Lost, But Found // Patrick Stump

chapter eight

a week passed. a week turned into nearly two weeks.

anna had not spoken to patrick since that day at olive garden. and the realness of the situation was just starting to sink in for her.

anna had screwed up. bad.

patrick had been so sweet to her. it was clear that he really did like her. and once again, she pushed him away. and this time, it made her heart hurt.

she knew that there was really only one person that she could talk to right now.

-

it was at breakfast one morning, nearly two weeks after the "date," that anna decided to bring it up to her mother.

"mom, can i ask you something?" she asked, as her mother brewed a pot of coffee.

"of course, sweetheart. what's up?" her mom asked.

"well...let's say that this guy really liked you. and you pushed him away without giving him a chance. would you try to approach him again, or would you keep quiet about it?"

"annabelle, what did one of them do to patrick this time?" anna's mother looked at her intently, ready for another one of those stories. 

in recent times, it always seemed to go like this with anna and her mom: anna complained about something that one of patrick's more irresponsible friends did, and how this friend started to pick a fight with patrick. and her mother just sat there, listened to her with interest, and then tried to give anna advice on what to do about it.

"it wasn't them, mom. it was me."

"what happened?"

"well, almost two weeks ago...patrick tried asking me out."

"oh, sweetheart, that's wonderful! you said yes, right?"

"no, mom, i said no!" anna exclaimed, as she suddenly burst into tears.

anna's mother was very shocked. she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"oh, baby," she cooed.

"i just didn't want to hurt him," anna sobbed. "oh, mother, i've already put him through way more than i should have."

"but he's been by your side for years, through anything and everything. he obviously puts your priorities before his own. he'd probably take a bullet for you, annabelle."

"he...he would?" she asked.

"of course. it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that patrick has feelings for you, honey."

"i...never knew that. i always thought we'd be just friends." anna now smiled as she continued, "i remember one day, about a year or two ago, when i was still in college. he came over and he asked me what i was doing, and i told him that i was just studying. and before i knew it, he was dragging me to the studio. him and his band, they were working on this new record, save rock and roll. i was one of the first, if not, then the first, to hear it. i remember that after the record came out, pete and patrick started acting strange."

"strange?"

"well...yeah. there's really no other way that i can describe it. i was sensing that something big was about to happen. i remember that i would go with him to shows, and then practically pass out on the tour bus. and the next morning, i could hear him saying, 'okay, i think today's the day.'"

"i think he wanted to tell you that he liked you."

"but he was too nervous about my reaction," anna said. "and now...i reacted in the worst way that i possibly could have done."