The Middle - Volume Three ✔️

Chapter 32 (Patrick)

Patrick

I check the time on my phone again and see that it’s now just after midnight. Pete is a fucking dead man, and he owes me for this. I walk across the lawn and up to the front door of the big house where my brother and his friends are currently hosting a party. I gotta say, it must be one lame ass party. The front lawn is immaculate and there’s not a red cup in sight. I don’t hear any music coming from inside either. Maybe they’re all passed out already. I enter the house and can hear laughter coming from what I assume to be the kitchen. When I push the door open, I see my brother and four of his friends sitting on the kitchen floor. One of the boys is trying to light a cigarette, but he can’t get the lighter ignited, so the others are all laughing at him. God, these guys are cool.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been drinking and smoking tonight, Pete.” I say, leaning against the open door frame and crossing my arms.

“Paddy!” My brother stumbles to his feet, and I make a mental note to hit him later for calling me Paddy. “What are you doing here, bro?”

Paddy? Bro? Christ, he really is wrecked right now. He can barely stand on his own, so I roll my eyes then cross the room to help him over to the kitchen sink, where he proceeds to vomit right into the basin. Lovely.

“Why are you here, Patrick?” Pete’s friend Gavin addresses me. He’s the one that’s trying to light a cigarette.

“Steph called me, Pete was supposed to go home at 11pm” I explain. “She was worried, and you shouldn’t smoke. That shit will kill you.”

“I know.” Gavin says, tossing the cigarette and the lighter across the laminate floor. “Shane’s mom would freak out if the kitchen smelled of smoke anyway.”

“So let’s go out back.” One of the other boys suggests.

“You guys should go home, school starts tomorrow and your parents are probably wondering where the hell you are.” I say to the group, as Pete continues to throw up into the sink. 

“I thought you were supposed to be cool?” I recognise this boy as Mark, Pete’s best friend. He’s smirking at me. I get along pretty well with Mark.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t invited to this super cool party, so I must not be.” I say with just a hint of sarcasm. My brother and his friends are dorks.

“It’s not exactly a party.” One of the other boys says. “Just a small gathering of friends.”

“Yeah, my mom left me home alone for the first time tonight, she’s trusting me.” This must be Shane.

“Well, clearly your mom made a bad choice trusting you.” I say, laughing at him.

“Pete, you should have invited your brother earlier!” Shane calls over towards the sink.

Pete’s head emerges from the sink, just long enough for him to say, “Nah, he cramps my style.”

I burst out laughing and so do his friends. He could not look any less cool right now if he tried.

“Seriously, what kinda party is this? Where’s the music? Where’s the girls?” I ask them, gesturing around at the silent room.

“We’re not exactly popular with the ladies, Patrick.” Mark says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

It’s hard not to laugh at this, but I manage. Poor guys. They’re all 16 now, going on 17, and I bet they’re all still virgins. I don’t know why, they don’t exactly look like they would completely repel girls. My guess is that they’re just lacking in confidence.