It Hasn't Been Long Enough

Callie sat down in her apartment, turning on her computer and pulling up her music. She instantly clicked on “What A Catch, Donnie,” and began listening to the lyrics. When it got to the chorus, she finally realized what Patrick must have been talking about.

“I got troubled thoughts and the self-esteem to match. What a catch, what a catch. And all I can think of is the way I’m the one who charmed, the one who gave up on you. Who gave up on you.”

“Oh my God,” Callie mumbled to herself. “He can’t really feel this way, can he?” She knew there was only one way to find out. She grabbed her keys off the table and sprinted down to her car.

She arrived at the hospital less than fifteen minutes later. She made her way to Patrick’s room knowing exactly what she had to do. She looked in and saw Pete standing there with Joe, Andy, and Emma. She started to walk in when she was pushed aside by some short, blonde-haired girl wearing a short, bright red dress with stilettos. Callie stood there, not moving, while she watched the situation unfold before her.

“Peter Wentz! How dare you not tell me you were coming to Chicago!” the girl yelled. “Do you know how long it took me to find out where you were? All you told me was that Patrick was going to see some doctor somewhere! You didn’t even call to tell me you were in Chicago!”

Joe and Andy were trying to keep from laughing at the girl, while Pete looked at her. “Gloria, we need to talk,” he said.

“Talking can wait, Pete,” Gloria said as she put her hands on each side of his face and pulled him down to her level.

Callie stood there, frozen to the ground. She didn’t know what to do. All this time, everyone had been telling her how much Pete loved her, but nobody mentioned the fact that he was already taken. She started to turn around to leave when she heard her name being called.

She turned back around to see Emma coming out of the room after her. “I shouldn’t have come,” Callie told her with tears in her eyes.

“Callie, wait.”

“I came here to talk to Pete, but it seems he’s already preoccupied,” Callie said. “Is that his girlfriend?”

“Yes, but…”

“Emma, no. I can’t do this. I’ve got to go,” she said as she spun around and walked toward the elevator.

Emma walked back into Patrick’s room, hearing Pete muttering to himself. “Fuck,” he said.

“Who was that?” Gloria asked with disgust.

“That was Callie,” Pete answered.

“Who is she?” Gloria asked.

When Pete didn’t respond, Patrick answered for him. “She’s my nurse.”

“Oh,” Gloria said. “So, she’s no one important.”

“I want to break up,” Pete said immediately.

“You want to what?” Gloria yelled in disbelief.

“I want to break up. I don’t want to be with you anymore,” Pete said, leaving any sympathy he had toward the situation behind. He may have just lost the girl he loved, and he didn’t care about this girl anymore.

“Because of that girl? The nurse?” Gloria asked.

“That’s not the whole reason. Listen, Gloria, you and I just aren’t right for each other. I’m sorry.”

“Fine, Pete,” Gloria told him.

“You’re okay with this?” Pete asked skeptically. It wasn’t like Gloria to let something go if she didn’t get her way.

“You don’t love me. You don’t want to be with me,” Gloria told him. “Then, we’ll break up.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Pete told her.

“No problem,” Gloria said with a smile as she hugged him. “Listen, I’m going to go, okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. I guess this is goodbye?” Pete asked.

“Yeah, goodbye,” Gloria said as she left the room.

“Do you believe her?” Andy asked after she had left.

“What do you mean?” Pete questioned.

“Oh, come on man. She gave up without a fight. That’s not like her,” Andy explained.

“I don’t know,” Pete said sitting down on one of the chairs in the corner of the room.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Patrick asked from the bed.

Pete looked up at him. “What?” he asked.

“You just fucked everything up with Callie, and now you’re just sitting there. Come on, man. Do something. Go after her, something!” Patrick told him.

“Patrick,” Pete began.

“No, I don’t want to hear any of your bullshit,” Patrick said. “Callie was here for a reason, and it obviously had something to do with you. I think I finally convinced her to talk to you, and then Gloria had to come and screw everything up. Now, go after her!”

“I’m not good with telling people how I feel.”

“Well, I already helped you out a bit. I told her ‘What A Catch’ was about her.”

“You what?” Pete yelled.

“I helped you out. Now go talk to her!” Patrick yelled.

Pete looked at him as defeat swept across his face. “Fine, I’ll go talk to her. But, I can’t guarantee she’ll listen.”

“Whatever. Just go!”

“Good luck, Pete,” Emma smiled at him as he left the room. Pete knew he was going to need all the luck he could get. He didn’t know if Callie was going to be in a very forgiving mood when he got to her.