FicWad

Past the Point

The next morning, Pete woke up to Sara knocking on the door. Chris was leaning on him so he couldn’t get up. He called out for her to come in. Sara smiled and came in, Pete patted the bed next to him and she came to sit.

“How is she?” She asked tucking a piece of Chris’ hair behind her ear.

“I convinced her to take a painkiller last night around three in the morning. I think it took enough of the pain away for her to fall asleep.”

“Well that’s good. We’re making lunch and we wanted to know if yall wanted anything to eat.”

“I’m fine, I’ll wait until she wakes up.”

“Ok.” Sara smiled and kissed Chris’ forehead and left the room. As she closed the door, she caught a glimpse of Pete kissing the top of Chris’ head. She was grinning like an idiot when she walked into the kitchen where Joe and Patrick were hanging out. Not helping cook lunch, mind you, just chilling. Mostly being in the way.

“Why are you so smiley?” Joe asked, catching Sara around her waist as she walked by.

“Nothing,” she said, leaning into his embrace.

“Lies!” Joe said, squeezing her.

She laughed. “It’s nothing. I just went up to check on Chris and Pete, that’s all.”

“It is adorable, isn’t it?” Becca said coming into the room. “You should have seen him
yesterday. He was crazy worried.”

“Well ya,” Patrick interjected. “He loves her.”

“We all love Chris,” Sara said.

“No, silly,” Joe said, “He loves loves her.”

“Really?” Becca asked interestedly.

“He’s always loved her,” Patrick said. “From when they were kids. I think this would have
happened earlier if Matt hadn’t gotten sick. Matt was always super protective of Chris and hated all of her boyfriends. He used to say that if his sister had to be with anyone, he wanted it to be Pete. He trusted Pete to take care of her. I think when Matt got sick, especially at the end, Pete knew he was going to be the one to take care of Chris. When she wouldn’t let him and left, it tore him up. He’s been waiting for her for a long time. This is how it’s supposed to be.”

The girls nodded in understanding and continued to cook. A few minutes later Becca asked, “Chris said something happened in high school with her and Matt and Pete. Something about sleeping with someone? Do you know what that’s about?”

“Oh that,” Joe said. “That was Chris’ boyfriend. What was his name?”

“Jimmy,” Patrick said.

“Ya, Jimmy. He was an alright kid from what I remember, but I guess he was pressuring Chris or something. Matt and Pete paid him a visit. They didn’t want Chris to see him anymore. She was pissed about both things. She didn’t talk to them for like two weeks. They got over it, but since the, Chris doesn’t talk to them about that kind of stuff.”

“Oh, ok,” Sara said. “That makes a little more sense now.”

“What makes sense?” Joe asked, hopping down off the counter.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sara handed him a dish of food. “Lunch is ready.”

“I wanna know,” Joe whined.

“Too bad. Secret girl things.” Sara pushed passed him with a platter of sandwiches.

“No fair.”

“Get over it,” she said, smiling and coming back into the kitchen. “Take that to the table.
Please?”

Joe pouted and took the dish to the table.

“Thank you. Lunch time,” she called through the house.

They all sat down to eat. Upstairs, Pete had turned on the television again. A little while
later Chris started to stir. Her eyes slowly opened and then she blinked a couple of times. She rolled over and stretched, then turned back over to lean on Pete again.

“Morning,” she mumbled.

“Hey there, starshine. How are you?”

“Sleepy. Hazy?”

“You did take a Darvocet last night.”

“Ya,” she sighed, “I remember.”

“Do you want another? Or do you need some Advil?”

“I think I just want Advil.” Pete handed two tablets to her and the water. After she took the medicine she asked, “Where’s my boot?”

“Somewhere on the floor. What me to find it?”

“Yes, please.”

Pete shifted Chris and got up. After a few seconds he found it. “Victory!”

“You are such a winner.”

“It’s true. Want me to put it on?”

She nodded. He velcroed it on and Chris pushed herself to the edge of the bed and she stood up keeping all of her weight on her good ankle. She had to pee. But there was no way she was going to let Pete carry her to the bathroom. That would be so not cute. She put her other foot on the ground and tested her weight on it. She gasped.

Pete, who up until this point had been sitting on the bed watching her curiously, stood up and wrapped an arm around her waist to brace her. “Where ya goin?”

Her face turned red. She muttered, “Bathroom.”

“Come on, I’ll help you get there.” With half of her weight on Pete, Chris was able to half limp and half hopped her way to the bathroom. Pete left the room and waited for Chris to call for him. When she did, he walked back into the room. Chris sitting on the edge of the bath tub when he opened the door, a sour look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I forgot to brush my teeth last night. My mouth tastes funny. And I can’t get to the sink to brush them.”

“You’re adorable when you pout.” She stuck her tongue out at him. He helped her up and over to the sink. When she finished, he picked her up and carried her downstairs. Everyone was sitting around the table finishing lunch. Pete set her down in a chair while Becca went and got her some
food.

“We were just trying to decide what we wanted to do today,” Sara informed Chris. “We were thinking just doing the boat thing.”

“Sounds fun,” Chris replied. “I think I’m probably gonna stay here.”

“I’ll stay too,” Patrick said.

“I can stay too, if you want,” Pete added.

“You should go. It’ll be fun,” Chris told him.

“I do want to go tubing again,” Pete weighed the options in his head. “Are you sure it’s ok?”

“Ya, of course.” Chris smiled.

“Besides, I’ll be here,” Patrick said. “She’ll be fine.”

It was decided. Chris and Pete ate while the others cleaned up. They all went to change and
Chris managed to hop to the couch. Pete came into the room a few minutes later. “How’d you get there?”

“All by myself,” she said, grinning. “I’ve got mad skills.”

“I believe it.” He kissed the top of her head. The others were quickly ready and with shouted
goodbyes to Patrick and Chris, they were off.

“So, what do you want to do today?” Chris asked.

“Well yesterday you were talking about wanting to learn all our songs. We could do that now, if you want.” Chris nodded eagerly. Patrick left and came back with his acoustic guitar. “What do you want to start with?”

“Anything?”

“Easy enough.”

They spent the next few hours learning the songs Chris didn’t know. Patrick was surprised when Chris picked up his guitar and played a couple of notes. They were clumsy notes because of the cast, but they were chords that made sense.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Sure. I was a double major, Genetics and Music, until last year when I realized it was
impossible to graduate with both. But I play guitar and piano now. That’s why I’m Music Coordinator for my sorority.”

“I was wondering about that. One of the girls said you wrote that song your sorority sang at your grad party?”

Chris nodded. “Our old hymn sounded awful. I kept the words and changed the music.”

“It’s awesome. Super complex, but it sounds simple.”

“Thanks.” Chris was beaming.

“Maybe you can help me with something,” Patrick said after a minute.

“I can try. What is it?”

“Pete gave me some lyrics weeks ago. I’ve been trying to work out the melody, but it’s taking me
forever. Will you listen to my play it and give me suggestions?”

“Sure, absolutely. Let’s hear it.”

“Hold on.” Patrick left the room and came back with a manuscript book. He flipped through the
pages and stopped at one near the back. “So,” he said, taking his guitar, “like I said before, this is by no means ready.”

“It’s not like I’m gonna laugh.”

“You say that now.”

She laughed. “Just play it, Trick.”

He smiled, “You haven’t called me Trick since I was fifteen.”

“Ya, well, I can’t remember why I stopped, and I decided it was awesome, so play me the damn song!”

“Fine, fine,” he said laughing. He started playing and singing. After making it though the song once, Chris asked him to play sections over again, singing what she read out of the book, sometimes adding and changing things. About an hour or so later they heard everyone clambering up the hill to the house. Patrick abruptly stopped playing.

“Whatchya doin?” she asked, stopping singing mid-line.

“This sounds a lot better than it did, but I still don’t think it’s ready for other people to
hear…”

Chris laughed, “Come on, it’s not bad. But ok.”

Patrick closed the manuscript book and said, “Thanks for your help. It does sound a lot better now.”

“No problem.”

The others charged through the door shouting about something that happened on the boat. Pete put the cooler down in the kitchen then went to Chris.

“Hey there,” she said smiling when he plunked down on the couch next to her.

He pulled her towards him and kissed her, “Hey.”

She leaned into him, “How was the boat?”

“It was fun. Joe skied some more, we went to the cliffs again, and we went tubing.”

“What were they shouting about when y’all came in?” Chris head fell to his shoulder.

“Joe and Andy were arguing about who’s wipeout was the best,” he said with a laugh. “What did
you and Patrick do?”

“He taught me you guys’ songs.”

“She’s really good,” Patrick stated.

“I bet she is,” Pete said smiling, “Which ones?”

“Allllllll of them.”

“Can I hear one?”

She laughed, “Seriously?”

“Please,” he pleaded with a puppy dog look.

“Ugh fine.”

“Which one?” Patrick asked, picking his guitar back up.

“Ummm.” Chris looked to Pete.

“Do Sophomore,” Pete said.

Chris looked at Patrick questioningly. He said, “Best Part of Believe is the Lie.”

“Oh, ya, I love that one.” She sat up and nodded to Patrick. He started playing, she started
singing.

By the time the song was over Pete was grinning ear to ear. With sincerity in his voice he said,
“That was awesome.”

“I know,” she said haughtily, but she was smiling, pleased that he liked it.

“She also helped me on the melody for those lyrics that you gave me a while ago,” Patrick told him.

“Ya?”

“Yup, she’s great.”

“Stop, Trick, I’m not that special.” Chris was blushing.

“Um, I beg to differ,” Sara said walking into the room, “I think you’re pretty special.”

“You don’t even know what we’re talking about,” Chris said.

“Does it matter? You’re special to me,” she spoke in a baby voice, pinching Chris’ cheeks.

“Anyway, she’s right,” Pete said, pulling her back into his arms. “You’re awesome.”

“And you’re cheesy.” When he gave her a hurt look, she quickly said, “I like cheesy! And I like
you. Soooooo I’d also have to say that you’re awesome.”

“All good things.” Pete smiled again.

“Alright now that that disgusting display of affection is over,” Sara said, pulling the elastic halfway out of Chris’ ponytail, “what do we want to do for dinner?”

“It’s always about the food with you,” Chris said, mock pouting as she pulled the elastic all
the way out of her hair. “What do you want?”

“Becca and I were talking about your grandma’s meatloaf earlier…” Sara said.

“I love Grandma Henry’s meatloaf!” Pete said enthusiastically.

“DID SOMEONE SAY MEATLOAF?!” Joe’s voice called from upstairs. Seconds later his head appeared
over the banister, “Is Grandma H here?”

“No, but Chris makes it really well,” Sara answered.

“God, children,” Chris cut in, “I’ll make meatloaf!”

“Yes!” Joe raised his hands above his head in victory.

“You don’t have to. Becca and I were talking about it, but we didn’t know if you could stand
long enough to make it.”

“I’ll be fine. Beside’s I haven’t had it in a while.”

“Yay,” she said hugging her over the back of the couch. “Sorry about your hair.”

“No you’re not,” Chris said.

“Ya, but we can pretend.”

They laughed together. Chris pushed herself up to standing on foot. She put her booted on the
floor and winced a little as she limped toward the kitchen.

“None of that,” Pete said, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her into the kitchen. When
they got there, Pete asked skeptically, “Are you sure you’re ok to stand here and cook?”

Her ankle did hurt, but Chris was getting a little frustrated with not being allowed to do
anything. “I can stand perfectly fine.”

“Ok.” Pete put her down and backed away a little bit. “Can I do anything for you?”

Chris took a deep breath, regretting snapping at him. In a kinder voice she said, “I think I’m
ok right now, but if I need anything I’ll let you know.”

“Alright, starshine.” He kissed her cheek, got a beer from the fridge and left the kitchen.

Chris began to move around the kitchen, leaning heavily on the countertops. She had managed to
get all the ingredients she needed together and mixed, but then she remembered from previous
visits that the loaf pans were on the top shelf. She opened the cabinet and contemplated her
dilemma. She was able to hop up on the counter off of her good foot and using her unbroken arm
to hoist herself up. Now kneeling, the pans were easily in reach. She set them on the counter and banged her wrist in the process. She winced, but swung her legs back over the edge, prepared
to jump back down. The counter seemed much higher and she could guess that it was going to take
more than one leg to get down without falling over. “Pete!”

Pete and Sara hurried into the room. When they saw Chris perched on the counter, they started to laugh, holding onto each other to keep from collapsing.

“It’s not that funny,” Chris said, pouting.

“It kinda is,” Sara said, “You’ve got some tomato sauce on your nose.” Chris blushed and rushed to wipe it off.

“How did you even get up there?” Pete asked after he finished laughing. She started to explain and he went to help her down. “And it didn’t occur to you to call for us then? Before you scaled
the counter?” He asked smiling.

“I wanted to do it by myself.” Chris’ eyes filled with tears. She quickly turned back to her meatloaf making to hide it.

She wasn’t fast enough. Pete saw it and heard it in her voice. She had begun to pack the meat into the loaf pans. He put an arm around her, “Hey, it’s ok.”

Chris turned and buried her head in his chest and cried quietly. He looked around to Sara. “Go,” she said. “I can do the rest of this. It’s thirty minutes, right?”

Chris nodded. Pete picked her up and carried her upstairs.

A/N: UPDATE! this is seriously the most updating I've ever done =)