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“Where do you usually go for lunch Patrick?”

We were walking along outside the performing art center, walking under the covered area leading to the courtyard. I walked side by side with him, matching my longer strides to his shorter ones. I was only about an inch and a half taller than him, but my legs were a lot longer than his.

“Uhh, usually just to the library to work on homework. Or sleep.” Patrick told me, gripping the straps of his bookbag and looking down, his black trucker hat that he never seemed to take off covering his eyes. I felt my heart sink a little hearing this; it made me terribly sad to think about Patrick all alone.

“But its Friday, and it’s the first week. You can’t have homework. Are you gonna go there now?”

“I dunno.”

“Do you like being alone Patrick?”

He shrugged his shoulders like it wasn’t a big deal. “Not really,” he admitted.

“Why don’t you come with me?”

“Uhh,” Patrick stalled. “You don’t have to.”

“I want you to, Patrick.” At this he looked like he wanted to escape again, so I grabbed his arm before he could make excuses and dart off. I noticed how pale it was. “C’mon.” I gave him my most winning smile. He smiled a little and let me lead the way to the lunchroom.

Patrick said he would wait outside while I went through the line. I realized that he must have usually brought his own lunch, even though he didn’t say it. As I stood in line and waited, I could smell the pulled pork sandwiches they were serving and felt my stomach growl.

I moved along the line and I got my hands on it; a glorious pulled pork sandwich cooked to perfection and heaped barbeque sauce on it. I grabbed a Gatorade and paid, meeting Patrick where he sat waiting for me outside the lunch room.

We got to the tree in the middle of the courtyard, but it looked like we were the first ones there. I wondered where both Andy and Jan were, figuring they might have been together. Andy probably had told her about some new media scandal involving an innocent animal, and Jan was off rallying.

I sat in the grass in the sunshine and Patrick sat cross-legged across from me. He had a small smile on his face and seemed to be enjoying the vitamin d on his blindingly white skin; I felt peaceful.

A breeze gently ruffling my hair from where it was pulled into a braid, and pulled the end of the long Iron Maiden shirt I wore that Patrick commented on.

“I love them. Especially what they represent. Its not a genre, its not about what you look like; its about the music, and that’s it.” Patrick's eyes lit up as he talked; it was the only real time I had seen him be so passionate about the words he spoke.

I had the feeling he had been waiting to bring it up at the right moment, in case we lost things to talk about, and it made me smile; he started to take out his lunch from his backpack and started to eat; a sandwich, carrot sticks and a pack of uncooked ramen, which he immeidatley opened and began nibbling on after he had eaten everything else.

I nodded vigorously but concentrated on the sandwich before me and lifted it up, dripping barbeque sauce everywhere and stuffed it into my face before I got it all over my jeans and shirt. Patrick chuckled.

“What so funny?” I managed as best I could, seeing his amusement. “I’m hungry.”

“It’s not that, its just, you don’t eat like a normal girl.”

“Hey,” I said, finishing chewing and swallowing. “You calling me a man?” I said with mock hurt.

“No no,” Patrick stuttered quickly. “You just don’t care what people think, you just eat. It’s a compliment.”

I took in what he said and flashed a quick grin. “I’m kidding Patrick.”

He smiled too. “I know, me too. You eat like a man.”

I wiped my hands on a napkin laughed, shooting him a look. “Take that back, or I’ll have to wipe barbeque sauce on you.”

He made a pleading face. “No, please, I actually hate barbeque sauce.”

I tilted my head. “Really?”

“Yeah. We went to this restaurant to eat when I was a kid," he licked his lips quickly.
"And I remember there was this kid screaming at the table next to us, and refusing to eat his food. I almost feel like my family was the only family who never had a screaming child in a restaurant or store or whatever.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows, as if trying to remember. “Me and my brother Kevin—we were literally too scared to throw a temper tantrum for fear of getting our asses beat. Plus, who cries at a restaurant? C'mon, I'm always happy for food. Anyway, this kid he finally started eating his food…and I got up to go to the bathroom, and right when I walked by him he shoved a napkin full of chewed up barbeque in my face,”

Patrick shuddered. “I think that was one of the worst experiences of my life.”

At this point I was hiding a smile behind my hands, Patrick smiled a little. “Its okay, you can laugh. I cried so hard that day, and my mom was the only one who didn’t laugh at me. My dad and my brother, they thought it was the funniest thing. I mean, I guess its not so bad when I look back on it, but I will never touch barbeque sauce again."

"Hey," I heard Andy's voice suddenly and looked up to see him walking with Bob.

"Hey," I called, "What's up?" I paused and looked at Patrick, "Oh, this is Patrick. He's my friend."

Andy smiled widely as Patrick waved shyly. "H-hey," he stammered.

"Patrick! Dude how are you?" Andy exclaimed, going over and holding out his hand, which Patrick stood slowly and timidly took, Andy giving him a bro-hug. Bob had halted off to the side, and I could now clearly see he was making Patrick uncomfortable. Patrick pushed his black framed glasses up his nose even though they weren't falling down, and that's how I knew.

Patrick smiled a half-smile. "I've been okay. What's up with you?"

"Nothing much, just band-hopped all summer really. How about you? Are you still drumming for Patterson?"

"No, I was last drumming for Xgrinding processX... but I think you're drumming for it now right?" Patrick put his hands in his pockets and offered Andy a smile as Andy looked shocked.

"What? Oh dude...I had no idea. I didn't meant to take your spot...they just said they needed a new drummer..." Andy swallowed.

"No its cool, I couldn't play anymore." Patrick offered. "Don't feel bad."

"But," Andy began again, "I left when they got a new vocalist. I couldn't stand the bastard," Andy gave a short laugh.

Patrick just smiled politely and continued to look uncomfortable.

"Well, me and Bob were just setting up to borrow some quality amps for tonight." Andy jerked a thumb at Bob. "Bob's blew out and we need a new one."

"I have an amp my bandmates in Patterson left at my house, you can borrow it." Patrick piped up.

"Really? Could we?" Andy looked hopeful.

"Yeah, sure," Patrick nodded.

"Dude! That would be awesome!" Andy put out his hand for a respectful bro-fist from Patrick.

"So, we could come by you house tonight, where's it at?"

Patrick gave Andy his address and told him he could come by after he got off work, Andy patted him on the back and thanked him.

I smiled at seeing Patrick actually open up to Andy, I looked down at my watch and remembered Jan.

About this time the lunch period was halfway over, and I was worried about her. Why hadn't we seen her yet? "Hey uh, Andy, have you seen Jan?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Nuh uh, why?" Andy paused and turned to me, hands behind his head, grinning because Patrick was helping him.

“She got called to the principal’s office. I guess she isn’t out yet.”

“What happened?” Andy asked, alert now.

“I dunno, she just got called in the middle of theatre to the front office. Maybe we should go check,”

Andy nodded. “Right behind you. Sorry Patrick, we'll be back."

"Okay," Patrick nodded, still with that unsure look on his face. I couldn't just leave him by himself; I put out my hand. "Patrick, come with us."

Patrick hesitated before he nodded and I smiled encouragingly.

We traipsed across the courtyard to the front office, looking in the windows as we passed for Jan, but she wasn't in the lobby. Andy opened the door and Patrick and I walked in, Andy following, and he went up to the front desk.

"Hey, is Janelle Hurley in here?" he quietly asked the front desk administrator, who looked up with a sideglance from her computer.

"Janelle Hurley?" She repeated in a stony tone. "Yes, she's being seen by Principal Mackle right now."

"What's wrong?" Andy pressed, putting his hands on the counter.

"I can't discuss those matters, they are between Miss Hurley and Principal Mackle." The admin looked affronted, reminding me with her poofy hair of a bird that had her feathers ruffled.

Andy let out a sigh and turned away from the desk, coming over to where Patrick and I sat.

"Excuse me, but if you are not called here, you will need to wait outside." The admin said snootily from her desk, and Andy walked out the door without a word, but I heard him mutter 'bitch' under his breath. Patrick and I got up unsurely and followed him out, where he stood pacing outside the office. I glanced back at the office, now worried, and watched as the door to the principal's office opened and Jan finally emerged, followed by the admin that had pulled her from class. She caught sight of us outside the glass and quickly walked outside to us; she looked stressed.

"Jan!" Andy exclaimed, turning to her, and upon seeing her face he immediately looked concerned. "What happened?" He asked urgently.

“I got suspended,” Jan breathed out, looking around at us.

“What happened?” Andy held her shoulders and looked in her face. “Tell me.”

“Someone vandalized the art room. They took the spray paint I got and the razor blades and stuck it in all the molding clay, they have to throw out the whole batch. They spray-painted stuff about animal rights all over the walls, and they’re blaming me because I was the last one seen with the spray paint and razors.”

“What!" Andy and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Well, they can’t suspend you over just that. It’s stupid,” Andy said after it had sunk in.

“The principal says its cause I have a history of incidents…” Jan recited with a roll of her eyes.

Andy sighed out. “The time when you threw paint all over New Trier soccer team and got the captain to run naked through the hall?”

“Yeah,” Jan admitted. “I’ve been suspended for a week, they said they can’t prove that I didn’t do it so they won’t try to charge me or fine me, but I’m suspended from school and that teacher is probably gonna get me banned from the art room.” She looked wearily at me. “So I can’t get you in now. I’m sorry Videl,” she sighed.

“Don’t worry about that, I’m just pissed you got suspended.” It wasn’t a total lie, but I felt my good mood start to crumble a little more.

"Who the hell could have done that?" Andy asked, running his hands through his hair.

"I don't know," Jan sighed out dejectedly. "Someone that hates me."

"Or someone that you hate." I put in, wracking my brain. "Maybe it was that little bitch Gary," I said, going on a wild note. I let it hang in the air.

"No way, that weasel doesn't have the balls," Jan scoffed. "I can't think of anyone seriously though."

"Anyway," Jan continued. "Mom's coming to get me right now. I have to wait in the office."

Andy grabbed her shoulders again. "I'm gonna find who did this. No one does this to my sister and gets away with it."

“Yeah we'll find who did this. It might have been that fucker, you should tell the principal."

Jan sighed again. "I already swore up and down it wasn't me, cause if it was, I would have taken credit for it." She pouted. "They said no one else has been seen in the art room, it was locked this morning and it happened between first period and third, when there aren't classes."

“I’ll kill that little weasel with my bare hands if it was him.” Andy said, popping his knuckles while I nodded vigorously. Patrick looked a bit frightened, but swallowed.

Right then, the admin stuck her head out the door. "Janelle Hurley, your mother is here."

She rolled her eyes and gave me a quick hug, waving bye to Patrick and turning to follow to go back in.

"I'm coming with you to talk to mom," Andy said at once, following her inside. "See you guys later." he called over his shoulder.

I turned to Patrick, running my hands over my bangs, a nervous habit of mine. "C'mon Patrick."

I looked at his face, and noticed he was still uncomfortable.

“It’s not about violence, its about being fair.” I told Patrick, trying to comfort him.

Patrick nodded. He said, “You’re right, I just wouldn’t want to see you get in trouble for retaliating.”

"Someone's gotta pay for what they did, and we're gonna make 'em." I balled my fist.

“To be honest, you kind of scare me. But in a good way,” Patrick said quietly. “I like it.”

This made me laugh. “I’m sorry. I know I come off sort of…angry sometimes.”

Patrick shook his head. “Not angry, just intense. You stick up for people.” Patrick affirmed.

I smiled. "Thanks Patrick."

♠ ♠ ♠
To the people that commented and rec'd, I love you so much. You guys are responsible for this story moving along.

Thanks to:
birds ate my face
lady enigma
colorful tears
autumn blooms
tm parker
minorasmith
what a pretty face
kate wentz
sodapopcurtis

thank you :3

More ^_^ we will eventually make it this party, dammit. Kind of makes you feel like you're in the story huh?

More Patrick and Videl next chapter, as well as craziness. Are you ready?

I said I would be making shorter chapters, they keep coming out way more than I anticipate... are you guys okay with longer chapters, less frequent updates, or shorter chapters, more updates?