A little too late (A Pete angst Story)

Chapter 4

Wynter POV

So we arrive home and I show Danny around the house, I let Danny play video games in my room as I come downstairs to make brownies. My mom comes down and sits at the countertop with me as I start grabbing ingredients and making the batter.

"What happened? You only bake when you are sad"

"I'm okay, I just wanted to make brownies for Danny"

"Where's Pete?"

"He is at Autumn's house, it's a girl he likes. They will probably hang out a lot more so you might not see Pete for a while"

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. So what did Danny do to deserve brownies?"

"I guess he saw everything happen and he hugged me and said sorry. He just made me feel like it was okay to be happy for Pete but also sad for myself. Not like I ever had a chance but you really don't get to choose who you have feelings for"

"Yeah, it's rough. I'm glad Danny was there for you then, you never mentioned a Danny before"

"He's Pete's best friend so I never thought to mention him because until today I had never talked to him"

"Well he's cute"

"Yeah, maybe in my next life I will meet him first. But then again, he probably just pities me"

"I don't think so, he probably would be a good friend"

"If this never happened he would have never spoken to me. I will lean on him for now but I will be okay soon so he can get back to his life. Danny is a favorite among the girls, he's adored by upper and lower grades and he is very talented. He probably will do something in speaking or acting"

"You seem to know a bit about him"

I put the brownies in the oven and sit across from my mom.

"There are four guys at our school that have the attention of all the girls and even some of the guys at school. Danny and Pete are two of the four so you learn through the whispers at lunch and conversations at the end of the day"

"Well we will keep you busy so you don't have much time to think about missing Pete or anything he's doing"

"I'm very shy, but maybe an after-school club or something where I don't know anyone there. I can work on my drawing or singing"

"Of course, I can definitely look into that for you, anything to make you happy"

"Thanks mom"

My mom hugs me and Danny comes down to join the hug. We all laugh before letting go.

"Well aren't you adorable Danny"

"Have I won you over already?"

"Anyone who looks out for my daughter when I can't is a favorite of mine"

"So can I come over more often?"

"Sure honey"

He turns to me and smiles.

"Hear that? You might be seeing more of me"

"Do you want to come over? I won't always be a wreck I should be back to normal by tomorrow so you won't have to pity me"

"I don't pity you. I never knew how to approach you because of how shy you are, I didn't know if you would want to be bothered. I would like for us to become friends"

"Promise this is not out of pity?"

"I promise, I won't hurt you"

I smile and hug him, thanking him for being there. The timer beep and I take them out sitting them on a towel to cool before we get ours.

"I will take one out for my mother and I and then you can take the rest home"

"Sweet! Thank you"

~6 years ago~ Pete POV

Being a freshman in high school is very different from being an 8th grader in middle school. Classes at eight am don't even feel the same. Classes are more interesting but there is more homework and I am not the biggest fan of taking tests although I am great at it. Danny, Wynter, and I ended up all going to the same high school so we often do study sessions at a coffee shop not far from us. Sometimes it is just Danny and Wynter out studying because I am with my girlfriend Rose. She is so beautiful and I love how she doesn't let the fact that she is blind stop her from doing things she wants to. She plays the piano and sings. She's extremely smart and she just makes me so happy. I have never felt this comfortable and safe with someone. I can see my future with her but that is a long time from here seeing that we are only 14. Anywho I'm glad Wynter and Danny are close because I don't want her to feel completely alone. So we are at this coffee shop preparing for our science class. This week is on mental health and we each had to choose a condition or disorder, symptoms, how it directly impacts the brain, and ways to lessen the symptoms. I chose to discuss ADHD, Wynter chose depression, and Danny chose Anxiety. We decided to plan our outlines together and then take time to find helpful resources for each person so we can later work on our papers and presentations at home. 

"How long are the papers again?"

"10 pages, and don't forget the presentation"

"Thanks for the reminder Danny, this sucks"

"Come on you guys when you break things down it is not that bad. The paper is double spaced so it is really only 5 pages if that helps. A page can have roughly 250-300 words double spaced so times 10 is 2500-3000 words which seem like a lot but once you break things down to topics and questions it will be pretty easy."

"So darling, what should be covered in the paper? The teacher did not provide much instruction when it came to this assignment"

"Glad you asked Danny. So for starters we all need a statistic, everyone loves a statistic. It's like a fun fact almost. From there you can debunk myths throughout the paper if you want to. We discuss the official definition of our topic and some of its most common symptoms of it. If we can relate to a time when we could relate to our topic/showed symptoms that will make it more relatable to the class. Then we can discuss testing that is done to diagnose the condition and we finish with ways to maintain the symptoms or lessen them. We can make flyers or pamphlets with key points we want everyone to remember"

"You are very organized"

"I try to be Pete, thank you"

"Can I interview one of you using a diagnostic tool if I find one?"

"I'll do it Danny"

"Sweet and Pete, I feel if we put a 30-second video of times where you were exhibiting symptoms of ADHD that would definitely get you brownie points"

"Pete or Danny I might need you to be a model for me of what depression can look like. It might be a mini photoshoot and then I photoshop it together"

"I'll do it, Pete tends to be busy sometimes"

So Danny gets up and goes to get us all drinks and I look over at Wynter who is focused on her computer. I know she can feel me staring at her but she does not look over so I guess I have to say something.