✔︎ | Gold Digger

Chapter 12 - What Is Love?

Chapter 12 – What Is Love?

The ride to Patrick's house is silent. I think he just wanted to let me calm down a little, and honestly I didn't want to talk about what was going on. I didn't even want to think about it. I hate myself with the thought of my father leaving his daughter behind, with my own mother telling me I was worthless to her, and then Ryker, using me like a pawn in some silly little game. What have I ever done wrong?

I'm happy to be away from all of the drama tonight at Patrick and Toby's party, and hopefully I will be able to stay with Patrick for a little while. His mom is nice, much nicer than mine, and it's not like she could feel afraid of me doing something with Patrick if I stayed over. He's gay.

"Why are you staring at me?" Patrick's suddenly pipes up when we stop in front of his house.

I smile a little. "I was thinking about you."

"And?"

"And how you're gay, which is fabulous right now, because your mom will most likely let me stay as she knows you're not into girls." Patrick raises an eyebrow, and I quickly add, "You know, I'm not trying to be offensive! I love you and Toby. You two are couple goals!"

Patrick giggles. "Say no more girl, I know!"

I laugh too and we get out of Patrick's car, running inside quickly because Patrick is wearing nothing over his bleached blonde head and his polka dot blouse-like-shirt. My dramatic breakdown on the phone must have worried him so much that he hurried to my house without thinking about the weather first. He even forgot to put on boots, and instead is still in his wonderful big bunny slippers. At least those keep him warmer.

But after no more than a few seconds, we're swallowed into the house by the air being heated by the cozy fireplace in the living room, and my heart begins to warm a little too. Patrick's house is feels so much like home, maybe I'll convince his mom to adopt me for seven months, until my eighteenth birthday.

"My mom isn't home until tomorrow morning," Patrick says, pulling a warm jacket over his body as I close the door to his house. "She wouldn't mind is you stayed though," he chuckles a little, winking at me. "Because as she knows..."

"You're gay," I giggle, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I was insulting you, I was simply stating the obvious!"

"It's fine," Patrick brushes it off easily, "I am very gay."

"For me!" Toby comes out down the stairs excitedly. "Just me." Patrick smiles and blushes, and then Toby pulls the little guy into a hug and rubs his back to warm him up. I smile awkwardly, taking off my coat and my boots, walking into the living and plopping my things onto the ground.

"Yo!" Grace laughs out of nowhere, and I spin around in terror. Her and another girl, with dark skin and dark curly hair, burst out laughing at my surprise. "What's good?"

I sigh loudly, "honestly nothing right now."

I walk over to the girls and sit on a chair in front of them. The dark girl smiles at me and greets, "hey, I'm Tanisha. You're Jessie right?" I nod my head, wondering if she new me because I was Patrick's and Toby's friend, or because I was the girl that Ryker actually talked about, up until he decided he had to use me too.

"When is everyone else coming?" I ask, taking a chip from the bowl sitting on the coffee table in front of me, popping it into my mouth. "Aren't we all here a little too early? It's like only four o'clock."

"Yeah, we just told the boys we'd help out a little first." Tanisha shrugs, "I guess we're too early. Do you girls want to ditch and go shopping?"

"Please," I sigh, and we all get up to walk into the front entrance of Patrick's house, where him and his boyfriend are swaying back and forth to no music. Grace laughs and throws herself on them, beginning to sing 'All Of Me' by John Legend. I roll my eyes, "someone needs their own boyfriend."