Misery Loves It's Company
Life is screwed up
“Hey, aren’t you the girl in the paper? The one that that famous singer broke up with?” the driver asked as he drove down the road.
My mouth dropped open but then I snapped it shut and crossed my arms.
“That’s me, but it’s not true. We didn’t break up. We are a happy couple!” I defended.
“Alright, I’m just saying I saw you in the papers.”
“Fantastic,” I mumbled and looked out the window. Ricky patted my knee in comfort and I sighed. ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ I thought.
“Here we are,” said the cab driver 10 minutes later.
“Thank you,” I said grumpily and handed him the money.
Ricky grabbed his things from the trunk and I grabbed one small bag. I quickly ran up the flights of stairs, dropped Ricky’s bag on the floor and fumbled for my keys.
“Hey, easy. I’ve got some valuable things in there!” Ricky complained.
“Sorry,” I mumbled and then I heard the door lock click and I threw the door open. I grabbed Ricky’s bag and tossed it onto the nearest chair. I heard Ricky sigh. I turned to the couch but was shocked to see Andy, Joe and Pete on the couch. They had been talking but silenced themselves when I came in.
“Peter! Have you read the paper? Those damn girls wrote that we…” my voice trailed off as I realized that they all looked sad. Pete stood up and walked over to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked worried and confused.
Ricky walked over and put his stuff gently down by the chair that I had tossed his stuff on and then concentrated on the conversation. Pete looked briefly at Ricky confused and then back to me.
“Pat tried to kill himself last night,” Pete said. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open.
“What?!” I screamed shocked.
“He didn’t die. But he got hurt pretty badly.”
“What does pretty badly mean?” I asked.
“Well, he tried to hang himself but the rope couldn’t hold him and it snapped. He fell and hit his head, hard, against the ground. Andy, Joe and I rushed him to the hospital and when he didn’t wake up the doctors told us he was in a coma.”
I gasped and tears came to my eyes.
“No, no, no. Patrick. No. This can’t be true,” I kept saying.
“Bella,” Ricky said quietly and hugged me after Pete let go.
“I’ve gotta see him!” I said quickly.
“You can’t. The doctors wouldn’t let us in,” Joe said. He stared at me with one of those we-tried-everything-we-could-but-it-didn’t-work kind of stares.
I sighed and sat down on the other small couch we had. Ricky took a seat next to me and I leaned on his should. Pete sat back down in between Andy and Joe.
“So who are you?”Joe asked trying to change the subject and lighten the mood. We were all sad and we would be sad for a long time but I really wanted to believe that Patrick was going to be okay and in order to keep thinking that I needed to keep my mind occupied.
“I’m Ricardo. I’m Bella’s brother,” he stated.
“Ah. You’re older right?” Joe asked to make sure.
“Yes, by 4 years.”
“Are you Italian too?” Joe asked leaning forward. Jeez this was like 20 questions.
“Duh,” I said laughing. Joe stared at me and smiled slightly.
“How long are you staying here?” Andy asked.
“As long as Bella wants me too,” he exclaimed.
“Really?” I asked happily.
“Sure, but then of course it also depends on Peter,” Ricky said turning towards Peter. I sat up in my seat and looked at him too.
“I’m fine with you staying as long as you want. If it makes Bella happy then that’s fine with me,” he said. I could tell that Pete wasn’t completely there. I stood up and grabbed his hand.
“Can I talk to you privately Pete?” I asked.
“Yeah sure,” he said standing up and following me into the bedroom. I closed the door and led him to the bench in front of the bed. Before we sat down I gave him a hug, one of those long ones that you never want to end. I started to shake as tears came to my eyes and I heard him sniff. I let the tears fall from my eyes and I could tell Peter did too.
“Life is so screwed up,” I mumbled into his shoulder.
"Bella promise me one thing," Peter said weakly.
"Anything," I said pulling away slightly so that I could look into his eyes.
"Never leave."
"I'm not going anywhere Wentz," I said with a small smile on my face. He smiled to and we both laughed slightly, then hugged each other tightly again.
My mouth dropped open but then I snapped it shut and crossed my arms.
“That’s me, but it’s not true. We didn’t break up. We are a happy couple!” I defended.
“Alright, I’m just saying I saw you in the papers.”
“Fantastic,” I mumbled and looked out the window. Ricky patted my knee in comfort and I sighed. ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ I thought.
“Here we are,” said the cab driver 10 minutes later.
“Thank you,” I said grumpily and handed him the money.
Ricky grabbed his things from the trunk and I grabbed one small bag. I quickly ran up the flights of stairs, dropped Ricky’s bag on the floor and fumbled for my keys.
“Hey, easy. I’ve got some valuable things in there!” Ricky complained.
“Sorry,” I mumbled and then I heard the door lock click and I threw the door open. I grabbed Ricky’s bag and tossed it onto the nearest chair. I heard Ricky sigh. I turned to the couch but was shocked to see Andy, Joe and Pete on the couch. They had been talking but silenced themselves when I came in.
“Peter! Have you read the paper? Those damn girls wrote that we…” my voice trailed off as I realized that they all looked sad. Pete stood up and walked over to me.
“What’s going on?” I asked worried and confused.
Ricky walked over and put his stuff gently down by the chair that I had tossed his stuff on and then concentrated on the conversation. Pete looked briefly at Ricky confused and then back to me.
“Pat tried to kill himself last night,” Pete said. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open.
“What?!” I screamed shocked.
“He didn’t die. But he got hurt pretty badly.”
“What does pretty badly mean?” I asked.
“Well, he tried to hang himself but the rope couldn’t hold him and it snapped. He fell and hit his head, hard, against the ground. Andy, Joe and I rushed him to the hospital and when he didn’t wake up the doctors told us he was in a coma.”
I gasped and tears came to my eyes.
“No, no, no. Patrick. No. This can’t be true,” I kept saying.
“Bella,” Ricky said quietly and hugged me after Pete let go.
“I’ve gotta see him!” I said quickly.
“You can’t. The doctors wouldn’t let us in,” Joe said. He stared at me with one of those we-tried-everything-we-could-but-it-didn’t-work kind of stares.
I sighed and sat down on the other small couch we had. Ricky took a seat next to me and I leaned on his should. Pete sat back down in between Andy and Joe.
“So who are you?”Joe asked trying to change the subject and lighten the mood. We were all sad and we would be sad for a long time but I really wanted to believe that Patrick was going to be okay and in order to keep thinking that I needed to keep my mind occupied.
“I’m Ricardo. I’m Bella’s brother,” he stated.
“Ah. You’re older right?” Joe asked to make sure.
“Yes, by 4 years.”
“Are you Italian too?” Joe asked leaning forward. Jeez this was like 20 questions.
“Duh,” I said laughing. Joe stared at me and smiled slightly.
“How long are you staying here?” Andy asked.
“As long as Bella wants me too,” he exclaimed.
“Really?” I asked happily.
“Sure, but then of course it also depends on Peter,” Ricky said turning towards Peter. I sat up in my seat and looked at him too.
“I’m fine with you staying as long as you want. If it makes Bella happy then that’s fine with me,” he said. I could tell that Pete wasn’t completely there. I stood up and grabbed his hand.
“Can I talk to you privately Pete?” I asked.
“Yeah sure,” he said standing up and following me into the bedroom. I closed the door and led him to the bench in front of the bed. Before we sat down I gave him a hug, one of those long ones that you never want to end. I started to shake as tears came to my eyes and I heard him sniff. I let the tears fall from my eyes and I could tell Peter did too.
“Life is so screwed up,” I mumbled into his shoulder.
"Bella promise me one thing," Peter said weakly.
"Anything," I said pulling away slightly so that I could look into his eyes.
"Never leave."
"I'm not going anywhere Wentz," I said with a small smile on my face. He smiled to and we both laughed slightly, then hugged each other tightly again.