Take Your Tears, Put 'Em On Ice

~ T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N ~

~Thursday; 5th of December 2019~

~ P-E-T-E ~

"Oh Peeeeeeteeerrrr!" Brendon stumbled down the hallway towards my locker. I looked over at Ryan, who just shugged.

"Bren, did you get high before school again?" I closed my locker and raised an eyebrow.

"Me? Oh nonono I wouldn't do that." His words were quick and almost pointed. "I'm just in a looooooooot of pain right now and I'm trying to laugh it off!" He laughed and began crying. "It really fucking hurts..." he leaned against the lockers and began to show favour in his right foot.

Ryan gasped and knelt down, gently feeling Brendon's ankle. "You sprained it. What happened?" My eyes widened and I looked back at my best friend. The one day he tells me he wants to walk to school instead of me pick him up.

"Just tripped and fell," Brendon wiped his tears with his jacket sleeves. I knew there was more to the story, and by the way Ryan looked at Brendon, he knew as well. Neither of us pressed on.

"Well alright. Let's get you to the nurse," I slid my arm under his shoulders and he leaned on me. We began making our way down the hall with Ryan following behind. My phone began ringing with a special tune for a special person so I stopped walking and looked back. "Hey Ry, can you answer that? It's Patrick, back left pocket."

He got out my phone and answered it as we began walking again.

"Hey Patrick!

He's right here, but he's a little busy at the moment.

No no things are fine! Brendon sprained his ankle so we're going to the nurse. Is it something I could help with?

From Lilac and where? Yeah." He began rambling off directions that ended at the school. "Oookaaaay talk to ya later my child." He hung up the call and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

It felt weird and I laughed. "God Ryan, if you wanna touch some ass, grab your boyfriend's. He's right there!" Ryan's face grew red and he became flustered. The bell rang and Brendon managed to convince Ryan to go to class. I had Brendon sit on the small couch in the nurse's office, but he made me stay. I wasn't arguing, biology without your partner sucked.

"Alright Mr. Urie, what's the excuse this time?" Nurse Ingram sighed with a smirk.

"A sprained ankle," I replied for him. She looked up at me with slight surprise before kneeling down next to him. She ran her fingers over the injury, her face changing to one of concern.

"Oh, it's pretty swollen," She quickly stood and rushed to her desk. She left the room after grabbing a set of keys and her cellphone. Brendon looked at me with worry.

"Hey, it's alright," I reassure him. He shook his head and let out a sigh.

"Pete, it's sprained. We have a game the this Saturday. What if I can't play?" He began to panic. I haven't seen him panic since the party where a thing that was previously mentioned happened and thought he ruined our friendship. I sat down next to him and put my hands on his shoulders.

"Then you won't play. You're a forward, and we have extra players. We just can't really spare a goaltender as Steven is just a little too young or until Oliver gets back, and even then I'm not sure he'll be allowed on the team again. It's all okay Bren." I pressed a friendly chaste kiss to his forehead.

"But... I'm your right wing man..." he pouted.

"Ryan can cover. He has before, like every game. If he gets tired or something happens I'm sure a we can have Max or a left wing or even a Defenseman can take over. Everything will be fine!" I couldn't help but grin.

"Hey Pete?" He looked up at me. I raised an eyebrow. "I love you."

I tilted my head a little. "I love you too?"

He grinned and grabbed my head between both his hands. "Then I'm playing the Northern game on the twenty-first, injury or not."

The nurse looked between us with a raised eyebrow. I just shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. I shoved Brendon away before backing off. The nurse shook her head and waved me out. I left and glanced at a clock on the wall. 8:47; still first hour.

I made a decision and began walking towards the office to get a tardy note for being late, good reason or not. There was already someone at the front desk so I waited patiently behind them, looking around a bit awkwardly.

"Pete can take you there!" I heard the front desk attendant say. I quickly look back over and notice the someone was Patrick of all people.

"Take you where...?" I chuckled nervously.

"Burch's." I nodded and motioned for Patrick to follow me. He seemed hesitant on where to walk as if he didn't want people to suspect we were something more than strangers.

I put a hand on his shoulder and guided him around a corner. "You alright?" I kept my voice low. He suddenly stopped walking and grabbed my arm.

"I'll just say this now so no wrong words are said at the wrong times," he spoke quickly and quietly without eye contact. "There are a few guys that go here that don't leave me alone at the rink. If anyone here sees that we are friends, muchless more, you'd never hear the end of it. To most of these people I am worthless sh-" I pressed my hand over his mouth. He went limp and looked at me with pitiful eyes.

"Listen here Tricky. I could care less what people say about me, whether it be to me or behind my back. I'll stay quiet on your terms. Whatever you're comfortable with alright? There are maybe three people here besides me that know who you are and I'll talk to them later so they know to stay quiet as well. Okay?"

He nodded and I uncovered his mouth. He let out a short sigh and quickly looked down both sides of the hallways before stealing a quick kiss and walking on.

"Uh, Patrick?" He stopped and looked at me. "Take a left and walk five paces." He did so slowly, standing next to the brick wall just as the bell rang and students flooded the halls. I made my way over to him with a small smirk at his wide eyes.

"I've never seen so many kids in one bloody area. Well the mall, but it's so different!" He got a few strange looks but he payed no attention. Or didn't notice, one of the two.

"Welcome to public high school my friend," I chuckled. Ryan suddenly appeared in front of us, high-fiving me and giving Patrick an awkward one arm hug.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan said with a goofy grin, obviously excited about seeing Patrick, or maybe the both of us.

"Aun- Mrs. Burch actually called me here. I'm not sure on the exact reason but..." he shrugged.

"Exciting! I go there around fifth, the class after lunch. I'm going to go check on Beebo before second. Bye!" Ryan disappeared into the crowd once more.

Patrick just looked at me once more. "How do you handle so many people?"