I'm Going Nowhere Fast (Peterick)

15. Of All The Gin Joints In All The World

(Pete's P.O.V)

School the next day was weird. People stared at me curiously and some even made the point of stepping around me. I didn't understand why everyone was staring at me. I ran my fingers through my already messy hair in an attempt to tame it in case that was the cause of the staring, but it wasn't. I found Joe standing at his locker. He looked paranoid and I couldn't help but to feel the same way. Something had happened overnight and my stomach told me it was to do with the fight between Patrick and Jake.

"Joe!" I called.

Joe jumped slightly then turned to look in my direction. He relaxed slightly when he realized that it was only me. Joe closed his locker door and turned to give me his full attention.

"Morning Pete," Joe replied.

"Is it just me or is everyone staring at us?" I asked.

Joe quickly glanced around the couple of students walking by, each one of them stared at us as if we had grown three heads or were streaking while singing from the top of our lungs. Joe looked back at me and nodded slowly.

"Andy literally had to walk off because he was getting annoyed with all the stares people are directing at us and believe me I'm considering it too," Joe said.

"What could have caused it?" I asked.

"Rumour has it that everyone is freaked out by what Patrick did to Jake," a familiar voice said behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Cassadee was standing behind me with a small smile on her lips. "Morning boys."

"Morning Cass," Joe replied.

"But why would that cause people to stare at us?" I asked.

Cassadee ran a hand through her brown hair and rolled my eyes at my ignorance, I was just assuming there. "From what I could see Patrick was this quiet kid and then this quiet kid breaks someone else's nose. Everyone knows we are his friends so they're wary of us now because of what Patrick has done."

"So, people are scared of us," Joe summed up, a light of excitement danced in his eyes.

"That's what I'm assuming," Cassadee replied.

"I like that idea," Joe whispered excitedly.

"I don't," I said.

"Why not?" Joe demanded.

"Because I hate people staring at me," I replied matter-of-factly.

Joe raised an eyebrow. "You used to sit with Jake at lunch and go to the gym with him! How can you hate people staring at you?"

"Because a person staring at me in fear is exactly what happened when I sat with Jake!" I snapped. "Patrick used to be one of those people and I can't help but feel as if the other people here deserve better than walking around the school in fear."

"You may feel that way Pete, but being one of the kids that looked at people in fear then having it reversed seems pretty good," Joe explained in a calm tone.

"Does it even matter?" Cassadee demanded. "People will stop staring at us the moment Jake decides to grace us with his unwanted presence."

Cassadee was right. The moment Jake steps through those school doors people will stop looking at us and focus their attention on him. Of course he'll take this option to try and turn as many people as possible against us, something we totally needed. Jake would have the signs that he had received a broken nose and the girls would pretty much fall at his feet in an attempt to offer their 'sympathies'. I may have been proud of Patrick for standing up for himself but he has ignited something, something I haven't quite figured out yet.