Take Your Tears, Put 'Em On Ice

~ F-O-U-R~ {II}

~ Friday; 1st of May 2020 ~

~ P-E-T-E ~

"Brendon!" I shouted, running into the cafeteria. I had my phone clutched in my hand with my bank account on screen. I skidded to a stop and slammed down my phone in front of my best friend, now out of breath but grinning like a fool. "I did it."

He picked up my phone and his eyes quickly scanned over the screen. "You've been missing practices since Patrick left for a job, to see a boy you will see again for sure, and missing out on a huge scholarship and possible big-paying career, to earn money?" My smile faded and I slowly nodded. "Okay and in this next tab," he changed over to where I had been looking at plane tickets. "You realize this only available flight from Chicago to Manchester this summer is that second week of July, right?"

"Yeah, and?" I snatched my phone back from him, now in a sour mood.

"Pete, that's when coach scheduled us to go to Baltimore for that collaboration training thing, for hockey." Brendon stood up. I blinked once, twice, before letting my phone drop to the cafeteria tiled floor and sliding down the wall. I glared at my feet like a small child. Apparently this is when they thought I wasn't listening in.

"Should we tell him now?" Ryan whispered, reaching over to Brendon. "It's bad enough now, and that look on his face is him thinking. He's going to try to get out of the trip to see him."

"Tell him which topic?" Josh sat down across from Brendon in his usual seat. "The bad or the tiring?"

"I was talking about the bad, but maybe the other will make him feel better? Just a little?"

"I dunno, it was like his world crashed down when I reminded him of the hockey trip," Brendon sighed, putting both of his elbows on the table. "His feelings are just easy to push to one way but not the other."

"Yes, that is true." I spoke up, startling everyone. "But Brendon, stop and think for a moment." I stood up and retrieved my phone from the floor. "Just imagine, not really caring or knowing a thing about 'love', and then some boy, Ryan in your case, just walks into your life and then suddenly, you have more than just a goal and a meaning. You have... an entire world, just to yourself. Nothing could be better, and you feel as if nothing could ever go wrong. But then one day, it's like an asteroid just came down and ripped everything to pieces. And you're standing on a small piece, constantly reaching out, trying to bring your little world back together. But you can't focus on more than one piece, especially if the most important piece is drifting away, now out of reach, but it's still there. And when you look around, everyone else still has their world in tact, with an arm linked through someone else's. And you're just... broken."

The table stayed silent. Ryan was quietly crying, but refused to let Brendon pull him close. Tyler and Josh were staring at one another, as if having a soundless conversation. Jack and Alex just sat there, while the rest of the cafeteria carried on like normal.

"See?" I waved an arm towards the rest of the school. "Everything seems fine out there. When your world ends, it doesn't mean the universe does. So then you're always behind, trying to keep up as well as pull yourself together. But besides that, the Baltimore trip, is it a week long or two weeks?"

"I'm telling him," Brendon suddenly stood. Although before he could say anything, a student walked up and handed him a twenty dollar bill. Neither of them said anything as the student walked off, rejoining their friends as if nothing happened. Brendon slipped the twenty into his pocket. "Okay, Pete, I'm just going to crumble your world even more, because I know you, and I can take punches from you but coach can't."

"Wait, what-"

"Pete, you're no longer captain of the hockey team."

I slowly looked at everyone at the table. They all seemed tense, like I was just going to start whaling on Brendon at any moment. I looked back at Brendon as my chest grew tighter and shrugged. "Alright."

Everyone continued to stare at me, but more of in shock.

"'Alright'? You're not, like, upset?" I shook my head. Brendon grabbed my shoulders and shoved me out of the cafeteria and into the hallway. "We're going to the nurse."

"Brendon, the hell?" I planted my feet in front of me and forced him to stop. I turned around with a raised eyebrow. "I'm fine."

"Fine? Fine? You just shrugged off being downgraded in hockey. Ever since elementary school, becoming a pro ice hockey player was your dream! You had been in tears when they forgot to call your name for the Junior team," he had raised his voice now being alone with me.

"There's nothing I can do," I shrug, sliding my hands into my front jeans pockets. "It was coach's choice, even though I caused it. Brendon, the world is crashing d-down. I-I keep telling myself, th-that if I k-keep going, it will get better. B-but it's hard."

"Oh no, you're not getting all soppy on me!" He snapped. I visibly flinched backed, my throat burning. "Maybe you should just let go of Patrick and pay attention to what's in front of your goddamn face!"

Let go of Patrick.

I swallowed back my poisonous words and nodded. "Okay," I let out, my voice a mere whisper.

"No, Pete, wait I didn't mean-"

CRACK

Brendon was on the tile floor with blood flowing steadily from his mouth. My fist was still up in the air where his face had been just moments before. "I know exactly what you meant," I growled, lowering my hand and walking off down the hall. The bell rung and students filled the halls, yet seemed to know to steer clear of my path.

I was about to enter my next class when sobs began to shake through my body. I rushed past the classroom door and made it to a less crowded hallway before collapsing onto the floor. Soon there was an arm on my shoulder as someone sat next to me.

"I don't know what you're going through, but it's okay to just let it out." The voice was feminine and soft, and familiar. I'm pretty sure I had a few classes with this girl but we obviously weren't good friends. Her words did help though, and I let out a good few more sobs before beginning to settle down.

"Th-thank you, erm..." I lifted my head, seeing a thin girl with bright orange hair about shoulder length, bangs in a jagged line across her forehead. Green eyeshadow lined her bright eyes, giving her a bold yet welcoming appearance.

"Hayley Williams, we have English, P.E., and History together," she smiled warmly. "Care to tell me what happened, get it off your chest?"

At first I shook my head, but then it all came tumbling out. Words kept fighting to fall from my lips as my thumbs fiddled in my lap. Hayley listened carefully, not butting in once. When I was finished I had to take a few deep breaths to relax again, realizing I had just punched my best friend to the ground and not apologized for my immature actions.

"You and Patrick are the two Lynn was rambling on about this past winter, at the annual outdoor ice rink, right?" Hayley tilted her head, now having her arms around her knees and facing me while leaning against the white brick wall.

"Yeah. We ran into her and Alexa. That was the moment I knew I was definitely falling for that little guy," I chuckled.

"Okay, how about this. Keep in touch with Patrick, but don't let worry and despair cover you up. Start putting school, hockey and your current friends up front, but don't completely forget the back passenger. Plan times to connect, like your on point schedule you had last year. But first things first, you have some apologizing to do, and I'll be with you every step of the way."