FicWad

Chapter 5: "Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile. And she will be loved. She will be loved..." - Maroon 5

I hear the familiar voice and silently curse myself, looking up slowly as I wipe at my cheeks. "Um...hey Pete..." My gaze catches his for a moment, but I look away quickly, not wanting him to be able to focus on the pain held there for too long. "You know for a girl with such short legs you run pretty fast. It's impressive." I can see the smile he offers out of my peripheral vision and sigh softly, allowing the corners of my lips to twitch upwards. "Yeah, cause you're a regular Heidi Klum." I offer sarcastically, giving him a sideways glance. He's grinning and moving closer. Shit.

"So...mind me asking what you were running from?" He takes another step forward, nudging me over a bit as he takes a seat on the couch beside me. I chew nervously on my lower lip, staring straight ahead. "Yes." He clears his throat, and I can hear his palms scratching against the rough grain of his black jeans as he runs them back and forth along his thighs. "Alrightie. Hmm, suppose that'll make it a little harder for me to figure out where these came from then..." I look over at him briefly, confused, but as his thumb comes to drag softly across my cheek, it dawns on me. I turn from his touch, closing my eyes and swallowing back the newly formed lump in my throat.

"It’s just...I mean...there was someone, back home. It's over, but he won't let go and that makes it harder for me to. You know?" I lick my lips, suddenly feeling their dryness and standing to move over to the mini fridge. I pull open the freezer section, reaching in and pulling the bottle of rum I'd stored there before grabbing a glass from the cabinet above me, talking as I pour. "What am I talking about? Of course you know. You write the songs that give words to the rest of our heartbreaks." I bring the glass to my lips, sipping slowly as I turn to face him again. He's looking back with a sad smile. "You're gonna be okay, you know that right?" I shrug, taking another sip. "Maybe."

He lifts himself from the couch, moving towards me again. I watch him cautiously, thumbing the rim of my glass. "Trust me. I mean, I'm the man who's been through it all, right?" I scoff looking down again. "Yeah? And what does that have to do with me? You don't know me. You don't know anything." I bite my lip again, instantly realizing how rude that must have sounded, but too proud to take it back. "About me...you don't know anything about me." I move to finish off the amber liquid in my glass, but his hand stops me, taking it and setting it back down on the counter. My mouth parts in protest, but then I feel him pulling me into him, his hoodie clad arms wrapping protectively around my small frame and the already weak wall I'd built to keep everyone out starts to dissolve. I breathe in, relaxing against him, and burying my face in his shoulder. "I just want it to stop hurting."


~Patrick's P.O.V.~

I make my third lap around the building and still no sign of Andolyn. I sigh somewhat defeated, lifting the cap from my head and running my fingers through my hair a few times before replacing it. It was stupid of me to think that this was as important to her as it was to me. Then again why would it be? She didn't know me; I was blowing this whole 'hanging out' thing out of proportion. But I couldn't help it. Ever since that morning my insides had been itching with excitement and anticipation of getting to spend some more time with this girl. Sure I didn't know her, but that was the point, I wanted to. I let out a sigh that comes out as more of a grunt, kicking at the asphalt as I shove my hands deeper into the pockets of my red and gray hoodie.

"Trick, my man, why the long face?" I look up from the invisible pool of self pity I was teetering on the edge of to find William smiling at me crookedly and struggling with the zipper of his own hoodie. "Hey Bill, it's nothing really. I can't find Andolyn, you know, Gabe's assistant?" He nods knowingly, his smile stretching wider across his face as he scratches the side of his head. "Yeah I know Andi. Man I didn't know you liked her." He chuckles lightly patting the top of my back. I shrug it off, clearing my throat. "What? No, I don't like Andi. I-I mean...I don't know her. I just...look we were going to hang out after sound check. It's not a big deal." I turn in the direction of our bus, an exasperated sigh escaping me. I feel a strong hand grab my shoulder and a second later William is mimicking my stride, hands in the front pockets of his faded black jeans. "Look man I wasn't trying to get you upset or anything. Andi's great and if you did like her...not that I'm saying you do...." He puts a hand up defensively as if warding off any possible comeback. "...well I think it'd be cool...for both of you."

My brow arches curiously and I glance back at him. "Why's that?" It's not defensive, just searching for something, an inkling of a clue about who Andolyn is maybe? His gaze falls sideways, studying me for a moment before looking forward again. "Alright so, I try not to make a habit of airing out her personal shit and you can't tell her you heard this from me, but..." He takes a deep breath, shaking his head. "Andi's been dealing with some, let's call them 'guy' issues lately. She doesn't talk about it much, but I've been prying it out of her piece by piece through emails the past few months. There was this guy, Jason. They've been off and on for a couple years now and he's just...not a good guy. Not anymore anyways. She tries to act all tough, like it wasn't breaking her, but, he has this way of messing with her mind, putting her in these real dark places." He pauses his step, turning towards me. "I don't know for certain, but I think part of the reason she's here, is to break away from him. So maybe try not to take it too personally if she's a little unfocused....and oblivious to some feelings or intentions you may or may not possibly have for her. K?" He knocks my shoulder softly with his knuckles, gesturing for us to go back the way we'd come from. "Come on. I'll help you find her. Maybe Jack knows. I saw her talking with him during sound check."

Speak of the devil. With camera in hand and a friendly smile on his face, 'Jack the Camera Guy' comes bounding towards us. "Will, Trick, just the lead singers I was looking for." My eyebrow arches again. "You were looking for me?" He scrunches up his face a bit, shrugging. "Okay, maybe not so much you specifically. But it's always cool running into you?" Somehow his statement comes out as more of a question and I can't help but laugh, a bit under my breath, but still. "That's what I thought." He laughs in response, adjusting his glasses and the camera on his shoulder. "So truthfully, Will, I was looking for you. Cobra needs you inside for 'Bring It'." My lanky friend lets out a lazy groan. "Ah shit, that's right. Okay I'll be in there in a minute." Jack nods turning back towards the doors, but it dawns on me we'd wanted to ask him something originally. "Hey Jack, you wouldn't happen to know where Andi is would you?" He turns back, shaking his head. "Not really. She ran out of sound check earlier, she said something about the Cobra bus. Maybe check there?" I nod appreciatively, glancing back at Will. He gestures towards the bus on the other end of the parking lot with a slight swing of his head. "Go on, I'll talk to you later dude." The beginnings of a smile form on my lips and I head off towards the bus, the sounds of my sneakers against the pavement echoing across the parking lot.

When I reach the door of the bus I take a moment to catch my breath, wiping at my forehead and checking myself in the reflection of the window before rapping my knuckles confidently against the glass. No answer. I try again. Still nothing. I try the handle and the door opens freely. I suck my lower lip inwards, biting at it as I take the first step up. I can hear rustling. Two more steps. Muffled voices, wait, muffled laughter? I pull back the curtain leading to the lounge area and that's when I see them, sprawled out on the floor, legs and arms entangled. Her face is pink and her eyes are twinkling with laughter. His shoe is lying haphazardly next to her backpack. They both look back at me, bright smiles adorning full lips. She's the first to speak, my name rolling off her tongue breathlessly, but not in that seductive way you fantasize about when you're staring at the ceiling of your bunk trying to go to sleep but failing miserably. "Patrick...hey..." Pete laughs, taking the opportunity to roll off her somewhat, sitting upright and flicking the bangs from his eyes. "What's up man?" It takes everything I have in that moment not to walk over and smack that stupid, oblivious grin off his damn face. "Um, nothing." My eyes move back to Andi, following her as she sits up herself, straightening out her shirt and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I thought we were gonna hang out. But you're obviously busy so. I'll talk to you later."

Her face falls and those cat-like eyes of hers show a glimmer of remorse. "Oh Patrick, I'm sorry. I didn't realize what time it was. Just give me a minute and then..." But I stop her words short, putting my hand up. "No really, it's fine. I'm gonna go." I turn, leaving them both sitting there, a shared look of confusion quickly replacing the smiles that had rested there before.