Troubled Soul || Fall Out Boy

~7~

Patrick didn't say much at dinner.

Pete's Mom and Dad asked Pete, Andrew and Hillary about what they did at school and daycare. Apparently Andrew fought a monster and has 39 girlfriends. Hillary did lots of drawing and did a pretty drawing of her family, which she proudly presented. Pete was glad that she didn't draw Patrick.

Pete told them about the multiplication he was doing (He hated it) and the cool books that they were reading (He liked that). Then he turned to Patrick and asked him what he had done all day.

Pete's Mom and Dad looked at each other. Patrick looked like he was about to cry again.

Pete's Dad changed the subject and started telling everyone about the fair that was coming in a few weeks.

Patrick started squirming around in his seat.

Pete's Mom took notice. "Is everything okay sweetie?"

"I-It hurts..." Patrick whimpered so quietly Pete hardly heard it.

Pete's Mom looked worried. "Alright. Let's go make it better, okay?"

Pete was appalled as his mother gently lifted Patrick off his seat and carried him into the kitchen, far away from everyone else. Patrick was Seven. The same age as Pete. And his Mom hardly ever even picked up Hillary anymore!

Patrick was such a baby.

"What's wrong with him Dad?" Pete asked.

"There is nothing wrong with him Peter, we've been through this." Pete's father responded crossly.

"Why is Mom carrying him?! He's seven! He can walk!"

"We'll explain later, Peter."

Pete huffed and quickly finished his dinner before grabbing his homework to do. Hillary didn't have any homework, so she went to watch cartoons. Pete's Dad took Andrew to bed.

Eventually, Pete's Mom brought Patrick back. He pulled out his notebook, and Pete's Mom gave him one of Pete's pencils to draw with.

"That's my good pencil!"

"Patrick can use it." Pete's Mom warned him sternly.

Pete fumed and went back to his homework.

"How is the homework coming along?" Pete's Mom asked after a while.

"Fine." He muttered.

She turned to Patrick. "Oh, wow. Um.... What an amazing, er, drawing Patrick..."

Patrick didn't say anything, just continued drawing. Pete watched curiously as Patrick scribbled back and forth around the drawing of a woman he had done.

"You're pressing too hard with my pencil. It's going to go blunt." Pete stated.

Patrick pressed harder and scrawled his pencil back and forth on the notebook until the lead snapped.

"You broke it!" Pete scolded.

"It's okay, it's okay. We'll sharpen it up and it'll be good as new." Pete's Mom tried to soothe. Pete thought she was trying to soothe him, but when he looked up he realised that she was trying to soothe Patrick, who looked like he was going to cry again.

"I can't believe you broke my good pencil." Pete muttered.

Patrick burst into tears.

Pete stormed upstairs so he wouldn't have to see his mother soothe Patrick for the ten millionth time today.