The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Chapter 75 (Pete's POV)

I sigh, putting the last of my bags into the tour bus. We're going back to California today, and I haven't been sadder in my life.

I mean, Patrick is leaning against Hailey for support, bawling his eyes out. She's just patting his back, staring at me and pleading for help with her eyes.

I crack a grin, heading over there and pulling Patrick off of Hailey, guiding the crying man to the tour bus.

"There, there, it'll be alright," I say soothingly, brushing his fedora-less hair down as we step onto the bus. I sit him down on the couch in the living area, the bus surprisingly clean. Where are the empty mayonnaise jars? Who cleaned this wreck?

"N-no it won't, Pete, haven't you thought about it? We're leaving for forever, man, we won't be able to see them ever again." He sniffles, looking up at me with an expression on his face that breaks my heart. He's grown attached to Cheryl and Hailey; all of us have.

"Patrick, I know it's hard. It's hard for me, too. But we will be able to see them again, I promise. It may just not be for a couple months or so. But we can always keep in contact, alright? We're famous dude, we own jets." I laugh, and he grins, which makes me feel a little better.

Patrick mumbles something. I couldn't hear a word he said.

"What?"

"I said, I'm definitely the girl in this relationship," Patrick says grumpily. I just snicker.

"Oh, cmon, this is an emotional time. You have the right to be a girl."

He smacks me, and I jump up, running out of the bus and shrieking. He tromps behind me, crashing into things, probably because he doesn't have his glasses on.

I run into the yard, stumbling into Joe. He looks at me incredulously.

"You almost hit my cast, Peter!"

"Sorry, that freaking moose over there is chasing me and I'm trying to get away!"

We all run around for a while in the morning light, the sadness of the day temporarily forgotten. Gracie runs out of Hailey's back door, giggling and chasing after us, too. We run slowly, acting like she's way faster than us. She gets a kick out of it, later tackling Patrick and sending him to the ground with a thud.

Everyone laughs, Gracie crawling onto Patrick's shoulders. He runs around, holding her legs while she screams and hollers. She loves riding on his shoulders.

"Guys? What's all this screaming about?"

We all stop and turn, seeing Hailey's mom walking towards us.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry, we were playing with Gracie. We didn't mean to be really loud. Did we wake you up?"

She smiles at us. "It's alright, I wanted to be awake so I could make sure I saw you guys before you left."

When she mentioned us leaving, the melancholy feeling came back. Patrick put Gracie down on the ground, and she just hid behind his leg, growing upset. I couldn't imagine how hard leaving would be for a little kid like she is.

"So what are you guys going to do before you leave?"

We all look at each other. We haven't planned this out. I stand there with my eyebrows furrowed when Gracie speaks up.