FicWad

Part Twenty-Two

Keliah's POV

I wasn't quite sure what to think of the situation in front of me. Patrick and I just walked in on ANDY, of all people, yelling at Joe and Pete. And there wasn't any fighting. It was just pure confrontation.
"What the fuck were you thinking, guys?"
"Look, we said we were sor-" Pete tried to say.
"NO, that's NOT good enough! Joe, you hurt her enough to break up with you, and Pete, you did nothing more than make the situation worse!"
"Hey, now I apologized for tha-"
"It's. NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH!!" He said, kicking the chair next to him. "I want her to stop crying! It makes me want to rip my own hair out, I can't stand hearing her cry! And since YOU were the ones who hurt her, you're gonna fix it, or I'm gonna hurt you both!"
Patrick and I looked at each other quickly and tried to step into the conversation. I spoke first, walking over to Andy. I put my hands on his shoulders, trying to relax him. "Hey, Andy, can we talk for a second?" 
Patrick looked at me and I nodded as he sat down to talk to Joe and Pete. I lead Andy into a different section of the bus, out of earshot from everyone else. 
"Andy-" I started to say, but he interrupted me.
"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been yelling at them. It wasn't my place."
"Andy. I'm not gonna scold you or anything. I think what you did out there was honorable. You really like Farrah don't you?"
He sighed and pushed up his glasses, just like Patrick does when he's nervous.
"Yeah. I do. And it's killed me to see her around with Joe. I talked to Joe while they were still together and he couldn't find anything in common with her. He talked about her like it was annoying to be around her. To say the least...I...I wanted to punch him in the mouth."
"Well, if you feel that way about her, maybe you should tell her."
"She wouldn't want to see me. You heard her. She doesn't want anything to do with any of us..." he said, defeated.
"But if you talked to her and told her how you feel, honestly and sincerely, she might stop crying at least. You don't want to see her cry anymore right?"
"Yeah...I suppose you're right. And I cannot handle her crying. It rips me apart inside. It makes me want to rip apart whatever is MAKING her cry."
I nodded understandably. If Patrick was ever crying over something someone did to him, I would hunt down the motherfucker and hit them in the face. I understood how Andy felt.
"Then go talk to her."
He took a deep breath. "Alright." Without another word, he walked past everyone in the living room, ignoring the glares from Joe and Pete, and walked into the bunk room where Farrah was, closing the door behind him. I sat down next to Patrick and cleared my throat. 
"So. Tell me. What the hell could you possibly have been thinking to make yourselves look like total assholes in front of Farrah?"
"We didn't think abo-" I raised a hand to stop Pete from talking.
"Actually, I don't even care what you were thinking. It obviously wasn't a lot of thinking for you two to act like that. My best friend is in the bunks right now, crying because of two of the people she cares about most are treating her like shit. She did NOT do ANYTHING to deserve this. All she did was like you two and you fight over her like kindergarteners fighting over a goddamn toy. And I swear to god, if you two keep this up, not only will you have Farrah after you two, I will be out for blood."
Patrick nodded. "You guys are my best friends, but I will hunt you down as well. Farrah is a great girl. She didn't deserve that. She shouldn't have to watch the guys she dearly loves fight over her. It's pathetic."
"Look, we're really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her like I did. And now because of it, I just lost my girlfriend." Joe said.
"I really didn't mean to look like such an ass in front of her. I care about her just as much as you guys. I just...lost control."
I glanced at Patrick and took a deep breath. "Alright, then. Let's just put this all behind us then, shall we?"
"Yeah. We're all friends. We fuck up sometimes, right?" Patrick said, shrugging.
We all got up and hugged each other. While we were up, Andy came out of the bunk room, Farrah following closely behind. She actually smiled. 
"I heard your guys' apologies. I forgive you and I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have overreacted so much. I guess it was just...the last straw."
Patrick glanced at Joe and Pete and replied to Farrah. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. Don't apologize for something you didn't do."
"I still feel bad about the situation. But...I've stopped crying. So that's good right?" she giggled.
We all laughed along with her and I pulled Andy aside again.
"What'd you say to her? Whatever it was, it worked."
"It worked alright, just not as I expected."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her that the guys were stupid for acting like morons when they had someone as fantastic as her around them. She kept crying on my shoulder. I eventually told her that they were lucky to have her, and her crying subsided for a little bit. She looked at me with those gleaming blue eyes, and I lost it there. I told her everything I felt about her, and I..."
"What happened?"
"I got rejected. She said she wasn't ready to date anyone on this bus as of right now. She said maybe after the tour was over, but not now."
"But you got her to stop crying. That's what's important. You did a good thing, Andy. Even if you didn't get her right now. But she never said no. Just be patient."
"Yeah, that's what I figured. I'll just wait until she's ready. Unlike the other two."
"Just promise me you won't start any fights?"
"No problem. I'm probably the calmest of anyone on this bus. I'm not going to be throwing any punches anytime soon."
"Good." I hugged him quickly and smiled. "Thank you for not hurting my best friend."
"Anytime." he said, pushing up his glasses again.
We both returned back to everyone else and Farrah surprise-attack hugged me. "Thank you." she whispered.
I smiled and held her tight. "Anytime."
---------------------------
The bus had finally stopped wherever we were suppose to be. The bus driver told we'd stopped somewhere in Eureka, California. I honestly didn't care where we were as long as we got out of the bus. I think we all needed some time away.
So, we got off, Rob showed up from the bus that was following us, lectured us about being back ON TIME, and let us go our way. The day was already halfway over, but either way, we still got to get out of the bus.
"Hey...you ok, babe?" Patrick came over to me, wrapping his arm carefully around my waist as we walked. I snapped out of my spaced out state and smiled weakly.
"I'm fine." He still looked at me with concern.
"No. You're not. I can tell when you're lying. What's up?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about how happy I am to get off the bus. Maybe that's what was bugging me. The bus."
"Well...like I said, you sorta get used to it. Even though, it does take quite awhile to get used to it. You should've seen me on our first tour. I was a mess. I didn't like having no privacy, and I started to definitely miss the comfort of my own bed. But, hey. Eventually we all become family and then it doesn't matter what happens on the bus. You've already seen how we argue like family." he joked.
"You're right. Besides all the fighting and stuff, I AM having a good time. I promise." I said, kissing him quickly on the lips. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. "Another thing I hate about the bus. Never anywhere to be intimate with anyone without being either interrupted, or having to be quiet so no one hears you."
Everyone else was walking ahead of us, and Joe turned to intrude. "Well, we've never had a problem with you before. Not until you got engaged."
"Shut up, Joe. Yes, we all know I was a loser with girls. Thank you for rubbing it in."
"No problem, buddy." he smiled and turned back to his and Andy's conversation. Pete and Farrah walked side by side in silence, hardly even recognizing the other's existence. With good reason, I guess. Andy all of a sudden screamed and pointed.
"HEY LOOK, LOOK, LOOK! A MALL!"
Everyone automatically turned to him shouting, "SO?"
"Soooo, everything is in the mall. If we need anything we just go in there and get it all at once. And look, Kel, there's a bridal shop in it too. It says so on the sign."
I grinned and said, "Ok. He's got me. Let's go in then."
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Patrick's POV

We headed into the mall, and Kel's hand was firmly in mine. I usually knew better than to go out in public places, ESPECIALLY in California. It usually ended up badly, with a bunch of fans and everything attacking and chasing after us like we were the Beatles. I held Kel close to me, and she put a hand around my waist. Almost like she was reading my mind, she said, "We'll be fine. I few big bad fangirls can't hurt you. Even though they may scream like they will."
"Yeah. They'll probably just trample me over to get to Pete anyways."
We both giggled, and all of us, before quickly checking we all had our cellphones in case we did get noticed, went our separate ways. Joe and Andy headed over to the gaming store, Pete headed to the fashion, and Farrah went over to the music store, leaving me and Kel to wander around the wedding shop. To be perfectly honest, I'd never been inside one of these stores. It's like a giant huge snow globe, covered in white, EVERYWHERE. White dresses, white decorations. I already knew I didn't want the theme of this wedding, as small as it may be, I did not want to be just black and white.
"We aren't just going to have white, right?" I asked nervously.
"No, no, no. Not just white, we'll have two colors at least."
"What colors?"
"I don't know. You pick."
"I don't know what to pick."
"Ok then...what's your favorite color?"
"Orange."
She nodded at the color coordinated aisles in the store. We headed over to the orange aisle and it was slightly overwhelming. There was so much orange.
"You know, do you really think we need any of this stuff? It's going to be a small wedding anyways..." she said, looking questioningly at the items in the store.
"Oh, I am so glad you were thinking the same thing." I quickly grabbed her and got out of the store. "I love orange and all...but that....was a nightmare."
She giggled and kissed me on the cheek. As her lips pressed on my skin, I opened my eyes to see photographers behind her. "Damnit." I hissed. She pulled away and looked in the direction I was staring. She too seen the photographers and swore. The paparazzi saw us and soon ran after us. We bolted.
We were running hand in hand down the mall, people pointing at us with camera phones. Great, I thought, just something else someone needs to see. A video of me running for my life through a mall in a town called Eureka. Yeah. That's not humiliating. Kel already had her cellphone pulled out and was trying to dial Pete's phone one handed as she ran. "DAMNIT!" She shouted as she tried to dial the right numbers. "Oh, fuck it." she hissed, and held down the speed dial button for Pete.
She set him on speaker so we could hear him as we ran.
"Hello?" Pete's voice said from the other end.
"PETE!"
"Uh...Kel? Is that you?"
"YES, it's me! Patrick and I are getting chased by photographers, we need to get out of here."
"Where are you?"
"Headed toward the bathrooms at the...north end of the mall." I said, taking a deep breath.
"On it. Be there in a sec."
I heard a click as he hung up the phone and I swore again. "What the hell does he think he's going to do? Divert them?"
She shook her head and breathed heavily. "I have no idea, but we had better be close to those bathrooms."
Surely enough, we finally were at the north end of the mall, almost about to hit the wall and we turned down the hallway, bursting into the family bathroom. It was a huge bathroom, but there was no way they could get at us in here. I heard clicking and shouts that soon subsided. We both leaned on the wall and slowly slid down to sit on the floor and catch our breath for a minute.
"Well....that was fun." I said.
"Paparazzi are crazier than I expected."
"You think that's bad? You should watch them when they go after Pete. The only way they would've known we were here is because of the tour bus parked outside, but why they were chasing us first...I have no idea. They should be ignoring me, Joe and Andy. They should've gone after Pete...."
"Maybe they know about the engagement."
"Oh hell, wouldn't that be awesome. They know about the engagement and they just seen us in a wedding shop? Oh yeah. They're gonna have a field day. You don't mind having your face in magazines, right?"
"As long it's with you, I don't care where my picture is taken." she sighed, smiling at me. I could feel sweat dripping off my face from running. Kel reached her hand over and she wove her fingers in my sweat soaked hair.
"You are so sexy when you're covered in sweat." she said thoughtfully, stroking my hair.
"I'm also smelly and disgusting when I sweat."
"Ah, that may be, but still sexy."
I kissed her deeply, my tongue meeting hers quickly as she returned the kiss. 
"God, it feels so good to be able to do that with no one watching." I sighed, breaking apart reluctantly from the kiss.
"We should probably call the other two to tell them what's going on."
I pulled out my cell and dialed Andy's number first, setting the phone on the floor on speaker so we could hear him.
"Hello?" A female's voice came on the phone.
Kel sat up on the floor. "Farrah?"
"Kel! Hi!"
"Why do you have Andy's phone?"
"Well, we all met inside the music store and Joe and Andy are busy trying to beat each other at the video game demos set-up in the store. I was watching their stuff, and I heard his phone ring, so I just answered it. What's up?"
I piped up. "I think you'd better get them off of those games, Farrah. Kel and I just got chased by photographers. I have no idea where they are now. Pete said he'd take care of it, but I don't know if they've moved on to find the rest of the guys."
"Oh, got it. I'll get them off it A.S.A.P, I swear."
"Alright. Talk to you later."
"Bye!"
And with that, she hung up, leaving us sitting in the bathroom in silence. 
"Well, let's call Pete and see if he's supposedly 'taken care of it' or whatever." she said, dialing his number on my phone.
"Hello?" Pete's voice was almost drowned out by the sound of clicks in the background.
I spoke this time. "Pete, what did you do?"
"I distracted them. If you want to get out and get to the tour bus, it shouldn't be a problem now."
"HOW did you distract them?" I said suspiciously.
"Picked up a couple of hot chicks from the clothing store, talked to them for a bit, and now the paparazzi is doing nothing more than taking pictures of me talking to some random girls."
"Great. Good going, Pete. So it's safe to come out then?"
"Yeah, totally. I got this under control, Trick, I swear."
"Okay then. See you later."
"Peace." And with a resounding click, he was gone. I stood up off the floor, putting my phone back in my pocket and helped Keliah up. I took her hand and said, "Alright. Pete says it's safe, but I don't fully believe him as always. If the paparazzi come at us again, we'll just split and I'll meet you back at the bus. Ok?"
"Ok." she said, determined. The look on her face said that she was going to fool these morons if it was the last thing she did. I smiled at her expression and we slowly walked out of the bathroom. We walked at first, knowing that we'd see the paparazzi from a mile away if they were close to us. We soon got to about the center of the mall, and there was Pete, sunglasses on, girls on each arm, smiling a blinding white smile for the cameras. 
We walked by completely unnoticed.
Farrah, Joe and Andy were standing at the exit of the mall, waiting for us.
"Hey, did you get through the mob?" Joe said with a smirk.
"Yeah, did you?"
"Just barely. We almost got caught but just as they were about to point and shoot at us, Pete walked out of the clothing shop, and they turned and ran immediately towards him." Andy said, slightly laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"We got chased all the way down the mall by them. We got noticed first." I said, adjusting my hat. "Why didn't they try to find Pete? You know how they are, they're supposed to go after him. Even if they see us first."
Joe shrugged. "Yeah, that was a bit weird."
Andy held a finger to his lips. "I'll bet you that someone in the mall called them. Whoever is was probably seen you two in that wedding shop place and called. The lousy bastards."
Kel shrugged and clung to my arm. "I don't know. It might've been that bitchy girl working inside the shop. She seemed mean."
I laughed at her. "Nah. Normally the people that call and rat us out tend to be fans. They get over excited and tell people that we're here and the information gets into the wrong hands. They never MEAN to do it sometimes."
"Well, I've ran enough for one day. I'm pregnant. I have a right to be exhausted after running." Kel said, heading over to the direction of the bus.
Joe sniggered. "And what's your excuse, Trick?"
I fake laughed at his joke and shot back a reply. "Do you have any idea how tiring it is to get a girl pregnant?"
Andy and Farrah burst into a fit of giggles as Joe smiled. "Point well made, my friend."
------------------   
We opened the door to the tour bus and we all collapsed on the couches. I looked at the clock for a second.
"What time do you think Pete's going to be back?"
Joe and Andy shrugged. "Sometimes it take hours."
"But then again, he was only there for distraction. Not just...being him." Andy said.
"He should probably be back soon though."
Farrah crossed her arms and sighed. "I'm thankful he saved our asses back there. Those paps are EVIL."
Just as she said it, the tour bus door burst open, Pete slamming it closed as he leaned against it breathing heavily. "...Hi." he said breathlessly. 
"Jesus, Pete you look like hell." I said, getting up to give him my seat. He sat down in it next to Kel and she looked at him worriedly. "Are you ok?"
He took a deep breath and started telling us what happened. "Well, I tried to get away from them once. After I seen you two walk past with no one bugging you, I tried to get away and I hid in one of the magazine shops. Unfortunately, some chick had her cellphone out, called the photogs up, and they came rushing into the store. I was on the opposite end of the mall, furthest from the exit and I fucking ran. That is probably the most running I've ever done. I didn't even run that much in high school gym class. And damnit, do you know how hard it is to run in skinny jeans?" he cried out, tugging at his pant leg. Kel put an arm around his shoulder and grinned.
"Well, I don't know about everyone else, but thank you for distracting them for us. That was really sweet of you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Pete immediately blushed and I laughed at him. 
"What, Pete's getting all hot and bothered because of a kiss on the cheek?"
I seen his jaw clench and he said through his teeth, "No."
"Then Pete?"
"What?"
"What exactly is that in your pants then?" I crossed my arms and leaned on the wall, pointing to the crotch of his pants. He looked down and cursed.
I heard him swear again as he got up and ran to the bunks and Joe and Andy were doubled up in laughter. Kel nervously looked up at me. "I...I didn't mean to do that."
"No, it's not your fault. It's just Pete." I said, as I took my place beside her on the couch again.
"I didn't think a simple kiss on the cheek would do t-that. I'm kinda sorry I did it now."
"Well, I'm guessing Pete's probably got a little crush-" Joe started to say.
Andy continued it. "-but only because, I mean...you are pretty smokin' hot."
I looked warningly at the guys who immediately shut up, both murmuring, "Sorry.." under their breath. Kel giggled. "I suppose I should take it as a compliment then."
Joe spoke again, only after cautiously looking at me. "We always have wondered how Patrick got you first."
Farrah joined in. "Yeah, tell us, what's so special about him? No offense to you, Patrick, you know I adore you." I nodded at Farrah and looked at Kel. I was actually slightly worried about what they had brought up. I didn't know what she was going to say. Kel sat there, resting her hands on her stomach and thought.
"Well....as shy as you say he is, he made the move first. So you all were too late anyways. And I'm sure, when he kissed me that first time, there had to have been mini fireworks shooting off. That...and look at his eyes." Joe, Andy and Farrah all got up and looked at my eyes. I stuck my tongue out at them and they backed away to their spots. Andy spoke. "What about them?"
"Yeah, I don't get it." Farrah said.
Kel looked at them in shock, and I turned to her with intrigue. "You all seriously don't see it?"
Joe shook his head. "See WHAT?!?"
"You all honestly don't see what's so special about his eyes? They're beautiful. They're a perfect shade of green that sparkles in the light, they are always so full of compassion, and love...."
Joe shrugged. "You see ALL that?"
"All that and more..." she said dreamily, looking straight into my eyes. I smiled at her and kissed her gently as a small thank you for what she said. Andy shook his head. "That's absolutely insane. I see greenish, blueish eyes."
Kel and I both laughed at the confused looks on their faces. Pete finally came back, slightly choked up. "Alright...so....please, don't kiss m-me on the c-cheek again."
Farrah rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised she even did it once."
Pete scowled at her and sat down on the floor. "Hey, I just saved your asses. You should be thanking me." Farrah crossed her arms.
"Alright. I'm sorry. Thank you. Those paps are brutal."
"Ah, it's fine. I think the more important thing is...why were they following Trick and Kel first?"