and I say: "Why don't you ask her?"

Chad frowns, then his frown turns into a huge grin, as if he's seen paradise. "You're right! I'll ask her!"

Taking me completely by surprise, he pulls me into a hug and pats me on the back multiple times.

"You're the best, Pat," he says, and I smell the alcohol on his breath. "You rock."

I most certainly do not rock; I'm not a rockstar and I'm not associated with that sort of music. But I accept his drunk compliment and give him a smile.

After a while of standing next to Chad while he drunkenly tries to speak to me, I see Hayley stumbling through the door into the kitchen. The music is still loud as anything, and I'm pretty sure my ears will be ringing after this party. But it's exciting – this is my first ever party.

Hayley reaches over to get a drink, where Chad is, and he grins at her. She gives him a quick, shy smile and picks up a bottle of something.

"Hey," Chad says to her.

She almost does a double take. "Uh, hi," she says awkwardly. Funny how the presence of one person can make you completely lose the ability to speak confidently. For Hayley, that person is Chad. For me, it's Pete.

"Nice party," Chad grins.

"Oh," says Hayley, blushing. "Thanks."

"Your house is cool," Chad says. "Very...exquisite."

Hayley giggles. "I didn't know you knew that word."

"I know a lot of words," Chad grins.

"Like what?"

"Like... 'I', and 'like', and 'you'."

Trying to chat someone up with several bottles (or however much he's had) of alcohol swirling round inside you probably isn't the best idea.

Hayley blushes even more as Chad takes a step forward. As if it's impulsive, Hayley giggles again.

"Those are nice words," she says.

Chad looks serious now. He takes another step towards her, his hands firmly at his sides.

"I like you," he repeats.

Hayley stops giggling as Chad slowly places his hands on her hips. I think I see her flinch slightly, but that might have just been my imagination. Their faces inch closer together, and I imagine the pungent stench of alcohol on their breath with a grimace. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, I take a step back, and bump into someone behind me. I spin round to see Pete wobbling on his feet right behind me, his hair messed up and an alcoholic drink of some sort in his hand. He gives me a huge, welcoming grin and takes me by surprise by pulling me into a tight hug.

"Hey Patrick!" he exclaims. "I've missed you so much!"

He has no idea how much this warms my heart.

When the hug ends and my heart sinks, Pete ignores me and charges straight in between Chad and Hayley, throwing an arm around Chad.

"Hey Chad!" he grins, looking as though he's relying on Chad to keep him on his two feet. "How's my best bud doing?"

Hayley drinks more to look pre-occupied. Chad frowns at Pete angrily.

"Trying to get a date with a pretty girl," he snaps. "And I'm not your best bud."

"Aww, c'mon!" grins Pete, patting him on the back. "Why can't we be buds?"

"We've never been buds." Chad sounds sober, but he can't have sobered up that quickly.

Pete thinks to himself for a moment, before saying, "Yeah, I guess you're right." He then laughs briefly and pats Chad on the back again, before taking his arm away from him. "How times change, huh."

What is he talking about?

"You done, faggot?" snaps Chad.

I hear a reaction from the crowd of sixth-years that has gathered in the room, and Pete freezes. Hayley's disappeared now.

"What did you just call me?" Pete asks quietly.

Anxious butterflies make a home in my stomach.

"I called you a faggot," repeats Chad bluntly.

Pete stares Chad down and puts his drink down on the countertop, not even blinking.

"Isn't that a bit hypocritical, Gilbert?"

Chad suddenly blushes and looks round awkwardly. What does Pete mean by 'hypocritical'? What is going on?!

Pete suddenly perks up and a grin returns to his face. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving now, and I've moved on."

Chad glares at him. Making my heart skip a beat, Pete grabs my wrist and lifts my arm up high, as if we are victorious.

"PATRICK!" Pete yells. "Patrick! Patrick! Patrick!"

I frown at him. What is he doing? I've always loved it when he says my name, but this time it's slightly unnerving. He's drunk as anything – and now he's repeating my name over and over again. I am so confused.

I see some faces in the crowd start laughing and snickering to each other, and I feel a rush of embarrassment. Pete...please stop...

"PATRIIIIIIIICK," shouts Pete.

"Y-yes?" I respond sheepishly.

"Hi," he says.

"Um...hi?" I say back.

What is he doing?! And why won't he let my arm go?!

Pete looks me dead in the eyes and says seriously: "I love you."

He takes my breath away. He loves me?!

"Yes, I love you," he says, less serious this time but still serious. "I love you more than the moon, and the stars, a-and the universe..."

All these little words...I feel like my dreams are coming true, but I know that he's drunk and won't remember a thing in the morning. It's painful, but it's a beautiful pain; at least he said that stuff in the first place.

"Anyway," Pete says. "Let's get outta here. Let's go home."

He leads me out the house, keeping a hold of my wrist.