Just Once - A Peterick Fic

Chapter 19

        I heard my phone buzz in the other room almost as soon as I set Pete's notebook down, shut and face down once again. Ding! went the small, infernal at times, device, interrupting my train of thought and effectively yanking me back into reality.

        It was probably something important so I began the search for the cellphone, hoping it wouldn't be a difficult one. After a check on the dresser, bed side table, and suitcase, I found it on the small couch without a clue of when I'd thrown it there.

        One new message

        Opening it, I found it was from our manager, a reminder that we were leaving at 10:30 in order to make it to San Francisco in plenty of time. With our departure only an hour away, I threw on some clothes that I thought were (at least half way) clean and began gathering my things back up. I wasn't terribly messy so it wasn't hard, but getting it to all fit into that suitcase was the most difficult part.

        Pete, on the other hand, had clothes strewn everywhere even though we hadn't been staying here long and, reluctantly, I gathered them up and stuffed them into his suite case. I deserved a "Boyfriend of the Year" award or something. Judging by the way he'd stormed out though, I think he might disagree.

        I still wondered why my telling him he needed sleep bothered him so badly, though. He seemed to be a little on edge from the moment I brought it up to him and that wasn't like Pete. I mean, he's not exactly the most calm and collected guy in general, but that was hot-headed even for him and it worried me.

        It seems like I was saying that about a lot of things lately: "it worried me." Maybe I'm just a nervous little man, but maybe I've got a right to be so nervous. Pete's had bad bouts with depression in the past; who's to say this wasn't another one creeping up? That is certainly something worth worrying about.

        My boyfriend appeared to be the root of a lot of my stress lately and this only added to it, but if this does turn out to be another of his "episodes," my stress levels aren't important.

        Making sure he gets through it will be, because there's a fair chance that he wouldn't make it out alive if it's a bad one and I couldn't imagine my life without Pete. Not only is he my boyfriend, but he's my band mate and, most importantly, my best friend.

        I grabbed our bags and leaned them against the wall near the door so they'd be ready to go when it was time, and decided just a quick nap wouldn't hurt anything.

~~~~~~

        Riiinnnng!...Riiinnnng!...Riiinnnng!

        The sound of an incoming phone call woke me from my rest, startling me rather than a soft, gradual wake like I would've preferred. Groggily, I reached over to the bedside table, my hand landing on the small, overly noisy device and gripping it. Just as I was opening my eyes, I brought the phone up to my ear.

        "Hello?" I asked, my voice sleep-ridden and scratchy. I hadn't even bothered to check who it was calling so it was a bit of a surprise to hear the voice I did on the other end.

        "Patrick? Are you planning on making the trip with us?" I heard Joe ask me from the other end, a slight smile evident in his voice.

        "Um, yeah...?" I said, confused as to why he would ask that until I glanced at the digital clock displaying the time on the bedside table. 10:45 it read, meaning I was just a little late again. "Oh shit. I'll be down in a bit," I told him before hanging up the phone without a response from him and shoving it in my pocket. It seemed my tardiness was becoming normal. Maybe I should just start setting alarms for everything. I might be on time then. Might.

        I hurried over to the door where I'd set my suitcase and did a quick scan of the room for anything I might've left behind and saw nothing. Only my bag was sitting there so Pete must've come up and grabbed his already. Why he hadn't woken me then, I don't know.

        With the bag rolling behind me, I rushed towards the elevator, wondering how much slower could it possibly be. That's normal for hotel elevators, though, especially when one just so happens to be in a hurry.

        I did make it down there eventually, though, and found Andy and Joe waiting in the lobby for me.

        "Where's Pete?" I asked as I walked up at a much slower pace than when I'd ran down the hallway upstairs. 

        "Already in the car. He said he had something to do," Andy told me, accompanied by a shrug.

     "Let's go!" someone on our team shouted at us from just outside, obviously getting a little impatient. I guess I couldn't blame them. Losing 15 minutes can mean a lot.

A/N: So, irrelevant to the story but I felt like sharing this:  the guy I like asked me out and we're going on a date later today so yay.

Also, short and boring chapter but it should be important later on so just keep that in mind.