Interior Design

Chapter Three

Pedro was stood outside the shop for hours. Wandering the car park dejectedly, glancing back inside but never actually entering. The whole time he kept his basket of unpaid for food with him. Thomas might be angry if he didn't. But...where was Thomas? His motor vehicle was gone, he was gone, and...no, he couldn't have...he couldn't have just left Pedro! But as the minutes passed it just seemed to get more and more likely. He felt betrayed. After all they had been through together, how could Thomas just leave him hanging in the streets of Bath? He sighed and sat down on the kerb of the pavement and watched the cars go by. And then, all of a sudden, a thought came over him. If Thomas didn't need him...he sure as hell didn't need Thomas. How could he have fun? Pedro sprang in to action and headed for the plunger shop.

Meanwhile, Thomas was starting to feel guilty. What had he just done? He drove back to the shop, stil feeling the guilt of his actions. He drew nearer and nearer to the shop, he wasn't in site. Thomas immediatley assumed Pedro was still inside trying to find the list of ingredients. It had been a few hours now, but he wasn't...from around...there...and it could take him a while! He swung open his van door while still in motion and quickly jolted the van to a stop, jumping out. He burst through the shop doors and started running across the shop looking left and right as he passed the isles. Nothing. Pedro was nowhere to be seen...oh, no. Oh...no! Thomas sprinted out the shop without thinking twice. It was almost like he had forgot what he was running for. Into town he ran, past shops and schools, determined to find his alien friend. Where would an ALIEN want to go? He thought to himself. Granny Scooters R us? Nope- too old! The Pet Shop? Nope- too advanced! "AHHH!" he shouted, forgetting that the whole of the street could hear him. PLUNGER PALACE? Perfect! Strange and exciting! Well, to alien creeps, at least. Thomas ran down the high street to a small shack with a rusty sign with the title "Puner Paace". Some of the letters had worn off over the years. Carefully, he opened the door. If he was to swing it open it would most likely break off the rusty hinges. "PEDRO!" Thomas squealed running towards him and hugging him with delight.

Pedro was dancing around the plunger shop with emotions more mixed than blended soup. The giddy excitement of being surrounded by plungers was there, but so was the utter hurt of Thomas ditching him. He picked up one plunger in each hand and threw them in the air happily. Somehow, this went entirely unseen by the shopkeeper. Suddenly, he heard a voice. His name. Could it be...? Before he could even turn around, he felt arms around him.

"OH MY GOSH PEDRO!!!" Thomas cried, "YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK."

Pedro turned his head right around to see Thomas. He smiled a bit at first- he wasn't alone anymore. However, he quickly remembered Thomas' cruel abandonment of him earlier and scowled. "You left me!" he yelled, outraged.

"Ped, mate, it was only friendly men's banter- it's what we Earthlings do for fun!" Thomas said, trying hard to cover up his foul actions.

The alien rolled his eyes. "I did do some research on your culture before I came here, you know."

"Well, you can't always believe what you see on the internet, my friend- another Earth lesson!" Thomas said desperately.

"The internet," Pedro repeated weakly. He shook his head. "No, idiot. I read it in the Guide. That's not any of your stupid Earth internet nonsense."

"Well, what's to say that ummm.... THAT WAS WRITTEN BY umm..... A FALSE AUTHOR." Thomas announced.

Pedro pushed him away, sudden anger flashing in his eyes. "My uncle wrote that."

"It's fine, Ped, I'm off. Don't bother following me, I have a girlfriend."

Alan laughed again. "I know you're gay. I've been studying you for the last three months. I know all about your little thing for Matt Smith."

"Shoot."  

"I read your diary. Do you really think his eyes are 'completely dreamy'?"

"That part was...fake. I was role playing," Thomas said.

"Sure, sure...and I'm sure you were role playing when you made that huge collage of pictures of his face, too."

"I'm going, and forget our relationship- I was NEVER serious," Thomas said, walking towards the door.

"Idiot, you can't change your mind every five seconds like this," Pedro muttered. He hugged Thomas from behind. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"GET OFF. Home. Anywhere- as long as it's away from you," Thomas said almost in tears.

"Now, why in the world would you want to do that, hottie?" Pedro decided that he was absolutely not going to take this at all seriously.

Before Pedro could do anything about it, Thomas swung open the door, knocking it off its hinges, and ran out of the door.

Pedro made a point of sighing incredibly heavily at this and ran as fast as he could after his romantic partner.

"I will call the police if you even touch me again, Pedro."

Pedro wasn't going to be stopped so easily. Nothing wrong with hugs unless someone had a restraining order! He hugged Thomas tightly. Within a couple of seconds Thomas had phoned the local police. 

"Hello, this is operator- how can I help?"

"Stalker. I have a...STALKER."

"Where exactly are you, sir?"

"Outside Plunger Palace, Bath High Street!"

"We'll be there right away."

Soon after the call a rescue team arrived to take Pedro away. He was handcuffed and tightly squeezed into a small police car. Before it moved a single centimetre, he set about staring at Thomas with the most hurt, betrayed, miserable look he could possibly manage. Thomas had no further feelings for Pedro, for he was, as was previously mentioned, barley even an acquaintance to Thomas. Two days were starting to feel like two years of knowing each other. While one may argue that this would just mean they already felt like close friends, Thomas would most likely disagree strongly. As he watched Pedro get driven away with his helpless face pressed against the window all he could do was stand there, looking guilty.