The Church Boys ➸ Peterick/Brentrick

22: We're Falling Apart to Half Time

Patrick just looked different as he practically stormed through the hallway. It wasn't even the way he carried himself, it was just the way he looked. It was drastically changed from the first time Pete had seen him, or maybe just paid attention: because while he hadn't grown in height at all, it was like puberty hit him and hit him hard in the time he hadn't been around. Because Patrick had slimmed down a lot, from a mix of exercise and straight up not eating sometimes, he had lost a lot of the softness Pete had originally been attracted to.

Yet, he that wasn't saying he wasn't still soft: he had some curves that were almost feminine, and his face was still soft even if his bone structure was a little more revealed. Patrick possessed a nice jawline, and his neck was open and revealed as he wasn't wearing a jacket over his uniform. He still wore the beat up converse he always did, but otherwise he looked matured. 

Though Pete didn't know it was because of him that all this started.

He didn't know that for the longest time, Patrick thought it was because he didn't look attractive enough that Pete had started acting different around him, then just ignoring him. He didn't know that Patrick would just work out with Joe even though he wasn't ready for something that intense and push himself to finish and finish well, but also to the point of vomiting when he got home. He didn't know Patrick would skip a meal at least once a day, trying to get to the point where he saw himself to be attractive.

Once he learned the real reason behind it though, he found himself eating again. Smaller portions, yes, but Pete wasn't worth starving himself over. 

Pete didn't know the shitstorm he had gotten himself into.

"Pete! We need to talk," Patrick stated as he pulled the soccer player backwards. It was still twenty minutes before the start of first period. Zero period was still in session, and kids that started school at the regular time weren't there or in the area. He'd turned around, cocking an eyebrow at Patrick.

"What's up?"

He looked around, sighing gently. "What are we? Are we nothing, are we something, or are you dating a girl to save face now?" Patrick rubbed his face before he spoke again. "I want closure if we're nothing, but if we're something then we need to have a serious talk."

Pete was quiet for a long moment, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help just taking out his anger in the entire situation on the very person he wanted to shield it from. "We're nothing, Patrick. We're nothing. We can't be anything. We go to a homophobic school in a homophobic town in a homophobic world that would kill you twice without thinking. Don't you get it? It's pointless."

"Pete, what are you talking about?"

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I'm talking that we aren't together, okay? I'm with Claire, and there's nothing you can do about it-" his voice lowered drastically, "-babycakes, I'll explain later, please..."

"No, don't 'babycakes' me. You just said we're breaking up!" Patrick moved away from Pete, his face contorted into confusion. "Pete, I...why? I deserve an answer. You can't just do this."

"Yes, I can, I have to, Patrick. I'll explain it later, please."

"Explain it now, Peter. We can go somewhere, ditch first period, but I need an explanation."

The halls were slowly starting to fill up, people coming through and slamming their lockers.

"I can't. I'll meet you after school somewhere, okay? We can go to the park. I don't know, I don't care, but we need to talk in private."

"No! You can explain it to me right now!"

There was a soccer player that arrived, smiling at Pete for a moment before casting a look at Patrick. "This guy bothering you, Wentz?"