Take Your Tears, Put 'Em On Ice

~ E-I-G-H-T ~

~Thursday; 21st of November 2019~

~ R-Y-A-N ~

"But Beebooooooo," I whined as Brendon dragged me along. It was supposed to just be him and I, bangin- I mean hanging out at his place this afternoon. But, I'm pretty sure he doesn't live in the house next door to his. Because... why?

He knocked on the door and let go of my wrist. He seemed overly excited when footsteps and a muffled voice came from inside. He glanced at me before the door swung open to reveal a short blonde haired teen in Doctor Who flannel pants and a baggy white t-shirt. My hazel eyes met his bright blue, framed with black glasses, and I swear my jaw fell to the floor.

"Patrick?" I looked between him and Brendon. "Wait what?"

Patrick pulled us inside and shut the door behind us. Before anything was said, he bounded up the stairs nearby. Brendon followed without hesitation, so I did the same.

We came to a bedroom with light blue walls. Posters and shelves with figures, books and television disk sets covered the walls, the only furniture being a twin sized bed, a dresser with a small flat screen on top, and a desk with a chair. Books littered the hardwood floor ranging from Calculus to Sci-fi, World History to Guitar Rifts for Dummies. I liked this kid much more already.

Brendon snatched the desk chair and sat down in it backwards as Patrick lept onto his tidy bed. He crossed his legs and slid his glasses off of his face and sat them on the covers, revealing his crooked nose. It wasn't that noticeable if you didn't know where to look, and when there wasn't a pair of glasses upon his face.

"So uh..." I stood there awkwardly. "Trick," he glanced up. "How long have you lived here?"

"Going on seven months I believe, mate, why?"

"That's almost a year." I said very seriously. "You two have been neighbors for more than half a year and we just meet like a month ago?"

"Sounds accurate." Brendon nodded. I stared at the dark eyed boy in the chair. I suddenly tackle Patrick over and awkwardly spoon him (more in a weird friend cuddle than anything romantic). He lets out a squeak and tenses up as I lock my hands around his upper middle.

"But this is my smol Patrick now so it's okay." I nod my head. Brendon stands and plops onto the bed on the other side of Patrick. He lays on his side with his head held up by a hand, elbow leaning on the bed. His gaze sweeped over the awkward Patrick and I, a smile playing at his lips.

"Well, Patrick actually called me here because he wanted help. Er, texted but same difference." Brendon's gaze stayed on the British blonde boy. Patrick nodded slightly and shrugged away from me, laying on his back with is hands on his stomach. I let go of him and sit up, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"First day of meeting and Brendon figured out..." Patrick hesitated. I raised an eyebrow, though I was pretty sure I knew where this was going. "That I'm gay."

"Is that bad?" I smirked. "Don't be hesitant about it. People around here are pretty accepti-"

"Aunt Jenn is disgustingly homophobic."

"-oh." I blinked. "Aunt Jenn, that's who you live here with, right?" He nodded. I looked over at Brendon. "That would explain the nasty glares at me. Because I turned in that one paper and... well this explains a lot. I don't think she realizes we're together though..." I thought for a moment before shaking my head. "Where are your parents?"

He tensed up and let out a shaky breath. "T-Touchy subject." Brendon and I caught each other's glances. "That's actually around when I started ice skating. Age eight, with the priest's daughter back home in Manchester. We were friends since... I was in third year? All I remember is she is-was three grades ahead, so she was in about sixth. She took me to the local ice rink one day after church, and taught me to skate."

Patrick was smiling at the memory, seeming to be lost in a replay. I gently took one of his hands in mine just to comfort my friend. "Your figure skates, those are hers, aren't they?" He looked over at me and nodded.

"Elisa gave them to me before I left for America to live here. Or, erm. Well... " he sat up. "Left them to me? Bloody hell..."

'Left them to me?' Is she... I began gently rubbing my thumb over his knuckles.

"'m just, I'm at a loss," he continued, meeting my gaze again. "Because what if something happens and Aunt Jenn finds out I'm not the straighter nail? What will she do? Wh-what if she sends me back to England? I'm not ready for that," he sat up with a shake of his head. "You guys are my only friends that I know accept- well, my only friends really. I don't want to be left alone again," he laughed half-heartedly. I looked at Brendon again to see he was already looking at me. There is a much bigger picture than anything we ever thought there was.

Patrick suddenly went cold. He groaned and jumped up, dashing out of the room. His footsteps were heard going down the upstairs hallway before there was a small squeak of a door, and the sound of someone getting sick. I quietly slipped off the bed and stood up, following the sounds of faint crying. I poked my head into the bathroom to find Patrick kneeling down next to the toilet. His cheeks were flushed and tear soaked.

"S-s-sorr-r-ry," he stuttered out once he noticed my presence. I shook my head and grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall, handing it to the shaking boy. He wiped his mouth and stood, flushing the previous contents of his stomach. "J-Just started o-over thinking..."

"It's okay, seriously." Brendon chimed in. I turned to see him standing in the doorway.

"You feeling alright now?" I turn back to Patrick. He slowly nodded, running his hands under cold water in the sink. We go back his bedroom in silence and an idea pops on my mind.

"You know what you're doing?" I grabbed both of Patrick's shoulders, startling him. "You're hanging out with Pete and possibly Jack and Alex tomorrow. There's no school, it's a pep day for Saturday's hockey match. Saturday, you're riding with Bren and I to the game and hanging with the team afterwards, win or lose."

He slowly nodded with wide eyes. "And the point of this is...?"

"We're gonna show you how to have a good time and not give a flying fuck about what others think."