Ten Things I Hate

It had been several weeks since Pat had retreated to him room, and the issue had been solved between all of the band. He was younger than everyone, about seven months younger than Garrett, and had explained that because of this, he'd always felt like he would be the first to go if they found someone better. John took it upon himself to make sure that Pat from then on felt appreciated, and I began to see a different person than Pat had been. He would smile more, and become more involved in conversation and began to put in more for the music the band created.

One afternoon, John suggested that the band have an extended band practice because I would be leaving within the next two weeks and it might be the last time we'd be able to all be together. Winter break was almost over, I would be living with my dad so that we could "bond", as he'd said, for the semester in college.
"You know," Garrett mumbled through a mouthful of pizza. "You should transfer to the Tempe campus." He'd said this several times since I'd started college the previous summer, and while I wished I could, what I was studying wasn't offered at the Tempe campus. He knew this, as did everyone else who mumbled in agreement.
"Yeah, do it." Tim Kirch was with us today, an observer of the worst kind. Tim wasn't able to even watch The Price is Right without throwing in his two cents. He was the opposite of Pat, opinionated and not scared to share. I'd exchanged quick glances with Pat while the band was practicing, he'd rolled his eyes and smiled at me each time. I was surprised by the small change of heart I had with Pat, just through those few glances. Although it wasn't a permanent change of heart, I soon found out.
"Guys, we've been through this! My classes aren't at the Tempe campus!" I laughed, picking up a piece of vegetarian pizza and biting the tip of the triangle off. "I can't just leave it either, John." I saw him pout in an over-the-top fashion out of the corner of my eye.
"Oh come on Soph, you know we'd have you on tour with us so you can do all our photography!"

This had been a debated issue, back and forth since the band had started in 2007. I was always behind the camera in the photos that ended up being taken on nights out, or nights in. They decorated my room, Garrett's room and Rachel's room. And when John had seen the ones Garrett harbored in his room, he'd insisted on knowing who had taken them. Eventually the trail led to me and I've been bugged about it everyone so often since. I could just imagine my parents' reactions when I tell them I'm planning on dropping college to follow my friends on tour to take photos. The conversation flowed through the upcoming recording dates that had been set, and the tour and I saw a blur leave the circle. Rachel had been upset about Garrett leaving for five months, and was so utterly sensitive to the topic even being mentioned, it almost brought her to tears everytime. Garrett shot a sadden, apologetic look at the rest of us and quickly followed her, leaving his half eaten slice of pizza on his plate. Pat reached over and began to eat the rest as I watched on in disgust.
"That's disgusting, Pat."
He shrugged, not really bothered by what I thought. "It was the last piece of Meatosaurus. It was gonna go cold before he got back anyway, Rachel's got his balls in a vice anyway." I hadn't ever heard Pat talk like that before, but I took offence to it. Rachel was my best friend, and in no way did I think that she had Garrett whipped.
"No, she really doesn't." I retorted defiantly. Pat raised his eyebrows at me, still chewing on Garrett's pizza.
"Uh, yes. Yes, she does. It's been like, four years. How often does that happen, esepcially when you're teenagers?" he was staring at me now. "I mean, when was the last time you had a boyfriend, Sophia?"
The rest of the circle had gone quiet, just listening to the two of us debate the issue of Garrett and Rachel. I frowned upon hearing that and almost immediately dropped the remaining slice I was eating onto my plate in front of me, standing upbruptly. "Nice, Pat. That was smooth." My single status had been a sore topic for a while now, the simple fact that I would be asked on an initial date, but never a second was a real self confidence smasher. Pat knew that, everybody knew that. I stalked off, walking towards the back door. Rachel and Garrett were upstairs, and I wasn't really prepared to deal with Rachel's issues over my own much larger one. It was obvious that Garrett loved Rachel and would never hurt her in anyway. I didn't even understand why she was worrying. Five years, and she was worried they'd drift apart in five months. It was ludicrous, he was going to be home every few weeks anyway. It was more the fact that she would be alone that was really bugging her, I'd have put my money on that.

Once I was outside, the cold wind hit me and I shivered. I rushed across the spacious lawn to the loveseat that sat against the fence opposite the house. The roof of it had long been torn off, a drunken accident by Tim and John who had wanted "somewhere comfy to sit and look at the stars". They had clambered upon the thin fabric and ripped it, almost demolishing the seat in the process. All that was left on the loveseat was the cushions that covered the seat and the exposed frame. I much preferred it this way, you could sit and look up into the stars. Tonight, the clouds covered them, but the occasional gap let me look past the grey cover and into midnight blue, littered with shining silver dots. It wasn't long before I felt the presence of someone else, and I tore my gaze from the sky only to have it land on Pat. "What?" I asked venemously.
"Can I sit?" he was almost timid about asking, his lips pursed to to the side. He avoided eye contact with me, even though I was staring directly at him.
"No."
"Soph, that's a bit unfair. I just wanted to say sorry. And it's my seat." Pat ignored my answer and sat down next to me anyway. He rolled his head back to look at the sky, laughing slightly when he did. "Remember when John and Tim tore the roof?" I laughed with him, remembering Tim attempting to give John a boost onto the frame, even though he was smaller. "Tim was so bruised, cause he landed right on the frame and all. And John! Remember how he got off the seat okay, then he tripped over his own feet and face-planted it?"
"Yeah, that was a good night," I murmured, thinking back. It had been a good night, and also a very awkward one at that. I had been intoxicated, and accidentally (in my emotional state) kissed John very briefly. We had kept it secret, not even Rachel knew because it was assumed between John and I that if she did, we would never again hear the end of it.
"I saw you and John," Pat continued staring at the sky before he turned and faced me. "Kissing, in the ki-"
"I know very well what happened, Pat." I snapped, angry that someone besides the two of us directly involved knew. I softened my gaze, clapping my hands to my face. "Oh God, you haven't told anyone, have you?" I peeked through my fingers to see Pat shaking his head.
"Nobody would care though, John kisses lots of girls." He'd done it again, his casual remarks not-so-casually hitting home. I decided to pick my battles, and left this burning insult be. It wasn't so much that I wanted to be something to John, it was that I wanted to be something to someone.