Take Your Tears, Put 'Em On Ice

~ T-E-N ~ {II}

~ Friday, 26th of June 2020 ~

~ A-A-R-O-N ~

Patrick was leaving for London today. I'll admit, it was odd seeing Father Elton John after the past year. But it was even odder seeing Patrick fidgety around his main father figure despite the time not being here. It was like he didn't want to leave the flat. I didn't want him to leave the flat. He was my best friend, and after getting him back from nine months of America, he's leaving me again. Leaving us again, I corrected my thought as I saw Halsey and Melanie running up the sidewalk.

"Where is he?" Halsey said breathlessly when they arrived to where I was standing.

"Inside," I led them indoors and to my flat, finding Patrick and Father John sitting in the living room. Father John looked pretty bad for a man his age; skin dry and pale, eyes dark and cheeks beginning to sag.

As soon as Patrick noticed our entrance he jumped up. He then looked over at the still sitting priest, had a small silent argument with himself, and then walked over to us.

"Aaron, could I talk to you in the kitchen?" He asked. "Alone?" He added as soon as Halsey made a move to head in the general direction.

"Uh yeah, sure," I followed him, giving the two girls an apologetic glance. As soon as we were in the kitchen, his entire body language shifted, causing him to go a little discoloured and shaky.

"Aaron, I don't know if I can go to London," his voice was shaky and he seemed to grow smaller by the second. "I want to spend time with Father John, and see David after the past year or so, see how he's holding up, but I'm not ready to leave Manchester either. And it's closer than Chicago!"

"Patrick, Patrick honey, please just sit down right here," I gently grabbed onto his elbow, leading him to the bar and helped him onto the stool. "Take a few deep breaths and calm down."

He slowly nodded and put his elbows on the counter in front of him, resting his forehead in his hands. I put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently. I haven't seen Patrick have a panic attack- well in this case begin to have a panic attack in forever. It was almost a foreign attitude and I didn't really know what to do.

"How about you go to London for a week? A day? How ever long you can make it, mate. When it becomes too much, just give me a call and I'll come get you. We both know I have bloody absolutely nothing to do this summer, so I'd be up in a jiffy," he looked at me with those wide blue puppy eyes. I smiled, he smiled, all was better.

"Okay," he whispered. I poured him a warm cup of tea from the kettle used earlier that morning.

"Do you have your bags all packed up?" He nodded. "I'll fetch them and take them to the car. You just sit here for a bit, find your breath again." I left before he could say a word, jogging down the hall and popping into Patrick's room. There was one suitcase of average size, and a duffle bag, with a fedora resting on top of the bed. I picked up the fedora first, putting it on my own head before retrieving the bags and making my way back to the main room.

Patrick was in the living room standing next to Halsey as they both spoke to Father John, whom was now standing closer to the doorway. I quickly walked out the door and left the bags next to the car, hurrying back inside.

"We should be going now," Father John looked up at me briefly. I nodded and we all walked outside. Patrick pulled me into a hug, a small whimper falling from this lips.

*-*~*-*

It was a mere three hours after Patrick left, and I was already feeling lonely, and even guilty. Halsey and Melanie were cuddled up on the couch while Nick sat in the arm chair, Dan and his new roommate, Phil, sat on the floor in front of the couch, while I paced the living room like a worried parent.

"Aaron, please just calm down mate," Nick sighed, no longer asking for me to sit.

"I-I can't," I raise my hands a little, somewhere between a shrug and a half hearted toss of air. "I feel like something is going to go wrong, at any given time, and the entire world is just going to-"

A high pitched ringing filled the tense air. Melanie leaned up out of Halsey's arms and placed a slender finger on the laptop mouse pad, ending the irritating sound and smiling. "Hey Brendon."

My head snapped over to the two girls smiling at the screen as a familiar crackling voice came from the speakers.

"Hey guys! Is Aaron around? I got some pretty good news to share, but I only have like ten minutes until Pete arrives."

"Yeah I'm right here!" I call out, hurrying over and kneeling down to put my face in view of the camera.

"Is Patrick around?" He quietly asked. I shook my head. "Great. Well, I am pleased to say that we have reached one thousand and five hundred dollars."

"Holy mother of Mary..." I whisper. I look up at the screen seeing Brendon's excited and pleased face, then looked up and met Melanie's wide eyes before I began laughing. "This is... this is... fucking amazing!"

"Watch your language! There are children in this room!" Dan yelled over my laughter, holding his hands over Phil's ears.

"I don't know what to do. I'm... Nick, what do we have?" I ran a hand through my grown out hair.

"Last I counted somewhere in the six hundred area, and that was last Sunday."

"Oh my god, guys, we're actually going to pull this off."