What A Catch, Patrick

Part 1

Patrick groaned as he turned to lie on his side, reaching for his phone whilst doing so.

'03.42am' it read.

He quietly got up from his bunk and sat on the sofa. Thinking. Something he knew he did too much of. Patrick rested his head in his hands.

'What if I can't do this anymore?' He thought. Sighing.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching.

'Damnit I must've woke someone up' he worried.

"Hey dude" Pete smiled warmly.

"Oh hey" he faked a smile in reply.

"You alright?"

"Yeah" he grunted.

"Don't lie to me" Pete laughed as he sat next to his friend.

"I'm not" Patrick mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I'M NOT LYING" He raised his voice. "Sorry man". Patrick looked at the floor, desperately trying to avoid any sort of conversation.

Pete extended his arm around Patrick's back, realising something was wrong with his best friend, trying to comfort him. Patrick rested his head on Pete's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Silence.

Pete noticed Patrick had started to nod off and smiled. He began to wrack his brain, trying to think of the reason Patrick was down.

As Patrick lay resting on Pete, some more footsteps approached. This time it was Joe.

"Shh" Pete signalled to him. "He's fast asleep"

"Yeah I get that, but, why on the sofa? Why up against you?"

Pete began to explain about how he was starting to worry about Patrick. But no sooner had he done that, Patrick woke up again. He was dripping with sweat and shaking.

Pete and Joe both looked at him with a panicked expression across both of their faces.

"Uh, I, I had a nightmare, I guess" Patrick stammered.

"What's going on man? Pete told me..."

Patrick cut Joe off. "Pete told you what? That I'm tired and wanna be left on my own?"

Pete and Joe both looked at Patrick, shocked at his mini outburst.

Patrick bowed his head, looking at the floor once more, ashamed at how he'd spoken to his friends.

"I'm just gonna go to bed I think" Patrick mumbled as he began making his way to bed.

"Oh no you don't" Pete jumped up.

"Pete leave him, he's just tired" Joe spoke softly.

After Patrick left the room, Pete turned to Joe.

"What the fuck?"

"Let him sleep man, maybe he'll be alright in a few hours!"

"Joe he hasn't been right for days. I'm trynna find out what's going on here!" Pete exclaimed.

"Dude chill, just wait yeah?"

Pete threw himself onto the sofa like a 5 year old having a tantrum.

"Fine" he moaned as Joe also went back to bed.

*a few hours later*

(Patrick's POV)

Great. Now Pete and Joe know something's going on. I should tell them, and Andy, but I just can't. They'll only tell me that I have nothing to worry about, or there's nothing wrong with my weight. I know there's nothing wrong with the latter, especially not now I've lost just over 4 stone. But it's like people can't let go of what I used to look like. The weight, the bingo hat, the sideburns. Can't let go and can't stop taking the mick. Ah crap, we're playing tonight, I'm not ready to do this again. All those people, watching us, watching me. Pull yourself together Patrick, flippin' heck. Ugh, I'm going back to sleep.