Guilty Conscience

Chapter 1

Patrick closed his locker and turned to see the smiling face of his best friend looking at him. Pete was definitely about to convince him to do something they shouldn't. Patrick sighed. "What are you planning now?" Pete's expression didn't even waiver as he put his arm around his friend's shoulder to start on the spiel as they walked home. Patrick was spending the weekend at Pete's house so he knew he would end up going along with whatever it was.

Patrick had indeed once again let his best friend talk him into doing something questionable. To make things worse he was third wheel on this adventure as some girl from one of their classes was currently clinging to Pete's arm as Patrick followed them into the cemetery near Pete's house. It had gotten dark a couple hours ago but Pete's parents weren't home, so they had no problem leaving this late. They never did. They weaved through graves back to an area between two mausoleums. Pete took the bag from his shoulder and took out a beer, offering it to Patrick, which he firmly refused, then to the flavor of the week next to him. She enthusiastically took it, opened it and took a drink before settling herself on the ground. Pete sat down against the wall next to her with his own beer and Patrick slid down the wall to sit a short distance away.

After a while of chat and them drinking, they all heard laughter nearby. They all looked at each other deciding what to do as it seemed to be getting closer. Before they could make any movement they saw a dark haired boy hanging off his shorter friend, both laughing and carrying liquor bottles which they had obviously already started into. They stopped when they saw the trio sitting there and the taller of the two blinked heavily and slurred "I know you guys" they other boy studied them for a moment before agreeing "yeah! You're in my social studies class!" he pointed at Pete. The girl with them, Patrick really needed to remember her name, jumped up and exclaimed "You're Frank! We're in geometry together!" He looked at her like she didn't look familiar. That seemed to have jogged Pete's memory though. "Oh yeah! Frank, that's right-" The taller boy cut them off having just remembered "PETE! Yeah you're Pete right?" Frank looked between the two of them a moment as Pete nodded agreement "Yeah and you're Gerard, right?" Frank cut back in again "Oh, yeah I think I do remember you... and your friend." he nodded toward Patrick who had so far been ignored. He looked at all of them wide eyed, not quite sure how to respond so he just gave a small wave and half smile. The two newcomers flopped down next to them and the four shared alcohol and stories, while Patrick sat there feeling out of place, until Gerard and Frank decided to get up and wander off somewhere else.

The girl, Patrick was really hoping that introduction session earlier would have given him a name but he would just have to ask Pete later, pulled Pete into a kiss that turned into a full make-out session. Patrick groaned annoyed and turned himself away from them to avoid watching.

After what seemed like hours but was actually only a minute of two Patrick heard footsteps nearing. He assumed it was Gerard and Frank, but a slim boy with glasses leaned down into Patrick's view "hello? You okay there?" Patrick nodded and looked up at him as he stood back up. "Um I'm looking for my brother, have you seen anybody else here? ...well other than the two with their tongues down each others throats over there." he gestured toward Pete. Patrick nodded uh yeah, I think their names were Frank and Gerard." Mikey sighed in relief "That'd be them." he glances toward Pete then back to Patrick with a pitying look. "You uh, you wanna go help me look for them? Maybe get away from the happy couple for a bit?" Patrick didn't hesitate before standing as he answered. "Yes, please!" He started walking off the direction he had seen the other two stumble off in. "They went this way." Mikey hurriedly followed after, both slowing once they got a little distance away. "So, my name's Mikey, what's yours?" Patrick dead stopped and looked at him, his mind racing Mikey? THE Mikey? The one Pete had been talking about? The guy he had been crushing on but for some reason couldn't get the nerve to talk to, resulting in him instead dating somebody new every week? THAT Mikey? It couldn't be. Mikey stopped too, turning to him. "What? What happened?" Patrick shook his head, pushing that thought away, it couldn't be. "Nothing, sorry. Patrick. My name is Patrick." He smiled and they continued on their search.

After an hour with no success they decided to go back to the mausoleums. They found Pete and the unnamed girl hurriedly shoving the empty bottles back into the backpack. Pete looked up and an expression of relief washed over his face as he saw Patrick but that was short lived as he saw Mikey and went wide eyed. Oh no, I guess this was THE Mikey.