Senior Slump Or Comeback Of The Year

A Silent Storm

"I couldn't help but notice." Mikey started awkwardly. Looking around the empty football field to make sure no one would hear the words he was about to mutter. "That you and Patrick haven't been hanging out much."

Pete looked up from the apple he'd been pretending to eat. He eyed his best friend warily. Trying to decide if he was taunting him or being malicious in any way. But Mikey looked back at him with nothing more than genuine curiosity. Maybe a little worry. It wasn't weird for Mikey to be concerned about Pete's life. Though him speaking of his relationship with Patrick so comfortably was new.

"We're..." He held his breath to word his next words carefully. Not wanting to say the wrong thing in case Patrick was somehow able to hear their discussion. "Going through some rough times right now."

Mikey kicked at the grass on the ground. Digging up a small bit of it with the toe of his sneaker. "Did you want to talk about it?"

That drew another cautious look from Pete. "What?"

The other boy shrugged. "You've just been slumping around lately and I don't like it. Sometimes it helps to talk about things."

"That's really nice of you, Mikey."

The left side of his mouth lifted at Pete's approval. He stopped fidgeting and looked directly at his friend. His confidence growing. "So do you want to talk about it?"

He bit down on the inside of his mouth. Not hard enough to break the sensitive skin but not soft enough to be painless. Did he want to talk about it? Of course he wanted to talk about it! All the problems in his life were taking over his head. Making him literally sick with worry. He'd vomited twice that morning after Patrick refused to take his calls for the third day in a row. It was unhealthy to keep such intense emotions bottled up. But who could he tell?

No one could know that Patrick was pregnant. Well, no one more than the people who already knew. Pete felt selfish thinking it, but the entire situation was unfair. Patrick could talk to both Andy and his mother about things if they became overwhelmning in his mind. Pete couldn't talk to anyone at all about it. Not his bestfriend, not his parents, and now not even his boyfriend.

Pete knew his mind and his emotions. If he kept up at this pace, his anxiety would get the best of him before he knew it. He pulled at the bangs hanging over his eye just to feel the tug from the root. Hoping that the pain would clear his mind and switch him from what he was thinking about doing. No, this was a terrible idea. A stupid idea. This was a stupidly terrible idea. But even the sting from yanking at his own hair didn't clear the idea.

"Yeah." He finally managed to whisper. "I want to talk about it."

"So talk."

Mikey stopped their slow walk to lower himself to the ground. Ignoring the moderately dampened grass under his clothes. He laid flat on his back, staring up at the clear sky with wide eyes. Pete hesitated for only a second before laying down beside him. Folding his arms behind his head to use as a pillow and prevent the moisture from getting to his recently flat ironed hair. He didn't even flinch when Mikey slid his body closer to his. Moving his head to rest in the crook of Pete's elbow.

"I-I literally don't know where to start." Pete laughed despite himself.

"Start from the beginning."

"At coach's party."

"Patrick went to a party?" Mikey gasped. "He hates parties."

Pete lifted an eyebrow that his friend couldn't see. "I don't know if he hates parties exactly. Maybe it's more he hates the people who go to parties.