Christmas - Prequel to Mistletoe

August 24, 2013

Patrick

"You really think I need to change everything about me just so the people you set me up with like me?" Ryan grabbed me by the arm, dragging me through the store to another rack of clothes as Brendon followed along like a lost puppy.

"Well, no. But obviously, I have the best fashion sense here. You just need to fix," He gestured to my outfit, "a couple things." Brendon looked at me, mouthing 'I'm sorry' as Ryan grabbed random articles of clothing, shoving them into my chest as I struggled to hold them up.

"Ryan, if I have to change anything about me, I don't want to do this. I should be fine being myself, not some person that I'm not." He turned to me, clasping his hands together gently.

"Patrick. Of course, you're a wonderful, kindhearted person with an...interesting choice of fashion, but trust me. This will help." Brendon snorted from behind me, remarking, "Funny you're the one 'helping' him with his clothes when I'm right here," He smirked, gesturing to his own outfit, "the one with the obvious advantage in fashion taste."

Ryan glared at Brendon, leading me to the dressing room as he proudly claimed, "Patrick would obviously rather prefer my taste of clothing rather than your...unfortunate one." He then shoved me into the dressing room, as I heard Brendon gasp in disbelief.

I blocked out the sound of Brendon's offended voice as I easily slid on the clothes, then looked into the mirror at my reflection. "Ryan, this isn't exactly...my style...at all..." I called, and opened the door, as Ryan's concerned face popped up behind it, with Brendon looking over his shoulder expectantly.

Brendon burst out laughing as I stared at Ryan, feeling more embarrassed by the second. Ryan gasped, in pure joy and pleasure as he grabbed my arms, pulling me slightly closer and looking over my outfit as I uncomfortably stood there. "Patrick! You look amazing!" Brendon, still laughing, managed to choke out, "You look like a gay circus ringleader!"

Ryan turned, offended as he exclaimed, "Patrick's outfit looks amazing," He then turned to me, smirking proudly, "you're welcome, by the way."

I looked at myself in the mirror, messing with the hem of the shirt as I uncertainly answered, "Am I welcome to take this off and never wear it again?" Ryan crossed his arms, huffing as Brendon snorted, turning me around and pushing me back in the dressing room.

"Do our eyes a favor, Patrick, and take that off before it makes me take off. Running." Ryan rolled his eyes, and I sighed with relief as I closed the door, doing what Brendon said. When I opened it again, greeted by Ryan's pouty face and Brendon, who was still laughing, Brendon slung his arm around my shoulder. "I am so sorry I let Ryan pick out your outfit, Patrick."

Ryan exclaimed, clearly offended, "I'm right here, bitch!" I just shook my head, turning around. "Look, when I said I would do it, I'd-I'd go along with your little matchmaking thing, I'd give it a shot," I stuttered, Brendon looking at me as Ryan stopped glaring at him, also turning to me. "I didn't mean I would let you change everything about me."

Brendon opened his mouth to object as Ryan claimed, "We're not changing everything about you-" I interrupted him mid-sentence, saying, "You're trying to make me wear different clothes, you were trying to tell me earlier about how I should act and what I should say on a date," Brendon shrugged, and gave a "Yeah, true" as I continued, "You act like I haven't even been on a date before!" Ryan looked down as Brendon cut in, saying, "Patrick. You and Warren went out, like, twice." I glared. "Twice counts!"

Brendon raised his eyebrow, and responded in a singsong voice, "Drug dealer." "Brendon, I don't want to talk about it." Ryan shrugged, taking the pile of clothes from my arms as he said carefully, "You don't exactly have the most experience, Patrick." "I don't think I need experience. Besides, if the guys you know are as nice as you make them out to be, why should I even worry about that?"

Brendon turned to Ryan, stating, "You know, he's got a point." I looked at Brendon, sighing in relief. "Thank you!" Ryan threw his hands in the air, groaning. "I can't believe I'm about to say this," I looked at him, eyes wide with hope. "fine. Fine, you can wear your stupid...cardigans, and collared button-ups, and oversized sweaters, and...whatever it is you call fashion."

I sighed with relief, Ryan dropping the clothes back where they came from as Brendon removed his arm from around my shoulder. "You're going to be fine, Patrick. Don't listen to Ryan," Ryan sent a glare in Brendon's direction as he went on. "everyone loves you. I mean, you're sweet, kind, super fucking innocent, adorable-" "Brendon. Get on with it."

Ryan snorted as Brendon coughed awkwardly. "You'll do great, champ." "Champ." "I don't know!" Ryan burst out laughing, patting me on the shoulder as he led both of us out of the store entrance. "So you don't need a change in fashion. You don't need advice on how to act and what to say," I nodded. "all you need now is the dates!"

I cringed inwardly, looking at the ground as Ryan stopped. "Patrick. You'll be okay. Just a couple dates with a few of Brendon and I's friends. Just to try it out." Brendon rubbed my arm awkwardly, like he was trying to comfort me.

"Patrick, the worst that could happen is you don't find your true love and your life ends in loneliness and disappointment. Luckily for you, Ryan and I don't give up that easily!"

I groaned, looking up at Brendon and Ryan with an unamused expression. "Lucky me." Yeah. Lucky me. I mean, I had hoped that if I didn't find someone by the end of the year, they would just give up, but now, Brendon seemed determined to find my 'one true love'. I mean, I could always find someone to act like my boyfriend so they would stop pestering me about this, but I wasn't desperate enough. Not yet, anyway.

Hopefully I didn't have to get to that point, but with the way things were going, Brendon and Ryan were far more interested in this whole thing than I was.

In fact, I didn't quite see why it was so important. I mean, I was only twenty three, and I knew I was pretty lonely, which probably looked pretty sad. But I had plenty of time to find love. That is, if I could ever find anyone who was actually willing to put up with me.

Heck, I was pretty bad. I was an insecure mess with a self esteem as low as the ground I walked on, and I barely talked in public unless it was to Brendon or Ryan, or if I was with them. I hated being made fun of, for my stutter, for my height and for everything else.

So, I'd basically do anything I could not to get made fun of. But, I knew one way or another I would end up only embarrassing myself on one of these dates, so I was preparing for the worst.

Even if I'd do great, I didn't expect it. I wouldn't let myself get my hopes up like that.